First Independent Mena Newspaper
France began Tuesday August 1 evacuating hundreds of French and European citizens from Niger a few days after a junta overthrew West-backed President Mohamed Bazoum and amid call for pullout of all foreign forces in the poor West African country. The first of three flights to evacuate French and European citizens from Niger took in […]
Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea dealt a blow to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after they threw their support behind the junta in power in Niger despite the regional community’s threat for military intervention if deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum is not restored. A group of soldiers seized power in Niger Wednesday July […]
Burkina Faso Thursday July 27 expressed keenness for closer cooperation with neighboring Niger, a day after the army deposed elected leader Mohamed Bazoum. “Niger is a sister country, and the people of Niger are brothers of the people of Burkina Faso. In this respect, it is obvious that any situation that may concern Niger affects […]
Benin has secured an 80 million euros loan facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to improve and expand Cotonou harbor, one of the main maritime access points for landlocked countries in West Africa. The loan is split into two: €55 million from the African Development Bank and €25 million from Africa Growing Together Fund, […]
Mali’s military-led government is in talks with gold miners, aiming to negotiate an increase in its mining stake from 20% to 35%, to ensure a fair share of profits. The government is discussing with gold miners the proposed changes to its mining law that could increase state and private Malian interests in new projects by […]
Josep Borrell Fontelles, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced Wednesday, the bloc will provide Niger with 66 million euro earmarked to back the West African country’s national budget. Borrell made the announcement following a meeting with President Mohamed Bazoum. He also argued that the support could be […]
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has indicated that the European country wants to remove its troops from Mali more quickly while maintaining order amid calls by Malian authorities for the removal of the UN mission from the country. Germany has 1,000 soldiers stationed near the northern town of Gao and is assigned to gather reconnaissance […]
The Wagner Group’s mutiny against the Kremlin last week (23-24 June) could have major repercussions for the group’s operations in Africa, not least in the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali and other countries whose leaders have reportedly become very worried that the developments in Russia would bring an end to Wagner’s operations in their respective […]
Mali’s ruling junta has asked prosecutors to probe the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA for “espionage” just days after the government in Bamako called on the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping mission from the West African country “without delay,” denouncing its “failure” to respond to security challenges. These accusations come following a UN report which […]
A helicopter belonging to the UN peacekeeping Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) capsized Thursday owing to winds and injured 11 on board. “One of our helicopters was blown over today after landing in Gao, northern Mali”, the Mission said on Twitter. “This was not a crash. Crew and passengers are all accounted for with 2 seriously […]