First Independent Mena Newspaper
Heavy gunfire rang out early Friday in Burkina Faso’s capital — near the presidential palace, the main military camp and some residential areas — and the state broadcaster went off the air, sparking fears of a mutiny nine months after a military coup d’etat overthrew the country’s president. Soldiers are reported to have taken up […]
Nigeriens authorities have suspended transit of oil products to neighboring Mali as diplomatic relations between two countries further go downward. “I have the honor to inform you of the suspension of transit authorizations for petroleum products in Mali not intended for the MINUSMA granted to users,” a circular signed by the Director General of Customs […]
Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin has for the first time acknowledged he is “proud” of founding Wagner Group, a private military company, in 2014, staffed by veterans of the country’s armed forces. After previously denying ownership and suing journalists for reporting it, this was Prigozhin’s first public confirmation that he was the man behind the mercenary […]
Mali’s military-appointed prime minister has lashed out at the former colonial ruler France and the United Nations as he praised the “exemplary” cooperation with Russia. Addressing the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (24 September), Abdoulaye Maiga slammed what he called “unilateral decision” by Paris to relocate the remaining French troops to neighbouring Niger […]
Morocco has renewed this Monday before the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) its strong and constant support to the political transition process in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Mali. Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the AU and the UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, who was speaking at a meeting of the PSC devoted […]
UN Chief, Antonio Guterres, Sunday told French media RFI the 46 Ivorian soldiers who have been in custody in Mali since July for allegedly plotting a coup, are not mercenaries as Malian authorities claim. Guterres in an interview with the media also indicated that he will address the issue with Malian authorities on the sidelines […]
Ivory Coast on Wednesday (14 September) slammed Mali for “blackmailing” over 46 Ivorian troops who have been detained by Bamako and urged leaders of the regional bloc ECOWAS to discuss the crisis “as soon as possible”. Mali’s ruling junta last week tied the troops’ release to the extradition of Malians living in Ivory Coast — […]
Africa’s volatile Sahel region risks becoming a forgotten crisis because of the many competing emergencies around the world, a senior United Nations official has warned. The head of the regional office for West and Central Africa for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Charles Bernimolin, noted that millions of people in six Sahel […]
Côte d’Ivoire authorities have accused their Malian counterparts of hostage-taking after Malian leader colonel Assimi Goita tied the release of Ivorian soldiers to the handover of people who have been on its territory since 2013 and who are wanted in Mali. “No release of Ivorian soldiers without extradition of Malian politicians in return,” Goita said […]
The UN Office of Counter Terrorism through its Program Office in Rabat for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa launched on Monday its 2nd specialized training session on counter-terrorism investigation skills. Twenty-four law enforcement agents from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal are taking part in the training to last till Sept.23. The training […]