First Independent Mena Newspaper
Mali’s transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goita, could remain in power until at least 2030 — without facing an election after a controversial bill approved by Mali’s Council of Ministers on 11 June has proposed granting Goita a renewable five-year term starting in 2025. The bill, now awaiting ratification by the National Transitional Council, cements a […]
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, has emerged as the most powerful militant force in West Africa, now commanding up to 6,000 fighters and staging coordinated, high-impact attacks across the Sahel, experts warn. According new analysis titled ‘JNIM Expanding Geographic Reach and Staging Coordinated Attacks in the Sahel’, JNIM’s recent assaults in Timbuktu […]
The Russian mercenary group Wagner has officially announced its departure from Mali after over three years of operations against Islamist insurgents. But Moscow’s military footprint in the West African country remains intact through the Kremlin-controlled Africa Corps, signaling a strategic shift rather than a retreat. Wagner declared its mission “accomplished,” citing the restoration of government […]
The Malian army successfully repelled a jihadist assault on its military camp in Timbuktu on Monday (2 June), just one day after a deadly attack in Boulkessi left at least 30 soldiers dead. According to the Malian Armed Forces, 13 attackers were “neutralized” during the attempted infiltration of the Timbuktu camp. Witnesses reported a car […]
In a dramatic pivot away from traditional regional alliances, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have deepened their collaboration under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), aiming to reclaim sovereignty and reshape their economic future, including through the planned launch of common currency. Born out of frustration with ECOWAS and external pressures, the AES is fast-tracking […]
President of Ghana, John Mahama has expressed on April 22 disappointment at the decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), calling the move “regrettable.” Speaking at the launch of ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Accra on Tuesday, Mahama emphasized that diplomacy should focus on […]
Morocco won the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations title after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Mali (4-0), champions in 2015 and 2017. The regular time ended with a goalless draw in regular time, after the Malians had a goal disallowed due to a handball. This marks Morocco’s first-ever title in the U17 AFCON category. […]
Angry Malians staged a protest in front of Algeria’s embassy in Bamako after the Algerian army downed a Malian drone near the borders within Mali’s territory. Protesters chanted slogans denouncing Algeria’s hostile act. Some of them accused Algeria of protecting terrorist groups, who have wreaked havoc in northern Mali. The condemnation shows the perception of […]
Militant Islamist violence continues to escalate in the Sahel, shifting southward and westward to increasingly threaten security of coastal West African nations, according to a new report by Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger remain at the epicenter of this violent surge, with fatalities and militant activity hitting […]
Algeria has closed its airspace to Mali as relations worsen between the two neighbors with Mali accusing Algeria of backing terrorist groups. Mali together with its Sahel allies, Niger and Burkina Faso, all recalled their ambassadors after Bamako accused Algiers of protecting separatists by downing a Malian drone. Algeria has doubled down on its provocations […]