First Independent Mena Newspaper
The recent withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the regional ECOWAS bloc has drawn attention to the escalating security crisis in the Sahel region where JNIM, an umbrella coalition of aligned groups, is fast emerging as a dominant jihadist force. These countries, now members of the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES), […]
The European Union is confronting significant challenges in maintaining its long-standing ties with Africa, as it faces rising competition from China and Russia in the region, according to experts. While the EU has been Africa’s biggest export market for years, it has lost ground to these emerging powers, particularly in trade and security. In recent […]
A brutal ambush by suspected jihadists in northeastern Mali on Friday (7 February) left more than 50 people dead, amid worsening insecurity in a region long plagued by violence from jihadist groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda. The attack occurred near the village of Kobe, about 30 kilometers from the city of Gao, when a […]
During his interview with L’Opinion, Algeria’s President Abdelmedjid Tebboune doubled down on interferences in domestic issues of France and Mali. The same president has been using conspiracy theories to distract attention from the worsening economic and social conditions in his country. Warning of foreign interference without offering evidence has become a national sport among the […]
The Government of Niger has unveiled on February 5 plans to launch a new national airline alongside a regional carrier as part of a broader strategy to enhance air connectivity both within the country and across the Sahel region. According to the Nigerien News Agency, Colonel Salisu Mahaman Salisu, the Minister of Transport and Equipment, […]
As the three junta-led Sahel countries are to officially quit the regional grouping ECOWAS on Wednesday (29 January), the years of growing political tensions and deteriorating relations with their neighbors have shaken up trade routes across the West African region. The looming withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West […]
Foreign mining companies in the Sahel region are currently experiencing a nightmare scenario, as military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are seeking to reclaim control over the mining of gold and other valuable resources. With gold mining accounting for over 90% of Mali’s exports, highlighting its critical economic role, the junta-led government aims […]
The Spanish national who has been kidnapped in southern Algeria last week was freed at last by the Touareg Azawad separatist movement FLA, which offered him to the Algerian regime. Algerian rulers took all credit in an attempt to hide their utter failure to protect their borders from rampant Sahel terrorist groups. In a statement, […]
Russia has reportedly delivered military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery systems to Mali, which observers suspect may have been moved there from Syria following the departure of Russian troops after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. According to reports from Defense Web, Africa’s leading defense news portal, Mali could be another recipient of […]
Barrick Gold Corporation said that it remains restricted from shipping gold from the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali, where authorities have also seized the company’s existing gold stock from the site to a custodial bank. Malian authorities have seized an amount of gold estimated at $245 million in an escalation of their long-running dispute with […]