First Independent Mena Newspaper
“If we don’t act now,” the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in the Sahel will “become a problem for the world,” a senior UNHCR official has warned, echoing a senior UNICEF official that has condemned a “distressing” 70% rise in grave violence against children in several strife-torn countries in the region plagued by jihadists and […]
Soldiers from five Sahel states are holding military exercises in Western Niger focusing on counter-terrorism, Niger’s defense minister said. The drills, to run until June 3, bring together Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and Togo, marking the first exercise between the five countries. The exercise includes interoperability, tactical maneuvers, and offering health care to citizens. […]
Benin and Niger finally appear to have resolved their trade dispute following the mediation by the Chinese government, which has led Benin to lift the blockade preventing Niger’s oil export through its territory to China. Tensions between the two West African neighbors began last year after Niger’s ruling junta ousted the country’s democratically elected president […]
Benin-Niger spat: China may try to mediate to access crude oil from ‘its’ pipeline Tensions between Benin and Niger have escalated since the military coup in the latter in July 2023, with the borders between both countries remaining closed and with Benin preventing Niger from using its port to export its crude oil, mostly bound […]
The military coup in Niger has reversed hard-earned gains in the previous decade under democratically elected governments, as it has impacted every sector of Nigerian society, demonstrating the centrality of governance to security, economic, and social outcomes, a new study by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) has found. The derailing of Niger’s constitutional […]
First Nigerian oil has arrived at the Beninese oil terminal of Sémè Kraké using the Niger-Benin pipeline, with experts hailing the launch of this platform because it signifies Niger’s emergence as a key player in Africa’s oil sector. The recent inauguration of the oil export platform in the town on the border between Benin and […]
The United States has agreed to withdraw its about 1,000 troops from Niger, where it built and operated a major drone base in the desert city of Agadez, in a move that effectively marks a new regional gain for Russia. Washington has accepted the call to pull out its troops from Nigeria and is committed […]
Drug trafficking in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger continues to undermine security and economic development in the West African Sahel region, according to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that calls for the dismantling of trafficking networks. In light of the soaring seizures of drugs, especially cocaine, […]
In a sign of close cooperation between sanction-hit and military-run Sahel countries, Niger has agreed to supply Mali with cheap diesel to supply power plants. Under the deal, Niger would deliver 150 million liters of diesel to neighboring Mali to curb power outages, the Malian presidency said. Only half the Malian population have access to […]
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) agreed to offer a loan of 400 million dollars to the Niger government, which is struggling with the impact of sanctions. The loan is seen as one of the first steps to wean financial dependence on the West, with whom the military rulers are increasingly at odds, going as far […]