First Independent Mena Newspaper
The recent joint operation between dozens of troops from Niger and France’s legendary Foreign Legion reflects the new approach President Emmanuel Macron wants to use for his country’s mission in West Africa’s deeply troubled Sahel region. The joint operation has been symbolic of France’s new mode of cooperation with Niger, part of a strategy which […]
International and regional efforts to combat armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other extremist groups have failed to stop their expansion in Africa’s Sahel region, a senior United Nations official has warned. The joint force set up in 2014 to combat groups linked to al-Qaida, ISIL (ISIS) and others in the Sahel, […]
More than 13,000 women and children have fled islands on the Niger River in western Niger following strings of deadly attacks staged by terrorists, state radio “Voix du Sahel” said. The radio indicated that Women and children fleeing the remote islands have sought safety in Ayorou, a town 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the Nigerien […]
A landmine exploded Sunday killing seven soldiers of Niger’s army, near border with Burkina Faso. The incident took place late Sunday morning. A vehicle carrying supplies on a weekly delivery run hit the mine six kilometers from Samira village, western Tillaberi region, the National Guard of Niger (GNN) was quoted by the media as saying. […]
The two camps — Assamaka in Niger and Dadaab in Kenya — are more than 5000 kilometers apart but both swell with migrants or refugees who have embarked on a long and difficult journey looking for safety from conflict or drought. Assamaka, the first village on the border with Niger, sees the arrival of hundreds […]
Germany is considering sending military forces to Niger as part of a European Union (EU) mission officially aimed at supporting the African country in the military field. The 60-soldier force is waiting for final parliament approval in April. The EU member initially planned to send soldiers to Niger back in December 2022 to join the […]
The Nigerien army has killed 20 Boko Haram fighters near the border with Nigeria, AFP news agency reported. Military operations bulletin in the Diffa region (south-east of Niger) consulted by the agency indicated that the army last week wiped out in an “air-land sweep” operation the bases of the Islamic State in West Africa group […]
China is importing more food products such as avocados, cashews, sesame seeds and chili peppers from Africa, after President Xi Jinping promised to increase non-resource imports from Africa and agriculture is emerging as the new focus of Beijing’s engagement with the continent. In the first two months of this year, Shanghai ports handled more than […]
The United States and its Western allies must demonstrate they “can deliver results” in Africa’s Sahel region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said during his visit to Niger, pledging humanitarian assistance for displaced people and support for the country’s efforts to combat violent extremism. Blinken’s trip to the West African country — the […]
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who has just wrapped up his visit to Ethiopia, is historically the first US secretary of state due to arrive in Nigeria this March 16, amid concerns over Sahel security and growing Russian and Chinese influence. Top diplomat Antony Blinken has embarked on his latest official trip to the […]