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. […]
The Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps, located in southern Algeria, are a time bomb threatening the security and stability of the whole region, said Ivory Coast newspaper ‘Le Mandat’. In a story published Thursday on the growing terrorist threats in the Sahel-Sahara, the daily said the region is already facing serious challenges, namely terrorism which claimed hundreds […]
Cocaine, cannabis resin and pharmaceutical opioids are the internationally trafficked drugs most seized in the Sahel, a region used by criminal networks and armed groups as a “natural stopover point” on trafficking routes from South America to Europe, according to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Drug trafficking in […]
Formally begun in 2007 by the African Union, the Sahel’s green wall which consisted in planting trees to fight desertification has been facing headwinds partly due to drought, conflict and lack of funding. The project is estimated to cost 36 billion dollars and be completed after 17 years from its launch but was hampered by […]
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, […]
More than 80 political parties and civil groups in Mali, repressed by the ruling junta, have united to issue a rare call for an end to the transitional military rule and demanded a presidential election to be held “as soon as possible”. The current junta leadership in Mali, which seized power in a military coup […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the chief of Niger’s military junta, Abdourahmane Tiani, had an important phone call on Tuesday (26 March), the Kremlin has revealed, adding that both men discussed “security cooperation” and security concerns in the Sahel region. The Russian leader and the chairman of Niger’s National Council also reportedly spoke about “strengthening […]
Air France has lost up to 65 million euros after its business in the Sahel was disrupted by a ban by coup countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The ban has forced the French carrier to direct its routes to central Africa with the announcement of a partnership with Afrijet, a Gabonese airline, la Nouvelle […]