The announcement by Burkina Faso’s military government that it thwarted a plot to assassinate the president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and destabilise the country has raised fears that the country may be on the brink of a new, more violent phase in its ongoing internal power struggles. The country’s security minister, Mahamadou Sana, announced on January…
By Editorial Board The United States’ abduction of Venezuela’s elected president, Nicolás Maduro, sends worrying signals to constituted authority across the globe, no less so for West Africa, a region where external forces have imposed political and economic dominance over its leadership for too long. Trump’s move was clearly a strategic mistake because it undermined…
Mamadi Doumbouya’s ascension to Guinea’s presidency represents a major shift in Guinea’s political space. The former coup leader has been transformed into a civilian head of state after a landslide victory in the December 28, 2025 election. With 86.72 percent of the vote, he now embarks on a seven-year term under a new constitution he…
Mali and Burkina Faso recently announced a defiant move imposing bans on US citizens entering their territories in response to restrictions imposed by the US on their citizens. The moves, which took effect immediately, follow reports of similar action by neighbouring Niger via state media. These West African states, all under military rule, cite the…
Senegal’s president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has unveiled plans for substantial public investments in 2026, targeting education, healthcare and water infrastructure, as the country seeks to consolidate its post-pandemic recovery and address long-standing social needs. In his New Year’s Eve address on 31 December 2025, Faye described 2026 as a year of “renewed public investment”, following…
2025 has finally ended and a new year has commenced, but the memories for West Africa have been marked by a volatile mix of political instability, electoral contests and security challenges. The region, home to over 400 million people, continues to grapple with the fallout from a series of military coups, strained regional alliances and…
The announcement of military ruler, Mamady Doumbouya, as the substantive winner of the December 28 presidential elections in Guinea has not come as a surprise but it has sparked a serious debate in the region over the use of incumbency as a tool to hold on to power, regardless of public perception. Provisional results released…
The United States conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in northwest Nigeria on 25 December, in coordination with Nigerian authorities. The operation targeted camps in the north-western state of Sokoto, according to US Africa Command (Africom). Initial assessments reported multiple militants killed, with no civilian casualties. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the strikes…
Bamako, Mali Leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have concluded their second summit with a commitment to intensify joint military operations against armed groups, as Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré assumed the rotating presidency. The two-day meeting in Bamako, which ended on 23 December, brought together Mali’s General Assimi Goïta, Niger’s General Abdourahamane…
The leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have inaugurated a new regional development bank and a joint television broadcaster during the second session of its college of Heads of State in Bamako, underscoring their drive towards economic and informational self-reliance. Head of Mali’s military government, Assimi Goïta, Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré and Niger’s…
