In-depth English analysis and breaking news from the heart of West Africa's Sahel region.
On Sunday, December 7, military personnel appeared on Bénin’s national television, declaring they had “removed from office” President Patrice Talon. However, sources close to the president swiftly countered, confirming his safety and asserting that the regular army was re-establishing command across the nation. President Talon was slated to conclude his leadership of this compact West […]
Accueil International Afrique Tentative de coup d’État au Bénin, la présidence dit garder le contrôle Des militaires ont annoncé dimanche matin à la télévision publique du Bénin avoir “démis de ses fonctions” le président Patrice Talon, dont l’entourage a affirmé à l’AFP qu’il était en sécurité et que l’armée reprenait le contrôle. AFP Agence Publié […]
In Niamey, Dr Jean Baptiste Nikiema has officially assumed his position as the new Resident Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Niger. The diplomat presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Nigeriens Abroad, His Excellence Bakary Yaou Sangaré. This formal ceremony, attended by WHO staff and ministry officials, highlights […]
unhcr urges global support for four million displaced in the Sahel The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued an urgent appeal for robust international assistance to bolster its operations across the Sahel. Currently, close to four million individuals are displaced within Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighboring states. This represents a staggering […]
Empowering Midwives in Mali: How Skilled Care Saves Lives Bamako – Kadidia, a 19-year-old student in Bamako, once hesitated to discuss contraception. “I was afraid of judgment,” she admits. “People in my neighborhood might talk if they knew.” Like many young women in Mali, she faced social, cultural, and structural barriers to sexual and reproductive […]
Mali: escalating repression and authoritarian drift under military rule Human rights The UN’s top human rights official has issued a stark warning about Mali’s deteriorating political landscape, where democratic processes are eroding in favor of an increasingly authoritarian regime. Since seizing power in 2020, Mali’s military leadership has systematically consolidated control under General Assimi Goïta, […]
Niger: crackdown on justice sector unions and judicial independence under threat 21/08/2025 Déclaration Niger Défenseurs des droits humains Tingey Injury Law Firm / Unsplash The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a collaborative initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), strongly condemns the dissolution […]
Click to expand Image (Nairobi) – Human Rights Watch today urged Nigerien authorities to immediately release former President Mohamed Bazoum, who has now been held arbitrarily for two years since a military coup. His continued detention marks a significant disregard for the rule of law in Niger. On July 26, 2023, military officers from the […]
The Sahel no longer dominates global headlines, yet its crises continue to deepen. While international attention has shifted to conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and other global hotspots, the Sahel’s decade-long struggles with violent extremism and political instability have only worsened. The region now faces a dual crisis: escalating jihadist attacks and a […]
Human rights advocates are sounding the alarm over a troubling proposal in Mali to dissolve all political parties following consultations on revisions to the Political Parties Charter. Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, emphasized the severity of the situation, warning that such a move would severely undermine […]
forced disappearances: a tool of repression by West African military regimes Military authorities in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger are systematically silencing dissent through forced disappearances and unlawful detentions. According to the latest findings, this pattern of repression has intensified, with security forces targeting activists, journalists, and civil society leaders to stifle opposition and […]
Eighteen months after the Niger coup of July 26, 2023, which ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the military-led National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) has tightened its grip on power. Forced arrests, arbitrary detentions, media crackdowns, political party bans, and ignored court rulings—these are the documented abuses highlighted in a recent […]