Politics

Le traitement chinois du tarif douanier zéro « arrive à point nommé » pour les pays africains en quête d’équité commerciale, selon un expert nigérien à la Chambre de commerce (interview) 5 mai 2026 By Harouna Ousmane — Reporter

Mali under jihadist blockade: civilians face starvation as government rejects talks The Malian government has firmly shut the door on negotiations with armed jihadist groups occupying parts of the country, despite mounting calls from local political figures for dialogue. Speaking to the diplomatic corps in Bamako, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop made it clear: «We will not engage in talks with terrorist armed groups that have no honor or faith, and who bear full responsibility for the years of suffering endured by our people.» The government’s current strategy remains military confrontation. Recent reports, confirmed by regional correspondent Serge Daniel, indicate that Mali has received new military equipment from Russia to bolster its operations. ...

Quelques éléments de l'armée tchadienne sur le bord du Lac Tchad - Photo d'illustration  (AFP or licensors) The Catholic leadership in Tchad has issued a pressing call for national reconciliation, highlighting a sharp decline in the country's political stability. In their latest communication, the bishops emphasized that a transparent and broad-based conversation among all stakeholders is the solitary route to resolving the current national crisis. They urged the ruling authorities to establish an environment of mutual trust to facilitate this process. Addressing the surge in communal violence This plea for peace follows a series of lethal intercommunal conflicts that have shaken Tchad. Recent reports ...

Nigeria faces an evolving security challenge as Mali’s instability reshapes West Africa Nigeria is not merely observing the turmoil in Mali—it is deeply embedded within it. The crisis now enveloping Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria has become the epicenter of conflict-related fatalities in West Africa. The coordinated assaults that rocked Mali in April 2026, stretching from Kati to Gao and Mopti, underscore a regional security framework under unprecedented strain. For Nigeria, the threat is not merely spillover but intensification. Existing security risks are being magnified by a broader Sahelian instability that is no longer external but integral to Nigeria’s own vulnerabilities. The Sahel has become inseparable from Nigeria’s internal security landscape, creating a shared operati...

In the delicate balance of geopolitics, timing often spells the difference between triumph and disaster. For the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—its decision to sever ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is increasingly revealing itself as a precarious wager with escalating costs. West Africa today faces relentless pressure from extremist factions such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). In such perilous times, unity should be the cornerstone of regional strategy. Yet, by prioritizing fragmentation over cohesion, the AES has not merely chosen a flawed path—it has embraced a perilous one, where inefficiency becomes existential danger. The AES justified its exit by denouncing ECOWAS as an inst...

safeguarding human rights defenders during crises in West Africa In partnership with national human rights defender coalitions across Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and Niger, ISHR has compiled a set of best practices designed to shield human rights defenders and sustain their vital work amid crises. The enforcement of restrictive measures and related directives to curb the spread of COVID-19 has reshaped how human rights defenders carry out their missions. Beyond the daily challenges they face, the way several African governments managed the pandemic further tightened the already fragile civic and democratic space in the region. During such difficult times, safeguarding access to advocacy and professional activities for human right...

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has raised serious concerns about widespread human rights violations targeting the Fulani ethnic group in Burkina Faso. Reports indicate a surge in extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, abductions, and enforced disappearances during military and security operations against jihadist groups in the Sahel region, painting a grim picture of repression and targeted violence. Systemic abuses and ethnic profiling According to independent UN investigators, these abuses are frequently carried out by national armed forces, internal security units, and their auxiliaries—including the Volontaires pour la défense de la Patrie—as well as by non-state armed groups. The Committee highlighted allegations of systemic e...

Analyse : que comprendre de l'alliance entre djihadistes et séparatistes contre le Mali ? Lire uniquement le texte pour utiliser moins de donnéesCrédit photo, Getty ImagesArticle InformationAuthor, Ousmane BadianeRole, Digital Journalist BBC AfriquePublished 28 avril 2026Temps de lecture: 7 minLes attaques coordonnées menées ce week-end par le Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans (JNIM) et les rebelles touaregs du Front de libération de l'Azawad (FLA) ont semé le chaos et ont mis en lumière la fragilité de la junte face à une insurrection de plus en plus organisée.Les groupes jihadistes et séparatistes ont frappé simultanément plusieurs villes maliennes, de Bamako à Kidal, révélant un niveau de synchronisation inédit dans le conflit. Cette alliance entre les deux acteurs constitue...

Mali under attack: AES exposes coordinated terror plot against Sahel unity The 25 April 2026 statement from the President of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in response to the coordinated terrorist assaults on Mali, transcends conventional diplomatic condemnation. It signals a deliberate strategic shift: a united Sahel front where harm to one member is treated as an affront to the entire AES bloc. By labeling the assaults as “long-planned and systematically coordinated operations”, the AES underscores their organized structure, logistical depth, and political intent: inflict casualties, instill fear, and sabotage the sovereignist momentum sweeping the Sahel. The message is unambiguous: for the AES, terrorism is not merely a security hazard; it is a calcul...