Benin secures Geneva seat as Inès Hadonou-Toffoun joins UN human rights advisory committee
Benin has strengthened its international standing following the election of jurist Inès Hadonou-Toffoun to the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. She will serve a term from 2026 to 2029 among a panel of 18 international experts. Beyond the personal distinction, this election offers the country a platform to showcase its expertise and contribute […]
Read More
Japan releases another 10.8 billion FCFA for Cotonou’s Vêdoko interchange phase two
Benin and Japan sign fresh grant as Vêdoko works advance Benin and Japan have signed a new grant agreement worth 10.8 billion FCFA to bankroll the second phase of the Vêdoko interchange in Cotonou, pushing the total announced financing for the project to 26.228 billion FCFA. The deal was concluded on Friday, 9 October 2026, […]
Read More
Senegal schools reopen October 12 after flood delay
SociétéSénégal Sénégal : les élèves retrouvent enfin le chemin de l’école Saikou Seydi 12/10/202612 octobre 2026 La rentrée scolaire, initialement prévue le 8 octobre, a été reportée à ce lundi 12 octobre en raison des fortes pluies et de l’état de certains établissements scolaires. https://p.dw.com/p/5O9QZ Masque bien ajusté sur le visage, gants de protection aux […]
Read More
Burkina Faso bans millet, maize and sorghum flour exports with immediate effect
Government halts exports of key local flours Burkina Faso’s government has suspended the export of several locally produced flours until further notice. A directive issued by the Ministry of Commerce covers millet, maize and sorghum flours as well as their derivatives. Special export authorisations previously granted for these products have also been revoked. Official rationale: […]
Read More
Benin defence minister Gildas Agonkan tours Cana military aviation school
Benin’s delegated minister of national defence, Gildas Habib Bignon Agonkan, conducted a working visit to the Cana military aviation school (EAM-Cana) on Friday, 9 October 2026, to assess its training capacity and identify infrastructure gaps. What the Cana aviation school does Based at the Cana air base, EAM-Cana develops aeronautical skills for the Beninese armed […]
Read More
Guinea-Bissau’s junta faces credibility test as December 2026 election deadline nears
The electoral calendar under threat Uncertainty is mounting over whether Guinea-Bissau will hold its scheduled elections on 6 December 2026, casting doubt on the military junta’s central promise to restore civilian rule following the November 2025 coup. The potential delay strikes at the heart of the transition’s credibility. To grasp what is at stake, it […]
Read More
Mali’s Russian military partnership and the unending security crisis
On 10 October 2026, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) reportedly launched drone strikes against positions held by Africa Corps and the Malian army in Soumpi, located in the Timbuktu region. This incident brings a fundamental question back to the forefront: after more than four years of security crisis, can Mali realistically expect to achieve stability […]
Read More
Sahel’s AES juntas under scrutiny as armed groups persist in contested zones
Armed groups still contesting territory across the Sahel On the morning of October 9, 2026, heavy fighting broke out between the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Sahel (IS-S) in the Tessit area, along the border with Burkina Faso. Each side claims a decisive victory: JNIM-linked […]
Read More
Benin enrolls 787 young health professionals in fourth “Bridging the Gaps” cohort
The Ministry of Health has taken another step forward in strengthening the human resources of Benin’s health system. In an official statement dated October 7, 2026, Minister Benjamin Hounkpatin released the list of candidates selected for the fourth cohort of the “Bridging the Gaps” project. Selection results and candidate categories A total of 787 young […]
Read More
Benin secures €15 million German funding as Berlin 2027 negotiations take shape
Benin and Germany have concluded a fresh round of strategic bilateral talks, sealing an additional €15 million in funding and setting the stage for high-level negotiations in Berlin in 2027. Bilateral consultations wrap up in Cotonou Delegations from both nations met on Thursday, 8 October 2026, at the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Cooperation in […]
Read More
Niger’s $203 million IMF programme: the refoundation agenda meets fiscal reality
A fresh 38-month credit facility under Washington’s watch While Niger’s transitional authorities have made “national sovereignty” and the “rejection of foreign oversight” central pillars of their political messaging, the hard arithmetic of public finance has once again forced a reckoning. On Thursday, October 8, 2026, the International Monetary Fund announced a staff-level agreement following a […]
Read More
Oil leak at Diffa: Niger races to trace source as spill enters day seven
Nigeria’s eastern region of Diffa is confronting a confirmed crude oil leak that has now been running for close to a week, turning a strategic economic asset into an environmental liability. The spill, described by local observers as a dark slick spreading across the land, raises immediate questions about its origin, the volume of oil […]
Read More