Inside Mali’s media shift: how one news portal became the army’s unofficial mouthpiece
In Mali’s fragile media landscape, where the line between factual reporting and wartime propaganda has long been contested, a critical transformation has unfolded behind the scenes. What was once a reputable digital news platform has shifted from independent journalism to an uncritical conveyor belt of official military narratives, reshaping how citizens perceive the country’s security […]
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Senegal’s palm oil push with Indonesia: the real story behind the 60,000-hectare plan
Senegal’s long-stalled palm oil sector is suddenly back in the spotlight. For years, cultivated area never rose above 12,000 hectares — now Dakar is betting on Indonesian know-how to leap to 60,000 hectares. The real story is not just about planting more trees. It is about why a decade of inertia went unchallenged, and why […]
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Burkina Faso’s military academy rise amid a nation in flight: a strategic gamble or a misplaced priority?
As Burkina Faso launches its first locally trained military officer corps, the nation remains trapped in a paradox: elite soldiers are being groomed for sovereignty while ordinary citizens flee for survival. The new Higher Military Training Institute (Tiéfo-Amoro) in Ouagadougou symbolizes the government’s push for self-reliance in defense yet its timing raises urgent questions about […]
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Gabon-EU fisheries talks: the strategic calculations behind a reset
When Gabon’s Council of Ministers convened at the presidential palace in Port-Gentil on Friday, 18 September 2026, the decision to authorize negotiations for a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) and its implementing protocol was more than a routine procedural step. It marked the culmination of a carefully calibrated strategy that began more than a […]
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Why S&P’s B-/B rating for Cameroon hinges on the post-Biya transition
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has reaffirmed Cameroon‘s sovereign rating at “B-/B” with a stable outlook — a verdict that, beneath its reassuring surface, thrusts the political transition in Yaoundé to the centre of market concerns. The decision, made public in mid-September, lands at a pivotal moment when the presidential succession, long treated as taboo, has […]
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Inside the budget delay: how Senegal’s revised finance bill 2026 finally reached parliament
Inside the budget delay: how Senegal’s revised finance bill 2026 finally reached parliament The three-day delay in transmitting Senegal’s revised finance bill for 2026 was not simply a logistical hiccup; it exposed deeper tensions between the executive and the legislative branch. Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô had instructed the Minister of Economy, Finance, and […]
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Senegal’s local elections: inside Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s strategic silence
The mechanics behind an undeclared election date In Senegal, the absence of a firm date for the next local elections is not a simple administrative oversight. It is the product of a deliberate political calculation that has kept the country’s political class, civil society, and international observers guessing. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who came to […]
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Dioura ambush exposes Mali’s military credibility gap under jihadist pressure
When Mali’s interim military leadership claimed there was nothing significant to report following the assault on Dioura, they likely expected the episode to fade. Instead, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) shattered that narrative with a meticulously documented rebuttal that laid bare the fragility of Bamako’s communication strategy. The anatomy of […]
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Behind Cotonou’s savings revolution: how West Africa’s idle cash could fuel financial independence
At a time when West African economies grapple with the dual pressures of rapid development and external financial dependency, a pivotal shift is unfolding in Cotonou. From September 17 to 18, 2026, the second edition of the Regional Equity Ownership Forum brought together institutional leaders, corporate executives, and financial experts under the banner “Equity Ownership […]
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Niger’s hidden war on dissent: how Tiani weaponizes citizenship against critics
The Nigerien junta under General Abdourahamane Tiani has moved beyond silencing opposition with imprisonment or exile—it now erases identities. Since seizing power in July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) has weaponized nationality itself, turning legal citizenship into a revocable privilege for dissenters. The legal machinery behind the citizenship purge […]
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Alain-Georges Moukoko at the helm of Libreville’s prosecutor general’s office: the strategy behind the appointment
Politics Alain-Georges Moukoko at the helm of Libreville’s prosecutor general’s office: the strategy behind the appointment Libreville, Friday, September 18, 2026 – The appointment of Alain-Georges Moukoko as prosecutor general at the Libreville Court of Appeal, announced on September 16, 2026, in Port-Gentil by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, is more than a routine […]
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How Benin and Spain are leveraging art to redefine their global partnership
The unexpected strength of the Benin–Spain cultural alliance lies not in grand proclamations, but in the quiet mechanics of shared ambition. Behind the scenes, diplomats and cultural strategists in Cotonou and Madrid are reshaping how two nations—one West African, one European—cooperate across art, heritage, and modern creativity. This is not just about cultural diplomacy; it’s […]
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