Nigeria’s counter-terrorism surge sparks national debate over jihadist decline
The Nigerian military’s sustained operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Lake Chad region have ignited a nationwide discussion about the long-term viability of these insurgent groups. With the handover of command for Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, key military figures are evaluating the fallout of recent offensives, including disputed casualty claims and shifting […]
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Benin’s Paris takeover at Fnac Saint-Lazare: the debate it sparked and what happens next
From September 22 to October 17, 2026, Fnac Paris Saint-Lazare is putting Benin in the spotlight. The nearly month-long program, featuring exhibitions, talks, debates, film and music, has already stirred public conversation in Paris and beyond about history, memory, spirituality and contemporary creation — and it raises a bigger question: what comes after? A month […]
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Senegal’s special funds: public dispute over transparency exposes deep disagreements
The parliamentary battle over special funds takes an unexpected turn The push to bring Senegal’s special discretionary funds under parliamentary scrutiny has hit a constitutional wall, throwing the reform drive into disarray and sparking a heated public debate over who really controls public money. After weeks of intense negotiations, opposition MPs and government officials find […]
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Wadagni’s Gisozi tribute: how the fallout is reshaping Benin-Rwanda ties
KIGALI — Benin’s president Romuald Wadagni began a two-day official visit to Rwanda on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, his first diplomatic trip of this kind since taking office in May. The visit brought the Beninese head of state to the heart of the Rwandan capital, where he was received by his counterpart Paul Kagame. Among […]
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After the mausoleum: Burkina Faso’s Sankara debate and the question of who owns his memory
The inauguration of the Thomas Sankara mausoleum in Ouagadougou on 17 May 2025 has reignited a national debate about the ownership of the former president’s legacy. Under the patronage of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the ceremony was led by Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo at the site of the former Conseil de l’Entente. The presence […]
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Burkina Faso’s 85.38% administrative efficiency claim: the backlash, the disbelief, and what lies ahead
Burkina Faso’s transitional government has ignited a fierce public debate after announcing a theoretical administrative performance score of 85.38% for 2025. The figure, presented as proof of sweeping reform, has instead triggered widespread scepticism and frustration. For many citizens, the number feels like a bad joke at a time when daily life is defined by […]
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Niger reshuffle fallout: what next for Tiani’s loyalty-first government?
The decree signed on September 15, 2026, by General Abdourahamane Tiani is fooling no one. Dressed up half-heartedly as a routine “technical reorganization,” this first major cabinet reshuffle is, above all, a political rescue operation. Exposed on every front, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) is primarily trying to close ranks, […]
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Niger’s information crackdown: mounting fallout and a future under question
The regime’s new press rules: a wall around information Some words carry the weight of pledges, yet when spoken by a government under pressure they can sound more like obituaries. “Sovereignty” has become one of those words in Niger. After a cabinet meeting, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) announced a […]
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Niamey mutiny exposes cracks in Niger’s military leadership
A violent uprising at Niamey’s Air Base 101 in late August ended with devastating consequences—claiming the lives of at least 13 members of the Presidential Guard and leaving numerous others wounded in heavy-weapon clashes. Though fewer than 20 mutineers were apprehended during the security sweep, the incident laid bare deep-seated fractures within Niger’s armed forces, […]
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Algerian helicopter strike kills 48 gold miners on Niger’s border, and Niamey stays silent
A deadly dawn over the Sahara’s gold belt Forty-eight people are dead after a military helicopter belonging to the Algerian air force opened fire on an informal gold-mining camp straddling the frontier zone between Niger and Algeria. Every one of the victims was a civilian. The machine involved was a Russian-built Mi-171, which circled the […]
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Burkina Faso: the Sankara family, the state and a contested memory
In Burkina Faso, the figure of Thomas Sankara has long since outgrown the status of a simple historical reference. It now occupies a central place in the political narrative advanced by the authorities led by Ibrahim Traoré. Yet beneath the official tributes, the military ceremonies and the construction of a mausoleum, a troubling question arises: […]
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Gao: Africa Corps kills 167 civilians and burns 127 motorbikes by the Niger river
Dawn attack on the banks of the Niger river Shortly after first light on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the quiet gardens and fishing spots on the edge of Gao, in northern Mali, were torn apart by automatic gunfire. Dark columns of smoke rose over the Niger river. By the time the shooting stopped, 167 civilians […]
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