JOHANNESBURG (AA) – Denmark will close its embassies in Burkina Faso and Mali, and open new missions in Senegal, Tunisia, and Rwanda as part of a new Africa strategy, the Foreign Ministry has said. “As a result of military coups that have severely limited the scope for action in the Sahel region, the embassies in […]
KAGALI, Rwanda (AA) – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have petitioned the president of the UN Security Council to denounce the Ukrainian government’s “open and assumed support for international terrorism”, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region. The move follows recent comments by Ukrainian officials suggesting that Kyiv had played a role in...
DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) – Mali announced Sunday that it is cutting off diplomatic relations with Ukraine following an admission of Ukrainian involvement in a recent attack in the West African country. “The transitional government of the Republic of Mali has learned, with deep shock, of the subversive remarks by which Mr. Andriy Yusov...
Dakar, Senegal – AFP The Malian army on Monday said it had suffered a “large number” of deaths during fighting in the north last week, in a rare admission after rebels claimed to have inflicted major losses. A unit “was encircled by the coalition of terrorist forces” and “fierce fighting began before the arr...
Niamey, Niger — AFP Niger’s military junta gathered thousands of people in the capital Niamey on Friday to celebrate the first anniversary of its coup. Dressed in clothes bearing photos of regime members, the crowd chanted the name of junta chief Abdourahamane Tiani. “We’re celebrating, our dear country will gradually r...
Abuja, Nigeria — AFP The West African bloc ECOWAS has warned that the region may face “disintegration” after the military rulers of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso cemented a breakaway union. The three countries formed a “Confederation of Sahel States” at a meeting on the eve of the Economic Community of West African...
Thousands of Malians participated in the annual re-plastering of the Great Mosque of Djenne, crucial for preserving the world’s largest mud-brick building. The mosque has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2016. The mosque and its town, which is renowned for Islamic learning, face threats due to ongoing conflict in Mali, which ...
Dakar, Senegal — AFP Hundreds of participants in a Malian national dialogue mainly boycotted by the opposition have recommended that military rulers who took power in 2020 keep power for several more years. They also said that when elections were eventually held junta chief Colonel Assimi Goita should be a candidate for the presidency, a...
Dakar, Senegal — AFP A Boeing passenger plane came off the runway during takeoff from Dakar international airport, injuring 11 people and shutting the hub for almost 12 hours, its operator said. The Air Senegal flight was bound for the Malian capital Bamako and had 78 passengers onboard, airport management company, LAS, said in a [&helli...
Dakar, Senegal – – AFP The deadly heatwave that hit Africa’s Sahel region in early April would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group. The West African nations of Mali and Burkina Faso experienced an exceptional heatwave from April 1 until Apri...