The future of Senegal’s democracy is at a crossroads, with Khalidou dit Mbaye Sokoma, leader of the Patriotic Movement for Sustainable Development (MPPD/AND DEFAR SUNU REEW), pushing for a sweeping electoral reform…
Month: September 2026
Burkina Faso’s debt burden: what 8,700 billion FCFA of borrowing costs citizens and businesses
Burkina Faso’s public debt has now crossed the 8,700 billion FCFA mark, and its consequences are no longer confined to budget annexes. They reach into the resources the state can devote to…
Benin’s police investigation upgrade: the consequences for citizens and trade
The government of Benin has taken a decisive step in strengthening its internal security forces, at a time when security risks continue to weigh on the country’s northern frontiers and cross-border criminal…
Bakari Traoré’s reforms expose how West African business law reshaped local economies
How one jurist’s quiet draftsmanship transformed regional commerce Not all architects leave blueprints in plain sight. Bakari Traoré, a quietly influential Ivorian jurist and fiscal strategist, spent thirty years reshaping the invisible…
Benin-Algeria defense pact: everyday consequences for citizens, traders and the economy
The defense arrangement taking shape between Cotonou and Algiers is anything but a ceremonial affair. Its consequences will land on households in northern Benin, on the balance sheets of cross-border traders and…
What Simporé’s RTB admission is already costing Burkina Faso: lives, livelihoods and lost ground
When General Célestin Simporé, Burkina Faso’s minister of defence, took his seat on the state broadcaster RTB to celebrate the security record of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, he reached for the most convenient…
What 1,473 cancelled salaries mean for Gabon’s economy, and for the citizens who foot the bill
Gabon’s decision to strike 1,473 absent public employees off the state payroll is no longer just an internal accounting exercise. It is now a story about money that returns to the treasury,…
Burkina Faso’s 80 % NGO rule: the real-world consequences for aid delivery
The regulation adopted on 24 September 2026 under the presidency of Captain Ibrahim Traoré requires non-governmental organisations operating in Burkina Faso to devote at least 80 % of their resources to direct…
Benin’s venture capital breakthrough is putting money, jobs and regional trade in play
Benin’s rise in startup funding is no longer just a ranking story. The country has moved ahead of Egypt and Morocco in the volume of venture capital captured, and the consequences are…
Gabon’s historic UN vice-presidency: economic opportunities for citizens and businesses
The Gabonese delegation at the UN takes center stage with new responsibilities The Gabonese Republic has embarked on a new chapter in its diplomatic history as it assumes the vice-presidency of the…
Djenné falls, Mali’s fuel blockade bites: the rising cost for families, traders and troops
Mopti, Mali — The loss of the military post at Djenné is more than a battlefield setback. It is a bill that households, market traders and the soldiers meant to protect them…
Candide Azannaï stays behind bars: the economic and social stakes Benin now faces
Cotonou, 24 September 2026 – The decision to keep Candide Azannaï behind bars is being felt well outside the courtroom. For households already anxious about the cost of living, for traders and…