In partnership with national coalitions representing defenders in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and Niger, ISHR has launched a new collection of best practices. This initiative is dedicated to the protection of human rights defenders and provides essential support for their mission during emergency situations. The impact of restrictive measures on civic space […]
Opinion Mali’s security challenges: vital lessons for Ghana and West Africa The recent coordinated jihadist attacks in Mali are not an isolated Sahelian crisis. What these events reveal about reliance on external security carries direct and urgent implications for Ghana and the broader West African region. The coordinated insurgent attacks that swept across Mali on […]
May 2026 marks a fresh disruption to the delicate equilibrium of purchasing power across West Africa. As households strive to safeguard their savings against ongoing inflationary pressures, a stark truth has emerged at fuel pumps: a significant divergence in pricing has taken root between Côte d’Ivoire and Bénin. Côte d’Ivoire: a producer’s disillusionment Following a […]
After years of evading accountability, the net has finally closed around Kemi Seba. His recent arrest in South Africa on immigration violations has exposed the true nature of his so-called pan-African activism: a facade concealing serious criminal allegations. The Beninese government has formally requested his extradition to face charges of terrorism and endangering state security. […]
Kémi Séba, the controversial figurehead of panafricanist activism, finds himself increasingly isolated following his arrest in South Africa and looming extradition to Benin. Once a vocal critic of alleged French interference on the continent, Séba now faces a stark lack of support from his former allies, including Nathalie Yamb and Franklin Nyamsi, whose silence speaks […]
As news regarding Kemi Seba’s arrest in South Africa and the subsequent extradition discussions spreads, a digital frenzy of rumors and audio recordings has emerged. Beyond the intense legal and political maneuvering, a fundamental question persists: where will Kemi Seba find the most dignified treatment, both as a citizen and as a human being? National […]
Togo’s diplomatic maneuvers often speak volumes without uttering a word. On March 9, 2026, Russia’s Defense Minister, Andreï Belousov, touched down in Lomé by plane, only to be greeted the following day by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé. The meeting, though confirmed by an insider within the Togolese presidency to Jeune Afrique, remained shrouded in secrecy, with […]
The geopolitical landscape of the Sahel is quietly undergoing a profound transformation. As European military deployments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have waned, and Russia has expanded its footprint through state-linked para-military structures, the United States appears to be recalibrating its strategic presence in the region. Emmanuel Dupuy, president of the Institute for Prospective […]
The withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the ECOWAS was presented as an assertion of sovereignty, yet it has inadvertently complicated cross-border travel for citizens and goods within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). While the move aimed to distance these nations from regional policies, it has created new hurdles for mobility across […]
Terms like “Bonya” (respect), “woro songo” (the price of cola), and “buru songo” (the price of bread) are common in local languages across Mali. They serve as euphemisms for the illicit “small gifts” that fuel a systemic culture of corruption. Despite the damage it causes, this practice has become an unsettlingly accepted part of daily […]
what is the unified force AES and why does it matter? The unified force AES (FU-AES) represents a historic milestone in military cooperation between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Established to address escalating security challenges, this multinational force brings together 5,000 troops under the command of General Daouda Traoré from Burkina Faso. The creation of […]
This report has been developed for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Niger, scheduled for April-May 2026. Amnesty International assesses the implementation of recommendations previously issued to Niger, focusing on critical areas such as arbitrary detentions, illegal arrests, the plight of human rights defenders, and press freedom. Additionally, the document analyzes Niger’s national human rights […]
