Your go-to English source for news from Ouagadougou and Burkina Faso, updated daily.
On Thursday, February 5, 2026, Mali’s Ministry of Health and Social Development officially took possession of 39 robust 4×4 all-terrain vehicles. This crucial acquisition aims to bolster the nation’s health infrastructure and expand access to vital health services, particularly vaccination efforts, across the country’s most vulnerable and hard-to-reach regions. The handover ceremony occurred at the […]
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has strongly urged the government of Burkina Faso to reverse its recent decision to dissolve political parties and ease restrictions on civil society space. In a press statement, Türk emphasized that suppressing political parties and detaining individuals for expressing dissent contradicts human rights principles. He […]
Burkina Faso’s mobile clinics revolutionize cervical cancer screening Ouagadougou — For Awa, a 48-year-old mother of six living in Ipendo, in Burkina Faso’s Centre-Ouest region, the public announcement of free cervical cancer screening brought mixed emotions. «When I heard the town crier announce that health workers were offering free screening, I felt a pang of […]
West Africa and Sahel: Military Juntas Tighten Grip with Repressive Measures Click to expand Image In 2025, leaders across West Africa and the Sahel intensified their crackdowns on civil liberties while consolidating power, according to a major human rights assessment. Governments in the region have systematically eroded democratic institutions, suppressed dissent, and undermined accountability mechanisms, […]
US shifts Sahel strategy to focus on trade and security This week’s visit to Mali by Nick Checker, head of the US State Department’s African Affairs Bureau, signals Washington’s renewed engagement in the Sahel. However, the visit underscores a strategic realignment rather than a traditional return. The new approach centers on three key pillars: a […]
Following his victory in the 2024 presidential election—a contest marred by claims of irregularities from the opposition—President Mahamat Idriss Déby further solidified his authority throughout 2025. Significant constitutional revisions enacted in 2025 abolished term limits and extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years. These changes effectively allow Mahamat Idriss Déby to remain in […]
Since the military takeover in July 2023, the state of human rights in Niger has experienced a persistent decline. Throughout 2025, the ruling military authorities continued to target political rivals, activists, union leaders, and members of the media. The junta has maintained the unlawful imprisonment of former President Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, along with […]
During the night of January 28-29, the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey became a battlefield. This rare direct assault on the Nigerien capital was later claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) through its AMAQ propaganda outlet. The event underscores a significant shift in the region’s security landscape, often discussed in Faso […]
why the us is prioritizing security ties with Sahel juntas over democracy AFP via Getty Images The United States is recalibrating its approach toward three West African nations—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—that have recently pivoted away from traditional allies toward Russia. This strategic shift underscores Washington’s growing focus on counterterrorism and resource security in the […]
Tensions between the international community and the military administration in Niger, which established control in 2023, show no signs of easing. The head of the junta has expressed gratitude toward Russia for its tactical assistance during a recent strike on the airport in Niamey. Simultaneously, he explicitly accused the heads of state of France, Bénin, […]
Intense gunfire and explosions rock Niamey Residents of Niamey, the capital of Niger, were jolted awake by loud explosions and sustained gunfire in the early hours of Thursday. According to a Reuters journalist on the ground, the disturbances began nearly an hour prior and persisted until at least 00:12 GMT. A video circulating on X […]
Nigeria’s widening security crisis and forgotten humanitarian emergency Recent months have seen Nigeria thrust back into international headlines as escalating violence—spanning school kidnappings, entire village attacks, and worshippers snatched from churches and mosques alike—has intensified. The crisis reached a new geopolitical dimension when the United States launched Christmas Day airstrikes against jihadist positions in northern […]