Your go-to English source for news from Ouagadougou and Burkina Faso, updated daily.
Sénégal The head of Sénégal’s National Assembly and former prime minister Ousmane Sonko was overwhelmingly re-elected on Saturday as leader of his party, Pastef, a political victory that quickly served as a warning to his political adversaries amid the ongoing political crisis in Sénégal. Delegates from national branches and the diaspora gathered in Diamniadio, near […]
The Malian junta has escalated its territorial recovery strategy with a sweeping new measure. An official decree, published on June 5, 2026, designates 40 forests nationwide as military zones, placing them entirely off-limits to civilians. The move targets suspected hideouts of Islamic State in the Sahel and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) fighters, granting the […]
During their sixth general assembly held in Ouagadougou on Saturday, Burkina Faso‘s public pharmaceutical depot managers and cashiers made their voices heard once again. Their primary demand centers on securing an official professional status for a role they consider vital to the nation’s healthcare system. The gathering, themed “Volunteers’ resilience in service to the nation”, […]
The United States has imposed financial and legal sanctions on two senior commanders of armed groups operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, accusing them of involvement in serious human rights abuses and attacks on civilian populations. The U.S. State Department announced that the measures target Gustave Kubwayo, a leader within the Democratic Forces […]
Disruptions Mali supply routes face major disruptions from Senegal, Morocco, Guinea Transport Multiple trade corridors that supply landlocked Mali are experiencing significant trouble, forcing regional transport operators to change their routines. From Senegalese truckers calling for a halt to Bamako journeys to Moroccan carriers growing more cautious, and with the Guinea-Mali route also affected, key […]
Bénin has achieved a historic milestone in public financial governance. The latest Open Budget Survey results position the country as an international reference for budget transparency. Through deep structural reforms and increased digitisation of financial processes, Bénin has secured a triple performance: First among francophone countries worldwide for transparency and access to budgetary information. Second […]
The Ténéré desert in northern Niger is a vast, unforgiving expanse of sand—stunning in its desolation yet deadly in its harshness. While global attention often centers on the tragedies of the Mediterranean, the perilous crossing of the Sahara each year claims the lives of thousands of migrants, their stories unfolding far from the scrutiny of […]
French intelligence officer sentenced to 20 years in Mali amid diplomatic tensions Latest updates A French intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Bamako for allegedly undermining state security, a move that Paris calls unsubstantiated accusations. The officer, detained since August 2025, faces an additional 20-year entry ban […]
Niamey, June 5, 2026 — Niger is asserting its dominance in the global fight against international drug trafficking across the Sahel. This significant stance follows a series of impactful operations carried out by the Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS) in recent years. The specialized service’s successful seizures and network dismantlements […]
In a bold move to assert control over Mali’s national territory, the transitional authorities have enacted a sweeping restriction banning civilian access to 39 military zones scattered across the country. This sweeping administrative measure, framed as a protective shield for ongoing military operations, arrives as the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) escalate their counterterrorism campaigns in […]
A significant legal development has unfolded in Burkina Faso, as the nation’s judicial system handed down an 11-year prison sentence, with five years to be served without parole, to the former head of security for Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. This critical judgment emerges amidst a highly delicate political landscape in the country, underscoring the ongoing shifts […]
Current Affairs. A Malian judicial ruling has condemned a French intelligence officer to a two-decade prison term. Paris has vehemently rejected these allegations as “unfounded,” a development that further exacerbates the already strained diplomatic relations with Bamako. A fresh chill has descended upon the relationship between Paris and Bamako. Malian legal authorities have sentenced a […]