Africa

The Sahel is experiencing increasing political and security upheavals. A series of unconstitutional changes in government have occurred in Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso, with persistent insecurity and violent extremism spreading to West Africa’s coastal states.

The G5 Sahel Joint Force was set up in 2017 to fight terrorism and the trafficking of drugs and people in the region. Its objective was to foster regional cooperation and address security threats in its member countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

Since the withdrawal of the French army from Mali, Russia’s Wagner Group has replaced it as a target of jihadis propaganda, experts say, with extremists making hay with claims that its mercenaries have committed atrocities against civilians.

Germany will end its participation in a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali by the end of next year, a government source told AFP on Wednesday after months of operational snags.

“By the end of 2023 at the latest, German soldiers are to end their involvement in the UN blue helmet mission MINUSMA,” the source said.

Last Wednesday, November 9, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane, the counterterrorism operation established to address the jihadist threat in Mali.

The departure of French counterterrorism forces will leave the UN peace operation in Mali – the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) – increasingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Seuls trois chefs d’État du continent prennent part à la rencontre parisienne annuelle : Umaro Sissoco Embaló, George Weah et Azali Assoumani. Douze d’entre eux étaient présents l’année dernière.

Le président de la transition n’a pas hésité à tancer la classe politique, accusée d’être responsable de la dégradation sécuritaire. Des échanges publiés sur les réseaux sociaux qui font le buzz.

Somalia’s president has vowed to continue the war against al-Shabab militants in an address to lawmakers in which he also warned of also warned of looming famine in pasrts of the country.

Speaking at the opening of Somalia’s second session of parliament Tuesday, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowed to continue what he’s called “all-out war” against terrorism.

The United States on Monday said that it was increasing its reward for information leading to the arrest of three key leaders of Somalia’s al-Shabab jihadist group to $10 million apiece, following a spate of deadly attacks.

On 2 November, the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed an agreement in Pretoria to end the two-year civil war in the country’s north. Besides committing to a permanent cessation of hostilities and restoration of constitutional order, the parties announced that the African Union’s (AU) 2019 Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) would accompany the deal.

TotalEnergies said Tuesday it has completed the joint acquisition with ConocoPhillips of the 8.16% interest held by Hess in the Waha concessions, in Libya. As a result of this transaction, TotalEnergies’ interest in these concessions is increased from 16.33% to 20.41%.