The three Sahel states that form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — have spent recent years loudly severing ideological ties with their traditional Western partners, France and the United States chief among them. So when it emerged that diplomatic and economic channels withContinue Reading
A milestone met with sombre reflection rather than celebration On Tuesday, 22 September 2026, Mali marked 66 years since it assumed international sovereignty. Yet more than six decades after the independence declarations of 1960, the mood across the country leaned toward gravity rather than popular festivity. In a nation grapplingContinue Reading
A triumphant address that leaves many questions unanswered On the occasion of independence day, the president of the Transition, General Assimi Goïta, delivered his speech to the nation in a tone of victory. Between promises of economic growth, boasts of a strengthened army and sovereignist incantations, the executive rolled outContinue Reading
Nearly 300 Nanga armoured vehicles have been presented by Burkina Faso’s leadership as a milestone for national defence sovereignty. Yet the central question remains unresolved: where were these vehicles actually built, and how much of each one is genuinely Burkinabè? On 21 September, junta leader Ibrahim Traoré stated that closeContinue Reading
The attack claimed on Sunday, September 20, by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, against the Sévaré air base and the Konna military camp has reignited a heated national conversation about the true state of Mali’s security apparatus. Despite heavy military spending, theContinue Reading
After the deadly JNIM offensives, Malian authorities face mounting pressure In a series of coordinated strikes that have sent shockwaves through Mali’s central regions, the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) has intensified its campaign against government forces in Dioura and Sévaré. The latest assaults, which left no fewer thanContinue Reading
In October 2026, Benin will send its first 250,000-barrel crude cargo to international buyers, and the reaction has been swift. From Cotonou’s business districts to coastal communities near Sèmè, the question on many lips is not whether the shipment will happen, but what it will leave behind. The relaunch ofContinue Reading
The recent assault on the Dioura military camp in central Mali has ignited a fierce debate across the Sahel and beyond. With dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian Africa Corps personnel killed, questions are mounting about the effectiveness of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) security strategy and its relianceContinue Reading
A century of letters that keeps sparking debate The literary communities of Benin and across Africa are marking a rare milestone, and the reactions are still pouring in. Born on 20 September 1926 in Ouidah, the writer, journalist and literary critic Olympe Bhêly-Quenum has now reached his 100th year. ForContinue Reading
As Mali commemorates its Independence Day on September 22, the nation finds itself at a crossroads. Transition President General Assimi Goïta marked the occasion with a televised address on September 21, celebrating economic progress, vowing to intensify efforts against armed terrorist groups, and emphasizing national reconciliation. General Goïta, who seizedContinue Reading
In a bold Independence Day address, Mali’s transitional leader, General Assimi Goïta, has sparked intense public reaction by pledging both a military escalation against jihadist groups and a sweeping national reconciliation effort. Delivered as deadly attacks against Malian forces surge, the address marks a pivotal moment, leaving citizens and analystsContinue Reading
The debate flared up this past weekend, dominating even the Ligue 1 review panel’s roundtable. The eruption of emotion following Liam Rosenior’s abrupt move to Chelsea in January—and the fiery reactions it sparked in the stands of Stade de la Meinau—has become impossible to ignore. The question on everyone’s lips:Continue Reading