What lies behind Nigeria’s ATR-42 military crash near Igbokoda: a closer look
The loss of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 in the coastal belt around Igbokoda, Ondo State, is more than a single air disaster. It exposes the quiet pressures facing a military transport fleet stretched across routine missions, and it raises hard questions about what happens when an aircraft simply vanishesContinue Reading
Burkina Faso’s transit surge at Cotonou port: the unseen forces behind West Africa’s shifting trade map
When diplomatic relations between Benin and Niger ruptured, many expected Cotonou’s port to suffer a sharp decline. Instead, the facility quietly pivoted, redirecting its focus toward other landlocked markets. Burkina Faso emerged as the most significant beneficiary. In 2025, nearly one million tonnes of goods—mostly petroleum products—moved through Cotonou destinedContinue Reading
Behind the death of Kalev Mutond: the untold dynamics of Congo’s spy wars
Publié aujourd’hui à 16h45 Lecture : 5 minutes. Fichier généré le Lire dans l’app Résumer Romain Chanson Journaliste à Jeune Afrique, spécialiste de la République démocratique du Congo Joseph Kabila By AMINATA KABORE — JournalistContinue Reading
Behind the Élysée deal: what really drives Benin’s 65.5 billion CFA franc partnership with France
When Benin’s negotiators walked into the Élysée on Monday, October 5, 2026, the headline figure was already settled: 65.5 billion CFA francs in financing from French and European partners. But the story worth telling is not the sum itself — it is the calculation behind it. The money is notContinue Reading
Why $250,000 in new tools could reshape Benin’s fight for trafficking victims
Behind Washington’s latest contribution to Benin’s anti-trafficking efforts lies a quieter struggle that rarely makes headlines: the daily race to identify victims before they disappear into the shadows of an often invisible crime. The $250,000 package, officially handed over to Benin’s National Committee for the Fight against Trafficking in PersonsContinue Reading
What the Moussa Kaka case reveals about Niger’s press freedom crisis after 2023 coup
The disappearance of veteran Nigerien journalist Moussa Kaka is not an isolated event. It is the latest symptom of a deeper, structural transformation of the media landscape in Niger since the July 2023 coup that brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power. Understanding what is happening requires moving beyond the headlinesContinue Reading
Behind Niger’s fuel debt spiral: how SONIDEP’s 418 billion FCFA hole with SORAZ grew so deep
The hydrocarbon sector in Niger is caught in one of its most severe financial storms in years. At the centre of the turmoil sits a staggering debt: the Société Nationale des Produits Pétroliers (SONIDEP) now owes the Société de Raffinage de Zinder (SORAZ) a record 418 billion FCFA. That figureContinue Reading
Burkina Faso: behind the national football team’s absence in Argentina, an examination of mobilisation priorities
Context surrounding a notable absence The failure of Burkina Faso’s senior national football team to appear in Argentina has generated significant scrutiny. Information reaching this publication through a correspondent indicates that the entire squad may have been requisitioned at the request of Captain Ibrahim Traoré as part of what isContinue Reading
What really happened behind the Tshisekedi-Sassou Nguesso meeting after the Makotipoko incident
Africa What really happened behind the Tshisekedi-Sassou Nguesso meeting after the Makotipoko incident The handshake in Brazzaville on October 3, 2026 was more than a photo op. Here is the backstory of how two presidents moved to contain a border clash that could have spiraled, and what they quietly agreedContinue Reading
Behind Niger’s water crisis: inside the management failures at Nigérienne des Eaux
In West Africa, water security remains a major challenge. In Niger, access to safe drinking water is the last health barrier for millions of households. However, recent findings from Niger’s Court of Accounts on the 2023 and 2024 financial years, combined with recent public procurement procedures, paint a worrying pictureContinue Reading
Inside the Port of Cotonou’s strategy to rewrite West Africa’s trade map
The Port of Cotonou is no longer just a gateway for Benin’s imports. Behind the headline figures of 2025 and the first half of 2026 lies a deliberate strategic shift: the port authority is actively diversifying its traffic sources, expanding transshipment and export operations, and repositioning the platform as aContinue Reading
Inside the Benin-Germany security deal: what’s really driving Berlin’s deeper bet on West Africa
Behind the diplomatic ceremonies and official communiqués, a more calculated dynamic is taking shape between Cotonou and Berlin. Germany is not simply deepening its footprint in Benin out of goodwill — it is responding to a rapidly deteriorating security environment in the Sahel that is now lapping at Benin’s northernContinue Reading