Niger’s press freedom crisis: the deeper story behind Moussa Kaka’s month of silence
For over a month now, the disappearance and subsequent reported arrest of Moussa Kaka, a towering figure in Nigerien journalism and the long-standing correspondent in Niamey for a major international broadcaster, has ignited a growing wave of outrage. The journalist has been held without any official explanation for at leastContinue Reading
Mali’s education crisis: inside the collapse of 2,400 schools
BAMAKO — On Thursday, October 1, the official start of the 2026-2027 school year in Mali was proclaimed with pomp and ambition. Transitional President General Assimi Goïta declared it the “Year of Education and Culture.” But behind the official slogan lies a stark, painful truth: more than 2,400 schools willContinue Reading
Cameroon’s anglophone crisis: the deeper forces behind a decade of ‘ghost town’ protests
Every 1 October, Cameroon marks the anniversary of the 1961 reunification that joined the former French colony with Southern Cameroons, then under British administration. For many anglophone Cameroonians, however, that union remains contested. It was on this same date in 2017 that separatists in the North-West and South-West regions declaredContinue Reading
Inside Benin’s 500 million euro bond: how a credit guarantee unlocked global markets
Cotonou — Benin has secured 500 million euros in a landmark financing operation, but the real story lies in the financial engineering that made it possible. In partnership with the African Development Bank Group, the West African nation tapped international capital markets at a time when many emerging economies areContinue Reading
Aftermath of Burkina Faso attacks: Lalgaye and Ouahigouya strikes spark national debate
The dust had barely settled on the military outpost at Lalgaye when the first claims began to circulate. On Thursday, 1 October, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) formally acknowledged responsibility for a wave of simultaneous assaults that had struck Burkina Faso five days earlier, onContinue Reading
Burkina Faso : quatre ans plus tard, le bilan de Traoré divise et soulève des questions sur l’avenir
Un héritage contesté : répression, déplacements et souveraineté Quatre ans après la prise de pouvoir du capitaine Ibrahim Traoré au Burkina Faso, le pays reste profondément marqué par un conflit armé qui continue de faire des victimes civiles et de déplacer des millions de personnes. Si la junte revendique desContinue Reading
Lamu refinery launch: Wadagni’s Benin joins Africa’s biggest industrial gamble — and the debate it sparks
Lamu, Kenya — Benin’s president Romuald Wadagni stood alongside a roster of African leaders on Wednesday as the East African refinery project championed by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote officially broke ground on Kenya’s northern coast. The ceremony drew heads of state and government from across the continent, but it alsoContinue Reading
Air Sénégal faces storm amid crew suspension on Dakar-Paris route
Air Sénégal faces storm amid crew suspension on Dakar-Paris route The abrupt suspension of all flight attendants and pilots on the Dakar-Paris route has sent shockwaves through the airline industry and raised urgent questions about passenger safety and corporate accountability in West Africa. The decision, announced on September 17, hasContinue Reading
Mali’s Loulo-Gounkoto deal backlash: what the Barrick Gold union payoff means for the mine’s future
The lifting of the strike notice at the Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex has done more than avert a shutdown. It has exposed a financial arrangement of a very different nature. Behind the public concession on working conditions, the agreement struck between Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold and union leaders rests onContinue Reading
Niger’s press freedom crisis: the unanswered questions behind Moussa Kaka’s detention
Public outrage grows over the enforced disappearance of journalist Moussa Kaka in Niger since August 31. As accusations of an illegal detention mount, human rights advocate Alioune Tine demands immediate answers from both African leaders and international actors. The silence surrounding his fate is no longer acceptable, argues the founderContinue Reading
Lyon women’s team end unbeaten run against Chelsea with goalless stalemate
Lyon women’s team end unbeaten run against Chelsea with goalless stalemate For the first time this season, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin failed to find the net as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Chelsea Women in the Women’s Champions League at Groupama Stadium. The match marked a rare breakContinue Reading
Ivory coast cracks down on illegal gold mining with new enforcement tools
The Ivorian government has escalated its campaign against illegal gold panning by deploying an arsenal of advanced equipment. A fleet of 300 motorcycles, 30 pickup trucks, 12 Zodiac boats, and drones has been allocated to the Special Gold Panning Control Unit (GS-LOI), established in 2021 to tackle this persistent issue.Continue Reading