In a striking military setback, Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps—a Kremlin-backed force that replaced Wagner in Mali—were forced into a humiliating retreat from Kidal on April 26. Social media footage captured the chaotic withdrawal: disarmed troops fleeing in trucks, abandoning armored vehicles and helicopters to jihadist fighters and TuaregContinue Reading

International JNIM in Mali: who are these Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists at Bamako’s gates? Exploring the rise of the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and its growing influence in West Africa’s Sahel region, threatening Mali’s capital Bamako. Facebook Email Whatsapp Twitter The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) now stands at the gatesContinue Reading

The situation in the Sahel demands urgent reassessment. With violence escalating in Mali, even the most fervent panafricanist ideologues are beginning to question their assumptions. Military setbacks and political miscalculations have exposed the fragility of externally-driven security strategies in the region. Military setbacks expose the limits of Russian support TheContinue Reading

Mali faces unprecedented coordinated assault by Touareg rebels and jihadist groups The West African nation of Mali has plunged deeper into chaos following a massive, synchronized offensive by Touareg separatists and Islamist militants. This assault, which targeted multiple strategic locations across the country, marks a significant escalation in the ongoingContinue Reading

Benin authorities claim they now hold damning evidence that prominent pan-African activist Kemi Séba, currently detained in South Africa and facing extradition, masterminded the dramatic failed coup attempt of December 7, 2025, from the safety of Pretoria.
While the mutiny was quickly crushed, Séba is accused of celebrating it in real time, deploying AI-generated Deepfake videos to spark a wider uprising, and coordinating with radical elements and armed gangs — all while enjoying South African hospitality.
In a bold public statement that same day, he hailed the rebels who seized the national broadcaster SRTB as “patriotic soldiers” and proclaimed December 7 as “the day of liberation” for Benin — even as violence loomed in Cotonou.
Investigators further allege that networks linked to Séba created and spread a virulent Deepfake video falsely showing the coup leader calling for a general revolt, in what officials describe as a sophisticated hybrid warfare tactic designed to manipulate public opinion and incite mass violence.
From South Africa, he is also accused of forging an alliance with the Agbaza gang to plan grenade attacks on Vodun Days pilgrims in Ouidah.
Benin insists this goes far beyond free speech: the charges include apology for rebellion and terrorism, threat to state security through Deepfakes, and complicity in attempted mass murder. Officials demand that Séba answer in a Beninese court for every word and every digital manipulation.
As South Africa weighs the extradition request, this high-profile case is putting diplomatic relations to the test and shining a spotlight on the dangerous new tools — from social media to artificial intelligence — reshaping political crises across Africa.
A story of ambition, technology, and alleged betrayal that nearly plunged Benin into chaos.Continue Reading