A peacekeeper of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photo by GLODY MURHABAZI/AFP via Getty Images
The UN faces a crisis because of its failure to address the world’s biggest conflicts.
Protesters in Bamako hold a banner reading “Thank you Wagner” to celebrate French troops’ withdrawal from Mali in 2022.
Florent Vergnes/AFP via Getty Images
The ambush of Russia’s Wagner soldiers and Malian forces by rebels with Ukrainian support raises concerns of the beginning of a proxy war between Russia and Ukraine in west Africa.
Malians demonstrate in support of Russia on the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Mali, in Bamako, Mali, in September 2020. Russian mercenaries have played a key role in the fighting in several African countries, prompting attacks by Ukrainian-backed rebels.
(AP Photo)
In causing disproportionate losses to Russian soldiers in Africa, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces give their soldiers and the people of Ukraine a morale boost amid a largely stagnant war at home.
Russian mercenaries accompany a soldier in northern Mali.
French Army via AP
Dozens of Russian fighters were killed in confrontation with rebel groups in Mali amid speculation that Ukrainian intelligence played a role.
Heads of Niger’s military junta Gen. Tiani (C), Malian Col. Goita (L) and Burkina Faso’s Capt. Traore (R) after signing the Confederation of Sahel States documents in Niamey on 6 July 2024.
AFP via Getty Images
To win its counterinsurgency war, Mali’s military must focus on the fragility of the state, strained military capabilities, and fallout from Russian-Ukraine crisis.
Toumani Diabaté as a young man.
Photograph courtesy Lucy Durán
Toumani Diabaté left a legacy as enormous as the west African Mande music tradition he was born into.
Toumani Diabaté collaborated with artists from around the world using his kora to improvise.
Samir Hussein/Getty Images
He took west Africa’s Mande music to a new level of global recognition, often collaborating with artists who made music in very different styles.
Ecowas president Omar Touray speaking at a meeting of heads of state and government in Abuja on 24 February 2024.
Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images
Scholars explain recent developments in Ecowas and the implications for the region.
A camp for displaced persons in Burkina Faso, May 2024.
Fanny Naoro-Kabré/AFP via Getty Images
Burkina Faso tops the list of the world’s most neglected crises in the world for the second time in a row.
Traditional authorities are a key part of the daily lives of millions of Africans.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
Traditional institutions represent, for many African citizens, the most immediate form of governance.
Photo by Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images
Never before have four governments, including one of the regional leaders, Senegal, been simultaneously eager and ready to get out of the neo-colonial stranglehold of the CFA franc.
An anti-colonial demonstration against the CFA franc in Dakar, September 2017.
Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images
Several conditions must be met to ensure the successful launch and operation of a multilateral currency.
The use of mother tongues as languages of instruction has become popular in many parts of Africa.
Issouf Sanogo/Getty Images
Bilingual education can improve learning outcomes but it’s important to consider local context.
A protester holds a placard reading ‘down with Ecowas’ during a rally in Bamako on 1 February 2024.
Ousmane Makaveli /AFP via Getty Images
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have much to lose if they cannot migrate to and from neighbouring countries in Ecowas.
Weapons and ammunition seized from Islamist fighters by the Malian army.
Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images
Slums in Bamako, Mali are transforming into landscapes of protracted unrest, civil conflict, violent extremism and urban insurgency.
A makeshift memorial for the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in August 2023.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images
Will the Wagner Group under new leadership uphold the ruthless modus operandi that propelled it to the spotlight in Africa?
Leaders of Ecowas at a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria on 10 December 2023.
Nigerian Presidency /Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their intention to leave Ecowas. This may be a pointer to a deeper crisis in the Sahel region.
Ecowas has struggled to handle a raft of military coups.
U.S. Army Southern Europe Photostream/Flickr
The decision by the three countries could change the dynamics of Ecowas.
Children’s education is frequently disrupted in conflict-fraught areas.
Daniel Beloumou Olomo/AFP via Getty Images
Education can spur peace and development. Here are five essential reads on the topic.
Created in 2014, the G5 Sahel security alliance is about to be dissolved after members pulled out.
Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images
Foreign powers’ interest in the Sahel is driven by its natural resources and strategic location for security and illegal migration control.