News

Mauritanian coast guard rescues 260 migrants off Nouakchott

The rescue includes 132 Senegalese and 120 Gambian nationals, following a UNHCR count of over 2,100 people rescued near Mauritania since January.

UNHCR warns 319,000 refugees in Chad face registration delays as funding collapses

Geneva officials say a global funding shortfall is stripping away documentation, child protection and livelihoods support for refugees hosted by Chad.

Amnesty documents 34 civilian killings by Malian army and Wagner forces

A new report details torture and unlawful killings along the Mauritanian border between 2023 and 2025, with Bamako silent since being briefed in August.

Mali again accuses Ukraine of backing Sahel terrorist groups at the UN

Delivering President Goïta's message, Bamako's foreign minister called it a 'guerre hybride par procuration' at the UN podium, but no new document or incident was presented.

Niger's PM accuses France and Ukraine of new destabilization plot

The claim, unconfirmed by any independent source, escalates Niamey's rupture with Paris and names Kyiv for the first time at the UN podium.

Paris court convicts Swiftair over 2014 Ouagadougou-Algiers crash that killed 116

The ruling closes the French criminal case at first instance but leaves compensation and a possible appeal unresolved.

Niger reaffirms plan to sell uranium directly after handing Arlit permit to state firm TSUMCO

Niamey is pressing ahead with plans to sell uranium on its own terms, even as Orano's international arbitration claims remain unresolved.

Burkina Faso opens first gold refinery, capacity already exceeds national output

President Traoré inaugurated RAFFINOR-BF with 164 tonnes/year capacity, more gold than the country currently produces, raising questions about feedstock and financing.

Sudan conflict keeps pushing displacement toward Chad and Egypt

Continued fighting in Sudan is sustaining cross-border movement into Chad, compounding the same week's UNHCR funding warning.

Spain urges EU to finalize Mauritania fishing deal or risk fleet withdrawal

Planas's warning underscores the urgency of EU-Mauritania protocol talks, though estimates of the exact expiry date and fleet exposure vary slightly between the minister's own remarks and the European Commission's official timeline.

Amnesty documents 34 civilian killings and torture by Mali's army and Wagner along Mauritanian border

A 66-page investigation ties FAMa and Wagner/Africa Corps personnel to seven killing incidents and two drone strikes between 2023 and 2025.

Niger formalises Madaouela uranium convention with Australia's Atomic Eagle, ending arbitration

Niger formalises end of Orano's uranium monopoly as arbitration over stockpiled yellowcake continues

Transfer of the In Azaoua mining permit to state-owned TSUMCO SA cements Niamey's break from five decades of French uranium dominance.

Qair secures €37.9 million financing tranche for Chad's N'Djamena solar plants

AES-ECOWAS 'announced negotiations' largely restate an existing months-long process

Burkina Faso inaugurates first domestic gold refinery as junta pushes mineral sovereignty

President Ibrahim Traoré opened Raffinor-BF, a 400 kg/day refinery in Ouagadougou, positioning Burkina Faso to process its own gold rather than export it raw.

Mali's army claims 50 fighters killed near Abeïbara, but the toll rests solely on its own communiqué

No rebel, jihadist, resident or monitoring group has confirmed or disputed the Malian military's account of the strike, which the army itself calls provisional.

Niger raises Madaouela uranium stake to 40% as US backs separate Dasa mine with $414 million

Niger's mines ministry confirms a higher equity stake and $10 million royalty at Madaouela, while a US development agency approves conditional financing for the unrelated Dasa project.

Savannah Energy claims over 228 billion FCFA in Cotco arbitration naming Chad and Cameroon's SNH

Two outlets report Savannah Energy's midstream unit is pursuing a long-running arbitration over the Cotco pipeline naming Chad, Cameroon's national oil company and three other defendants.

Barrick averts Loulo-Gounkoto strike with new union agreement in Mali

A collective bargaining agreement signed 27 September 2026 heads off walkouts planned for the following day at Barrick's flagship Mali gold mine.

Sudanese refugee arrivals in Chad surge 20-fold as UN funding lags far behind need

UNHCR says over 55,000 Sudanese have fled into eastern Chad since January, with daily crossings now exceeding 400 — while the regional response plan is only 18% funded.

Niger's PM accuses France and Ukraine of destabilizing the Sahel at UN Assembly

Lamine Zeine told the UN General Assembly that armed proxies backed by France, Ukraine and two unnamed countries threaten Niger's military and oil sites — without providing supporting evidence.

Mauritanian civil society renews push for stalled anti-violence 'loi Karama'

Groups including UNICEF and the Association of Imams handed memorandums to parliament and government bodies demanding a clear timetable to pass the long-blocked bill.

Mali creates state transport and logistics company amid sovereignty push

The new company is framed as an economic sovereignty tool following fuel-supply crises, but capital structure and launch timeline are not yet specified.