A movement of dozens of African civil society groups call on the AU to take actions in pursuit of climate justice, peace, and equality. We, the members of the African Movement Building Space, believe that the magnitude of the crises we face demands systemic change that results in the creation of sustainable societies and new […]
Tag: Mali
On 11 February 2024, the head of Niger’s ruling military junta, General Abdourahmane Tiani, spoke of the possible creation of a common currency with Burkina Faso and Mali. “The currency is a first step toward breaking free from the legacy of colonisation,” he said on national TV, referring to the CFA franc inherited from French […]
We write in advance of the 96th pre-session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (the “Committee”) and its review of Mali. This submission focuses on children’s rights abuses in the context of the Malian armed conflict, child labor and exposure to toxics, sexual and gender-based violence, and teenage pregnancy and child marriage […]
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger’s request to withdraw presents a crucial opportunity to improve the regional bloc’s functioning. On 8 February, the Mediation and Security Council of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will hold a special session in Abuja. The ministerial-level meeting will discuss political and security issues, including the withdrawals of […]
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West Africa’s Troublesome Trio
THE decision by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, three landlocked sub-Saharan African countries, to pull out of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has sparked fears of increased instability and insecurity in the region. Recently emboldened by military take-overs, the three countries have accused ECOWAS of being a tool in the hands […]
Despite their institutional under-representation, women do not want to remain on the sidelines of political change. Activist Rokia Doumbia made headlines in Mali on 13 March when she was arrested for posting a TikTok video denouncing high inflation levels and criticising the transition’s record. Beyond the reactions provoked by her message, Doumbia’s commitment reflects a […]
The UN mission’s withdrawal opens the door for assertive political leadership by ECOWAS and the AU. On 30 June the United Nations (UN) Security Council voted unanimously to end the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) as of 31 December 2023. The vote follows a request by Mali’s transitional government for the mission […]
Washington, DC — For two months after the coup in Niger on 26 July 2023, the Biden administration refrained from calling or chose not to call it a “coup” because that would have triggered American legislation that would have required it to suspend security cooperation and most other forms of assistance to the junta. It […]
Two night-time drone strikes by the Malian army on 17 March killed at least 13 civilians, including seven children aged between two and 17, in Amasrakad, Gao region, and left more than a dozen people injured, according to eyewitness accounts gathered by Amnesty International. A communiqué issued by the Malian army described the strikes, as […]
French journalist Olivier Dubois was taken hostage in Mali nearly two years ago. His family and support group regularly contact the French authorities and try to raise public awareness, but as time passes, they fear negotiations for his release have stagnated. Dubois was kidnapped in Gao, in northern Mali, on 8 April 2021 by JNIM, […]
Investigations Needed Into Indiscriminate Drone Strikes, Summary Killings Malian armed forces and Wagner Group foreign fighters unlawfully killed and summarily executed several dozen civilians in counterinsurgency operations in Mali’s central and northern regions since December. Mali’s Russia-backed transitional military government is committing horrific abuses and is leaving the regional group that could provide scrutiny into […]
UN Peacekeepers’ Departure Complicates Efforts for Security; Provide Aid Islamist armed groups have carried out widespread killings, rapes, and lootings of villages in northeast Mali since January 2023 forcing thousands of people to flee. Security has deteriorated sharply amid clashes between two armed Islamist groups as they seek to control supply routes and increase their […]
“The withdrawal of the three-member states could result in the halt or the suspension of all ECOWAS projects and programmes worth more than $500 million,” a communique issued at the end of the Saturday extraordinary summit said. West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, on Saturday, said that the exit of three of its members would cost […]
Attacks by jihadists are on the rise in both Niger and Mali, where juntas are keen to hold on to power. The volatile situation in the Sahel region is casting a long shadow over future elections and the return to civilian rule, which now look increasingly distant. “All parties now acknowledge that the challenges in […]
New York — The International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) sanctions on top women’s basketball officials in Mali confirm the responsibility to remedy systemic abuse of young athletes, Human Rights Watch said today. But the appointment of another official suspected of abuse as head of the Mali Basketball Federation (FMBB) raises concerns that continuing monitoring by FIBA […]
“West African single identity and regional integration and inclusion project is another programme that the three countries benefit from.” The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the decision to lift sanctions on Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso was based on the need to maintain regional unity and security. The President of the ECOWAS […]
Cape Town — The activities in Africa of Russia’s Wagner Group, the private paramilitary group which deploys mercenaries to support the Kremlin’s foreign policy objectives, are coming under increased American scrutiny as the United States, Russia and China compete for strategic advantage on the continent. The intensified focus on Wagner in Africa has been reflected […]
France’s Culture Minister on Friday said the suspension of visas for artists from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso was due to security concerns in light of the recent military coups in those countries and in no way a “boycott”. The three Sahel countries are in the hands of military putschists, and diplomatic ties with France […]