Vol 63 No 8 | MALISAHELSECURITYG5 Disjointed force 14th April 2022 The demise of the G5 Sahel Joint Force looks imminent, according to authoritative sources. The force always had a slight presence in the anti-jihadist campaign in the Sahel, and it...
Vol 63 No 8 | NIGERIA Vice-President Osinbajo's bid challenges APC leader Tinubu and bank governor Emefiele 11th April 2022 The latest contender to join the race for the ruling party's presidential nomination may benefit most from his rivals' flaws After weeks of consultations with the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) and state governors, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo launched his campaign on 11 April to win the party's...
Vol 63 No 7 | MALI Goïta's junta cracks down mercilessly 31st March 2022 The army is accused of running a ruthless counter-insurgency campaign while authorities clamp down on anyone reporting abuses Colonel Assimi Goïta's military regime is responding to mounting allegations of human rights violations by the national army and Russian mercenaries of the Wagner Group by las...
Vol 63 No 7 | MALIFRANCE Sectarian killings surge as French troops leave 25th March 2022 Civilians are targeted by national soldiers, Islamists and Russian mercenaries but Bamako's military rulers are determined to end the western security presence The Commanders of Opération Barkhane and the European Special Forces' Takuba have begun to plan for their withdrawal from Mali. Earlier this month, Barkhane's French command...
Vol 63 No 6 | MALIRUSSIASAHEL Danger looms for the UN in Mali 16th March 2022 The future of the UN peacekeeping mission is in question – European troops are leaving and evidence is emerging of abuses by the national army and Wagner A cloud of anxiety hangs over the leaders of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali as they navigate a hostile military government, tumultuous developments in the Sahel and the geopol...
Vol 63 No 6 | LIBERIA Weah slaloms through the opposition 15th March 2022 Regardless of mounting scandals, broken promises and economic woes the President is set to win another term in next year's elections As AC Milan's top striker in the 1990s, George Weah once ran through the opposing team to score a spectacular goal. As his country's President he plans to repeat the feat electoral...
Vol 63 No 5 | SIERRA LEONE Formidable first lady flexes her muscles 3rd March 2022 Her critics in the ruling party accuse Fatima Bio of plotting to push out Vice-President Jalloh. That could cost votes in next year's elections To some, First Lady Fatima Bio is a strong, astute politician in her own right, but to others a bully who may have overstepped her bounds in the party and State House and has her e...
Vol 63 No 5 | NIGER Bazoum prepares to fight on two fronts 2nd March 2022 The President is welcoming European troops expelled from Mali while using development projects to counter anti-French sentiment Among the leaders in the Sahel, President Mohamed Bazoum faces the widest array of opponents from local activists hostile to France's presence to the jihadist insurgents trying to ...
Vol 63 No 5 | NIGERSAHEL Terrorisme sans frontières 2nd March 2022 The relocation of European troops from Mali to Niger holds political risks for President Bazoum but may avert a wider security breakdown Geography helps explain why President Mohamed Bazoum overcame his initial reluctance to host European and French troops after they were expelled from Mali this month. Bazoum unders...
Vol 63 No 5 | GHANA Activists rally against E-Levy as government launches consultations 18th February 2022 Ruling party prepares for fight with civil society and opposition over new electronic transaction tax When police in Tema charged Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a convener of the #FixTheCountry movement, with treason felony on 11 February, they fuelled a wider civil society campaign again...
