West Africa - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

US sanctions militant leaders over hostages in West Africa

THE U.S. imposed sanctions on leaders of militant groups over the taking of hostages, including Americans, in West Africa, the Treasury and State departments said. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The sanctions on leaders of the West African branch of al Qaeda, called Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), and Islamist militant group Al-Mourabitoun come as Washington has sought to deter and punish detentions of U.S. citizens abroad. West African countries have been destabilized in recent years by Islamist insurgencies that took root in Mali in 2012 and spread across the Sahel region despite costly, international backed-military efforts. KEY QUOTES "We will not hesitate…

Apr

2024

By ROBERT PAARLBERG

West Africa’s falling fish stocks: illegal Chinese trawlers, climate change and artisanal fishing fleets to blame

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

AVERAGE fish catches by traditional fishing communities along the West African coast have declined significantly over the past three decades. Along the Gulf of Guinea, stretching from Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria, fishers launch their wooden canoes from the beach to catch small pelagic fish, like sardines and anchovies, which they sell into local informal markets to make a living. They have done this for generations, but since the 1990s, a decline in the catch has put their livelihoods at risk. In Ghana, total landings of small pelagic fish fell by 59% between 1993 and 2019, despite increased fishing efforts. Landings…

Mar

2024

By BATE FELIX and ALESSANDRA PRENTICE

Senegal election a welcome boost for coup-prone West Africa

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

FOR all the drama and the sometimes violent protests in the run-up to Senegal's presidential election, the former French colony looked set for a peaceful transition of power on Monday - a welcome boost for democracy in coup-prone West Africa. Sunday's vote, which was delayed from its original date of February 25, went off smoothly with supporters of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye celebrating in the streets overnight as preliminary results put him firmly ahead. On Monday, both Faye's rival in the ruling coalition, Amadou Ba, and outgoing President Macky Sall congratulated Faye for winning the election before any official results from the electoral…

Mar

2024

By RACHEL SAVAGE

Senegal’s election: What is at stake for investors?

BUSINESS

INTERNATIONAL investors will be closely monitoring the presidential election in Senegal, scheduled for March 24, after delays incited widespread protests. The country, usually one of coup-prone West Africa's most stable democracies, has been gripped by tension since early February, when President Macky Sall tried to postpone the vote that had been due to take place on Feb. 25 by 10 months, leading to warnings of democratic backsliding. WHAT ARE INVESTORS FOCUSED ON? Senegal has about $4.2 billion of outstanding international bonds, two issued in euros and three in U.S. dollars. For investors in those bonds, the current focus is on whether the presidential vote will be…

Feb

2024

By FRANZISCA ZANKER, AMANDA BISONG and LEONIE JEGEN

Free movement in West Africa: three countries leaving Ecowas could face migration hurdles

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FOR Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, a recent decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has thrown up questions about how they will navigate regional mobility in future. Ecowas covers a variety of sectors, but migration is a major one. The bloc’s protocols since 1979 have long been seen as a shining example of free movement on the continent. They gave citizens the right to move between countries in the region without a visa, and a prospective right of residence and setting up businesses. As multidisciplinary scholars, we have previously researched migration governance in west…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

More than 40 killed in artisanal mine collapse in southwest Mali – mines ministry

NEWS

MORE than 40 artisanal gold miners were killed in southwest Mali last week after the shaft they were working in collapsed, Mali's mines ministry said. Artisanal mining is a common activity across much of West Africa and has risen in recent years due to growing demand for metals and rising prices. Deadly accidents are frequent as artisanal miners often use old-fashioned and unregulated methods of digging. The incident in Mali occurred on Friday on a site in the Kangaba Cercle in the south-western Koulikoro Region, the mines ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that did not specify the number…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

African journalists rally to defend Cheriff Sy amid disinformation threats

MEDIA FREEDOM

A disinformation campaign targeting veteran Burkina Faso journalist Cheriff Sy has sparked widespread alarm within the African journalism community. The campaign falsely accuses Sy and another individual of orchestrating an alleged coup attempt on December 22 in Burkina Faso, posing a significant threat to his safety and reputation. Editors and journalists across Africa have vehemently expressed their apprehensions, unanimously attesting to Sy's unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity and his impeccable reputation. Many have rallied to defend Sy, asserting their absolute conviction that he would never be involved in such actions. The gravity of the threat against Sy is heightened by…

Oct

2023

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Superdeep diamonds from West Africa and Brazil unveil critical insights on earth’s evolution

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

A scientific analysis of ‘superdeep' diamonds, a type of diamond that originated between 180 and 620 miles deep into the earth and was extracted from mines in Brazil and Western Africa, has exposed new processes of how continents were formed. According to a press statement from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, the diamonds were analyzed by a team of experts, including Karen Smit of the Wits School of Geosciences. “We wanted to date these diamonds to try and understand how the earliest continents formed,” Smit explains. Formed between 650 and 450 million years ago, the diamonds have shown how supercontinents…

Sep

2023

By The African Mirror

Which Western countries have foreign forces in West Africa?

NEWS

FRANCE will pull its troops out of Niger by the end of the year following a coup in the West African country in July, dealing a huge blow to French influence and counter-insurgency operations in the West Africa Sahel region. Niger, a key ally of Western countries against Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel, is host to a number of foreign forces. Those numbers have increased over the past two years following coups in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, which soured relations between the countries and their Western partners. Following is a list of Western countries with troops in the West and Central…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Flooding in Nigeria is on the rise – good forecasts, drains and risk maps are urgently needed

ENVIRONMENT

VICTOR ONGOMA and VICTOR NNAMDI DIKE NIGERIA is one of the most flood-prone countries in West Africa. Many areas experience annual flooding. This happens during heavy rainfall and one of the reasons is poor drainage systems. The country, therefore, needs to make improvements. As researchers who have specialised in meteorology for about two decades, we believe there are several ways it can do this. The key interventions needed are: understanding the impact of climate change on rainfall extremes and water resources investing in a functional weather forecast system addressing the problem of poor drainage. These actions are necessary to build…