Can Burkina Faso truly claim ownership of its refined gold after RAFFINOR-BF?
A refinery unveiled amid promises of economic sovereignty On 28 September 2026, Ibrahim Traoré inaugurated Burkina Faso’s first national gold refinery in Ouagadougou, named RAFFINOR-BF. Officials presented the facility as…
Niger’s competitive dialogue at three years: has the reform delivered, or was it all for show?
A question three years in the making: did Niger’s competitive dialogue ever stand a chance? When Decree No. 2022-743/PRN/PM was unveiled on 29 September 2022, it was presented as a…
Benin’s UN diplomacy: can a dual approach of force and development win the Sahel security battle?
At the United Nations headquarters in New York, Benin used the final day of the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly to lay out a…
Can the Cotonou civil society assembly really reshape francophone peace before Cambodia?
What leverage can grassroots organisations truly wield when the cameras leave and the final communiqué is filed? That is the question hanging over Cotonou as the 16th ordinary plenary assembly…
Can Ghana keep its health data and still get global funding? the $109 million question that Africa is now asking
Accra has turned down a health agreement with Washington over access to medical records, pathogen information and alleged restrictions on drug oversight — a decision that has reignited the debate…
Kribi at 15: can China’s deep-water port keep powering Cameroon’s rise?
Fifteen years ago, Mboro on the outskirts of Kribi, a town in southern Cameroon, was little more than an isolated fishing village, its few homes linked by narrow, winding dirt…
Senegal’s UK transit visa conundrum: can Dakar preserve its global mobility strategy?
In a move that has caught West African capitals off guard, the United Kingdom has expanded its airport transit visa requirements to include Senegal and eight other nations from the…
AES single currency: will Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger ever ditch the CFA franc?
Burkina Faso AES single currency: will Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger ever ditch the CFA franc? The question of a future currency for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) remains…
Who really controls Côte d’Ivoire’s airwaves — and what happens if that control fails?
Abidjan, 28 September 2026 – What exactly is a radio frequency, and why should its management matter to ordinary Ivorians? How are these invisible signals allocated across Côte d’Ivoire, and…
Can Guinea-Bissau’s voters trust Embaló’s second-term bid to end the cycle of instability?
In Bissau, the guessing game is over. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has formally declared that he will seek a second term in the upcoming presidential election. After months of ambiguity…
Can Guinea-Bissau’s voters trust Embaló’s second-term bid to end the cycle of instability?
In Bissau, the guessing game is over. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has formally declared that he will seek a second term in the upcoming presidential election. After months of ambiguity…


















