Senegal’s special funds showdown: the real-world toll on citizens and businesses

Senegal’s special funds showdown: the real-world toll on citizens and businesses The ongoing struggle over special funds is more than a political drama—it has tangible consequences for Senegalese households and…

Mali’s school shutdowns: 730,000 children pay the price of a nation’s unravelling

BAMAKO — The official start of the 2026-2027 school year in Mali lands this Thursday, 1 October, with all the pomp the authorities can muster: Transition President General Assimi Goïta…

Ghost town day in Cameroon’s anglophone regions: the human and economic toll of a decade-long crisis

The real-world impact of a ghost town day in Cameroon’s anglophone regions As Cameroon’s anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions marked another ghost town day on October 1, the consequences for…

Benin’s €500 million bond: the real-world impact on households, businesses and public services

Benin’s €500 million bond and what it means for everyday life Cotonou has secured €500 million on international markets in partnership with the African Development Bank Group, a move that…

Burkina Faso’s Lalgaye and Ouahigouya attacks: the real toll on civilians and local trade

A coordinated wave of jihadist violence struck Burkina Faso on Saturday, September 26, leaving a Burkinabè soldier dead in the Centre-Est region and destroying heavy military equipment in the north.…

Burkina Faso: how four years of Traoré’s rule reshaped daily life for millions

When Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in Burkina Faso on 30 September 2022, toppling Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, he promised a radical break with the past. Four years on, the…

Is Barrick Gold’s Loulo-Gounkoto truce a strategic blunder for Mali’s mining future

A truce built on silence: what is Barrick Gold really hiding at Loulo-Gounkoto? The suspension of the strike notice at the Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex conceals a financial pact of a…

What does the silence over Moussa Kaka’s disappearance in Niger really cost?

When a journalist vanishes, the first question is always the same: why has nobody spoken up? In Niger, Moussa Kaka has been missing since 31 August, and the absence of…

Can OL Lyonnes still top their Champions League group after Chelsea stalemate?

A balanced battle at Groupama Stadium In front of a home crowd at Groupama Stadium, OL Lyonnes were held to a goalless draw by Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League…

Mali: what does the JNIM ambush on an Africa Corps convoy near Niono really change?

What does a single ambush in central Mali actually change on the ground? That is the question looming after a Russian Africa Corps convoy was hit north of Niono on…

Can Niger’s judiciary still be trusted after lawyer Abdourahamane Lirwana’s jailing?

What does it mean when a lawyer is locked up for a Facebook post in Niger? That is the uncomfortable question hanging over Niamey after the arrest and detention of…

A terrifying mid-air incident: could flydubai flight FZ1073 have become a global catastrophe?

What really happened when flydubai flight FZ1073 lost control? A Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, a violent struggle inside the cockpit, a steep loss of…