Mali’s army claims arrest of an Islamic State group leader

Mali’s army said Saturday its forces had arrested two men, one of them a leading figure in the Sahel branch of the Islamic State group. The army announced they had also killed several of the group’s fighters during an operation Read More …

Mali: Over 20 civilians killed in Mopti village attacks

Suspected jihadists killed more than 20 people in a string of attacks on villages in central Mali’s insurgency-hit Mopti region on Friday, two local sources said. The unidentified assailants struck during the day and into the evening, ransacking and burning Read More …

Mali Army says captured Islamic State group figure

In a statement, the Malian army said that units in Tagadeyate in the eastern Menaka region had on Sunday “captured Ahmad Ag Ditta, a top leader of the EIGS”, referring to the French acronym of the Islamic State in the Read More …

Sudan: 42 killed in landmine explosion, paramilitary attacks in Sinnar and Gezira States

In central Sudan, at least 42 civilians were killed in a landmine explosion in Sinnar State on Friday and two attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Gezira State over the past two days, local volunteer groups reported Read More …

Chad terminates military cooperation agreement with France

This announcement marks a historic turning point in relations between N’Djamena and Paris, which until now had been based on close cooperation in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and the maintenance of regional stability. This partnership, although sometimes Read More …

In Ghana, Sahel jihadis find refuge and supplies, sources say

Islamist militants fighting in Burkina Faso are discreetly using Ghana’s north as a logistical and medical rear base to sustain their insurgency, seven sources told Reuters, a move that could help them expand their footprint in West Africa. The sources, Read More …

Burkina Faso: Nearly 70% of the territory is now under state control, compared to 40% in 2022

The Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, spoke at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Monday, September 30, 2024, on behalf of Burkina Faso. Among other things, he said, to the cheers of the assembly, Read More …

Mali: Attack by al-Qaeda linked group in Bamako killed more than 70 people

More than 70 people are thought to have been killed in an attack by an al-Qaeda-linked group on Mali’s capital Bamako earlier this week, according to diplomatic and security sources. Hardline fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM) Read More …

Irish soldiers prepare for ‘likely’ deployment in 2025 with EU battlegroup

Irish soldiers are preparing for the likelihood of deployment in 2025 as part of an EU battlegroup amid increased political instability around the world. The Irish Government approved the participation by the Defence Forces in a German-led EU battlegroup this Read More …

Sahel: UN Security Council must call out “Ukraine’s support for terrorism”

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have petitioned the president of the UN Security Council to denounce what they call the Ukrainian government’s “open support for international terrorism” in the Sahel. A letter dated August 19 and signed by the envoys Read More …

Mali is still unsafe under the military: why it hasn’t made progress against rebels and terrorists

The scale of casualties suffered by the Wagner group and Malian forces during a recent assault in the Tinzaouaten region reveal vulnerability in Mali’s counterinsurgency posture. The attack was reported in the media as the biggest loss for Russian paramilitaries Read More …

Mali Cuts Diplomatic Relations With Ukraine Over ‘Links To Terrorism’

Mali’s interim government has cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine, citing Ukraine’s alleged support for Tuareg rebels and involvement in a recent deadly attack on a military convoy. The convoy, carrying Malian forces and Russian Wagner Group contractors, was ambushed by Read More …

German army to vacate Niger air base in August

The German army will end operations at its air base in Niger by August 31 following the breakdown of talks with the Sahel country’s ruling junta, Germany’s defense ministry said Saturday. All Bundeswehr soldiers stationed at the base will be Read More …

Malian Army Kills 42 Suspected Terrorists After Attack Leaves 5 Soldiers Wounded

The Malian army claims to have killed 42 suspected terrorists after a “complex car bomb ambush” suffered by the military on the road linking the towns of Menaka and Ansongo in the east of the country, leaving five soldiers wounded. Read More …

Germany to keep military base in Niger open under temporary deal, Berlin says

Germany will keep its military air transport hub in Niger’s capital Niamey open for now, the defence ministry in Berlin said late on Tuesday, shortly after the European Union announced it would end its military mission in the country by Read More …

Escalating Violence In Sahel As JNIM Claims Rising Jihadi Operations

As violence continues to escalate in the Sahel region of Africa, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) has been intensifying its campaign of terror, particularly in the Central Sahel, which comprises Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Niger Republic. Newly released Read More …

Mali forces kill senior figure in Islamic State affiliate

Malian forces killed Abu Huzeifa, a leader of Islamic State in West Africa, during a big operation in the north of Menaka. The authorities announced this on state TV on Monday. They confirmed Huzeifa’s death on Sunday after the operation Read More …

Syria remains country hardest hit by landmines due to casualties, says UN official

Landmines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices continue to cause death and injury, especially around armed conflicts, with one person on average killed every hour, with Syria hit hardest, a UN official said Friday. Christelle Loupforest, who heads Read More …

UNOCT supports the Sahel countries in countering terrorist use of IEDs, UAS and SALW

The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), held a three-day regional workshop for the Sahel in Rabat, Morocco from 27 to 29 February 2024. Organized within the framework of the project on “Building Read More …