Burkina Faso

Central African Republic

Eritrea

Mali

Somalia

Zimbabwe

Russia

Politics

Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said Moscow had started shipments of free grain totalling up to 200,000 tons and destined for six African countries, Reuters reported on Nov. 17.

Sub-Saharan Africa: First Shipment of Russian Grain En Route to Burkina Faso and Somalia

Military & Security

Burkina Faso's junta leader, Ibrahim Traore, said elections in Burkina Faso "are not a priority" compared with security, DW reported on Sept. 30.

Burkina Faso: Junta Says Elections 'Are Not a Priority'

Hundreds of people marched in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou on Sept. 26 in support of Interim President Ibrahim Traore after rumors surfaced on social media of an internal coup, GhanaWeb reported the next day.

Burkina Faso: Junta Dispels Rumors of Another Coup

Niger

The military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger signed a security pact under which they agreed to help one another in case of a rebellion or external aggression, Reuters reported on Sept. 16.

Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Sign Alliance of Sahel States Security Pact

Nigerien junta leader Abdourahamane Tchiani signed a decree on Aug. 24 that allows Malian and Burkinabe troops to intervene if Niger comes under attack, Bloomberg reported the next day.

Niger: Junta Invites Burkina Faso, Mali to Intervene if ECOWAS Deploys

Sudan

Libya

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group, posted a video address on his Telegram channel on Aug. 21, his first since the short-lived Wagner mutiny in June, Reuters reported the next day.

Russia, Africa: Prigozhin Posts First Video Since Mutiny, May Be in Africa

Guinea

Economics

The junta-led Burkinabe and Malian governments, which are currently suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), jointly said they would exit the bloc if it or France began a military operation in Niger to combat the country's July 26 coup, Jeune Afrique reported on July 31.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Disagreements Over Niger's Coup Threaten to Fracture ECOWAS

Burkinabe Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela told the transitional Legislative Assembly that the government will never negotiate with jihadists, but that insecurity could postpone the country's transition to civilian rule, Africanews reported on May 30.

Burkina Faso: Prime Minister Hints at Extended Transition Timeline

Media

France

Graphics

A general view of a military crest of the French army in Niamey, Niger, on July 15, 2022.

French and U.N. troop withdrawals from the Sahel will open the door to jihadist attacks and external actors.

The Sahel's Security Environment Amid French and U.N. Troop Withdrawals

Snapshots

Sub-Saharan Africa

Cote d'Ivoire

Gabon

Protesters in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, wave Russian and Burkinabe flags on Oct. 4, 2022. 

Cyber

Many of the drivers that led to the recent coups in the Sahel are present in other African countries, granting Russian-sponsored influence operations more inroads.

Africa's Instability Creates Fertile Ground for Russian Disinformation

Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's interim president, attends a ceremony in Ouagadougou on Oct. 15, 2022.

The junta's failure to maintain stability and resolve underlying grievances will raise the risk of future coups and provide possible inroads for more Russian influence.

What an Alleged Coup Attempt Means for Burkina Faso's Stability

Assessments

Cameroon

Chad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Republic of the Congo

People holding Gabon national flags celebrate in Libreville on August 30, 2023, after a group of military officers announced they were ''putting an end'' to President Ali Bongo Ondimba's regime. 

Rampant insecurity could precipitate the collapse of more Sahelian governments, while succession crises and patronage politics could do the same for Central Africa's dynastic leaders.

Assessing the Risk of Future African Coups, Part 1: The Sahel and Central Africa

Benin

Nigeria

Togo

French soldiers of the Barkhane force patrol the streets of Timbuktu, Mali, on Dec. 5, 2021.

In the wake of Niger's coup, France will be compelled to revamp its security strategy in the Sahel and West Africa at large.

What the Niger Crisis Means for France's Counterterrorism Strategy in Africa

Senegal

United States

Protesters hold placards denouncing ECOWAS on Aug. 3, 2023, in Niamey, Niger. While an intervention probably would topple the Nigerien junta, it could cause a regional conflict, boost jihadists and lead to a weak Nigerian civilian regime.

While an intervention probably would topple the Nigerien junta, it could cause a regional conflict, boost jihadists and lead to a weak Nigerian civilian regime.

How Might an ECOWAS Military Intervention Take Shape in Niger?

Belarus

Smoke billows north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan.

The Wagner Group's failed mutiny in Russia could facilitate its expansion in Africa, potentially including increased support of military rule in the Sahel and heightened involvement in Sudan and Libya's civil wars. 

The Wagner Group's 'New Path' in Africa

A French army patrol in November 2019 in northern Burkina Faso. A French military withdrawal will likely accelerate the spread of the jihadist insurgencies already running rampant in Burkina Faso, worsening regional economies and security.

A French departure will likely accelerate the spread of the jihadist insurgencies already running rampant in Burkina Faso, worsening regional economies and security.

Burkina Faso's Government Demands a French Military Withdrawal

The new self-proclaimed leader of the military junta ruling Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore (C), on Oct. 2, 2022, in the Burkinabe capital of Ouagadougou. Burkina Faso's new military junta is unlikely to curb rising insecurity, while fraying ties with France could worsen the regional threat of jihadism.

Burkina Faso's new military junta is unlikely to curb rising insecurity, while fraying ties with France could worsen the regional threat of jihadism.

Burkina Faso's Second Coup in Nine Months Bodes Ill for Regional Security

Columns

On Security

A British soldier leaves the Hombori area aboard a Chinook helicopter on March 28, 2019 during the start of the French Barkhane Force operation in Mali's Gourma region. Countries in the region are embracing a military-led counterterrorism approach that will struggle in the face of various governance, economic and coordination challenges.

Countries in the region are embracing a military-led counterterrorism approach that will struggle in the face of various governance, economic and coordination challenges.

How Coastal West Africa Is Responding to an Expanding Jihadist Threat

Mauritania

French soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, Mali, on Dec. 4, 2021. 

France’s updated military posture in the African region focuses on supporting national armies, especially Niger’s. But this is unlikely to offset the impact of Paris’ withdrawal from Mali. 

France’s New Approach to the Sahel: Preparing for Sustained Regional Instability

Ghana

Chile

China

Myanmar

Europe

Members of the Constitutional Convention pose for a picture during the official presentation of the draft they made of the new constitution on May 16, 2022, at the Ruinas de Huanchaca National Monument in Antofagasta, Chile.

Energy

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

SITUATION REPORTS

Sub-Saharan Africa: First Shipment of Russian Grain En Route to Burkina Faso and Somalia

Burkina Faso: Junta Says Elections 'Are Not a Priority'

Burkina Faso: Junta Dispels Rumors of Another Coup

Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Sign Alliance of Sahel States Security Pact

Niger: Junta Invites Burkina Faso, Mali to Intervene if ECOWAS Deploys

Russia, Africa: Prigozhin Posts First Video Since Mutiny, May Be in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Disagreements Over Niger's Coup Threaten to Fracture ECOWAS

Burkina Faso: Prime Minister Hints at Extended Transition Timeline

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