Cote d'Ivoire

China

Military & Security

An unspecified number of pirates boarded the Chinese-run, Singapore-flagged oil tanker Success 9 approximately 300 nautical miles off the coast of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in the Gulf of Guinea on April 10, AP reported the following day.

Cote d'Ivoire: Pirates Board Chinese-Run Oil Tanker

Mali

Politics

Ivory Coast called on Mali to release 49 Ivorian soldiers arrested after landing in Mali's capital of Bamako on July 10, Radio France Internationale reported July 13.

Ivory Coast, Mali: Yamoussoukro Calls on Bamako to Release Detained Soldiers

Burkina Faso

Gunmen attacked two Ivory Coast military posts near the northern border with Burkina Faso overnight March 28-29, Abidjan.net and Reuters reported.

Ivory Coast: Suspected al Qaeda Jihadists Attack on Burkina Faso Border

Benin

Chad

Niger

Nigeria

France

Security

The Jihadist Wars

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

France’s intelligence chief, Bernard Emie, said he believes al Qaeda leaders in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam Muslimeen (JNIM) and other affiliate groups met in central Mali to plan an expansion of their operations toward countries on the Gulf of Guinea, Le Figaro reported Feb. 1. 

West Africa: Al Qaeda Is Expanding Operations in Benin and Ivory Coast, Says French Intelligence Chief

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Ivory Coast’s former prime minister, Guillaume Soro, called on the country’s military to mutiny and join a rival breakaway government following President Alasaan Ouattara’s disputed electoral victory, Al Jazeera reported Nov. 5. 

Ivory Coast: Ex-Prime Minister Calls on Army to Mutiny Following Disputed Election

The Constitutional Court of Ivory Coast on Sept. 14 approved four candidates to run in the African country's October presidential election, France 24 and AFP reported Sept. 14.

Ivory Coast: Four Candidates Approved to Compete in Presidential Election

An attack by suspected jihadist militants killed at least 10 Ivory Coast soldiers and injured six more near the country’s northern border with Burkina Faso, Reuters reported June 11. 

Ivory Coast: Militant Attack Kills 10 Soldiers Near Border With Burkina Faso 

Guillaume Soro, the former president of the Ivorian National Assembly and a former rebel commander, has announced that he will run in upcoming presidential elections, Bloomberg reported Jan. 28.

Ivory Coast: Former Rebel Leader Says He'll Run for Presidency

Snapshots

Sub-Saharan Africa

Central African Republic

Gabon

Russia

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

Assessments

South Sudan

Eritrea

Rwanda

Senegal

Sudan

Togo

Uganda

People flee their neighborhoods in Khartoum, Sudan, amid fighting between the army and paramilitary troops on April 19, 2023. 

Economics

Government institutions in eastern and western Africa remain relatively strong, but potential succession crises, simmering unrest and weak leaders still pose latent risks.

Assessing the Risk of Future African Coups, Part 2: West and East Africa

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

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?

Columns

On Geopolitics

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Mozambique

South Africa

Tanzania

Zimbabwe

Women sit under U.N.-branded cardboard boxes in Semera, Ethiopia, on Feb. 14, 2022, as they wait to be registered by the authorities at a hotel compound hosting civilians fleeing violence. 

Social Issues

GBV is often primarily seen as a women’s and human rights issue. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it is also a key constraint to stable (and democratic) governance, economic growth, and lasting peace.

The Geopolitics of Gender-Based Violence in Africa

The unexpected death ahead of the October vote risks dashing hopes for the country's first peaceful democratic transition of power by reigniting long-held political feuds.

In Ivory Coast, a Presidential Candidate's Death Risks Ending in Violence

France will have a difficult time stanching the spread of jihadists in the Sahel without the support of another big power.

As Washington considers a pullout from West Africa, Paris is contemplating just how difficult it is to hold back militants on the march.

Amid a U.S. Drawdown, France Strives to Hold Its Line in the Sahel

The scene at a meeting of Ivorian opposition parties on Sept. 14, 2019, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. If the country's October 2020 presidential election opens old wounds, it could usher in instability that militants would be eager to exploit. 

If the country's October 2020 presidential election opens old wounds, it could usher in instability that militants would be eager to exploit.

In Ivory Coast, an Impending Election Portends Instability

Ghana

Mauritanian soldiers stand guard at their country's border with Mali. 

After years in the Middle East, global militant groups have begun setting up shop in the Sahel region. And that's a problem for the booming economies of nearby Ivory Coast and Ghana. 

As Terrorists Settle Into the Sahel, West Africa Prepares for Battle

A new International Criminal Court ruling will likely free former President Laurent Gbagbo, opening the door for him to return to his country's politics and attempt to regain his former job.

Ivory Coast: An ICC Ruling Revives the Ghost of a President Past

Europe

Italy

Crossing Borders

African and European leaders will talk trade, security and human rights, but migration will be the central point of discussion. 

Ivory Coast: Migration Will Be a Hot Topic at EU-Africa Meeting

The Hidden Threat to Africa’s Most Promising Economy

A series of mutinies could undermine Ivorian stability ahead of the country's next presidential race.

SITUATION REPORTS

Cote d'Ivoire: Pirates Board Chinese-Run Oil Tanker

Ivory Coast, Mali: Yamoussoukro Calls on Bamako to Release Detained Soldiers

Ivory Coast: Suspected al Qaeda Jihadists Attack on Burkina Faso Border

West Africa: Al Qaeda Is Expanding Operations in Benin and Ivory Coast, Says French Intelligence Chief

Ivory Coast: Ex-Prime Minister Calls on Army to Mutiny Following Disputed Election

Ivory Coast: Four Candidates Approved to Compete in Presidential Election

Ivory Coast: Militant Attack Kills 10 Soldiers Near Border With Burkina Faso

Ivory Coast: Former Rebel Leader Says He'll Run for Presidency

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