insert_link Africa Regional bodies condemn military coup in Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo (Photo by: Amanuel Sileshi, AFP/Getty Images) The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have sharply condemned the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, describing it as a “blatant threat” to democratic governance in a region already strained by recurrent coups. The condemnation followed Wednesday’s sudden power seizure by officers identifying themselves as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, […] today27 November, 2025
insert_link Africa Niger Military Government Takes Control of Orano’s Uranium Mine France's Orano reported that Niger's military government has taken operational control of its Somair uranium mining subsidiary, following a coup in July 2023. And according to Al Jazeera, the company stated that the Nigerien authorities were refusing to halt production and were preventing the export of uranium, which has affected local communities and workers. The move comes after the ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger, halting all exports, including uranium. today7 January, 2025
insert_link Africa France demands ‘unconditional release’ of Niger president France on Tuesday called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, almost a year after he was overthrown in a coup. Bazoum has "been held prisoner for a year in scandalous conditions", foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. "We have always condemned this detention, we still strongly condemn it and continue to call for his immediate and unconditional release," he told reporters […] today23 July, 2024
insert_link Africa Gabon: post-coup dialogue has mapped out path to democracy – now military leaders must act By Douglas Yates, American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) At the end of April 2024, a long and peaceful process of national dialogue in Gabon between the military junta, presided over by coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema, and civil society, represented by 580 civilians, came to an end. The national dialogue followed an August 2023 coup that removed Ali Bongo Ondimba from office and ended […] today17 May, 2024
insert_link Africa Sudan Armed Forces are on a path to self-destruction – risking state collapse By Harry Verhoeven, Columbia University It is now 10 months since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in April 2023, pitting the Sudan Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group. The war, which erupted after relations between the two wings of Sudan’s security apparatus broke down, rapidly spread beyond the capital, Khartoum. More recently, the Sudan Armed Forces have suffered numerous setbacks […] today20 February, 2024
insert_link Entertainment Books: folklore and fantasy combine in Langabi, a supernatural historical epic from Zimbabwe By Gibson Ncube, Stellenbosch University In 2023, award-winning Zimbabwean author Christopher Mlalazi published a new book, Langabi: Season of the Beast. He’s the author of novels like Running with Mother (2012), Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township (2012) and They are Coming (2014). His books grapple with diverse social and political issues in Zimbabwe. As a scholar of African literature, including speculative fiction, I have […] today9 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Niger and Russia are forming military ties: 3 ways this could upset old allies By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University In July 2023, Niger’s military took over in a coup just two years after the country’s first transition to civilian power. The coup has brought into sharp focus the role of foreign countries in Niger’s politics. Before the coup, France and the US were the main security allies of Niger. But the coup leaders, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, were open about […] today30 January, 2024
insert_link Africa Burkina’s ex-gendarmerie chief kidnapped: sources Burkina Faso's former chief of staff of the gendarmerie who was sacked in October has been abducted from his home by unidentified "armed individuals", sources close to him said on Monday. "They sealed off the neighbourhood, surrounded his home before taking him," a security source close to the ex-police chief told AFP. Lieutenant-Colonel Evrard Somda was taken on Sunday from his home in the capital, Ouagadougou, he added. "We don't […] today15 January, 2024
