Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

The Latest Breaking News from Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso pardons 21 soldiers involved in failed 2015 coup

Twenty-one soldiers, convicted for their role in the failed coup d'état in Burkina Faso in September 2015, have received a presidential pardon.

Radio France Internationale

Niger junta sets out five-year transition to constitutional rule

Niger's ruling junta said there would be a five-year transition to constitutional rule starting from Wednesday, in an announcement during a signing ceremony for a new transition charter.

Radio France Internationale

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso withdraw from French language body

As French-speaking countries celebrate International Francophone Day, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have this week announced their withdrawal from the International Organisation of Francophonie, which organises the event as part of its mission to celebrate French language around the world.

Radio France Internationale

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Video of Burkina Faso massacre appears to implicate government-allied militia, watchdog says

Human Rights Watch says video footage circulating on social networks of a recent civilian massacre in Burkina Faso appears to implicate government-allied militia

The Independent UK

How drones killed nearly 1,000 civilians in Africa in three years

Use of unmanned aircraft has surged across Africa, often resulting in mass civilian deaths, new report finds.

Al Jazeera

Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré is making waves in west Africa. Who is he?

Captain Ibrahim Traoré is the interim leader of Burkina Faso, having taken over the position following a coup which he led against Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba in September 2022. The 37-year-old captain had supported Damiba, his commanding officer, in a putsch earlier that year against former president Roch Marc…

The Conversation

Is Nigeria in danger of a coup? What the country should do to avoid one – political analyst

African countries have had nine successful military coups since 2020. In west and central Africa, there have been at least 10 coup attempts in the same period. Those of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Guinea were successful. A number of social, economic and political factors have been identified as…

The Conversation

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Ecowas breakup could push up food prices and worsen hunger in west Africa

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) lost three of its founding members on 29 January 2025. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger comprised 16% of the bloc’s population of 424 million and 7% of its economy.

The Conversation

‘What a project, what a challenge!’: Africa’s leading architect gives Thomas Sankara a proper place of rest

Pritzker prize-winner Francis Kéré has designed a memorial to honour ‘Africa’s Che Guevara’, Burkina Faso’s visionary president who was assassinated in 1987

The Guardian - UK

Why is there so much gold in west Africa?

Militaries that have taken power in Africa’s Sahel region – notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – have put pressure on western mining firms for a fairer distribution of revenue from the lucrative mining sector.

The Conversation

Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits

With France fast losing its influence in west Africa’s Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum?

The Conversation

Why Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s new plan to tackle extremist violence is likely to fail

The military-led nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on January 29. They had announced their intention to leave one year ago, shortly after establishing a new defence pact called the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES).

The Conversation

‘We water, rest, water’: the green belt of vegetable plots cooling a city

A green belt circling the capital of Burkina Faso is preparing the country for the climate crisis

The Guardian - UK

What's ahead for a 50-year-old West African bloc after 3 junta-led countries left the group?

A 50-year-old West Africa regional bloc is facing significant challenges after three junta-led countries — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — formally left the group, known as ECOWAS

The Independent UK

Get all your
news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One news app.

The Conversation

Burkina Faso’s nature reserves are worth protecting – but people have to be part of the plan

Burkina Faso is a west African dryland country known for its diverse ecosystems, including savannas, forests and wetlands. Large herbivores like elephant, giraffe and hippopotamus, and predators like lions, leopards and the African lynx, roam the country’s savannas. Many bird species use the country as a stopover or wintering ground,…

Top News

Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso Withdraw From ECOWAS Bloc

Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso withdraw from ECOWAS, forming their own alliance, impacting regional dynamics.

The Independent UK

3 coup-hit West African nations formally leave ECOWAS in an unprecedented disintegration

The three junta-led West African nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc known as ECOWAS

Get all your
news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One news app.

Radio France Internationale

Three Sahel nations exit West African bloc as regional politics shift

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso were to officially quit the West African bloc Ecowas Wednesday, severing ties after years of strained relations that have reshaped trade routes in the Sahel.

International Business Times

Thousands Rally In Burkina, Mali And Niger To Cheer ECOWAS Exit

Thousands of people rallied in junta-led Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali on Tuesday to back their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc, due to take effect Wednesday.

The Conversation

France’s military withdrawal presents opportunities and risks to West African states

In early January, Côte d’Ivoire announced that French troops would be withdrawing from the country and the military base of Port-Bouët would be handed over to Côte d’Ivoire’s army. The announcement is part of a seismic shift in France’s decades-long presence across francophone Africa.

International Business Times

West Africa Juntas Tighten Screws On Foreign Mining Firms

Earlier this month, soldiers swooped by helicopter into a vast mining complex in western Mali and made away with three tonnes of gold -- all done on the orders of the military government.

Radio France Internationale

Ghana steps up efforts to mend regional ties with Sahel alliance appointment

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama has appointed a former national security chief as envoy to the alliance formed by Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, signalling his administration's intention to mend ties with the three military-led nations.

The Independent UK

West Africa's junta-led nations announce deployment of a joint force as extremist violence spikes

Niger’s defense minister says the junta-led West African countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have created a joint force that will soon be deployed in the restive Sahel region against rising extremist violence

Radio France Internationale

Fears for the future in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over Ecowas withdrawal

The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso – who have formed their own Alliance of Sahel States – from West African bloc Ecowas is set to take effect on 29 January, with security experts and members of the diaspora voicing concern over what lies ahead.

1 … 4 5 6 7

People

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Organisations

the Economic Community of West African States

34 stories

Economic Community of West African States

20 stories

the Alliance of Sahel States

19 stories

OIF

11 stories

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Topics

Places

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.