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The Latest Breaking News from Sahel

Leaked files reveal Russia's blueprint to expand African Sahel alliance

Russian-linked consultants worked to strengthen and widen a pro-Moscow alliance in the Sahel region, using media campaigns, political pressure and cultural events to influence governments and public opinion, according to leaked internal documents seen by RFI and its partners.

Radio France Internationale

Why the Sahel is now the world’s deadliest region for terrorism

The Sahel has become the world’s most deadly region for terrorism, with nearly half of all global deaths now taking place there. This marks a long-term shift away from the Middle East and North Africa, recent data shows.

Radio France Internationale

How a disinformation network is destabilising the Alliance of Sahel States

Since late 2025, a vast ecosystem of fake social media accounts has been targeting countries in the Alliance of Sahel States and their junta leaders. RFI's Fact-Checking Unit and France 24's Observers have been investigating this network, which is spreading disinformation across West Africa.

Radio France Internationale

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Pakistan tops terror Index as global deaths fall, but the worst may be yet to come

The 2026 Global Terrorism Index, released Thursday, records sharpest drop in terrorism deaths in years, yet the geopolitical storm clouds gathering over South Asia, the Sahel, and the West suggest the reprieve could be short-lived

The Times of India

Hunger crisis is set to get worse in west and central Africa – why and what to do about it

Countries in west and central Africa are facing a food crisis with multiple causes. Estimates in late December 2025 suggested that 41.8 million people were already in crisis or worse in October-December 2025. The number was expected to rise to 52.8 million in June-August 2026. Researchers Kirui Oliver Kiptoo and…

The Conversation

From Wagner to intelligence service SVR — How Russia rewired its Africa operations

Russia's foreign intelligence agency, the SVR, has reportedly taken over Wagner Group's African influence operations post-Prigozhin's death. An investigation reveals the SVR now directs political and information warfare, deploying teams across numerous African nations to spread disinformation and advance Moscow's interests. This strategic shift aims to bolster Russia's presence, particularly…

The Times of India

How Algeria's diplomatic reset with Niger advances its Sahel strategy

After a year of diplomatic strain, Niger and Algeria are testing a cautious reset – one that could reshape political and security dynamics across the Sahel.

Radio France Internationale

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Gold, power and influence – how the UAE is shaping Sudan’s war

From the Red Sea to the Sahel, the United Arab Emirates has quietly but steadily expanded its footprint across Africa. What began as commercial engagement – in ports, logistics and commodities – has evolved into something more strategic. Nowhere is that more visible than in Sudan, where the Emirates stand…

Radio France Internationale

Ecowas without the Sahel states: how the split is testing free movement and regional legitimacy

New governments in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso formally left the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) a year ago, having created the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The move happened as a consequence of diplomatic tensions related to military coups in the three countries, after which the regional…

The Conversation

African Union summit opens, as continent faces conflict and climate extremes

The 2026 African Union Summit is being held this weekend in Addis Ababa, with Angola handing the rotating chair to Burundi. The bloc is facing challenges including mounting conflicts, insecurity in the Sahel, strained ties with Washington and internal strife, while this year’s summit theme of water highlights the damage…

Radio France Internationale

No more queues: Kuwait launches online passport update service for expatriates

Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has launched a new digital service via the Sahel app for expatriates to update passport details. This initiative eliminates the need for in-person visits to service centers, streamlining administrative processes and enhancing digital government efficiency for residents.

The Times of India

US looks to revitalise relations with Mali with envoy visit to Bamako

Nick Checker, head of the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, visited Mali on Monday, calling for renewed economic and security cooperation between Washington and Bamako.

Radio France Internationale

Fighting climate change in the Sahel is worsening conflicts - new research shows how

The Sahel, the semi-arid African region stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east, has become the epicentre of global terrorism, given the high number of attacks by armed groups and the resulting fatalities, including those suffered by civilians. This development is rooted…

The Conversation

Sahel farmers do better when they combine innovations rather than using them one by one

Smallholder farmers in west Africa’s Sahel face a harsh and worsening climate. Rainfall is erratic, temperatures are rising, soils are degrading, and droughts have become more frequent.

The Conversation

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Radio France Internationale

US-backed airstrikes in Nigeria hit two ISIS-linked camps, government says

US-backed air strikes in Nigeria hit two Islamic State-linked camps in the Bauni forest of Sokoto State, targeting foreign fighters infiltrating from the Sahel, the Nigerian government said.

The Independent UK

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger call for joint 'large-scale operations' against extremists

The head of an alliance of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger says the launch of a joint battalion “must be followed by large-scale operations in the coming days."

Radio France Internationale

The Fulani women living under the control of JNIM jihadists in the Sahel

What is life like for the women living in the central Sahel, in areas controlled by the jihadist JNIM group? British researchers spoke with women from the Fulani ethnic group, which is strategically targeted for recruitment to the JNIM.

The Conversation

Kidnapping for ransom in the Sahel: analysis of 24 years of data shows a new trend

Kidnapping for ransom has a long history in the west African Sahel. In 1979, a rebel group led by Chad’s future president Hissène Habré kidnapped a French archaeologist and a German medical doctor in the north of the country. The kidnappers asked for the release of political prisoners, among other…

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The Conversation

Benin’s failed coup: three factors behind the takeover attempt

Military elements attempted to topple Benin’s government in early December 2025. However, unlike other coups across the Sahel and west Africa since 2020, this bid triggered a military response from Benin’s neighbours.

The Independent UK

Deadly conflict in the Sahel sends herders fleeing to Africa's coastal cities

West Africa's cattle herders are being stripped of their animals by extremist-linked armed groups as the deadly conflict in the Sahel region grows

The Conversation

Guinea-Bissau’s military takeover highlights the nation’s sorry history of coups and a deepening crisis across the region

Army generals in Guinea-Bissau seized power on Nov. 26, 2025 – the eve of a scheduled official declaration of the winner in the West African nation’s presidential election.

The Guardian - UK

Simon Rietbergen obituary

Other lives: Expert who worked to protect endangered forests, especially in Africa

The Conversation

Nigeria’s new terror threat: JNIM is spreading but it’s not too late to act

The Sahel region, south of the Sahara, is notorious for being the global epicentre of terrorism. With a combined population of 75 million people, the region has accounted for more fatalities than any other on the African continent since 2021.

The Conversation

Africa’s drone wars are growing – but they rarely deliver victory

In the last decade, armed drones have become one of the most visible symbols of modern warfare. Once the preserve of advanced militaries, armed drones are now widely available on the global arms market. Countries such as Turkey, China and Iran are producing lower-cost models and exporting them. In Sudan’s…

Radio France Internationale

Mali’s economy near standstill amid JNIM fuel attacks

An ongoing fuel blockade initiated by the JNIM jihadist group in Mali has brought the landlocked Sahel nation’s economy to a near standstill. In an effort to isolate the capital, Bamako, and exert pressure on the ruling junta, the militants have intensified their attacks on fuel tankers, prompting Western governments…

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