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☆ Analysis-West Africa's 'Brexit' Moment Spells Trouble for the Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ivory Coast alone is home to more than 5 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Earlier this month, Russia and Niger, ruled by a junta since a coup last year, agreed to develop military ties. Russian military personnel flew into Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou last week to ensure the safety of the country's military leader. EMPTY THREATECOWAS has responded to a wave of coups in the region since 2020 with sanctions that the juntas have called "illegal and inhumane." "The departure from ECOWAS will have catastrophic consequences for the ability to respond to the many security challenges facing this region," said Abba.

Persons: Bate Felix, David Lewis, Giulia Paravicini, Seidik Abba, Russia's Wagner, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Charlie Robertson, Kwesi Aning, Gilles Yabi, Adama Coulibaly, Nagnouma Keita, Abba, Tiemoko Diallo, Boureima, Silvia Aloisi, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Giulia Paravicini DAKAR, West, West African States, Reuters, Islamic, FIM Partners, European Union, ECOWAS, CFA Locations: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Russia, Ivory Coast, Niger . Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Ghana, Togo, Benin, France, United States, Burkina Faso's, Ouagadougou, West Africa, United, London, Bamako, Guinea, China

☆ More Than 40 Killed in Artisanal Mine Collapse in Southwest Mali - Mines Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAMAKO (Reuters) - More than 40 artisanal gold miners were killed in southwest Mali last week after the shaft they were working in collapsed, Mali's mines ministry said on Wednesday. Deadly accidents are frequent as artisanal miners often use old-fashioned and unregulated methods of digging. The incident in Mali occurred on Friday on a site in the Kangaba Cercle in the south-western Koulikoro Region, the mines ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that did not specify the number of deaths. A spokesperson for the ministry, Baye Coulibaly, said via telephone on Wednesday that the death toll was still provisional. According to mines ministry data, an estimated six tonnes of gold was produced in artisanal mines in Mali in 2023.

Persons: Baye Coulibaly, Coulibaly, Tiemoko Diallo, Anait Miridzhanian, Sofia Christensen, Alex Richardson Locations: BAMAKO, Mali, West Africa, Kangaba, Koulikoro Region

☆ Mali signs agreement with Russia to build gold refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Tiemoko Diallo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Mali's military government said it has signed an agreement with Russia to build a gold refinery in the capital Bamako, one of a slew of deals between the two countries as Russia seeks to extend its regional influence. The deal is the latest sign of Russia's deepening interests in Mali, one of Africa's largest gold producers, just as Western influence there wanes. Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom signed an deal with Mali in October to explore for minerals and produce nuclear energy. Sanou said he had also signed a deal with a Russian firm to build a 200- to 300-megawatt solar power plant by mid-2025. Industrial gold production in Mali totalled 66.2 tonnes last year, mostly from mines owned by Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), B2Gold (BTO.TO), Resolute Mining (RSG.AX), Allied Gold (AAUC.TO) and Endeavour Mining .

Persons: Alousséni Sanou, Sanou, Rosatom, Wagner, Tiemoko Diallo, Hereward Holland, Edward McAllister, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Wagner Group, Islamic, Barrick Gold, Resolute Mining, Allied, Endeavour Mining, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Russia, Bamako, Mali, Russian, France, Africa, al Qaeda, Islamic State

☆ Mali's Tuareg Rebels Claim Capture of More Military Bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Fresh fighting broke out between Mali's army and northern Tuareg rebels on Sunday, with the rebels claiming to have taken control of two army bases in the central town of Lere. Last week, CMA, formed by semi-nomadic Tuareg people, said it had attacked four army positions around the town of Bourem and made away with vehicles, weapons and ammunition. "CMA took control of the two camps in Lere," said CMA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane. A Tuareg uprising in 2012 was taken over by Islamist groups that continue to attack civilians and the army. But tensions have resurfaced since the military consolidated power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, teamed up with Russian military contractor Wagner Group, and kicked out French forces and U.N. peacekeepers.

Persons: Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, Wagner, Tiemoko Diallo, Edward McAllister, Sandra Maler Organizations: United Nations, CMA, Wagner Group Locations: BAMAKO, Lere, West, Bourem

☆ Mali's Tuareg rebels claim capture of more military bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Fresh fighting broke out between Mali's army and northern Tuareg rebels on Sunday, with the rebels claiming to have taken control of two army bases in the central town of Lere. Last week, CMA, formed by semi-nomadic Tuareg people, said it had attacked four army positions around the town of Bourem and made away with vehicles, weapons and ammunition. "CMA took control of the two camps in Lere," said CMA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane. A Tuareg uprising in 2012 was taken over by Islamist groups that continue to attack civilians and the army. But tensions have resurfaced since the military consolidated power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, teamed up with Russian military contractor Wagner Group, and kicked out French forces and U.N. peacekeepers.

Persons: Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, Wagner, Tiemoko Diallo, Edward McAllister, Sandra Maler Organizations: United Nations, CMA, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Lere, West, Bourem

☆ Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBAMAKO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, three West African Sahel nations ruled by military juntas, signed a security pact on Saturday promising to come to the aid of each other in case of any rebellion or external aggression. Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to come to Niger's aid if it is attacked. "Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties," according to the charter of the pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States. "I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework," Mali junta leader Assimi Goita said on his X social media account. France has been forced to withdraw its troops from Mali and Burkina Faso, and is in a tense standoff with the junta that seized power in Niger after it asked it to withdraw its troops and its ambassador.

Persons: Assimi Goita, Mahamadou Issoufou, Francis Kokoroko, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiemoko Diallo, Bate Felix, Jason Neely Organizations: Economic, West African States, REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, West, Alliance, Thomson Locations: Accra, Ghana, Rights BAMAKO, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West African States, Sahel, State, France, Chad, Mauritania

☆ Mali president signs new mining code in bid to raise govt stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A mining ministry official said last week that this would depend on the implementing decrees, which have not yet been made available. Mali is one of Africa's top gold producers and is home to mining companies including Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), B2GOLD(BTO.TO), Resolute Mining (RSG.AX) and Hummingbird Resources (HUMR.L). "The shortfall is around 300 to 600 billion CFA. "When we go into negotiations with the companies, it is possible that we will obtain 300 to 400 billion," he said. "From now on, for the sake of transparency and inclusiveness, mining titles will be signed by several ministers (finance, mining, environment, etc.

Persons: Assimi Goita, Alousseni Sanou, Sanou, Amadou Keita, Goita, Tiemoko Diallo, Nellie Peyton, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Barrick, Resolute Mining, Hummingbird Resources, Mali's Finance, CFA, Mining, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Mali

☆ Niger allows Mali, Burkina Faso troops to enter its territory in case of attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view of the streets in the capital Niamey, Niger July 28, 2023. Any escalation risks further destabilising the insurgency-torn region as Niger's junta-led neighbours, Mali and Burkina Faso, have said they would back Niger in any conflict with ECOWAS. On Thursday, the three allies' foreign ministers said they had met in the Nigerien capital Niamey to discuss boosting cooperation on security and other joint issues. The statement said the ministers welcomed the signing on Thursday by Niger junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani of two orders "authorising the Defense and Security Forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Nigerien territory in the event of an attack." Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo Writing by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: General Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiemoko Diallo, Alessandra Prentice, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West, ECOWAS, Niger, Defense and Security Forces, Burkinabe, Malian Ministers, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Rights BAMAKO, Mali, Burkina, Burkina Faso, Nigerien

☆ What happens to the Wagner Group after Yevgeny Prigozhin plane crash?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - A day before mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crash, a Russian official visited Libya to reassure allies that fighters from the Wagner Group would remain in the country -- but under Moscow's control. In Africa, Wagner may stay more or less intact under new management or be subsumed by another Russian mercenary group. 'REPLACE A DEAD LEADER'After the June mutiny, Prigozhin intensified his efforts to bolster Wagner's presence in Africa. In countries where Wagner operates through an official agreement with Moscow, analysts do not expect much to change - for now. But as Wagner was there through a state-level agreement with Russia, "nothing will affect the presence of these instructors" he said.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Khalifa Haftar, Jalel, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, John Lechner, Haftar's, Harchaoui, Faustin, Fidele Gouandjika, Gouandjika, Ousmane Pare, Evro, Filip Lebedev, Ed McAllister, Tiemoko Diallo, Suleiman al, Angus McDowall, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, Libyan, Royal United Services Institute, Central African, Wagner PMC, Human Rights Watch, Russian, Russia's Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Africa, Libya, Benghazi, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Europe, East, Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Belarus, U.S, Tripoli, Burkina Faso, Evro Polis, Reuters Libya, Tblisi, Dakar, Judicael Yongo, Bangui, Thiam Ndiaga, Ouagadougou, Bamako, Khalidi, Amman

☆ At least 21 civilians killed in central Mali attack - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAMAKO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed at least 21 civilians in an attack on a village in central Mali's insurgency-hit Mopti region on Friday, two local sources said on Saturday. The unidentified assailants struck in the afternoon, targeting the village of Yarou near the town of Bandiagara, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The toll is heavy between 20 and 30 killed and wounded," one of the sources said by phone. The second source said the reported death toll stood at 21 and included women, while 11 others were wounded. Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tiemoko Diallo, Alessandra Prentice, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Islamic, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Yarou, Bandiagara, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Sahel, Mali

It has taken its hardest line yet with Niger, saying it had to show that it "cannot only bark but can bite". One of the demonstrators in Niamey held a placard that said: "Long live Niger, Russia, Mali and Burkina. France has between 1,000 and 1,500 troops in Niger, helping to fight an Islamist insurgency that has spread across the region. INTERVENTION PLANWest African defence chiefs meeting in Nigeria were due to conclude their discussions about possible intervention in Niger, although they have said this would be a last resort. The goal of the two-day meeting was to draw up a plan for an eventual military intervention to restore constitutional order, according to a statement from Ivory Coast's National Security Council.

Persons: General Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiani, Ivory, Salifou Mody, Joe Biden, Nigeriens, Camillus Eboh, Thiam Ndiaga, Tiemoko Diallo, Ange Aboa, Alessandra Prentice, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning, Emelia, Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, West, Economic, West African States, EU, Reuters, Ivory Coast's National Security Council, ECOWAS, juntas, Nigerien, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, NIAMEY, ABUJA, West, Central Africa, Russia, Burkina, Down, France, Nigeria, Nigerian, West Africa, Guinea, Bissau, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Paris

An aerial view of traffic on a street in the capital Niamey, Niger July 28, 2023. In a sign of this resistance to one-time allies, Niger on Thursday suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international news outlets France 24 and RFI - drawing condemnation from the French foreign ministry. One of the demonstrators in Niamey held a placard that said: "Long live Niger, Russia, Mali and Burkina. After their coups, Burkina Faso and Mali kicked out French troops, many of whom are now stationed in Niger. In Niger, there are signs that regional sanctions are starting to have an impact: Nigeria has cut power supplies to Niger, while Nigerien truckers have been stranded by border closures.

Persons: General Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiani, crackdowns, Sall, Antony Blinken, it's, Allah, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Moussa Aksar, Camillus Eboh, Thiam, Tiemoko Diallo, Ange Aboa, Alessandra Prentice, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning, Emelia, Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Niger's, France, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Sunday, EU, National Assembly, Islamic, Niger, Reuters, West, Senegalese, U.S, United Nations, Nigerien, CFA, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, NIAMEY, ABUJA, France, West, Central Africa, Russia, Burkina, Down, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Niger ., Nigeria, Senegal, Nigerian, China, Paris

Mali, where military authorities seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, is battling a years-long Islamist insurgency. It has said Russian forces there are not Wagner mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment bought from Russia. In February, French President Emmanuel Macron described the deployment of Wagner Group troops in Africa as the "life insurance of failing regimes in Africa" that will only sow misery. A suspension of Wagner operations in Africa could impact the group's finances. The group has cemented strong ties with several African governments over the past decade with operations in at least eight African nations, according to leaked U.S. documents, including Mali, Central African Republic, and Libya.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Bassirou Doumbia, Wagner's, Vladimir, Putin, Yvan Guichaoua, insurgencies, Emmanuel Macron, Edward McAllister, Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Central African Republic, Kremlin, United Nations, Brussels School of International Studies, Central African, Wagner Group, West, United, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Mali, Central, Africa, BAMAKO, BANGUI, Moscow, Malian, Russian, Central African Republic, Francophone Africa, France, United States, Ukraine, Libya

BAMAKO, June 18 (Reuters) - Malians will vote on Sunday in a referendum on changing the constitution that the ruling military junta and regional powers have said will pave the way to elections and a return to civilian rule. "Now is the time to confirm our commitment to the new Mali," he added, wearing his trademark beret and military fatigues. They also say the proposed constitution hands excessive authority to the president including over the legislative process. "I am for a revision of the constitution but not this referendum. Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Assimi Goita, Fousseini Ag Yehia, Alessandra Prentice, Andrew Heavens Organizations: West African, ECOWAS, Nations, West African Economic, Monetary Union, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Mali, Bamako, Saturday

And it has also helped to placate Tuareg-led rebels in northern Mali who halted their separatist uprising with the 2015 Algiers Accord. Mali, Russia and Wagner deny wrongdoing in Moura or targeting civilians anywhere in Mali. RESTRICTIONSMINUSMA launched in 2013 after the separatist rebels and al Qaeda-linked insurgents occupied northern Mali. Bamako and the Kremlin say Russian troops, not Wagner mercenaries, are present in Mali but only to train the army and supply equipment. As a result, MINUSMA has struggled to counter a tide of anti-U.N. posts online, losing the battle for public opinion in Mali.

Persons: Wagner, Ahmedou Ould, Abdallah, MINUSMA, General Antonio Guterres, Abdoulaye Diop, U.N, Fatoumata Sinkoun Kaba, Souleymane Dembelé, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Ould Mohamed Ramdane, Ramdane, Yvan Guichaoua, Friedrich, Ebert, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Tiemoko Diallo, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Wagner Group, Islamic, CMA, Malian Foreign, Security, Reuters, El, Kremlin, French, Department of Peace, UN, U.S, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, NAIROBI, Russian, West Africa, Gao, Timbuktu, Mali, Algiers, Bamako, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Mauritanian, Sahel, Moura, Russia, U.N, Burkina Faso, Niger, Central African Republic, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, Egypt, Brussels, U.S, Dakar, Nairobi

☆ Mali rejects UN report on alleged execution of 500 villagers by troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO, May 14 (Reuters) - Mali's interim military government has rejected a United Nations human rights office report on the alleged execution of at least 500 people by Malian soldiers and unidentified foreign fighters during an operation last year. The report said Malian soldiers and foreign personnel descended in helicopters on the village of Moura on March 27 last year and opened fire on fleeing residents. Maiga said a state investigation into possible human rights violations during the operation was still ongoing, but repeated previous comments that Islamist fighters were killed rather than civilians. The U.N. report was based on interviews with victims and witnesses in the West African country, as well as forensic and satellite imagery. Malian authorities denied requests by the U.N. fact-finding team to access the village of Moura itself, it said.

☆ Mali sets date for delayed vote, saying it's true to its word on democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The vote, initially scheduled for March 19, is the first in a series of polls meant to restore democracy in the West African country after two military takeovers since August 2020. It was delayed days before that date to give electoral management authorities more time to set up in all of Mali's 19 administrative regions. He added that the new date showed authorities were true to their word and democratic commitments. Similar frustrations contributed to two military takeovers in neighbouring Burkina Faso last year. Military rulers in both countries have previously blamed election delays on insecurity, saying it made it difficult to organise polls.

☆ At least nine killed in triple suicide bombing in central Mali
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAMAKO, April 22 (Reuters) - At least nine civilians were killed and over 60 injured in a triple suicide bomb attack in the central Mali town of Sevare early on Saturday, Yacouba Maiga, a spokesman for the regional governor, told Reuters. "The blast destroyed about 20 houses in the neighbourhood. There are a total of nine dead and about 60 wounded, all civilians," Maiga told Reuters by phone. "Three vehicles filled with explosives were destroyed by army drone fire," the statement said, without giving further details on casualties. Images shared on social media showed several buildings, including a petrol station, destroyed by the blast, as well as injured people being given assistance.

☆ Mali says Russia's Lavrov to visit to strengthen defence ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay a two-day visit to Mali this week, the Malian foreign ministry said on Sunday, describing the visit as a reflection of a shared wish to strengthen defence and security ties. "This high-level visit is in line with the political choice made by the Transitional Government to expand and diversify strategic partnerships," the Malian ministry said in a statement. Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Mali that Moscow was committed to strengthening cooperation to help root out the militants. Mali has previously said Russian forces in the country are not mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment bought from Russia. Lavrov is currently in Baghdad for talks on improving bilateral ties and energy cooperation.

☆ Air traffic controllers suspend strike in West and Central Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Ngouda Dione | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DAKAR, Sept 24 (Reuters) - A 48-hour strike by air traffic controllers in West and Central Africa has been suspended, their union said on Saturday. The strike, which started on Friday, has disrupted flights across the region and left hundreds of passengers stranded at airports on Saturday. The Union of Air Traffic Controllers' Unions (USYCAA), which called the wildcat strike, said in a statement it decided to suspend its strike notice for 10 days immediately so as to allow for negotiations. The union said more than 700 air traffic controllers joined the strike to demand better working and pay conditions. The controllers work under the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) an 18-member state agency that manages air traffic over an area covering 16 million square km of airspace.

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