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☆ 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.

☆ Burkina Faso interim leader hails Russia as a strategic ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, May 4 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's interim President Ibrahim Traore on Thursday said Russia had become a key strategic ally but denied that Russian mercenaries were supporting Burkinabe forces in their fight against Islamist armed groups. "The departure of the French army does not mean that France is not an ally," Traore replied. Russia, for example, is a strategic ally." Traore was asked to comment on reports Wagner forces are also on the ground in Burkina Faso. The violence has since spread into Burkina Faso and Niger and threatens to destabilise coastal countries further afield.

☆ Residents and survivors say 136 killed in Burkina Faso massacre, blaming army
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Thiam Ndiaga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, April 29 (Reuters) - Residents and survivors of a massacre in a Burkina Faso village said on Saturday 136 people including women and infants were killed, blaming the country's security forces for the April 20 attack. The government condemned the attack on Karma in a statement on April 27, but gave no details on casualties. Neither Burkina Faso's army nor the government responded to a Reuters request for comment on Saturday. The statement sows confusion about the responsibility of security and defence forces for the massacre, he said. We are not fooled, we know our security and defence forces well," the statement said.

☆ Around 60 civilians killed in northern Burkina Faso attack, prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OUAGADOUGOU, April 23 (Reuters) - Around 60 civilians were killed on Friday in northern Burkina Faso by people wearing the uniforms of the Burkinabe armed forces, local prosecutor Lamine Kabore said on Sunday, citing information from police in the town of Ouahigouya. Unidentified assailants killed 40 people and wounded 33 others in an attack on the army and volunteer forces in the same region of northern Burkina Faso near Ouahigouya on April 15, according to the government. Unrest in the region began in Mali in 2012, when Islamists hijacked a Tuareg separatist uprising. The violence has since spread into Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands and displacing over 2.5 million people. Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Canada has told its citizens in Sudan that evacuations are “not possible at this time” due to the closure of airspace amid fierce fighting between rival forces. Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it had evacuated Canadian nationals from Sudan to Saudi Arabia. However, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not provide the number of Canadians it had helped to evacuate. There are 1,596 Canadians signed up to the Registration of Canadians Abroad Service in Sudan but this number provides only an estimate of Canadians in Sudan as registration is voluntary. Canadian citizens can register through the Registration of Canadians Abroad service on the Travel.gc.ca site.

☆ France begins evacuation of French and 'allied' citizens from Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —France has begun a “rapid evacuation operation” of citizens and diplomatic personnel from Sudan, the country’s foreign ministry announced in a statement on Sunday. This would include citizens of “European and allied partner” nations, the ministry said. It comes amid evacuations of US government personnel and Iraqi diplomats from embassies in the capital Khartoum, as well as the first evacuations of civilian citizens from countries like Qatar, Egypt, Canada, India, Burkina Faso and the United Arab Emirates by Saudi officials.

Oxford scientist Adrian Hill said Ghana's drug regulator has approved the vaccine domestically for the age group at highest risk of death from malaria - children aged 5 months to 36 months. Oxford has a deal with Serum Institute of India to produce up to 200 million doses of the vaccine - known as R21 - annually. "This shows how close the world is to having a second approved vaccine to fight malaria," he said. MEETING THE NEEDThe first malaria vaccine, Mosquirix from British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L), was endorsed by the WHO last year after decades of work. Since it began in 2019, 1.2 million children across the three countries have received at least one dose of the Mosquirix vaccine.

☆ U.S. Seeks Ways to Help Burkina Faso’s Military Junta Fight Jihadists
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Michael M. Phillips | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ACCRA, Ghana—The Biden administration is quietly helping Burkina Faso’s ruling junta battle al Qaeda and Islamic State in a hotly contested corner of West Africa, without running afoul of U.S. laws banning most security aid to military regimes. The U.S. has included Burkinabe commandos in American-led exercises, but excluded the West African country’s top officer from an international gathering of defense chiefs after a military takeover last year. The Pentagon has a team of U.S. Green Berets stationed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, but won’t allow them to train their beleaguered local counterparts.

☆ Forty-four dead in two attacks in Burkina Faso
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OUAGADOUGOU, April 8 (Reuters) - Unknown assailants killed 44 people in two attacks in northern Burkina Faso overnight on Thursday, authorities said. It is not clear which group carried out Thursday's attacks. More than 2 million people are displaced and thousands have been killed by the violence in Burkina Faso, one of the world's poorest countries. The violence has since spread into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger and threatens to destabilise coastal countries further afield. Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga; Writing by Edward McAllister, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Burkina Faso expels two French journalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The two are "journalists of perfect integrity, who worked in Burkina Faso legally, with valid visas and accreditations ... We strongly protest against these absolutely unjustified expulsions," Liberation said in an editorial statement on its website. There was no statement from the authorities in Burkina Faso and it was not immediately possible to reach them for comment. The French foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The junta has since ordered French troops to withdraw from the country and suspended broadcasts by France's RFI radio and television channel France 24. Frustrations over authorities' failure to restore security has spurred anti-French sentiment and helped bring about two military takeovers in Burkina Faso and two in Mali since 2020.

☆ 'It's not a pretty picture': Russia's support is growing in the developing world
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month and the two leaders vowed to deepen economic ties. watch nowWhile South Africa caused controversy in February by holding joint military drills with Russia and China on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. The EIU said the number of neutral countries rose from 32 to 35, now representing almost 31% of the global population. However, this bloc also represents just under 68% of global GDP, highlighting an emerging disconnect between wealthy Western economies and the Global South. Countering organized Russian propaganda first requires acknowledging the problem, and building awareness about the aims and effectiveness of sanctions, she said.

☆ Kamala Harris starts Africa tour in Ghana, announces security aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Francis Kokoroko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Akufo-Addo reiterated that he was concerned about Wagner's presence in West Africa. Several countries across West Africa and the Sahel region have been struggling to quell Islamist insurgencies that have caused humanitarian disasters and fuelled discontent -- contributing factors to military coups in Mali and Burkina Faso. "We appreciate your leadership in response to recent democratic back-sliding in West Africa," Harris told Akufo-Addo. [1/5] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo during her week-long trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, in Accra, Ghana March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko 1 2 3 4 5After Ghana, Harris will head to Tanzania and Zambia.

☆ Burkina Faso suspends France 24 broadcasts in the country after al Qaeda interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, March 27 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's military government on Monday suspended France 24 broadcasts in the country after the TV station aired an interview with the head of al Qaeda's North African wing AQIM. Relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have deteriorated sharply since Burkina Faso's military seized power in a coup last October. In January, Burkina Faso gave France one month to withdraw its troops as it ended a military accord that allowed French troops to fight insurgents, including on its territory. France 24 earlier this month aired an interview with Yezid Mebarek, also known as Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Anabi, who claimed the title of "emir of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" in 2020 after a French raid killed his predecessor. France Medias Monde, which operates France 24, was not immediately available for comment on Burkina Faso's move.

☆ In Ghana, Kamala Harris 'excited about the future of Africa'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris, arrives at the Kotoka International Airport as she begins her trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, in Accra, Ghana, March 26, 2023. Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted by schoolchildren, dancers and drummers as she arrived Sunday in Ghana for the start of a weeklong visit to Africa intended to deepen U.S. relationships amid global competition over the continent's future. "What an honor it is to be here in Ghana and on the continent of Africa," Harris said. Harris is the highest-profile member of President Joe Biden's administration to visit Africa this year. In the evening, they will attend a state banquet with the Ghanaian president and first lady.

☆ Blinken brings U.S. aid to Sahel for fight against Islamist insurgencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NIAMEY, March 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid for Africa's Sahel region during a visit on Thursday to Niger, a country Washington views as an important ally in the fight against Islamist insurgencies. Landlocked Niger and its neighbors Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Chad are all struggling to repel Islamist insurgents who have killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and in some cases seized control of vast swathes of territory. "They're making the right choices, we think, to help deal with the kind of threats that are common across the Sahel. Blinken said the use of Russian mercenaries had not proven an effective response to insecurity. Ghana has asserted that Burkina Faso has also hired Wagner mercenaries.

☆ Blinken brings aid and praise to Niger as it battles insurgents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Blinken's visit to Niger, the first by a U.S. Secretary of State, signals its importance as a U.S. ally in the Sahel, a senior State Department official told reporters travelling with Blinken. Landlocked Niger and other countries in the Sahel, including its neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Chad, are all struggling to repel Islamist insurgents who in some cases have seized control of swathes of territory. The official praised Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum for opposing military coups in Mali and Burkina Faso and for consulting the parliament over security issues rather than deciding alone. Ghana has asserted that Burkina Faso has also hired Wagner mercenaries. "They use a lot of misinformation and disinformation to besmirch the French, I think, and the traditional French security partnership."

Relations between Russia and the U.S. have become more hostile since Moscow invaded Ukraine over a year ago, and Washington and its allies oppose Russian influence in West Africa. This has worried Western governments and the United Nations who say the move has led to a spike in violence. Mali, whose government took power in a 2021 military coup, has previously said Russian forces are not mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment from Russia. The UK, Germany and other nations are pulling troops from a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali as security worsens. Armed groups have a foothold in coastal countries including Benin and Togo and threaten economic leaders Ivory Coast and Ghana.

☆ Burkina's film festival in full swing despite fighting on its doorstep
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The festival's delegate-general, Alex Moussa Sawadogo, said Burkina Faso had been dealing with the insecurity for several years, but it remained important to show that culture and its people continue to exist. "Organising an event like FESPACO is to show the world that Burkina Faso is a country that wants to continue writing stories of world cinema," he told Reuters. In total, 170 films are being screened, including 15 feature films and about 30 short films in competition. In the feature films category, movies from 13 countries are competing, including the movie Sira, directed by homegrown talent Apolline Traoré. Despite costly international efforts to contain it, the insurgency has spread to neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands of people and driving over 2 million from their homes.

☆ Macron flies to Africa to counter waning French influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will fly to Africa this week in a bid to counter Russian efforts to dislodge France from the continent, after Paris suffered a series of military and political setbacks in its former sphere of influence. France withdrew its forces from Mali last year after the junta there started working with Russian military contractors, ending a decade of operations against Islamist insurgents. Macron has accused Russia of feeding anti-French propaganda in Africa to serve "predatory" ambitions. But French presidential advisers denied in a briefing on Friday that Macron was in a charm offensive to win back lost influence. During the trip, Macron will focus on the environment, with a participation to a summit on forests in Gabon, and will also meet African artists.

ABIDJAN/OUAGADOUGOU, Feb 20 (Reuters) - France's defence minister pledged on Monday to boost military support to Ivory Coast, as Paris adjusts its strategy in West Africa after neighbouring Burkina Faso ordered French troops to leave and vowed to curb a worsening Islamist insurgency solo. The two jihadist groups have taken over swathes of land and displaced millions of people in Burkina, Mali and Niger. Burkina Faso has denied an allegation that Russian mercenaries are in the country, but its prime minister in December said it would welcome Russia's help in its fight against the insurgents. OTHER PARTNERSThe countries' rejection of French military help could allow other states in the region to put themselves forward as more reliable partners to Western powers. "Ivory Coast and Benin have the will to fight against terrorism," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

☆ Burkina Faso marks official end of French military operations on its soil
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Thiam Ndiaga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Head of Burkina Faso's army Colonel Adam Nere receives a flag from French Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Lecacheur during a military handover ceremony to officially mark the end of French military operations on Burkinabe soil, at the base of Kamboincin, Burkina Faso February 18, 2023. Burkina Faso's General Staff of the Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERSOUAGADOUGOU, Feb 19 (Reuters) - France and Burkina Faso have officially marked the end of French military operations in the West African nation, the Burkinabe armed forces said on Sunday, after a flag-lowering ceremony at the French special forces' camp a day earlier. In a statement, the General Staff of the Burkinabe Armed Forces said it had participated with the leadership of France's Sabre special forces in "a solemn flag-lowering ceremony marking the official end of the Task Force's operations on Burkinabe soil". The French armed forces ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The departure of the some 400 French special forces from Burkina Faso follows a sharp deterioration in relations that included Ouagadougou asking France to recall its ambassador.

☆ Russia’s Wagner Deepens Influence in Africa, Helping Putin Project Power
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Benoit Faucon | Joe Parkinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As Wagner fighters play a central role in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Russian mercenary group is quietly expanding its alliances in Africa, say European officials, penetrating new mineral-rich areas, exploiting the exit of Western powers and creating alliances with local fighters. Wagner fighters and instructors are working with the government of the Central African Republic in a bid to seize areas rich with precious minerals that could be exported through Sudan, say Western security officials. Wagner is also looking to expand its influence in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, while consolidating its relationship with the military junta in Mali.

☆ Hope for jobs drives recruitment by militant groups in Africa - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Nellie Peyton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While worldwide deaths from terrorism have declined in the last five years, deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have risen, making it now the global epicentre of attacks, the UNDP report said, citing an annual survey called the Global Terrorism Index. Countries from east to west Africa have seen Islamist militant groups take over large swathes of territory, displacing millions, eroding faith in democratic government and causing widespread hunger. The UNDP report found that 25% of voluntary recruits to such groups cited job opportunities as their primary reason for joining, while 22% cited wanting to join with family and friends and 17% cited religious ideas. An additional year of schooling reduced the likelihood of voluntary recruitment to extremist groups by 13%, it found. The Global Terrorism Index is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace think-tank, which draws its data from the Terrorism Tracker database of Dragonfly, a private sector security and intelligence service.

☆ Fact Check-Clips of people fainting at public events are unrelated to COVID-19 vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video compilation of people fainting includes clips that either predate or are unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine. The footage, depictingAir Force Maj. Gen. James Martin Jr fainting, can be seen on CNN (here) and ABC 7News (here). It was taken in July 2020 and predates the COVID-19 vaccine rollout (here). All but two of the clips featured in this compilation predate the COVID-19 pandemic. The individuals portrayed in the two other videos, in April 2021 and July 2020, were not vaccinated at the time of filming.

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