West Africa

One of Sierra Leone’s most senior judges, Nicolas Brown-Marke, is holding a session inside the Makeni prison facility in the north of the country, local media report. His is seeking to “right the wrong” of people spending long years in prison before conviction or acquittal, as well as instances of …

The African Union (AU) has suspended Burkina Faso, a week after the military overthrew President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and seized power. The institution said the country would be blocked from all AU activities until the restoration of constitutional order. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has also …

France says dozens of militants have been killed in Burkina Faso in operations involving local and French troops, the BBC reports. The assaults were conducted as part of the French-led Operation Barkhane against Islamist groups in the Sahel region of Africa – before the 23 January coup. The French military …

Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop explained the main reason for the deterioration of diplomatic relations with France. According to the minister, tensions are growing with France because the French believe his country is not acting in their interests. Mr Diop dismissed French concerns about Mali’s alleged use of Russian mercenaries …

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, who currently chairs the West African bloc Ecowas, says a peaceful resolution must be found to the situation in Burkina Faso, where soldiers seized power earlier this week. Ecowas has already condemned the coup – the third in the region since last year – and West …

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Burkina Faso of its governing body after military coup that ousted president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. The regional bloc said its has decided to send a delegation to the capital Ouagadougou, Reuters reports, citing two diplomatic sources. It was not …

In his first speech on Thursday, Burkina Faso’s new military leader Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba said that the country will return to constitutional order when conditions are right. “When the conditions are right, according to the deadline that our people will define in all sovereignty, I commit to a return …

The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has mourned as a “true pioneer” Ghana’s first female brigadier general, Constance Emefa Edjeani-Afenu, who died on Monday. Mr Guterres paid tribute to Brig Gen Edjeani-Afenu for making history in peacekeeping as the first female deputy force commander of a UN mission in Western …

Denmark says it will start pulling its troops out of Mali after the West African country’s transitional junta government this week insisted on an immediate withdrawal. French and European allies had previously urged Mali to let Danish troops stay, and Mali’s insistence that they go is seen as a swipe …

Authorities in Ghana have denied introducing a mandatory insurance scheme for all travellers arriving in the country through the country’s main airport, the BBC reports. The National Insurance Commission (NIC) said the scheme popularly known as “Akwaaba” had not been approved and any reports that it had should be disregarded. …