West Africa

The French armed forces ministry said on Tuesday that its “Operation Barkhane” unit had killed Soumana Boura, a leading member of Islamic State in Niger. The French army said Boura had been killed by an air strike that took place on December 20. Read also: Central African Republic: United States …

A female soldier has been arrested in Nigeria for accepting a marriage proposal while on duty, an army spokesman has said, accusing her of breaching the military’s code of conduct by “indulging in romance while in uniform”. A video emerged last week of the soldier accepting a ring from a …

Government in Ivory Coast said it had resumed political dialogues, interrupted after the sudden death of former Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko, with opposition parties. Prime Minister Patrick Achi, who was leading the talks, said it was aimed at strengthening democracy and unity in the country. The local elections scheduled for …

Nigerian lawmakers have rejected a bill introduced by South-east Ekiti State Senator, Biodun Olujimi aimed at empowering women and promoting gender equality. The senator was forced to withdraw the bill after her male colleagues opposed “socio-cultural and Islamic concerns”. “Of course everyone is afraid to empower women … for cultural …

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announced in a national speech on December 15 that the country was closing its land borders to prevent a fourth wave of covid-19 infections and to curb the spread of the virus. The president said his government was “monitoring the level of threat of the disease …

French military forces in Timbuktu have left the region after spending nine years helping Malian troops retake the city from Islamist insurgents. France has gradually reduced its anti-terrorism operation in northern Mali, despite the persistent threat from jihadists. On Tuesday, a French General handed a symbolic wooden key to a …

A final year student of a University in Osun State has been set ablaze after refusing to join a secret society known as cults, the university administration has confirmed. The University discovered the incident after the student failed to show up for exams. They contacted his parents who said he …

Authorities in Ghana have announced that airlines carrying unvaccinated foreign nationals into the country will be fined $3,500 per passenger, as they are concerned about a surge of infections over the festive period. The measure that came into effect on Monday aims to tighten the ban on unvaccinated foreign visitors …

At least eight people have been killed and many others wounded after they were attacked by gunmen in a market in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, BBC News reports. The attack happened on Sunday evening in the village of Pinau, in Wase area, where people had gathered for the weekly market. …

Backed by the Nigerien army, Burkina Faso’s security forces announced that they had succeeded in eliminating 100 Islamist militants in two weeks of operations, BBC News reported. On Thursday, at least 13 members of a civilian militia fighting the jihadists were killed in the north of the country. The volunteer …