West Africa

The Nigerian government through a statement, has formally designated all armed gangs popularly known as bandits, operating in the country, as terrorist groups. The declaration titled Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice, 2021, is contained in a document released by the justice minister on Wednesday. The criminal gangs who rule in …

Parliament in Senegal has rejected a bill introduced by 11 MPs to toughen existing laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Same-sex relationships in Senegal are already punishable by up to five years, and the new bill aimed to extend it to ten years. The Office of the …

At least two prisonners were shot dead and two others are being treated after an attempted jailbreak in Kosere prison in Nigeria’ s south-western Osun State, local media reported. A spokesperson for the prisons, now known as Nigeria correctional centre, told the BBC that some inmates had injured a warder …

The leader of a notorious armed gang in Zamfara state, in northern Nigeria, is reported to have released more than 50 people who had recently been kidnapped. Eyewitnesses saw buses full of hostages heading to the state capital, Gusau. Officials have not said why the group’s leader, Bello Turji, decided …

Eight soldiers were killed and seven others injured when their patrol was ambushed by suspected militants in western Mali, the army said in a statement on Thursday. The attack occurred late in the afternoon on Wednesday near the town of Nara, around 30 km (19 miles) south of border with …

Six troops from Nigeria and Niger were killed by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants during an operation this month, a joint military force said on Thursday. A Multinational Joint Task Force (MTJF) comprising soldiers from Nigeria and Niger had targeted Islamist insurgents near Lake Chad basin but met …

Eight Rwandan nationals have permanently been expelled from Niger for diplomatic reasons, the Nigerien Interior and Decentralization minister, Hamadou Adamou Souley has announced. In a decree signed on Monday, the minister notified that the people concerned had seven days to permanently leave the country. “The people whose names follow are …

The Gambian Supreme Court has rejected a petition by opponent Ousainou Darboe to overturn the results of the December 4 presidential election in which Adama Barrow was declared winner with 53% of the vote. Opponent Ousainou Darboe, who comes in second with around 28%, and two other candidates refused to …

The Gambian Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports that former president Yahya Jammeh was responsible for a series of killings, tortures and rapes during his presidency. The commission said Jammeh and his henchmen, including a personal hit squad known as The Junglas, were responsible for 44 specific crimes against journalists, ex-soldiers, …

Authorities in Nigeria said they have destroyed more than a million doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines on Wednesday in a bid to assure a wary public that they have been taken out of circulation. “We have successfully withdrawn 1,066,214 doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines. We have kept our promise to …