West Africa

At least 187 villagers who were abducted from their homes by criminal gangs have been rescued by police in northwest Nigeria. The victims, who had spent several weeks in captivity, were freed by security forces following an operation in Tsibiri forest in Zamfara state, police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said. The …

Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Wednesday has appointed Col-Maj Ouédraogo Gilbert as the new head of army amid rising terrorist attacks. The appointment was read through a statement on state TV. Col-Maj Somé Vinta was named the new deputy head of the army, while Col Ouédraogo Souleymane …

A few days after taking the oath, the head of the coup d’état in Guinea which overthrew former president Alpha Condé appointed a new prime minister. The appointment of Mr Mohamed Béavogui was announced on Wednesday in a decree read on public television. The Guinean presidency has tweeted :“The President …

Nigerian police say it has arrested 20 suspected armed kidnappers in the north-west of the country where abductions for ransom are very frequent. According to the authorities, the abductors arrested belonged to two separate gangs that had mainly operated on major motorways in the region. In a statement Police Spokesperson …

A new health facility has been opened in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, to treat people with mental health problems. The centre is the only one of its kind in the West African nation, which does not have a government facility providing mental health services. Senator Abraham Darius Dillion who funded …

International medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), has condemned the killing of Hassan Muhammad, one of its nurses in Zamfara state, in the north-west of Nigeria. The nurse was returning to his work station on Saturday when gunmen opened fire on the public vehicle he was travelling in. Two other …

Furious at the words of French President Emmanuel Macron who describes the Malian government as “military domination”, the Malian foreign ministry has summoned the French ambassador to Mali on Tuesday. The foreign ministry said it had summoned the French ambassador to inform him of the authorities’ indignation and disapproval, news …

At least eight soldiers have been killed in Burkina Faso after a deadly attack in the north of the country, according to reports. A security source told the Reuters news agency that a military detachment was targeted in Sanmatenga province on Monday morning, but no group has yet claimed responsibility, …

Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, leader of the military coup in Guinea that saw President Alpha Condé overthrown, sworn in as interim president. The ceremony held at the presidential palace and was attended by only those who have been invited. Col Doumbouya who led the military junta has accused Alpha Conde of …

A major change in the rules of the Nigerian civil service comes after years of debate around the issue: it is the paternity leave granted to male civilian workers. Government in Nigeria has approved a two-week paternity leave for civil servants. According to Folasade Yemi-Esan, the Nigerian Head of Civil …