West Africa

Niger’s military authorities have announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine, following Mali’s decision to break off its relations with the European country. Niger said it made the move in “solidarity” with neighbouring Mali, who severed their own relations with Ukraine two days ago. Scores of Malian soldiers, along …

Ukrainian authorities have reacted to the decision of the Mali to break off all diplomatic relations, following the observation that Ukraine contributed to the murder of several Russian and Malian soldiers. Ukraine on Monday condemned Mali’s decision to cut diplomatic ties as short-sighted and hasty, saying that no evidence had …

U.S. military officials announced that their troops have completed their withdrawal from Air Base 201 in Niger, local media reported. It comes as Niger’s ruling junta ordered nearly 1,000 U.S. military personnel to leave following a coup last year. A joint statement from Niger’s defence ministry and the U.S. military …

Malian authorities have announced that they have severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine after a military official suggested that Kyiv played a role in deadly fighting near the Algerian border last month. Dozens of Malian soldiers and mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group were killed in days of clashes with Tuareg separatist …

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Sunday called for a suspension of protests over the country’s high cost of living, saying the suspension would create an opportunity for dialogue, local media reported. This is his first public comments since the citizens took on the streets to protest bad governance and the …

A man has been spotted walking naked through the streets of Nigeria’s capital Lagos as part of a protest against the high cost of living in the country. Protests against bad governance and high cost of living have taken place in several cities across Nigeria and at least three protesters …

Former Guinean military leader Moussa Dadis Camara has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being accused of crimes against humanity. The charges stemmed from one of the worst massacres in the nation’s history – the killing of more than 156 people after troops opened fire at a rally …

Nigerian singer and actress Onyeka Onwenu, considered a cultural icon, died on Tuesday at the age of 72, local media reported. Onwenu’s career spanned music, film, journalism and politics. Dubbed “the elegant stallion” in a media profile – a label that stuck, Onwenu came to prominence in the early 1980s …

Rebels linked to the Islamist group al-Qaeda have announced that they have killed dozens of soldiers, including at least 50 Russian mercenaries and 10 Malian soldiers, local media reported. It comes after they were attacked in an ambush in Mali’s northern Kidal region near the border with Algeria on Saturday, …

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said on Monday that its fighters and Malian soldiers took losses in heavy fighting against Tuareg rebels near Mali’s border with Algeria, Reuters agency reported. In a rare statement, the group said its forces had fought alongside Mali soldiers from July 22-27 and that Wagner fighters …