Author: Ousmane Tandja

The narrative that once defined Mali’s foreign policy has begun to fracture. After years of deepening ties with Russia—first through Wagner’s fighters and later via Moscow’s Africa Corps—Bamako now appears to be recalibrating its approach. While no official break with Russia has been declared, the signs of a quiet rapprochement with the United States are impossible to ignore. Washington’s silent comeback in Bamako At the heart of this shift lies a resurgence of security cooperation with Washington. By early 2026, Mali had already begun re-engaging with the United States, lifting…

The upcoming presidential election in Nigeria marks a critical turning point in the nation’s democratic journey. With escalating concerns over political violence, electoral fraud, and regional security threats, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rolled out a sweeping reform package under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. This decisive shift aims to transform public trust and ensure a credible electoral process. Unprecedented commitment to neutrality and fairness The Inspector General of Police (IGP Olatunji Disu) has publicly vowed to uphold the highest standards of neutrality across all levels of the election…

In Tougan, the narrative of progress collides with hardship. Behind the rhetoric of local production, economic independence, and national self-sufficiency, farmers confront a far grimmer reality one where abundant harvests lead to losses, debts accumulate, and survival itself becomes uncertain. The bitter irony is undeniable: a year of record maize yields brings no relief, only deeper distress. Officials set prices too low for viability, loans remain unpaid, and for some, the only escape is crossing the border into neighboring countries just to stay afloat. As one farmer puts it with…

Mali’s turning point: aerial strikes devastate vital water resources near Kidal In a decisive military escalation that has sent shockwaves across the Sahel, forces aligned with the Malian government launched targeted strikes on water infrastructure in the Kidal region between September 15-16, 2026. The deliberate destruction of these lifelines has not only claimed at least 43 civilian lives but has also triggered a humanitarian crisis that threatens to dismantle the region’s pastoral economy entirely. In the arid expanses north of Kidal, water is life itself. The first strike hit Amassine…

On September 15, Bloomfield Investment Corporation raised Benin’s long-term sovereign rating from A+ to AA- on its local-currency scale. By pushing the country across the symbolic threshold of the investment category, the Abidjan-based agency confirmed the strength of Benin’s economic fundamentals. While this regional assessment differs from those of global agencies, it gives the Treasury a decisive lever to fund its development ambitions directly on the UEMOA market. Benin has crossed a decisive milestone in its pursuit of financial independence and economic recognition. By assigning a long-term rating of AA-…

The distance between official statements and what is actually happening on the ground can be hard to reconcile. That gap became evident after the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) announced on the morning of Wednesday, September 16, 2026, that it had captured two positions held by Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) in Mahrou and Winten, both situated in Bam Province. Multiple sources reported the claim, but no independent confirmation has verified that JNIM truly controls those areas. That lack of verification is precisely…

Can displaced Burkinabè truly go back to their homeland in safety and dignity? That pressing question lies at the heart of three tripartite agreements signed in Lomé on September 11 by Benin, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). These accords aim to lay the groundwork for a voluntary, safe, and dignified return—when conditions allow. But with ongoing violence, human rights abuses, and political instability inside Burkina Faso, the stakes for getting this right couldn’t be higher. What the Lomé agreements actually establish The signing in Lomé…