More than a month has passed since Moussa Kaka, a towering figure in Niger’s journalism and the long-serving correspondent for a major international broadcaster in Niamey, was taken into custody. His disappearance, followed by an announced arrest, has triggered a swelling wave of indignation that shows no sign of fading. For at least thirty days now, the journalist has been held without any official explanation, leaving his family, colleagues and observers across the region demanding answers and wondering what comes next. A month of detention with no stated grounds The…
Read MoreMali : plus de 2 400 écoles fermées, le sacrifice silencieux de toute une génération
BAMAKO — Ce jeudi 1er octobre marque le coup d’envoi officiel de la rentrée scolaire 2026-2027 au Mali. Sur le papier, l’événement se veut solennel et ambitieux : le président de la Transition, le général Assimi Goïta, a décrété cette année « Année de l’éducation et de la culture ». Mais sur le terrain, le slogan officiel vient se heurter violemment à une tragique réalité. Plus de 2 400 écoles ne rouvriront pas leurs portes à travers le pays. Un triste record qui prive plus de 730 000 enfants d’instruction et illustre l’impasse stratégique dans laquelle s’est enlisée la junte militaire de Bamako.
Read MoreCameroon’s anglophone regions under lockdown: a decade of unrest and the fallout on october 1st
Cameroon’s anglophone regions under lockdown: a decade of unrest and the fallout on october 1st The symbolic date of October 1st has once again exposed deep divisions in Cameroon’s anglophone regions, where a decade-long crisis continues to reverberate through the North-West and South-West. As separatists called for a « ghost town » strike, security forces were deployed in force, but the real battle may now be fought in the court of public opinion and on the streets of Bamenda and Buea.
Read MoreBenin’s €500 million bond: what the landmark deal means for the region’s future
Cotonou — The fallout from Benin’s latest foray into international capital markets is still being digested, and the debate it has ignited stretches well beyond the finance ministry. Working alongside the African Development Bank Group, the Beninese government has secured €500 million to bankroll a series of high-impact investments. The operation, which builds on the country’s Government Action Programme, is being read as a turning point in how public debt is managed across sub-Saharan Africa — and it has set off a wider conversation about what comes next for African…
Read MoreInside Burkina Faso’s twin attacks: what Lalgaye and Ouahigouya reveal about the jihadist playbook
When militants struck two distant points in Burkina Faso on the same day, the pattern behind the violence became clearer than any single battlefield report. On Saturday 26 September, a Burkinabè soldier was killed during an assault on a military position in Lalgaye, in the Koulpélogo province of the Centre-Est region. Hundreds of kilometres away, around Ouahigouya in the north, coordinated incursions destroyed heavy equipment. The claim of responsibility, issued on Thursday 1 October by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), did more than confirm the…
Read MoreBehind Burkina Faso’s four-year military rule: what the official narrative hides
When Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in Burkina Faso on 30 September 2022 by toppling Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, he promised a radical break with the past. Four years on, the junta leader portrays his tenure as a story of territorial reconquest, a strengthened army, restored national sovereignty and a clean rupture with several Western partners. Yet beneath that carefully managed narrative, a closer look reveals a far more complicated reality — one shaped by persistent insecurity, mass displacement and a steadily shrinking civic space. How the counter-insurgency strategy was…
Read MoreWhy Benin’s Romuald Wadagni joined East Africa’s biggest oil gamble at Lamu
Lamu, Kenya — When Romuald Wadagni, president of the Republic of Benin, stood on Kenya’s northern coast this Wednesday, 30 September 2026, he was not simply attending another groundbreaking ceremony. He was taking part in the launch of East Africa’s future refinery, a venture driven by the group of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, and his presence says as much about the shifting logic of African industrial cooperation as it does about the project itself. The wider context behind a single ceremony For an event with clear regional weight, the Beninese…
Read MoreInside Air Sénégal’s crew suspension: what really happened on the Dakar-Paris route
Inside Air Sénégal’s crew suspension: what really happened on the Dakar-Paris route Thu, October 1, 2026 at 9:45 AM UTC When Air Sénégal quietly grounded its entire cabin crew on the Dakar-Paris route in mid-September, few outside the airline understood the scale of the problem. The decision, taken on September 17, was not a routine scheduling adjustment. It was the result of mounting suspicions that some crew members had been using their positions to transport parcels for payment—a practice strictly forbidden by the company. The internal investigation, according to sources…
Read MoreMali’s mining standoff breaks: Barrick Gold’s Loulo-Gounkoto deal ignites corruption firestorm
The sudden cancellation of the strike notice at the Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex marks a decisive turning point—but not the one Barrick Gold wanted the world to see. What was presented as a breakthrough labor agreement is, in fact, a financial pact of an entirely different nature. Behind the announced compromise on working conditions, the deal sealed between the Canadian mining giant and union leaders rests on a calculated purchase of social peace, tainted by corruption at the highest levels of the union hierarchy. A breakthrough built on a facade to…
Read MoreNiger’s press freedom crisis: Moussa Kaka’s disappearance sparks urgent African response
In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves across West Africa, the Nigerien journalist Moussa Kaka has been missing since August 31, igniting a firestorm of criticism over what observers describe as shocking indifference from African and international bodies. The situation has reached a critical juncture, with prominent human rights advocate Alioune Tine condemning the forced disappearance and demanding immediate action. From silence to mobilization: The turning point in Kaka’s case The disappearance of Moussa Kaka, a well-known voice in Niger’s media landscape, has become a rallying cry…
Read MoreLyon’s women’s team hit by Chelsea stalemate in Champions League breakthrough bid
In a tightly contested showdown at Groupama Stadium, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin saw their Champions League ambitions momentarily stalled as they were held to a scoreless draw by Chelsea. This result marked the first time Lyon failed to score or win a match this season, signaling a potential turning point in their quest for European dominance. Defensive resilience stifles Lyon’s attacking prowess The French champions, known for their relentless offensive style, found themselves frustrated by Chelsea’s disciplined backline. Despite dominating possession and creating several high-quality chances, Lyon could not breach the…
Read MoreIvory coast cracks down on illegal gold mining with tougher laws
Ivory Coast steps up crackdown on illegal gold panning with expanded operations Panafrica News The Ivorian government has deployed an arsenal of 300 motorcycles, 30 pickup trucks, 12 Zodiac boats, and drones to bolster the Special Gold Panning Task Force (GS-LOI), established in 2021 to combat illegal mining across Ivory Coast. Authorities emphasize enhanced mobility to conduct operations «on land and water», «day and night», aiming to improve surveillance and mapping of clandestine mining sites. National security priority Tackling illegal gold panning has become a «national security imperative», according to…
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