Gabon seeks to modernize its transport network by drawing inspiration from Senegal

Ousmane Tandja

During an official working visit to Dakar, Senegal, Gabon’s Minister of State for Transport, Merchant Marine, and Logistics, Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, met with his Senegalese counterpart, Abdoul Ahad Ndiaye. The bilateral talks centered on upgrading infrastructure and strengthening partnerships, establishing a framework for knowledge sharing between Libreville and Dakar. Gabon aims to emulate Senegal’s structural achievements to organize its own transport networks. Minister Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi noted: “We had the opportunity to exchange ideas with his teams on various issues related to land and air transport.” Senegal’s stellar management of…

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JNIM insurgents ambush Russian Africa Corps and Malian forces in Mopti

Ousmane Tandja

A joint patrol of the Russian Africa Corps and Malian government troops was targeted in a lethal ambush executed by the militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in the Mopti region. The strike occurred close to the settlement of Kaka on September 9, resulting in the deaths of 13 soldiers from the combined Russian and Malian force. Following the confrontation, JNIM fighters captured a significant cache of military hardware. The seized items include 14 motorbikes, two PKM machine guns, six Kalashnikov assault rifles, six hand grenades, and an extensive…

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Faure Gnassingbé et la quête de pérennité au Togo

Aïcha Abdou

Faure Gnassingbé et la quête de pérennité au Togo Après plus de vingt années à la tête du Togo, Faure Gnassingbé doit résoudre une équation de plus en plus complexe : comment se maintenir au pouvoir alors que la confiance populaire ne suffit plus à asseoir sa légitimité ? Depuis son accession à la magistrature suprême en 2005, le président togolais a surmonté plusieurs crises politiques, des scrutins vivement contestés et de nombreuses mobilisations de l’opposition. Au fil du temps, les reproches n’ont pas seulement visé les résultats électoraux, mais…

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Tafsir Thioye publicly challenges allegations made by Ousmane Sonko

Ousmane Tandja

The political atmosphere in Dakar is growing increasingly tense. Tafsir Thioye, a prominent civil society figure in Sénégal and an active critic of the ruling administration, has openly disputed the latest accusations made by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who also leads the Pastef party. This public challenge unfolds in a highly charged political climate, several months after the Diomaye-Sonko administration assumed leadership of the nation. Direct opposition to the head of government’s claims Tafsir Thioye aims to restore what he describes as the factual truth against the assertions made by…

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Complaint against Ousmane Sonko upheld before investigators

Aïcha Abdou

The legal complaint filed against Ousmane Sonko over his remarks concerning the holy city of Touba remains in force. This was confirmed on Tuesday by Serigne Makhtar Bousso, spokesperson for the complainants, who was heard as part of the investigation. The case stems from a request submitted to the public prosecutor on 14 July 2026 by Serigne Modou Maroun Niang and Serigne Mourtalla Bousso. The two plaintiffs, who identify themselves as grandsons of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, accuse the president of the National Assembly of making inappropriate statements during the inauguration…

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Côte d’Ivoire: le FIDD 2026 dévoile ses ambitions pour le développement durable

Aïcha Abdou

Le Forum international du développement durable (FIDD) 2026 mettra l’accent sur les financements verts, les crédits carbone, l’innovation et les opportunités d’affaires. Cette annonce a été faite lors de la conférence de presse de lancement, tenue le mardi 8 septembre 2026 à Cocody, animée par Tra Bi Michael, commissaire général du Forum. L’événement, prévu les 13 et 14 octobre 2026 à la CGECI, au Plateau, rassemblera plus de 3 000 participants, une vingtaine d’experts et des représentants de plusieurs pays. Le thème choisi est « Développement Durable, Innovation et Compétitivité…

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Bandiagara attacks: human rights body urges Mali to uphold its core duties

Ousmane Tandja

As central Mali sinks ever deeper into an unrelenting cycle of violence, the statement issued by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) following the attacks on Ningari and Sarédina exposes the deep structural flaws in the transitional government’s security approach. The pattern has become tragically familiar: villages overrun, unarmed civilians executed, homes set ablaze, followed by the inevitable wave of official statements expressing outrage and sympathy. The latest atrocities in the Bandiagara area, specifically in Ningari and Sarédina, highlight a stark reality that official rhetoric tries to hide: despite triumphant…

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Civilians bear the brunt of human rights abuses in DR Congo

Ousmane Tandja

As the United Nations Human Rights Council convenes its 63rd session in Geneva this week, activists are drawing attention to the ongoing human rights crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where abuses continue unabated and perpetrators enjoy near-total impunity. In the eastern part of the country, civilians remain the primary targets of numerous violations, including drone strikes. Meanwhile, in the west, rights groups are sounding the alarm over arbitrary arrests and secret detentions. Documented abuses, but few prosecutions Human rights organizations describe the situation in the DRC as deeply…

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Bénin and United Arab Emirates strengthen defense ties to modernise military forces

Aïcha Abdou

The bilateral relations between Bénin and the United Arab Emirates are reaching new heights as both nations intensify their strategic partnership in defense and national security. The newly appointed Emirati Ambassador to Bénin, Hazza Mohamed Alqahtani, recently held a crucial working session with Gildas Agonkan, the Minister Delegate to the President of the Republic in charge of National Defence. This meeting served as an opportunity to outline the diplomat’s mission and evaluate future avenues of mutual interest. During their discussions, Ambassador Hazza Mohamed Alqahtani praised the strong ties uniting the…

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In Niamey, the sovereignty spectacle masks a dependence on un aid

Aïcha Abdou

Since the July 2023 coup, Niger’s military junta has built a lucrative political brand: performative sovereignty. Through martial declarations, dramatic exits from the International Organisation of La Francophonie, withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, and theatrical expulsions of diplomats, the Niamey regime insists it has shattered the chains of international dependence. But behind this street theatre aimed at rallying public opinion lies a far more mundane truth: the Nigerien authorities cannot finance their own state and continue to hold out a begging bowl to the very institutions they claim to…

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In Bamako, the fuel blockade exposes the junta’s vulnerability

Ousmane Tandja

Since September 2025, the fuel convoy blockade imposed by JNIM has turned Mali’s supply routes into veritable front lines. In Bamako and cities across the interior, the shortage has driven up transport costs, disrupted electricity, paralysed economic activity, and hampered essential services. One year on, this strategy of economic suffocation has thrown into sharp relief a major weakness of the military government: its inability to secure the country’s vital arteries. An economic weapon, not just a road blockade On 7 September 2025, Abou Houzeïfa Bina Diarra appeared in a video…

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From Dakar’s assembly chamber, Senegal’s new premier vows continuity and a tighter grip

Aïcha Abdou

In a special session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, Prime Minister Ahmadou Alhaminou Mohamed Lo delivered his general policy statement under Article 55 of the Constitution, just over three months after his appointment by President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on 25 May 2026, and his government’s formation on 1 June. Having served as Secretary-General of the Government and then Minister of State for the Sénégal 2050 Agenda, the head of government immediately embraced the legacy of his predecessor, Ousmane Sonko, who has since become President of…

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