LAGOS SEPTEMBER 18TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger signed a mutual defense pact over the weekend, establishing the so-called Alliance of Sahel States. All three of the West African nations, which neighbor one another, have military governments that seized control in a coup conducted since 2020, with Niger’s civilian-led government being…
LAGOS SEPTEMBER 9TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Three soldiers in Burkina Faso have been arrested and charged with plotting against the ruling junta, the country’s military prosecutor said on Friday. Investigators last month received a tipoff about “soldiers and former soldiers working in intelligence” who were scouting out the homes and other locations used by key figures in the…
LAGOS AUGUST 25TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Niger has authorised Mali and Burkina Faso’s armed forces to intervene on its territory in case of an attack, the countries said in a joint statement on Thursday, a possible sign the junta in Niger plans to keep resisting regional pressure to stand down. The main West African bloc ECOWAS has been…
LAGOS AUGUST 7TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Leaders of West Africa’s regional bloc said Monday that they would meet later this week to discuss next steps after Niger’s military junta defied a deadline to reinstate the country’s ousted president while its mutinous soldiers closed the country’s airspace and accused foreign powers of preparing an attack. The meeting was scheduled…
LAGOS AUGUST 5TH (NEWSRANGERS)-West African defence chiefs have made a plan for potential military intervention to reverse last week’s coup in Niger, including how and when to deploy forces, a leader of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Friday. ECOWAS has given the junta until Sunday to reinstate ousted president Mohamed…
LAGOS AUGUST 1ST (NEWSRANGERS)-The governments of Burkina Faso and Mali have warned against military intervention in their coup-hit neighbour, Niger. POLITICS NIGERIA reports that in a joint statement, the two countries, which are both ruled by military-backed governments, said that any military intervention in Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against them….
LAGOS MAY 19TH (NEWSRANGERS)-An 88-year-old Australian doctor held captive by Islamic extremists in West Africa for more than seven years has been freed and has returned to Australia. Ken Elliott was safe and well and was reunited with his wife and their children on Thursday night, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. “I’m very pleased to…
LAGOS MAY 12TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Five-time winners of the FIFA U17 World Cup, Nigeria has failed to qualify for the competition for the second time in a row after losing 2-1 to Burkina Faso today. Before the AFCON U17 tournament started, the Golden Eaglets were seen as one of the huge favorites that will grab a ticket…