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)-Islamist militants have attacked a river boat in north-eastern Mali, killing at least 49 civilians, the interim government says. They also reportedly attacked an army camp, killing 15 soldiers, while around 50 militants are said to have died. The government has declared three days of national mourning. The Islamist threat has been…
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 3RD (NEWSRANGERS)-General Salifou Mody, one of the Niger officers who seized power in a military coup last week, visited Mali on Wednesday, according to the Mali presidency, amid speculation of a possible interest in the Wagner mercenary group, which has a presence in the country. Mali’s transitional president, Assimi Goïta, hosted Mody and…
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 March 5th (newsrangers)-Almost 300 people returned from Tunisia to Mali and Ivory Coast on Saturday after boarding repatriation flights, fearful of a wave of violence since the president launched a tirade against migrants. Last month President Kais Saied ordered officials to take “urgent measures” to tackle irregular migration, claiming without evidence that “a criminal…