Kaja Kallas

Nigeria
EU preparing to offer €10m military aid to Abuja

Funds from the European Peace Facility could soon be used to support the Nigerian army, which is struggling to deal with jihadist groups. Such assistance is already in place in Benin, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

West Africa
ECOWAS reduces budget for standby force

The Economic Community of West African States continues to seek solutions to finance its 1,650-strong regional defence force, whose initially proposed annual budget has been halved to €1bn.

Sahel
Brussels' Sahel envoy plans West African tour

João Cravinho is due to attend a security conference in Togo on 18 April. He is then expected to visit Senegal and The Gambia.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Mahamadou Issoufou, António Guterres

Intrigues big and small: every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Ivory CoastFirst Lady's charity gala pushed to autumn

NigerLomé, Mahamadou Issoufou's rear base

TanzaniaMinister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo in pursuit of Antonio Gueterres from NYC to Riyadh

Mozambique
President Daniel Chapo to visit Brussels

From 15 to 17 March, the Mozambican president will visit Brussels, notably to discuss the security situation in Cabo Delgado, where several European energy companies, including TotalEnergies, are involved.

Sudan
EU Foreign Affairs Council set to discuss new sanctions

On 20 November, the 27 foreign ministers of the European Union are expected to discuss a new set of sanctions within the context of the war in Sudan.

Sahel
The EU hashes out new security cooperation project

Brussels is planning to launch an assistance programme in 2026 to support the fight against illegal immigration and trafficking in the Sahel. It could benefit three countries.

Libya
Greek MEPs lobby for sanctions over maritime zones

Greek MEPs are leading a revolt to have European authorities impose sanctions on Libya, amid EU fears that Turkey will expand its maritime zone in the eastern Mediterranean through an agreement with eastern Libyan leader Khalifa Haftar.

DRC
Europeans not in union on how to respond to the M23 and Rwanda situation

The EU's member states are struggling to come up with a common diplomatic strategy to put pressure on Paul Kagame's Rwanda.

Niger
Berlin prepares its return to Niamey

Almost a year and a half after ending its cooperation with Niger, Germany is about to resume its development aid. An agreement is due to be finalised in the next few days.

Spotlight | Africa
Estonia's Africa ambitions stretch from Cotonou to Nairobi

Tallinn has made its expertise in digital technology the spearhead of its African diplomacy. After an initial presence in French-speaking West African countries, it is now focusing on English-speaking states.