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Spotlight | United States
Will Biden end Trump's line-in-the-sand diplomacy in the Sahel?

Read this article in our running story

“The Sahel threatened by a jihadist tornado”

Sahel

The Sahel threatened by a jihadist tornado

As the Sahel security crisis worsens, with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) increasingly active, the states in the region find themselves in an ever more vulnerable position. In an attempt to stem the flow of jihadist propaganda which now risks overflowing into the coastal states, a number of security operations have been launched, among them Operation Barkhane, the G5 Sahel joint force, MINUSMA, and the Coalition for the Sahel. [...]

The US president-elect Joe Biden and the future secretary of state, Antony Blinken. © Reuters

The US president-elect Joe Biden already has his diplomats working on what position they will take in the Sahel, a contrast to months of blocked negotiations with the Trump administration. [...]

Published on 01/12/2020 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 6 minutes

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Diplomacy

Read this article in our running story

“The Sahel threatened by a jihadist tornado”

Sahel

The Sahel threatened by a jihadist tornado

Set up email notifications for these topics

African Union
Africom
Antonio Guterres
Antony Blinken
Barkhane
Bintou Keita
CPCO
David Gressly
Donald Trump
El Ghassim Wane
Emmanuel Macron
European Union
Francois Delattre
G5 Sahel
J. Peter Pham
Jake Sullivan
Joe Biden
Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Mahamat Saleh Annadif
Mark Esper
Minusma
Mohamed el-Hacen Ould Lebatt
Monusco
Nikki Haley
Tibor Nagy

DRC
MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, will travel to New York on 29 March to report to the UN Security Council on the current state of play.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 16.03.2023

West Africa
New candidates mooted for leadership of UN's West Africa and Sahel office

An increasing number of potential candidates for the leadership of the UN's West Africa and Sahel regional office UNOWAS is being put forward.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 07.02.2023

West Africa
West Africa ponders choice of next UNOWAS head

The Dakar-based post UN post has been vacant since October and the names of several African diplomats are doing the rounds.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 02.02.2023

Libya
UK diplomat Joanne Adamson eyes number two job in UN Libya mission

Washington is backing its candidate Kenneth Gluck for the number two job in the UNSMIL, but London wants the position to go to its diplomat Joanne Adamson, who is currently serving with MINUSMA in Mali.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 04.01.2023

Sahel
Storms continue to gather over the G5 Sahel

The fate of the G5 Sahel is more uncertain than ever. Niger's head of state Mohamed Bazoum, who is about to take over the presidency, has made no secret of his scepticism about the usefulness of the organisation.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 03.01.2023

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, 9 July 2021.

West Africa
Jessica Davis Ba's posting to Abidjan as US ambassador delayed

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Senate is not expected to convene before January at the earliest to approve the posting to Ivory Coast of Jessica Davis Ba, a former adviser to Kamala Harris.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 25.11.2022

Central Africa
UN : Antonio Guterres Selects New Head for Central Africa

The United Nations is likely to pick a West African replacement for Guinean François Louncény Fall, who stepped down as head of the UN regional office in for Central Africa in June after six years in the role.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 06.07.2022

West Africa
Barkhane withdrawal puts MINUSMA medical services on the spot

The withdrawal of French Barkhane troops from Mali and the dismantling of its military hospital in Gao means that MINUSMA will have to reorganise medical logistics for its peacekeepers.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 09.05.2022

Togo
Richard Attias, Faure Gnassingbé's trusted partner turning Togo into summit meetings central

After holding the Cybersecurity Summit in the Togolese capital at the end of March, the company Richard Attias & Associates is expected to take on the organisation of the Lomé Conference on Political Transitions for 21 April.

Subscribers only Business 30.03.2022

Founder of Richard Attias & Associates Richard Attias.

Mali
Washington sends a mission to Bamako to discuss MINUSMA, Wagner

A US delegation led by the assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs, Michele J. Sison, is scheduled to travel to Mali next week to meet with several officials in the country.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 16.03.2022

The head of multilateral organisations at the State Department, Michele J. Sison.

Inner circles | Ghana
Akufo-Addo selects crack diplomatic team for UN Security Council

With Ghana having taken up its non-permanent seat on UN Security Council on 1 January, its president Nana Akufo-Addo has surrounded himself with specialists in multilateral issues in order to make a success of his two-year term.

Free access Diplomacy 11.02.2022

Turkey, West Africa
Erdogan in business mode in Antalya

Turkey's Recep Tayip Erdogan has invited a dozen African heads of state to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which will take place from 11 to 13 March.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 07.02.2022

DRC
Bintou Keita to stay on as MONUSCO head

The tenure of Bintou Keita as head of MONUSCO, the UN mission in the DRC, is set to be extended for a year.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 31.01.2022

The head of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (Monusco), Bintou Keita.

Spotlight | DRC
Tshisekedi to finally take helm of regional security body set up to fight rebel groups

DRC President Félix Tshisekedi was caught off guard by Uganda's moves - including on Congolese territory - against rebel forces proliferating in the Great Lakes region. He will seek to regain the initiative when next month he takes over the presidency of a regional security cooperation alliance.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 25.01.2022

Spotlight | Sahel, United States
Biden pitches plan for more NATO and less UN in Sahel

Joe Biden's engagement with the Sahel has been heavily anticipated, especially given his predecessor Donald Trump was noted for his isolationism. He has been working on his approach to this region since early 2021 with a new Africa team.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 09.12.2021

US President Joe Biden (left) and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Africa, United States
The long wait for US ambassadors in Africa

It has been nearly a year since US president Joe Biden took office, yet the Senate still has to accept the nomination of over 20 ambassadors on the African continent.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 07.12.2021

Ivory Coast
From Mali to CAR, Abidjan doing all it can to get its soldiers UN Blue Helmets

Abidjan is trying to place a new battalion within the UN mission in Mali (Minusma), where Ivory Coast already has 800 Blue Helmet peacekeepers

Subscribers only Diplomacy 30.11.2021

Libya
Uncertain future for UNSMIL boss Jan Kubis

The mandate of the current UN special envoy to Libya expires in February and may not be renewed.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 22.11.2021

Burundi
Will US stake help Rainbow Rare Earths get its mine reopened?

Rainbow Rare Earths is highlighting the indirect presence of the US government in its capital, as Burundi seeks to position itself as an alternative to China for the supply of rare earths to Western countries, primarily the United States.

Subscribers only Mining 09.11.2021

Activity at the Gakara mine is still suspended.

Algeria, France, Sahel
Barkhane command forced to modify routes after Algeria closes airspace to French military

Since Algeria banned their overflights on 2 October, military aircraft participating in France's Operation Barkhane in the Sahel have had to change their routes.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 05.10.2021

Ethiopia
Few signs of hope for meaningful peace talks between Abiy and TPLF

The parties in the conflict ravaging Ethiopia are sending out very different signals about their willingness to sit down and talk peace. Prime Minister Abiy for his part has shown no intention of talking to the Tigray People's Liberation Front after eleven months of civil war.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 01.10.2021

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Mali
MINUSMA commander Dennis Gyllensporre to step down

Swedish General Dennis Gyllensporre will step down from his role as force commander of MINUSMA in 2022. He was appointed in 2018 after Belgian General Jean-Paul Deconinck.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 23.09.2021

Spotlight | Africa
Beijing's secret campaign for the post of UN peacekeeping head, a job long held by France

Over the last few months, China has been actively lobbying for the appointment of one of its diplomats to head the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). France has held this key post since 1997.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 31.08.2021

Sahel
Brussels finances Spanish Uro armoured vehicles for Sahel's gendarmes

With Paris having recently announced the progressive withdrawal of French troops deployed with Operation Barkhane in the Sahel, the European Union is for its part continuing to support the security forces of the region.

Subscribers only Defence, Business 25.06.2021

United States
US plays catch-up with EU on conflict minerals to turn page on Trump era

Joe Biden and his advisors are busy making up for lost time after Donald Trump's lack of action relegated Washington to following Brussels' initiatives on mining supply chain transparency.

Subscribers only Mining 16.06.2021

United States President Joseph R. Biden Jr. speaks during the Virtual CEO Summit on Semiconductor and Supply Chain at the White House in Washington, on Monday, April 12, 2021. Seated with Biden, clockwise from bottom left, are Daleep Singh, United States Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics, Brian Deese, Director, National Economic Council, and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

Ethiopia
Abiy takes on Western critics

New US sanctions on some of its politicians signals the growing international pressure on Ethiopia. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has dispatched ministers to Europe and is preparing to send a delegation to Washington to smooth things over with the Western powers.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 14.06.2021

Burundi
J. Peter Pham set to visit Burundi for Rainbow Rare Earths

Appointed on 17 May to the board of Rainbow Rare Earths, American diplomat J. Peter Pham is due to travel to Burundi this week to further the company's projects there.

Subscribers only Mining 25.05.2021

Spotlight | African Union
Israel takes another go at entering African Union by the back door

Israel does not want to leave the field open to the Palestinian Authority and is seeking a presence at the AU, after its breakthrough with Sudan and Morocco. But getting an observer seat at the organisation will not be easy.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 17.05.2021

Algeria, Niger
Mohamed Bazoum due in Algiers to discuss the Sahel with Tebboune

Niger's new president, Mohamed Bazoum, is expected in Algiers this month to hold talks with his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 10.05.2021

France, Ivory Coast
French Foreign Legion to return to Abidjan

Barely two years after last being dispatched to Ivory Coast, France's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, the elite airborne unit of the French Foreign Legion, will be back in Abidjan this coming September.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 08.04.2021

Niger, Somalia
Osprea corners armoured vehicle market with G5 Sahel and AMISOM

In delivering a new consignment of armoured vehicles to the Ugandan and Kenyan contingents deployed with AMISOM in Somalia, the manufacturer Osprea Logistics, already much in demand in the Sahel, has consolidated its position in Africa's military market.

Subscribers only Defence, Business 02.04.2021

Mali
MINUSMA to modernise Ménaka military base in three-borders region

The Ménaka military base, which is situated where the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger intersect, is to be modernised at the initiative of UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA.

Subscribers only Defence, Politics 25.03.2021

Spotlight | Kenya
Biden keeps Kenyatta waiting over free trade deal

The slow installation Joe Biden's administration is making Uhuru Kenyatta worry that he will never see the free trade agreement that was meant to boost his standing on the continent.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 24.03.2021

Djibouti
Germany quits surveillance in Horn of Africa as piracy threats decline

Germany's only maritime surveillance plane is to leave Djibouti, where it has been conducting counter-piracy missions around the Horn of Africa alongside its European allies as part of Operation Atalanta. The aircraft may be redeployed to the Mediterranean to watch over Libyan waters.

Free access Defence, Politics 12.03.2021

Zimbabwe
Mnangagwa battered by VP resignation and US sanctions renewal

March looks set to be a difficult month for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is in an increasingly precarious position: US sanctions have been extended and his vice president has had to resign amid a sex scandal.

Subscribers only Politics 09.03.2021

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Sahel
Before receiving Macron, MBZ schmoozes Sahel states

In mid-February the Emirati crown prince assured G5 Sahel heads of state that he would disburse the final two-thirds of his pledge announced with great fanfare in December 2017. To date, only €10m of a promised €30m have been transferred to the Sahelian alliance.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 09.03.2021

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Ghana
Adm Seth Amoama to steer Accra's bid for Security Council seat

With Ghana in the running for a UN Security Council seat, new military chief Seth Amoama has an ace up his sleeve in the game of military diplomacy: his country's blue helmets.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 08.03.2021

Africa
The African connections of Joe Biden's new oil diplomat

Virginia Palmer is already well aware of the energy challenges faced by the continent. Temporarily appointed to a key energy post in the new US administration, she is likely to prioritise countering the influence of China in Africa, just as her predecessor did.

Subscribers only Energy 04.03.2021

Virginia Palmer, when she was US Ambassador to Malawi (2015-2019).

Africa, United States
Biden gets to work on Africa, makes first appointments

The new US head of state and his vice president, Kamala Harris, have begun holding talks with several African heads of state. The newly appointed Africa director in the National Security Council was sitting on the call.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 02.03.2021

Sahel
Air Sahel inches along runway but remains far from take-off

Air Sahel, a five-nation project born in 2015, is not going to get into the air any time soon. A new report notably does not call for its imminent launch but instead proposes open-sky measures in G5 states to help existing airlines.

Subscribers only Politics 26.02.2021

Senegal
Macky Sall launches all-out diplomatic offensive as he prepares to take over as Africa Union chair

With just a year to go before he becomes chairperson of the African Union, Senegalese head of state Macky Sall has started to give the first indications of his plans for the continent.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 26.02.2021

Africa, United States
Linda Thomas-Greenfield appoints her Africa team at the UN

New US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was previously Barack Obama's assistant secretary of state for African affairs, has begun gathering around her Africa specialists she has already worked with.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 24.02.2021

The new US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

DRC
UN to probe convoy attack that killed Italian ambassador

The United Nations Department for Safety and Security wants to shed light on the circumstances of the 22 February attack [...]

Subscribers only Diplomacy 23.02.2021

Sahel
3,000-strong African Union force in Sahel abandoned

The project spearheaded by the African Union's former peace and security commissioner Smaïl Chergui to create a pan-African force of 3,000 men looks like being dropped by his successor Bankole Adeoye, who is nevertheless keen for the AU to play a central role in the Sahel as France prepares for a "substantial" troop withdrawal this summer.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 19.02.2021

Africa
France, Turkey, China and EU: the world war of Africa-themed summits

2021 is looking like the year of the Africa-themed summit, with major world powers all keen to show of their influence on the continent. The calendar is so busy, schedule clashes are almost inevitable.

Free access Diplomacy 16.02.2021

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenço, in 2018.

Mali
El Ghassim Wane, the next head of MINUSMA

After months of deadlock, Washington has agreed to the idea of appointing Mauritanian diplomat El Ghassim Wane to head the UN mission in Mali, where he will replace Mahamat Saleh Annadif, who is due to leave office in April.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 15.02.2021

Germany, Niger
Germany beefs up Niger's army with IAG armoured vehicles

Berlin is stepping up its military aid to Niamey by gifting 15 armoured vehicles to Niger's army. The arrangement allows International Armored Group to continue its expansion in Africa.

Free access Defence, Business 12.02.2021

An IAG Guardian Xtreme mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle.

DRC, United Nations, United States
MONUSCO number two David Gressly heads to Yemen

MONUSCO, the United Nations stabilisation mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will shortly have a completely new management team.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 09.02.2021

David Gressly was number two at MONUSCO since 2015.

Burkina Faso
Kaboré plans to make a short trip to Europe

President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso, who was re-elected in November, is due to travel to Paris on 10 February.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 03.02.2021

President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

Zimbabwe
Diplomacy in crisis after Covid death of foreign minister Moyo

Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo, one of President Mnangagwa's staunchest supporters, has succumbed to Covid-19. His death leaves Zimbabwe's diplomacy in turmoil at a critical time for its international relations.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 29.01.2021

Zimbabwean foreign minister Sibusiso Moyo died on 20 January of Covid-19.

Inner circles | Ghana
How General Obed Akwa is orchestrating Accra's military diplomacy

Ghana's 16,000-strong army has become one of the main levers of Accra's outsized diplomatic influence in Africa and beyond, with nearly 3,000 soldiers deployed across a dozen UN missions. President Nana Akufo-Addo is particularly fond of his country's armed forces and increasingly relies on his Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Obed Akwa.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 22.01.2021

Chief of staff of the Ghana Armed Forces Obed Boama Akwa.

Mali
Behind-doors negotiations over next MINUSMA chief

The arrival of the Biden administration should help rekindle talks for a replacement of the current MINUSMA head, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, whose mandate ends in April. Paris and Washington have been bickering over the matter for months.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 21.01.2021

Libya
Giuseppe Conte back at forefront of Libya peace talks

With the appointment of a special envoy in Libya and the choice of an Italian to oversee the EU border assistance mission, Italy is making the most of the US transition haiatus.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 19.01.2021

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Khalifa Haftar in Rome in May 2019.

France, Sahel
France's secret plans for Sahel military withdrawal

Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce a small troop decrease in February, while behind the scenes there are several withdrawal options at play, some that would have France's Barkhane force halved by the end of 2021.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 15.01.2021

French President Emmanuel Macron visiting Gao, northern Mali.

Sahel, United Kingdom
Brexit, troubled economy won't stop UK aid to the Sahel

As the UK continues to grapple with the economic criris triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the fallout of its exit from the EU, the Foreign Office chose to maintain its financial support to Sahel region aid.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 12.01.2021

West Africa
Expertise France wants to block Gulf of Guinea's cocaine highway

The French development agency (AFD)'s technical cooperation arm, Expertise France, is keen to run the EU-funded €5m Gulf of Guinea security project called Seaport Cooperation.

Subscribers only Defence, Politics 23.12.2020

Sahel
Who will lead the Coalition for the Sahel?

There is every chance it will be a Chadian diplomat at the helm of the Coalition for the Sahel as it prepares to relocate from Paris to Brussels after its launch in January at the G5 Sahel summit in Pau.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 23.12.2020

Germany, Sahel
SPD studies future of Germany's Sahel military engagement

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group is due to submit a report by the end of December on Germany's engagement in the Sahel.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 16.12.2020

Bundeswehr troops in Gao, northern Mali.

DRC
Guinea's Bintou Keita favourite to take over MONUSCO

Breaking news published 15/12/20 at 12:35 - The Guinean diplomat and old UN hand Bintou Keita is likely to succeed Algeria's Leila Zerrougui at the head of the UN's largest peacekeeping mission, whose mandate is up for renewal this week.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 15.12.2020

Head of the UN mission in DRC (MONUSCO) Leila Zerrougui.

Somalia, United States
US Army passes baton to private sector in Somalia

Soon to be deprived of virtually all of the US special forces that had been training it, the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia will nevertheless continue to receive support from contractors funded by the Pentagon and State Department.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 10.12.2020

Spotlight | Africa
Albright Stonebridge, an incubator for all things African at Biden's disposal

Former Democratic secretary of state Madeleine Albright's consulting firm is increasingly influential in Africa, thanks to a network of carefully selected diplomats and business executives.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 02.12.2020

Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, with Joe Biden and his wife Jill (left), in 2012.

France, Sahel
As presidential election nears, Macron worries of risk of politicising Operation Barkhane

With just over a year to go before the presidential election, and in light of the events of recent weeks, the French public is starting to take more notice of the country's military presence in the Sahel region.

Subscribers only Politics 13.10.2020

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (C-R) visit the troops of France's Barkhane counter-terrorism operation in Sahel region in Gao, northern Mali, 19 May 2017.

Mali
After coup, MINUSMA leadership talks back in full swing

As the fallout of the 18-August coup continues to rock the country, the head of the peacekeeping operation in Mali, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, should have his mandate extended until April. But the debate on who will succeed him is back on and Washington is still pushing for David Gressly.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 22.09.2020

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative for Mali and head of MINUSMA since 2015, will be keeping his post for another four months.

Africa, United States
Trump's law and order campaign makes waves in Africa

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the suspension of numerous air links between the United States and Africa, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to deport illegal African immigrants to their countries of origin.

Subscribers only Politics 09.09.2020

Inner circles | United States, West Africa
Trump and Biden's Africa advisors in 2020 race for White House

Although Africa will play no role in the run-up to the presidential election in November, both main camps have appointed an expert advisor on the continent.

Subscribers only Politics 25.05.2020

Former vice president Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.

Spotlight | Mali
Tensions sky-high between Washington and Paris over MINUSMA

There is a battle raging behind the scenes within the UN's MINUSMA. The United States wants to place its candidate at the head of the peacekeeping mission while cutting personnel numbers - both measures Paris deems unacceptable.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 12.05.2020

Chadian peacekeepers stand guard at the Minusma peacekeeping base in Kidal, Mali, July 22, 2015. REUTERS/Adama Diarra

Mali
CAE, MAG and Leonardo among the contenders for MINUSMA's spy plane contract

The world's specialist airborne intelligence contractors, who are already active in the Sahel for the French and American armies, are [...]

Subscribers only Business 21.02.2020

Central Africa, West Africa
Paris manoeuvres to persuade Trump to limit his disengagement

For the last month, Washington has been playing a game of bluff with its allies in the Sahel by dangling the threat of withdrawal as it did a year ago.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 22.01.2020

Spotlight | DRC
Félix Tshisekedi pivots westwards on intelligence and defence

In contrast to his predecessor Joseph Kabila, who cut military and intelligence ties with the West, Félix Tshisekedi has reopened channels of cooperation on security with Paris, Brussels and Washington to soften the impact of the imminent withdrawal of the [.

Subscribers only Defence, Politics 20.11.2019

DRC President Félix Tshisekedi at Paris Peace Forum, November 12, 2019.

Spotlight | Africa, France
Paris to play secret military card to regain control

Weakened in its sphere of influence, France is putting into place a comprehensive strategy to secure its investments in conflict zones. An exclusive investigation.Special missions - In early December, a group of reservists employed by French companies visited Menaka in [.

Subscribers only Business 13.02.2019

In Focus | Africa, France
African officers prefer Beijing to Saint-Cyr

China's "infiltration" of Africa's military high commands is less visible than the expansion of its activities in the construction industry but is no less real. It is causing great concern, moreover, to the French government, which is seeing one of its traditional channels of influence on the continent coming under increasing threat.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 30.05.2018

China's President Xi Jinping and Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

On our other sites

US State Department ramps up its defence against biological threats

As part of the new national biodefence strategy, the US State Department is making adjustments to improve its response to global health risks, which are considered a national security issue. This largely involves increased use of the country's intelligence services.

Subscribers only Intelligence Online 19.12.2022

Potential Iraqi Rafale purchase publicised by Norman Ricklefs unlikely to fly

The Australian consultant who has long made Iraq his home caused a stir in the world of French defence last week with remarks that Baghdad wants to purchase Rafale jets and drones from France. In Paris, however, the project is still very much in its infancy, even almost non-existent.

Subscribers only Intelligence Online 21.02.2022

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Spotlight | United States Will Biden end Trump's line-in-the-sand diplomacy in the Sahel?

The Sahel threatened by a jihadist tornado

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The Sahel threatened by a jihadist tornado

Set up email notifications for these topics

DRC MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

West Africa New candidates mooted for leadership of UN's West Africa and Sahel office

West Africa West Africa ponders choice of next UNOWAS head

Libya UK diplomat Joanne Adamson eyes number two job in UN Libya mission

Sahel Storms continue to gather over the G5 Sahel

West Africa Jessica Davis Ba's posting to Abidjan as US ambassador delayed

Central Africa UN : Antonio Guterres Selects New Head for Central Africa

West Africa Barkhane withdrawal puts MINUSMA medical services on the spot

Togo Richard Attias, Faure Gnassingbé's trusted partner turning Togo into summit meetings central

Mali Washington sends a mission to Bamako to discuss MINUSMA, Wagner

Inner circles | Ghana Akufo-Addo selects crack diplomatic team for UN Security Council

Turkey, West Africa Erdogan in business mode in Antalya

DRC Bintou Keita to stay on as MONUSCO head

Spotlight | DRC Tshisekedi to finally take helm of regional security body set up to fight rebel groups

Spotlight | Sahel, United States Biden pitches plan for more NATO and less UN in Sahel

Africa, United States The long wait for US ambassadors in Africa

Ivory Coast From Mali to CAR, Abidjan doing all it can to get its soldiers UN Blue Helmets

Libya Uncertain future for UNSMIL boss Jan Kubis

Burundi Will US stake help Rainbow Rare Earths get its mine reopened?

Algeria, France, Sahel Barkhane command forced to modify routes after Algeria closes airspace to French military

Ethiopia Few signs of hope for meaningful peace talks between Abiy and TPLF

Mali MINUSMA commander Dennis Gyllensporre to step down

Spotlight | Africa Beijing's secret campaign for the post of UN peacekeeping head, a job long held by France

Sahel Brussels finances Spanish Uro armoured vehicles for Sahel's gendarmes

United States US plays catch-up with EU on conflict minerals to turn page on Trump era

Ethiopia Abiy takes on Western critics

Burundi J. Peter Pham set to visit Burundi for Rainbow Rare Earths

Spotlight | African Union Israel takes another go at entering African Union by the back door

Algeria, Niger Mohamed Bazoum due in Algiers to discuss the Sahel with Tebboune

France, Ivory Coast French Foreign Legion to return to Abidjan

Niger, Somalia Osprea corners armoured vehicle market with G5 Sahel and AMISOM

Mali MINUSMA to modernise Ménaka military base in three-borders region

Spotlight | Kenya Biden keeps Kenyatta waiting over free trade deal

Djibouti Germany quits surveillance in Horn of Africa as piracy threats decline

Zimbabwe Mnangagwa battered by VP resignation and US sanctions renewal

Sahel Before receiving Macron, MBZ schmoozes Sahel states

Ghana Adm Seth Amoama to steer Accra's bid for Security Council seat

Africa The African connections of Joe Biden's new oil diplomat

Africa, United States Biden gets to work on Africa, makes first appointments

Sahel Air Sahel inches along runway but remains far from take-off

Senegal Macky Sall launches all-out diplomatic offensive as he prepares to take over as Africa Union chair

Africa, United States Linda Thomas-Greenfield appoints her Africa team at the UN

DRC UN to probe convoy attack that killed Italian ambassador

Sahel 3,000-strong African Union force in Sahel abandoned

Africa France, Turkey, China and EU: the world war of Africa-themed summits

Mali El Ghassim Wane, the next head of MINUSMA

Germany, Niger Germany beefs up Niger's army with IAG armoured vehicles

DRC, United Nations, United States MONUSCO number two David Gressly heads to Yemen

Burkina Faso Kaboré plans to make a short trip to Europe

Zimbabwe Diplomacy in crisis after Covid death of foreign minister Moyo

Inner circles | Ghana How General Obed Akwa is orchestrating Accra's military diplomacy

Mali Behind-doors negotiations over next MINUSMA chief

Libya Giuseppe Conte back at forefront of Libya peace talks

France, Sahel France's secret plans for Sahel military withdrawal

Sahel, United Kingdom Brexit, troubled economy won't stop UK aid to the Sahel

West Africa Expertise France wants to block Gulf of Guinea's cocaine highway

Sahel Who will lead the Coalition for the Sahel?

Germany, Sahel SPD studies future of Germany's Sahel military engagement

DRC Guinea's Bintou Keita favourite to take over MONUSCO

Somalia, United States US Army passes baton to private sector in Somalia

Spotlight | Africa Albright Stonebridge, an incubator for all things African at Biden's disposal

France, Sahel As presidential election nears, Macron worries of risk of politicising Operation Barkhane

Mali After coup, MINUSMA leadership talks back in full swing

Africa, United States Trump's law and order campaign makes waves in Africa

Inner circles | United States, West Africa Trump and Biden's Africa advisors in 2020 race for White House

Spotlight | Mali Tensions sky-high between Washington and Paris over MINUSMA

Mali CAE, MAG and Leonardo among the contenders for MINUSMA's spy plane contract

Africa
The sensational rise and spectacular fall of Pefaco casino and hotels

Nigeria
Fertiliser giants Indorama and Dangote in murky waters over urea shortage

Spotlight | United States
Will Biden end Trump's line-in-the-sand diplomacy in the Sahel?

DRC
MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

West Africa
New candidates mooted for leadership of UN's West Africa and Sahel office

West Africa
West Africa ponders choice of next UNOWAS head

Libya
UK diplomat Joanne Adamson eyes number two job in UN Libya mission

Sahel
Storms continue to gather over the G5 Sahel

West Africa
Jessica Davis Ba's posting to Abidjan as US ambassador delayed

Central Africa
UN : Antonio Guterres Selects New Head for Central Africa

West Africa
Barkhane withdrawal puts MINUSMA medical services on the spot

Togo
Richard Attias, Faure Gnassingbé's trusted partner turning Togo into summit meetings central

Mali
Washington sends a mission to Bamako to discuss MINUSMA, Wagner

Inner circles | Ghana
Akufo-Addo selects crack diplomatic team for UN Security Council

Turkey, West Africa
Erdogan in business mode in Antalya

DRC
Bintou Keita to stay on as MONUSCO head

Spotlight | DRC
Tshisekedi to finally take helm of regional security body set up to fight rebel groups

Spotlight | Sahel, United States
Biden pitches plan for more NATO and less UN in Sahel

Africa, United States
The long wait for US ambassadors in Africa

Ivory Coast
From Mali to CAR, Abidjan doing all it can to get its soldiers UN Blue Helmets

Libya
Uncertain future for UNSMIL boss Jan Kubis

Burundi
Will US stake help Rainbow Rare Earths get its mine reopened?

Algeria, France, Sahel
Barkhane command forced to modify routes after Algeria closes airspace to French military

Ethiopia
Few signs of hope for meaningful peace talks between Abiy and TPLF

Mali
MINUSMA commander Dennis Gyllensporre to step down

Spotlight | Africa
Beijing's secret campaign for the post of UN peacekeeping head, a job long held by France

Sahel
Brussels finances Spanish Uro armoured vehicles for Sahel's gendarmes

United States
US plays catch-up with EU on conflict minerals to turn page on Trump era

Ethiopia
Abiy takes on Western critics

Burundi
J. Peter Pham set to visit Burundi for Rainbow Rare Earths

Spotlight | African Union
Israel takes another go at entering African Union by the back door

Algeria, Niger
Mohamed Bazoum due in Algiers to discuss the Sahel with Tebboune

France, Ivory Coast
French Foreign Legion to return to Abidjan

Niger, Somalia
Osprea corners armoured vehicle market with G5 Sahel and AMISOM

Mali
MINUSMA to modernise Ménaka military base in three-borders region

Spotlight | Kenya
Biden keeps Kenyatta waiting over free trade deal

Djibouti
Germany quits surveillance in Horn of Africa as piracy threats decline

Zimbabwe
Mnangagwa battered by VP resignation and US sanctions renewal

Sahel
Before receiving Macron, MBZ schmoozes Sahel states

Ghana
Adm Seth Amoama to steer Accra's bid for Security Council seat

Africa
The African connections of Joe Biden's new oil diplomat

Africa, United States
Biden gets to work on Africa, makes first appointments

Sahel
Air Sahel inches along runway but remains far from take-off

Senegal
Macky Sall launches all-out diplomatic offensive as he prepares to take over as Africa Union chair

Africa, United States
Linda Thomas-Greenfield appoints her Africa team at the UN

DRC
UN to probe convoy attack that killed Italian ambassador

Sahel
3,000-strong African Union force in Sahel abandoned

Africa
France, Turkey, China and EU: the world war of Africa-themed summits

Mali
El Ghassim Wane, the next head of MINUSMA

Germany, Niger
Germany beefs up Niger's army with IAG armoured vehicles

DRC, United Nations, United States
MONUSCO number two David Gressly heads to Yemen

Burkina Faso
Kaboré plans to make a short trip to Europe

Zimbabwe
Diplomacy in crisis after Covid death of foreign minister Moyo

Inner circles | Ghana
How General Obed Akwa is orchestrating Accra's military diplomacy

Mali
Behind-doors negotiations over next MINUSMA chief

Libya
Giuseppe Conte back at forefront of Libya peace talks

France, Sahel
France's secret plans for Sahel military withdrawal

Sahel, United Kingdom
Brexit, troubled economy won't stop UK aid to the Sahel

West Africa
Expertise France wants to block Gulf of Guinea's cocaine highway

Sahel
Who will lead the Coalition for the Sahel?

Germany, Sahel
SPD studies future of Germany's Sahel military engagement

DRC
Guinea's Bintou Keita favourite to take over MONUSCO

Somalia, United States
US Army passes baton to private sector in Somalia

Spotlight | Africa
Albright Stonebridge, an incubator for all things African at Biden's disposal

France, Sahel
As presidential election nears, Macron worries of risk of politicising Operation Barkhane

Mali
After coup, MINUSMA leadership talks back in full swing

Africa, United States
Trump's law and order campaign makes waves in Africa

Inner circles | United States, West Africa
Trump and Biden's Africa advisors in 2020 race for White House

Spotlight | Mali
Tensions sky-high between Washington and Paris over MINUSMA

Mali
CAE, MAG and Leonardo among the contenders for MINUSMA's spy plane contract

Central Africa, West Africa
Paris manoeuvres to persuade Trump to limit his disengagement

Spotlight | DRC
Félix Tshisekedi pivots westwards on intelligence and defence

Spotlight | Africa, France
Paris to play secret military card to regain control

In Focus | Africa, France
African officers prefer Beijing to Saint-Cyr