coups

ADF STAFF Since the notorious Russian mercenary outfit formerly known as the Wagner Group began reorganizing under the control of the Russian Defense Ministry in 2023, controlling gold mining sites in Mali has been a priority. Russian…

ADF STAFF | Photos by AFP/Getty Images Omdurman National Bank (ONB) ranks among Sudan’s largest financial institutions. It has branches across most of the country and was the first Sudanese bank to introduce ATMs. Founded in 1993, the…

ADF STAFF In early March, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) retook sections of Omdurman from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The reconquest marked one of the SAF’s few victories after months of humiliating retreats and territorial losses since…

ADF STAFF Niger’s announcement that it will suspend military cooperation with the United States is reverberating across the region, with observers fearful that Sahel security will further deteriorate. Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, a…

ADF STAFF Anesthesiologist Dr. Arouna Louré was seeing patients when armed soldiers suddenly burst into the operating room of his hospital in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. “They made me understand they could make me leave using the…

ADF STAFF Despite the deteriorating security and economic landscape in Burkina Faso, there is a clear reason why the ruling military junta remains popular: Russian propaganda and disinformation. It’s the same reason why a recent…

ADF STAFF In the darkness of early morning on January 26, a team of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries rushed into the village of Welingara in the central Nara region. They arrested 25 men and boys, took them 2 kilometers outside the…

ADF STAFF After losing ground for months, the Sudanese Armed Forces have launched new offensives against the opposition paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, reclaiming some territory in Omdurman, among other places. It is unclear how…

ADF STAFF Some have called it West Africa’s “Brexit.” Others referred to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as “the three rebels” after their decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Whatever it’s called, the…

ADF STAFF Russia’s extensive courtship of Burkina Faso in recent months has included 25,000 metric tons of free wheat, an agreement to build a nuclear power plant, a personal security detail for junta leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré and now…