France

ADF STAFF After Burkina Faso’s second coup d’état on September 30, people took to the streets of Ouagadougou waving Russian flags. They gathered, in part, as a result of Russia’s relentless disinformation efforts, which paint Moscow as a…

ADF STAFF Two military coups in eight months in Burkina Faso have failed to deliver promised security but may be opening the door to greater Russian interference. Between the coup at the end of January and the second coup in September,…

ADF STAFF In the pale light of dawn on July 22, two vehicles rigged with explosives set off on a deadly attack on Mali’s biggest military base in Kati, just 15 kilometers northwest of the capital of Bamako. Islamist militants entered the…

ADF STAFF The list of central Malian towns where massacres have occurred is growing as Russia’s notorious Wagner Group expands its reach in the country. In March it was the towns of Diabaly, Nioni and Moura. In April, Hombori, Boni and…

ADF STAFF Islamic State attacks in the Sahel have shifted in recent months toward towns along the Mali-Niger border. Civilians continue to pay with their lives. “Armed men arrived on motorbikes and shot at everything which moved,” a…

ADF STAFF In a matter of months, Mali’s relationship with much of the outside world has deteriorated profoundly, while Russia is trying to capitalize on a power vacuum it is helping to create. Experts say it’s all part of the…

ADF STAFF Since Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries arrived in Mali, civilians have been increasingly caught in their crosshairs. After hundreds of Wagner Group fighters deployed in Mali purportedly as “trainers” and “advisors” in…

ADF STAFF In a West African region known for the proliferation of violent extremist organizations, Mauritania stands out for its lack of terror attacks in recent years. Experts and observers say much can be learned from the approach…

ADF STAFF Insecurity, hunger, drought, inflation and poverty haunt Malian civilians daily as the country deals with a confluence of crises. Mali is increasingly isolated from the international community after two military coups led to…

ADF STAFF Several thousand people gathered in the stands of Barthélemy Boganda Stadium in the Central African Republic (CAR) capital of Bangui to watch a Russian movie called “Touriste.” According to Russian media, “Touriste,” which…