West Africa

ADF STAFF Political instability, disputes between farmers and herders, unemployment, ethnic divisions, and the rise of extremist organizations are among the factors driving the spread of small arms and light weapons in the Sahel and West…

ADF STAFF Africa’s coastal nations are fighting a rising tide of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling. A recent report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says local, regional and…

ADF STAFF The Sahel and West Africa have seen their share of crowds waving Russian flags, chanting, and holding posters with pro-Russian and anti-French sentiments. When a few dozen youths held a “freedom rally” in Diabene community park…

ADF STAFF The recent military coup in Niger has not made life easier for Nigeriens or people in the wider region. Economic sanctions closed the bustling border between Niger and Nigeria, halting roughly $1.3 billion worth of annual trade.…

ADF STAFF Senegalese authorities in February seized 805 kilograms of cocaine in waters about 530 kilometers off the coast of Dakar from a Gambian fishing boat. The seizure resulted in seven arrests. The Gambian vessel was intercepted…

ADF STAFF Senegalese President Macky Sall’s announcement in July that he would not seek a third term in office was met with a mix of relief and pride in a country known for its democratic traditions. “A time bomb was just deactivated,”…

ADF STAFF Mario Boris Fernandez pulled his artisanal fishing canoe ashore at Porto de Bandim in Guinea-Bissau. A longtime fisherman in Bissau, the national capital, he did not struggle with the weight of a large haul. That’s the…

ADF STAFF In little more than two years, Niger has exemplified the power of presidential security forces — and what can happen when that power is unchecked. In March 2021, Niger’s presidential guard quelled an attempted coup by elements…

ADF STAFF As Niger’s military junta has held the deposed president in isolation, the country has become increasingly isolated by the international community — one of the many consequences of unconstitutionally seizing power. Nigerien…

ADF STAFF The coup in Niger is the latest in a sharp rise of military takeovers that have undercut decades of democratic progress on the continent. With juntas in charge from Guinea in the west to Sudan in the east, Africa now has what…