By Adja Khadidiatou Faye One year ago, 13 Senegalese nationals were convicted for acts of terrorism by criminal association. Twelve of them had joined Boko Haram in Nigeria. The 13th joined Katiba al-Furqane, a branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali. Why do nationals from West African countries leave to join
Tag: West Africa
Earlier Ebola Outbreaks, and How the World Overcame Them
Editor's note: Hemorrhagic fever inspires almost mythic terror, but whether it can be beaten depends more on people than on medical advances. Donald G. McNeil Jr. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is only the second-largest in history, but undoubtedly the most frustrating. Scientists are fairly certain they have the medical
Expert: Sahel must tackle child marriage for peace
West Africa's Sahel region must reduce rates of child marriage to end spiraling ethnic and jihadist conflict, the regional head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Monday. Marrying girls off as teenagers leads to them having more children, and explosive population growth is one of the main reasons
Jihadists have recruited heavily from Fulani pastoralists across West Africa —Report
•The crisis may engulf coastal West Africa —Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister •10 million people in Lake Chad area need urgent help —UN There are fears that the current security problems wracking the country could become worsened soon with reports that jihadists across the West African region are recruiting heavily from aggrieved
Islamic State puts the Sahel in West Africa – for now
Robert Postings Starting in May, Islamic State began to attribute insurgent activities in the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area to its West Africa Province affiliate. This region is far to the west of ISWAP’s normal operational area around Lake Chad, but rather than a westward expansion by that Nigerian-led group, these claims
ICYMI: Why are Africa’s militaries so disappointingly bad?
•How history, greed, and nepotism are preventing the continent from securing itself against al-Shabab, Boko Haram, and other threats. Editor's note: This article by Michela Wrong was first published 2014 in Foreign Policy, but the issues raised are still germaine in the prevailing security situation, especially in Nigeria and Sahel region
Terrorist-herder attacks more sophisticated, deadlier and main threat to W/Africa—‘Ibn Chambas’
•Research lists nine hypotheses on root causes of farmers-herders conflict •Sahel encroaching southward Nigeria by approximately 1,400 square miles a year.. ••Swallowing whole villages and reducing the land available for grazing Senator Iroegbu The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Amb. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has been quoted
Special Report: Counter-terrorism, human rights and the rule of law in West Africa
•A strong criminal justice system offers countries better protection against terrorist attacks. •Download full report: Read this Romi Sigsworth Editor's note: International law and global policy place counter-terrorism firmly within a rule of law and human rights framework. By focusing on securitised responses to terrorism, countries in West Africa risk undermining the rule
Even in defeat, Islamic State’s foreign fighters expanding
Jeff Seldin It was March 2018, approximately five months after U.S.-backed forces had declared victory in the battle for the Islamic State terror group's Syrian capital of Raqqa. And Afghan officials had reason to worry. Intelligence suggested the fallout from that victory had been making its way, slowly but surely, to their
AU, FG seeks new narrative for youths as ‘agents of violence, insurgency’
Godsgift Onyedinefu The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that efforts towards sustainable peace and security in Nigeria, West African Region and African continent will remain a mirage if the youthful population are still perceived as prepators of violence, insurgency and other security issues. The Minister for Youths and sports Development,