Region

North Africa and the Sahel

Stories under this heading cover North Africa and the Sahel. North Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. It stretches from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania to Egypt's Suez Canal and the Red Sea. The Sahel spans from the eastern shores of the African continent, starting from Sudan and continuing up to the Atlantic shores of Mauritania and Senegal.

Jihadists abduct fifty women in Burkina Faso
Some 50 women have been abducted by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, local officials say. Residents in Arbinda said two groups of women were taken as they were out gathering leaves and wild fruits because of a severe food shortage. A small number managed to escape and raise the alarm. The abductions happened on Thursday and Friday, but news has just emerged, as much of the area has been blockaded by Islamist militants. Arbinda in the Sahel region has been hit hard by the jihadist insurgency. Roads in and out have been blocked by the jihadists, there is severe hunger as food supplies are limited, and the humanitarian situation is desperate. Last month, protesters in Arbinda broke into warehouses to get food and supplies. Burkina Faso as a whole has been hit by a decade-long insurgency that has displaced nearly two million people. The military seized power last January, promising an end to attacks, but the violence still rages.
dennis2020 Mon, 01/16/2023 - 06:43 Biden hosts Africa at the White House
US president Joe Biden hosted the leaders of 49 African nations in Washington DC 13-15 December sending a strong signal of US determination to increase its engagement with the African continent A read-out from the US State Department said that "the 3-day summit continued efforts to  strenghten ties with African partners based on principles of mutual respect and shared interests and values. It also served as an opportunity to listen to and collaborate with African counterparts on key areas the United States and Africa define as critical for the future of the continent and our global community. "   Delegations from all 49 invited African countries and the African Union, alongside members of civil society and the private sector attended the summit. The President, Vice President, and members of the US government engaged extensively with leaders throughout the Summit. The summit has received a lot of attention across the world, as many see it as an expression of US will to challenge the creeping influence of China and Russia on the African continent.
dennis2020 Fri, 12/16/2022 - 06:50

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Task Force Takuba, the EU's mission in the Sahel, is not going according to plan

Task Force Takuba, the EU's mission in the Sahel, is not going according to plan

The foreign ministers of Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad failed to agree on the terms for a joint ministerial summit with the European Union and have instead chosen to hold bilateral talks with EU High Representative Josep Borrel. The cancellation followed a series of coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which has put into question the main European military tool in the Sahel region, the Takuba force. Task Force Takuba was created with much fanfare, and after a lot of French insistence, in March 2020 to help Mali and its neighbours in the West African Sahel fight militants linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, who have taken over large parts of their territory. 
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Burkina Faso continues the trend of military coups in West Africa

Burkina Faso continues the trend of military coups in West Africa

The president of Burkina Faso – Roch Kaboré - has been overthrown by a group of soldiers in the third military coup in West Africa in eight months. In a televised broadcast on Monday coup leaders announced the closure of land and air borders from midnight, dissolved the government and the National Assembly and "suspended" the Constitution. A curfew was also decreed, from 9 pm to 5 am, throughout the country, "until further notice".
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Reports of a coup d'état in Burkina Faso, President Kaboré arrested

Reports of a coup d'état in Burkina Faso, President Kaboré arrested

President Roch Kaboré has been arrested and is being held by soldiers who initiated a coup d'état in Burkina Faso. Media reports say that the military, frustrated by the inability of the government to address the attacks by radical Islamic militants, initiated the coup. The soldiers say president Kaboré is not supporting the army sufficiently thus the need for a military regime. Sources close to the military say the president is being held in a safe place. 
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Libya elections could be pushed back to June

Libya elections could be pushed back to June

After ending the year with chaos and uncertainty, Libya political factions disagreed over elections rules leading to the postponement of elections originally scheduled for 24 December 2021. It is now expected that elections be pushed towards a June 2022 deadline with no official date set yet. 
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The editorial team at commonspace.eu wish all our readers and subscribers a very happy new year 2022

The editorial team at commonspace.eu wish all our readers and subscribers a very happy new year 2022

We wish health, peace, and prosperity to all our readers and subscribers in Europe and Eurasia, the Caucasus Region, the Middle East and world wide. Happy New Year!