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The U.S. State Department issued a memo giving 36 countries 60 days to meet new department requirements or be added to a travel ban implemented on June 9, The Washington Post reported on June 14.

U.S.: Trump Administration Considers Adding 36 More Countries to Travel Ban

Chad

Military & Security

Chad's interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby threatened to withdraw from the Multinational Joint Task Force, or MNJTF, due to what he described as a failure to combat insurgent groups in the Lake Chad region effectively, Reuters reported on Nov. 4.

Chad: President Threatens To Withdraw From Multinational Security Force

Mali

Togo

Amadou Koufa, the leader of the Katiba Macina group within al Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), said that the group intends to expand its attacks and territorial control beyond its current focus on Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger towards the littoral states along the Gulf of Guinea, according to email correspondence with a France24 journalist published Oct. 23.

Sahel: Top JNIM Leader Pledges to Expand into Littoral West African States

Businessman Olivier Boko, a close ally of Beninese President Patrice Talon, and former Sports Minister Oswald Homeky were arrested for allegedly planning a coup attempt for Sept. 27 by offering bribes to Republican Guard commander Col. Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre, Radio France Internationale reported on Sept. 29.

Benin: Government Reportedly Thwarts Coup Attempt Planned for Sept. 27

Energy

Niger resumed crude oil exports to Benin through the newly constructed, Chinese-funded 2,000 kilometer (1,243 mile) pipeline to the West African coast, following a months-long dispute that had paused operations, Reuters reported on Aug. 21.

Niger, Benin: Niger Resumes Oil Exports via Benin After Suspension 

France

Burkinabe junta leader Ibrahim Traore accused Cote d'Ivoire and Benin of attempting to destabilize Burkina Faso in coordination with France, Le Monde reported on July 11.

West Africa: Burkina Faso Accuses Cote d’Ivoire and Benin of Destabilization Attempts

An armed group opposed to the Niger junta, the Patriotic Liberation Front (FPL), has claimed responsibility for a June 16 attack on the nearly 2,000 km crude oil pipeline linking Niger's Agadem oil field to Benin's coast, Radio France Internationale reported June 18.

Niger: Armed Group Destroys Section of Oil Pipeline, Threatens More Attacks

China

Niger issued an ultimatum to Benin to release five individuals detained by Beninese authorities after they entered the oil terminal of Seme, where the Niger-Benin pipeline terminates, Radio France Internationale reported on June 7.

Niger, Benin: Benin Arrests Five Nigeriens Attempting To Infiltrate Oil Terminal

Assessments

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The recent deadly clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan will have a high risk of recurring over the coming weeks, while the two countries' entrenched disputes will challenge international efforts to prevent their re-emergence in the coming months and probably beyond.

stag test analysis wv and ent - Deadly Border Clashes Sharply Escalate Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions

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A Gabonese brigade participates in a training exercise as part of a military program linked to the Franco-Gabonese partnership at the French military base Camp de Gaulle in Libreville on March 19, 2025. 

France's reduced influence in Africa will create space for local and foreign actors to take on greater leadership roles, but their inability to fill the security vacuum left by France's withdrawal would threaten to destabilize the region.

France, Africa and the Future, Part 2: The Age of Multi-Alignment 

A picture released on July 12, 1963, of then-French President Gen. Charles de Gaulle (2L) and Jacques Foccart (L) greeting African, Malagasy and French overseas territories veterans arriving in Paris for French Bastille Day celebrations.

After decades of cultivating tight-knit relationships with francophone African countries, France has effectively ended its forward military presence in West and Central Africa amid shifting political dynamics in both regions, which will weaken its influence on the continent but enable Paris to reallocate resources towards Europe's security.

France, Africa and the Future, Part 1: A New Balance of Power 

French soldiers of the Barkhane force patrol the streets of Timbuktu, Mali, on Dec. 5, 2021.

In the wake of Niger's coup, France will be compelled to revamp its security strategy in the Sahel and West Africa at large.

What the Niger Crisis Means for France's Counterterrorism Strategy in Africa

Protesters hold placards denouncing ECOWAS on Aug. 3, 2023, in Niamey, Niger. While an intervention probably would topple the Nigerien junta, it could cause a regional conflict, boost jihadists and lead to a weak Nigerian civilian regime.

While an intervention probably would topple the Nigerien junta, it could cause a regional conflict, boost jihadists and lead to a weak Nigerian civilian regime.

How Might an ECOWAS Military Intervention Take Shape in Niger?

Guinea Bissau

Tunisia

Indonesia

French President Emmanuel Macron on Feb. 17, 2022, in Brussels.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Jokowi Visits Beijing, Macron Visits Sub-Saharan Africa

Sierra Leone

The Niger River Basin

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

The region's natural geographic advantages have sustained several empires throughout history. But they can't overcome its longstanding problems. 

The Niger River Basin: Supporting West Africa's Empires 

Media

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Paris Agreement Emphasizes Shift Away From Oil

The pace of the transition will be decided by how quickly new technologies reach the developing world.

Delegates attend a plenary session at the U.N. climate change summit in Paris on Dec. 9.

The agreement signed Dec. 12 in Paris is just a small part of a broader energy transition driven by technological change.

Climate Agreement Will Only Hasten Transition Beyond Oil

Security

_Energy

Environmental Issues

Burundi's Attempted Coup Offers Lessons

African leaders seeking controversial extra terms in office will need the full backing of their countries' militaries.

Burundi: What to Expect After the Coup Attempt

Political Misdirection in Nigeria

A presidential election has been delayed, but not for the reasons the government has given.

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S.: Trump Administration Considers Adding 36 More Countries to Travel Ban

Chad: President Threatens To Withdraw From Multinational Security Force

Sahel: Top JNIM Leader Pledges to Expand into Littoral West African States

Benin: Government Reportedly Thwarts Coup Attempt Planned for Sept. 27

Niger, Benin: Niger Resumes Oil Exports via Benin After Suspension

West Africa: Burkina Faso Accuses Cote d’Ivoire and Benin of Destabilization Attempts

Niger: Armed Group Destroys Section of Oil Pipeline, Threatens More Attacks

Niger, Benin: Benin Arrests Five Nigeriens Attempting To Infiltrate Oil Terminal

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