West Africa
West Africa is a land region covering the entire western part of sub-Saharan Africa. It roughly includes the coastal countries north of the Gulf of Guinea to the Senegal River, the countries covered by the Niger River basin as well as the countries of the Sahelian hinterland. The birthplace of successive empires in Ghana, Mali and Songhai, West Africa is a collection of countries with common influences and heritage. The joking kinship system that still links West African ethnic groups and social groups together today is a striking example. Imperial authority was exercised through the control of trans-Saharan trade, the production of gold and salt. Its decline began in the sixteenth century with the development of maritime trade. Fragmented and weakened after the battle of Tondibi, West Africa underwent European and American colonization at the end of the 19th century and during the first part of the 20th century. Certain foundations of West African civilization as well as imperial history gradually fell into oblivion, but the rediscovery of the Timbuktu manuscripts opened up considerable hope for their understanding.
West Africa is today a community of peoples, which tends to reconstitute itself politically, with in particular the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and a space of civilization forged by a millennial history. According to the IMF, the overall PPP GDP of the ECOWAS member states amounts to $ 564.86 billion, making it the 25th economic power in the World. West African states created ECOWAS with the initial goal of creating a West African economic and monetary union. However, in 1990, its power was extended to maintain regional stability with the creation of ECOMOG, a military intervention group which became permanent in 1999, which gave it important means of diplomatic pressure. However, major dysfunctions appear within the ECOWAS following difficult democratic transitions in Guinea (2009) and in Ivory Coast (2010). They are growing in the face of the emergence of various jihadist groups which today constitute the first security threat in the region. Thus, in 2012, armed groups took control of northern Mali which was forced to request military intervention from France in the face of the inaction of the ECOWAS and no joint military response was put in place against the jihadist insurgency in Nigeria led since 2009 by Boko Haram and Ansaru.
West Africa countries
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cape Verde
- Ivory Coast
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea Bissau
- Liberia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
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Mali
Mali’s Foreign Minister Defends Military Junta’s Growing Closeness With Russia
Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop on Friday defended the ruling military government’s growing closeness with Russia and rejected three options…
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Burkina Faso
France Agrees To Withdraw Military Troops, Recall Its Envoy From Burkina Faso
France has said it will withdraw its troops from Burkina Faso within a month after the West African country’s military…
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Mali
WHO Doctor Abducted By Unidentified Assailants In Eastern Mali’s Menaka Town
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said in a statement that some unidentified assailants abducted a doctor working for…
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Burkina Faso
French President Says Waiting For An Explanation From Burkina Faso On Troops
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that he is waiting for an explanation from Burkina Faso after its military…
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Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s Military Junta Asks France To Withdraw Troops From The Country
Burkina Faso’s military government has asked France to withdraw its troops stationed in the West African country to leave within…
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Mali
Mali’s Ruling Junta Receives Delivery of Warplanes, Helicopters From Russia
Mali’s ruling junta on Thursday received a batch of eight warplanes and two helicopters from Russia, the latest in a…
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Nigeria
Nigeria’s Election Chief Reassures Presidential Election Will Be Held In February
Nigeria’s election body Chief Mahmood Yakubu on Tuesday said general election will be held on February 25 as previously scheduled…
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Burkina Faso
ECOWAS Leader Umaro Sissoco Embalo Expresses Support For Coup-Hit Burkina Faso
ECOWAS leader and Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo have expressed support for Burkina Faso less than five months after an…
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Benin
Benin’s Opposition Party Rejects Sunday’s Parliamentary Election Voting Results
Benin’s main opposition party, Les Democrats, on Thursday, rejected the results of Sunday’s parliamentary election, claiming allies of President Patrice…
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Nigeria
Nigeria’s Electoral Body Warns Elections Could Be Canceled Amid Growing Insecurity
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday warned that the upcoming general election could be postponed or even canceled…
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Benin
Voting Closes In Benin Parliamentary Election, Preliminary Results Expected By Next Week
Voting for parliamentary elections took place in Benin on Sunday where around 6.6 million voters were expected to vote in…
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Senegal
Senegalese President Declares Three Days Of Mourning After Bus Crash Kills Dozens
Senegalese President Macky Sall on Sunday declared three days of mourning starting on Monday after at least 40 people lost…
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Mali
Mali’s Military Junta Leader Goita Pardons Sentences Of 46 Ivorian Soldiers
Mali’s military junta leader Assimi Goita on Friday pardoned all 49 Ivorian soldiers whose arrest in July led to a…
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Ivory Coast
ECOWAS Assures No Immediate Sanction Against Mali Over Detained Ivorian Soldiers
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Wednesday assured that they would not impose any sanctions against Mali…
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Ivory Coast
Togolese President Gnassingbe In Mali As Efforts To Free Ivorian Soldiers Increase
Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe, who is acting as a mediator in a diplomatic row between Ivory Coast and Mali over…
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Burkina Faso
US Drops Burkina Faso From Trade Program Over Unconstitutional Change In Government
The United States (US) has reportedly dropped Burkina Faso from its trade preference programme citing deep concerns over unconstitutional change…
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Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast’s President Ouattara Assures Soldiers Detained In Mali Will Return Soon
Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara on Saturday assured that the 46 Ivorian soldiers, who have detained in Mali for nearly…
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Mali
Mali’s Court Sentences 46 Detained Soldiers From Ivory Coast To 20 Years In Prison
Mali’s court on Friday sentenced 46 Ivorian soldiers to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiring against the government. Three female soldiers…
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Ivory Coast
Ivorian Soldiers Detained In Mali On Court Trial As January 1 Deadline Looms In Row
Ivorian soldiers who were detained in Mali earlier this year were brought in for trial at a court of appeal…
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Gambia
Gambian Government Sets Up Investigative Panel To Investigate Coup Plot
The Gambian government on Tuesday announced it has set up an investigative panel and gave it 30 days to report…
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Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Ten Killed After Passenger Bus Hits Landmine On Christmas Day
The Burkina Faso government on Monday announced ten people were killed and several got injured when a passenger bus triggered…
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Gambia
Gambian Authorities Arrest Two Military Officers In Connection To Recent Coup Attempt
The Gambian government has reportedly arrested two military officers in connection to an alleged plot to overthrow the government of…
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Burkina Faso
UN Says Burkina Faso Government Has No Grounds To Expel Senior Official
The United Nations (UN) on Saturday said the Burkina Faso government had no grounds to ask senior U.N. official Barbara…
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Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s Military Government Expels Senior UN Official Barbara Manzi
Burkina Faso’s military government on Friday ordered senior United Nations (UN) official Barbara Manzi to leave the country immediately, without…
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Burkina Faso
Ghana’s President Accuses Burkina Faso Of Inviting Mercenaries From Wagner Group
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has accused Burkina Faso of inviting in mercenaries from Russian firm Wagner, reported The TRT World.…
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