In a speech, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a “new era” in which France views African nations as partners and not former colonies; he said France would reduce its troop presence on the continent and ensure its military bases and schools there are jointly managed by French and African staff (AP)
Mali’s Prime Minister, Choguel Maïga, visited Ouagadougou, where he met with Burkina Faso’s interim Prime Minister, Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela, to discuss security, the fight against terrorism, humanitarian aid, health, regional cooperation, and sanctions (Africa News)
Jihadist Attack Kills Thirteen in Mali
According to local officials, jihadist attackers killed thirteen or more civilians, torched buildings, and abducted three people from the village of Kani-Bonzon, Mali (AFP)
Attack in North Burkina Faso Kills Nineteen
Nineteen more Burkinabé soldiers died in a targeted attack on a military camp in the town of Tin-Akoff; less than 100 km separated the assault from the prior attack, which claimed fifty-one lives (Reuters)
Three Peacekeepers Killed in Mali
An explosive device hit a convoy in the Mopti region of Mali, killing three peacekeepers from Senegal and severely injuring five others (Reuters)
Meanwhile, in the Oudalan province of Burkina Faso, at least fifty-one soldiers were killed in an ambush; the Burkina Faso army did not name the attackers but said around one hundred and sixty “terrorists” were killed in the counter-offensive air strike (Reuters)
EU Initiates Military Partnership Mission in Niger
The European Council has launched a Common Security and Defense Policy military partnership mission in Niger to assist the country’s fight against terrorist armed groups (European Council)
African Union Reaffirms Suspensions
The African Union announced the continued suspension of Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Sudan from the organization at a summit in Ethiopia (Africa News)
Members of U.S. Congress Seek to Rescind Arms Sale to Nigeria
Two lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs called on U.S. President Joe Biden to revoke a nearly $1 billion arms sale to Nigeria following reports that the country’s military ran an illegal abortion program (Reuters)
Nigeria Reports Rise In Election-Related Violence
A government-sponsored body tasked with promoting stability ahead of Nigeria’s February 25 general elections said that election-related violence is on the rise after two attacks at rallies over the weekend; in one, a gunman killed three police officers (VOA)
Suspected Militants Kill Ten
Niger’s defense minister said a group of “armed terrorists” killed at least ten soldiers in an ambush near the Mail border; sixteen people are still missing, and thirteen were wounded (VOA)
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea Seek Reentry Into ECOWAS, AU
Foreign ministers from the three countries called for reentry into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union; since 2020, all three countries have experienced coups that resulted in their suspension from the blocs (AFP)
Mali Foreign Minister: No Justification Needed for Russia Partnership
Foreign Minister Diop said Mali did not need to justify its decision to work with Russia to strengthen its military capabilities and import oil and wheat (Reuters)
Nigerian Human Rights Panel Begins Probe of Alleged Military Abuses
The probe by the country’s National Human Rights Commission is investigating Reuters reports that said the military ran a forced abortion program and that it intentionally killed children it deemed likely to become terrorists (Reuters)
Mali Expels Head of UN Mission
Last month, the UN mission in the country hosted an activist who accused the military junta’s Russian mercenary partners of serious rights violations (AFP)
Mali Defends Cooperation With Russia, Rejects UN Options for Peacekeeping Force
At the UN Security Council, Mali’s foreign minister defended Mali’s cooperation with Russia after a UN report said mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group were operating in the country; he also shot down three proposed options for a peacekeeping force to replace French troops who left Mali last year (AP)
UN: Man Sentenced to Death in Mali Court For Attack on Peacekeepers
A Mali court sentenced a man to death over the 2019 attack that killed three UN peacekeepers; since the peacekeeping mission began in 2013, two hundred and eighty-one UN soldiers have died (Al Jazeera)
Boko Haram Fighters Surrender to Nigerian Troops
Boko Haram had a deadly encounter with the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) on Tuesday; an estimated one hundred and twenty-four Boko Haram fighters fled and surrendered to Nigerian troops (East African)
Reuters: Nigerian Military Repeatedly Killed Children in Battle Against Insurgents
Nigeria’s military killed at least sixty children across six military operations since 2009, Reuters found; the children were reportedly suspected of being fathered by Boko Haram fighters or assumed to be helping the group (Reuters)
U.S. Extradites a Mauritanian Involved in Deadly Restaurant Attacks in Mali
Fawaz Ould Ahmed faces terrorism and murder charges for the death of U.S. citizen Anita Ashoka Datar after launching three attacks targeting westerners in Mali in 2015, which killed a total of thirty-eight people; Ahmed has already received the death penalty for his actions in Mali (Reuters)
Islamic State, Al Qaeda Affiliates Clash in Mali
Dozens of civilians have been killed and hundreds more displaced as jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State and al Qaeda faced off in the eastern regions of Gao and Menaka (Reuters)
More Than One Hundred People Abducted in Northeast Nigeria
Gunmen raided four villages—Kanwa, Kwabre, Yankaba, and Gidan Goga—in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, kidnapping more than one hundred people, including women and children (Reuters)
Ivory Coast to Withdraw Peacekeepers from Mali
Two senior members of the security forces confirmed the validity of a leaked letter that indicated the Ivory Coast would begin gradually withdrawing troops and police from the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, one day after the United Kingdom announced its own withdrawal (Reuters)
UK Troops to Leave Mali Peacekeeping Force Sooner Than Planned
A military official from the United Kingdom (UK) said that Russian mercenary groups are undermining stability in Mali and blamed Bamako for allowing them to operate in the country; he did not give an exact timeline for the departure of around three hundred British troops (AP)
France to Announce Official End to Military Operation in Mali
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to give a speech in Toulon to mark the official end of Operation Barkhane; this comes after the last troops left Mali in August (BBC)
Meanwhile, the Malian Economy Minister Alousseini Sanou said that Mali is expecting shipments of fuel, fertilizer, and food from Russia in the coming weeks (Reuters)
Malian Troops, Russian Mercenaries Kill Thirteen
Witnesses reported that Malian troops supported by white soldiers, allegedly Russian mercenaries associated with the Wagner Group, killed thirteen civilians on Sunday during a combined air and ground operation targeting extremists in the region of Mopti (The Guardian)
Communal Violence Kills Twenty-Three in Central Mali
Clashes between farmers and pastoralists erupted in the Nigerian state of Benue after villagers in Gbeji killed two herders and stole their cattle on Tuesday, leaving at least twenty-three dead (Reuters)