Questionable Source of Washington’s Nigeria Policy
The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have drawn on dubious data traced to Emeka Umeagbalasi, a shop owner who acknowledged his database on violence against Christians often draws on unverified claims (NYT)
After RSF Attack, Chad Rethinks Sudan Position
Tensions heightened in N’Djamena after RSF forces killed seven Chadian soldiers, sparking concerns that Chad could drop its neutral status in the Sudan crisis and take on a more active role (Times of Israel)
ISIS-Sahel Kills Four in Fanatic Targeting
Members of the self-proclaimed Islamic State Sahel Province killed four Burkinabè civilians accused of practicing idol worship and sorcery (Daily Post)
Abuja Claims Two Hundred Militant Deaths
Police footage shows a wooded camp up in flames as Nigeria’s military claims it killed hundreds of so-called bandits in a large-scale operation in central Nigeria’s Kogi state (BBC)
U.S.-Nigeria Partnership
The United States provided military supplies to Nigerian partners in the country’s capital of Abuja, U.S. Africa Command said (AFRICOM)
Last month, U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted joint strikes against self-declared Islamic State targets in the country’s northwest (AFRICOM)
Trump said at the time the actions were meant to protect the country’s Christian population (WSJ)
Mali’s military junta revoked the licenses of a dozen Nigerien truck drivers who refused to drive fuel shipments into Mali, where a jihadist blockade on Niamey threatens to expose them to attack (BBC)
Sahel’s Junta Leaders Retain ICC Membership
Leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States promised months ago to pull their nations from the International Criminal Court; nearly half a year later, they remain members (Africa Report)
Trump Pulls United States From Global Terror Watchdog
The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund’s leader said the move came as a shock against the backdrop of rising extremist threats in Afghanistan, the Sahel, and Syria (Reuters)
Trump Threatens More Nigeria Strikes
In an interview with the New York Times, President Donald Trump threatened more strikes against militants in Nigeria if armed groups continue to kill Christians (NYT)
The Nigerian government continues to assert that an array of religious groups are being targeted in violent attacks (BBC)
Burkina Faso Thwarts Alleged Assassination
Ouagadougou announced it intercepted an assassination plot aimed to depose General Ibrahim Traoré; military officials accused chief rival Paul Henri Damiba of conspiring with Côte d’Ivoire to funnel arms and funding for the scheme into Burkina Faso (BBC)
Suspected Jihadist Attack on Mali Gold Mine
The Morila gold mine in Mali, Africa’s third-largest gold producer, came under siege over the weekend in a suspected jihadist attack; an American company signed an agreement to control the mine last year (Reuters)
JNIM Kills Nigerien Prefect, Family
Captain Chaïbou Mali, a local prefect outside of Niger’s capital, and his family were burned alive after JNIM militants fired rockets at their home in the middle of the night (AFP)
After U.S. Strikes, Militants Kill Again
As residents described a chaotic, lawless environment, the Nigerian government said it believed the attackers—who killed dozens and kidnapped several others—passed through the area as they fled the region where U.S. strikes targeted militants days earlier (NYT)
Abuja: Don’t Touch U.S. Debris
Nigeria’s government said undetonated explosives from U.S. strikes in the country’s northwest could pose a security threat to civilians (Reuters)
AES Leaders Criticize, Reciprocate U.S. Ban
In response to the Trump administration’s latest travel ban targeting African nations, military junta leaders in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their own bans on U.S. nationals (BI Africa)
Niamey Announces Mobilization Measures
As Niger continues to combat armed attacks from al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates in the Sahel, its military junta announced a general mobilization that could see civilians and their property conscripted for military purposes (Al Jazeera)
Trump Interview Contradicts Nigerian Government
While Nigeria’s foreign minister said religious affiliation played no role in the U.S. strikes, President Trump told Politico that the move was intended to show U.S. support for Nigeria’s Christian population (BBC)
Questions Remain After U.S. Strikes
Analysts said credible information surrounding the strikes remains limited as locals described hours of loud noises and bright flashes during the U.S. attack on Islamic militants in northwestern Nigeria (AP)
Trump: Nigeria Strikes Are a “Christmas Present”
As Nigerian leaders tried to separate religion from the attacks on Islamic militants in the country’s embattled northwest, President Trump said the missile strikes were intended to protect Christians in Nigeria; experts say claims that Christians are being singled out remain dubious (CNN)
AES Leaders Pledge to Combat Terror
The military chiefs of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—three of the Sahel’s states most impacted by the regional terror crisis—said they would work together to bolster security cooperation efforts (AP)
EU Ready to Work With Sahel’s Juntas
The European Union said its new strategy aims to curb prolonged tensions with the Sahel region, where junta leaders have adopted a decisively anti-colonial geopolitical stance (DW)
Abuja Issues Formal Apology in Airspace Scuffle
After a Nigerian military jet sparked a diplomatic crisis when it landed without authorization in Burkina Faso, Abuja’s foreign minister issued an official apology in an in-person meeting with Burkinabè leader Ibrahim Traoré (BBC)
AES Hit With U.S. Travel Ban
The Trump administration announced it will prohibit citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from entering the United States, saying it is intended to address domestic safety concerns (BBC)
Thirteen Kidnapped in Central Nigeria
Armed attackers kidnapped a dozen worshippers during an Evangelical church service in central Nigeria, the latest in a string of similar assaults across the country (BBC)
Benin: Niger’s Junta Involved in Coup
Cotonou announced that it suspected Nigerien authorities were aware of an attempted coup in Benin and may have worked with plotters ahead of last week’s thwarted attempt (Le Monde)
United States Mulls Ivoirian Military Proposal
Sources in the Ivorian government said Washington is considering a proposal to station aircraft in northern Côte d’Ivoire as part of an effort to target Islamic extremist groups in the Sahel (Reuters)