All articles tagged with #west africa
West African laboratory scientists warn that weakening health systems risk future epidemics and urge governments to invest in outbreak detection and diagnostic capacity, stressing regional cooperation and lessons from Ebola and COVID-19, while calling for investment in people and infrastructure to maintain preparedness.
A makeshift migrant boat that left Gambia about a month ago was found adrift about 65 nautical miles southwest of Gran Canaria. Forty-four people were rescued, with several in critical condition; 83 of the 127 passengers have reportedly died, according to Caminando Fronteras, and five bodies could not be recovered due to bad weather. Survivors, mostly from Mali or Senegal, described dehydration and disorientation after a long voyage at sea. The Canary Islands route remains the deadliest Africa-Europe migration corridor, prompting calls for stronger migration policy in Spain amid broader migratory pressures.
Niger’s capital Niamey faces a mutiny by soldiers, illustrating an overstretched security apparatus battling jihadist attacks with Russian support and underscoring how worsening insecurity in the central Sahel is fueling unrest within the militaries that have seized power.
An international operation (Operation Jackal IV) led to 58 arrests and 263 identified suspects across 22 countries, targeting West African cybercrime networks like the Black Axe syndicate and crimes such as romance scams, crypto fraud, and business email compromise, with authorities also citing related actions (Red Card 2.0 and First Light 2026) that yielded hundreds more arrests and multimillion-dollar seizures.
A Frontiers in Marine Science study reports living mesophotic coral gardens off Benin in the Gulf of Guinea at about 54 meters depth, found after decades when researchers thought such reefs were dead. Using side-scan sonar, underwater cameras, and a drone, scientists documented patchy hard-bottom habitats with octocorals, black corals, and multiple fish species, suggesting these twilight reefs may be refuges from warming and are more widespread but underexplored. Limitations include surveying only one of two identified areas and lacking coral samples for definitive identifications.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has swelled to around 2,473 cases and 999 deaths, prompting WHO to label it a public health emergency of international concern. Emergency physician Dr. Simon Mardel warns it could be unprecedented due to undetected transmission and cross-border spread (including into Uganda), with Nigeria considered a potential flashpoint; factors like mining communities complicate containment. Rapid case finding, tracing and infection control are crucial to preventing a wider catastrophe, and the virus strain involved (Bundibugyo) currently has no vaccine.
The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a strike against the al-Qaeda–linked group JNIM in Mali, which would be his eighth country targeted in a second-term aggress, though officials are divided on whether to proceed; Mali’s security situation is volatile amid Russian involvement and the Alliance of Sahel States, with the Pentagon declining to comment and the White House not confirming any plans.
Scientists rediscovered a healthy mesophotic reef off Benin, West Africa, more than 60 years after it was first hinted at, hosting at least eight coral types and eight fish species (including soft corals and black corals). The reef lies about 175 feet below the surface and bridges shallow and deep habitats, offering opportunities for paleoclimatic study and carbon dating, with plans to seek protection and hopes that the Gulf of Guinea becomes a regional hub for marine science.
A coral reef long presumed dead off the West African coast was found to be alive and teeming with life after modern sonar surveys and an underwater drone revealed a mesophotic coral ecosystem with eight coral types and eight fish species, marking the first confirmed living reef in the Gulf of Guinea shelf and highlighting how little is known about coastal West African ecosystems, with further sampling still needed to confirm species identities and extent.
Coordinated April 25 assaults by jihadist and Tuareg separatist groups killed Mali’s defense minister, seized bases, and threatened Bamako, underscoring how al-Qaeda and Islamic State factions have widened their reach from Mali into Niger and Burkina Faso. The campaign, linked with IS and Al Qaeda networks, is occurring with Russia’s Africa Corps backing and risks mining areas, displacement on a large scale, and potential regional and global security implications if the momentum continues.
Jihadist groups in West Africa are increasingly using commercially available drones for reconnaissance and attacks. Acled reports about 69 drone strikes by the al-Qaeda–aligned Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in Mali and Burkina Faso since 2023, with roughly 20 by Islamic State affiliates (ISWAP and ISSP) across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The latest attack on Jan 29 targeted a Nigerian military base in Borno, and ISSP also attacked Niger's Niamey airport, signaling a broader trend: drones lower costs and risk for militants and enable high‑impact operations. Experts call for preemptive strikes against drone sites and stronger counter-drone defenses to curb this escalation.
Gunfire and explosions were heard near Niamey’s international airport in Niger’s capital early Thursday; casualties and the cause are unclear. The airport houses an air force base and is close to the presidential palace, amid Niger’s ongoing jihadist violence and regional security efforts led by the junta with allies in the Sahel.
Hollywood actors Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors received Guinean citizenship after tracing their ancestry to Guinea through DNA testing, and were celebrated in a private ceremony in Conakry, highlighting Guinea's recognition of descendants of enslaved Africans.
Mali and Burkina Faso have imposed a travel ban on US citizens in retaliation for the US banning citizens from these countries, reflecting escalating tensions and reciprocal measures amid regional security issues involving armed groups.
Guinea's military leader Mamady Doumbouya has been declared the winner of the presidential election with 86.72% of the vote, marking a move towards civilian rule after a military coup in 2021. The election was boycotted by main opposition leaders, and the results are pending validation by the Supreme Court.