Africa

During his first official visit to Moscow under the military rule in Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, held extensive discussions with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The discussions on November focussed on increasing bilateral cooperation in economic sectors. But particularly significant was Russia’s military …

Nearly three weeks after a coup that dissolved a tenuous transitional government, protesters in Sudan remain defiant. On Saturday, five protestors were killed and dozens were injured in pro-democracy demonstrations, as security forces deployed tear gas and gunfire to disperse the crowds. When protestors began to form in all of …

The trial of former Ansar al-Din member, Ahmed al-Faqi, was the most prominent case of a militant tried for war crimes stemming from the 2012-2013 conflict in Mali, but such trials have not continued since 2017. Ansar al-Din’s successor coalition group, Group for Supporters of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), and …

The African Union Mission in Somalia’s UN mandate is nearing its end. Despite the mission’s mixed record, its withdrawal could allow Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgents to take over the country. A mandate extension would allow Somalia, donors and partners to agree on a reconfiguration and funding. What’s new? The UN mandate …

ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN The deadliest fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the Autumn 2020 six-week war erupted in mountainous areas of their state border on Tuesday. The clashes lasted for over three hours and killed at least nine soldiers from both sides. Russia brokered a ceasefire and proposed to discuss preventive mechanisms. …

On November 16, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held diplomatic talks with his counterpart, Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, who paid a working visit to Moscow, Russia. The talks, intended to strengthen political dialogue, also focused on the search for effective ways to scale-up development in Africa. …

Introduction (FPRI) — On the same day President Joseph Biden laid out his vision for global engagement at the U.S. State Department, he also extended greetings to the 34th Summit of the African Union (AU). That Africa popped up on the President’s radar screen so early in his administration is …

The French military has transferred control of a second military base in northeastern Mali to the Malian army. This is part of a long-planned move to reorganize and cut down the number of deployed troops in Mali as part of Operation Barkhane. French troops are expected to gradually drop from …

Rebel leaders who integrated into the transitional bodies through the civilian side after the 2020 Juba Peace Agreements have allied with the military, but some defiance remains. Flanked by two national flags and dressed in military uniform, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the military coup in Sudan last month, …

Eight Eritreans were expelled in October after being in detention for two years without due legal process or access to the UNHCR; another 12 are thought to be at imminent risk. EgyptAir flight MS833 took off from Cairo on Oct. 31 at 10:40 p.m., heading for Asmara, the capital of …