Latest news with #Sahelian
Economist
17 hours ago
- General
- Economist
African architects have cool designs for a warming planet
The first thing you notice, stepping from the scorching Sahelian sun into the laterite-stone dome, is how cold it is. There is no air-conditioning, just shade and natural ventilation; nor is there plaster. Diebedo Francis Kere, the architect behind the new mausoleum in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, strives to use only what can be sourced nearby. 'I'm a construction-material opportunist,' he says. 'I look around at what is most abundant, and how people use it, and try to do something new.' The result is a building so austere, low-tech and elegant that it is like entering a temple of the ancient world.
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Niger Accuses France of Destabilizing Sahel Region
Israa Farhan Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tiani has accused France and other Western powers of orchestrating indirect efforts to destabilize the Sahel Confederation through covert intelligence operations and the support of armed groups. Speaking in a four-hour televised interview with national broadcaster RTN, President Tiani claimed that a broad international conspiracy is at play. He alleged the involvement of foreign intelligence agencies, international actors, and neighboring states in an attempt to undermine the emerging Sahel Confederation, which includes Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Tiani identified two alleged French intelligence units operating in the region. The first, he claimed, was established following the July 26, 2023 coup and is led by Jean-Marie Bockel, French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy to Africa. This unit reportedly includes French military officers and aims to prevent the spread of the Sahelian political movement and to preserve France's military presence in the region. The second, dubbed the 'Élysée Sahel Cell,' was reportedly launched in September 2024 under the supervision of Christophe Guyot. According to Tiani, this unit consists of French foreign intelligence personnel, diplomats, and officials from the International Organization of La Francophonie. He named Jérémy Robert as the operational leader of the cell, which he accused of having "unlimited financial resources" dedicated to destabilizing the Sahel Confederation. The Nigerien president further alleged that a strategy of "terrorist resettlement" is being pursued in the border areas shared with Mali and Burkina Faso, supported by the redeployment of fighters from the Lake Chad basin. He accused Benin of allowing these armed groups to settle in its northern territories, a region he described as being under 'direct French influence.' Tiani also revealed the existence of a high-level meeting on 15 March 2025, which he claims brought together representatives of Western powers and armed groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). The aim of this alleged gathering, he said, was to launch an indirect war against the Sahelian states, beginning with Niger. Additionally, the president accused Nigeria of providing refuge and logistical support to French forces expelled from Niger. He pointed to two meetings held in Abuja on 25 January and 3 February 2025 as key moments in the coordination of what he described as a broader destabilization campaign. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Eyewitness News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Ghana detains over 2,200 undocumented migrants in crime crackdown
ACCRA, GHANA - Ghanaian immigration officials said they had detained more than 2,000 undocumented foreign nationals in Accra on Friday in an operation to dismantle criminal networks and curb street begging. Of the 2,241 arrested during the early morning raids, 1,332 were children, immigration services said in a statement. Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak said in a Facebook post the operation was "to address the growing concern of organised street begging involving foreign nationals. "This activity poses a national security risk and damages the image of our country," he added. Many of those arrested had entered Ghana via "unapproved routes, bypassing essential immigration", he said. Many of those caught in the raid were from neighbouring junta-led Sahelian country of Burkina Faso as well as from Togo. Some of the others were from as far away as Nigeria. They will undergo security and medical screening before repatriation to their home countries, with the authorities promising to treat them with "the highest professionalism, with respect for their human rights". Some local people welcomed the action. John Gyamfi, a 43-year-old Ghanaian spare parts dealer said the arrests were "long overdue". "Some of these foreigners engage in prostitution and street begging," he said. "It's embarrassing: they come here and people think they are Ghanaians and they embarrass the good name of Ghana. If they go, the streets will be neat again," he added. But some undocumented migrants say desperation, not crime, was behind their arrival in Ghana. "Finding food has become a problem for us," Chamsiya Alhassan, a mother from Niger told AFP as she queued for a bus. "Our husbands and relatives have been killed. We are here only to find something to eat," she added. The Sahel region is battling growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
France 24
14-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
South Sudan : Ugandan troops' breached arms embargo
Also, in 2023, Morocco launched an ambitious initiative to offer Sahelian nations — including Mali, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso — access to the Atlantic Ocean. The plan aims to boost Morocco's strategic influence across the region. But on the ground, security threats and weak infrastructure make the journey across the Sahel both challenging and dangerous. Finally, in Senegal, electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly common sight on the streets of Dakar. Mostly imported from China, many of these new electric cars are being used in the ride-hailing sector — part of the government's broader push for cleaner transport in the heavily polluted capital. Caitlin Kelly reports from Dakar.
Zawya
05-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Agricultural Policy: the twelfth Strategic Orientation Committee of the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) evaluates the activities of 2024
On 2 May 2025 the members of the Strategic Orientation Committee of the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) meet in Lomé, Togo, to assess the 2024 activity report and financial execution for the 2024 financial year. The meeting of the Steering Committee is the twelfth of its kind since the launch of RAAF in 2013. This governance body is a key forum for accountability, experience sharing and strategic orientation. It enables RAAF, as the Agency coordinating the implementation of projects and programs under the Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), to submit two reports to the members of the Committee for their appraisal, namely the 2024 activity report and the 2025 budget on the one hand, and the financial report for the 2024 financial year on the other hand. 'For the 2024 financial year, the main challenges affecting the implementation of projects and programs are the security crisis in the Sahel countries, which affects access to project areas, and the withdrawal of the three Sahelian countries (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) from ECOWAS. While alternatives often involve their participation in the implementation of projects, more adequate solutions must be found. I can assure you that the authorities of our regional Community are resolutely working on', Mrs Massandjé Touré-Litsé, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, says. Despite the challenging context, RAAF was able to achieve a physical implementation rate of 72% and a financial implementation rate of 75%, giving an overall implementation rate of about 74%. RAAF works every day to improve the coordination and facilitation of the implementation of projects and programs on the one hand, and the networking of all stakeholders in the development of the agricultural sector in West Africa on the other hand. The advice and guidance from the Steering Committee will reinforce this dynamic. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
