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06 Oct 2016

The changing character of African armed forces

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Democracy & Peace

Security

Terrorism

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France

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A symposium organised from 5-6 October by the Strategic Research Institute of the Military Academy (IRSEM) in Paris, addressed the many challenges that African armies face. Contrary to popular belief, "their budgets are very small, their sizes have been reduced and the people are not invested in the armed forces," said Sonia Le Gouriellec, the co-organizer of the symposium. About 85% of African countries have been affected by coups, and almost every African country has experienced military rule. Read on

06 Oct 2016

France supports G5 Sahel armed forces

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According to a source from the French Ministry of the Interior, France plans to increase its support to Senegal and the G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad) to help them deal with security challenges. About EUR 42 million of financial assistance is planned for the 2017-22 period, half of which will be used to acquire new equipment. Read on

29 Sep 2016

Mali: No peace in sight

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The 29 September 2016 report of the UN Secretary General on the situation in Mali presents a bleak appraisal of the past three months. It barely masks the widespread frustration over the continued lack of concrete progress in the peace agreement’s implementation. Problems include: violations of the ceasefire in the Kidal region; inter-communal clashes in the Mopti region; attacks against United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), etc. Read on

15 Jul 2016

Food insecurity reaches extreme level in Borno State

Country:

Niger

Nigeria

Topics:

Agriculture & Fisheries

Development co-operation

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RPCA:

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Nigerian Minister of Health Isaac Adewole declared on 27 June a "nutrition emergency" in Borno State, where a large portion of the population is facing problems with access to food, water and health services due to the conflict in the north-east of the country. Information from recent rapid assessments raises the possibility that a famine could be occurring in the worst affected and less accessible pockets of the state. Read on

28 Jun 2016

West Africa: Investing in peace

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The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of the Swiss Confederation, organised a high-level meeting on the theme "Investing in peace and the prevention of violence in West Africa and the Sahel-Sahara" from 27 to 28 June in Dakar. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the causes of violence in West African societies and to identify ways to address them. Read on

21 Jun 2016

Development aid in the face of Boko Haram

Country:

Chad

Niger

Nigeria

Topics:

Development co-operation

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Olivier Ray, head of the crises and conflicts unit at AFD, offers some courses of action in response to Boko Haram violence in this article in the Ideas for Development blog. Development aid institutions must adapt their modes of action to the challenges of the regions where they operate, as they may well impact the fragility in which terrorist movements take root. However, they are neither an alternative to military struggle against terrorism, nor an ideological response. Read on

19 Mar 2016

The regionalisation of Boko Haram

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This Diploweb dossier dedicated to the regionalisation of the Islamic sect was prepared on the occasion of the 8th edition of the Grenoble Festival of Geopolitics: African Dynamics. According to the author, many analysts exaggerate the political influence of Boko Haram, which remains “relatively poor in resources”. Its military success can be mostly explained by the failure of the Nigerian government. The dossier provides an overview of facts and figures as well as a timeline of key events. Read on

13 Mar 2016

Islamist terrorism strike Côte d'Ivoire

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Côte d'Ivoire has no longer been spared by the Islamist terrorism that exists globally. On 13 March, three armed assailants opened fire on a beach and in several hotels in the resort town of Grand-Bassam, about 40km from Abidjan, killing 19 people according to the most recent reports. The majority of the victims were of Ivorian nationality. The attack occurred in the tourist area of Grand-Bassam, where many Abidjan residents, Ivorian and foreign, spend the weekends away. Read on

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Terrorism