22 Illegal Miners Arrested After Violent Clash In Minna, Niger Sate, Nigeria

On July 10, 2025, a bloody confrontation erupted in the M.I. Wushishi Estate neighborhood of Minna, Niger State, among illegal miners. Some individuals were said to have been hurt before the police could respond. Maitumbi Division officers came swiftly and took away 22 suspects, some of whom were female, while others escaped. The neighborhood is [...]

Niger Junta Struggles As Jihadist Threat Grows

Less than two years after taking power, Niger’s junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, is struggling to stop rising jihadist violence. He had promised to bring security after the 2023 coup, but attacks by al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and Islamic State fighters have increased. In May, about 100 soldiers were killed in two attacks near Mali and Benin. [...]

Senegalese Commentator Arrested Over Alleged ‘False News’

Senegal: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the Senegalese government to promptly free news commentator Bachir Fofana, who has been ordered by a judge to remain in detention until July 9 as his trial continues. Fofana faces charges for allegedly publishing false information regarding a vehicle purchase contract for the National Assembly. The government has [...]

Attacks Target Nigeria’s Christians

In Nigeria’s Benue State, about 200 Christians were killed in a violent attack by Islamist Fulani militants. The attackers shouted “Allahu Akbar,” burned homes, and used guns and machetes to harm people. Many victims were sheltering in a Catholic mission. The pope and the U.S. State Department condemned the attack, calling it part of ongoing [...]

Struggles Of Women In Conflict-Hit Niger

In Abala and Tillabery, Niger, most people rely on farming, herding, and trade. But violence and insecurity have made these jobs dangerous. The government’s rules, like closing markets and banning motorcycles, have made things even harder. Women, already facing limits on their freedom and land rights, have lost many small ways they used to earn [...]

France Returns Military Base to Senegal as Part of Broader Withdrawal

Senegal: France has transferred a military base to Senegal as part of a larger withdrawal of its troops from the West African nation. Senegal's President Bassirou Dioumaye Faye announced late last year that France, the former colonial power, must close its military bases in Senegal by 2025. This process began in March with the initial [...]

Mali’s Military Junta Cracks Down on Free Speech, Dismantles Political Parties

Mali: Malian journalist Seydou Oumar Traoré was arrested on May 26 for criticizing Guinea’s transitional president, Gen. Mamady Doumbouya, highlighting a disturbing pattern of imprisoning Malian critics of regional military governments. Traoré, who had recently returned from an official trip to Kidal with the Malian Minister of Defense’s delegation, stated in a widely shared social [...]

Deadly Suicide Bombing Sparks Fears Of Boko Haram Resurgence

On the night of June 21, 2025, a woman set off a bomb in a crowded fish market in Konduga, near Maiduguri in Nigeria, killing at least 12 people. This is the first suicide bombing in the region in 2025, after a drop in such attacks in recent years. Boko Haram, an Islamist group, has [...]

Niger’s Language Shift: A Bold Move With Big Challenges For Education

In March 2025, Niger changed its official language from French to Hausa. This move was part of a larger effort to break from its colonial past and build national pride. Only 13% of Nigeriens speak French, while nearly half speak Hausa, making the change popular among many citizens. However, this sudden shift brings major challenges [...]

Killing Intensifies in Nigeria This Spring

NIGERIA Population: 181 million Dominant Religion: Christianity Christians: 50.4 percent Persecution Ranking: 6 Deadly attacks by Fulani herdsmen have intensified in Nigeria this year. On April 2 and 3rd, more than 60 Christians in seven settlements were murdered in Plateau State. More than 1,000 are now displaced. Other recent attacks have left more than 3,000 [...]

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