Following a request from the government of Burkina Faso, the CILSS Agrhymet Regional Centre will launch in Februrary a new training for water engineers. Improving water resource management is a key priority for the Sahel and West Africa. The application deadline is 20 January 2018. Read on

UNICEF has published a statistical report on child marriage in West and Central Africa. As a previous Maps & Facts issue has shown, the region remains one of the most impacted by early marriage, which is one of the practices that the sustainable development goals seek to eradicate. Seven West African countries rank among the top 20 countries in the world with the highest rate of child marriage. Read on

The ambush that killed four American soldiers in Niger on 4 October has stirred up a public debate in the US. The controversy over the nature of the US intervention in Niger has been fuelled by the US military’s lack of transparency about this operation. With the need to step up the fight against Boko Haram, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the region, the United States may increase its presence and abandon the low-profile strategy that it has preferred until recently. Read on

Following the green light from the United Nations on 21 June, G5 Sahel leaders officially launched a joint military force (FC-G5S) during an extraordinary summit held on 2 July in Bamako. French President Emmanuel Macron participated in the event. He confirmed that the French would back the new force and called for its rapid and effective implementation. Read on