Topics | West Africa Gateway | Portail de l'Afrique de l'Ouest

04 Apr 2016

The death penalty in West Africa: Progress and setbacks

Country:

Topics:

Body:

Amnesty International has released its Death Sentences and Executions report for 2015. The review of the situation in West Africa reveals notable differences in how countries in the region view the use of the death penalty both in law and in practice. Read on

01 Apr 2016

ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau ends mandate

Country:

Topics:

Members:

Body:

After four years of military presence in the smallest West African country, the 600-strong ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB) will end its mandate on 30 June 2016. The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff (CCDS) gathered on 23 March in Abuja to conceive a comprehensive exit strategy Read on

23 Mar 2016

Niger election: persisting fragility

Country:

Niger

Topics:

Democracy & Peace

Resilience

Body:

After a controversial and unsurprising second round, the re-election of Mahamadou Issoufou to the presidency is confirmed; according to the provisional results, Mahamadou Issoufou gained 92.98% of the vote, with an estimated voter turnout of 59.79% (compared to 66.8% during the first round). The results of the first round gave the upper hand to the incumbent with 48.3% of the vote, well ahead of his competitor, Hama Amadou, a former National Assembly president currently hospitalised in Paris, who had obtained 17.7% of the vote. Read on

20 Mar 2016

Cape Verde: Opposition wins power after 15 years

Country:

Cabo Verde

Topics:

Democracy & Peace

Body:

The peaceful democratic transition on the Cape Verdean islands is yet another positive example of the Island’s mature democracy. The centre-right Movement for Democracy (MpD), Cape Verde’s main opposition party, led by José Correia e Silva, mayor of the capital city Praia, gained an absolute majority in the 20 March parliamentary elections (53.5% of votes, 38 seats). Read on

13 Mar 2016

Islamist terrorism strike Côte d'Ivoire

Country:

Topics:

Members:

Body:

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

06 Mar 2016

Benin voters choose successor to President Boni Yayi

Country:

Benin

Topics:

Democracy & Peace

Body:

Voters in Benin went to the polls to choose their next leader in an election that further solidifies the country's credentials as a vibrant and stable democracy. The choice was between 33 candidates vying to succeed President Boni Yayi, who is stepping down after serving the maximum two terms in office. Read on

26 Jan 2016

Nigerians are "better together"

Country:

Topics:

Opinion:

Body:

Journalist and communications consultant Tolu Ogunlesi writes about the re-emergence of secessionist movements in southeast Nigeria in an opinion peace for the New York Times. The 1960s Nigerian civil war put an end to the short-lived independent state of Biafra, but many in the southeast continue to feel neglected by the federal government. Ogunlesi argues that activists should work within the system to achieve their aims. Read on

29 Dec 2015

Roch Marc Christian Kaboré sworn in as president

Country:

Burkina Faso

Topics:

Democracy & Peace

Body:

Precisely one month after his election on 29 November, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was formally sworn in as President of Burkina Faso. A large number of West African heads of state (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo) attended his inauguration at the Sports Palace at Ouagadougou 2000. In his statement, President Kaboré expressed his profound gratitude to the people of Burkina Faso who actively contributed to the successful transition toward democracy. "It is the victory of the Burkinabe and African youth who revolted against obscurantism and oppression. Read on

01 Jan 2014