Mali

Russian mercenaries fill Mali vacuum as European powers pursue an exit.

West Africa is rocked by yet another coup as the military seizes power in Ouagadougou and holds onto control in Bamako.

Russia’s Wagner Group has its eyes on Mali. It fits a pattern of Russian interference in Africa.

But banishing the neocolonial approach is easier said than done.

Paris wants out of the quagmire. Biden’s not offering any lifelines.

Military solutions won’t end terrorism in the Sahel. Addressing the environmental factors destroying livelihoods and fueling extremist groups’ recruitment could.

U.S. diplomacy is back in West Africa—but the United States is also back to its old counterterrorism playbook.

By standing up for democracy and free trade, the United States can outflank China and Russia, its authoritarian rivals on the continent.

The country needs stronger institutions to bolster public confidence in the democratic system. The international community can help.

France’s unilateralism and the United States’ wavering are destabilizing the Sahel—and creating an opening for Russia and China.

Both parties have featured speeches from key diplomats at their conventions, with Mike Pompeo making a controversial cameo at the RNC—but they aren’t proposing much that’s new.

The AU’s double standard on lifelong leaders who reject term limits undercuts its moral standing to reject military coups.

Politics in the country have followed familiar cycles of violence and collapse.

The overthrow, swiftly condemned by the U.S. government, could pose a setback in the regional fight against extremist groups.

American, French, and West African leaders must pressure the army to stand down and form an interim government, before a power vacuum and violent extremism threaten the entire region.

Replacing the president won’t resolve the country’s deep-seated political problems. If neighboring nations and global powers don’t demand a democratic transition, it could lead to greater instability across West Africa.