West Africa

In Senegal, the 15th contemporary African art biennial may not open on May 16 as planned due to insufficient funding. This globally renowned art event is held biennially in Dakar.

The political campaign in Togo continues ahead of next Monday's legislative and regional elections. This comes as lawmakers recently approved a contentious new Constitution that shifts the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system. President Faure Gnassingbé has two weeks to enact it. However, as preparations for the dual vote continue, the Catholic Church's request to deploy observers was turned down by the Electoral Commission.

In Guinea, the Sacred Union coalition was formed, uniting various civil society organizations and political parties around the UFDG, main opposition force. During their initial statement on Monday, the new alliance urged the junta to hold elections promptly. Coalition members claim that General Mamadi Doumbouya's presidency has missed several deadlines, indicating a desire to seize power.

Malian organizations that signed the March 31 declaration filed a petition on Monday, April 22, before the Supreme Court to annul the decree that suspended political activities on April 10. This coalition includes almost all political parties and civil society organizations in the country, of various perspectives. These groups are demanding to resume their activities, yet their chances of success appear slim.

The Sahel in Africa now sees nearly half of global terrorism deaths, according to a summit in Nigeria combatting terrorism continent-wide. The rise in Islamist extremist threats forced international troops, including French forces, to depart Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after coups. Professor Stig Jarle Hansen discusses the consequences of French troop withdrawal, noting increased Russian involvement in the region's "Cold War" dynamic.

The United States agreed Friday to withdraw its more than 1,000 troops from Niger, officials said, upending its position in West Africa, where the country is home to a major drone base.

Togo's legislators approved a constitutional change to a parliamentary system, despite opposition concerns about President Gnassingbe's continued hold on power. The reform has sparked criticism from dissenting parties.

On Thursday, three French diplomats were ordered to leave Burkina Faso within 48 hours. The ruling junta deemed them persona non grata due to alleged "subversive activities," a claim Paris refutes. Tensions between the nations have escalated since Burkina Faso's second coup in 2022. France denies allegations of wrongdoing.

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye visited Mauritania, his first trip abroad since March election. The two presidencies confirmed.

Burkina Faso recently ejected three French diplomats for engaging in "subversive activities," as stated in a foreign ministry document obtained by FRANCE 24.