Mali's democratic credentials are being questioned by Amnesty International in its report Mali: basic liberties at risk. It lists allegations of police torture of arrested opposition activists, after...

The much-trumpeted Conakry peace accord of 23 October is already falling apart at the seams. Under the accord, Major Johnny Paul Koroma's Armed Forces Revolutionary Council undertook to...

Africa's strongmen are finding that disapproval from Western donors does not hurt them much. Denis Sassou-Nguesso is once more the ruler of Congo-Brazzaville by force of arms. In...

No one who has visited the Presidential complex at Aso Rock in recent weeks doubts that General Sani Abacha, encouraged by his wife Maryam and his 'kitchen cabinet',...

Nobody knows whether General Sani Abacha will take off his uniform and try to win an election as his own civilian successor in August 1998. Moreover, he may...

Major Johnny Paul Koroma's junta is increasingly personalising what it calls its 'dispute' with General Sani Abacha. In this way, it hopes to divide West African opinion over...

Liberia's Police Director, Joe Tate, is on the warpath against those who threaten what he calls 'good order'. In an anti-crime drive, his policemen have shot dead several...

Mali's diplomats are congratulating themselves. Swiss banks will repay just over 1.5 billion CFA francs (US$ 2.7million) from accounts held by Boubacar Dembélé, ex-head of the cigarette parastatal...

Possession seems to be nine-tenths of the law for Gambia's external partners. They have grown resigned to dealing with President Yahyah Jammeh since he converted his military regime...

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are looking closely at Gambian government finances and especially at June's mini-budget for the six months to December. The budget was...