Vol 56 No 19 | BURKINA FASO The people take on the putschists 24th September 2015 After launching a coup, soldiers loyal to ousted President Compaoré face conflict with the national army and activists on the street The presence of coup leader General Gilbert Diendéré, flanked by soldiers from the Régiment de sécurité présidentielle (RSP), to welcome West African leaders at Ouagadougou airport on 23... READ FOR FREE
Vol 56 No 19 | SIERRA LEONE Court rescues Koroma 24th September 2015 Five months after being asked to rule on the President’s summary sacking of his Vice-President, judges have dismayed many by endorsing it In a decision mourned in Freetown's legal and political circles alike, the Supreme Court has ruled that President Ernest Bai Koroma did indeed have the power to sack...
Vol 56 No 18 | GHANA A helping hand from the Washington twins 10th September 2015 Cash and lobbying from the IMF and World Bank boost the government a year before elections Smiling broadly and sporting his trademark northern smock, on 7 September John Mahama submitted his application in Accra to stand again as the governing party's presidential candidate in... READ FOR FREE
Vol 56 No 18 | GUINEA BISSAU The old demons return 10th September 2015 Just as the country begins to recover from military rule, the governing party’s cracks re-open, bringing back instability The governmental crisis has rapidly become a constitutional crisis as the battle lines are drawn between supporters of President José Mário Vaz and those of the Prime Minister...
Vol 56 No 18 | SENEGAL Timis under scrutiny 10th September 2015 The USA may be stepping into the controversy over a mining tycoon and a presidential brother The operations of entrepreneur Vasile Frank Timis in Senegal have come under scrutiny from the United States Department of Justice, Africa Confidential has learned. US federal prosecutors are...
Vol 56 No 18 | MALI GATIA digs in 10th September 2015 Fighters of a pro-government militia, the Groupe d'autodéfense touareg imghad et alliés , have agreed to withdraw from the northern town of Anéfis but appear to be in...
Vol 56 No 18 | NIGERIA On the road 10th September 2015 Expected in Paris on 14-15 September for a regional security conference, President Muhammadu Buhari will attend a series of bilateral meetings with President François Hollande, Foreign Minister...
Vol 56 No 17 | LIBERIA Ellen calls the shots 27th August 2015 The President is unpopular but she dominates the country's political scene and will influence the selection of her successor in 2017 It hasn't all been plain sailing. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's government was rocked by the social and political side-effects of the Ebola epidemic, with some in the country openly...
Vol 56 No 17 | GUINEA Swiss probe in Conakry 27th August 2015 An enquiry into Guinea's most notorious mining deal has been stepped up. Swiss investigators travelled to Conakry in July to interview key witnesses in the Simandou mining rights...
Vol 56 No 16 | NIGERIA Fighting graft, Buhari-style 6th August 2015 The administration’s anti-corruption campaign has yet to launch and questions are growing about the APC’s ability to deliver Two vital promises were made during President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Washington last month. Firstly, Nigeria would actively seek to recover some US$150 billion of stolen funds reckoned...