Niger

Russia in West Africa: Trying to replace the West?

Editor’s note: This article was written by Ana Maria Baloi and originally published on Grey Dynamics. This report examines the likelihood of a Russian power projection in West Africa, based on the country’s ambitions, military doctrine and previous and current actions in other parts of the continent Key Judgements KJ-1: Russia’s interest in Africa is […]

G5 Sahel summit needs to address terrorism and instability in West Africa

Despite some modest military gains by the governments in the past few months, the political instability in many West African nations, especially in Burkina Faso and Mali, could risk all of that and plunge the entire region into chaos. The members of the G5 Sahel are holding a summit in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott […]

Senior Officer Who Approved Niger Ambush Mission Gets Denied General rank

Following the deadly 2017 Niger ambush that resulted in the loss of four U.S. Special Forces troops, Colonel Bradley D. Moses, who approved the ill-fated mission, has been permanently removed from the promotion list to Brigadier General, highlighting the ongoing scrutiny and accountability faced by officers involved in the operation.

Honoring the Niger Special Forces team this Memorial Day

Inconvenient fact: If you peel back the onion and focus on the facts, you will see that the most vocal military veterans on the internet, the ones who scream the loudest, triggered by their own insecurities as they fall into full Budweiser induced retard mode, likely didn’t serve so well. And some didn’t serve at […]

Boko Haram terrorists strike again in Niger

The fighting in southwestern Niger, along the border with Nigeria, has intensified. A large force of Boko Haram terrorists stormed a Niger military base in Diffa, the largest city in the area. The group claimed that they completely overran the base in Diffa. They posted a propaganda video that purportedly shows their fighters capturing the […]

French cajole Chadian partners to continue counterterrorism fight

France and the countries of G5 Sahel — Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania — have requested that Chad, also a member of the coalition, continues to take part in it. The G5 countries also “highlighted the importance of sending a Chadian battalion to the Three-Borders area as soon as possible,” according to a joint […]

French Legionnaires die in the Sahel fighting Jihadists

Two French Legionnaires have died from wounds sustained while fighting Islamic extremists in Mali. Brigadier Dymyto Martynyouk was part of a mounted patrol when his armored vehicle struck an improvised explosive device on April 23. His wounds were severe enough and couldn’t be treated in-theater. He was evacuated to France where he, unfortunately, died in […]

Irish top Special Operations unit returns from Africa

The Irish Government has ordered the return of the country’s top Special Operators from Mali despite the qualms of the United Nations. The small contingent, approximately 14 men, of the Army Ranger Wing (ARW), Ireland’s Tier 1 Special Operations unit, have been on the ground in Mali for approximately four months. Their main purpose there […]

A religious war: Jihadists in the Sahel target Christians

One of the underreported aspects of the violence in the Sahel is the ongoing targeting of Christians and their churches, which threatens to drive them out of the area for good. According to an annual report by the Christian charity organization, Open Doors, 27 Islamist groups repeatedly target Christians in the Sahel.  Climate change played […]

French Special Operations task force grows as Estonia commits commandos

Estonian commandos are the latest to join a French-led Special Operations task force that will deploy in Africa in the upcoming summer to fight Islamic extremists. The deployment of the Estonian commandos was first reported by the Defense Post back in 2019. Then, an Estonian Defense Ministry spokesperson had stated that the country’s contribution to […]

Terrorist assault on Malian military base leaves dozens of dead

The Malian army suffered another bloody setback in the northern region of the country. At least 29 people were killed, with some reports stating that all 29 were soldiers in the town of Tarkint, north of the city of Gao. However, the military posted on social media that only two of the dead were soldiers, […]