Mali

Mali's proposed new constitution will shift the balance of executive power from the parliament towards the president. Junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita received a draft of the proposed constitution this week. The document, which is a key part of the military's bid to retain power until 2024, has not been made public.

Burkina Faso has become the third West African country to acquire Turkish-made armed drones for use in the fight against extremism.

Ten years after the start of the Malian crisis, political and security instability in the Sahel have changed in scale and nature, and spilled over across national frontiers.

[…] The reporting period was characterized by important political advances in relation to the strategic priorities of MINUSMA.

The United Nations on Monday urged Mali to free 46 detained Ivorian soldiers, after the junta in Bamako attacked UN chief Antonio Guterres over his comments on the two-month standoff.

The deterioration of the security environment in the western Sahel is marked by an array of differing actors, drivers, and motivations, calling for contextualized responses.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and African leaders have launched a high-level panel to assess the situation in the Sahel and make recommendations on ways to foster international engagement and map out responses to the region’s complex challenges.

Mali’s military-appointed prime minister has lashed out at France and the United Nations in a grievance-filled address over his nation’s deteriorating security situation while praising the “exemplary” cooperation with Russia.

The protestors waved Malian flags and chanted anti-UN slogans. Others carried Russian flags as they marched through the streets of the capital. … The protestors accused the mission of undermining Mali's sovereignty. 

The defence ministers and chiefs of staff of the G5 Sahel countries held an extraordinary meeting in Niamey on Thursday to consider a "new strategy" for the anti-jihadist force after Mali withdrew in May, AFP learnt Friday.