Mali

Russia already has "hundreds" of mercenaries in Mali, but there was no sign they were using EU-trained Malian soldiers, the EU foreign service has said.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission to Mali, or MINUSMA, has temporarily suspended all flights after West African and EU states imposed sanctions that disrupted air and land transport.

Mali has asked France for a review of bilateral defense accords against the backdrop of growing tensions between Paris and the ruling junta in Bamako, a French diplomat said Monday.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) called on Friday for concerted international action to end armed conflict in Africa’s central Sahel region, which has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes in the last decade.

Sweden has decided to withdraw its troops this year from a European special forces mission to the Sahel region, and will review its U.N. contribution after the arrival of private Russian military contractors in Mali, its foreign minister said.

Antonio Guterres says he is working with the AU and ECOWAS on creating ‘conditions’ to allow for accelerated transition.

The European Union will impose sanctions on Mali in line with measures already taken by the ECOWAS grouping of West African states, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday.

The EU’s role in an anti–jihadist defence and security mission in the Sahel region is under increasing threat as relations with the military government in Mali continue to decline over delayed elections and the presence of Russian mercenaries, EU officials conceded on Thursday.

Angered by ECOWAS's financial and economic sanctions, Mali's junta has now called on citizens to protest against the punitive measures. Analysts say the junta still enjoys considerable support among the