<![CDATA[EL PAÍS]]>https://english.elpais.comMon, 08 Jun 2026 01:21:48 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[‘No vaccines, no treatment and in a conflict zone’: Why this Ebola outbreak is ‘very worrying’]]>https://english.elpais.com/health/2026-05-20/no-vaccines-no-treatment-and-in-a-conflict-zone-why-this-ebola-outbreak-is-very-worrying.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/health/2026-05-20/no-vaccines-no-treatment-and-in-a-conflict-zone-why-this-ebola-outbreak-is-very-worrying.htmlWed, 20 May 2026 14:47:09 +0000Before Ebola began to spread last April, the health situation in Ituri province in northeastern the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was already dire, with cholera outbreaks, diarrheal diseases, and thousands displaced from their homes. But what is coming now is a major crisis.

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]]>MARIE JEANNE MUNYERENKANA<![CDATA[Iyad Ag Ghali, the most wanted jihadist in the Sahel, is making Mali tremble]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-08/iyad-ag-ghali-the-most-wanted-jihadist-in-the-sahel-is-making-mali-tremble.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-08/iyad-ag-ghali-the-most-wanted-jihadist-in-the-sahel-is-making-mali-tremble.htmlFri, 08 May 2026 14:04:57 +0000Mali is under siege by two insurgent movements, the Tuareg rebellion and the jihadist insurgency, which have joined forces with the aim of overthrowing the government. Following last weekend’s joint offensive, which cost the life of the military junta’s Minister of Defense Sadio Camara, the jihadists have imposed a blockade on the capital, Bamako, attempting to prevent the entry of goods and people via the main roads. In the north, Kidal, a perpetually contested city, has fallen into rebel hands. The architect of this alliance is none other than Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM), who has spread the jihadist threat throughout the central Sahel and whose life story could easily fill a novel.

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]]>Patrick Robert - Corbis<![CDATA[Trump appoints Leo Brent Bozell III, a defender of apartheid in the 1980s, as ambassador to South Africa]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-02-26/trump-appoints-leo-brent-bozell-iii-a-defender-of-apartheid-in-the-1980s-as-ambassador-to-south-africa.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-02-26/trump-appoints-leo-brent-bozell-iii-a-defender-of-apartheid-in-the-1980s-as-ambassador-to-south-africa.htmlThu, 26 Feb 2026 08:48:49 +0000His name is Leo Brent Bozell III, and as of this Monday, he is the new United States ambassador to South Africa. Although he is not a diplomat and has few ties to Africa, in the 1980s he was known for his defense of apartheid and his criticism of the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in Pretoria, which he accused of terrorism. In 2013, five days after the death of Nelson Mandela, the great South African anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he said that the media “idealized” his figure. Today, Bozell defends the “white genocide” thesis, which points to the South African government as the promoter of land confiscations and crimes against the white minority, and he advocates for the acceptance of Afrikaners as refugees in the United States.

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]]><![CDATA[Nearly 2,000 African soldiers recruited by Russia are fighting in Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-07/nearly-2000-african-soldiers-recruited-by-russia-are-fighting-in-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-07/nearly-2000-african-soldiers-recruited-by-russia-are-fighting-in-ukraine.htmlSat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000At least 1,780 young Africans from 36 countries are currently fighting in the Russian army in the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported on February 25. Many of them traveled to Russia to continue their studies or with the promise of a well-paid job, unaware that they would be forced into the war as “cannon fodder,” according to a report by the investigative organization Inpact, which revealed the existence of online recruitment networks coordinated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). “This is not an isolated phenomenon, but a deliberate and organized strategy,” the report states. Ukrainian authorities confirmed last November that some 18,000 citizens from 128 countries are fighting in the Russian ranks.

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]]>STR<![CDATA[Russian Africa Corps mercenaries incorporate Madagascar into their expansion across the continent]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-25/russian-africa-corps-mercenaries-incorporate-madagascar-into-their-expansion-across-the-continent.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-25/russian-africa-corps-mercenaries-incorporate-madagascar-into-their-expansion-across-the-continent.htmlSun, 25 Jan 2026 04:00:00 +0000A Russian delegation of approximately 40 members, headed by General Andrei Averianov, head of the Africa Corps militia, met in late December with Madagascar’s interim president, Colonel Michael Randrianirina. During the meeting, Russia offered personal protection to the Malagasy leader, who has repeatedly stated that he feels threatened. In this way, Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to add Madagascar to the growing list of African countries under his direct influence, following the same pattern of protection and military cooperation in exchange for access to resources. This list already includes the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea, among others.

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]]>Anadolu<![CDATA[Journey to the heart of kush, the drug devastating West Africa ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-27/journey-to-the-heart-of-kush-the-drug-devastating-west-africa.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-27/journey-to-the-heart-of-kush-the-drug-devastating-west-africa.htmlSat, 27 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000The room smells of sweat and fear. A thick chain with a padlock seals the barred door, and inside, three young people lie on mattresses on the floor, dozing off thanks to a mix of exhaustion and diazepam. Every so often, nurse Saio Keita approaches to check their vital signs, and the youths stir in their half-sleep. Ibrahima (a fictitious name) is one of them. Connected to an IV drip, he watches her expressionlessly and dazed from somewhere deep within his mind.

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]]>Juan Luis Rod<![CDATA[Nigeria denies Trump’s allegations of attacks on Christians: Violence affects all faiths]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-11-04/nigeria-denies-trumps-allegations-of-attacks-on-christians-violence-affects-all-faiths.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-11-04/nigeria-denies-trumps-allegations-of-attacks-on-christians-violence-affects-all-faiths.htmlTue, 04 Nov 2025 15:09:37 +0000Nigeria has faced two decades of escalating violence perpetrated by armed groups — whether terrorists or criminal gangs — resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and more than 3.5 million people displaced from their homes. Between May 2023 and May 2025 alone, over 10,000 people were killed, according to Amnesty International. Victims have included both Christians and Muslims, the Nigerian government says. This violence takes many forms, ranging from radical Islamism in the northeast to conflicts between herders and farmers in the central region, as well as so-called “bandits,” as they are known in Nigeria, who specialize in kidnapping, extortion, and murder.

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]]>Sodiq Adelakun<![CDATA[Africa’s presidents for life]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-31/africas-presidents-for-life.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-31/africas-presidents-for-life.htmlSun, 31 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000On July 13, 92-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya announced on social media that he would be a candidate in next October’s elections. After nearly 43 years of uninterrupted power, Biya has become a true champion of political longevity, surpassed in Africa (by just one month) only by Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang. But they are not alone. In Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, head of state since 1986, is also preparing to run for his sixth re-election in January, while Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has announced that he will seek his fourth term, after removing the constitutional limit that prevented him from doing so. Presidents for life flourish in Africa.

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]]>Charles Platiau<![CDATA[Hidden debt is strangling Senegal ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-30/hidden-debt-is-strangling-senegal.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-30/hidden-debt-is-strangling-senegal.htmlSat, 30 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000To take a break from the heat, Abdoulaye Ba sits on one of the benches that adorn Dakar’s West Corniche. The promenade is just a few feet away from the sea. Over the past two decades, this coastal avenue, where thousands of young people play sports in the evening, has been a symbol of the dynamic construction industry in Senegal’s capital. Dozens of half-finished buildings rise here and there, from the Plateau administrative center to the Almadies nightlife district. However, lately, all construction work has come to a standstill.

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]]>PATRICK MEINHARDT (AFP / GETTY IMAGES)<![CDATA[Delinquency, Inc.: How crime is infiltrating the global economy]]>https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2025-06-29/delinquency-inc-how-crime-is-infiltrating-the-global-economy.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2025-06-29/delinquency-inc-how-crime-is-infiltrating-the-global-economy.htmlSun, 29 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000The tentacles of organized crime reach across the globe, strengthened by growing armed conflicts, various crises and a worldwide panorama that has put democracies under pressure. No country is immune; in fact, according to the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) research center, nearly 83% of the planet’s population lives in countries with high levels of violence. Its presence can be felt from the dense forests of the Amazon and the cyberspaces of Eastern Europe to the bustling ports and free trade zones of the Persian Gulf and hidden tax havens of the Mekong Golden Triangle. Human traffickers, counterfeiters, drug traffickers and cybercriminals are acting as new financial players and venture capitalists, shaping illicit economies — and their impact is growing in the global economy.

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]]>Mikel Jaso<![CDATA[From 10,000 to 2,000 soldiers in five years: France’s decline in Africa accelerates]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-12/from-10000-to-2000-soldiers-in-five-years-frances-decline-in-africa-accelerates.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-12/from-10000-to-2000-soldiers-in-five-years-frances-decline-in-africa-accelerates.htmlThu, 12 Dec 2024 16:26:33 +0000On February 2, 2013, then-French President François Hollande was welcomed as a liberator in the Malian cities of Bamako and Timbuktu, after a rapid military intervention led by Paris succeeded in dislodging the jihadists from the main cities in the north of the country. Eleven years later, the former heroes are now being driven out of Africa by a wave of sovereignty which, together with the emergence of new actors such as Russia, Turkey, and China, aims to banish the enormous French influence and interventionism from the continent: of the 10,000 soldiers present in Africa just five years ago, barely 4,000 remain, and it is expected that this number will be reduced to less than 2,000 in the coming months following recent announcements by Chad and Senegal.

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]]>Cem Ozdel,Cem Ozdel<![CDATA[Namibia to cull 723 animals including elephants, zebras and hippos to feed drought-stricken population]]>https://english.elpais.com/climate/2024-09-04/namibia-to-cull-723-animals-including-elephants-zebras-and-hippos-to-feed-drought-stricken-population.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/climate/2024-09-04/namibia-to-cull-723-animals-including-elephants-zebras-and-hippos-to-feed-drought-stricken-population.htmlWed, 04 Sep 2024 15:51:06 +0000On August 26, the Namibian government announced a plan to slaughter 723 wild animals, including 300 zebras, 83 elephants, and 30 hippopotamuses, whose meat will be used to feed the population affected by the severe drought that has been afflicting the country for the past year. The measure is also aimed at reducing the risk of potentially dangerous encounters between humans and animals, which approach inhabited areas in search of pasture and water, resources that are increasingly scarce due to the lack of rainfall. “With the severe drought situation in the country, conflicts are expected to increase if no action is taken,” the Environment Ministry said in a statement.

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]]>Philimon Bulawayo<![CDATA[‘The anteroom to hell’: Over 120 killed and 59 injured in attempted escape from DRC’s largest prison]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-09-03/the-anteroom-to-hell-over-120-killed-and-59-injured-in-attempted-escape-from-drcs-largest-prison.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-09-03/the-anteroom-to-hell-over-120-killed-and-59-injured-in-attempted-escape-from-drcs-largest-prison.htmlTue, 03 Sep 2024 12:26:30 +0000An attempted jail break from the Makala prison, the largest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ended in the early hours of Monday morning with at least 129 inmates dead, 24 of them from gunshot wounds and the rest from suffocation or crushing, 59 wounded, and an unspecified number of female prisoners raped, according to Security Minister Jacquemain Shabani. In addition, fires lit during the escape attempt destroyed the offices, the infirmary, and the food store. The prison, designed to hold 1,500 people, houses some 14,000 inmates and the harsh living conditions inside have been criticized on numerous occasions.

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]]><![CDATA[Ukraine’s alleged support for Tuareg rebels fighting Wagner mercenaries further poisons Sahel conflict]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-08-28/ukraines-alleged-support-for-tuareg-rebels-fighting-wagner-mercenaries-further-poisons-sahel-conflict.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-08-28/ukraines-alleged-support-for-tuareg-rebels-fighting-wagner-mercenaries-further-poisons-sahel-conflict.htmlWed, 28 Aug 2024 10:42:43 +0000Ukraine’s alleged support for the Tuareg rebels in their war against the Malian army and its Russian Wagner Group allies (now restructured as the Africa Corps), which came to public light after the battle of Tinzaouaten last July, represents a new twist in the complex conflict in the Sahel, where the hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv are reminiscent of the Cold War. On August 19, the military juntas governing Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which make up the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), asked the United Nations to take measures against Ukraine. In a joint letter addressed to the U.N. Security Council, the foreign ministers of the three countries denounced “the official and unequivocal support of the Ukrainian government for terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Sahel,” which they claim is “a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity.” In this sense, they demand that the U.N. “take appropriate measures against these subversive acts, which reinforce terrorist groups in Africa.”

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]]>Yulia Morozova<![CDATA[The US is losing its battle in the Sahel as Chad joins Niger in demanding withdrawal of military personnel]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-29/the-us-is-losing-its-battle-in-the-sahel-as-chad-joins-niger-in-demanding-withdrawal-of-military-personnel.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-29/the-us-is-losing-its-battle-in-the-sahel-as-chad-joins-niger-in-demanding-withdrawal-of-military-personnel.htmlMon, 29 Apr 2024 19:26:50 +0000The Tongo Tongo ambush in Niger on October 4, 2017, in which four U.S. soldiers were killed, sparked a fierce debate in the Donald Trump administration about the presence and size of its contingent in Africa. It was the largest loss of U.S. military personnel on the continent since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia. Nearly seven years after the slaughter in Niger, perpetrated by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, it is not Washington that is weighing up whether to maintain or withdraw its soldiers; rather, it is the countries in the region themselves that have asked foreign military detachments to pack up and leave. After the military juntas of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger expelled French forces from their territory last year following their rapprochement with Russia, it is now the turn of the U.S.

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]]>Mikhail Metzel<![CDATA[South Africa rushes to dehorn rhinos to protect them from poachers]]>https://english.elpais.com/climate/2024-04-22/south-africa-rushes-to-dehorn-rhinos-to-protect-them-from-poachers.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/climate/2024-04-22/south-africa-rushes-to-dehorn-rhinos-to-protect-them-from-poachers.htmlMon, 22 Apr 2024 18:53:49 +0000Rhino poaching in South Africa is on the rise, with the number of rhinos killed jumping from 448 in 2022 to 499 last year. The issue is taking an especially heavy toll on KwaZulu-Natal province, where authorities have adopted a radical measure, deciding to cut off rhino horns in a bid to save the animals’ lives. The operation began on April 8, but was not announced to the media until last Tuesday.

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]]>Kim Ludbrook<![CDATA[A wave of jihadism, Russian influence and authoritarian regimes ravage the Sahel]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-28/a-wave-of-jihadism-russian-influence-and-authoritarian-regimes-ravage-the-sahel.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-28/a-wave-of-jihadism-russian-influence-and-authoritarian-regimes-ravage-the-sahel.htmlThu, 28 Mar 2024 14:18:50 +0000At the NATO summit held in Lithuania last year, the allies decided to initiate a debate on the threats on the so-called Southern Flank. Of all the regions that fall under this rather vague concept, the Sahel is one of the most worrisome. Jihadism has been rampant inside Europe over the past decade and has gained a foothold in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where it coexists and profits from all kinds of illicit trafficking, from arms to drugs. At the same time, the region is traversed by the main migratory routes to the north. These factors, compounded by poverty and climate change, have led to the destabilization of the region. All three countries are ruled by military juntas that are increasingly relying on Russia as a new strategic ally, while the West, the U.N. and the European Union are being pushed off the map.

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]]>STRINGER<![CDATA[Why Niger wants to kick out the US military]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-22/why-niger-wants-to-kick-out-the-us-military.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-22/why-niger-wants-to-kick-out-the-us-military.htmlFri, 22 Mar 2024 08:05:22 +0000Niger’s coup leadership is threatening to follow in the footsteps of its African neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso in making Russia its almost exclusive ally in defense and particularly, in the fight against the jihadism spreading in the Sahel region. The military junta that has ruled the country of 25 million inhabitants since a July 2023 uprising, under the command of General Abdurahamane Tchiani, has announced the end of the military agreement with the United States, which allows for the presence on its territory of more than a thousand Americans, including military personnel, contractors and civilians. The Biden administration and the US military command, which maintains an air base in Agaez, in the center of Niger, which is key to its security strategy in the region, have stated that they are still negotiating with Niamey authorities to try to avoid the expulsion.

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]]>ISSIFOU DJIBO<![CDATA[Prospering in Senegal, or migrating: The two sides of the coin for young people in a country in turmoil]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-24/prospering-in-senegal-or-migrating-the-two-sides-of-the-coin-for-young-people-in-a-country-in-turmoil.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-24/prospering-in-senegal-or-migrating-the-two-sides-of-the-coin-for-young-people-in-a-country-in-turmoil.htmlSat, 24 Feb 2024 20:33:36 +0000Senegal is going through its most difficult hours. In the last three years of political and social instability, which have been marked by protests and restrictions on freedoms, tens of thousands of young people have taken to the sea in canoes to reach the Canary Islands or flown to Central America to pursue the American dream. Many others, however, stay, fighting for change or just trying to get ahead. In the midst of enormous uncertainty about the future, studying or working has become a challenge. The presence of young people is overwhelming: three out of every four Senegalese are under 35 years old. They are increasingly connected to the world, with enormous expectations, but at the same time disappointed with their country. “Searching, guided by the survival instinct,” says Boubacar Seye, migration researcher and president of the NGO Horizons Without Borders.

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]]>Marta Moreiras<![CDATA[Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso’s split with their neighbors dynamites half a century of African integration]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-16/mali-niger-and-burkina-fasos-split-with-their-neighbors-dynamites-half-a-century-of-african-integration.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-16/mali-niger-and-burkina-fasos-split-with-their-neighbors-dynamites-half-a-century-of-african-integration.htmlFri, 16 Feb 2024 23:03:31 +0000The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), announced on January 28, shatters a long process that began half a century ago of integration, primarily economic, in the West African region, which until now had been widely regarded to be a model for the rest of the continent. It is not only the free movement of goods and people that will be impacted. The break-up heralds a West Africa separated into blocs, according to the clout of external stakeholders such as Russia or the European Union, but nevertheless obliged to understand each other because of their strong economic, cultural and population links. “The ECOWAS as we knew it is over, nothing will ever be the same again,” Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UN development coordinator for the Sahel, says by telephone. Even the possibility of breaking with the CFA franc and establishing a currency of its own is being considered.

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]]>HADAMA DIAKITE<![CDATA[Ivory Coast’s economic success is a tale of triumph ]]>https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2024-01-30/ivory-coasts-economic-success-is-a-tale-of-triumph.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2024-01-30/ivory-coasts-economic-success-is-a-tale-of-triumph.htmlTue, 30 Jan 2024 17:58:24 +0000Just 13 years ago, Ivory Coast was torn apart by a bloody civil war. On January 13, in Abidjan, the city once plagued by violence, President Alassane Ouattara inaugurated the African Cup of Nations (CAN). This event will not only showcase African soccer, but also the amazing economic turnaround of Ivory Coast. With an investment of around $4.56 billion, the country has improved its infrastructure, including stadiums, roads and lodging. The country anticipates two million visitors for the CAN tournament, aiming to showcase its reliability and safety while solidifying its position as an economic power in West Africa.

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]]>FADEL SENNA (AFP)<![CDATA[Russia expands its presence in the Sahel]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-22/russia-expands-its-presence-in-the-sahel.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-22/russia-expands-its-presence-in-the-sahel.htmlMon, 22 Jan 2024 20:03:55 +0000Russia continues to strengthen its ties with African countries and, in particular, those in the Sahel. Last week, Niger became the latest African country to sign a military cooperation agreement with Moscow. There are already more than 40 nations that are receiving training, advice and, above all, matériel from the Russian army or from one of the private security companies, such as Wagner. However, it is not just a question of security. Behind the mercenaries, helicopters, and instructors, Russia is also extending its soft power throughout the Sahel, forging commercial links and building key infrastructure. The latest examples are the gold refinery projects in Mali and the agreement to develop nuclear energy there and in Burkina Faso.

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]]>MIKHAIL TERESCHENKO / TASS HOST<![CDATA[Russia expands into the Sahel with its new brand: Africa Corps]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-23/russia-expands-into-the-sahel-with-its-new-brand-africa-corps.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-23/russia-expands-into-the-sahel-with-its-new-brand-africa-corps.htmlSat, 23 Dec 2023 12:21:28 +0000Russia is expanding its influence and military presence in the Sahel at an unprecedented pace. After consolidating itself in Mali — where Wagner Group mercenaries were decisive in the national army’s reconquest of Kidal against the Tuareg rebels last November — Moscow is now laying the foundations for its deployment in Burkina Faso and negotiating with Niger to become a key military ally. To this end, the Russian government has created a new military structure called Africa Corps, which works under the Defense Ministry. In this way, it intends to replace the Wagner Group and move away from a decentralized private company to one that is more directly controlled by the state. In parallel, at the beginning of December, the U.N. made official its complete withdrawal from Mali after handing over the Mopti base to the Malian authorities.

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]]>MIKHAIL TERESCHENKO / TASS HOST<![CDATA[African nations bet on mRNA technology to break dependency on foreign-made vaccines ]]>https://english.elpais.com/health/2023-10-12/african-nations-bet-on-mrna-technology-to-break-dependency-on-foreign-made-vaccines.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/health/2023-10-12/african-nations-bet-on-mrna-technology-to-break-dependency-on-foreign-made-vaccines.htmlThu, 12 Oct 2023 14:09:22 +0000The hoarding of vaccines by Northern countries during the Covid-19 pandemic brought to the table the bloody reality of Africa’s vaccine dependence, where 99% of the doses administered come from outside the continent. To gain autonomy, a handful of countries, including Senegal, South Africa and Rwanda, launched a frantic race to build vaccine production centers. However, the patents and intellectual property thereof, in the hands of large pharmaceutical companies, continued to limit African capacity for action. To break this bond, the continent is betting on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, much cheaper and easier to transfer than classic vaccines, tested on a large scale and successfully during Covid-19 and considered revolutionary by experts.

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]]>Ed Ram<![CDATA[‘A 30-year setback’ in The Gambia as religious and political leaders push to decriminalize female genital mutilation]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-20/a-30-year-setback-in-the-gambia-as-religious-and-political-leaders-push-to-decriminalize-female-genital-mutilation.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-20/a-30-year-setback-in-the-gambia-as-religious-and-political-leaders-push-to-decriminalize-female-genital-mutilation.htmlWed, 20 Sep 2023 13:49:21 +0000Political and religious leaders in The Gambia are actively campaigning to decriminalize female genital mutilation (FGM). Despite being banned in the West African country since 2015, this harmful practice continues to be practiced secretly. The recent arrest and imprisonment of three women for mutilating eight infants, the first conviction since the law took effect, has sparked a new initiative to repeal the law. Imam Abdoulie Fatty, a supporter of excision, and legislator Sulayman Saho, who has called for decriminalization in the country’s parliament, are the driving forces behind this controversial issue. The debate surrounding FGM divides The Gambia, a small country with a population of 2.7 million, where a UNICEF report last year revealed that 75% of teenage girls aged 15 to 19 have been subjected to this illegal practice.

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]]>Ercin Top<![CDATA[‘Epidemic by contagion:’ Military coups in Africa are on the rise and the juntas are here to stay ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-31/epidemic-by-contagion-military-coups-in-africa-are-on-the-rise-and-the-juntas-are-here-to-stay.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-31/epidemic-by-contagion-military-coups-in-africa-are-on-the-rise-and-the-juntas-are-here-to-stay.htmlThu, 31 Aug 2023 09:37:46 +0000If the uprising in Gabon is consolidated, Africa will have witnessed 10 successful coups d’état in just four years, staged by military leaders who, in general, seize power with the intention of retaining it. Many experts are already describing an “epidemic by contagion” of coups, in which the military entrench themselves in power. Whether it is to overthrow a repressive government or remove a president who wants to remain in power for life, to redirect the policies of a country threatened by the advance of jihadist terrorism or through mere ambition, the fact is that the interference of the armed forces in politics is increasing in Africa at levels that have not been seen since the golden age of military uprisings on the continent from the 1960s to the 1980s.

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]]>STRINGER<![CDATA[Prigozhin’s death to put Wagner’s influence in Africa to the test]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-25/prigozhins-death-to-put-wagners-infuence-in-africa-to-the-test.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-25/prigozhins-death-to-put-wagners-infuence-in-africa-to-the-test.htmlFri, 25 Aug 2023 11:42:17 +0000It is no coincidence that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s final video is dedicated to Africa. Nor that one of the last-known photographs of the Wagner Group’s leader was taken at the Russia-Africa summit held at the end of July. The African continent had in recent years become one of the mercenary organization’s main focuses of influence and income, a trend that seemed to be accentuated after the failed rebellion against Vladimir Putin in June. Lured by natural resources and million-dollar security contracts, and with the declared aim of extending Russian influence on the continent, thousands of Prigozhin’s mercenaries are now operating in countries including Sudan, Libya, the Central African Republic, and Mali.

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]]>ISSIFOU DJIBO<![CDATA[Attacks by jihadist groups in Niger intensify in climate of instability following coup]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-23/attacks-by-jihadist-groups-in-niger-intensify-in-climate-of-instability-following-coup.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-23/attacks-by-jihadist-groups-in-niger-intensify-in-climate-of-instability-following-coup.htmlWed, 23 Aug 2023 09:59:33 +0000Armed terrorist groups operating in Niger have intensified their attacks since the July 26 coup d’état, causing over 100 deaths, including those of around 30 military personnel, in just three weeks. One of the arguments put forward by the coup leaders for their seizure of power was the failure of the government to combat jihadist terrorism and the need for a different approach, but the policies of dialogue, community negotiation and reinsertion implemented by ousted President Mohamed Bazoum were beginning to yield results with a decrease in attacks registered in 2022 and 2023. In the three weeks following the military uprising, that dynamic appears to have been broken.

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]]>ISSIFOU DJIBO<![CDATA[Ecowas moves closer to military intervention but Niger’s neighbors remain hopeful on dialogue]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-19/ecowas-moves-closer-to-military-intervention-but-nigers-neighbors-remain-hopeful-on-dialogue.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-19/ecowas-moves-closer-to-military-intervention-but-nigers-neighbors-remain-hopeful-on-dialogue.htmlSat, 19 Aug 2023 14:49:40 +0000Army chiefs of staff from the countries that form the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) have set the exact day of a possible military intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger, although they have decided not to reveal the date. Despite this, a diplomatic solution remains on the table, as stated Friday by the regional organization’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah. The statement came after a two-day meeting of the chiefs of staff held in Accra, Ghana, in which they defined the operational plan and the troops each country would contribute.

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]]>MIKE SEGAR<![CDATA[Extreme poverty and terrorist violence fuel instability in the Sahel region ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-14/extreme-poverty-and-terrorist-violence-fuel-instability-in-the-sahel-region.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-14/extreme-poverty-and-terrorist-violence-fuel-instability-in-the-sahel-region.htmlMon, 14 Aug 2023 14:24:10 +0000Over the past decade, the Sahel region — the strip of land located south of the Sahara, which runs through Africa from east to west — has become one of the most inhospitable and unstable regions in the world. Against a backdrop of extreme poverty and climate change, the jihadist violence that erupted in Mali in 2012 has been spreading in the face of the inability of governments too weak to protect their own populations. As a result of this, recurring coups in the region’s nations have brought military regimes to power. Driven by a wave of anti-Western sentiment, these colonels, generals and captains have sought the support of Russia.

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]]>ISSIFOU DJIBO<![CDATA[‘Africa is the most oppressed continent in history. To exist as an African is already a victory’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-18/africa-is-the-most-oppressed-continent-in-history-to-exist-as-an-african-is-already-a-victory.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-18/africa-is-the-most-oppressed-continent-in-history-to-exist-as-an-african-is-already-a-victory.htmlTue, 18 Jul 2023 20:24:16 +0000From the living room of her home in Senegal, decorated with sculptures of African warriors and Amazons, Aminata Touré's can hear the waves of the ocean rolling to shore. For over a decade, Touré (Dakar, 1962), an economist, has fought a thousand battles at the United Nations and performed every duty that Senegal’s president, Macky Sall, has asked of her — managing his campaign, serving as prime minister and minister of justice, fighting for the mayoralty of Dakar, and presiding over the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council. But Sall’s flirtations with a possible third term — his authoritarian drift — ultimately pushed Touré to break ties with the president. “That candidacy was immoral,” Touré says.

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]]>Marta Moreiras<![CDATA[Political crisis in Senegal triggers influx of migrants to Spain’s Canary Islands ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-16/political-crisis-in-senegal-triggers-influx-of-migrants-to-spains-canary-islands.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-16/political-crisis-in-senegal-triggers-influx-of-migrants-to-spains-canary-islands.htmlSun, 16 Jul 2023 11:33:27 +0000Senegal is going through a political and social criss. This past June, riots broke out, resulting in around 20 deaths, at least 600 arrests and significant material damage. According to Frontex — the European Border and Coast Guard Agency — and various Senegalese NGOs and migrants, the ongoing violence is the cause of the intense outflow of rafts and canoes from the coasts of West Africa to the Canary Islands of Spain.

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]]>DESIREE MARTIN<![CDATA[The Spanish priest who sexually abused children in Senegal for 25 years: ‘When he saw children, he couldn’t resist’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-05/the-spanish-priest-who-sexually-abused-children-in-senegal-for-25-years-when-he-saw-children-he-couldnt-resist.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-05/the-spanish-priest-who-sexually-abused-children-in-senegal-for-25-years-when-he-saw-children-he-couldnt-resist.htmlWed, 05 Jul 2023 10:56:55 +0000“I was 19 years old, and I wanted to be a priest. Father Manel called me to his office and after asking me for my papers, he stood behind me and began to touch my private parts. I didn’t understand anything, I thought it was a fertility test or something like that to be a priest. But I noticed that he was aroused and he was sweating a lot. Back then, we didn’t understand that a man could have sex with another man, it’s not part of our culture. But when he saw children, he couldn’t resist.” That’s how the Phillipe (not his real name) describes the abuse he suffered at the hands of Manel Sales Castellà, a Spanish priest of the Catholic order of the Piarists who sexually abused dozens of children and young people in Senegal between 1980 and 2005.

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]]>Juan Luis Rod<![CDATA[The worldwide offensive against the rights of LGBTQ+ people]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-28/the-worldwide-offensive-against-the-rights-of-lgbtq-people.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-28/the-worldwide-offensive-against-the-rights-of-lgbtq-people.htmlWed, 28 Jun 2023 15:22:08 +0000Whenever the rights of LGBTQ+ people move forward in the world, be it with laws that recognize same-sex marriage or the administrative identity of trans people, there is backlash, to a greater or lesser degree. The historical struggle of the LGBTQ+ community, which today celebrates Pride Day, is full of advances and setbacks, but now that dynamic is rapidly going backwards. And it is happening all over the world.

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]]>JASON CONNOLLY<![CDATA[Africa is footing the bill for the North’s energy transition]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-16/africa-is-footing-the-bill-for-the-norths-energy-transition.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-16/africa-is-footing-the-bill-for-the-norths-energy-transition.htmlFri, 16 Jun 2023 13:40:04 +0000Africa is going to foot the bill for the energy transition of the global north, according to social collectives that say the current system regarding the extraction of so-called critical minerals, such as cobalt, lithium, nickel or zinc, considered key to this transition, benefits mainly companies and countries in the developed world, while triggering a negative ecological impact that will only intensify in the coming decades. “If we don’t change the way the industry’s profits are distributed, Africa will get the crumbs from these minerals and will remain in poverty,” says Brice Mackosso, a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which met this week in Dakar.

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]]>AP / Lapresse<![CDATA[‘The West forgets that the Russians were with us in our liberation struggles’ ]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-06-10/the-west-forgets-that-the-russians-were-with-us-in-our-liberation-struggles.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-06-10/the-west-forgets-that-the-russians-were-with-us-in-our-liberation-struggles.htmlSat, 10 Jun 2023 22:02:01 +0000Boubacar Boris Diop, 76, is a leading Senegalese writer. As a journalist, editor and essayist, he’s everywhere. From the rooftop of his house in his native Dakar, surrounded by books and under a huge portrait of the Senegalese author Cheikh Anta Diop, our interview discusses a convulsed Africa where jihadism, the new military regimes, Russia’s advance, the French presence and political Islamization are at the center of the continent’s debates. But the conversation inevitably turns toward the crisis in Senegal, where protests have led to 16 dead, 357 injured and 500 arrested. According to Diop, that’s the result of the authoritarian drift of a “panic-stricken” government.

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]]>Marta Moreiras<![CDATA[“Everyone steals from you on the way”]]>https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2014/01/20/inenglish/1390216292_994607.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/elpais/2014/01/20/inenglish/1390216292_994607.htmlMon, 20 Jan 2014 12:18:59 +0000It’s midday at the Binke Transport bus station in the Faladié district of the capital of Mali, Bamako, and the temperature continues rising. There are still four hours before the bus leaves for Sévaré, in the center of the country, but Sidi Djeri and Abdel Karim Coulibaly, aged 24 and 21, respectively, are already waiting, sitting on a bench, sheltering from the fierce sun. They barely speak French, and are from the nearby neighborhood of Hamdallaye. It’s clear from the expectation on their faces that they are about to start a long journey. Asked where they are headed, they naively reply: “Algeria.” They seem like the rest of the passengers, but there is something about them that sets them apart. They already appear lost, unaware of what awaits them down the road.

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]]>ALFREDO CÁLIZ<![CDATA[Kenyan herders kill Loonkiito, one of the oldest wild lions in the world]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-15/kenyan-herders-kill-loonkiito-one-of-the-oldest-wild-lions-in-the-world.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-15/kenyan-herders-kill-loonkiito-one-of-the-oldest-wild-lions-in-the-world.htmlMon, 15 May 2023 10:31:29 +0000One of Kenya’s oldest wild lions was killed by herders and the government has expressed concern as six more lions were speared at another village on Saturday, bringing to 10 the number killed last week alone.

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]]><![CDATA[A regional African force comes to help Congo stop the rebel group M23]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-03-17/a-regional-african-force-comes-to-help-congo-stop-the-rebel-group-m23.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-03-17/a-regional-african-force-comes-to-help-congo-stop-the-rebel-group-m23.htmlFri, 17 Mar 2023 15:52:51 +0000The conflict in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which pits the army against the rebel group M23, has made short shrift of a recent ceasefire and spurred neighboring countries into action in a bid to contain an escalation that is destabilizing the entire region. Angola’s president, João Lourenço, intends to deploy a military unit to Goma, in the northeast of the DRC, to try to get the M23 to return to its bases and comply with the terms of a truce that should have entered into force on March 7. Kenya and Burundi have already sent troops as part of the East African Community Regional Force supporting the DRC, and Uganda and South Sudan are expected to follow suit in the coming months.

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]]><![CDATA[Jihadist violence in the Sahel opens the door to Russian expansionism]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-02-06/jihadist-violence-in-the-sahel-opens-the-door-to-russian-expansionism.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-02-06/jihadist-violence-in-the-sahel-opens-the-door-to-russian-expansionism.htmlMon, 06 Feb 2023 16:15:07 +0000A walled plot of land in Bigtogo, on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, is home to 300 people. Some of the houses are made of plastic and straw, thrown together in a few days. The elderly or sick sleep in the old pigsty, where children seek the shady corners to do their school work. “We saved our lives, but we lost everything else,” says Rasmane Sawadogo, a 59-year-old trader. They call them “the displaced people” and in Burkina Faso they number about two million, around 10% of the entire population. More arrive every day and settle wherever they are allowed to. They are fleeing the jihadist groups that have plunged Burkina Faso and Mali into a chaos of violence, massacres, hunger and instability that is spreading across the Sahel region of Africa. And it is a war the jihadists are winning.

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]]>José Naranjo<![CDATA[‘French army out!’: Moscow gains weight in West Africa as a new military ally]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-02-15/french-army-out-moscow-gains-weight-in-west-africa-as-a-new-military-ally.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-02-15/french-army-out-moscow-gains-weight-in-west-africa-as-a-new-military-ally.htmlWed, 15 Feb 2023 11:59:03 +0000In Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, thousands of citizens could be seen demonstrating at the Place de la Nation on January 20 to show support for the military junta of Captain Ibrahim Traoré and his recent decision to expel the French military from the country. Russian flags and photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin were on prominent display along with national flags and placards reading “French army out of our country!” There was a feeling of euphoria in the air.

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]]>OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT<![CDATA[Two Spanish journalists killed in Burkina Faso attack]]>https://english.elpais.com/spain/2021-06-22/two-spanish-journalists-killed-in-burkina-faso-attack.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/spain/2021-06-22/two-spanish-journalists-killed-in-burkina-faso-attack.htmlTue, 27 Apr 2021 14:44:02 +0000Two Spanish journalists who went missing in Burkina Faso after their convoy was attacked in the east of the country on Monday have died, Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya announced on Tuesday at a press conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting.

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]]><![CDATA[Ethiopia’s forgotten war is the deadliest of the 21st century, with around 600,000 civilian deaths]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-27/ethiopias-forgotten-war-is-the-deadliest-of-the-21st-century-with-around-600000-civilian-deaths.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-27/ethiopias-forgotten-war-is-the-deadliest-of-the-21st-century-with-around-600000-civilian-deaths.htmlFri, 27 Jan 2023 14:52:44 +0000The civil war in Ethiopia has resulted in the death of some 600,000 civilians, a staggering estimate for a conflict that has lasted only two years and has been focused on a single region, Tigray, of around six million inhabitants. However, in the absence of official counts, the calculations of the European Union, international organizations and experts concur on a devastating mortality rate in a war the Ethiopian government has deliberately tried to shield from international public opinion. The first to put these figures on the table was Jan Nyssen, professor emeritus of geography at the University of Ghent in Belgium. “Hunger was used as a weapon of war,” he says.

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]]>Byron Smith<![CDATA[The brutal murder of activist Edwin Chiloba in Kenya shocks the LGBTQ+ community]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-17/the-brutal-murder-of-activist-edwin-chiloba-in-kenya-shocks-the-lgtbi-community.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-17/the-brutal-murder-of-activist-edwin-chiloba-in-kenya-shocks-the-lgtbi-community.htmlTue, 17 Jan 2023 04:29:35 +0000The brutal murder of young Kenyan fashion designer and model Edwin Chiloba, a prominent LGBTQ+ rights activist, has sent shockwaves through Kenya. Chiloba died of asphyxiation after socks were stuffed into his mouth; his body was found last week inside a metal box that had been thrown into a ditch. So far, the police have arrested five people, including the main suspect, photographer Jacktone Odhiambo, with whom the victim was allegedly in a relationship, as well as Kenyan bodybuilder Dennis Litali. Many homophobic attacks have taken place in Kenya, but the investigation has yet to determine a motive for the crime.

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]]>LAWRENCE LETEIPA<![CDATA[The struggle to save the last mermaids of Africa]]>https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-12-29/the-struggle-to-save-the-last-mermaids-of-africa.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-12-29/the-struggle-to-save-the-last-mermaids-of-africa.htmlThu, 29 Dec 2022 17:47:01 +0000“We, the Diola, cannot catch them. It is forbidden. To catch one you must have mystical powers,” says Louis Diatta, sitting on the banks of the Casamance River, scanning the surface of the water and talking about the West African manatees as if they were people. “They are like us,” he says. “The females have breasts and suckle their babies. They move as a family. Instead of arms and legs, they have fins, but when you look into their eyes, you get a surprise. It’s as if they were half human.”

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]]>Sven Gruse<![CDATA[Jihadist group kills 132 civilians in central Mali]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-06-21/jihadist-group-kills-132-civilians-in-central-mali.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2022-06-21/jihadist-group-kills-132-civilians-in-central-mali.htmlTue, 21 Jun 2022 11:22:02 +0000Alleged members of Katibat Macina, a jihadist group linked to Al Qaeda, killed at least 132 civilians in central Mali this past weekend, the Malian government reported in a statement on Monday. The attacks took place between Saturday afternoon and Sunday, when armed men on motorcycles entered three nearby villages in the Bandiagara area. There they executed civilians, mostly men, and set fire to houses, barns and vehicles, forcing the rest of the community to flee towards Bankass, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) away.

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]]><![CDATA[Weapons, mercenaries and trade deals: Russia grows stronger in Africa]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-05-05/weapons-mercenaries-and-trade-deals-russia-grows-stronger-in-africa.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2022-05-05/weapons-mercenaries-and-trade-deals-russia-grows-stronger-in-africa.htmlThu, 05 May 2022 12:14:00 +0000In the middle of the offensive in Ukraine, Russia and Cameroon signed a military agreement on April 12 for the exchange of information and training of troops, a type of deal that has become common in Africa and already exists in around 20 countries. Over the last decade, Moscow has extended its influence throughout the African continent based on three pillars: the sale of weapons, the presence of instructors and mercenaries, and trade agreements and investments in sectors such as cereals, hydrocarbons, energy and minerals.

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]]><![CDATA[Spain donates 326,400 Covid-19 vaccines to Ivory Coast ]]>https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-11-05/spain-donates-326400-covid-19-vaccines-to-ivory-coast.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/society/2021-11-05/spain-donates-326400-covid-19-vaccines-to-ivory-coast.htmlFri, 05 Nov 2021 11:08:16 +0000The first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines that Spain has donated to a sub-Saharan African country arrived on Thursday in Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast, which is also known as Côte d’Ivoire. The delivery contained 326,400 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, along with another 98,400 shots of the same medication donated by Finland and 7,200 from Iceland. The donations are part of the public-private initiative Covax, which seeks to ensure that lower-income countries are not left behind in the global vaccination drive to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

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]]><![CDATA[A continent gets its drift]]>https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2013/11/08/inenglish/1383910045_948279.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/elpais/2013/11/08/inenglish/1383910045_948279.htmlFri, 08 Nov 2013 11:36:28 +0000Majhoul is now an old man. In 1981 he was arrested for going out onto the street during the bread riot, which called for profound change in Morocco. Now, 30 years later, he is out of jail and having to face a new reality marked by the jolt of the Arab Spring. That is the set-up for the Moroccan film C'est eux les chiens... (or, They are the dogs...), directed by Hicham Lasri and winner of the prize for Best Feature at the 10th edition of the African Film Festival of Cordóba (FCAT).

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]]><![CDATA[Spain’s Malian mission]]>https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2013/05/12/inenglish/1368357995_209252.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/elpais/2013/05/12/inenglish/1368357995_209252.htmlSun, 12 May 2013 11:31:14 +0000The Spanish soldier is shouting in French: "That is good, but you need to lift the weapon up a bit."

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]]>JOSÉ NARANJO