The Latest Breaking News from Mali

This edition of Paris Perspective looks at the concept of Françafrique and the collapse of French influence in its former colonies. What have been the catalysts for the successive coup d’états in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger and Gabon over the past three years?

The change comes after Niger's democratically elected president was deposed in a coup. French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there.

The support for military takeovers is growing across Africa, and civilian governments are to blame, say analysts.

One of the armed groups from northern Mali has called for a full scale war against the junta. This despite attempts at dialogue and fears for the peace deal between the ex-rebels and government forces.

In recent weeks, Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and General Andrei Averyanov from the GRU military intelligence agency have made several trips to Africa. The two are increasingly seen as the main organisers of the post-Prigozhin era of Russian relationships with Africa following the Wagner Group chief’s demise in…

July’s coup in Niger took observers by surprise, though it was West Africa’s sixth coup in the past three years. Do these military takeovers share common causes and Anne-Cécile Robert with Le Monde Diplomatique asks.

After suspending visas for artists, France is now doing the same for students from Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, citing the closure of French consular services in the countries as making their delivery impossible.

The Sahel nations sign pact that will allow them to cooperate against threats of armed rebellion or external aggression.

France's Culture Minister on Friday said the suspension of visas for artists from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso was due to security concerns in light of the recent military coups in those countries and in no way a "boycott".