The Latest Breaking News from Sahel

The Sahel region of Africa, between the Sahara and the tropical savannahs to the south, has emerged as a significant base of groups that want to establish jihadist states.

Leaders of the west African regional grouping Ecowas approved the long-awaited withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the bloc in December. The three countries have been granted a six-month grace period from January 29, when their exit becomes official, to reconsider their decision.

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday faced an angry backlash from France's remaining allies in West Africa and accusations at home of showing a neo-colonialist attitude after lamenting that African countries "forgot to say thank you" for France's decade-long military deployment to fight an Islamist insurgency.

As Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger prepare to withdraw from the West African bloc Ecowas, reports show an increase in instability in the region – partly due to a lack of coordination in the fight against jihadism – with Mali now accusing Algeria of supporting Tuareg rebel groups.

Ivory Coast is the sixth in a growing list of African nations cutting military ties with former colonial power France.

West African leaders are giving the three Sahel countries led by military governments six months to reconsider their decision to quit the regional bloc Ecowas, as security issues and movements of populations cause concern among its 12 remaining members.

France thanks Morocco for mediating the release of detained French nationals in Burkina Faso, amid shifting alliances and security dynamics in the Sahel re...

A wave of African countries is pushing the former coloniser back, but Senegal is the only one without military leaders.

For over six decades, Chad was a crucial ally to French and US forces in their counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel. But both lost influence because of repeated mistakes.

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has said he is 'making progress' in a mediation mission with junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, after the trio announced their departure from regional bloc Ecowas.

Chad, the last remaining country in the Sahel to play host French troops, has set up a special commission to oversee the dismantling of the military agreement between Paris and N'Djamena.