West Africa

Sierra Leonean Immigration Chief, Colonel Alusine Kanneh has underscored the need for the launch of a regional biometric system to facilitate free movement and regional integration of people in the West African sub region. A protocol agreed on in 1979…

Incumbent president of Mauritania, Mouhamed Ould El Ghazouani, is leading with more than 50% of the votes cast per the electoral commission of Mauritania with the counting and compilation of votes almost done. His main challenger, Biram Dah Abeid, came…

In The Gambia, cement importers have accused the government of favoring a specific business at their expense. This follows a new government directive that significantly increases customs duties on cement importation. The policy raises the cost per bag of imported…

ECOWAS is set to Establish Economic and Social Council Commission (ECOSOC) of West Africa before the end of the year. This is a body approved by the ECOWAS Treaty of 1993 to provide a platform for harnessing the views and…

The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow says his government would continue to enforce a ban on female genital mutilation and cutting pending a possible parliamentary vote to lift the ban. Parliament approved a bill in March to repeal 2015 legislation banning…

The Ivorian Minister of Health, Pierre Demba, says it has received 131,100 doses of anti-malarial vaccines. Cote d’Ivoire is among the first five African countries to receive these doses of vaccines. The Minister said with these vaccines, the government will…

The United Nations (UN) says it will provide $11 million to support the fight against food insecurity and acute malnutrition in northeastern Nigeria. The announcement was made on Friday by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of…

The Government of Liberia with support from the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, has launched the national social accountability project. In partnership with Accountability Lab Liberia, the project aims to strengthen the social contract and cohesion by enhancing spaces for…

The Republic of Guinea and Mali have signed an interconnection agreement to expand optical fiber connections between the two countries. This agreement is between the National Backbone Management Company (SOGEB) of Guinea and the Malian Transmission and Diffusion Company (SMTD).…

Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election in Mauritania, opposition actors are still raising concerns about the measures being taken to ensure the reliability of the polls? Despite their concerns, the election commission stepped up a number of works this week on…

Agents of the Ivorian Radiodiffusion Television (RTI) have announced a 72-hour strike. Dissatisfied with a number of things, including unfair labor practice, the strike is under the cover of the National Union of Agents of Public and Parapublic Information Sectors…

Several governance and security stakeholders converged for a public debate on security crisis and human rights issues affecting the Sahel region. The gathering is an initiative of the West Africa Democracy Radio with funding from the Open Society Africa Office –…