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Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso formally notified the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, of their intention to withdraw from the regional bloc, Jeune Afrique reported on Jan. 30.

Sahel: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Send Formal Notification of Exit From ECOWAS 

Military & Security

Police and government officials in Sierra Leone labeled a coordinated series of attacks on military barracks and prisons on Nov. 26 as a failed coup attempt, Al Jazeera reported on Nov. 28.

Sierra Leone: Officials Label Attacks as Failed Coup Attempt

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio won reelection in the June 24 general election with 56% of the vote, Africa News reported June 28.

Sierra Leone: President Wins Election, Opposition Rejects Results 

Six police officers were killed in anti-government protests in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown, town of Kamakwie and city of Makeni on Aug. 10, and two civilian deaths have been reported so far, Reuters reported Aug. 11.

Sierra Leone: Cost-of-Living Protests Turn Violent

Eritrea

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Social Issues

Crossing Borders

Effective Sept. 13, the U.S. State Department will stop issuing certain types of visas for some citizens of Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone, because all four countries are denying or delaying the return of their citizens from the United States, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Reuters reported. 

U.S.: State Department Halts Visas For Four Countries  

According to an Aug. 23 statement by a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, the United States may impose sanctions on four countries for refusing to take in citizens that it has deported, Reuters reported.

U.S.: Possible Sanctions Coming For Countries Refusing Deportees

Sub-Saharan Africa

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After two weeks of negotiations, representatives of nearly 200 countries have approved the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the extent of climate change in the coming decades, The Telegraph reported Dec. 12.

France: Delegates Approve Paris Climate Change Deal

Economics and Finance

Energy

The World Health Organization officially declared the end of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone on Nov. 7 at a public ceremony in Freetown, Al Arabiya reported. 

Sierra Leone: U.N. Declares Country Free Of Ebola

Terrorism and Security

Snapshots

Sierra Leone's president, Julius Maada Bio, waves to his supporters upon arriving at a campaign rally in Freetown on June 20, 2023, ahead of the country's general election. 

The tight presidential race has fueled fears over a resurgence of violence. But the outcome of the June 24 vote is unlikely to affect the West African country's crucial agricultural and mining sectors.

Previewing Sierra Leone's Closely Contested General Election

Assessments

The Niger River Basin

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

The region's natural geographic advantages have sustained several empires throughout history. But they can't overcome its longstanding problems. 

The Niger River Basin: Supporting West Africa's Empires 

Global Perspectives

Europe

United Kingdom

Contributor Perspectives

Forecasting, epidemics, and political movements

COVID-19

Environment, Science & Technology

European Disintegration

Science & Technology

Global events unfold without waiting for mankind to catch up. If we do feel we are the masters of our own destiny, it is only because we have convinced ourselves that we have outrun the challenges thrown at us. But the age-old advice regarding the stock market is no less applicable to handling international crises: Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

What the Brexit and Ebola Crises Have in Common

In Somalia, the Illusory Promise of Reform

Security

Progress toward a legitimate and capable government is irrelevant if Somalia's security situation cannot be contained.

In Somalia, Stability Is a Distant Promise

Media

Graphics

Paris Agreement Emphasizes Shift Away From Oil

The pace of the transition will be decided by how quickly new technologies reach the developing world.

Delegates attend a plenary session at the U.N. climate change summit in Paris on Dec. 9.

The agreement signed Dec. 12 in Paris is just a small part of a broader energy transition driven by technological change.

Climate Agreement Will Only Hasten Transition Beyond Oil

_Energy

Environmental Issues

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Global Affairs with Robert D. Kaplan

What if, deeper into the 21st century, Russia and China prove to be ungovernable by centralized means?

Super Chaos?

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Iran

A U.S. soldier taking part in a patrol in the central Iraqi city of Iskandariya.

Wars may have helped, rather than hindered, human progress.

Why War Is Good

Media Attention on Ebola Can Be Alarmist

The current outbreak of the disease is the worst on record, but there is little chance of it spreading to the developed world.

Media amplification of the Ebola threat

In an age of social media and widespread Internet access, the global impact of disease can often be inflated. The skewed presentation of information can distort the public's perception of the risk a disease poses, so it is important to keep the actual impact of an outbreak in perspective.

Managing the Ebola Outbreak and Media Perception of Disease

Reflections

As countries try to halt the spread of the virus, they face serious economic, social and political repercussions. 

Containing the Ebola Virus Poses Its Own Security and Health Risks

Powering Africa's Economies: Prospects for Growth in Electricity Markets

Several significant power production projects are underway in Africa. In West Africa, however, national grids are poorly interconnected, limiting opportunities to optimize electricity distribution and trade.

Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Sahel: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Send Formal Notification of Exit From ECOWAS

Sierra Leone: Officials Label Attacks as Failed Coup Attempt

Sierra Leone: President Wins Election, Opposition Rejects Results

Sierra Leone: Cost-of-Living Protests Turn Violent

U.S.: State Department Halts Visas For Four Countries

U.S.: Possible Sanctions Coming For Countries Refusing Deportees

France: Delegates Approve Paris Climate Change Deal

Sierra Leone: U.N. Declares Country Free Of Ebola

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