Houthi forces have seized key positions along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha and several islands near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The expansion threatens shipping through a chokepoint that carries about 12% of global maritime trade and poses economic and security risks for Egypt, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.
Senegal and Mauritania launched their first joint river patrols on August 13, 2026, combining naval infantry with police and gendarmerie forces to secure their shared border. The operation targets high-risk riverine areas like Tassem and Sinthiane Diama, aiming to deter illicit activities while reassuring local communities through visible security presence. This initiative represents a practical escalation of bilateral defense cooperation, moving beyond symbolic agreements into routine, integrated field operations. The key takeaway is that sustained joint patrols, not just occasional exercises, are the effective mechanism for turning border security policy into tangible prevention and public trust.
ECOWAS conducted a five-day training on physical security and stockpile management for Nigerian security personnel in Port Harcourt from 7 to 11 September 2026. The programme, held with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies and Nigeria's national small arms centre, drew participants from twelve agencies and included a visit to the Nigerian Army's 29 Battalion armoury.
Dr Babo Amadou Ba proposes replacing the CFA franc with a new Senegalese currency called the Kopar in a new book, arguing that the current arrangement limits Senegal's control over interest rates, exchange parity and credit direction. He sets out conditions for the transition, including preparation, macroeconomic discipline and public communication.
The ECOWAS Commission opened the second edition of its Startup Awards in Abuja on September 28, 2026, with 60 finalists selected from 1,499 qualified applications across 12 member states. The top three startups will receive US$30,000, US$20,000 and US$15,000 at a ceremony on September 30, which also features investor deal rooms and a ministerial dialogue on MSMEs and trade.
Delegates at a regional review meeting on the ECOWAS Policy on Children, held in Abuja and concluded on 25 September 2026, adopted recommendations urging Member States to raise child protection budget allocations to 3 per cent and to replicate the ECRIMS data system nationally. The recommendations also called on the ECOWAS Commission to continue resource mobilisation and coordination efforts, and on development partners to sustain support for Member States' capacity-building.
A researcher at the French Institute of International Relations argues that overlapping mineral certification schemes in the Great Lakes region have not stopped conflict minerals from being traded. Thierry Vircoulon points to uninspected mine classifications, smuggling through Rwanda and auditor conflicts of interest as persistent weaknesses. He concludes certification is at best one tool of mining governance, not a remedy for the conflict minerals problem.
Six years after the October 2020 #EndSARS protests, the movement's legacy is splitting the generation that built it. Research links participation to increased political engagement, but also to trust deficits, psychological distress and, for some, the decision to leave Nigeria. Studies of the "Japa" phenomenon suggest migration is often framed as escape rather than economic calculation.
A World Bank-commissioned study finds deposits of 41 transition minerals across 48 African countries, but most are exported raw or lightly processed. The researchers say regional coordination on trade, processing and infrastructure could help countries capture more value.
