Agence de Presse Ouest-Africaine
Agence de Presse Ouest-Africaine
Niger’s Minister of Public Health and Hygiene, Colonel-Major Garba Hakimi, was elected First Vice-President of the bureau at the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa. The session, themed around Vision 2035, brings together health ministers from 47 African member states to address continental health challenges.
A WaterAid report reveals that 90% of maternity facilities in Mali lack basic sanitation, and calls for integrating water, hygiene, and sanitation into maternal health strategies. The report highlights the health risks and economic benefits of investing in WASH services, urging authorities to allocate specific budgets and involve women and health workers in governance.
The BOA-Mali union committee opened a three-day training session on August 27, 2026, covering labor law, leadership, and social dialogue. The National Director of Labor, representing the Minister of Labor, spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the union's role as a social regulator.
Japan has handed over a first batch of 22 road maintenance machines to Burkina Faso, valued at over 3 billion FCFA. The equipment, received by Minister Mikaïlou Sidibé from Ambassador Nagashima Jun, is part of a project to improve road maintenance capabilities and support regional integration.
The FDS team defeated the Ténado communal youth 2-1 in a football match aimed at strengthening Army-Nation ties. The event, attended by Minister of State Célestin Simporé, was marked by fraternity and fair play, with both teams receiving awards.
This week's African news roundup covers Russia's claim of helping foil a coup attempt in Niger, treason charges against Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile, a successful anti-piracy operation off Somalia, and Amnesty International's call for Kenya to address enforced disappearances. It also includes Zimbabwe's state of disaster declaration after a fatal highway crash and Guinea-Bissau's upcoming referendum on expanding presidential powers.
This week's African news roundup covers Russia's claim of helping foil a coup attempt in Niger, treason charges against Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile, a joint Turkish-Somali operation freeing a hijacked ship, Amnesty International's call for action in Kenya, Zimbabwe's disaster declaration after a fatal crash, and a referendum on presidential powers in Guinea-Bissau.
Niger's Prime Minister met with Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister on August 28, 2026. The Belgian official called for renewed dialogue with the EU, citing 55 years of cooperation and a commitment to respecting Niger's sovereignty.
Voters in Guinea-Bissau cast ballots on Sunday in a referendum that could give the president more powers, less than 10 months after a military coup. The proposed constitution would shift the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system, but the opposition has urged a boycott amid restrictions on public freedoms.
The Confederation of Sahel States parliament adopted committee reports on security, diplomacy, and development during an August 28 session in Niamey. Recommendations cover police cooperation, free movement protocols, and sustainable media funding.
