West Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, as well as the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The population of West Africa is estimated at about 381 million people as of 2018, and at 381,981,000 as of 2017, of which 189,672,000 are female and 192,309,000 male.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday he hoped the United States would have the "good sense" not to withdraw its support for French military operations in West Africa, where al.. Reuters - Published
West Africa's monetary union has agreed with France to rename the CFA franc and cut some links with Paris in a move likely welcomed by those who see the currency as a colonial relic. David Doyle..
The future of the French-backed CFA franc currency is coming under increasing scrutiny ahead of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Abidjan. Serena Chaudhry reports.
Myanmar leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi departed on Sunday for the U.N.'s top court in The Hague to defend the country against charges of genocide of its Rohingya Muslim..
Burkina Faso's parliament has voted to provide funding and training to local vigilantes in response to the growing firepower of jihadist groups who threaten to overrun government forces across large.. Reuters - Published
Islamic State's West Africa affiliate on Tuesday claimed responsibility for an attack on an army base in Niger last week that killed at least 89 Nigerien soldiers, according to a statement translated.. Reuters - Published
France and West African states agreed on Monday to unite their forces under a joint command structure to fight Islamist militants in the Sahel region and France will send an extra 220 soldiers to.. Reuters - Published
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that a U.S. military withdrawal from West Africa would be a problem for France, but he was confident he could convince President Donald Trump that the.. Reuters - Published
France will send an extra 220 soldiers to West Africa to fight Islamist militants after agreeing to create a joint command structure with regional states to fight the growing insurgency in the area,.. Reuters - Published
President Emmanuel Macron will press five West African leaders on Monday to denounce anti-French sentiment in their countries over Paris's handling of an insurgency by Islamist militants, or risk.. Reuters - Published
The body of a stowaway has been found in the landing gear of an aircraft that landed in Paris after a flight from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, carrier Air France said on Wednesday. Reuters - Published
Nigerian police have been placed on a heightened state of alert after the U.S. killing of a top Iranian military commander in Iraq sparked fears of public disturbances in the West African country, the.. Reuters - Published
Guinea-Bissau began counting ballots on Sunday after a calm day of voting in a run-off presidential election between two former prime ministers who both promise to bring stability to the turbulent West.. Reuters - Published
Voters in Guinea-Bissau cast ballots on Sunday in a run-off presidential election between two former prime ministers who both promise to bring stability to the turbulent West African nation. Reuters - Published
The West African Economic and Monetary Union has reached an agreement with France to make changes to the CFA franc, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said on Saturday, in a shift away from the former.. Reuters - Published
The West African Economic and Monetary Union has reached an agreement with France to make changes to the CFA franc, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said on Saturday, in a historic shift away from.. Reuters - Published
Pirates have released three crew taken hostage from a Greek oil tanker off the coast of the West African country of Togo in November, the vessel's manager said on Friday. Reuters - Published
West Africa's top court on Thursday ordered Sierra Leone to revoke a ban on pregnant girls in school, a move activists hope could lead to challenges against similar laws across Africa. Reuters - Published
President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday demanded West African leaders dismiss growing anti-French sentiment across the region if they wanted France's military to continue its operations against Islamist.. Reuters - Published
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he wanted a clarification from west African leaders on France's military operation in the Sahel region. Reuters - Published
French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the military on Thursday to review its operations against Islamist militants in West Africa and pressed his allies to do more after 13 soldiers died during a.. Reuters - Published
Islamic State said on Thursday that its West African branch had caused a helicopter collision in Mali in which 13 French soldiers were killed this week, but it did not provide any evidence for its.. Reuters - Published
President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he has ordered his military to assess its operations against Islamist militants in West Africa and all options are open, after 13 soldiers died during a.. Reuters - Published
Nigeria met with its West African neighbors on Tuesday over its land border closure, with the African giant insisting on levying duties on goods transiting to its country through neighboring nations to.. Reuters - Published
People around Pama, a West African town on the edge of vast forested conservation areas, had long been forbidden by their government to dig for gold in the reserves, to protect antelope, buffalo and.. Reuters - Published
France's armed forces minister criticized close ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for failing to honor commitments it made almost two years ago to provide millions of euros to a West African.. Reuters - Published
Nigeria and neighboring countries Benin and Niger have agreed to set up a joint border patrol force to tackle smuggling between the West African countries, they said in a communique on Thursday. Reuters - Published
Guinea-Bissau's newly appointed Prime Minister Faustino Fudut Imbali handed in his resignation on Friday after an ultimatum was given by West African regional bloc ECOWAS, the president said. Reuters - Published
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a leader of an al Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group in Mali and warned the influence of Islamic State in West Africa was on the rise even as it.. Reuters - Published
Dozens of people were feared still missing on Thursday after an ambush on workers near a Canadian-owned mine in Burkina Faso killed at least 37 and wounded 60 in the worst such attack in the West.. Reuters - Published
Pirates attacked a Greek oil tanker off the coast of Togo in the early hours of Monday and fled after taking four crew members as hostages, the West African nation's navy said, two days after a similar.. Reuters - Published
Benin authorities have opened an investigation after pirates abducted nine people from a Norwegian-flagged boat off the coast of the West African nation, the port of Cotonou said. Reuters - Published
At least 53 soldiers and one civilian have been killed in an attack on an army post in northern Mali, the government said, in one of the deadliest strikes against the West African country's military in.. Reuters - Published
At least 53 soldiers and one civilian have been killed in an attack on an army post in northern Mali, the government said, in one of the deadliest strikes against the West African country's military in.. Reuters - Published
Former Ivory Coast rebel leader Guillaume Soro has announced he will run in next year's presidential election, a vote seen as a major test of stability in the West African country after two civil wars.. Reuters - Published
Al Qaeda's West Africa affiliate on Tuesday claimed responsibility for coordinated, deadly attacks last week on two army bases in central Mali, it said in a statement. Reuters - Published
West African and international powers are failing to tackle the spiraling threat of Islamist militancy in the Sahel region, which is spreading towards the Gulf of Guinea, the United Nations.. Reuters - Published
West African leaders have pledged $1 billion to combat the spiraling threat of Islamist militancy in the region, the head of the regional ECOWAS bloc said on Saturday. Reuters - Published
Sierra Leoneans living next to the country's largest diamond mine are taking their government to West Africa's regional court for failing to protect them from alleged environmental lapses by the.. Reuters - Published
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