Annie Risemberg

UN Mali Mission Temporarily Grounds All Flights Following Sanctions Restrictions 

An internal email to UN peacekeeping staff said flights were suspended pending clearance from authorities 

Mali Gives Airlines 72 Hours to Confirm Service

Mali’s military government Friday gave airlines 72 hours, starting Jan. 15, to confirm their service to Mali with the country’s National Civil Aviation Agency or lose their time slots

Malians Protest ECOWAS Sanctions 

Mali Accuses French Military of Breaching Airspace, Violating Sanctions

Military government spokesman threatens consequences if incident is repeated, saying Mali’s government would 'refuse any liability relating to the risks to which the perpetrators of these practices could expose themselves'

Malians Face Economic Sanctions and Border Closures

While punitive move aims to pressure military to hold elections as promised in February, experts say ordinary Malians are also set to suffer

Protesters Denounce Mali Government’s 5-Year Transition 

Public demonstration marks first anti-transition demonstration since military government announced half-decade plan late last year

ECOWAS Pushes Mali to Hold Elections Next Month

Military rulers recently proposed pushing back elections to 2026

Mali's Military Authorities Propose 5-Year Extension of Transition Period 

A coalition of major political parties has released a letter rejecting the five-year plan, having also boycotted four days of national meetings, which they say were only held so that the government could propose a longer transition

Mali Capital’s Modernization, Growth Threaten Traditional Urban Architecture

Mali is well known for its mudbrick Sudano-Sahelian architecture, which is also seen in buildings in the capital, Bamako, one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. But rapid modernization is also threatening the unique structures and the face of the city, as Annie Risemberg reports from Bamako.

Mali’s Military Government: Russia Sends Trainers, Not Mercenaries

France and 15 other Western nations last week condemned what they said was Russia's deployment of Wagner fighters to Mali. Mali's transitional government says it is only engaged with official Russian military trainers

French Army Leaves Timbuktu for First Time Since Arriving in 2013

French forces have been gradually withdrawing from the region, despite ongoing fighting with militants that threatens stability

Number of Hungry Soars in Mali

Rising prices of staple foods forced the government this week to halt exports of millet, corn, and rice and food shortages are expected to spread

More Than 50 Dead in Attacks on Mali Villages 

Militants attacked three villages in northern Mali simultaneously this past Sunday, leaving more than 50 civilians dead and several injured   

Journalists Killed in Burkina Faso Amid Ongoing Insecurity

Threats to reporters have been growing in Sahel, along with Islamist insurgencies

Guinea Receives Ebola Vaccine, Neighbors Prepare  

The last outbreak in 2013 also started in Guinea and killed 11,300 people over three years

In Important Step for Blind People, Malian Linguists Translate Bambara into Braille   

Bambara is understood and spoken by 15 million people, far more than French, the colonial language  

In Important Step for Blind People, Malian Linguists Translate Bambara Language into Braille 

Bambara is more widely understood than the colonial language, French

Malian Women's Rights Groups Sue Government for Failing to End FGM

Activists say the case shows how difficult it is to change the practice in Mali

Malian Women’s Rights Groups Sue Government for Failing to End FGM

UN says an estimated 83% of Malian women have undergone FGM

Solar Energy Brings Promise, Challenges to Sahel Region

The African Development Bank held a conference on the potential of solar energy in the Sahel this week — but challenges remain for those implementing solar energy on the ground.