Niamey - The US will help train African troops in Niger. The troops will then take part in the UN-backed offensive against Islamic militants in neighbouring Mali.

Bamako - According to the Nigerian Defense Headquarters (DHQ), a Nigerian Air Force jet deployed to operations in Mali crashed in Niger Republic Monday. Two Nigerian Air Force pilots died in the crash.

A newly released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, entitled "This Old Man Can Feed Us, You Will Marry Him:’ Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan," calls on the government of South Sudan to adopt measures to protect girls from child marriage.

The kidnapping is the latest of several affecting French citizens in recent years. In 2010 four French workers were kidnapped in Niger, and in 2011 two French businessmen were kidnapped in Mali.

Niamey - Reminiscent of early U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, President Barack Obama on Friday informed Congress about the deployment of 40 additional U.S. troops to join 100 other U.S. advisers in Niger.

Bamako - While the French, together with Malian forces, have managed to retake much of the territory formerly occupied by rebels, there has been little coverage of what is happening from anywhere near the front.

Bamako - Thousands of Malians turned out on the streets of the northern Mali city of Gao yesterday, the largest city in northern Mali, to welcome French and Malian soldiers with chants of, “Mali, Mali, France, France."

Bamako - The Voice of Nigeria (VON) reports that the first batch of Nigerian troops arrived in Mali on Thursday to reinforce French and Malian troops fighting to halt the advance of al Qaeda-linked rebels from the north of the country.

French airstrikes against Islamist revolutionaries in Mali have killed scores of rebels as well as at least 11 innocent civilians.

Toronto - Dozens came out to the freezing cold temperatures in Toronto Saturday as part of the international Occupy Nigeria movement. Since the violent protests began in the West African nation, thousands of Nigerians have showed their support for the protesters.

Al-Saadi Gaddafi has been offered asylum in Niger as the authorities there believe that no one from the Gaddafi family would be safe if returned to Libya.

Niamey - The son of ousted Libyan tyrant Muammar Gaddafi has been intercepted after a convoy of nine people crossed the border into Niger, Libya's southern neighbour.

Saadi Gaddafi, the self indulgent, hedonistic, playboy, third son of Muammar Gaddafi, has crossed the Libyan border into Niger. Authorties in Niger have given him leave to stay on humanitarian grounds.

News has been coming over the wires all day about a large convoy of Gaddafi forces, possibly hundreds of vehicles, arriving in neighboring Niger and some say heading for Burkina Faso.

Following concerns that widespread corruption was discouraging investors, an anti-corruption body aimed at stepping up the fight against graft has been created in the uranium rich West African nation of Niger.

The deaths of a French Non Governmental Organization worker and his friend in Niger highlights yet again that by targeting them the terrorists are demonstrating their real goal, which is to refuse social progress and perpetuate obscurantism.

The increase in incidents of hostage-taking of French nationals in African countries by alleged al-Qaida affiliates AQIM has led France to step up its use of force to get them back and eliminate those responsible if necessary. Will that policy work?

Two French hostages kidnapped on Friday night in the West African country of Niger were found dead on Saturday. Their bodies were found after an unsuccessful rescue operation involving government forces.

The general public might be getting tired of hearing ‘all-wikileaks all-day,’ but now that the dust is beginning to settle a bit, some of the diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks contain information that might shock many.

France’s reputation for influence-peddling and widespread corruption in Africa is nobody’s secret, but Nicolas Sarkozy's reactions to the current electoral deadlock in the Ivory Coast indicate that France's shadowy African era may be coming to an end.