In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 and its sister station Radio France Internationale (RFI), Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Maiga says that since 2012, French authorities have tried to divide his country by fueling autonomy claims in the north. And African countries weigh in on Russia's decision to send troops to Ukraine. Kenya, Gabon and Ghana have condemned Moscow's actions at the UN security council. Finally, Madagascar prepares for a new cyclone to hit its coast.

The government of Burkina Faso said last week that it had averted a plot by armed forces to take over the country. This attempted coup in Burkina Faso comes hot on the heels of military take-overs in Mali as well as in Guinea.

Mamady Doumbouya says it will take 39 months to shift back to civilian rule. The junta leader seized power in a coup in September.

A military junta in Guinea said its transition back to civilian rule will probably take more than three years, a proposal likely to upset West Africa's political bloc that has called for a swift return to constitutional order after last year's coup. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the head of the junta that took power in September, told state television late on Saturday that after political consultations he was considering a transition of 39 months, the first time he has proposed a timeline.

The US House committee presented new findings tying former President Donald Trump to the attack on the Capitol.

Ecuador's president has accused Indigenous protesters of attempting a coup. Clashes between protesters and security forces have left six people dead, and six of the country's 24 provinces are under a state of emergency.

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum granted an interview to FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman and RFI's Christophe Boisbouvier on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Bazoum expressed concern about the worsening security situation in Mali and the jihadist threat hanging over the Malian town of Ménaka in the wake of France's military withdrawal.

The leader of Friday’s coup has accused the military man he deposed of plotting a counter-offensive with French aid. Violence has persisted in the capital with gunshots heard.

Togo's government has confirmed reports that Burkina Faso's ousted coup leader Paul-Henri Damiba fled there following a mutiny of junior officers. Meanwhile, ECOWAS envoys were being sent to Ouagadougou.

The whole region knows the drill by now. Dateline Ouagadougou. If you are watching images of pro-junta demonstrators protesting the visit of West African mediators looking for rule of law guarantees from their new interlocutors after a coup, don't reach for the remote control. It is not a rerun.

On the first anniversary of the military coup that derailed Sudan's transition to civilian rule, at least one protester is killed and thousands take to the streets against the power grab. Also, key peace talks open in South Africa between Ethiopia's federal government and Tigrayan rebels. Finally, part of the world's largest telescope SKA is hosted by South Africa to study the birth of the universe.

Vice President Dina Boluarte has been sworn in as the country's first female president, and Pedro Castillo was arrested. Castillo had tried to dissolve Congress in a bid to avoid impeachment.