West African leaders lift economic and financial sanctions on Mali

Germany's industrial output has dropped significantly, with the country's economy ministry warning that, amid a pessimistic outlook, there are no signs of light at the end of the tunnel.

History shows the economic impact of technological advances is generally uncertain, unequal and sometimes outright malign.

West African leaders have agreed to keep all options, including military force, open to restore civilian rule in Niger. At a crisis ECOWAS summit in neighboring Nigeria, they ordered the deployment of a standby force. However, there are no signs Niger's junta will hand back power.

Mali's junta demanded in June that the MINUSMA force withdraw from the West African country after a decade-long deployment. The mission was created to quell separatist and Islamist insurgencies in northern Mali.

Defense chiefs from members of the ECOWAS regional bloc meet in Accra to discuss the crisis in Niger. Last week the body activated a "standby force" potentially to intervene in Niger.

The ECOWAS force is on standby for military intervention in Niger if there's no peaceful end to the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, an official for the regional bloc said.

ECOWAS sanctions on Niger appear to be a double-edged sword. Many Nigerians living near the border with Niger, which Nigeria shut after the coup, say the economic and humanitarian impacts are enormous.

As BRICS leaders meet in Johannesburg on Tuesday, they will be sure to discuss ways to increase commercial exchanges within the bloc of emerging economies comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group, which represents 16% of global trade, will also look to encourage the use of local currencies in exchanges. However, the Brazilian idea of creating a common currency for the bloc appears to now be on the back burner.

As Zimbabweans head to the polls this Wednesday, we take a look at the dire economic straits the country finds itself in. Inflation has gone from the single digits in 2017 to 77 percent this month, the currency has crashed against the US dollar, and high unemployment has led many to emigrate. While incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa has played up improved infrastructure on the campaign trail, his opponent Nelson Chamisa detailed a plan that he says will build Zimbabwe into a $100 billion economy.

The pact allows Mali and Burkina Faso to provide military assistance to Niger in the event of military intervention against the putschists there.

On 17 August 2023, popular protests over the high inflation rate and deteriorating economic situation in Syria erupted in the Druze majority city of Al-Suwayda, with hundreds of participants. These grew, and by 20 August, thousands of protesters chanted slogans demanding the downfall of Assad regime.

It has been a month since the military seized power in Niger. The ECOWAS bloc of African states has imposed sanctions, and access to food is getting scarce in the landlocked country. In the city of Tillaberi, people are feeling the effects.