ECOWAS membership – Nigerian private sector rejects Morocco’s interest

The harrowing image of a little boy named Rayan stuck in a 100-foot well in Morocco, his anguished face bloodied, has captured hearts across the world and drawn wide social media interest in North Africa.

In Morocco, rescuers are racing against the clock to save a young boy trapped in a well for almost three days. Five-year-old Rayan fell down a 32-metre deep well on Tuesday. Search crews have begun excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach him, but shaky soil is threatening the rescue operation.

The financial freeze on Mali brought in by regional group ECOWAS has hit its economy hard. Key sectors like the cotton industry have been struggling to overcome the impact of the trade penalties. Also, as the excitement of the Africa Cup of Nations winds down, we head to two-time tournament hosts Gabon, where once-gleaming stadiums have fallen into disrepair. Finally, a Malawian musician finds runaway fame on TikTok at the age of 92.

Spanish and Moroccan activists called for a probe into the clash that left at least 18 people dead at Spain's North African exclave of Melilla. The unrest started when some 2,000 migrants tried to rush the border fence.

The sanctions have badly hit Mali, with its economy already under severe strain from military coups and a decade-long jihadist insurgency.

More migrants have died at the Moroccan-Spanish border this year than ever before. Human rights activists are calling the Moroccan border guards criminals.

Morocco sacks coach Vahid Halilhodzic just three months ahead of the World Cup, the third time Halilhodzic has been fired by a national team after they've qualified for World Cup finals.

A political spat between Morocco and Tunisia continues after being sparked over the weekend by Tunis's hosting of the head of the Polisario Front. But first, a report released by a crisis monitoring organisation suggests that Russian mercenaries in Mali target civilians in well over half of their operations. The report also accuses Wagner fighters of also attacking non-military targets in Central African Republic. Finally, we take a closer look at Egypt's centuries-long tradition of wine making.

Nigeria and Morocco sign a deal to build the world's longest offshore gas pipeline. When it’s completed in over 20 years’ time, it will connect 15 West African nations and eventually lead on to Europe's shores.Tensions simmer between Mali and Ivory Coast as Bamako continues to detain 46 Ivorian soldiers. The military junta ruling Mali has told other nations to stay out of its business.

Nigeria and Morocco sign a deal to build the world's longest offshore gas pipeline. When it’s completed in over 20 years’ time, it will connect 15 West African nations and eventually lead on to Europe's shores.

West African political bloc ECOWAS slaps sanctions on the military junta ruling Guinea. Failure to provide a plan for a return to civilian rule has resulted in the junta's assets being frozen, with the threat of more severe sanctions also laid on the table.

Days after the latest coup, Burkina Faso's new military leaders finally meet with a delegation from West African regional bloc ECOWAS at the airport in Ouagadougou, after anti-ECOWAS protesters gathered outside the designated conference venue.