French President Emmanuel Macron has hailed the killing of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of the "Islamic State in the Sahara," as a "huge success." But analysts warn that the terror threat is far from over.

German police officer Antje Pittelkau took up the post of head of the EUCAP Sahel Niger mission in January. She and her colleagues are there to support Niger in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.

Europe and Africa already had more than enough in their in-tray going into their first Brussels summit in nearly eight years. Now you can add coup contagion and the pullout of French-led anti-terror forces from Mali. The day began in Paris for key players in the Sahel. Will the crisis overshadow the EU-African Union summit?

President Mohamed Bazoum says Niger will welcome foreign special forces to secure the region. He said threats from the militant groups would likely rise as France pulls its troops out of Mali.

Mali's military junta has announced it will be exiting a multi-national military force tackling an insurgency in West Africa's Sahel region.

In the Sahel, the number of informal mines is rising as gold mining areas escape state control. Mali is emerging as a gold-purchasing hub for Sahelian countries, while Dubai has become the main destination for artisanal gold production from the African continent. From the hidden smelters of Bamako to the artisanal mines of the Ivory Coast and a major gold market in Dubai, Caroline Dumay investigates the transforming global gold industry.

The French president on Wednesday announced an end to the nearly decade-long Barkhane counter-terrorist mission in Africa. Operation Barkhane had not been operational since February after France announced its military withdrawal from Mali. The last French troops left their base in the Malian town of Gao on Aug.15.

Jörg Lange was kidnapped by jihadis in Niger more than 4 1/2 years ago and was reportedly sold to the so-called Islamic State armed group. The 63-year-old engineer is said to be in good health.

Niger, one of the world's poorest nations, has resisted a recent spate of coups and inroads by Russian mercenaries seen in neighboring countries and is set to benefit from millions in US aid.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Thursday (March 16) $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for Africa's Sahel region, saying it would provide life-saving support to refugees and others impacted by conflict and food insecurity.

Jeff Woodke, an American aid worker who was held hostage by militants in Niger for more than six years, has been released, along with French journalist Olivier Dubois, who was kidnapped by militants in 2021 in neighboring Mali. Woodke and Dubois appeared together before reporters in Niger's capital Niamey on Monday.

The ongoing fighting in Sudan is forcing thousands to flee. The humanitarian emergency is spreading, creating a dangerous security situation in the Sahel region, experts warn.