Two months ago, the West African regional bloc Ecowas imposed sanctions on Mali after its military leaders announced they would remain in power for another five years before holding any elections.

There have been scenes of jubilation in Mali after France said it would begin to pull its troops out of the West African country. France has helped battle jihadi groups for nine years — until relations with Mali's military leaders turned sour.

Thousands of Malians take to the streets after the junta calls for protests against sanctions imposed by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. On the 11th anniversary of Ben Ali's ouster, hundreds of demonstrators in Tunisia defy a ban on public gatherings to protest against President Kais Saied's power grab. And we'll bring you the latest from the Africa Cup of Nations, our reporters on the ground have all the day's action.

A group of young Malians in Bamako perform in a theatre troupe, braving the prejudices associated with the discipline. Despite the setbacks, young thespians Aly, Awa and their acolytes have written and performed a play on the dangerous trip that thousands of young Africans take in the hope of migrating to Europe. The play, performed in a former open-air nightclub, was programmed in December as part of the "Les Praticables" festival, one of the only theatre events in Mali.