Rebecca Mignot-Mahdavi’s report explores France’s military strategy against jihadist groups, particularly in the Sahel, revealing a lack of transparent legal justification. Unlike the U.S., which has openly articulated legal frameworks for its war on terror, France maintains silence, although its strategic documents and actions imply an extensive interpretation of international law. The author argues that France mirrors U.S. legal narratives by stretching the boundaries of jus ad bellum and jus in bello to legitimize ongoing military operations. Drawing on French parliamentary records and strategic reports, the paper highlights how France frames its fight as a generalized and indefinite war against jihadist groups. This implicit legal approach allows France to operate across borders and time without explicit legal constraint. Mignot-Mahdavi warns that such legal ambiguity normalizes endless conflict and undermines accountability, challenging the international rule of law.

Governance, Security, Terrorism, Counter terrorism, Crise humanitaire

In her interview, Amayel Diop, a lecturer and researcher at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, discusses the challenges of women's participation in Senegalese politics. She highlights the difficulty women face in balancing family life and political engagement, particularly due to political meetings often being scheduled at times incompatible with their domestic responsibilities. Ms. Diop critiques the 2010 parity law, believing it has not achieved its goals due to a lack of enforcement mechanisms. She urges women to move beyond secondary roles and take on leadership positions. Emphasizing the importance of intellectual and financial empowerment, she advocates for greater solidarity among women to overcome persistent sociocultural barriers.

Inequality, Gender, Women, Political participation

This article features an interview with Ndioro Ndiaye, former Senegalese minister, who emphasizes that gender parity does not equate to true equality. She highlights the historical role of pioneering Senegalese women such as Caroline Faye Diop and Maïmouna Kane in advancing women's emancipation. Ndiaye points out that while parity laws have been adopted in Senegal, their enforcement—particularly in appointive positions—remains inadequate. She calls for a reform of legislative frameworks to ensure effective equality and urges women to actively prepare for upcoming local elections. The article underscores that symbolic parity must be accompanied by real opportunities and power-sharing mechanisms to achieve lasting gender equity in public and political life.

Women, Parity, Equality, Empowerment

Mauritania's "National Digital Security Strategy 2022-2025," developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Modernization of the Administration, aims to strengthen cybersecurity and combat cybercrime. Recognizing the growing reliance on digital technologies and associated threats, the strategy focuses on six strategic objectives:​ Establish institutions dedicated to digital security.​ Protect Mauritania's cyberspace and critical infrastructures.​ Enhance mechanisms to combat cybercrime.​ Raise awareness and provide training on cybersecurity issues.​ Promote national collaboration in digital security.​ Develop regional and international cooperation.​ The implementation of this strategy is overseen by the High Council for Digital (HCN), supported by the National Cybersecurity Agency. It aligns with the 2014 Malabo Convention on cybersecurity and personal data protection, to which Mauritania is a signatory.

Public Administration, Numérique, Cybercriminalité, Cybersecurity

The article "Maintaining Patriarchal Order through Silencing: Literary Territories of Female Subordination in Cameroon" by Nadine Machikou examines the controversy triggered by the debut novel of Marzouka Oummou Hani, a high school student from northern Cameroon. Her fictional narrative addresses patriarchal violence in a setting modeled on the real village of Idool. The backlash, including a lawsuit and state mediation, unveils the institutional mechanisms used to silence women’s voices. While the novel is defended as fiction, authorities push for a revision and public apology, reinforcing patriarchal control over female expression. Based on both ethnographic research and literary analysis, the article highlights how literature becomes a site of feminist resistance, where themes of gender, age, religion, and class intersect. It also sheds light on the symbolic and political forces that shape who is allowed to speak, write, and define social reality in contemporary Cameroonian society.

Governance, Women, Discrimination

The article titled "Rural Women Marginalization in Niger Republic: Women's Access to Agricultural Water Use," authored by Mahaman Tidjani Alou, Illiassou Mossi Maïga, and Aminatou Daouda Hainikoye, was published in the journal Les Cahiers d’Outre-Mer in April 2015. It examines gender inequalities in access to irrigated perimeters in Niger, revealing that rice cultivation is predominantly a male activity. The few women involved are often unsupported, divorced, or widowed, with several children to care for. Discriminatory criteria, such as the status of head of household, have been used to exclude them from the allocation of developed plots. Furthermore, the arduous nature of rice cultivation is cited to justify their marginalization, thereby depriving them of the benefits of this activity.

Agriculture, Gender, Women, Discrimination

The report titled "Security Sector Reform and Governance in Senegal," written by Colonel Babacar Diouf and published by the African Security Sector Network (ASSN) on January 22, 2024, examines the historical evolution and current state of Security Sector Governance (SSG) in Senegal. It analyzes key components of the sector, including the Army, Gendarmerie, Police, Special Forces, Intelligence Services, and the Penitentiary Sector. The article highlights major reforms undertaken since independence to strengthen the capacities of the armed forces and underscores contemporary challenges the country faces in terms of security.

Governance, Security, Réforme

In the article titled "Toxic masculinity is very present within the media," published on December 6, 2021, on WATHI, Maïmouna Astou Yade emphasizes the crucial role of media in public life and their influence on perceptions of gender equality. She notes that, despite some progress, media coverage of women's issues remains inadequate, particularly regarding violence against women, which is often downplayed. Yade criticizes the persistence of patriarchal stereotypes in the media, which promote male leadership at the expense of female representation. She calls for a multidisciplinary approach to raise awareness and train media professionals on gender equality issues, aiming to transform internal practices and improve coverage of topics related to women.

Inequality, Gender, Inclusion

In the article titled "Our sociocultural constraints are reflected in the way we handle information related to women," published on November 24, 2021, on WATHI, Sofia Ba discusses the significant yet often unrecognized role of women in Senegalese society due to sociocultural norms. She highlights that, although women are active in the media, barriers persist, frequently confining them to roles related to entertainment or sociocultural topics. Ba advocates for a more diverse representation of women in the media, reflecting their varied expertise, including in economics, politics, and sciences. She also critiques the biased treatment of information concerning women, influenced by enduring social beliefs and constraints. For her, the media play a crucial role in shaping societal perceptions of women's roles and must accurately reflect societal realities, even when uncomfortable. Ba calls for a strategic use of social networks to convey messages about gender inequalities and a redefinition of feminism, often misunderstood and negatively perceived in Senegal.

Culture, Gender, Inclusion