Sierra Leone Arrests Army Officers, Crackdown in Senegal, West African Bloc On Niger Peace Mission

Sierra Leone has arrested several individuals, including high-ranking army personnel, for planning violent attacks to overthrow the government. This comes a year after deadly riots in August 2022 that left over 30 people dead. The suspects had planned peaceful protests as a cover for launching violent attacks on state institutions and citizens. In Senegal, protests erupted after the arrest of opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, leading to the dissolution of his party, Patriots of Senegal. The US ruled out Russia's involvement in the military takeover in Niger, despite a Ukrainian Presidential advisor suggesting otherwise. The West African bloc sent a delegation to negotiate with Niger's military after the recent coup. UK's Foreign Secretary also called for peace and democracy in Niger following a closed meeting with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.