Economic Community of West African States

Mutinous soldiers released Ivory Coast's Defense Minister Alain Richard Donwahi late Jan. 7 after detaining him for two hours in a tense standoff over pay.

The United States has stated that no counterfeit visas produced at the fake U.S. embassy in Ghana, run by Ghanaian and Turkish organized crime rings for a decade, was used to enter the country. 

Nigeria and Morocco have signed a joint venture to construct a gas pipeline that will connect the two nations as well as some other African countries to Europe, Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs said on Dec. 3. 

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has condemned the terrorist attack in the Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand-Bassam that took place on Sunday.

He offered condolences to the country's president, Alassane Ouattara, and the families of the victims.

Guinea was declared free of Ebola on Dec. 29 after more than 2,500 people died from the virus in the West African nation, leaving Liberia as the only country still awaiting a countdown for the end of the epidemic.

The United Nations Ebola chief said Nov. 18 his top priority now that the deadly Ebola epidemic appears to be nearing an end is helping more than 15,000 survivors who need medical and psychological support.

Ankara has voiced ?concern? over a military coup in Burkina Faso, saying it ?rejected interventions in politics? through methods that are not democratic.

The inter-institution task force dealing with the abduction of a Romanian citizen in Burkina Faso confirmed his identity after watching a video released on Saturday by unknown persons.

Two French special forces soldiers accused of sexually abusing children in Burkina Faso returned home on July 2 and were taken into custody, said a legal source.

France has suspended two of its soldiers over allegations they sexually abused children, including a five-year-old girl, in the west African country of Burkina Faso, the defence ministry said June 30.