Countries: Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo Sources: International Organization for Migration, REACH Initiative, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. Key information on the evolving context (April – May 2025)— Benin : One of the highlights of this period was the coordinatedattack by non-state armed groups against the Beninesearmy, which resulted in the deaths of 54 soldiers on 17 April.The period was also marked by an increase in incidents atcheckpoints involving individuals suspected of supplying fuelto non-state armed groups. The new Electoral Code continuesto draw criticism from the opposition and civil society. TheEpiscopal Conference returned to the subject at the end of May,recommending concrete actions to ensure inclusive, transparentand peaceful elections. The President of Niger, AbdourahamaneTiani, announced that the border with Benin would remain closeduntil further notice, citing the presence of ‘destabilizing Frenchtroops’.— Côte d’Ivoire : The security situation remains stable, with onlyone incident reported, consistent with previous periods. At theend of April, the Ivorian armed forces arrested two members ofa non-state armed group after they illegally crossed the borderand entered Ivorian territory. Pre-election tensions persist, withseveral thousand people mobilizing in Abidjan after TidjaneThiam was removed from the electoral register on the basis ofhis nationality on 3 and 4 May. On 31 May, a demonstration wasorganized to protest the exclusion of key opposition figures fromthe presidential election. Tensions between Côte d'Ivoire andBurkina Faso intensified when the Burkinabè Minister of Securityannounced that a coup had been foiled, pointing to Côte d'Ivoireas the base of operations.— Ghana : The leadership conflict in Bawku continues, manifestingitself in sporadic clashes between community militias and lawenforcement agencies, resulting in the deaths of several civilians.— Togo : Security incidents were reported again after a lull betweenFebruary and March 2025. On 4 May, hundreds of oppositionsupporters gathered in Lomé to denounce President Gnassingbé'stransition to the position of President of the Council of Ministers,which is not limited in time, with opposition parties referring to itas a ‘constitutional coup d'état’.