Rise and Shine takes a look at some of the stories making headlines in the West Africa region, where the landscape is undergoing a massive shift this morning-from the launch of a new regional investment bank to a bold new military alliance among Sahelian states. As the region grapples with security threats and a changing economic order, we look at what these developments mean for the stability of the continent. To help us unpack these stories, is Political Scientist, International Relations, and Conflict Resolution expert, Dr David Matsanga.

QUESTIONS
* Dr. Matsanga, let's start with a major move by the Alliance of Sahel States. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have just launched a "NATO-style" military force of five thousand troops. In a region plagued by insurgency, is this force truly about local security, or is it a symbolic rejection of Western military intervention?

* Staying with those three nations, they have also launched a new Confederal Investment Bank. Given their exit from ECOWAS, how significant is this move in terms of achieving true financial independence from the traditional regional blocs?

* Moving to the energy sector, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo have agreed to explore a gas import alliance. How vital is this cross-border cooperation for stabilizing energy prices and industrializing West Africa?

* In Nigeria, there is a sigh of relief as the final 130 abducted schoolchildren from Niger State have been released. However, this follows a string of mass kidnappings-what does this tell us about the current effectiveness of Nigeria's internal security apparatus?

* Senegal has just launched a nearly 200-million-dollar agro-industrial zone to cut down on food imports. With global supply chains being so volatile, do you see this as the blueprint for other West African nations to achieve food sovereignty?

* In a landmark move for the financial sector, Ghana has officially legalised crypto trading. What are the risks and rewards for a major West African economy embracing digital assets in this way?

* The Gambia has unveiled its first-ever National Land Policy to transform land governance. Why is land reform such a critical, yet often overlooked, component of preventing civil conflict in the region?

* Finally, Dr Matsanga, looking at all these developments-from new banks to new military alliances-are we witnessing the permanent fragmentation of West Africa, or just a necessary evolution of its power structures?