Ivorian cashew processors face an uphill battle. Their bid to expand into processing faces competition from Asia. Also, Mali is sanctioned but Senegal loses out. The economic interdependence between the neighbours has left Senegalese traders struggling to cope with the knock-on effects of penalties imposed on Bamako. And amid months of sometimes deadly protests against an army takeover, young Sudanese have been finding respite in Khartoum's vibrant cultural scene.