What’s your current level of programming/comp sci knowledge if any? I know you said you’re a complete beginner, but I’d include things like spread sheet macros, some spread sheet usage w/o macros, shell scripts, batch files or powershell scripts as programming knowledge. You know what a constants, functions, loops and variables are?

There’s the already mentioned defensive alliance. Mali and Burkina Faso are supposedly in talks to “federate” into a larger political unit. Guinea has been invited to join the talks, but as of yet has not done so (I think).