Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 23, 2022)

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

Will France’s Africa Policy Hold Up?

While Macron’s pivot has created new political space for France-Africa engagement on more equal footing, the French president’s vision of mutual aid and reciprocal partnerships between France and African countries remains unfulfilled. Click here to read…

“The Harambee Factor: India – Africa Economic and Development Partnership” by Ambassador Gurjit Singh

A wealth of literature illustrates China’s relationship with Africa in all of its facets. In comparison, there isn’t nearly enough research on India’s engagement in Africa in its entirety. In that sense, there is hardly any literature that deals specifically with the India-Africa development partnership. Click here to read…

NEWS

Africa provides a ‘home for hope’, despite new challenges: Guterres

On Africa Day, the world celebrates the diverse and dynamic continent’s “enormous promise and potential”, the UN chief saidClick here to read…

AU expresses deep concern over complex humanitarian situations in Africa

The African Union (AU) on Friday expressed deep concern over the complex humanitarian situations in the African continentClick here to read…

Somalia president welcomes U.S. troops, calls for peace

U.S. President Joe Biden this month authorised the redeployment of hundreds of U.S. soldiers who will help train, equip and support the military’s elite Danab special forces fighting the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants. Click here to read…

Angola to hold general elections on August 24

Angola will hold general elections on August 24. President João Lourenço announced the date before the Council of the Republic, a consultative body that met on Friday to vote on the head of state’s proposal. Click here to read…

An epic contest between Ruto and Odinga

Kenya goes to the polls on August 9, 2022, to elect the country’s fifth President, besides national lawmakers, governors and assemblies of its 47 counties. Click here to read…

Buhari Backs Setting Up of African Standby Force On Terrorism

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday backed the planned creation of the African Standby Force on Terrorism, saying the move would help tackle criminal activities on the continent. Click here to read…

Rwanda-DR Congo row: Tensions rise again in the Great Lakes

Tensions erupted last week between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Click here to read…

UK targets mid-June for first Rwanda asylum flight

Britain said Tuesday it intends to fly a first planeload of asylum-seekers to Rwanda on June 14, under a new agreement that has drawn threats of legal challenges from angry campaigners. Click here to read…

Will Comoros Be China’s Next “Djibouti” In Indian Ocean Region?

In the past seven years, China created and developed its first overseas military base for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) at Djibouti. Click here to read…

One killed in first major protest under Guinea junta

One person was killed in Guinea’s capital late on Wednesday during protests over fuel price hikes, in the most serious unrest since a military junta took power last year. Click here to read…

Three years on, still no justice for Sudan ‘massacre’ victims

Families ask for accountability after at least 120 people were killed at a sit-in protest by security forces in 2019. Click here to read…

Ethiopia to supply South Sudan with electricity, as Nile dam talks continue to falter

Ethiopia plans to export electric power to South Sudan as part of an electrical interconnection project between the two countries, as negotiations with Sudan and Egypt on Ethiopia’s controversial dam on the Nile River are at a dead end. Click here to read…

Western Sahara activist arrives in Spain for medical tests following months-long house arrest

Sultana Khaya, a Sahrawi activist, arrived in Spain for medical treatment following months of house arrest, where she had suffered “countless human rights abuses”, according to her legal team. Click here to read…

Eritrean troops shell town in north Ethiopia – U.N.

Eritrean forces shelled a town in north Ethiopia over the weekend, according to internal U.N. documents and regional forces, in a rare bombardment after two months of relative peace in the Tigray conflict. Click here to read…

ECOWAS leaders postpone decision on sanctions in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea

West African leaders on Saturday failed to agree what action to take against military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, postponing a decision until July, said insiders at the meeting. Click here to read…

China invites Sudan for Horn of Africa peace conference

China has invited Sudan to participate in the forthcoming Horn of Africa conference from June 20-22 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s political system favours old wealthy men

Despite young people making up the majority of Nigeria’s voters, the country’s politicians are mostly old, wealthy and male. Such a system makes it harder for young people to enter politics. Click here to read…

Tunisia: Ennahda leader Ghannouchi decries state of ‘tyranny’

The speaker of Tunisia’s dissolved parliament says the country is living under a state of tyranny as President Kais Saied pushes ahead with plans for a controversial referendum on replacing the constitution. Click here to read…

Civilians in peril as tensions in DR Congo escalate: HRW

Fighting between government forces and armed groups in the conflict-torn North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo could seriously endanger the safety of civilians in the area. Click here to read…

Al-Qaida Affiliate Claims May Attack in Togo

Togo’s government had confirmed a “terrorist attack” on May 11 in the northern town of Kpekankandi, near the border with Burkina Faso, where the insurgents are also present. Click here to read…

2 UN peacekeepers killed in 6th incident in Mali in 2 weeks

Two U.N. peacekeepers were killed Friday when their armored personnel carrier hit an improvised explosive device in central Mali in the sixth incident in less than two weeks. Click here to read…

Nigeria violence: Gunmen attack Catholic church killing worshippers in Ondo state

Gunmen have killed worshippers in a Catholic church in Ondo, south-west Nigeria, the state’s governor has said. Click here to read…

Kenya: Case of growing Chinese debt obligations

According to Kenyan officials, releasing the documents would undermine Kenya’s national security, “since terms in the contract touch on foreign government information with implications on national security and foreign relations”. Click here to read…

Libya participates in NATO exercises in Turkey

A number of Units of the ground and naval forces of the Libyan army will participate in the exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Click here to read…

Chad Declares ‘Food Emergency’, Urges International Help

Chad on Thursday declared a “food emergency” in the impoverished landlocked country, urging the international community to help. Click here to read…

Oraimo to Build Africa’s Largest Mobile Technology Factory in Nigeria

Indigenous smart phone accessories manufacturers, Oraimo mobile technology has announced plans to erect the largest mobile technology factory in Nigeria. Click here to read…

Coca Cola inaugurates its ‘mega’ factory in Ethiopia

Coca Cola has inaugurated its new ‘mega factory’ in Sebta City in Ethiopia. The $100 million factory, located 25 km from the capital, Addis Ababa, is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and will create 30,000 job opportunities. Click here to read…

South Africa president accused of ‘kidnapping’, bribing burglars

An ex-spy chief Wednesday said he had filed a legal complaint against South Africa’s president, accusing him of “kidnapping” and bribing robbers who stole millions of dollars from one of his properties. Click here to read…

‘From Russia with Love’: A Putin Ally Mines Gold and Plays Favorites in Sudan

Backed by the Kremlin, the shadowy network known as the Wagner Group is getting rich in Sudan while helping the military to crush a democracy movement. Click here to read…

Nigeria agrees step on new gas pipeline through Morocco to Europe

Nigeria’s government has directed its state-run oil company NNPC to implement a deal on a gas pipeline to Europe through Morocco. Click here to read…

Central African Republic announces plan to tokenize country’s minerals

The Central African Republic (CAR) revealed the next step in its bitcoin adoption journey with plans to tokenize access to its natural resources. Click here to read…

Key Hydrocarbon Discoveries in Namibia Could Ensure Strong Economic Growth

Namibia’s sizeable 2022 discoveries – the Graff-1 discovery made by Shell and the Venus discovery by TotalEnergies –are expected to kickstart the country’s oil and gas boom as well as a new era of increased exploration, production and monetization of hydrocarbons in the southern African country. Click here to read…

Southern Spain focuses of huge Europe-Morocco migration after COVID-19

Morocco on Sunday begins welcoming an influx of its citizens living in Europe after the pandemic led to a halt in what has been called one of the world’s biggest cross-continental migrations. Click here to read…

Tanzania seeks to be key rice producer in Africa

Tanzania is racing against time to become Africa’s rice hub. To begin with, the country wants to meet East Africa’s total rice demand, a senior government officer has said. Click here to read…

Guinea Junta Rejects UN Call to End Ban on Protests

Guinea’s ruling junta has rejected a UN call to lift a ban on political demonstrations, insisting protests should only be allowed during the election period in three years’ time. Click here to read…

In Niger, Scholz vows to support fight against Islamist militants

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised Niger long-term military and financial support to fight Islamist insurgents across West Africa, during a visit on Monday on his inaugural Africa tour. Click here to read…

Cameroon, CAR Join Forces to Fight Rebels on Border

A commission of senior security and state officials from the troubled Central African Republic and Cameroon has agreed to jointly fight armed C.A.R. rebels they say are fleeing intensive fighting and infiltrating refugee camps in Cameroon. Click here to read…

Samia: Tanzania gearing up to connect countries through rail, road

Tanzania is ready for regional integration and is in the process of completing road and railway networks with the goal of linking neighbouring countries. Click here to read…

Xi says China ready to expand ties with Zambia

Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Zambian counterpart in a telephone call on Tuesday that China was willing to strengthen and broaden bilateral ties with Zambia. Click here to read…

Polish president visits Egypt for the first time in decades

The Polish president visited Egypt recently in the first such visit since 1992, which comes as the Russian war on Ukraine rages on. Click here to read…

Abraham Accords accelerate Israel-Africa rapprochement

Israeli and African diplomats are engaged in expanding bilateral relations and taking them much further than ever before in many fields. Click here to read…

Zambia commissions China-aided milling plants

Zambia on Friday officially commissioned three state-of-the-art milling plants funded by China. Click here to read…

In oil-rich Niger Delta, coastal erosion frustrates locals endlessly

Residents of the oil-rich region say they are losing their houses and farmlands to coastal erosion and there is a long history of government neglect of the area. Click here to read…

AU Head Says ‘Reassured’ After Talks with Putin on Food Shortages

African Union head Macky Sall said on Friday he was “reassured” after talks in Russia with President Vladimir Putin on food shortages caused by Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Belgian king, in shadow of colonial past, to visit DR Congo

Belgium’s King Philippe on Tuesday begins a historic visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a region cruelly exploited by his ancestors, as tensions rise in the volatile east. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s Gabes Cinema Fen: The festival bringing back cultural life

No other festival captures both the spirit and challenges facing Tunisia than Gabes Cinema Fen, the Arab World’s first digital arts festClick here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Naidu embarks on tour of Gabon, Senegal, Qatar

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday embarked on a three-nation tour of Gabon, Senegal and Qatar. Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan to visit Zimbabwe, Malawi

Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to African nations — Zimbabwe and Malawi — from June 6 to 9. Click here to read…

India organises Def expo in Tanzania to expand defence sector footprints in Africa

Indian High Commission in Dar es Salaam organised a Mini-DefExpo in Dar-es-Salaam. 16 Indian companies (7 from government sector and 9 from private sector) participated in the event. Click here to read…

In Order to Extend Its Defence Sector Footprint In Africa, India Launches A Defence Expo In Tanzania

Through a defence exhibition hosted in Dar-es-Salaam on Friday, India sought to deepen its defence partnership with Tanzania, a Southeast African country. Click here to read…

VP Naidu interacts with Indian diaspora in Gabon

Interacting with the Indian diaspora in Gabon, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has said that despite being only 1,500 in number, the community has made a significant contribution in various fields in the country. Click here to read…

India committed to be Gabon’s reliable partner, says Vice President Venkaiah Naidu

India attaches great importance to its relations with Gabon, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India-Africa relations prospering on mutual respects & co-operations among others

Dating back several centuries, the relations between India and African countries are driven and shaped by a number of factors, including trade and investments, cultural, historical and political engagements. Click here to read…

New Delhi attaches utmost priority to India-Africa partnership: Vice President

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said that India’s cooperation with Africa will centre around health, digital and green growth, and asserted that New Delhi attaches utmost priority to India-Africa partnership. Click here to read…

Senegal Is Most Stable and Model Democracies in Africa: Naidu

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday emphasised the need for mutual respect among political opponents in democracy and termed debates, discussions and dialogues as the essence of the legislative process. Click here to read…

India-Somalia relations: Indian response to the new government?

The nation of 15 million people has endured conflict with no strong central government since the fall of the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and has also faced severe drought and dire famine crises. Click here to read…

At UNSC, India abstains from sanctions being extended to South Sudan

India has abstained from a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that has extended sanctions against South Sudan. Click here to read…

Kenya: Indian Market Posts Strong Growth as Kenya’s Tourism Recovers

The Indian market will play a significant role in the recovery of Kenya’s tourism sector, tourism players in Kenya have saidClick here to read…

Egypt rejects ship carrying Indian wheat originally intended for Turkey

Egypt barred the entry of a ship carrying 55,000 tonnes of Indian wheat that was originally intended for Turkey. Click here to read…

Egypt envoy Hamed dismisses reports of Indian wheat being infected with pests

Egyptian ambassador to India Wael Hamed has dismissed reports of Indian wheat being infected with pests even as the country receives its first consignments. Click here to read…

Egypt in talks with India on wheat-for-goods swap deal to fight shortage: Minister

Egypt is in discussions to import wheat from India in a deal that may include the export of products such as fertilizers in return. Click here to read…

Morocco eager to become India’s IT outsourcing hub for Europe & Africa: Minister

The Minister informed that HCL will set up its presence in Morocco and key focus of her trip was engaging with the HCL and leading a business mission to India. Click here to read…

Facelifted Toyota Starlet (Made-In-India Glanza) Launched in South Africa

Toyota has launched the Starlet premium hatchback in South Africa from SAR 226,200 (~ Rs 11.30 lakh). It’s indeed the made-in-India Glanza that is exported to South Africa, just like the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Click here to read…

Saatvik secures solar module supply order for Mauritius project

Indian PV manufacturer Saatvik Solar will supply 9.3 MW of mono PERC modules to Bharat Heavy Electricals for a PV project in Mauritius. The panels will feature multi-busbar and half-cut cell technology. Click here to read…

Apartheid, riots, and being Indian in South Africa: The recollections of a revolutionary

Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim was a South African revolutionary of Indian descent who spent 15 years at the Robben Island prison alongside the legendary Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada, also an anti-apartheid activist. Click here to read…