Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.
COMMENTARY
United States of Africa: Ultimate Dream of a Pan-Africanist
Every year on May 25, the world celebrates Africa Day. It was on May 25, 1963, that the first organisational body of Africa, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), was established in Ethiopia. Click here to read…
Mozambique’s Reversal of Fortune
Just a year ago, the news from Mozambique was rather glum. The security crisis in the northern region of Cabo Delgado had displaced hundreds of thousands of people, created a humanitarian crisis. Click here to read…
NEWS
As election season nears, Kenyans brace for unrest and hope for peace
A fleet of shiny SUVs descended on the dusty city of Wajir in northeast Kenya on a spring afternoon. Click here to read…
Tunisia’s president plans to omit ‘Islam’ from new constitution
The secularist Kais Saied is putting the constitution to a referendum on July 25 in the hope of overhauling the country’s legal, political and economic structures and granting himself more powers. Click here to read…
Somalia parliament endorses new Prime minister
Somalia’s parliament on Saturday unanimously endorsed Hamza Abdi Barre as new prime minister, paving the way for the creation of a new government for the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Click here to read…
Mali strongman Goita adopts electoral law, key to civilian rule
Mali’s strongman ruler on Friday signed into law election legislation adopted by parliament a week ago, paving the way for polls and a return of civilian rule, according to a presidential decree. Click here to read…
World Bank to provide war-torn Ethiopia with $715 mln
The World Bank on Friday agreed to provide $715 million in grants and loans to Ethiopia, which has been ravaged by drought and a devastating conflict, the country’s government said. Click here to read…
Tanzania’s Masaai demand Indigenous rights in UN framework
Tanzania’s Maasai people, resisting government pressure to leave their ancestral homes in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, have presented their demands for Indigenous land rights to negotiators in Nairobi finalizing the proposed U.N. global biodiversity framework. Click here to read…
UK names new envoy for Horn of Africa
Britain has named a new envoy for the Horn of Africa and Red Sea., strategic region beset by multiple security and humanitarian crises. Click here to read…
Shaked heads to Morocco on Monday, in 3rd visit by government minister
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked will travel to Morocco for a diplomatic visit on Monday, becoming the third government minister to do so. Click here to read…
China Says It Is Willing to Help End Conflict in Horn of Africa
China’s special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, has said Beijing is ready to help the region’s countries find peace and get rid of what he called external interferenceClick here to read…
Qatar’s emir makes first visit to Egypt since thaw in ties with Doha
Qatar’s emir arrived in Cairo late Friday for talks with Egypt’s president, his first visit to the country following years of frayed ties and a boycott of Doha by four Arab states, including Egypt. Click here to read…
Sheikh Mohamed reaffirms UAE’s support for Somalia during meeting with president
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has affirmed the UAE’s continuous, all-out support for Somali people to achieve their aspirations for development, stability, prosperity. Click here to read…
Window of opportunity closing for South Sudan, on road to lasting peace
With eight months remaining, the window of opportunity is closing for South Sudan to meet critical benchmarks required to complete its transition away from long-running civil conflictClick here to read…
Algeria, Niger, Nigeria resume talks on Trans-Sahara gas pipeline
Algeria, Niger and Nigeria held talks this week on the revival of a decades-old project to pipe gas across the Sahara, a potential opportunity for Europe to diversify its gas sources as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Click here to read…
Burkina Faso: 14 days to evacuate before vast army operation
Burkina Faso’s army has given civilians two weeks to evacuate vast areas in northern and southeastern regions of the country in advance of military operations against rebel fighters. Click here to read…
Morocco: 18 migrants die in attempt to enter Spain’s Melilla
Moroccan authorities said that 18 migrants were killed and dozens of migrants and police officers were injured in a “stampede” of people trying to cross into the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla. Click here to read…
Attacks in Sudan’s Darfur bring new surge in people fleeing their homes
Violence in western Sudan this month alone has displaced more than 84,000 people, doubling the number of those driven from their homes so far this year, according to UN reports. Click here to read…
Libya’s Interior Ministry condemns deadly clashes in Tripoli
Libya’s Interior Ministry has condemned the deadly clashes that broke out between armed groups in the capital Tripoli. Click here to read…
Suspected Jihadists ‘Systemically’ Slaughter Over 130 People in Western Africa’s Mali
Suspected jihadists massacred more than 130 civilians over the weekend in neighbouring central Mali towns, the latest mass killings in the Sahel regionClick here to read…
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Morocco, US launch annual ‘African Lion’ military exercise
Morocco and the US kicked off the annual African Lion military exercises on Monday, which will last until the end of the month. The exercises include 7,500 personnel from ten nations, among them Brazil, France and BritainClick here to read…
Commonwealth heads call for climate action at Rwanda meeting
Leaders of Commonwealth nations are calling for increased climate action at a meeting in Rwanda this week, ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in Egypt later this year. Click here to read…
Eight UN peacekeepers wounded in Mali blast
Eight UN peacekeepers were wounded Thursday in a mine explosion in Mali’s Timbuktu region, the United Nations said. Click here to read…
M23 rebels ask Congolese refugees in Uganda to return home
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have asked refugees fleeing the conflict torn North Kivu province of the nation to return home. Click here to read…
DR Congo welcomes deployment of regional force to fight rebels
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has welcomed Kenya’s proposal to deploy a regional force to fight the M23 rebel group in the east of the country, but said it won’t accept neighbour Rwanda’s participation. Click here to read…
Commonwealth meet draws attention to Rwanda’s human rights record
Commonwealth leaders met in Kigali on Friday to discuss cooperation on topics from trade to health to climate, against a backdrop of criticism of host Rwanda’s human rights record and of a British policy to deport asylum seekers thereClick here to read…
Cameroon Deploys Hundreds of Troops to Protect 40,000 People Displaced by Boko Haram
Cameron has deployed hundreds of troops along its border with Nigeria after attacks by Boko Haram militants forced more than 40,000 villagers over the past two months to flee the area. Click here to read…
Saudi Arabia, Djibouti sign joint cooperation agreement on maritime transport
Saudi Arabia, represented by the Transport General Authority (TGA), has signed a joint maritime transport cooperation agreement with the Department of Maritime Affairs in Djibouti. Click here to read…
Gabon eyes Commonwealth entry to advance economic diversification
Gabon, a French-speaking country in Central Africa that has been seeking membership in the Commonwealth, is awaiting the final decision made at the Commonwealth summit currently held in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. Click here to read…
African court orders Kenya to pay $1.3 million as reparations to indigenous Ogiek people
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an international court established by members of the African Union, ordered the Kenyan government June 23, 2022, to pay $1.3 millionClick here to read…
Chinese fugitive wanted for racist videos of Malawi children arrested in Zambia
A fugitive Chinese national wanted in Malawi for filming children singing racist chants in Chinese has been arrested in neighbouring ZambiaClick here to read…
INDIA IN AFRICA
EAM Jaishankar meets several leaders, counterparts in Rwanda
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong here and also met several leaders and his counterparts from the Commonwealth nations to discuss bilateral ties and geopolitical trends. Click here to read…
Jaishankar discusses growing defence ties with Tanzanian counterpart
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday (local time) met with the Tanzanian Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula and discussed strengthening defence and security ties between the two countries. Click here to read…
Jaishankar meets Mauritius PM, discusses thriving relations between nations
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday (local time) met with the Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth in Rwanda and discussed the thriving relations between the two countries. Click here to read…
EAM Jaishankar meets counterparts from Tanzania, Solomon Islands; discusses bilateral cooperation
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met his counterparts from Tanzania and the Solomon Islands here and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors. Click here to read…
External affairs minister S Jaishankar interacts with Indian community in Rwanda
External affairs minister S Jaishankar lauded the Indian community in Rwanda for its contribution towards strengthening bilateral ties and spoke about India’s progress. Click here to read…
EAM Jaishankar calls Rwanda ‘important’ friend of India
External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar who is on his first visit to Kigali described Rwanda as the most progressive, business-friendly, and socially inclusive societies. Click here to read…
Indian embassy in Madagascar begins free Hindi classes for language enthusiasts
The Indian embassy in Antananarivo on Thursday began free Hindi language classes for all language enthusiasts in Madagascar, Indian Ambassador to Madagascar, Abhay Kumar said. Click here to read…
Senegal, India Renew Alliances with 3 MoUs
This month saw Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Dakar, received by Senegalese President H.E. Macky Sall and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Aissata Tall Sall. Click here to read…
Indian Embassy in Madagascar celebrates 8th International Day of Yoga
The 8th International Day of Yoga celebrations took place at the University of Antananarivo, organised by Indian Embassy in Madagascar on June 21st 2022. The theme for this year’s International Day of Yoga is “Yoga for Humanity” Click here to read…
Airtel Africa issues tender offer to clear $300 mn debt
Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) BV, which manages Airtel’s Africa business, has issued a tender offer to buy back up to USD 300 million (about Rs 2,348 crore) of senior notes. Click here to read…