Tag Archives: African Union

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 30, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

India’s Economic Imperatives in Africa

Africa has a combined GDP of over $2 trillion and a population base of more than 1 billion. With this consolidated GDP accompanied by a large market, Africa is slowly becoming an important stakeholder in different global platforms. Click here to read…

Uganda 50 years after the expulsion of Indians

August marks an important anniversary for two nation-communities; Ugandans and Ugandan diaspora Indians. 2022 marks the 50th year since the expulsion of the Indian community from Uganda in August 1972, when then-president Idi Amin gave them 90 days to either leave the country or face unknown consequences. Click here to read…

NEWS

Mauritius, Ghana and The Gambia are the top 3 most peaceful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

The 2022 Global Peace Index (GPI) has ranked Mauritius, Ghana and The Gambia as the top three most peaceful countries in sub-Saharan AfricaClick here to read…

Biden to host African leaders for Dec summit in Washington

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he’ll host African leaders for a summit in Washington in mid-December. Click here to read…

Togo opens consulate general in Dakhla

The inauguration ceremony was chaired by Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad, Robert Dussey, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita. Click here to read…

Lesotho’s general elections scheduled on October 7

Lesotho says it will hold its general elections on October 7, in the latest round of polling in the landlocked southern African country. Click here to read…

Kenya beefs up security ahead of August 9 elections

Kenyan police have pledged increased security in advance of the August 9 national elections. A total of 150,000 policemen selected from partner security agencies will be deployed during the elections. Click here to read…

French president to visit Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau

French President Emmanuel Macron will tour sub-Saharan Africa from July 25 to 28, taking him to Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau, the Élysée Palace announced Thursday. Click here to read…

African Union hails landmark Russia-Ukraine grain deal

The African Union (AU) on Saturday hailed a landmark deal between Ukraine and Russia that will allow Kyiv to resume exports of grain through the Black Sea and relieve a global food crisis. Click here to read…

Mixed reactions as Nigeria’s state oil firm goes private

After more than half a century in existence as a government monopoly, Nigeria’s oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), is set to open up its capital to private investors. Click here to read…

Chad rebels restart peace-building talks with interim military authorities

Chad rebels said on Friday they would renew their participation in peace-building talks with the interim authorities, after breaking off negotiations last week. Click here to read…

Somalia makes fresh appeal to join EAC

The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has rekindled his country’s request to join the East African Community (EAC). Click here to read…

Parliament approves $750 million loan agreement with Afrexim Bank for infrastructure, budget support

The loan is part of a $1 billion dollar facility, the government is seeking to shore up its reserves as well as to pay for several infrastructure projects across the country. Click here to read…

Arab spring torchbearer Tunisia returning to autocracy?

On Monday, Tunisians will vote on a new constitution supported by a president who is accused by his detractors of attempting to reimpose tyranny in the country that gave birth to the Arab SpringClick here to read…

Morocco and Israel continue to get closer

Israel and Morocco strengthen military ties. Israel’s army chief Aviv Kohavi’s who arrived in Morocco on Monday met with the Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk, an Israeli statement confirmed. Click here to read…

Omani delegation visits Tanzania to review investment opportunities

A joint team consisting of personnel from Oman Investment Authority, Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa visited Tanzania. Click here to read…

China eyes military base in Indian Ocean region in Madagascar

High level visits have been taking place between the defence forces of China and Madagascar and a military base could be set up by Beijing in the island, ET has reliably gathered. Click here to read…

Mauritania, Spain aim to expand cooperation

Mauritania’s president and Spain’s foreign minister discussed ways to expand cooperation between their two countries Wednesday. Click here to read…

Senegal protests poke holes in its longstanding image of stability

Senegal is often lauded in international circles as a beacon of stability in the region – with a notable lack of military coups and a history of peaceful presidential transitions – but its reputation is at risk of slipping. Click here to read…

Clashes erupt on outskirts of Libya’s Misrata

Clashes erupted between rival groups on the outskirts of the Libyan city of Misrata on Saturday, before being halted by the intervention of another armed force. Click here to read…

Clashes in Sudan’s Blue Nile leave thousands stranded without aid

Tribal fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile state has forced thousands of people from their homes after violence broke out earlier in July over a land dispute between the Birta and Hausa ethnic groups. Click here to read…

Attack reported near ruby mine in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado

Precious gem producer Gemfields has reported an attack close to its ruby mine in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province, but said operations have not been halted. Click here to read…

Attack on Base in Mali Brings Conflict to Doorstep of Capital

Insurgents used two booby-trapped vehicles full of explosives in the raid, the West African nation’s military said. The uptick in violence has come as French troops prepare to leave the country. Click here to read…

Somalia’s Al-Shabab Militants Launch Attack in Ethiopia; Heavy Casualties Reported

Al-Shabab militants from Somalia launched a cross-border attack into Ethiopia’s Somali region Thursday, triggering gunbattles with Ethiopia’s paramilitary Liyu police that caused an unknown number of casualties. Click here to read…

Jihadist blow up two crucial bridges in Burkina Faso

Two bridges were blown up by armed groups in Burkina Faso on Friday night by suspected Jihadists in the West African nation. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Energy Crisis Escalates

Behind rolling power cuts loom deep-seated socio-economic issues worsened by the rich countries of the world. Click here to read…

Italy signs energy deals with Algeria in bid to sidestep Russia
The Italian government has sealed a series of agreements with Algeria, as European countries ramp up their push to disengage from Russia after it invaded Ukraine and secure alternative energy supplies. Click here to read…

Malawi government, Huawei commission national data center

The Malawian government and Chinese information and communications technology (ICT) company Huawei have commissioned Malawi’s first-ever National Data Center. Click here to read…

Construction of Chinese-built hydropower plant in Zambia nears completion

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema speaks after touring the Kafue Lower Gorge Power Station in Southern Province, Zambia, July 21, 2022. Click here to read…

Mulk International’s $500m Zim Cyber City project launched in Zimbabwe

Zim Cyber City, a $500 million mixed-use hi-tech park at the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital city Harare, was launched on Wednesday. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Mbeki Sees Danger of Arab Spring-Like Protests

South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki warned that the country faces the danger of protests similar to those that toppled governments in the Arab world a decade ago unless it addresses growing lawlessness and inequality. Click here to read…

Russia Will Support Africans To ‘complete The Process Of Decolonisation’: FM Sergey Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia has always supported Africans in their struggle for liberation against colonial tyranny. Click here to read…

Tunisia is the sole survivor of the Arab Spring. It was nice while it lasted.

On July 25, Tunisians return to the polls for a historical vote: a referendum on whether to repeal the democratically-drafted constitution of 2014 and replace it with a new charter immaculately conceived by President Kais Saied. Click here to read…

ICJ: The Gambia’s Myanmar genocide case can proceed

Judges at the United Nations’ highest court on Friday dismissed preliminary objections by Myanmar to a case alleging the Southeast Asian nation is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority. Click here to read…

Rwanda says it can only bring in 200 migrants from UK under controversial deportation scheme

The Rwandan government has defended the controversial asylum agreement but said it only has the capacity to hold 200 migrants currently. Click here to read…

DRC to auction oil and gas permits in endangered gorilla habitat

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has announced it will auction oil and gas permits in critically endangered gorilla habitat and the world’s largest tropical peatlands next weekClick here to read…

Adopt community-led initiatives for conservation: Africa Protected Area Congress

Community-led interventions always tend to support conservation measures, said experts at the first Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC). Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India-African trades reached a record US$89.5 bln in FY2020/2021

Trade between India and Africa reached a new record in the 2020-2021 fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2021. Click here to read…

Africa Plays Important Role In India’s Foreign Policy: EAM Jaishankar

The African continent plays an important role in India’s foreign policy outlook and the two-way engagement has seen a major upswing in the last eight years, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India among top five investors in Africa: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that India is among the top five countries that have invested in the African continent. Click here to read…

India, Africa partners in progress; solar, drinking water key areas. says Industry Minister Goyal

“The geopolitical situation in certain parts of the world have disrupted supply chains to the extent that it started hurting our economic interests, but I do believe that the economic outlook in the long run is surely going to be very promising both for the African continent and India because this is where the markets and future opportunities are,” he said. Click here to read…

Union Minister Piyush Goyal emphasizes Need For India-Africa Trade and Investment Agreement

Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textile Piyush Goyal has emphasized upon the need for a trade and investment agreement between India and Africa. Click here to read…

India Wants Partnership That Will Be Comfortable And Beneficial For Africa: Goyal

Goyal said that we believe that the destiny of nearly 3 billion people is in our hands as India and Africa offer future opportunities that are unparalleled. Click here to read…

Time is ripe for India to explore trade deal with AfCFTA: Commerce Secy

With the signing of the world’s largest free trade area–African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)–the time is right for India to explore a trade with the union, commerce secretary BVR Subrahmanyan said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

India, Africa may soon start talks for trade pact

India is likely to soon start talks for a trade and investment agreement with African nations to further bolster bilateral commerce, an official source told FE. Click here to read…

Time for India, Africa to talk of trade pact: trade secretary

Commerce secretary BVR Subrahmanyam on Wednesday said that the time has come for India and Africa to start talking to engage in a Comprehensive Economic Partnership or a free trade agreement (FTA). Click here to read…

India’s Digital Initiatives Like UPI, ONDC Can Benefit Africa Immensely: Piyush Goyal

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said that India’s digital initiatives like Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) can immensely benefit Africa. Click here to read…

Goyal calls for deepening trade ties with Africa; exploring solar energy, startup ecosystem

Solar energy, infrastructure, military cooperation and startup ecosystem are four critical areas where India can be a valuable partner to African nations, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India Seeks Better Use Of Market Access SOPs By African Nations, CII Hints At $200 Billion Trade By 2030

The government has called for diversification of the trade basket between India and Africa and for deeper cooperation in bilateral investment. Click here to read…

Indian investments in Africa can go up to $ 150 billion by 2030: CII

The CII report said that since April 1996, India has invested $74 billion in Africa; however, these flows are concentrated in Mauritius and are majorly by public sector companies for energy and raw material assets. Click here to read…

India-Africa trade ties offer huge potential but challenges remain

As India and Africa weigh the feasibility of a broad trade and investment agreement, the potential of scaling up bilateral commerce remains huge but negotiators have to traverse substantial challenges as well to clinch a win-win deal. Click here to read…

NTPC Signs MoU With Moroccan Agency For Sustainable Energy For Cooperation In Renewable Energy

India’s largest integrated energy company, NTPC signed a MoU with MASEN (Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy) for cooperation in renewable energy sector during the 17th CII EXIM Conclave on India Africa Growth Partnership held in New Delhi from 19th-20th July 2022. Click here to read…

Morocco’s agency for sustainable energy, India’s largest energy conglomerate sign MoU on renewable energy projects

The Moroccan Agency for sustainable energy (MASEN) and India’s National thermal power corporation (NTPC) signed a memorandum of understanding, providing for carrying out of joint projects in the field of renewable energy. Click here to read…

Need diversification of India-Gabon trade basket, deeper investment cooperation

Minister of state for commerce and industry Anupriya Patel on Wednesday highlighted the need for diversification of trade basket and deeper cooperation in bilateral investment between India and Gabon during a meeting with her Gabon counterpart Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya. Click here to read…

India, Egypt, others seek fairer WTO trading system amid food woes

At a meeting of the Committee on Agriculture at the WTO on Thursday, India said that a permanent solution for food security is a long overdue mandate and insisted on a solution that the General Council can approve without waiting for the next ministerial conference of the multilateral trade body. Click here to read…

India and Mauritius to work with other countries on matter of Food Security

In the meeting, Shri Tomar said that India’s relations with Mauritius have been very strong and these relations are not only political and commercial, but also cultural and spiritual. Click here to read…

India, Madagascar join hands to amp up bilateral ties

India’s Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros, Abhay Kumar, has called on the Prime Minister of Madagascar Christian Ntsay and took note of the progress made in the bilateral relations between both countries during the past three years. Click here to read…

India, Ghana hold Foreign Office Consultations to strengthen bilateral ties

India and Ghana held the third round of Foreign Office Consultations on Friday to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral relations covering political, economic, defence, cultural and capacity-building matters. Click here to read…

Loyola College inks pact with Ethiopia

Loyola College has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Ethiopia, for research and partnership. Click here to read…

Indian Air Force team concludes Tactical Leadership Programme in Egypt

Bolstering the defense cooperation, the Indian Air Force contingent deployed to Egypt has successfully completed the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) where the participants from both nations shared their knowledge of operational tactics. Click here to read…

Govt notifies five ports for imports of pulses from Myanmar, Mozambique & Malawi

To meet domestic shortfall, the government has notified imports of 0.6 million tonne (MT) of tur and urad annually under bilateral agreements with Myanmar, Mozambique and Malawi, through five ports. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 29, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Simplifying peace-making in a complex world

Three former heads of state of Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia reflect on what it takes to end conflict in a meaningful way. Click here to read…

At 20, African Union Has Achieved Much but The Work Goes On

The launch of the African Union on July 9, 2002, was met with great optimism. The AU has since accomplished much to unlock Africa’s potential and secure prosperity, but there is more to do. Click here to read…

NEWS

Biden, Egypt’s al-Sisi discuss cooperation, global supplies of food, energy

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and US President Joe Biden discussed cooperation between the two countries, the repercussions of the global food crisis, and the disruption of energy supplies. Click here to read…

French, Nigerien Ministers Meet, Discuss Security

A French delegation led by Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Minister for the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu, met with Niger President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey. Click here to read…

Congo-Brazzaville Ruling Party Wins Parliamentary Vote

The Republic of Congo’s ruling party won a majority in last week’s parliamentary election, based on provisional results seen by AFP on Saturday as opposition groups alleged electoral fraud. Click here to read…

Algeria to provide Italy with additional gas, official source says

Algeria will provide Italy with an additional four billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas this year, on top of the 21 bcm planned previously, an official source told Reuters. Click here to read…

Libya oil chief says full output to resume after deal

Libyan oil output will resume from all shuttered fields and ports, the Tripoli government’s newly installed head of National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Friday after meeting groups that have blockaded the facilities for months. Click here to read…

Egypt to withdraw troops from Mali peacekeeping mission: UN

Cairo’s decision comes after seven Egyptians peacekeepers were killed in Mali since the start of this year. Click here to read…

In Kenya, elections have lost their shine

The country may now appear to be caught in the grip of election fever, but there is little expectation for real and sustainable change after next month’s polls. Click here to read…

Zambia plans to cancel over $2 billion projects to rein in debt

Zambia is cancelling more than $2 billion worth of projects financed by commercial loans to reduce the risk of accumulating more non-concessional debt. Click here to read…

Mozambique Receives US$300 Million from the World Bank to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Recovery

The World Bank Board of Directors approved today a US$300 million grant in support of the Mozambique Institutions and Economic Transformation Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s Tinubu picks Muslim senator as presidential running mate

The move by Tinubu, who is also Muslim, breaks with past practice where presidential candidates from major political parties have chosen running mates from a different religion in a bid to foster unity in the country. Click here to read…

South Africa police say 14 killed in bar shooting

A mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg’s Soweto township has killed 14 people and left three others in critical condition, according to police. Click here to read…

Angola’s José Eduardo dos Santos, once one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers, dies

José Eduardo dos Santos, once one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers who during almost four decades as president of Angola fought the continent’s longest civil war and turned his country into a major oil producer as well as one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt nations, died Friday. He was 79. Click here to read…

Top Chinese diplomat meets Zimbabwe President, hopes to make inroads in Africa

Top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi met with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa where both the leaders spoke of cooperation in expanding their partnership to a new high, reports said. Click here to read…

‘I will not get intimidated’, says South African President Ramaphosa as Opposition calls for impeachment

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that he will not get ‘intimidated or bullied into submission,’ after the Opposition party announced that it would seek his impeachment in Parliament over allegations of corruption. Click here to read…

Ethiopia holds first meeting of peace committee

A body charged by the Ethiopian government to look into possible peace negotiations with Tigrayan rebels has held its first meeting, a top aide to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said. Click here to read…

Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta hosts Guinea Bissau, Somalia presidents

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta is hosting two visiting presidents on diverse agenda. As he received the Guinea Bissau leader Umaro Sissoco Embaló at State House on Friday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), his first official visit to Kenya since he was elected in May. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe’s gold coins available from July 25

In a statement, the Central Bank Governor, Dr. John Mangudya announced the features and characteristics of gold coins which are to be introduced soon. Click here to read…

Congo Republic’s ruling party dominant in legislative elections

The Congolese Labour Party of President Denis Sassou Nguesso won nearly 110 seats out of 151, according to provisional results published by the minister of territorial administrationClick here to read…

Gambian court hands down death sentences for Jammeh-era murder of political activist

A Gambian court on Wednesday sentenced five former members of the intelligence service to death for the murder of a political activist during the rule of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh. Click here to read…

Authorities Target ‘Mafia’ to End Power Outages in South Africa

South Africa is set to tackle “mafia” groups that have compromised power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s operations and contributed to nationwide blackouts. Click here to read…

Chad sets August for national dialogue including armed groups

The Chadian government has said it will hold a national dialogue starting from August 20, a precursor to elections promised by interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby who ascended to power following his father’s death last year. Click here to read…

Algeria-Tunisia border crossings reopen after 2 years of closure

Several cars and signs celebrating Tunisian-Algerian friendship marked the reopening on Friday of land borders between the two countries, more than two years after they closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Click here to read…

Somali military trainees officially appear for the first time in Eritrea

The Eritrean government has for the first time officially announced providing military training to thousands of Somali national army members. Click here to read…

The Ivorian power triangle shuffling the presidency for 30 years

President Alassane Ouattara, 80, and his predecessors Laurent Gbagbo, 77, and Henri Konan Bédié, 88, meet for the first time in 12 years in gathering which could define the next chapter in Ivorian politics. Click here to read…

A Chinese port in Nigeria will change the world economy

In November 2010, little-known Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping gave a speech in South Africa promoting the creation of “a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership for a better future.” Click here to read…

Sudan tribal clashes near Ethiopia border leave 31 dead

At least 31 people have been killed in clashes this week between two tribes in Sudan’s Blue Nile state bordering Ethiopia, the security services said on Saturday. Click here to read…

AU deploys 160 new police officers to beef up security in Somalia

The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said Thursday it has deployed some 160 police officers from Nigeria to support stabilization efforts in the country. Click here to read…

US Withdraws from Peace Monitoring Groups in South Sudan

The United States has pulled out of the systems that monitor the peace process in South Sudan because of the country’s failure to meet reform milestones, the State Department said Friday. Click here to read…

Kohavi to visit Morocco on Monday, in first official trip by Israeli military chief

Israel Defense Forces chief Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi will travel to Morocco on Monday, in a first-ever official trip by an Israeli military head to the north African nation. Click here to read…

Algeria Stirs Backlash for Attempting to Hijack Rwanda’s Bid to Host African Medicines Agency

The Algerian regime is again at the center of a controversy for challenging an AU vote that granted Rwanda the rights to host the African Medicines Agency. Click here to read…

Central African Republic launches ‘Sango Coin’ cryptocurrency amid industry rout

Central African Republic will start selling a cryptocurrency it says will be worth $21 million next week, it said on Friday, amid a wider rout in the industry and scepticism over the project’s feasibility in a poorly connected, war-torn country. Click here to read…

Moroccan firm donates 15,000 tonnes of fertilisers to Rwanda

Moroccan firm, OCP Group, has donated 15,000 tonnes of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilisers, a development that will support the country’s fertiliser use and increase farm productivity efforts. Click here to read…

Jihadists kill dozens across northern Togo

Over the last three days, almost 30 people have been killed by suspected jihadists in attacks on five separate villages in northern Togo. A sixth attack, a reported improvised explosive device (IED), was also recorded in the littoral West African country. Click here to read…

Jihadist blow up two crucial bridges in Burkina Faso

Two bridges were blown up by armed groups in Burkina Faso on Friday night by suspected Jihadists in the West African nation. Click here to read…

Six people killed in rare attack near Malian capital Bamako

Six people have been killed in Mali, including two gendarmes and a police officer, in a rare attack near its capital Bamako, the security ministry has said. Click here to read…

Gabon and Togo Commonwealth entry is latest dent to French influence

The Anglophone pivot comes on the back of successive coups in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso to remove pro-French leaders. Click here to read…

Japan seeks a hearing by Africa

On Tanzania’s much venerated national holiday; ‘’SABA SABA DAY’’ (the 7t day of the 7th month), His Excellency Matsunaga Kazuyushi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, treated me to a generous dialogue in his Office at the Embassy of Japan in Abuja.
Click here to read…

Women in Tunisia: Has a female prime minister changed Tunisia?

Tunisia has seen a marked shift in attitudes towards women political leaders since Najla Bouden became the first female prime minister in the Arab world. Click here to read…

Firefighters struggle to contain wildfires in northern Morocco

Firefighters and the military struggled on Friday to contain three wildfires in northern Morocco that have killed at least one person, as hundreds of residents evacuated their homes because of flames that ravaged large swaths of pine forests. Click here to read…

Mysterious Ebola-Like Disease Kills 3 In Tanzania, Probe Launched

Three people have died from a mysterious Ebola-like disease in Africa’s Tanzania, prompting the government to dispatch a team of doctors to investigate it.
Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

African leaders to visit Delhi next week for key investment meet

A slew of African leaders will be in Delhi for a key investment meet next week that will be inaugurated by India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Click here to read…

India explores upgrade of Zimbabwe railways; NRZ team in South Asian nation

INDIA says it is currently exploring possibilities of partnering the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) in training, capacity building and upgrading of the railway system. Click here to read…

India, Madagascar sign MoU on tele-education

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Madagascar government and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited [TCIL] for participation in the e-VBAB (e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati) network project on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Huge business potential for Indian companies in Ivory Coast: India’s Envoy

It is the largest economy with 40 percent GDP of West African Economic & Monetary Union (WAEMU 8 countries) and remains Francophone West Africa’s economic hub with significant influence in the region. Click here to read…

Lt Gen M. Subramanian appointed Force Commander of UN Mission in South Sudan

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday announced the appointment of Lt Gen Mohan Subramanian of India as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Click here to read…

India-Egypt Defence Ties: Why Modi Is Rekindling a Friendship Started by Nehru

Ties between India and Egypt had blossomed in the heydays of the non-aligned movement (NAM). Click here to read…

Nigeria’s Crown Flour Mills to Import 500,000 mt of Wheat from India

The milling company has also received government support for its request, as the ministry has written to the High Commissioner of India in Abuja on its behalf to consider the business’ importation request.
Click here to read…

After vandalism during unrest in South Africa, India-based Cipla reopens Durban manufacturing site

Indian generic drug manufacturer Cipla revealed that one of its plants in South Africa has reopened more than a month after it was vandalized during a period of civil unrest that claimed the lives of more than 300 and caused an estimated $3.3 billion in economic losses. Click here to read…

SRM University-AP Organized Embassy Connect with 14 Countries

The office of International Relations and Higher Studies at SRM University-AP organized an Embassy Connect Programme, in which ambassadors, education attaches, cultural attaches of more than 14 countries and joint secretaries, and deputy secretaries of various regions from the Ministry of External Affairs participated. Click here to read…

Snooping Storm Brews in Mauritius Over Indian Team Accessing Internet Landing Station

Mauritius’s political climate is currently seeing heated debate due to a major developing controversy that has brought into focus India’s close strategic relations with the Indian Ocean Island nation, especially New Delhi’s intimate ties with the current prime minister in Port Louis. Click here to read…

Eid Al Adha: Indian PM Sends ‘Warm Greetings’ to King Mohammed VI

Morocco and India have enjoyed flourishing bilateral cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1957. Click here to read…

Planning a Maasai Mara Safari from India Now Easier Than Ever

Recently, the governments of Kenya and India agreed to strengthen the relationship and collaboration between the two countries. Click here to read…

Ankita Konwar merges ancient knowledge of both worlds in Egypt, works on balance

In the middle of decayed temples and chapels, Ankita chose to merge ancient Indian knowledge of yoga with Egypt. She performed two yoga asanas in Karnak temple. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 12, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Where do African Countries Stand?

On 21st February 2022, President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of Ukraine’s breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk and decided to support Moscow-backed separatists with a military operation. Three days later, when Russia started its air and missile strikes in Ukraine’s Donbas region, it transformed into a full-blown war. Click here to read…

NEWS

Tensions rise in Libya as risk of ‘parallel governments’ grows, Security Council hears

Amid a political impasse that threatens to see Libya fractured again by two parallel governments, the priority must be maintaining hard-won gains and fulfilling the electoral aspirations of nearly three million registered voters. Click here to read…

Tanzania is getting a political remake as President Hassan eyes the 2025 polls

The sudden death of Tanzania’s populist president John Pombe Magufuli on 17 March 2021 catapulted his then little-known vice-president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, to the helm of political leadership. Click here to read…

Somalia delays election process again as deadline lapses

Somalia has again pushed back the deadline for completing lower house elections, delaying until March 31 a process that is already more than a year overdue and has resulted in political sanctions. Click here to read…

West African bloc says it won’t abandon Burkina Faso after coup

A representative of West Africa’s regional bloc said it would keep working with Burkina Faso despite concerns about the military’s plan to hold power for three years after a January coup. Click here to read…

Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan hold secret talks on GERD dispute in UAE

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are holding secret talks mediated by the United Arab Emirates on the filing and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Click here to read…

Niger pushes for peace with jihadist talks

Niger is pressing ahead with an initiative to talk to jihadists whose attacks have shaken the country’s southwest, amid fears that a new wave of bloodshed lies ahead. Click here to read…

Sudan: Russian influence and Ukraine war stir domestic tensions

Officials courted Russian influence but the interference and the war in Ukraine are driving a wedge between its two most powerful men and stirring up domestic tensions. Click here to read…

Mali to suspend France 24 TV station and RFI radio

The Malian military government is moving to suspend broadcasts by French state-funded international RFI radio and France 24 television channel, accusing the news outlets of reporting “false allegations” that the army killed dozens of civilians. Click here to read…

‘Union will not remain silent’: Tunisia’s UGTT demands dialogue

Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labour union says it will not remain silent if authorities do not include it in negotiations over the country’s political and economic future, rejecting proposed reforms. Click here to read…

UK approves Rwandan envoy ahead of Commonwealth meet

The United Kingdom has approved Rwanda’s new envoy to the country, Johnston Busingye, despite calls from critics to London to reject the nomination. The approval comes three months before Kigali hosts the Commonwealth Head of Governments meeting slated on June 20. Click here to read…

Ambush and reprisals in western Ethiopia kill 64 – rights body

At least 53 people have died in western Ethiopia after an unidentified armed group attacked a civilian convoy and its military escort in a region plagued by ethnic violence. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Ramaphosa blames NATO for Russia’s war in Ukraine

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa blamed NATO for the war in Ukraine and said he would resist calls to condemn Russia, in comments that cast doubt over whether he would be accepted by Ukraine or the West as a mediator. Click here to read…

Russia, China Build Ties in Africa as U.S. Falls Behind

In a new “scramble for Africa”, Russia and China are cutting deals, extending loans, making friends and allies across the continent at a time when jihadists in many countries have posed a growing threat to citizens and national security forces. Click here to read…

US’s Blinken meets Ivory Coast PM to discuss trade, security

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has welcomed Patrick Achi, prime minister of Ivory Coast, for bilateral talks on a number of trade and security issues at the US Department of State. Click here to read…

Complementing Rafales, US Could Sell Its ‘Top Dogfighters’ to Egypt as Cairo Moves Away from Russian SU-35 Jets

The Biden administration is planning to approve the sale of F-15 Eagles to Egypt, a top US military official said. This comes despite speculation that Washington might cut military aid to Cairo due to concerns about Egypt’s human rights record. Click here to read…

Chad military gov’t, armed groups peace talks in Doha on hold

A first round of negotiations between Chad’s ruling transitional military council (TMC) and representatives of armed groups set to kick off in Doha, the Qatari capital, has been delayed by 48 hours. Click here to read…

Nigeria moving ahead on nuclear power plant plan

Speaking at the Nigerian International Energy Summit in Abuja earlier this month, Idris said that Nigeria had had a small nuclear research reactor in operation for 18 years “so if anyone tells you Nigeria can’t manage a nuclear power plant – they are just telling you a story”.Click here to read…

Italy Negotiates with Libya, Algeria for Renewable Energy Deal

Italy is currently holding negotiations with Libya and Algeria for the mobilization and development of renewable energy resources. The European country is looking to diversify its energy mix, adopting clean energy sources from renewable-rich countries in northern Africa. Click here to read…

Rebel attacks in eastern Congo kill more than 60

Suspected Islamist militants have killed more than 60 people over five days of attacks on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local residents said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: Spain and Morocco near end to diplomatic row over disputed territory

Morocco and Spain have moved closer to resolving a decades-long dispute over Western Sahara. Spain’s Prime Minister stated that a proposed autonomous region under Rabat control is the “most serious, realistic and credible” solution, according to Morocco’s royal palace. Click here to read…

Cameroon’s separatist conflict spills into Nigeria

The peaceful Nigerian fishing village of Manga sits not far from Cameroon’s border, but its residents know all about the separatist war raging inside their West African neighbour. Click here to read…

What drives South Africa’s political violence?

South Africa has a history of political violence, including a culture of violent protests and political killings. Historically, the violence is rooted in diverse drivers such as ethnic and tribal differences, and political intolerance. Click here to read…

The Chagos archipelago: Between British colonial past, American interests and Mauritian sovereignty

Last month, while global attention was fixated on the Ukraine crisis, Mauritius sent an expedition, a first of its kind, to the Chagos archipelago, also known as the Chagos Islands. Click here to read…

OIC Africa Group in Solid Support of Gambia Hosting Summit

In response to false and misleading rumours emerging largely on social media, The Gambia OIC Secretariat wishes to inform the public that The Gambia maintains its role as the rightful host of the next OIC Heads of State and Governments Summit. Click here to read…

African Countries Build Capacity on Cyber security

Sixty-five participants from 32 countries are attending a forum in Accra to promote cybersecurity capacity building in Africa. Dubbed Africa Cyber Experts (ACE) Community Kick-Off Meeting, it is on the theme “Setting the Scene for Cybersecurity Status in Africa.” Click here to read…

President of Guinea-Bissau says he stands firm in his post

The President of Guinea-Bissau said on Thursday that the Guinean State is still standing and that he remains firm in his post. The president’s speech, delivered on Thursday, takes place after the attempted coup on the 1st of February. Click here to read…

Eswatini Air adds first aircraft, an E145

Eswatini Air – the new regional airline brand of state-owned Royal Eswatini National Airways (RENAC) – plans to debut by the end of 2Q22 on Southern African regional routes using two EMB-145EPs. Click here to read…

How China-African trade may evolve

China is taking a more cautious approach to trade and investment in Africa and shifting its focus from governments to multilateral institutions. Click here to read…

Uganda bids to host Africa drugs agency

Uganda has the required capacity to host the African Medicine Agency (AMA) following its investments in developing and manufacturing drugs over the years. Click here to read…

Kenya Receives A $750 Million Boost to Support Economic Transformation Post-Pandemic

In an effort to help accelerate Kenya’s ongoing inclusive and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the World Bank has approved a $750 million Development Policy Operation (DPO) that will help strengthen fiscal sustainability through reforms that contribute to greater transparency and the fight against corruption. Click here to read…

Mauritania says fight against slavery an ‘irreversible priority’

Fighting slavery in Mauritania is “a constant and irreversible” priority for the authorities, one of the country’s top rights officials said Wednesday, in a rare public comment on the issue there. Click here to read…

Talks underway to resume iron ore project in Guinea

Company representatives and officials are actively seeking a joint solution to a quick resumption of work at the Simandou project in Guinea, which has the world’s largest untapped iron ore reserves, the Global Times has learned. Click here to read…

Zambia’s late former President Rupiah Banda buried

Zambian late former President Rupiah Banda, who ruled from 2008 to 2011 and died at 85 last week after a battle with cancer, was buried at Embassy Park in Lusaka, the capital. Click here to read…

Mozambique: Cyclone Gombe death toll rises to 53

Tropical Cyclone Gombe has killed at least 53 people since it hit Mozambique a week ago, a sharp rise from earlier estimates. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

‘Green Triangle’ named after Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated in Madagascar’s capital as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate India’s 75th year of independence, a “Green Triangle” named after Mahatma Gandhi was jointly inaugurated in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo. Click here to read…

Delegation from Telangana announced for Namibia for diamonds and pharma sectors

The India Africa Trade Council organized the India Namibia Summit which was attended by the Business community in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Click here to read…

Indian-American Puneet Talwar Appointed New US Ambassador to Morocco

US President Joe Biden on Friday announced Indian American Puneet Talwar for Ambassador of Morocco as part of some key nominations for his administration, a White House press release said. Click here to read…

India, Namibia committed to partnership in pharma sector

Trade between India and Namibia stood at approximately $80 million in the last few years. Namibia imports drugs and pharmaceuticals, chemicals and agricultural machinery from India. Click here to read…

South Africa Tourism aims at 64% rise in arrivals from India

With 48 per cent of the total Indian visitors to South Africa travelling from Mumbai, the city is the leading source market for South African Tourism in India. Click here to read…

South Africa to soon start e-visa facility for Indian travellers

The South African Tourism Board has recently expressed that it’s eyeing 64% year-on-year growth in arrivals from India this year. Click here to read…

2022 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports launched in India at Rs 16.01 lakh, bookings open

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India announced today that bookings for the new 2022 Africa Twin Adventure Sports are now open in India at Honda’s exclusive Big Wing Topline dealerships. Click here to read…

South Africa, India, EU, US reach compromise on Covid-19 vaccine patent

Any agreement must be accepted by the WTO’s 164 member countries in order to be adopted. If one country rejects the proposal, it could mean the end of the waiver. Click here to read…

India at UNSC calls for elections in Libya, hopes issues resolve peacefully

At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Libya, R. Madhu Sudan, Counsellor at Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations reiterated the imperative for holding the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the North African country at the earliest. Click here to read…

34 countries, including India, confirm presence at Commonwealth Summit in Rwanda

The CHOGM or Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting has been scheduled to start in the third week of June with President of Rwanda Paul Kagame being the host of the summit. Click here to read…

South Africa to issue e-visas for Indian travellers soon

As part of post-pandemic revival plans, South Africa will introduce e-visas for Indians to attract more tourists, business travellers and movie-makers, mainly from the south. Click here to read…
Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 11, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

How Burkina Faso became the epicentre of conflict in the Sahel

In 2014, when millions of Burkinabes ended the 27-year rule of Blaise Campaore by forcing him to step down, observers and analysts dubbed the occurrence West Africa’s version of the “Arab Spring”. Click here to read…

How China’s Ambitious Belt and Road Plans for East Africa Came Apart

As China draws back from large scale infrastructure investments in Africa, it is worth considering why so many major Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the region, unveiled with great fanfare, have ultimately struggled. Click here to read…

UN chief wants Amisom to remain in Somalia

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has recommended to the Security Council that the African Union maintains its staffing level in Somalia through the end of the year. Click here to read…

Libya armed groups backing rival PM withdraw from Tripoli

Libya’s parliament-appointed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha said that armed groups backing him have withdrawn from positions around Tripoli, after the UN warned of a new escalation in the divided country. Click here to read…

Russia ramps up ties with Sudan as Ukraine war rages

As much of the West seeks to isolate Russia after it invaded Ukraine, experts say Moscow is boosting relations with its long time African ally Sudan, eyeing its gold wealth and strategic location. Click here to read…

France to continue aerial support to Mali after troop withdrawal

France will still provide aerial military support to Malian troops battling an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel even after its counter-terrorism mission has withdrawn, but only where Russian fighters are not present. Click here to read…

Arab League summit to take place in Algeria starting November 1

The Arab League will hold its first annual summit for three years in November in Algeria, the bloc said on Wednesday, after the pandemic forced the meetings’ suspension. Click here to read…

Ukraine looms over US-African Union summit

The United States and the African Union (AU) held their first high-level summit since the Covid-19 pandemic this week with the conflicts in Ukraine and Ethiopia looming over the gathering. Click here to read…

South Africa is ready for a woman chief justice

During the vetting of the candidates for chief justice, the question was asked if South Africa is ready for a woman chief justice. Although the question is absurd, misogynistic and a confirmation of our patriarchal society, the answer is a resounding yes — and it is long overdue. Click here to read…

Mohamed Bazoum: Is Niger France’s new key partner in the Sahel?

The president of Niger discusses if his country will become the new focal point in the fight against ISIL and al-Qaeda. Click here to read…

Chad junta and rebels gear for tricky talks in Qatar

Chad’s ruling junta is scheduled to meet rebel leaders in Qatar on Sunday for delayed talks aimed at coaxing armed groups into joining a “national dialogue” on the troubled country’s futureClick here to read…

African Start-up Eswatini Air to Launch Soon After Taking First Aircraft

The southern African nation of Eswatini – previously Swaziland – is tiny. At just 6,704 square miles (17,364 square km), it is smaller in area than Wales and only a bit larger than the US state of Connecticut. It is Africa’s smallest landlocked country. Click here to read…

Important Step Toward Justice in DR Congo?

The Congolese human rights minister launched national consultations on a new transitional justice initiative that, if implemented, would help the Democratic Republic of Congo emerge from conflict, address grave human rights violations, and institute needed reforms. Click here to read…

Morocco to chair 6th UN Environment Assembly

At the end of the 5th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) which took place in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, the member countries voted Morocco as the host country for the next edition. By hosting the 6th edition of UNEA, the Cherifian kingdom reaffirms the need to strengthen the fight against pollution and climate change whose effects have impacts on the global economy. Click here to read…

Tunisian authorities urged to drop draft law restricting civil society organizations

Thirteen NGOs urged Tunisian authorities on Friday to drop a draft law providing restrictions on civil society organizations, which could result in a “major setback” for rights after the country’s 2011 revolution. Click here to read…

New Zimbabwe law threatens to criminalise and ban NGOs

The bill will effectively criminalise the operations of NGOs, proposing harsh penalties, including closure of the organisations, require them to disclose their source of funding and jail terms of up to a year for breaches. Click here to read…

Egypt announces the country is to diversify its sources of wheat

Egypt’s Prime Minister announced the country is to diversify its sources of wheat to avoid relying on what he described as “specific sources” for this productClick here to read…

Chinese Imports Edging Out Kenya’s Local Products

Kenyan artisans say they are losing the market for their products to Chinese imports. According to the crafts persons, the high quality and lower prices of Chinese-made goods put them at a disadvantageClick here to read…

Lesotho: EU Considering Deployment of EOM

The European Union (EU) is planning to deploy the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Lesotho ahead of the elections which are due to take place in September 2022. Click here to read…

Malian Army Accused of Killing Mauritanian Citizens

A Malian delegation is expected in Mauritania’s capital Friday to discuss the alleged disappearance of several Mauritanians on Malian territory. Click here to read…

Rwanda to impose tax on watching Netflix

Rwanda is the latest African country to announce plans to tax online services consumed within the country. This comes a few months after Zimbabwe and Nigeria laid out plans for the collection of taxes from e-commerce and digital companies such as Netflix, Google, YouTube, and Amazon. Click here to read…

Guinea suspends Simandou iron ore project, saying there has been no progress

Guinea’s ruling junta has ordered the cessation of all activities at the massive Simandou iron ore deposit owned by Rio Tinto and a Chinese-backed consortium, saying it was seeking clarification of how Guinea’s interests will be preserved.
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-suspends-simandou-iron-ore-mine-project-2022-03-11/

Turkey’s women diplomats shape relations with Africa

Turkey has made significant progress in its political, economic and cultural ties with African countries in the last two decades, and women diplomats have an important place in these relationsClick here to read…

Uganda: Doctors, MPs unite against bid to jail unvaccinated

In February, the Ugandan parliament introduced a bill proposing to fine anyone refusing to take COVID-19 vaccines four million Ugandan shillings ($1,100) or sentence them to jail for six months. Click here to read…

Ethiopian Airlines, Air Djibouti partner for China-Africa Sea to air transport

Ethiopia’s national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines announced on Tuesday it has partnered with Air Djibouti and Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) to commence sea-air multimodal transportation. Click here to read…

Eni And bp Finalize Agreement to Create New Independent Joint Venture in Angola

BP and Eni confirmed Friday that they have signed an agreement to form a new 50/50 independent company, Azule Energy [a bp and Eni Company], through the combination of the two companies’ Angolan businesses. Click here to read…

Zambia’s ex-President Rupiah Banda dead at 85

Rupiah Banda, who served as president of Zambia from 2008 and 2011, died Friday evening in the capital Lusaka at age 85 after a two-year battle with cancer. His son Andrew confirmed the former leader’s death, saying, “He is gone.” Click here to read…

Prince William says war normal in Africa and Asia, ‘alien’ in Europe; invites backlash

Prince William’s comments that it is ‘very alien’ to see a war in Europe while it was normal to witness conflict in Asia and Africa has invited a backlash on social media. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Defence Expo put off

The situation in Ukraine has led to the postponement of the prestigious defence exhibition DefExpo-2022, to be held from March 10-14 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Click here to read…

India, European Union hold inaugural consultations on Africa

The leaders of India and EU held the inaugural India-EU Consultations on Africa on March 7, in virtual mode, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

South Africa: Made-in-India Suzuki Celerio goes on sale

Suzuki has launched the second generation Celerio in the South African market. The car is manufactured and exported from Maruti Suzuki’s production facility in India. Click here to read…

Indian Embassy unveils plaque of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ in Antananarivo

To mark the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on the occasion of 75 years of India’s Independence, the Indian Embassy in Madagascar organized a special unveiling ceremony of the plaque of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. Click here to read…

India focuses on Revitalization Agreement, election preparations in South Sudan at UNSC

India emphasised the execution of the Revitalization Agreement and election preparations at a UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in South Sudan. Click here to read…

South Africa to issue e-visas for Indian travellers soon

As part of post-pandemic revival plans, South Africa will introduce e-visas for Indians to attract more tourists, business travellers and movie-makers, mainly from the south. Click here to read…

26 more Indian fishers held in Seychelles

Twenty-six more Indian fishermen were detained by authorities in Seychelles, off East Africa, on Wednesday on charges of entering their territorial waters. This takes the total number of Indian fishermen detained there in three days to 59. Click here to read…

Sewa International evacuates 467 African students from Ukraine

Houston-based Indian-American non-profit body Sewa International has evacuated 467 African students including 367 Nigerians, from Ukraine’s Sumy amidst a Russian military offensive. Click here to read…

Former diplomat Rajiv Bhatia’s India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons, is an essential reader on India’s burgeoning ties with African states

This book is certainly rare considering the paucity of scholarly writings by Indians on the core issues of Africa. As a scholar-diplomat, who headed Indian embassies in South Africa, Kenya and Lesotho, Rajiv Bhatia has deftly handled changing horizons of Indo-African ties. Click here to read…

Chennai’s Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science celebrates its 12th Convocation

Chennai’s Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science (HITS) celebrated its 12th annual convocation on March 5 where Dr Grace Akello, Uganda Ambassador to India, was one of the key guest speakers. Click here to read…

Morocco & Jordan join hands with India to organise sporting tournament in Kashmir

Key Arab states of Morocco and Jordan have taken a key step in organising a sporting tournament in collaboration with India in Kashmir. Click here to read…

‘Best experience in India’: Travelers from Morocco join clean-up drive at Thiruvanmiyur beach

Two Moroccon travelers joined the save a turtle team for a beach clean-up drive to create awareness on responsible tourism at Thiruvanmiyur beach on Friday. Click here to read…

Telecoms major Airtel Uganda plans IPO by 2022-end: MD

Airtel Uganda, the country’s second largest telecoms company and a unit of India’s Bharti Airtel, plans to list a part of its equity by the end of this year, a top company official told local NTV Uganda late Monday. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 10, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Explaining Israel’s Africa policy

In February 2022, the annual summit of the African Union (AU) took place in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, also headquarter of the African Union. The principal objective of the meeting was to evaluate AU’s achievements over the past year, particularly in the context of the recent surge of military coups and the ways to recover from the pandemic. Click here to read…

NEWS

Somalia enters transition as Amisom gives way to ATMIS

After one and a half-decade of operation, the African Union Mission in Somalia, Amisom, will, starting end of this month, transition to the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Click here to read…

Burkina Faso appoints interim government after January coup

The new government of 25 ministers includes Defence Minister General Barthelemy Simpore, who has retained the position he held under Kabore, according to the decree. Click here to read…

Malian army says dozens of its soldiers killed in jihadist attack

A jihadist attack on a military camp in central Mali on Friday killed 27 soldiers and 47 “terrorists” were “neutralised”, the country’s army said. Click here to read…

Ethiopia Brings Nile River Dam Online as Sudan, Egypt Object

Ethiopia has begun generating electricity at its new 5,000-MW roller-compacted concrete gravity-type dam on the Nile River. The first 375 MW went to the national grid on Feb. 20. Click here to read…

Sudan welcomes military base agreement with Russia in the Red Sea

Deputy Chairman of Sudan Sovereignty Council, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalu Hmidti, reported that he discussed cooperation with Russian officials on national security and political issues. Click here to read…

Libyan parliament swears in new PM as crisis deepens

A standoff between two rival governments in Libya risks resulting in the territorial division as the parliament in the east swore in a new administration while the incumbent in Tripoli refused to cede power. Click here to read…

Tanzania president, freed opposition leader vow to ‘build trust’

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and opposition leader Freeman Mbowe pledged to heal rifts and buttress democracy as they met hours after Mbowe was freed from jail in a surprise move. Click here to read…

Anti-junta and anti-France protest rallies hundreds in Chad

Some 500 people demonstrated on Saturday in response to a call from the opposition against the ruling military junta in Chad. Click here to read…

Tensions flare in Eswatini

Eswatini’s King Mswati III has suppressed unrest for now. But opposition voices will continue to push for democracy, possibly leading to a transition of power. Click here to read…

Mozambique announces new prime minister after cabinet reshuffle

Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi has appointed a new prime minister and filled several other posts, including the finance minister, as part of a cabinet reshuffle. Click here to read…

China’s Huawei in troubled waters in South Africa over Employment Equity Policy

The Department of Employment and Labour of South Africa last month filed court papers against Huawei Technologies South Africa for not complying with the Employment Equity Policy of the country. Click here to read…

President Kenyatta endorses Raila Odinga in upcoming presidential election

During an address before his Jubilee party supporters on Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said Raila Odinga “meant well for the country”.Click here to read…

More than 200 gunmen killed in Nigeria security operation

At least 200 gunmen were killed in the past three days in Nigeria’s central-northern state of Niger during a security operation to clear armed gangs from the area. Click here to read…

Algeria is Prepared to Fulfil Europe’s Gas Demand

Algerian oil and gas giant, Sonatrach, announced that it is prepared to supply Europe with an increased supply of oil and gas should Russia’s exports not meet Europe’s demand. Additional gas will be exported through the TransMed pipeline, which connects Algeria and Italy. Click here to read…

Ghana’s 65th Independence anniversary – The journey so far

Former Gold Coast, now Ghana is today, March 6, celebrating its 65th anniversary after attaining independence in 1957 from the British. Click here to read…

Chinese Company Removed as Operator of Cobalt Mine in Congo

A court has given the Congolese control of one of the world’s largest sources of cobalt while allegations against the mine’s Chinese owners are investigated. Click here to read…

Cameroon blast: At least five people killed, including senior official and mayor

A senior state official and a mayor were among five people killed by a road mine in a restive anglophone region of Cameroon on Wednesday, local sources said. Click here to read…

In a first, a female judge chairs a hearing in Egypt’s top court

In a first, Radwa Helmi on Saturday sat as the first female judge on the bench of Egypt’s state council. It is a top court in the Arab country. Helmi was among the 98 women who were appointed last year to join the council, after a decision by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Click here to read…

Shunned by Others, Russia Finds Friends in Africa

Africa’s largest arms dealer, Russia has ties to the continent that stretch back to the Cold War and helped Mr. Putin win rare support over the invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast’s hope: Digital agriculture

Climate change, land degradation and deforestation have severely damaged Côte d’Ivoire’s natural surroundings. Many farmers are worried about their future. But Digitalization is bringing new hope. Click here to read…

Timber giant quietly converts Congo logging sites to carbon scheme

A major European logging firm may have illegally converted more than a dozen of its timber concessions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo into so-called conservation concessions, a new investigation can reveal. Click here to read…

History, politics and mercenaries: why so many African nations are quietly standing by Putin

President Putin’s authoritarian allies in Africa have given their quiet support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations. Click here to read…

New Amazon Headquarters Sparks Feud Among Indigenous South Africans

The development, still under construction, sits on sacred land in Cape Town. But some Indigenous leaders have allied with the developers, prompting a debate over who speaks for First Nations people. Click here to read…

Hage Geingob: Is oil discovery off Namibia a blessing or a curse?

Namibia’s president discusses the recent discovery of an estimated one billion barrels of oil off his country’s coast. Click here to read…

WHO sees little impact on Covid-19 vaccine supplies to Africa from Ukraine war

The World Health Organization does not expect any immediate impact on vaccine supply to Africa from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Second India-Africa defence dialogue on March 12 in Gujarat

The second India Africa defence dialogue is set to take place on March 12 on the sidelines of the DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Click here to read…

EAM Jaishankar extends greetings to Ghana on its national day

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday extended greetings to his Ghanaian counterpart Shirley Ayokor and his people on their national day. Click here to read…

Uganda to sign MoU with Naruvi Hospitals

The Ugandan government would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vellore-based Naruvi Hospitals, said Grace Akello, Uganda Ambassador to India. Click here to read…

India, South Africa, Namibia oppose talks at WTO on e-commerce, investment, MSMEs

New rules cannot be introduced without fulfilling mandate of agreement by consensus, they argue. Click here to read…

Namibia wants ivory trade clause in deal for sending cheetahs to India

Namibia wants India’s support for lifting a United Nations ban on commercial trade of wildlife products, including ivory, for translocation of cheetahs to Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, a condition New Delhi is unlikely to be able or want to meet, Indian and Namibian officials familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Click here to read…

The lip-sync siblings from Tanzania, and why PM Modi praised them

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised a brother-sister duo from Tanzanian, now social media stars, for lip-syncing to the Indian national anthem on Republic Day and paying tribute to Lata Mangeshkar. Who are Kili and Neema Paul? Click here to read…

Event Report

The African Continental Free Trade Area and Opportunities for India

On 23rd February 2022, the Vivekananda Foundation organised a lecture on “The African Continental Free Trade Area and Opportunities for India”. The Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) is a critical African project to accelerate the continent’s long-term integration and economic goal.Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 9, 2022)

COMMENTARY

EU-Africa: We need a values-based and pragmatic approach to EU-Africa relations, one designed to benefit people

Europe and Africa are continents united by their history, diversity, proximity and the value of multilateralism, says Chair of EP’s Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Click here to read…

How Pernod Ricard Sub-Saharan Africa is bridging the gaps in the region

Grégory Leymarie, CEO of Pernod Ricard South Africa & Sub Saharan Africa, speaks to The Parliament Magazine about the company’s latest initiatives on sustainability and its commitments to the regionClick here to read…

NEWS

Europe Commits $170 Billion to Africa, Continent Wants More

The European Union has pledged 150 billion euros ($170 billion) for investment in Africa as it seeks to gain influence on the continent and become its partner of choice. Click here to read…

Algeria, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa form G4 nations

Algeria, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa last week announced the formation of Group of Four Nations (G4) aiming to deal with various issues confronting Africa. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso: towards a 30-month military transition?

A commission set up in early February by the military junta that took power a month ago in Burkina Faso has proposed a 30-month transition before a return to constitutional order. Click here to read…

Somalia extends election deadline to mid-March

Somalia on Friday extended its deadline to finish voting for the lower house of parliament, the latest in a series of election delays that risk starving the country of budget funds. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast hosts US-led military training amid Sahel uncertainty

The annual United States-led counterterrorism training programme for African forces has kicked off in Ivory Coast as West Africa faces the growing threat of armed groups’ attacks amid French forces’ withdrawal. Click here to read…

Seven-nation summit in DR Congo to mull 2013 peace accord

Seven African heads of state gathered in Kinshasa on Thursday to assess a 2013 agreement aimed at cementing peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s violence-torn east and the Great Lakes region. Click here to read…

Ethiopia turns on the turbines at giant Nile hydropower plant

Ethiopia began producing electricity on Sunday from its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a multi-billion-dollar hydropower plant on the River Nile that neighbours Sudan and Egypt have worried will cause water shortages downstream. Click here to read…

Thousands rally in Sudan against military coup

Thousands of Sudanese protesters have taken to the streets across the country to rally against the October military coup and to demand the release of prisoners. Click here to read…

Libya rival PM says cabinet line-up ready

Libya’s prospective prime minister, appointed by the war-torn country’s parliament as it seeks to oust interim premier Abdulhamid Dbeibah, said Thursday his cabinet line-up was ready. Click here to read…

U.S. Carries Out First Airstrike in Somalia Since August

The United States conducted a drone strike against Al Shabab militants in Somalia this week, the first such military action against the Qaeda affiliate in East Africa since August. Click here to read…

Egypt says no worries over Suez Canal amid Russian-Ukrainian standoff

The head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, recently said that the authority is ready for all possible scenarios resulting from the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine and their impact on global navigation. Click here to read…

ECOWAS envoy arrives in Mali for talks

An envoy from West Africa’s regional bloc arrived in Mali on Thursday, an AFP journalist saw, for talks with the military junta over restoring civilian rule in the volatile country. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s Saied will bar foreign funding for civil society

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied said on Thursday he will outlaw foreign funding for civil society organisations as he tries to remake the country’s politics after establishing one-man rule. Click here to read…

Erdogan cuts short Africa visit amid Ukraine crisis

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday cut short his trip to Africa, his office said, as the Turkish leader stepped up diplomacy over the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Click here to read…

Barkhane commander visits Chad military base to deploy new equipment

France is looking for other alternatives for its Barkhane forces that are leaving Mali following the fallout with the current regime. Click here to read…

New Uganda law to impose fines on those who refuse COVID vaccine

Uganda plans to impose fines on people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who fail to pay could be sent to prison under an amendment of a public health law currently being reviewed in Parliament. Click here to read…

Tanzania, Mozambique launch deradicalization programs to combat terrorism
Authorities in 2 eastern African nations team up to launch awareness programs to prevent youth from falling into trap of terror groups. Click here to read…

Ignore ‘politics’, says the Russian company that wants to build nuclear in SA about Ukraine

In 2014, South Africa agreed that Russia’s state-owned Rosatom would build up to eight nuclear reactors in SA, to supply up to 9.6GW of power. Click here to read…

Expanding Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in Niger

The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts the global demand for oil and gas to increase and oil demand alone to expand by 3.3 million barrels (mb/d) per day in 2022 and return to pre-COVID levels of 99.7 mb/d, a development that will provide an opportunity for African producers such as Niger to expand its oil and gas industry and help meet demand. Click here to read…

Sudan delegation heads to Russia amid Ukraine crisis

A delegation of senior Sudanese officials, including the deputy leader of the country’s military-led ruling council, is headed to Russia for talks on cooperation, authorities said. Click here to read…

The Kenyan UN ambassador’s Ukraine speech does not deserve praise

While Martin Kimani was right to condemn Russia, he seemed to embrace the colonial legacy in Africa. Click here to read…

Exit from Mali ushers in new era of risks for France and Europe in Africa

The question for France is whether it can afford to lose its traditional markets and political areas of influence in French-speaking parts of the continent, whether in West Africa or the Maghreb, where it already faces stiff competition from China, Turkey but also the US. Click here to read…

Defence Minister Akar signs Turkey-Senegal military deal

Defence Minister Hulusi Akar signed a joint military agreement with his Senegalese counterpart Sidiki Kaba on Wednesday, the ministry said. Click here to read…

Total Energies makes large oil discovery off Namibia

Operator Total Energies has made a significant discovery of light oil and associated gas off the coast of Namibia, the company said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Letter from Africa: Nigeria’s electioneering and the role of stomachs

Nigeria’s T-shirt printers, jingle writers and advertisers are in for a bumper season with the country gearing up for the polls – 12 months away. Click here to read…

Benin holds a highly political exhibition centred around restituted artworks

The works that France returned are – finally – on display in Cotonou. The exhibition, which is being held at the presidential palace, is both historic and symbolic. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s Green Africa Airways Sees New Investment

Nigerian airline Green Africa Airways has received new investment, which it will use to scale up operations and increase its fleet size. The startup carrier secured investment from Leadway Assurance Company Limited, one of Nigeria’s largest insurance providers. Click here to read…

Malawi polio immunisation starts next month after outbreak

Malawi said Thursday it will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign next month following the detection of its first case in 30 years and Africa’s first in five years. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

The future of India-Africa relations: Opportunities abound

India and Africa’s historical links have experienced a revival in recent years, and there are strong reasons for optimism that the partnership could be mutually beneficial.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2022/02/25/the-future-of-india-africa-relations-opportunities-abound/” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Inside India’s plan to grow trade, investment with Kenya

India is keen to tap more trade and investment opportunities with Kenya, its High Commission in Nairobi now says. Click here to read…

Sharda University of India Offers 50 Percent Off Scholarships to Malawian Students

Sharda University of India has announced a 50 per cent cut on the 2022 scholarships to Malawians who want to study at the institution. Click here to read…

UAE treaty could give a fillip to Indian exports to the Gulf and Africa, benefit pharma and MSME sector

With the UAE an important transit point for goods and people, this is not an unreasonable expectation, provided Indian industry, especially the ailing MSME sector, can live up to the potential offered by the FTA, and exports match imports. Click here to read…

Balwant Thakur launches ‘Aprajita’ in Mauritius

Balwant Thakur the cultural Diplomat of India to Mauritius who is currently heading world’s biggest Cultural Centre today launched Hindi short story collection by Kalpana Lalaji at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture, Phoenix in Mauritius. Click here to read…

Kili Paul, Africa’s most viral Bollywood sensation, felicitated by Indian High Commission in Tanzania

Kili Paul, the Tanzanian social media star known for his lip-syncing videos on Bollywood songs, has been honoured by the High Commission of India in Tanzania. Click here to read…

Gujarati OCI kidnapped at gunpoint in Mozambique

The Indian diaspora in Mozambique have warned the authorities of a mass exodus from the African nation after a 58-year-old Gujarati businessman was kidnapped at gunpoint on February 12. Click here to read…

South African Tourism accelerates India travel recovery efforts with a 4-city roadshow

Building on its extensive recovery efforts in India, South African Tourism is all set to host their biggest, independent travel trade initiative in India – their annual roadshow. This in-person roadshow will be the first mega-event post-pandemic and will travel to the 4 Indian cities of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai from 07th to 11th March 2022. Click here to read…

Rohingya Genocide case legitimate, The Gambia tells UN top court

Lawyers for The Gambia have urged the United Nations’s top court to throw out Myanmar’s legal bid to end a case accusing the Southeast Asian nation of genocide against Rohingya Muslims, after the Buddhist nation tried to get the case dismissed. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 8, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Israel’s Africa Conundrum: Bilateral Relations, Multilateral Opposition

In the first week of February, the annual summit of the African Union (AU) took place in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union. The principal objective of the meeting was to evaluate AU’s achievements over the past one year. Click here to read…

NEWS

African leaders head to Brussels for 6th EU-AU Summit

African Heads of State and Government are expected in Belgium this week to meet their European counterparts at the 6th European Union-African Union Summit. Click here to read…

France announces military withdrawal from Mali

France and its allies in the anti-jihadi operation in Mali have announced a “coordinated withdrawal” of their forces. A joint statement cited “multiple obstructions” by the country’s ruling military junta. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s junta sworn in as president

Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was sworn in as president Wednesday, less than a month after mutinous soldiers seized control of the West African country in a coup. Click here to read…

Mauritius formally challenges Britain’s ownership of Chagos Islands

Britain’s ownership of the Chagos archipelago has been formally challenged after the Mauritian ambassador to the UN, Jagdish Koonjul, raised his country’s flag above the atoll of Peros Banhos. Click here to read…

Kenyan Elections Will Struggle to Meet the Moment

Kenya’s August elections will undoubtedly be among the most consequential political events in Africa in 2022. In a turbulent region, Kenya’s stability, economic muscle, and diplomatic leadership are more essential than ever before. Click here to read…

Sudan: Burhan dismisses sanctions threats, lauds ties with Israel
Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has made comments in which he dismissed Western threats of sanctions tied to protests in the country and discussed meetings between Sudanese and Israeli officials he said were for security cooperation, not politics. Click here to read…

Will Libya have two prime ministers again?

Libya is facing political turmoil again. On February 10, the country’s parliament, the House of Representatives, voted to sack the current Prime Minister Abdulhamed Dbeiba and appoint Fathi Bashaga, the interior minister in the previous government and main architect of the resistance against General Khalifa Haftar’s attack on Tripoli in 2019. Click here to read…

Combat troops patrol in Kinshasa after failed coup attempt

Republican Guard combat troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo marched through the streets of the capital Kinshasa on Saturday, following a failed coup and the arrest of the alleged perpetrators. Click here to read…

Ethiopia parliament votes to lift state of emergency early

Ethiopia’s parliament has voted for an early end to a six-month state of emergency, declared last November when rebel Tigrayan forces were threatening to march on the capital, Addis Ababa. Click here to read…

Guinea-Bissau: Government critics under increasing pressure

After what authorities said was a coup by drug dealers aiming to kill President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, a new spate of violence against critics of the government is compounding the feeling of insecurity in Guinea-Bissau. Click here to read…

Terror Attacks Surge as Elections Drag in Somalia

A senior African Union official said Tuesday that while al-Shabab continues to be the main security threat in Somalia, the AU is also monitoring a possible resurgence of Islamic State. Click here to read…

Does new decree mark the end of judicial independence in Tunisia?

President Kais Saied’s new decree establishing a temporary judicial authority to replace the dissolved Supreme Judicial Council continues to draw widespread criticism in Tunisia in a setback for the rule of law. Click here to read…

Nigeria: 365 Days to Presidential Election, Aspirants Begin to Emerge

Today makes it exactly a year to the 2023 presidential election and aspirants in the two main political parties – the All-Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – as well as some other parties, are positioning for the most coveted office in the land. Click here to read…

“We were born free and we will stay free”: Somaliland is resisting pressure from China

Last week, a delegation from Somaliland went on a five-day tour of Taiwan, a trip that elicited a negative reaction from China. Click here to read…

Algeria’s fate is tied to the Ukraine crisis. Will a war extinguish hope for the country’s popular movement?

With international attention concentrated for weeks on Russian forces amassed at Ukraine’s borders, fewer resources have been spent anticipating the many second- and third-order effects that conflict between these two countries could trigger worldwide. Click here to read…

Guinea Must Put Justice At the Heart of Its Transition

The September coup was domestically popular. The junta can build on this and send a signal to the region by prioritising accountability. Click here to read…

Report finds rampant abuse of women in African parliaments

A study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the African Parliamentary Union has found that acts of sexism, harassment, and violence against women are common in African parliaments. Click here to read…

56 African heritage sites threatened by extreme coastal events: Study

Around 56 heritage sites in Africa are vulnerable to extreme coastal events and erosion, according to a new study. They are at the risk of being damaged by these factors and the number of exposed sites may more than triple by 2050, the report added. Click here to read…

Malawi Detects Polio, First Wild Case in Africa in Over 5 Years

Malawi has declared a polio outbreak after a case was detected in a young child in the capital Lilongwe, the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years, the WHO said. Click here to read…

EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit

Speaking on the first day of an EU-Africa summit in Brussels, the head of the European Commission said the EU will continue to focus in the short term on the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines. Click here to read…

Egypt lengthening two-way portion of Suez Canal by 10 kilometres

Egypt is working to improve the Suez Canal by making an additional 10 kilometres accessible to two-way traffic, while widening and deepening another 30 kilometresClick here to read…

Amnesty Accuses Tigray Forces of Atrocities in Ethiopia’s Amhara

Rights groups Amnesty International says Tigrayan fighters have committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity as they were withdrawing from Ethiopia’s Amhara region. Click here to read…

No school In Zimbabwe after government suspends 90% of teachers

A strike by Zimbabwean teachers that has crippled learning entered a second week on Monday, with no resolution on sight after the government suspended 135,000 teachers for failing to report for work. Click here to read…

After Mali exit, Niger accepts foreign forces to secure border

President Mohamed Bazoum says Niger has accepted that French and European special forces will be deployed into its territory from Mali to boost security near the border with its neighbouring country. Click here to read…

Cameroon’s Rival Separatist Groups Clash, Kill Fighters

Rival anglophone separatist groups in Cameroon have clashed this month, causing an undetermined number of casualties. The fighting was triggered by power struggles within the separatist movement. Click here to read…

Applause in Tanzania After President Meets Exiled Opposition Leader in Belgium

Tanzanian political figures are applauding after President Samia Suluhu Hassan met in Brussels Wednesday with opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu has lived in Belgium since a 2017 assassination attempt. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe teachers go on strike days after schools’ resume classes

A teachers’ strike has paralyzed learning at many Zimbabwean schools, which opened this week after a prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Modi meets ex-Kenyan PM, expresses commitment to strengthen ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former Kenyan premier Raila Amolo Odinga on Sunday and expressed his commitment to further strengthening the India-Kenya relations. Click here to read…

Defexpo 2022 India-Africa ministers’ meet from March 10

The second edition of the India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave, will be one of the highlights of the 12th edition of biennial defence exhibition — Defexpo 2022, which will be held from March 10 to 13, at three different venues in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Click here to read…

NATHEALTH and African Health Federation organised second India Africa Health Summit

With an objective to strengthen the efforts towards the vaccination drive in Africa and share best practices, and exchange knowledge NATHEALTH – Healthcare Federation of India in collaboration with Africa Healthcare Federation organised the Indo-Africa Vaccine Summit on Friday – 11th February 2022 virtually.Click here to read…

Indian Railways exports Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives to Mozambique

The Indian Railways has exported the four powerful Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives, manufactured at Banaras Locomotive Works, to Mozambique now. Click here to read…

MOZAMBIQUE: India grants $10 million for water in Cabo Delgado

The Indian High Commissioner to Mozambique, Ankan Banerjee, has signed a memorandum of understanding worth $10 million with the Mozambican government. This funding supports a drinking water supply program that will benefit the populations of the Mueda district, in the Cabo Delgado province. Click here to read…

Africa applauds India’s technology inspired rapid vaccination drive

Healthcare Federation of India in collaboration with the Africa Healthcare Federation organised the Indo-Africa Vaccine Summit virtually. The summit saw participation from key dignitaries from both India and Africa to deliberate and to offer a framework to build resilience towards future emergencies and pandemics. Click here to read…

India’s Homegrown Direct Selling Brand Vestige Announces Foray into Ghana to Expand Global Footprint

After gaining a stronghold in India and several international markets, Vestige Marketing Pvt Ltd. has announced its foray into Africa by launching operations in Ghana. In the initial phase, the company will offer a range of health and wellness products from its bestseller categories – health supplements, personal care, home care and oral care. Click here to read…

Indian govt to partner Bono East become tourism hub in W/A

The Indian government says it would partner the Bono East Regional Coordinating Council (BERCC) to make the region a tourism hub in West Africa. Click here to read…

Airtel Kenya to pay local regulator $17.5 mn in out-of-court settlement

Under the settlement pact terms, Airtel Kenya will pay $17.5 million to the Kenyan telecom regulator for its licence renewal. The payment will happen over the next two years. Click here to read…

South African Tourism Kickstarts Travel Recovery Efforts in India

Reigniting its travel recovery efforts in India, South African Tourism launched its ‘More & More’ campaign today. Localized for Indian audiences, this campaign aims to highlight the variety and diversity of experiences that South Africa has to offer, ranging from 3000+ adventure activities to exciting culinary experiences and more, across its 9 provinces. Click here to read…

‘Will take Ayurveda to Africa’: Ex-Kenya PM Raila Odinga after daughter’s eyesight recovery

Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya, who was in Kerala for his daughter’s eye treatment expressed his happiness and satisfaction from Ayurveda treatment. Click here to read…

India delegation heads to Namibia to discuss cheetah translocation

A delegation from India left for Namibia on Thursday to discuss cheetah translocation logistics with the Namibia government, according to people familiar with the development. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 7, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Africa has had eight coup attempts in recent months. What’s behind the ‘coup epidemic’?

Last week, soldiers in Guinea Bissau surrounded the government palace, attacking President Umaro Sissoco Embaló during a cabinet meeting. Although the coup attempts ultimately failed, the firefight resulted in numerous fatalities. Only a week earlier, widespread mutinies in Burkina Faso prompted army officers to depose another competitively elected African president. Click here to read…

NEWS

African Union postpones debate on Israel’s observer status

The African Union (AU) has suspended a debate on whether to withdraw Israel’s accreditation as an observer to the bloc, avoiding a vote that risked creating an unprecedented rift in the 55-member body. Click here to read…

African Union to Establish Permanent Mission in Beijing

Following a heads of state meeting in Addis Ababa, the African Union has announced it will open a permanent mission in Beijing this year. The proposal had been set forth by the Council of Ministers in an effort to engage more directly with Africa’s largest trading partner and diplomatic-ally. Click here to read…

Guinea-Bissau arrests ex-navy chief linked to drug trade over failed coup

Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Thursday accused a former Guinean navy chief with links to the drug trade and two accomplices of being behind a failed coup in the west African nation on February 1. Click here to read…

UN Security Council calls for release of Burkina Faso President

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has expressed grave concern about Burkina Faso’s “unconstitutional change of government,” and has called for President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and other government leaders to be released and protected. Click here to read…

Sudan’s military rulers step up crackdown, arrest activists

Amira Osman, a Sudanese women’s rights activist, was getting ready for bed a few minutes before midnight when about 30 policemen forced their way into her home in Khartoum last month. Click here to read…

Guinea transitional assembly holds first post-coup session

Guinea’s transitional assembly has held its first session, five months after the military overthrow of democratically elected President Alpha Conde. Click here to read…

Diplomatic flurry as crunch time on Western military role in Mali nears

Western foreign ministers will hold crunch talks on their countries’ future presence fighting Islamist militants in Mali on Monday, four European sources said, with three saying regional and international leaders will also meet on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Libyan parliament elects new PM to replace interim government

The Libyan House of Representatives, on Thursday unanimously voted for Fathi Bashagha as the country’s new prime minister. Click here to read…

Libyan PM survives assassination attempt as car shot: Sources

Assailants struck Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah’s car with bullets early on Thursday but he escaped unharmed, a source close to him said, amid intense factional wrangling over control of the government. Mauritius Presses Claim for Indian Ocean Islands Under ‘Unlawful’ UK Administration

A delegation from Mauritius is set to sail Tuesday to the Chagos Islands to press the country’s claim for the strategically important Indian Ocean archipelago, which is also claimed by Britain and is home to an American military base. Click here to read…

Taiwan to host Somaliland ministers in Africa diplomacy push

Taiwan will host a high-level delegation from Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region this week, the government said on Monday, as the island pursues diplomacy in Africa in the face of Chinese pressure to limit its international footprint. Click here to read…

Several killed in attack targeting Somalia election delegates

A suicide bomber targeting a minibus full of delegates involved in Somalia’s parliamentary elections killed at least six people in Mogadishu, the ambulance service said, as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab armed group claimed responsibility for the attack. Click here to read…

Central Africa PM fired amid tensions over Russia-France tug of war

The Central African Republic’s prime minister has been sacked, the presidency confirmed Monday, against the backdrop of tensions between pro-Russian and pro-French factions within the government of the poor, unstable country.Click here to read…

US aims to thwart China’s plan for Atlantic base in Africa

The Biden administration is intensifying its campaign to persuade Equatorial Guinea to reject China’s bid to build a military base on the country’s Atlantic Coast. Click here to read…

AfCFTA Adjustment Fund agreement signed in Cairo

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), signed the $10bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund on Wednesday in Cairo. Click here to read…

EU unveils €1.6 billion investment in Morocco

It is the first African scheme in the EU’s €300 billion “Global Gateway” infrastructure plan, the bloc’s response to China’s Belt and Road strategy.
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-unveils-16-billion-investment-in-morocco/a-60710607″ target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

French president voices support for Egypt’s regional development and anti-terror efforts

French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country remains committed to the continued enhancement of joint cooperation with Egypt in a number of fields, and to supporting Cairo’s efforts to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development, and combat terrorism and extremist ideology in its region. Click here to read…

Tanzania: Victory for media freedom as ban on four newspapers lifted

The lifting of ban on four newspapers that had been barred from publishing since 2016 and 2017 for exposing alleged corruption and human rights violations is a positive step, but the Tanzanian authorities must do more to guarantee media freedom going forward, Amnesty International said today. Click here to read…

Ethiopia’s telco battle will take place in the mobile money arena

Safaricom opened an office in Ethiopia last month, as Kenya’s largest mobile operator aims to take on one of Africa’s most sought-after telecoms markets. Click here to read…

‘Fragile Five’ Indebted Africa Nations Flagged by Top Lender

Five key African economies will face debt risks over the next two years, according to the continent’s biggest bank, as an era of extraordinary pandemic-induced stimulus and relief for poor nations draws to an end. Click here to read…

UN’s top court orders Uganda to pay $325 million to DR Congo

Delivering its judgement, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) broke down the compensation, awarding the DRC $225 million for damage to persons, which includes loss of life, rape, recruitment of child soldiers and displacement of civilians. Click here to read…

E-levy Ghana: Ghanaians hit streets of Accra to protest against electronic transactions tax way government want to introduce

Protestors for Ghana hit the streets of Accra to register their displeasure with the new electronic transactions tax way government want to introduce. Click here to read…

Deaths Rise To 92 In Madagascar Cyclone, 112,000 In Need of Assistance

The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Batsirai has risen to 92 in Madagascar, authorities said Wednesday, as humanitarian organisations ramped up aid efforts with more than 110,000 people in need of emergency assistance. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe teachers go on strike days after schools’ resume classes

A teachers’ strike has paralyzed learning at many Zimbabwean schools, which opened this week after a prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

Demand for traditional Chinese medicine in Africa sparks fears for endangered species

Amid the rise in demand for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) products in African countries has sparked fear for poaching of endangered species. Click here to read…

Nigeria Islamic police destroy nearly 4 mn beers

Religious police in northern Nigeria’s city of Kano have destroyed nearly four milllion bottles of beer, on grounds that sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the predominantly Muslim region. Click here to read…

‘White Malice’: How the CIA Strangled African Independence at Birth

In her latest book, historian Susan Williams ruthlessly reveals through factual evidence the unsavoury machinations of the CIA in Africa during the Cold War until the late 1960s. Click here to read…

Explained: Why Africa embraces Huawei tech despite security concerns

Huawei is popular across Africa, but its systems could also appeal to authoritarian regimes hoping to cling to power. Click here to read…

Should Bangladesh Lease Land from South Sudan?

For a long period of time, Bangladesh has been striving to ensure food security at home by planning to shop farmland abroad. Recently, South Sudan, an African country, has expressed interest in leasing a vast area of its fallow land to Bangladesh in order to collaborate in agricultural production, processing, and marketing in the central African countries. Click here to read…

U.S. reaches out to foreign producers in Algeria on gas options -sources

The U.S. government has asked to meet Eni, Total Energies (TTEF.PA) and other energy companies operating in Algeria to see if more gas can be sourced from the country, sources familiar with the matter said. Click here to read…

WHO Chief visits South Africa’s mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus today visited the groundbreaking mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in Cape Town and also met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss progress in making Africa self-sufficient in the production of COVID-19 vaccines and related treatments. Click here to read…

China’s StarTimes injects 1.76 mln USD to boost local content in Kenya

Chinese pay television firm, StarTimes on Thursday announced injection of an additional 200 million shillings (about 1.76 million U.S. dollars) to boost development of indigenous content in Kenya. Click here to read…

Zambia on course to launch satellite in 2023

Zambia on Friday said it is on course to launch a satellite in 2023. According to a statement by Science and Technology Minister Felix Mutati, moving to digital technology will enhance digital economic activities and help the government plan ahead in meeting challenges such as climate change, flooding, and health issues. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Indian envoys hold virtual meeting with Comoros FM to review progress in bilateral ties

Indian envoy to Moroni Abhay Kumar held a virtual meeting with Comoros Foreign Minister Dhoihir Dhoulkamal and reviewed the progress made in bilateral ties between the two countries. … Recently INS Kesari visited Comoros in January 2022 to help repair a Comorian shipClick here to read…

Liaison officer from Mauritius posted at Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre

A liaison officer from Mauritius was on Thursday posted at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC) which has emerged as a key hub in tracking developments in the Indian Ocean. Click here to read…

Tanzania set to export avocado to India

Tanzania is set to begin exporting avocado to India, as the country seeks to strengthen bilateral trade ties and enable farmers to get higher returns for their produce. Click here to read…

Here is Why this Former PM of Kenya is Grateful to an Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala

Former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinka, who was in Kerala recently, thanked Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Kerala for restoring his daughter’s eyesight. She had become blind after a stroke in 2017 and had spent two years in total darkness. Click here to read…

Ramaphosa’s hope of making S Africa major cell phone producer dashes as factory owned by Indian-origin entrepreneur shuts

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s hopes of the country becoming a major producer of mobile phones or Africa have been dashed with the closure of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility owned by a Rwanda-based Indian-origin entrepreneur. Click here to read…

Mozambique: Harare, Maputo Deepen Economic Ties

Zimbabwe and the rest of SADC countries are set to benefit from infrastructural development being undertaken by Mozambique, with President Mnangagwa and President Felipe Nyusi committing to facilitate the emancipation of their people through economic development. Click here to read…Stranded in Mali: Relieved, say workers on their return to Jharkhand

Weeks after their distress calls, the first batch of seven Indian workers out of the 33 who were stranded in Mali without their earnings and their passports returned to the country on Saturday. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 6, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Eight Priorities for the African Union in 2022

The African Union’s twentieth anniversary in the coming year gives it a chance to assess its achievements as well as reinvigorate its work to safeguard peace and security on the continent. This briefing points to eight conflict situations needing the organisation’s urgent attention. Click here to read…

NEWS

Burkina Faso restores constitution, names coup leader president

Burkina Faso’s military government said it has restored the constitution a week after taking power and has appointed the coup’s leader as head of state for a transitional period. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso junta lifts nationwide curfew in force since coup

Burkina Faso’s junta lifted Wednesday a nationwide curfew they imposed after seizing power in a coup last month, the military announced. Click here to read…

Guinea Bissau president survives W. Africa’s latest coup attempt

Cheering crowds welcomed Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s election victory in 2020, but his opponent’s alleged fraud. Click here to read…

French ambassador expelled from Mali

Mali’s military leaders are expelling the French ambassador over what they called “outrageous” comments made by the French foreign minister about the transitional government. Click here to read…

Germany mulls end of military mission in Mali

German troops have been stationed in Mali for nearly nine years. But the Bundeswehr’s mission might soon be over. Critics in Berlin are questioning its purpose. And Mali itself is looking out for new allies. Click here to read…

Guinea-Bissau’s failed coup attempt may have been linked to drug trafficking

In a Facebook post on Feb. 1, Umaro El Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, president of Guinea-Bissau, reassured citizens that their country was calm and that his government had not been overthrown by an armed groupClick here to read…

Guterres asks for immediate cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia

The United Nations’ Secretary-General on Tuesday made the “strongest possible appeal” for all parties in Ethiopia to immediately end the fighting in Tigray and other areas, in the spirit of the General Assembly’s Olympic Truce which began just a few days ago. Click here to read…

Sudanese security forces fire tear gas as protesters defy ban

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters have marched in Sudan’s capital and other cities, the latest demonstration to denounce military rule since the army seized power in October 2021Click here to read…

Somalia election on track, official says

Organisers of Somalia’s much-delayed elections say the polls have picked up the “right pace”, assuring citizens that they will meet the February 25 deadline to conclude voting. Click here to read…

US launches third military training project in Mozambique

The US government has launched a third Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) programme with Mozambique, to enhance the military’s readiness to contain rising insecurity.Click here to read…

DR Congo: At least 50 dead following militia attack on camp

According to the UN Mission in the country (MONUSCO), the attack was carried out by members of the so-called Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) – a loose association of various Lendu militia groups.Click here to read…

South Africa’s Afrigen makes mRNA Covid vaccine using Moderna data

South Africa’s Afrigen Biologics has used the publicly available sequence of Moderna Inc’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine to make its own version of the shot, which could be tested in humans before the end of this year, Afrigen’s top executive said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Mix of differences, challenges delays Arab summit until further notice

The Arab summit to be held in Algeria is facing many obstacles that could lead to its cancellation. This comes in the light of the mounting differences between the host country on the one hand and the Arab League on the other. Click here to read…

Kenya to Inject $176 Million Into Struggling National Airline

Kenya plans to inject 20 billion shillings ($176 million) of capital into the country’s cash-strapped national airline, which is battling to survive after years of losses and a mounting debt pile. Click here to read…

Tunisia elected to African Union’s Peace and Security Council

Tunisia has been elected to the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council for the term 2022-2024. Click here to read…

Wrangle over interim Libyan government intensifies

The speaker of Libya’s eastern-based parliament said on Monday the chamber would choose a new interim prime minister next week, but the current incumbent rejected the move. Click here to read…

Kenyan, Rwandan leaders discuss trade and security issues

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday hosted his Rwandese counterpart Paul Kagame for talks in Nairobi, focusing on a wide range of areas of cooperation. Click here to read…

African Experts Argue Prospects for China’s New $300 Billion Agreement

A Chinese official in Nigeria says Beijing plans to invest over $300 billion in Africa to increase African exports and help close the large trade gap with China. China’s plans for more investment in Africa have been welcomed by some, but critics worry about Africa’s growing debt with Beijing. Click here to read…

Private military contractors bolster Russian influence in Africa

Russia’s geopolitical ambitions in Africa have in recent years been backed by private military contractors, often described as belonging to the “Wagner group” — an entity with no known legal status. Click here to read…

Russian diplomat, African Union official discuss preparations for Russia-Africa Summit

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the meeting was held on the sidelines of the 35th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. Click here to read…

Egypt inks $1.6 billion deal for South Korean howitzers

South Korea on Tuesday said it signed a $1.6 billion deal to sell arms to Egypt a week after US President Joe Biden’s administration approved another massive arms sale to the Middle Eastern nation. Click here to read…

Explosion at Nigerian oil vessel sparks fears of major spill

A vessel with a storage capacity of two million barrels of oil has exploded off the coast of southern Nigeria’s Delta state, raising fears of an environmental disaster and concerns about the fate of its crew. Click here to read…

South Africa’s 10-yearly population census kicks off

South Africa on Wednesday launched its once-in-a-decade population census to collect data that will help the government’s policy formulation and planning, the statistics agency has said. Click here to read…

Shell Is Betting Big on Namibia’s Oil Boom

While all recent oil exploration attention has been on Exxon’s massive string of discoveries in Guyana, another giant player and a junior explorer are shifting to focus toward what may be the next up-and-coming oil hotspot It’s Namibia–a country that’s never produced a barrel of oil. Click here to read…

Zambia aims for IMF debt deal in May – FinMin

Zambia expects an International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt health check to be finalised this month, to strike a restructuring deal with creditors by April and get a formal agreement with the fund signed off in May, its finance minister said. Click here to read…

Russian paramilitary ‘saviours’ star in films on Africa conflicts

Paramilitary fighters from the Russia-linked Wagner group star in a new film singing their praises for interventions against rebels in the Central African Republic and elsewhere on the continent. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Raila starts week-long trip to India, Ethiopia

ODM leader Raila Odinga has left the country for a week-long trip to Ethiopia and India. Click here to read…

Belagavi firm to build 6,000 houses in Rwanda

The Department of MBA at KLS Gogte Institute of Technology organised an online international conference on Indo African Businesses-Strategic Perspective in Belagavi recently. Click here to read…

Kebbi sponsors 117 indigenes to study in India

Kebbi State has awarded no fewer than 117 indigenes scholarship to study Medicine, Engineering and related courses in India. Click here to read…

‘India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons’ review: An eye-opener on Africa

With China taking a lead, India should deepen its political commitment in the continent, set aside sizeable financial resources, and increase the capability of project execution, says a new bookClick here to read…

Zambia, India ties vintage

INDIA’S Republic Day, January 26, is a gazetted holiday celebrated throughout the world. It is a day to remember when India’s constitution came into force on January 26, 1950, completing the country’s transition toward becoming an independent state. Click here to read…

Mahindra sets record for monthly vehicle sales in South Africa

Mahindra South Africa has set a new record for monthly sales since it first started selling its range of automotive vehicles in the country 18 years ago. Click here to read…

Made-in-India Nissan Magnite exports expanded to 15 nations

The made-in-India Magnite is now sold in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Uganda, Kenya, Seychelles, Mozambique, Zambia, Mauritius, Tanzania and Malawi. In the second half of 2020, Nissan managed to ship out a total of 6,344 units of the Magnite. Click here to read…

Airtel Africa Q3 results: Net profit up 54% to $180 mn

Telecom operator Airtel Africa reported a 54.4 per cent increase in profit after tax (PAT) to $180 million for the December 2021 quarter. The company had posted a PAT of $116 million in the same period a year ago. Click here to read…

MONDIACULT 2022 | Africa Regional Consultation January 31 – February 1, 2022

The Regional Consultation on Cultural Policies for the African region will be held on January 31 and February 1, 2022. For two days, 47 Ministers of Culture are invited to meet online, with international and non-governmental organizations, with all the key actors of the Arts and Culture sector to discuss and present the voice of the continent on the issues of culture and development. Click here to read…

China: Daily Scan, February 07, 2022

Senior CPC official meets with former KMT chairperson: Xinhuanet
February 5, 2022

Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Yang Saturday met with Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, in Beijing after Hung attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Click here to read…

China, Russia reaffirm support on core interest, oppose interference in internal affairs: Xinhuanet
February 5, 2022

China and Russia reaffirmed strong support for each other’s core interest, state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and voiced opposition to external interference in their domestic affairs, according to a joint statement issued Friday after a meeting between the two countries’ presidents. Click here to read…

Xi says China ready to accelerate FTA negotiation with GCC: Xinhuanet
February 5, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said China stands ready to work with countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to accelerate the free trade agreement negotiations. Xi said this will inject fresh vitality to the two sides as well as the world economy. Click here to read…

China’s commerce ministry criticizes U.S. solar tariff extension: Xinhuanet
February 5, 2022

China’s commerce ministry on Saturday criticized a recent extension of U.S. tariffs on imported solar products, calling the move unhelpful to the photovoltaic industry and disruptive to the global trade order. The U.S. government announced Friday that the levies due to expire Sunday would remain effective for another four years as advised by the U.S. International Trade Commission. Click here to read…

Xi calls for building closer China-Pakistan community with shared future: Xinhuanet
February 6, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing on Sunday, saying that China is willing to work with Pakistan to accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, bring benefits to the people of the two countries, provide impetus for regional cooperation and contribute to world peace. Click here to read…

Full text: Joint Statement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: Xinhuanet
February 7, 2022

The following is the full text of a joint statement released by China and Pakistan on Sunday. Joint Statement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of PakistanClick here to read…

Chinese scientists discover promising green refrigeration technology: Xinhuanet
February 5, 2022

Chinese scientists have discovered a promising green refrigeration technology that may replace traditional refrigerants represented by freon, a greenhouse gas that leads to severe climate problems. The research team led by Tong Peng at the Institute of Solid State Physics at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found excellent cooling performance in n-alkanes through solid-liquid state transition driven by high pressure. The discovery provides a new perspective for developing eco-friendly refrigeration technology. Click here to read…

Xi extends congratulations to 35th African Union Summit: China Military
February 6, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday warmly congratulated the African countries and people on the opening of the 35th African Union (AU) Summit. In his congratulatory message to the AU Summit, Xi pointed out that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the AU’s founding, and that over the past 20 years, the AU has stayed committed to seeking strength through unity, actively explored a development path suited to Africa, facilitated important progress in regional integration and coordinated a concerted response from African countries to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

Ambassador Zhang Jun: the US should not go further down the wrong path: China Military
February 7, 2022

On February 6, Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the Untied Nations, released a press statement to resolutely refute the unfounded accusations against China made by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN, in her interview with CNN. Ambassador Zhang said that the US has again made accusations against China and wrongful, irresponsible remarks on issues like the Beijing Winter Olympics, Xinjiang and Taiwan. Such groundless, politically-biased words have seriously poisoned the China-US relations. Facing such a smear campaign, China has no choice but to push back and clarify our position and reject the unfounded accusations by the US. Click here to read…

China starts busy diplomacy season with over 30 foreign dignitaries in Beijing for Olympics: Global Times
February 4, 2022

The tarmac of the Beijing Capital International Airport is seeing its busiest time in the last two days with more than 30 foreign dignitaries arriving in Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, as China kicked off a busy and crucial round of diplomatic activities to improve relations, promote multilateralism and call for global unity in dealing with global and regional challenges. Click here to read…

China reveals concept art for armed, aerial refueling-capable variant of Z-20 chopper: Global Times
February 6, 2022

An armed, aerial refueling-capable variant of China’s Z-20 medium-lift utility helicopter is believed to be currently under development after the aircraft’s maker recently revealed concept art for such a chopper, observers said on Sunday. The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the maker of most aircraft used by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), released a promotional video titled “In the blue sky” on January 31 on social media platforms, in which the company rounded up the achievements it made in 2021. Click here to read…

China to see moderate CPI growth in 2022 despite global inflationary pressure, says NDRC: Global Times
February 6, 2022

China’s consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, is expected to maintain moderate expansion in 2022 and the growth of the producer price index (PPI), or factory-gate prices, will gradually fall, according to an article published by China’s top economic planner on Sunday. Click here to read…

Premier meets with series of world leaders: China Daily
February 7, 2022

Premier Li Keqiang has met with a series of foreign guests who were visiting China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, pledging to strengthen ties with the countries and international organizations they represent. In a meeting with Zoran Tegeltija, chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Saturday, Li said China will import more high-quality specialty agricultural products from the European country, promote the implementation of energy and infrastructure cooperation projects, and continue to step up antipandemic cooperation. Click here to read…

Chinese scientists develop AI-assisted tool to detect early-stage lung cancer: China Daily
February 4, 2022

Chinese scientists have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted testing tool to detect early-stage lung cancer. The study published on Thursday in the journal Science Translational Medicine described the Lung Cancer Artificial Intelligence Detector that may play a part in the early detection of lung cancer or large-scale screening of high-risk cancer populations. Click here to read…

Athlete hailed by Uyghur advocates for ‘East Turkestan’ flag: Reuters
February 6, 2022

A ski jumper at the Winter Olympics was hailed by advocates for Uyghurs on Sunday after displaying what they said was the flag of the independence movement of East Turkestan, a group Beijing says threatens the stability of its Xinjiang region. Turkey’s Fatih Arda Ipcioglu on Saturday competed in light blue-coloured skis with a white crescent and white star on them. His native Turkish flag is almost identical, but features a red background. Click here to read…

U.S. calls for ‘concrete action’ from China to meet Phase 1 purchase commitments: Reuters
February 7, 2022

U.S. officials called on Monday for “concrete action” from China to make good on its commitment to purchase $200 billion in additional U.S. goods and services in 2020 and 2021 under the “Phase 1” trade deal signed by former President Donald Trump. The officials said Washington was losing patience with Beijing, which had “not shown real signs” in recent months that it would close the gap in the two-year purchase commitments that expired at the end of 2021. Click here to read…

China could take further measures to rein in yuan- former regulator: Reuters
February 7, 2022

The Chinese government could take further measures if needed to keep the yuan stable, potentially putting downward pressure on the currency, a former foreign exchange regulator said. Policymakers could increase yuan’s flexibility, expand capital outflows, or control capital inflows to rein in the yuan, which could deviate from economic fundamentals in the short term, wrote Guan Tao, global chief economist at BOC International and a former official at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Click here to read…

U.S. House backs sweeping China competition bill as Olympics start: Reuters
February 5, 2022

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a multibillion-dollar bill aimed at increasing American competitiveness with China and boosting U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, despite Republican opposition. The Democratic-majority House backed the “America COMPETES Act of 2022” by 222-210, almost entirely along party lines. One Republican joined Democrats in voting for the measure and one Democrat voted no. Click here to read…

Republican senator urges U.S. to monitor China’s digital yuan push during Olympics: Reuters
February 4, 2022

A leading Senate Republican is urging the Biden administration to closely monitor the use of China’s recently launched digital currency during the Beijing Winter Olympics, where the country is expected to showcase the project to foreign visitors. In a letter sent Thursday to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Senator Pat Toomey expressed concern that the Chinese government could use the global event to help its digital yuan, dubbed e-CNY, gain a global foothold. Such an effort could be used to set standards in cross-border payments, as the People’s Bank of China looks to get out ahead of other countries in the race to develop central bank digital currencies, he warned. Click here to read…

China, Russia enhance ‘growing energy partnership’ with gas deal during Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin meeting: South China Morning Post
February 4, 2022

China and Russia strengthened the interdependency of their two economies on Friday as visiting President Vladimir Putin unveiled a series of agreements, including a new gas deal, during his meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing at a time when Moscow is facing rising tensions over Ukraine. Putin confirmed the deal to supply 10 billion cubic metres (353 billion cubic feet) of gas per year to China, which is the world’s biggest energy consumer, from Russia’s Far East via a new pipeline hours after landing in the Chinese capital ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Click here to read…

China is a reliable friend and partner, President Xi Jinping tells Central Asian leaders on Olympics visit: South China Morning Post
February 5, 2022

China is a reliable partner for Central Asian nations and seeks to deepen cooperation in areas ranging from energy to security, Beijing has stressed, in its latest push to step up engagement with the region.This came as Chinese President Xi Jinping met the leaders of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Xi’s meetings on Saturday, which also included exchanges with the Serbian and Egyptian leaders, followed groundbreaking talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony a day earlier, amid simmering tensions with the United States. Click here to read…

US-China tech war: Top Chinese university pulls report that concluded China would suffer more from tech decoupling with US: South China Morning Post
February 4, 2022

A think-tank at China’s prestigious Peking University has pulled a report that concluded China would likely suffer more in a tech decoupling from the US. The 7,600-character report was published on the official WeChat account of the school’s Institute of International and Strategic Studies on Sunday, and was subsequently shared by Chinese media outlets and analysts. A key finding from the analysis was that both the US and China would suffer from a tech decoupling, but China’s losses would likely be bigger than those of the US. Click here to read…

Why China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon may lack the firepower to use laser weapons: South China Morning Post
February 6, 2022

China’s ambitions to arm its most advanced fighter jet with hi-tech weapons, such as lasers or particle beams, may be frustrated by its underpowered engines, according to military analysts.An increasing number of countries are researching cutting-edge directed-energy weapons (DEW), including the United States which is looking into their use to target hypersonic missiles and gliders. Click here to read…