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

COMMENTARY

Here’s how President Biden can build on the promise of his Africa summit

After an eight-year hiatus, the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit returned to Washington last month amid heightened global geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty. Click here to read…

The West, Debt and Other Takeaways from Chinese Foreign Minister’s Africa Trip

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang wrapped up his first international tour to Africa this week, during which he visited five diverse countries — Ethiopia, Gabon, Benin, Angola and Egypt. Click here to read…

NEWS

Thousands protest in Tunisia against president’s rule

Thousands of protesters angry at Tunisia’s economic crisis and the president’s increasingly authoritarian drift marched on Saturday through the capital, responding to a call from opposition parties to mark 12 years since Tunisian protesters unleashed Arab Spring uprisings around the region. Click here to read…

Head of Ethiopia’s Supreme Court resigns

A letter to the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) on Tuesday did not state the reason for their resignation, local media house Addis Standard reported. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: The Polisario movement’s 16th congress set for election

Thousands of soldiers and supporters of The Polisario Front – the Western Sahara’s pro-independence movement, met on Thursday at the Dakhla Refugee Camp in the Tindouf Region of Algeria, to hold the start of a party conference. Click here to read…

Sudan forces crack down on protesters in capital

Sudanese protesters tried to march onto parliament on Thursday but were intercepted by security forces who fired tear gas and water hoses at the crowds. Click here to read…

Treasury Secretary Yellen kickstarts Biden administration visits to Africa

The Biden administration’s big push to engage more with Africa is underway as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen begins a 10-day visit aimed at promoting all the economic possibilities that lie between the U.S. and the world’s second-largest continent. Click here to read…

In Senegal, Yellen talks about future of US-Africa relations

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen caravanned from a government building to a business incubator in Dakar on Friday and was set to end her day at the president’s residence, spreading a message of mutually beneficial U.S.-Africa relations. Click here to read…

Al Qaeda’s JNIM pushes closer to Malian capital

Over the last few weeks, the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), al Qaeda’s branch for the Sahel and much of West Africa, has perpetrated a series of attacks that have inched closer and closer to the Malian capital of Bamako. Click here to read…

Italian PM Heads to Algeria to Secure Energy Supplies

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to travel to Algeria this weekend in the European country’s latest bid to secure more energy supplies away from Russia. Click here to read…

Ruslan Obiang Nsue: Equatorial Guinea president’s son arrested over plane’s sale

Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president personally ordered the arrest of his half-brother over allegations he sold a plane owned by the state airline, a government statement says. Click here to read…

Probe after comments to ‘free’ W.Sahara at Africa football cup

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said Sunday it will investigate comments made at the African Nations Championship in Algeria to “free” the disputed Western Sahara, that have sparked Moroccan fury. Click here to read…

Ghana to host Africa’s political, business leaders at Africa Prosperity Dialogues

The maiden edition of The Africa Prosperity Dialogue Series will take place from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 January, 2023 in Ghana, proud host nation of the AfCFTA Secretariat. Click here to read…

Egypt’s soaring prices drive home economic pain

In better times, Om Mohamed’s family used to take holidays at resorts on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Click here to read…

Are white mercenaries fighting in the DRC conflict?

Western diplomats are deeply worried about the sudden appearance of Eastern European mercenaries in the volatile eastern Congo. Click here to read…

Zambia received ‘debt-for-nature’ proposal from WWF for restructuring

Zambia received a “debt-for-nature swap” proposal as part of its $13 billion restructuring discussions, a move that while complex to secure and not part of current talks, could set an eco-friendly precedent for other debt crises if eventually included. Click here to read…

G20 creditors on board for Ghana debt relief talks: Paris Club

Ghana is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in decades and has requested a restructuring of its debt. Click here to read…

Somalia to Issue First New Banknotes in More Than Three Decades

Somalia’s central bank aims to replace the only high-value currency note still in use by next year to deal with counterfeit bills, excess cash in circulation and inflation. Click here to read…

They are on the run’: Somalia leads fight against al-Shabab

Enough was enough. For 13 years, extremists with al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate had controlled Mohamud Adow’s village in central Somalia, imposing harsh ideology and arresting local teachers and traditional leaders. Click here to read…

Kenyan security forces kill 10 suspected al-Shabab fighters

Kenyan security forces have killed 10 fighters from the Somalia-based al-Shabab group in eastern Kenya, a government official says. Click here to read…

Abducted Burkina Faso women flee gunmen as attacks spike

Piercing thorns and stones underfoot did not stop the young woman as she charged through thickets, baby strapped to her back, fleeing armed men who kidnapped her with dozens of others in northern Burkina Faso last week. Click here to read…

Tanzania registers record $63 million diamond exports

Tanzania diamond exports increased significantly to $63.1 million (Sh147.46 billion) by November 2022, the Bank of Tanzania has revealed. Click here to read…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Skips Davos Amid Electricity Crisis
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has canceled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos in order to deal with his country’s worsening power blackouts. Click here to read…

Russia delivers more warplanes, helicopters to Mali

Mali’s current Air force Chief hails the latest deliveries as the latest stage in the “unprecedented” modernisation of the country’s forces, which are facing a militant insurgency. Click here to read…

Central African premier holds talks at Russian Defence Ministry

Central African Republic (CAR) Prime Minister Felix Moloua held talks in Moscow on Thursday with the leadership of Russia’s Defence Ministry. Click here to read…

Senegal institute wins $50 mln in boost to Africa’s vaccine capacity

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) will invest up to $50 million over 10 years to help Senegal’s Institut Pasteur expand Africa’s ability to produce vaccines at scale. Click here to read…

Uganda turns away from belt and road rail deal as China stalls on loans

Kampala cancels US$2.3 billion construction deal over funding delays, looks to Turkish company to take over the projectClick here to read…

Uganda approves construction licence for $3.5 bln crude pipeline

Uganda on Wednesday issued a final tender to company controlled by TotalEnergies to construct a $3.5 billion oil pipeline through to Tanzania. Click here to read…

China, Benin ink deal on partial debt cancellation

China and Benin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on partial debt cancellation Saturday during the visit of the Chinese top diplomat Qin Gang to the African country. Click here to read…

Congo sees deal on $6 bln China mining contract overhaul this year

Democratic Republic of Congo expects to reach an agreement on overhauling $6 billion of an infrastructure-for-minerals deal with Chinese investors this year. Click here to read…

China-built Namibian railway renovation project completed

The restoration of the railway line between Walvis Bay and Arandis in Namibia, with a total length of nearly 110 kilometers, by a Chinese construction company was completed. Click here to read…

China-Africa traditional friendship shows ‘new characteristic’ as FM Qin concludes 8-day visit

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang concluded his first official overseas trip since his appointment on December 30, 2022, with visits to five African countries and two regional organizations on his busy eight-day schedule. Click here to read…

Russia, China to hold naval drills off South Africa

Russia and China will conduct naval drills in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa next monthClick here to read…

Israel ready to support Nigeria with intelligence in tackling terrorism

Israel says it is ready to support Nigeria in the areas of Intelligence sharing, modern combat equipmentand extraction of relevant information to effectively win the ongoing war against terrorism. Click here to read…

Morocco says it will boost military ties with Israel

Morocco’s army said Tuesday it had agreed with Israel to strengthen military cooperation including in intelligence and cybersecurity, following defense meetings in Rabat. Click here to read…

Zambia, UAE to develop $2 billion solar projects

Zesco, the Zambian state-owned power utility, and Masdar, the United Arab Emirates renewable energy firm has signed an agreement to develop solar projects in the amount of $2 billion.Click here to read…

Gambian vice president dies after ‘short illness’ in India

Joof was the fourth deputy to serve under President Barrow since his historic 2016 win against former strongman Yahya Jammeh. Click here to read…

Gabon’s foreign minister dies after suffering heart attack during cabinet meeting

Gabon’s foreign minister Michael Moussa Adamo died Friday after suffering a heart attack during a cabinet meeting, the government and a presidential source saidClick here to read…

European Parliament condemns Morocco for first time in 25 years, after vote on human rights

European lawmakers voted on Thursday to condemn Morocco for the first time in 25 years, as it called on the country to respect media freedom and to release all political prisoners and jailed journalists. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India, Egypt to hold dialogue on defence ties during President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit

India and Egypt are likely to seal around half a dozen agreements during the visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi who is slated to arrive in New Delhi on January 24 ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. Click here to read…

180-Strong Egypt Contingent To Join Republic Day Parade, President Chief Guest

According to sources, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is set to arrive in New Delhi on January 24th and will be greeted by Minister of State for External Affairs, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. Click here to read…

CYCLONE – I: India, Egypt special forces hold joint exercise in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer

The 14 days long exercise will focus on sharing professional skills and interoperability of special forces in desert terrain while undertaking counter terrorism, reconnaissance, raids and other special operations. Click here to read…

Togo-India Partnership: President Gnassigbe recently met India’s ambassador

The Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, met India’s Ambassador to Togo, Ram Saajiv Tandon last Tuesday. Click here to read…

Lok Sabha Speaker calls on Tanzanian PM, says solutions to global issues require joint action

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to Tanzania, called on Prime Minister of Tanzania Kassim Majaliwa and said that solutions to global issues require joint action. Click here to read…

Seychelles receives new Ashok Leyland buses made for island use

The Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) has received the first batch of new Ashok Leyland buses to upgrade its transport system. Click here to read…

HDFC Bank-HDFC merger: Mauritius FSC okays Griha share transfer from HDFC Holdings

The country’s largest housing finance company HDFC Ltd on Monday, January 16, said it got approval from the Financial Services Commission, Mauritius for the transfer of shares of Griha Investments from HDFC Holdings Ltd to HDFC Bank for the merger. Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

Where is Tunisia headed after its latest elections?

A 91 percent abstention rate from Tunisia’s parliamentary elections indicates a growing gap between Tunisians and the North African country’s politics. Click here to read…

A shift in the US perspective on Africa

China was the elephant in the room as the Biden administration sought to regain trust among African leaders gathered in Washington this week. Analysts say the US made some progress to that end. Click here to read…

NEWS

US, Africa seal $15 billion in trade investments during Washington summit

The United States committed to $15 billion worth of two-way trade deals with several countries in Africa during a summit in Washington this week, the White House said on WednesdayClick here to read…

US-Africa Leadership Summit: Nigeria & Rwanda become first African signatories of Artemis Accords on space collaboration

Nigeria and Rwanda became the first African signatories of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-led Artemis Accords on space collaboration, according to statement by the US White House December 13, 2022. Click here to read…

Battle for African Union leadership plays out at US-Africa Summit

With East Africa in line to select the AU chairman at its next annual leadership rotation in February, regional powerhouse Kenya is facing off with the island nation of Comoros. Click here to read…

Angola hosts 10th summit of the OACPS, represents 79 states

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states, which represents 79 countries, held its penultimate meeting in Angola’s capital Luanda on Friday. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Ramaphosa re-elected as leader of ruling ANC party

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party despite being mired in scandal and facing calls to step down as president. Click here to read…

Tunisian election, dismissed by Saied critics as charade, draws just 8.8% turnout

Only 8.8% of Tunisian voters cast ballots in Saturday’s parliamentary elections, authorities announced, after most political parties boycotted the vote as a charade aimed at shoring up President Kais Saied’s power. Click here to read…

Nigeria 2023: Will Nigerians see a peaceful transition of power?

Next year, Nigerians will go to the polls in what some regard as the most significant election for decades. Click here to read…

Biden backs African Union becoming permanent G20 member

US also pledges $165m to help support elections and good governance as African nations prepare to hold votes next year. Click here to read…

Biden announces presidential visit to Africa next year

President Biden announced Thursday he would make his first presidential visit to Africa next year as he seeks to convince African leaders that the United States is serious about engaging them in international decisions and countering China’s rising influence in the region. Click here to read…

US Hits Zimbabwe President’s Son With Sanctions

The Biden administration on Monday slapped corruption sanctions on the son of Zimbabwe’s president as the U.S. prepares to host a major summit of African leaders in Washington. Click here to read…

DR Congo floods leave more than 120 dead in Kinshasa

More than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, the authorities say. Click here to read…

Uganda to nationalise electricity utility as private contracts conclude

The government of Uganda is to form the Uganda National Electricity Company Ltd after contracts with Eskom and Umeme come to their conclusion. Click here to read…

Sudan, Ethiopia joint committee discusses railway connecting two countries

The Sudanese-Ethiopian Joint Technical Committee held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility study of a railway project linking the two neighbouring countries. Click here to read…

North gets lion’s share as Nigeria, US sign energy deal

At least 360 rural communities and 16 others have been earmarked nationwide for the construction of 5,000MW of solar power generation and 2,500MWh of battery energy storage power plants. Click here to read…

1st African Country to Provide Military Support To Ukraine, Morocco Could Send T-72 Tank Spare Parts To Kyiv

Morocco has reportedly decided to send military aid to Ukraine after the US secretly convinced Rabat to transfer spare parts for T-72 tanks to Kyiv. If true, this would make Morocco the first African country to provide military assistance to Ukraine. Click here to read…

Guinea’s ex-military leader denies role in 2009 stadium massacre

Guinea’s ex-military leader Moussa Dadis Camara on Monday denied charges that he was responsible for a 2009 stadium massacre, as he took the stand for the first time in a long-awaited trial. Click here to read…

Libya PM admits role in Lockerbie suspect’s transfer

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbaiba has admitted that his administration was involved in the transfer of Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Kheir al-Marimi, a Lockerbie bombing suspect, to the United States last week. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso aware of the dangers of Wagner force -France

France’s foreign ministry said on Thursday the Burkina Faso government was fully aware of the risks of working with mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group after Ghana alleged on Wednesday that Ouagadougou had hired the group. Click here to read…

Uganda army says 11 Islamist militants killed in cross-border raid

A group of 11 Islamist militants based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were killed in clashes with Ugandan forces overnight during a cross-border raid, Uganda’s army said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Russian culture center head wounded in Central African Republic assassination attempt

The head of a Russian cultural center in the Central African Republic was taken to hospital in the capital Bangui on Friday after an assassination attempt, the Russian Embassy said. Click here to read…

Two UN peacekeepers shot dead near Timbuktu in Mali

An unidentified gunman has shot and killed two officers from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali while they were on patrol near the city of Timbuktu. Click here to read…

US gifts SAFE International patrol boat to Mozambique

As part of the U.S. commitment to assist Mozambique in stabilizing the conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado province, the U.S. government this week donated a patrol boat to the Mozambican navy. Click here to read…

Botswana Develops Security Strategy to Counter Terrorism Threat

Botswana is developing a national security strategy amid fears of heightened terrorism threats. Click here to read…

Bodies of 27 migrants, including children, found in Chad desert

The bodies of 27 migrants, including four children, have been found in the Chadian desert, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which said they died of thirst. Click here to read…

IMF Approves $3 Billion Loan to Egypt

The International Monetary Fund has approved a deal that will provide a USD 3 billion support package to cash-strapped Egypt over a period of almost four years. Click here to read…

Ghana expects $3 bln IMF loan approval early in 2023

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is poised to lend Ghana $3 billion as the African nation grapples with its worst economic crisis in a generation, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Body of Zambian national killed fighting in Ukraine returns home

The body of Lemekani Nathan Nyirenda, a fighter recruited by the mercenary group Wagner for combat operations in Ukraine, was returned to Zambia on Sunday. Click here to read…

Shell begins drilling offshore Namibia

Shell Upstream Namibia BV, a subsidiary of Shell Plc, is advancing drilling offshore Namibia with delivery of Northern Ocean Ltd.’s Deepsea Bollsta semisubmersible drilling rig. Click here to read…

Bangladesh could import gas from Mozambique

Bangladesh and Mozambique have the opportunities to increase bilateral trade, such as of agricultural products and fish, alongside tourism. Click here to read…

Microsoft targets internet expansion in Africa, longer-term cloud adoption

Microsoft targets internet expansion in Africa, longer-term cloud adoption. Microsoft Corp aims to secure internet access for 100 million more people in Africa by 2025, teaming up with a satellite provider and setting the stage for longer-term cloud adoption. Click here to read…

Visa Pledges to Invest $1 billion in Africa to Accelerate Digital Transformation

During US-Africa Business Forum, Visa outlines pledge to invest $1 billion in Africa by 2027 to scale operations, deploy new innovative technologies and deepen collaboration with partners. Click here to read…

Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister

Ali Larayedh, vice president of opposition Ennahdha party, is arrested days after Tunisia’s legislative elections. Click here to read…

Ruto pitches Kenya Airways sale to Delta

Kenyan President William Ruto reportedly has pitched a plan to Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) to save Kenya Airways (KQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) as the government seeks to divest entirely from the struggling carrier. Click here to read…

Sudan strikes deal with UAE firms for $6 billion port

Sudan’s military government signed a $6 billion preliminary agreement with two firms from the United Arab Emirates Tuesday to construct a new port on the Red Sea coast, Sudanese state media said. Click here to read…

In Kenya, Meta sued for $2B for fueling ethnic violence

A lawsuit filed in a Kenyan court on Wednesday accused Meta of fueling political unrest in Africa demanding that the company pay over $2 billion in victims funds and make significant improvements to its service.’ Click here to read…

Egypt: Fake antibiotics kill several children in Egypt

Several children have died in Egypt as a result of the use of fake antibiotics, reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Click here to read…

Fiery violence after France trounced Morocco wasn’t random hooliganism but an obligation

Football, was once with some consideration, described as “socialism without the politics.” Click here to read…

Fresh from World Cup game, France ends Morocco visa restrictions

France’s foreign minister Catherine Colonna said Paris has restored normal consular relations with Morocco following a year-long dispute linked to France’s decision to slash the number of visas for Moroccans visiting France. Click here to read…

France and Algeria mend ties after months long visa row

France said Sunday it had ended months of tensions over a visa dispute with Algeria, just days after Paris and Rabat made a similar announcement. Click here to read…

Kagame defends Africa’s right to a partnership with China

Rwandan President Paul Kagame was a vocal defender of Africa’s quest to expand its economic partnership with China, saying the continent has a right to seek partners and China is filling a gap for investment. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Serum Institute of India dispatches 40k doses of Ebola vaccine to Uganda

Oxford’s Ebola vaccine candidate has been shipped to Uganda, just 80 days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a Sudan Ebola virus outbreak. Click here to read…

India launches ‘Group of Friends’ to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers

India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are co-chairs of the ‘Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers’. Click here to read…

India Making for World! Modern Coach Factory receives order for AC coaches from Mozambique-PHOTOS

Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli district has received a repeat order for 10 second class AC sitting loco hauled coaches from Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM), Mozambique. Click here to read…

Banks Looking At Possibility Of Rupee Trade With Bangladesh, African Nations

India imported goods worth USD 3,520.83 million from Egypt, of USD 1,004.24 million from Algeria and USD 2,725.08 million from Angola in the last financial year. Click here to read…

India rupee settlement mechanism draws interest from more nations

India’s rupee trade settlement mechanism, a means of using rupees instead of dollars and other big currencies for international transactions, is attracting interest from more countries. Click here to read…

Africa struggling to reduce dependency on imported Indian rice

Outside Dak village in central Senegal women sing and dance as they scythe through rice stalks with sickle or knife. The harvest is under way in the west African nation, but there will not be enough for everyone. Click here to read…

India contests Africa child death charge

India’s top drug regulator has accused the World Health Organisation of relying on a “premature deduction” to assert earlier this year that contaminated Indian-made cough syrups had caused child deaths in the Gambia. Click here to read…

India says samples taken from pharma firm linked to Gambia deaths meet required standards

India has told the World Health Organization that samples taken from Indian pharmaceutical company Maiden Pharma, whose products were linked to the deaths of children in Gambia, have been found to comply with required specifications. Click here to read…

Gambia child deaths: WHO stands by ‘dangerous’ India cough syrup claim

The WHO has said it stands by its action after India said that four cough syrups linked to child deaths in The Gambia complied with specifications when tested at home. Click here to read…

Senegal struggles to break dependence on imported rice

Around the village of Dak in central Senegal, women cut rice stalks with sickles and knives, singing and dancing. In this West African country, which is a major consumer of the cereal, the current harvest will not cover all needs. Click here to read…

No speedy resolution in sight as Indian businesses await South African visas

Indian High Commissioner Jaideep Sarkar previously assured Indian heads of companies represented in South Africa that the matter was being addressed with that country’s authorities. Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

US and Russia clash over violent extremism in Africa

The United States accused Russian military contractors backed by the Kremlin on Tuesday of interfering in the internal affairs of African countries and “increasing the likelihood that violent extremism will grow” in the Sahel region which is facing increasing attacks and deteriorating security — an allegation Russia denied. Click here to read…

How Ruto can transform Kenya’s economy

Despite William Ruto’s narrow win to become Kenya’s president in August last year, the transition occurred peacefully. Now his challenge is to transform the economy in a country with numerous developmental challenges. Click here to read…

NEWS

Benin pro-government parties win parliamentary majority

Benin’s pro-government parties have won a majority of seats in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, the country’s constitutional court announced Thursday. Click here to read…

Benin constitutional court affirms election win for ruling coalition

Benin’s constitutional court on Friday affirmed the ruling coalition’s win in last weekend’s legislative election and the return to parliament of an opposition after boycotts and exclusions in previous elections. Click here to read…

Gabon names first female vice president and new prime minister

The new vice president, the first woman to hold the position in Gabon, was previously prime minister and defence minister. Click here to read…

Polisario holds leadership poll under shadow of Morocco-Algeria tensions

The Polisario movement, which seeks independence in disputed Western Sahara, started meeting Friday for leadership elections in the shadow of mounting tensions between host Algeria and Morocco, which controls most of the territory. Click here to read…

Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict: TPLF forces hand over weapons in peace move

Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia have started handing over heavy weapons in line with a peace deal to end a brutal civil war. Click here to read…

Amhara forces withdraw from northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region

Forces from Ethiopia’s Amhara region who fought in support of federal troops during the two-year civil war in neighbouring Tigray have withdrawn in line with an African Union-backed ceasefire, the army says. Click here to read…

Insecurity could derail Nigeria polls, election commission warns

There have been 50 recorded attacks on offices of the electoral commission nationwide between 2019 and 2022. Click here to read…

Chad says it foiled ‘destabilisation’ attempt by officers

A group of 11 officers, led by a human rights activist, was behind the attempt, according to a government statement. Click here to read…

Violence soars in Mali in the year after Russians arrive

Western officials say violence against civilians in Mali has risen in the year since hundreds of Russian mercenaries have started working alongside the West African country’s armed forces. Click here to read…

Amnesty condemns Mozambique’s ‘forgotten war’ after viral video

A video showing soldiers hurling a corpse onto a pile of burning rubble in Mozambique’s north “gives a glimpse” of what is happening in a “forgotten war,” Amnesty International said. Click here to read…

South Africa wants probe into ‘disturbing’ Mozambique clip

South Africa wants an investigation into a “disturbing” video allegedly showing one of its soldiers present while bodies were being burned on a pile of rubble in Mozambique. Click here to read…

DR Congo accuses Rwanda of ‘political’ blackmail over refugees

Kinshasa accused Rwanda of using refugees for political purposes on Wednesday, after its neighbour said it would no longer take in people fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read…

South Africa to Use BRICS Chair Role to Advance Africa Interests

South Africa will use its role as the 2023 chair of the BRICS grouping of nations to advance the interest of Africa as a whole, President Cyril Ramaphosa saidClick here to read…

Egypt vows to cut military’s outsized role in economy under IMF bailout

Egypt has committed to reducing the military’s role in the economy as part of its $3bn IMF bailout package, as the Arab state grapples with a foreign currency crisis, a weakening pound and rising inflation. Click here to read…

New Zimbabwe law threatens health workers with jail over strikes

Zimbabwe has brought in a law banning health workers such as nurses and doctors from prolonged strikes, imposing punishments of up to six months in jail for defiant workers or union leaders, state-run media and a government spokesman said. Click here to read…

Nigeria: Don’t interfere with our elections, Buhari warns foreign governments

With just few weeks to the commencement of the general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday reiterated his warning to foreign governments’ representatives not to meddle in the exercise. Click here to read…

Hundreds rally against al-Shabab in Somali capital Mogadishu

Somalia President Mohamud urges citizens to help flush out members of the group he describes as ‘bedbugs’. Click here to read…

Chinese national nabbed in Tanzania for cyber fraud

A Chinese national has been nabbed in Tanzania for cyber fraud, raising concern about the global threat posed by Chinese cyber criminals, The HK Post reported. Click here to read…

Botswana court upholds ex-president Khama’s arrest warrant

A Botswana court on Friday dismissed an application by former President Ian Khama to have an arrest warrant against him struck down. Click here to read…

Why the military promised to withdraw from power in Sudan

Little more than a year ago, the military side of the coalition charged with helping Sudan transition to democracy staged a coup, ousting the civilian elements of the coalition and seizing control of the country. Click here to read…

Fourteen Malian soldiers killed in two armed group attacks: Army

Fourteen Malian soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in two separate attacks in central Mali after their vehicles struck explosive devices. Click here to read…

Nine Killed in Mosque Attack in Burkina Faso

Nine people were killed when suspected jihadists attacked a mosque in northeastern Burkina Faso, local sources said Thursday. Click here to read…

Libyan politicians’ pay goes up 40% as election impasse continues

Western leaders are losing patience with an entrenched Libyan political elite that has collectively failed to agree on the basis of elections for more than a year but has boosted politicians’ salaries by more than 40%.Click here to read…

Zambia’s Former Ruling Party Rejects IMF Allegation of Corruption Under Lungu

Zambia’s former ruling Patriotic Front party has rejected a report by the International Monetary Fund saying corruption flourished under its government. Click here to read…

Ghana increases salaries by 30 percent amid economic woes

Ghana’s government and trade unions have agreed to increase all public servants’ salaries by 30 percent for 2023, they said in a joint statement, as the country struggles to reduce debt and tackle rampant inflation. Click here to read…

US, Russia clash at UN meeting over ‘violent extremism’ in Africa

The United States has accused Kremlin-backed Russian military contractors of interfering in the internal affairs of African countries and “increasing the likelihood that violent extremism will grow” in the Sahel region. Click here to read…

Yellen leads new U.S.-Africa policy with trip to Senegal, Zambia, South Africa

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Senegal, Zambia and South Africa during the next two weeks, as the United States aims to strengthen ties with a continent that has been the focus of Chinese trade and investment for years. Click here to read…

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang heads to Africa for first trip

“Qin Gang will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt from January 9-16,” spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Click here to read…

China FM on Africa visit sidesteps call for UN council seat

China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, has sidestepped a new call by the African Union for permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council during his visit to Ethiopia. Click here to read…

China ‘Gobbles’ Russia’s Market Share in Africa; Increases Defense Cooperation as Ukraine War Keeps Moscow Busy

Recent statistics have indicated that Beijing’s expanding influence may threaten the Russian market share. Click here to read…

Angolan President meets Chinese FM on bilateral ties

Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Friday met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Luanda. Click here to read…

Uganda drops Chinese firm from railway deal, eyes Turkish rival

Uganda has terminated its contract with a Chinese firm China Harbour and Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) to build a railway to the Kenyan border and is now considering a deal with a Turkish company. Click here to read…

Türkiye says 5 million tons of grain shipped to sub-Sahara Africa

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was in Rwanda’s Kigali on Thursday, as part of his five-nation Africa tour. Click here to read…

Why new Rwanda, Turkey deals matter

Cooperation agreements between Rwanda and Turkey lay ground for a promising trajectory towards needed development across various sectors, according to diplomacy experts. Click here to read…

South Sudan’s Kiir invited for conference in Turkey

Turkey has invited South Sudan President Salva Kiir to attend a diplomatic conference scheduled to take place in March 2023. Click here to read…

Turkish FM opens consulate in Cape Town, hails South Africa ties

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu inaugurated the new building of the Turkish Consulate in South Africa’s Cape Town on Monday and heaped praise on ties with the African country. Click here to read…

Macron will not seek Algeria’s ‘forgiveness’ for colonialism

President Emmanuel Macron says he will not “ask forgiveness” from Algeria for French colonisation, but hopes to continue working towards reconciliation with his counterpart, Abdelmajid Tebboune. Click here to read…

Djibouti inks $1bn deal with Hong Kong company to build rocket launch site

Djibouti has inked a preliminary technological cooperation agreement with Chinese multinational Hong Kong Aerospace Technology to build a $1bn satellite and rocket launch site which could see the launch of the first Africa-made satellite from the African continent. Click here to read…

Uganda declares itself Ebola-free after swiftly turning tide on outbreak

Uganda on Wednesday declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak that it briefly struggled to contain but was then able to swiftly bring under control despite the absence of a proven vaccine against the viral strain in question. Click here to read…

Autonomous Africa CDC a game-changer on disease outbreak response: Experts

Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention will now be in a position to assess disease outbreaks on the continent and declare it an emergency if it’s beyond one country. Click here to read…

Rain still in short supply as another failed wet season kills thousands of wild animals in Kenya

Rain has returned to the Amboseli ecosystem, but it is too little, too late for thousands of wildlife that have already perished in Kenya’s worst drought in 40-years. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

First ever India-Africa military exercise in March. Will be at platoon level: Army Chief

In March this year the first ever India-Africa Military exercise will take place and on the sidelines there will be Army Chiefs conclave. Click here to read…

30 years of India-South Africa relations: Connected with Cricket, Culture, Cuisine

As we enter the new year, South Africa marks the completion of 30 momentous years of the bilateral relationship with India. Click here to read…

Time to rebuild relations with Egypt

For India, a deeper economic engagement with Egypt acquires an additional strategic imperativeClick here to read…

Sisi’s R-Day Visit: Ties with Egypt Key to India’s Ambitions in North Africa

Egypt Prez Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s visit on Republic Day comes as India aims to expand its presence in WANA region. Click here to read…

Egypt mulls cooperation with India’s TEJAS in communication sector

Egypt is considering cooperation in the field of wired and wireless communication with India’s TEJAS, according to a statement by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on January 11th. Click here to read…

Over 1,000 Indian peacekeepers awarded UN medals for their exceptional service in South Sudan

Over one thousand Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded United Nations medals for their exceptional service. Click here to read…

All-woman team from India to keep peace at Abyei on Sudan-South Sudan border

This will be India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a U.N. mission since the deployment of the first-ever all women’s contingent in Liberia in 2007Click here to read…

Om Birla to lead Indian parliamentary delegation to Kenya, Tanzania

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla will be leading a delegation to Kenya and Tanzania from 16th to 21st of this month. Click here to read…

Indian companies invest $19bn in Nigeria

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shri Balasubramanian, has disclosed that over 135 Indian companies have so far invested $19bn in Nigeria in the last four decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Click here to read…

India’s Mahindra named fastest-growing brand in South Africa for 2022

The report said that ‘Mahindra SA’ increased its sales volume by a massive 78 per cent compared to 2021, the highest of all the vehicle brands that report their sales to NAAMSAClick here to read…

Mauritius top court bars Devas shareholders from pursuing arbitration against India

According to Devas Mauritius shareholders’ contention, the Indian government had failed to protect their investment in Devas by allegedly wrongfully liquidating the companyClick here to read…

IMF chief heading to Zambia, says new debt ’roundtable’ will meet next month in India

A new global sovereign debt “roundtable” that will include China, other creditors and some borrowing countries will meet for the first-time next month on the sidelines of a Group of 20 finance officials meeting in India. Click here to read…

Azadi kaa Amrit Mahotsav’: Remembering forgotten hero of Bhojpur in South Africa

Recounting Budree Ahir’s journey, his great grandson says, “During acute financial crisis, Dadaji had helped him (Mahatma Gandhi) by giving £1000 to him in those days.” Click here to read…

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman: Mohanlal Hira is keeping Gandhi alive in South Africa

Mohanlal Heera receives Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. He receives award for community welfare in South Africa. Click here to read…

Top West African countries supplying imports to India

Nigeria emerged as the leading supplier of imports to India among West African countries in FY 2022, with a value of $10 million. Click here to read…

India condemns ‘mindless act of vandalism’ on Mahatma Gandhi statue in Seychelles

The high commission of India has thanked the Seychelles authorities for their action in the matter and hopes that the perpetrators will be apprehended expeditiously. Click here to read…

India is adapting to new peacekeeping priorities

Peacekeeping operations have undergone a shift in the last two decades. They have become more violent and risky. Click here to read…

Airtel Africa acquires 4G, 5G spectrum for $316.7 million

Airtel Africa is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. The payment for the purchased spectrum will be done in local currency. Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

US and Russia clash over violent extremism in Africa

The United States accused Russian military contractors backed by the Kremlin on Tuesday of interfering in the internal affairs of African countries and “increasing the likelihood that violent extremism will grow” in the Sahel region which is facing increasing attacks and deteriorating security — an allegation Russia denied. Click here to read…

How Ruto can transform Kenya’s economy

Despite William Ruto’s narrow win to become Kenya’s president in August last year, the transition occurred peacefully. Now his challenge is to transform the economy in a country with numerous developmental challenges. Click here to read…

NEWS

Benin pro-government parties win parliamentary majority

Benin’s pro-government parties have won a majority of seats in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, the country’s constitutional court announced Thursday. Click here to read…

Benin constitutional court affirms election win for ruling coalition

Benin’s constitutional court on Friday affirmed the ruling coalition’s win in last weekend’s legislative election and the return to parliament of an opposition after boycotts and exclusions in previous elections. Click here to read…

Gabon names first female vice president and new prime minister

The new vice president, the first woman to hold the position in Gabon, was previously prime minister and defence minister. Click here to read…

Polisario holds leadership poll under shadow of Morocco-Algeria tensions

The Polisario movement, which seeks independence in disputed Western Sahara, started meeting Friday for leadership elections in the shadow of mounting tensions between host Algeria and Morocco, which controls most of the territory. Click here to read…

Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict: TPLF forces hand over weapons in peace move

Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia have started handing over heavy weapons in line with a peace deal to end a brutal civil war. Click here to read…

Amhara forces withdraw from northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region

Forces from Ethiopia’s Amhara region who fought in support of federal troops during the two-year civil war in neighbouring Tigray have withdrawn in line with an African Union-backed ceasefire, the army says. Click here to read…

Insecurity could derail Nigeria polls, election commission warns

There have been 50 recorded attacks on offices of the electoral commission nationwide between 2019 and 2022. Click here to read…

Chad says it foiled ‘destabilisation’ attempt by officers

A group of 11 officers, led by a human rights activist, was behind the attempt, according to a government statement. Click here to read…

Violence soars in Mali in the year after Russians arrive

Western officials say violence against civilians in Mali has risen in the year since hundreds of Russian mercenaries have started working alongside the West African country’s armed forces. Click here to read…

Amnesty condemns Mozambique’s ‘forgotten war’ after viral video

A video showing soldiers hurling a corpse onto a pile of burning rubble in Mozambique’s north “gives a glimpse” of what is happening in a “forgotten war,” Amnesty International said. Click here to read…

South Africa wants probe into ‘disturbing’ Mozambique clip

South Africa wants an investigation into a “disturbing” video allegedly showing one of its soldiers present while bodies were being burned on a pile of rubble in Mozambique. Click here to read…

DR Congo accuses Rwanda of ‘political’ blackmail over refugees

Kinshasa accused Rwanda of using refugees for political purposes on Wednesday, after its neighbour said it would no longer take in people fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read…

South Africa to Use BRICS Chair Role to Advance Africa Interests

South Africa will use its role as the 2023 chair of the BRICS grouping of nations to advance the interest of Africa as a whole, President Cyril Ramaphosa saidClick here to read…

Egypt vows to cut military’s outsized role in economy under IMF bailout

Egypt has committed to reducing the military’s role in the economy as part of its $3bn IMF bailout package, as the Arab state grapples with a foreign currency crisis, a weakening pound and rising inflation. Click here to read…

New Zimbabwe law threatens health workers with jail over strikes

Zimbabwe has brought in a law banning health workers such as nurses and doctors from prolonged strikes, imposing punishments of up to six months in jail for defiant workers or union leaders, state-run media and a government spokesman said. Click here to read…

Nigeria: Don’t interfere with our elections, Buhari warns foreign governments

With just few weeks to the commencement of the general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday reiterated his warning to foreign governments’ representatives not to meddle in the exercise. Click here to read…

Hundreds rally against al-Shabab in Somali capital Mogadishu

Somalia President Mohamud urges citizens to help flush out members of the group he describes as ‘bedbugs’. Click here to read…

Chinese national nabbed in Tanzania for cyber fraud

A Chinese national has been nabbed in Tanzania for cyber fraud, raising concern about the global threat posed by Chinese cyber criminals, The HK Post reported. Click here to read…

Botswana court upholds ex-president Khama’s arrest warrant

A Botswana court on Friday dismissed an application by former President Ian Khama to have an arrest warrant against him struck down. Click here to read…

Why the military promised to withdraw from power in Sudan

Little more than a year ago, the military side of the coalition charged with helping Sudan transition to democracy staged a coup, ousting the civilian elements of the coalition and seizing control of the country. Click here to read…

Fourteen Malian soldiers killed in two armed group attacks: Army

Fourteen Malian soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in two separate attacks in central Mali after their vehicles struck explosive devices. Click here to read…

Nine Killed in Mosque Attack in Burkina Faso

Nine people were killed when suspected jihadists attacked a mosque in northeastern Burkina Faso, local sources said Thursday. Click here to read…

Libyan politicians’ pay goes up 40% as election impasse continues

Western leaders are losing patience with an entrenched Libyan political elite that has collectively failed to agree on the basis of elections for more than a year but has boosted politicians’ salaries by more than 40%.Click here to read…

Zambia’s Former Ruling Party Rejects IMF Allegation of Corruption Under Lungu

Zambia’s former ruling Patriotic Front party has rejected a report by the International Monetary Fund saying corruption flourished under its government. Click here to read…

Ghana increases salaries by 30 percent amid economic woes

Ghana’s government and trade unions have agreed to increase all public servants’ salaries by 30 percent for 2023, they said in a joint statement, as the country struggles to reduce debt and tackle rampant inflation. Click here to read…

US, Russia clash at UN meeting over ‘violent extremism’ in Africa

The United States has accused Kremlin-backed Russian military contractors of interfering in the internal affairs of African countries and “increasing the likelihood that violent extremism will grow” in the Sahel region. Click here to read…

Yellen leads new U.S.-Africa policy with trip to Senegal, Zambia, South Africa

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Senegal, Zambia and South Africa during the next two weeks, as the United States aims to strengthen ties with a continent that has been the focus of Chinese trade and investment for years. Click here to read…

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang heads to Africa for first trip

“Qin Gang will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt from January 9-16,” spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Click here to read…

China FM on Africa visit sidesteps call for UN council seat

China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, has sidestepped a new call by the African Union for permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council during his visit to Ethiopia. Click here to read…

China ‘Gobbles’ Russia’s Market Share in Africa; Increases Defense Cooperation as Ukraine War Keeps Moscow Busy

Recent statistics have indicated that Beijing’s expanding influence may threaten the Russian market share. Click here to read…

Angolan President meets Chinese FM on bilateral ties

Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Friday met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Luanda. Click here to read…

Uganda drops Chinese firm from railway deal, eyes Turkish rival

Uganda has terminated its contract with a Chinese firm China Harbour and Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) to build a railway to the Kenyan border and is now considering a deal with a Turkish company. Click here to read…

Türkiye says 5 million tons of grain shipped to sub-Sahara Africa

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was in Rwanda’s Kigali on Thursday, as part of his five-nation Africa tour. Click here to read…

Why new Rwanda, Turkey deals matter

Cooperation agreements between Rwanda and Turkey lay ground for a promising trajectory towards needed development across various sectors, according to diplomacy experts. Click here to read…

South Sudan’s Kiir invited for conference in Turkey

Turkey has invited South Sudan President Salva Kiir to attend a diplomatic conference scheduled to take place in March 2023. Click here to read…

Turkish FM opens consulate in Cape Town, hails South Africa ties

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu inaugurated the new building of the Turkish Consulate in South Africa’s Cape Town on Monday and heaped praise on ties with the African country. Click here to read…

Macron will not seek Algeria’s ‘forgiveness’ for colonialism

President Emmanuel Macron says he will not “ask forgiveness” from Algeria for French colonisation, but hopes to continue working towards reconciliation with his counterpart, Abdelmajid Tebboune. Click here to read…

Djibouti inks $1bn deal with Hong Kong company to build rocket launch site

Djibouti has inked a preliminary technological cooperation agreement with Chinese multinational Hong Kong Aerospace Technology to build a $1bn satellite and rocket launch site which could see the launch of the first Africa-made satellite from the African continent. Click here to read…

Uganda declares itself Ebola-free after swiftly turning tide on outbreak

Uganda on Wednesday declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak that it briefly struggled to contain but was then able to swiftly bring under control despite the absence of a proven vaccine against the viral strain in question. Click here to read…

Autonomous Africa CDC a game-changer on disease outbreak response: Experts

Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention will now be in a position to assess disease outbreaks on the continent and declare it an emergency if it’s beyond one country. Click here to read…

Rain still in short supply as another failed wet season kills thousands of wild animals in Kenya

Rain has returned to the Amboseli ecosystem, but it is too little, too late for thousands of wildlife that have already perished in Kenya’s worst drought in 40-years. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

First ever India-Africa military exercise in March. Will be at platoon level: Army Chief

In March this year the first ever India-Africa Military exercise will take place and on the sidelines there will be Army Chiefs conclave. Click here to read…

30 years of India-South Africa relations: Connected with Cricket, Culture, Cuisine

As we enter the new year, South Africa marks the completion of 30 momentous years of the bilateral relationship with India. Click here to read…

Time to rebuild relations with Egypt

For India, a deeper economic engagement with Egypt acquires an additional strategic imperativeClick here to read…

Sisi’s R-Day Visit: Ties with Egypt Key to India’s Ambitions in North Africa

Egypt Prez Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s visit on Republic Day comes as India aims to expand its presence in WANA region. Click here to read…

Egypt mulls cooperation with India’s TEJAS in communication sector

Egypt is considering cooperation in the field of wired and wireless communication with India’s TEJAS, according to a statement by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on January 11th. Click here to read…

Over 1,000 Indian peacekeepers awarded UN medals for their exceptional service in South Sudan

Over one thousand Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded United Nations medals for their exceptional service. Click here to read…

All-woman team from India to keep peace at Abyei on Sudan-South Sudan border

This will be India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a U.N. mission since the deployment of the first-ever all women’s contingent in Liberia in 2007Click here to read…

Om Birla to lead Indian parliamentary delegation to Kenya, Tanzania

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla will be leading a delegation to Kenya and Tanzania from 16th to 21st of this month. Click here to read…

Indian companies invest $19bn in Nigeria

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shri Balasubramanian, has disclosed that over 135 Indian companies have so far invested $19bn in Nigeria in the last four decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Click here to read…

India’s Mahindra named fastest-growing brand in South Africa for 2022

The report said that ‘Mahindra SA’ increased its sales volume by a massive 78 per cent compared to 2021, the highest of all the vehicle brands that report their sales to NAAMSAClick here to read…

Mauritius top court bars Devas shareholders from pursuing arbitration against India

According to Devas Mauritius shareholders’ contention, the Indian government had failed to protect their investment in Devas by allegedly wrongfully liquidating the companyClick here to read…

IMF chief heading to Zambia, says new debt ’roundtable’ will meet next month in India

A new global sovereign debt “roundtable” that will include China, other creditors and some borrowing countries will meet for the first-time next month on the sidelines of a Group of 20 finance officials meeting in India. Click here to read…

Azadi kaa Amrit Mahotsav’: Remembering forgotten hero of Bhojpur in South Africa

Recounting Budree Ahir’s journey, his great grandson says, “During acute financial crisis, Dadaji had helped him (Mahatma Gandhi) by giving £1000 to him in those days.” Click here to read…

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman: Mohanlal Hira is keeping Gandhi alive in South Africa

Mohanlal Heera receives Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. He receives award for community welfare in South Africa. Click here to read…

Top West African countries supplying imports to India

Nigeria emerged as the leading supplier of imports to India among West African countries in FY 2022, with a value of $10 million. Click here to read…

India condemns ‘mindless act of vandalism’ on Mahatma Gandhi statue in Seychelles

The high commission of India has thanked the Seychelles authorities for their action in the matter and hopes that the perpetrators will be apprehended expeditiously. Click here to read…

India is adapting to new peacekeeping priorities

Peacekeeping operations have undergone a shift in the last two decades. They have become more violent and risky. Click here to read…

Airtel Africa acquires 4G, 5G spectrum for $316.7 million

Airtel Africa is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. The payment for the purchased spectrum will be done in local currency. Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

Africa needs reliable and resilient healthcare system: How India can deliver it

It is crucial to strengthen cooperation between Indian healthcare providers and African partners in areas like capacity building, the establishment of hospitals, and investment in telemedicine, given the significance of India in providing medicines to Africa. Click here to read…

Lessons from South Africa: The fading Gandhi-Mandela legacy

“Papa, I want to leave South Africa. I see no future for myself here. I’ll go abroad for studies and to live the rest of my life.” This is what the 16-year-old son of an Indian academic in Cape Town told his father. Click here to read…

NEWS

Benin holds parliamentary election set to test democracy

Voters in Benin go to the polls on Sunday for a parliamentary election seen as a test of democracy as opposition parties are back on the ballot after boycotting or being excluded from the most recent presidential and legislative votes. Click here to read…

Ethiopia sets out on long road to peace after two years of war

A year that began with no end in sight for one of the world’s deadliest conflicts finished on a note of cautious optimism in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray after a November ceasefire agreement. Click here to read…

Final round of Sudan’s political process set to start Sunday

The final stage of Sudan’s political process is set to kick off on Sunday, according to the country’s trilateral mechanism body. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s military regime expels French ambassador

Burkina Faso’s military junta has expelled France’s ambassador, authorities said Monday, amid a surge in anti-French sentiment as the West African country moves to develop closer ties with Russia. Click here to read…

Libyan govt ready to hold elections in 2023: PM

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah said his government is ready to hold general elections this year. Click here to read…

Arab League welcomes joint Libyan declaration on election road map

The Arab League on Friday welcomed a Libyan joint statement agreeing to draw a “clear and specified” road map to hold long-awaited elections. Click here to read…

‘Destabilization’ plot foiled, 11 officers indicted, says Chad

An attempt to destabilize Chad has been defeated, authorities in the Central African nation have announced, adding that 11 army officers were indicted over their alleged roles in the bid that took place last month. Click here to read…

After Yet Another Coup Attempt, It’s Time for The Gambia to Demilitarize

About two weeks ago, someone called me and said there were rumors of a failed attempt to stage a coup d’etat in The Gambia. Click here to read…

Sudan shuts border with Central African Republic amid heightened security presence

Sudan closed its border with the Central African Republic (CAR) and sent military reinforcements to frontier areas, local media reported on Thursday. Click here to read…

Morocco links Israel embassy to W Sahara recognition: Report

Morocco has demanded that Israel recognise its sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara before Rabat opens an embassy in Tel Aviv, the news outlet Axios has reported, citing four current and former Israeli officials involved in the matter. Click here to read…

Ethnic clashes hit Somaliland ahead of this year’s elections

Kenyan Member of Parliament has been accused of inciting the violence to stop Somaliland from being recognised as an independent entity. Click here to read…

Somalia for 1st time claims Al Shabab extremists seek talks

Somalia’s government claimed on Saturday that the Al Shabab extremist group has for the first time asked to open negotiations, amid a military offensive the government has described as “total war.” Click here to read…

U.N. internal report flags east Congo rebels flouting ceasefire and withdrawal deal

United Nations intelligence analysts have spotted suspected movements by M23 rebels in parts of eastern Congo from which they were meant to have withdrawn and signs the armed group has seized ground in other areas, internal U.N. documents showed on Thursday. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s Government Lifts Ban on Political Rallies

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has lifted a six-year-old ban on political rallies. Her predecessor, the late John Magufuli, banned public rallies in 2016, one year after he came to power, saying they could escalate into violence. Click here to read…

Mali escapes sanctions over detention of 46 Ivorian soldiers

West African leaders will not go through with a threat to sanction Mali for jailing 46 Ivorian soldiers, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Mali junta leader pardons 49 convicted Ivorian soldiers

Mali’s junta leader on Friday pardoned all 49 Ivorian soldiers whose arrest in July triggered a bitter diplomatic row, a government spokesman said, just a week after the courts sentenced them. Click here to read…

Botswana’s ex-leader Khama asks court to set aside arrest warrant

Botswana’s former president Ian Khama has filed an urgent court application seeking to strike down an arrest warrant issued against him by a magistrate last week. Click here to read…

World’s ‘most wanted people smuggler’ arrested in Sudan

An Eritrean fugitive accused of being “the world’s most wanted” people smuggler has been arrested in Sudan in coordination with UAE authorities, Interpol announced. Click here to read…

Cameroon Adopts Maritime Security Law to Fight Gulf of Guinea Piracy

Almost six months after the UN Security Council adopted a text compelling Gulf of Guinea countries to criminalize piracy and armed robbery at sea, Cameroon has adopted a law on suppression of piracy and general safety of maritime navigation within its waters. Click here to read…

Cameroonian fishery products banned in EU, commission says

The European Commission on Thursday banned imports of seafood caught in Cameroon’s waters, or caught by ships flagged there, and it labeled the West African country as “non-cooperating” in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Click here to read…

UN rights chief urges rapid inquiry after 28 die in Burkina Faso town

The head of the United Nations human rights office has called for a prompt, transparent investigation into the deaths of at least 28 people whose bodies were found in north-west Burkina Faso last month. Click here to read…

Five African migrants die, 10 missing after boat sinks off Tunisia

At least five African migrants died and another 10 were missing after a boat sank off Tunisia, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said on Saturday. Click here to read…

EU calls on Rwanda to stop supporting M23 rebels in DR Congo

The European Union has urged Rwanda to stop supporting the M23 rebel group, which has captured swaths of territory in North Kivu province in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Click here to read…

Morocco says EU ties under attack amid corruption scandal

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Thursday that the north African country is the target of calculated media attacks and legal harassment aimed at undermining ties with the European Union, weeks after Belgian authorities implicated Morocco in a major corruption scandal. Click here to read…

Strike over pay paralyses transport in the Tunisian capital

Metro and bus traffic in the Tunisian capital ground to a halt on Monday, after employees of the state transport company held a strike over delays in the payment of wages and bonuses. Click here to read…

Zambians brace up for up to 12 hours of daily power cuts

Starting from Wednesday, January 4, Zambia’s power utility has updated the hours of load shedding to 12 hours daily. Click here to read…

South Sudan: Journalists held over film of president appearing to wet himself

Six journalists in South Sudan have been detained over the circulation of footage showing President Salva Kiir appearing to wet himself at an official event, the national journalists union said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Edwin Chiloba: LGBTQ activist found dead in Kenya

Police in Kenya are investigating the death of young fashion designer and LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba after his body was found dumped in a metal box by the roadside near the town of Eldoret. Click here to read…

Mass grave with 18 bodies found in ex-Daesh stronghold in Libya

Libyan authorities on Sunday said they have found 18 bodies buried in a mass grave in a former stronghold of Daesh along the conflict-stricken North African nation’s coast. Click here to read…

US-Angola military ties deepen

“So there is a game changer. We may say it’s significant and this is in the interest of both parties – Angola and the United States of America,” Angolan President João Lourenço said at last month’s US-Angola bilateral meeting in Washington, at the US Department of State. Click here to read…

Chinese firm to manufacture lithium batteries in Zim

CHINESE steel manufacturer Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) says it intends to locally produce lithium-ion batteriesClick here to read…

Namibia orders Russian uranium exploration to stop due to environmental concerns

Namibian authorities have ordered Russia’s state atomic energy agency to stop uranium exploration over concerns about potential contamination of underground water. Click here to read…

Israeli foreign minister sees Abraham Accords summit in Morocco in March

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Monday he planned to attend a summit in March with counterparts from Arab countries that have drawn closer to Israel following a U.S.-sponsored diplomatic drive in 2020. Click here to read…

Iran sees ‘no problem’ with building ties with Egypt

Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said that Iran sees no problem with building relations with Egypt. Click here to read…

Mauritius, UK open talks on status of contested islands

Britain and Mauritius have begun talks on the sovereignty of the disputed Chagos archipelago, the Mauritian prime minister announced Sunday. Click here to read…

U.S. cuts off Burkina Faso from Africa duty-free trade program

The United States has dropped Burkina Faso from its AGOA trade preference program citing deep concerns over “unconstitutional change” in government in the West African country, the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Nigeria to Ban Cash Withdrawals from Government Accounts

Nigeria will ban cash withdrawals from government accounts from March 1 to tackle illicit activity and push toward a cashless economy. Click here to read…

Sierra Leone Becomes First in Africa to Hike Rate This Year

Sierra Leone’s central bank became the first in Africa and second globally after Israel to raise interest rates this year. Click here to read…

Mauritania celebrates Nouakchott as cultural capital of Islamic world

Mauritania on Friday commenced the first events since Nouakchott was chosen as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for 2023. Click here to read…

Uganda’s Ebola outbreak nearly under control, says Africa CDC

Africa’s top public health body has said the Ebola outbreak in Uganda was coming under control, as it had been 39 days since the last confirmed case of the virus was reported in the country. Click here to read…

Burundi declares cholera outbreak in Bujumbura

Burundi has declared a cholera outbreak in the commercial capital Bujumbura, the Health minister Sylvie Nzeyimana announced Sunday evening, noting that at least nine cases had been recorded. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Largest unit of Indian women peacekeepers in Sudan conflict zone

India Friday deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers in Abyei on the border of Sudan and South Sudan as part of the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force. Click here to read…

Army sends largest contingent of women peacekeepers for UN

The Indian Army has deployed its largest-ever contingent of women soldiers for UN peacekeeping operations in the volatile oil-rich Abyei region of Africa, which straddles northern and southern Sudan and is hotly contested by both. Click here to read…

India condemns ‘mindless act of vandalism’ on Mahatma Gandhi statue in Seychelles

The high commission of India in Seychelles has condemned what it termed as “the mindless act of vandalism” on statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela located at the Peace Park in Victoria. Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan discusses trade, investment with visiting Tanzanian minister Jenista Mhagama

Union Minister of State (MoS) V Muraleedharan met with visiting Tanzanian minister Jenista Mhagama on Saturday and discussed wide-ranging bilateral cooperation including trade, investment and capacity building. Click here to read…

India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar on DECEMBER 27, 2022

The India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized on December 27, 2022 by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar to strengthen bilateral trade relations. Click here to read…

Navi Mumbai: Mauritius Health Minister visits NMMC’s Vashi Public Hospital, praises cleanliness and digitisation

Health Minister of Mauritius Dr. Kailash Kumar Singh Jagutpal along with Senior Chief Executive Officer Shri. Devichand Anandi Ray Seevuruthoon, Digital Health Services Officer Dr. Bholah Mamal as well as Director of Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology Delhi Ravindra Kumar paid a special visit to NMMC Hospital, Vashi. They inspected the E-Hospital and AYUSH Center functioning in Vashi hospital. Click here to read…

Tanzania minister calls on Dr Jitendra, lauds India’s governance practices

Minister in the President’s Office of the United Republic of Tanzania, Jenista Joakim Mhagama Wednesday called on Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh at North Block New Delhi. Click here to read…

India to Secure Rock Phosphate from Morocco

India’s Minister of chemicals and fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit Morocco to seal a deal to import rock phosphate. Click here to read…

India seeks food security through more Moroccan phosphates supplies

Indian chemicals and fertilizers minister Mansukh Mandaviya will be visiting Morocco this month to seal long-term phosphates supply deal amid surging prices in the international market. Click here to read…

Morocco to receive 90 ‘Made In India’ military trucks manufactured by Indian Tata

The Royal Moroccan Army is set to receive 90 ‘Made in India’ 6×6 trucks made by Indian Tata Advance Systems LimitedClick here to read…

Morocco revamps it’s logistics capacity with new trucks

In order to plug capability gaps Moroccan governments has invested in procuring military trucks to revamp it’s logistics operations. Click here to read…

AGI attends India International Textile Manufacturing Expo

A delegation of businesses from the Textiles, Garments and Leather Sector of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), and the Spinnet Textiles and Garment Cluster has participated in the India International Textile Manufacturing Expo (ITME) to identify and meet with potential partners. Click here to read…

Mob attacks Delhi Police after Nigerians detained for overstaying visa

A huge mob, comprising 100 African nationals, surrounded a police team in the Neb Sarai area of South Delhi and clashed with them when the cops apprehended three NigeriansClick here to read…

Atua Enkop Africa Appoints Avenir Research Marketing As India Representative

Atua Enkop Africa Ltd has appointing Avenir Research Marketing to promote its portfolio of luxury camps in the Indian market. Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

Africa needs reliable and resilient healthcare system: How India can deliver it

It is crucial to strengthen cooperation between Indian healthcare providers and African partners in areas like capacity building, the establishment of hospitals, and investment in telemedicine, given the significance of India in providing medicines to Africa. Click here to read…

Lessons from South Africa: The fading Gandhi-Mandela legacy

“Papa, I want to leave South Africa. I see no future for myself here. I’ll go abroad for studies and to live the rest of my life.” This is what the 16-year-old son of an Indian academic in Cape Town told his father. Click here to read…

NEWS

Benin holds parliamentary election set to test democracy

Voters in Benin go to the polls on Sunday for a parliamentary election seen as a test of democracy as opposition parties are back on the ballot after boycotting or being excluded from the most recent presidential and legislative votes. Click here to read…

Ethiopia sets out on long road to peace after two years of war

A year that began with no end in sight for one of the world’s deadliest conflicts finished on a note of cautious optimism in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray after a November ceasefire agreement. Click here to read…

Final round of Sudan’s political process set to start Sunday

The final stage of Sudan’s political process is set to kick off on Sunday, according to the country’s trilateral mechanism body. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s military regime expels French ambassador

Burkina Faso’s military junta has expelled France’s ambassador, authorities said Monday, amid a surge in anti-French sentiment as the West African country moves to develop closer ties with Russia. Click here to read…

Libyan govt ready to hold elections in 2023: PM

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah said his government is ready to hold general elections this year. Click here to read…

Arab League welcomes joint Libyan declaration on election road map

The Arab League on Friday welcomed a Libyan joint statement agreeing to draw a “clear and specified” road map to hold long-awaited elections. Click here to read…

‘Destabilization’ plot foiled, 11 officers indicted, says Chad

An attempt to destabilize Chad has been defeated, authorities in the Central African nation have announced, adding that 11 army officers were indicted over their alleged roles in the bid that took place last month. Click here to read…

After Yet Another Coup Attempt, It’s Time for The Gambia to Demilitarize

About two weeks ago, someone called me and said there were rumors of a failed attempt to stage a coup d’etat in The Gambia. Click here to read…

Sudan shuts border with Central African Republic amid heightened security presence

Sudan closed its border with the Central African Republic (CAR) and sent military reinforcements to frontier areas, local media reported on Thursday. Click here to read…

Morocco links Israel embassy to W Sahara recognition: Report

Morocco has demanded that Israel recognise its sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara before Rabat opens an embassy in Tel Aviv, the news outlet Axios has reported, citing four current and former Israeli officials involved in the matter. Click here to read…

Ethnic clashes hit Somaliland ahead of this year’s elections

Kenyan Member of Parliament has been accused of inciting the violence to stop Somaliland from being recognised as an independent entity. Click here to read…

Somalia for 1st time claims Al Shabab extremists seek talks

Somalia’s government claimed on Saturday that the Al Shabab extremist group has for the first time asked to open negotiations, amid a military offensive the government has described as “total war.” Click here to read…

U.N. internal report flags east Congo rebels flouting ceasefire and withdrawal deal

United Nations intelligence analysts have spotted suspected movements by M23 rebels in parts of eastern Congo from which they were meant to have withdrawn and signs the armed group has seized ground in other areas, internal U.N. documents showed on Thursday. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s Government Lifts Ban on Political Rallies

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has lifted a six-year-old ban on political rallies. Her predecessor, the late John Magufuli, banned public rallies in 2016, one year after he came to power, saying they could escalate into violence. Click here to read…

Mali escapes sanctions over detention of 46 Ivorian soldiers

West African leaders will not go through with a threat to sanction Mali for jailing 46 Ivorian soldiers, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Mali junta leader pardons 49 convicted Ivorian soldiers

Mali’s junta leader on Friday pardoned all 49 Ivorian soldiers whose arrest in July triggered a bitter diplomatic row, a government spokesman said, just a week after the courts sentenced them. Click here to read…

Botswana’s ex-leader Khama asks court to set aside arrest warrant

Botswana’s former president Ian Khama has filed an urgent court application seeking to strike down an arrest warrant issued against him by a magistrate last week. Click here to read…

World’s ‘most wanted people smuggler’ arrested in Sudan

An Eritrean fugitive accused of being “the world’s most wanted” people smuggler has been arrested in Sudan in coordination with UAE authorities, Interpol announced. Click here to read…

Cameroon Adopts Maritime Security Law to Fight Gulf of Guinea Piracy

Almost six months after the UN Security Council adopted a text compelling Gulf of Guinea countries to criminalize piracy and armed robbery at sea, Cameroon has adopted a law on suppression of piracy and general safety of maritime navigation within its waters. Click here to read…

Cameroonian fishery products banned in EU, commission says

The European Commission on Thursday banned imports of seafood caught in Cameroon’s waters, or caught by ships flagged there, and it labeled the West African country as “non-cooperating” in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Click here to read…

UN rights chief urges rapid inquiry after 28 die in Burkina Faso town

The head of the United Nations human rights office has called for a prompt, transparent investigation into the deaths of at least 28 people whose bodies were found in north-west Burkina Faso last month. Click here to read…

Five African migrants die, 10 missing after boat sinks off Tunisia

At least five African migrants died and another 10 were missing after a boat sank off Tunisia, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said on Saturday. Click here to read…

EU calls on Rwanda to stop supporting M23 rebels in DR Congo

The European Union has urged Rwanda to stop supporting the M23 rebel group, which has captured swaths of territory in North Kivu province in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Click here to read…

Morocco says EU ties under attack amid corruption scandal

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Thursday that the north African country is the target of calculated media attacks and legal harassment aimed at undermining ties with the European Union, weeks after Belgian authorities implicated Morocco in a major corruption scandal. Click here to read…

Strike over pay paralyses transport in the Tunisian capital

Metro and bus traffic in the Tunisian capital ground to a halt on Monday, after employees of the state transport company held a strike over delays in the payment of wages and bonuses. Click here to read…

Zambians brace up for up to 12 hours of daily power cuts

Starting from Wednesday, January 4, Zambia’s power utility has updated the hours of load shedding to 12 hours daily. Click here to read…

South Sudan: Journalists held over film of president appearing to wet himself

Six journalists in South Sudan have been detained over the circulation of footage showing President Salva Kiir appearing to wet himself at an official event, the national journalists union said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Edwin Chiloba: LGBTQ activist found dead in Kenya

Police in Kenya are investigating the death of young fashion designer and LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba after his body was found dumped in a metal box by the roadside near the town of Eldoret. Click here to read…

Mass grave with 18 bodies found in ex-Daesh stronghold in Libya

Libyan authorities on Sunday said they have found 18 bodies buried in a mass grave in a former stronghold of Daesh along the conflict-stricken North African nation’s coast. Click here to read…

US-Angola military ties deepen

“So there is a game changer. We may say it’s significant and this is in the interest of both parties – Angola and the United States of America,” Angolan President João Lourenço said at last month’s US-Angola bilateral meeting in Washington, at the US Department of State. Click here to read…

Chinese firm to manufacture lithium batteries in Zim

CHINESE steel manufacturer Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) says it intends to locally produce lithium-ion batteriesClick here to read…

Namibia orders Russian uranium exploration to stop due to environmental concerns

Namibian authorities have ordered Russia’s state atomic energy agency to stop uranium exploration over concerns about potential contamination of underground water. Click here to read…

Israeli foreign minister sees Abraham Accords summit in Morocco in March

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Monday he planned to attend a summit in March with counterparts from Arab countries that have drawn closer to Israel following a U.S.-sponsored diplomatic drive in 2020. Click here to read…

Iran sees ‘no problem’ with building ties with Egypt

Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said that Iran sees no problem with building relations with Egypt. Click here to read…

Mauritius, UK open talks on status of contested islands

Britain and Mauritius have begun talks on the sovereignty of the disputed Chagos archipelago, the Mauritian prime minister announced Sunday. Click here to read…

U.S. cuts off Burkina Faso from Africa duty-free trade program

The United States has dropped Burkina Faso from its AGOA trade preference program citing deep concerns over “unconstitutional change” in government in the West African country, the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Nigeria to Ban Cash Withdrawals from Government Accounts

Nigeria will ban cash withdrawals from government accounts from March 1 to tackle illicit activity and push toward a cashless economy. Click here to read…

Sierra Leone Becomes First in Africa to Hike Rate This Year

Sierra Leone’s central bank became the first in Africa and second globally after Israel to raise interest rates this year. Click here to read…

Mauritania celebrates Nouakchott as cultural capital of Islamic world

Mauritania on Friday commenced the first events since Nouakchott was chosen as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for 2023. Click here to read…

Uganda’s Ebola outbreak nearly under control, says Africa CDC

Africa’s top public health body has said the Ebola outbreak in Uganda was coming under control, as it had been 39 days since the last confirmed case of the virus was reported in the country. Click here to read…

Burundi declares cholera outbreak in Bujumbura

Burundi has declared a cholera outbreak in the commercial capital Bujumbura, the Health minister Sylvie Nzeyimana announced Sunday evening, noting that at least nine cases had been recorded. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Largest unit of Indian women peacekeepers in Sudan conflict zone

India Friday deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers in Abyei on the border of Sudan and South Sudan as part of the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force. Click here to read…

Army sends largest contingent of women peacekeepers for UN

The Indian Army has deployed its largest-ever contingent of women soldiers for UN peacekeeping operations in the volatile oil-rich Abyei region of Africa, which straddles northern and southern Sudan and is hotly contested by both. Click here to read…

India condemns ‘mindless act of vandalism’ on Mahatma Gandhi statue in Seychelles

The high commission of India in Seychelles has condemned what it termed as “the mindless act of vandalism” on statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela located at the Peace Park in Victoria. Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan discusses trade, investment with visiting Tanzanian minister Jenista Mhagama

Union Minister of State (MoS) V Muraleedharan met with visiting Tanzanian minister Jenista Mhagama on Saturday and discussed wide-ranging bilateral cooperation including trade, investment and capacity building. Click here to read…

India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar on DECEMBER 27, 2022

The India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized on December 27, 2022 by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar to strengthen bilateral trade relations. Click here to read…

Navi Mumbai: Mauritius Health Minister visits NMMC’s Vashi Public Hospital, praises cleanliness and digitisation

Health Minister of Mauritius Dr. Kailash Kumar Singh Jagutpal along with Senior Chief Executive Officer Shri. Devichand Anandi Ray Seevuruthoon, Digital Health Services Officer Dr. Bholah Mamal as well as Director of Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology Delhi Ravindra Kumar paid a special visit to NMMC Hospital, Vashi. They inspected the E-Hospital and AYUSH Center functioning in Vashi hospital. Click here to read…

Tanzania minister calls on Dr Jitendra, lauds India’s governance practices

Minister in the President’s Office of the United Republic of Tanzania, Jenista Joakim Mhagama Wednesday called on Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh at North Block New Delhi. Click here to read…

India to Secure Rock Phosphate from Morocco

India’s Minister of chemicals and fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit Morocco to seal a deal to import rock phosphate. Click here to read…

India seeks food security through more Moroccan phosphates supplies

Indian chemicals and fertilizers minister Mansukh Mandaviya will be visiting Morocco this month to seal long-term phosphates supply deal amid surging prices in the international market. Click here to read…

Morocco to receive 90 ‘Made In India’ military trucks manufactured by Indian Tata

The Royal Moroccan Army is set to receive 90 ‘Made in India’ 6×6 trucks made by Indian Tata Advance Systems LimitedClick here to read…

Morocco revamps it’s logistics capacity with new trucks

In order to plug capability gaps Moroccan governments has invested in procuring military trucks to revamp it’s logistics operations. Click here to read…

AGI attends India International Textile Manufacturing Expo

A delegation of businesses from the Textiles, Garments and Leather Sector of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), and the Spinnet Textiles and Garment Cluster has participated in the India International Textile Manufacturing Expo (ITME) to identify and meet with potential partners. Click here to read…

Mob attacks Delhi Police after Nigerians detained for overstaying visa

A huge mob, comprising 100 African nationals, surrounded a police team in the Neb Sarai area of South Delhi and clashed with them when the cops apprehended three NigeriansClick here to read…

Atua Enkop Africa Appoints Avenir Research Marketing As India Representative

Atua Enkop Africa Ltd has appointing Avenir Research Marketing to promote its portfolio of luxury camps in the Indian market. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.
Week 1, 2023

COMMENTARY

Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South

For India to be remembered as the voice of the Global South through the G20 presidency, it needs to understand the mood and changes in AfricaClick here to read…

US, Europe, China in race for Africa, scramble for continent begins

On Sunday, August 14, 2022, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, began a five-day three-nation trip to South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Click here to read…

Will Africa’s 2023 elections strengthen democracy?

Africa will hold state or parliamentary elections in 17 countries in 2023. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, these elections will significantly impact the continent. Click here to read…

NEWS

Two Gambian Military Officers Arrested in Connection with Failed Coup

Two Gambian military officers linked to an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Adama Barrow have been arrested over the weekend. Click here to read…

Tunisian president extends state of emergency until Jan. 30

Tunisian President Kais Saied extended the state of emergency until Jan. 30, 2023, the official gazette said on Friday. Click here to read…

Tripoli-based Libyan govt swaps prisoners with pro-Haftar forces

Libya’s Tripoli-based unity government and the eastern-based rival forces carried out a prisoner swap, involving the release of a pilot captured during putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s 2019 offensive on the capital Tripoli. Click here to read…

El Burhan calls for inclusivity in Sudan’s political negotiations

The head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, warned that exclusion, minimising the role of others, not listening to their demands, and imposing the will of specific groups will lead to wasting the current opportunity, and will put the unity and security of the country in great danger. Click here to read…

Mediators meet to bolster Ethiopia truce amid signs of détente

Mediators between Ethiopia’s federal government and authorities in the Tigray region, embroiled until last month in a brutal war, are stepping up efforts to enforce a truce as relations between the two sides inch closer towards normality. Click here to read…

Mozambique about to join UN Security Council

From January 1st, Mozambique replaces Kenya as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Click here to read…

Senegal’s opposition calls for protests after Covid funds “mismanaged”

Senegal’s main opposition coalition Yewii Askan Wi has called for a “concert of pans” on New Year’s Eve, as the president addresses the nation. Click here to read…

Angola court orders dos Santos’s assets seized

Angola’s Supreme Court has ordered the “preventive” seizure of assets worth about $1bn held by Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of its former president. Click here to read…

DRC dismantles Rwanda-backed spying network

The Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, has announced to have busted a spying network in capital Kinshasa, working for neighbouring Rwanda considered by authorities as enemy. Click here to read…

Exiled Former Botswana President Khama Faces Arrest

A Botswana court has issued an arrest warrant for former President Ian Khama, who is facing 14 charges ranging from unlawful possession of firearms to money laundering. Click here to read…

Eritrean soldiers leave major towns in northern Ethiopia – eyewitnesses

Eritrean soldiers, who fought in support of the Ethiopian federal government during a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region, have pulled out of the major towns of Shire and Axum, three eyewitnesses told Reuters. Click here to read…

30,000 Displaced In South Sudan After Ethnic Violence

Armed raids in a region of South Sudan plagued by ethnic clashes have forced around 30,000 civilians to flee their homes. Click here to read…

Eritrean Catholic bishop is freed after two months in detention

After more than two months in detention in Eritrea, Catholic Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim and Father Mehereteab Stefanos have been released from prison, several sources have reported.Click here to read…

Zambia Becomes 25th Sub-Saharan African Nation to Abolish Death Penalty

Fulfilling a pledge made while campaigning for office, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on December 23, 2022 signed legislation abolishing the nation’s death penalty. Click here to read…

9 killed in stampede in Uganda shopping mall

At least nine people have been killed in a stampede in a shopping mall in Uganda on Sunday. People were gathered at the Freedom City mall in Kampala for New Year celebrations when the stampede occurred. Click here to read…

Al-Shabab militants kill two men near Kenya’s east coast

Al-Shabab Islamist militants attacked Taa village in the Pandaguo area of Lamu county on Christmas Day – a Christian religious holiday – and killed two local men. Click here to read…

Mali sentences 46 Ivory Coast soldiers to 20 years in prison

A court in Mali has sentenced 46 soldiers from Ivory Coast to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiring against the government, and three others to death in absentia. Click here to read…

Namibia Halts Russian Uranium Exploration Over Environmental Concerns

Namibia has halted Russia’s state atomic energy agency’s uranium exploration over concerns about potential contamination of underground water. Click here to read…

Somalia rejects Genel Energy’s “illegal claim” to oil permits

Somalia rejected on Wednesday what it called an “illegal claim” by Genel Energy (GENL.L) to oil exploration and exploitation rights in the country’s northern breakaway region of Somaliland, the country’s oil ministry said. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe bans raw lithium exports as demand, prices soar

Zimbabwe has banned the export of raw lithium from its mines so it can cash in on value addition and stop losing billions of dollars in mineral proceeds to foreign companies. Click here to read…

Chinese, foreign consortiums reach deals with Guinean government on Simandou iron ore project’s infrastructure buildup

China Baowu Steel Group Corp and the joint ventures formed by Chinese and foreign enterprises SMB Winning Consortium and Simfer, have signed an infrastructure buildup agreement with Guinean government, reaching important cooperation consensus on joint investment and development of railways and ports of the Simandou project in Guinea. Click here to read…

Madagascar seeks Moroccan fertiliser investment -President

Madagascar is seeking an investment from Morocco in the fertiliser sector as part of its efforts to achieve farming self-sufficiency, President Andry Rajoelina said. Click here to read…

Algeria sets reference price for oil at $60 barrel through 2023/2025

Algeria has set the reference price for crude oil at $60 a barrel through 2023-2025, state news agency (APS) said on Sunday, citing the 2023 budget approved earlier in the day by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Click here to read…

UN chief slams Burkina Faso for expelling top envoy accused of discrediting country’

Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior UN official Barbara Manzi to leave the country because the doctrine of “persona non grata” could not be applied to her, the United Nations has said in a statement after the military government ordered Manzi to leave Burkina Faso immediately. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast hands down 11 life sentences in 2016 resort attack

Eleven people have been sentenced to life in prison in Ivory Coast after being convicted of abetting an attack that killed 19 people and injured dozens on a tourist beach nearly seven years ago. Click here to read…

Tanzania Starts Filling the Julius Nyerere Dam For 2115 MW Hydropower Plant

Tanzania has started filling the Julius Nyerere Dam for the new 2,115 MW hydropower plant. The project cost is said to be about $3 billion. Click here to read…

China’s new approach in Africa to focus on FDI over loans

China is taking a new approach to Africa which prioritizes FDI over loans, small and medium-sized businesses over large ones, and green development over carbon emissions. Click here to read…

Chinese provinces boost China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

Although the next China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is still six months away, an economic and trade delegation from central China’s Hunan Province has finished its trips promoting the expo to several African countries in mid-December. Click here to read…

Ukraine’s aim to deepen ties in Africa leaves open questions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced that new embassies would be opened on the African continent in first quarter of 2023. Click here to read…

Senate gives final approval for establishing Digital Egypt Fund

The 18-article bill, approved by the cabinet in October 2021, got a preliminary approval from the Senate on 12 December, and will find its way to the House of Representatives to be finally discussed and voted. Click here to read…

Africa Has Potential to Produce €1trn Worth of Green Hydrogen by 2035

Africa has the potential to produce €1 trillion worth of green hydrogen a year by 2035, allowing it to export the fuel and boost local industry, a study backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) has revealed. Click here to read…

Port of Berbera: Dubai invests in Horn of Africa shipping

Dubai-based DP World is expanding its operations in Somaliland as part of a plan to turn the breakaway region into a major trade hub. Even though Somaliland relinquishes commercial power, it may gain political weight. Click here to read…

Delays, extortions, and voter exclusion: Cameroon’s national biometric ID card conundrum

Ashu M. just clocked 20 years this November, the legal age for voting in the central African nation of Cameroon.Click here to read…

Rights watchdogs condemn Algeria’s closure of Radio M

Algeria has arrested independent journalist Ihsane El Kadi and shut down his Radio M, in a move that was decried by international media and free speech watchdogs. Click here to read…

Four killed in attack on police checkpoint in Egypt’s Ismailia

ISIL claims responsibility for the attack in Ismailia city on the western side of the Suez Canal. Click here to read…

A Christmas Day Killing in Lagos

Fatal shooting of Lagos lawyer by police refreshes clamour for law enforcement reform in Nigeria. Click here to read…

Jihadi violence hits Benin, shows spread across West Africa

It’s been more than a year since jihadis first stormed Igor Kassah’s town in northern Benin but the priest still lives in fear. Click here to read…

Abduction, Torture, Rape: Conflict in Congo Worsens, UN Says

The accounts are haunting. Abductions, torture, rapes. Scores of civilians, including women and children, have been killed by the M23 rebels in eastern Congo, according to a U.N. report. Click here to read…

Niger: Military helicopter crashes, three crew members killed

Niger’s ministry of Defense announced Monday the crash of a military helicopter and the death of three members of the crew, during a drill. Click here to read…

South Africa Passes 200 Days of Power Cuts as 2022 Draws to a Close

SA passed 200 days of power cuts in 2022 on Tuesday, with more to come. Eskom ramped up load-shedding from stage 1 to stage 3 from 4pm until 5am for the rest of the week. The power utility has implemented record rotational blackouts this year, because its old and poorly maintained power stations continually break down. Click here to read…

Ghana warns against alarmist New Year prophecies

For many Ghanaian Christians, listening to their pastors make predictions during the New Year’s services has become an annual ritual. Ghana’s police want to stop proclamations that create fear and panic among the public. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Egypt’s President to be Republic Day Chief Guest as India expands Arab relations

This year both countries have celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the invitation to El Sisi, who has been the president of his country since 2014 is being seen as India’s plans to deepen relations in the region. Click here to read…

Ethiopia, India Agree to Strengthen Investment Cooperation

Ministry of Planning and Development Dr. Fitsum Asefe discussed with Indian Ambassador to Ethiopia Shri Robert Shetkintong on the need to strengthen the relationship between Ethiopia and India in the field of education and investment. Click here to read…

India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar on DECEMBER 27, 2022

India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar on DECEMBER 27, 2022. Click here to read…

Elista India expects Rs 1,500 cr revenue by 2025, to invest up to Rs 400 cr

Electronics manufacturing company Elista India expects a revenue of Rs 1,500 crore by 2025 on the back of increased exports to the CIS countries, Middle East and Africa Click here to read…

RBI eases payment concerns involving large pulses suppliers

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stepped in to address concerns of banks in clearing payments to India’s major pulses suppliers, such as Myanmar, Mozambique and Tanzania. Click here to read…

Gambia deaths: Drug regulators launch nationwide inspection

Weeks after a tragedy in The Gambia where children died reportedly after consuming made-in-India cough syrups, India’s drug regulating agencies have launched a nationwide inspection of production units manufacturing sub-standing medicines Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.
Week 1, 2023

COMMENTARY

Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South

For India to be remembered as the voice of the Global South through the G20 presidency, it needs to understand the mood and changes in AfricaClick here to read…

US, Europe, China in race for Africa, scramble for continent begins

On Sunday, August 14, 2022, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, began a five-day three-nation trip to South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Click here to read…

Will Africa’s 2023 elections strengthen democracy?

Africa will hold state or parliamentary elections in 17 countries in 2023. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, these elections will significantly impact the continent. Click here to read…

NEWS

Two Gambian Military Officers Arrested in Connection with Failed Coup

Two Gambian military officers linked to an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Adama Barrow have been arrested over the weekend. Click here to read…

Tunisian president extends state of emergency until Jan. 30

Tunisian President Kais Saied extended the state of emergency until Jan. 30, 2023, the official gazette said on Friday. Click here to read…

Tripoli-based Libyan govt swaps prisoners with pro-Haftar forces

Libya’s Tripoli-based unity government and the eastern-based rival forces carried out a prisoner swap, involving the release of a pilot captured during putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s 2019 offensive on the capital Tripoli. Click here to read…

El Burhan calls for inclusivity in Sudan’s political negotiations

The head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, warned that exclusion, minimising the role of others, not listening to their demands, and imposing the will of specific groups will lead to wasting the current opportunity, and will put the unity and security of the country in great danger. Click here to read…

Mediators meet to bolster Ethiopia truce amid signs of détente

Mediators between Ethiopia’s federal government and authorities in the Tigray region, embroiled until last month in a brutal war, are stepping up efforts to enforce a truce as relations between the two sides inch closer towards normality. Click here to read…

Mozambique about to join UN Security Council

From January 1st, Mozambique replaces Kenya as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Click here to read…

Senegal’s opposition calls for protests after Covid funds “mismanaged”

Senegal’s main opposition coalition Yewii Askan Wi has called for a “concert of pans” on New Year’s Eve, as the president addresses the nation. Click here to read…

Angola court orders dos Santos’s assets seized

Angola’s Supreme Court has ordered the “preventive” seizure of assets worth about $1bn held by Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of its former president. Click here to read…

DRC dismantles Rwanda-backed spying network

The Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, has announced to have busted a spying network in capital Kinshasa, working for neighbouring Rwanda considered by authorities as enemy. Click here to read…

Exiled Former Botswana President Khama Faces Arrest

A Botswana court has issued an arrest warrant for former President Ian Khama, who is facing 14 charges ranging from unlawful possession of firearms to money laundering. Click here to read…

Eritrean soldiers leave major towns in northern Ethiopia – eyewitnesses

Eritrean soldiers, who fought in support of the Ethiopian federal government during a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region, have pulled out of the major towns of Shire and Axum, three eyewitnesses told Reuters. Click here to read…

30,000 Displaced In South Sudan After Ethnic Violence

Armed raids in a region of South Sudan plagued by ethnic clashes have forced around 30,000 civilians to flee their homes. Click here to read…

Eritrean Catholic bishop is freed after two months in detention

After more than two months in detention in Eritrea, Catholic Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim and Father Mehereteab Stefanos have been released from prison, several sources have reported.Click here to read…

Zambia Becomes 25th Sub-Saharan African Nation to Abolish Death Penalty

Fulfilling a pledge made while campaigning for office, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on December 23, 2022 signed legislation abolishing the nation’s death penalty. Click here to read…

9 killed in stampede in Uganda shopping mall

At least nine people have been killed in a stampede in a shopping mall in Uganda on Sunday. People were gathered at the Freedom City mall in Kampala for New Year celebrations when the stampede occurred. Click here to read…

Al-Shabab militants kill two men near Kenya’s east coast

Al-Shabab Islamist militants attacked Taa village in the Pandaguo area of Lamu county on Christmas Day – a Christian religious holiday – and killed two local men. Click here to read…

Mali sentences 46 Ivory Coast soldiers to 20 years in prison

A court in Mali has sentenced 46 soldiers from Ivory Coast to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiring against the government, and three others to death in absentia. Click here to read…

Namibia Halts Russian Uranium Exploration Over Environmental Concerns

Namibia has halted Russia’s state atomic energy agency’s uranium exploration over concerns about potential contamination of underground water. Click here to read…

Somalia rejects Genel Energy’s “illegal claim” to oil permits

Somalia rejected on Wednesday what it called an “illegal claim” by Genel Energy (GENL.L) to oil exploration and exploitation rights in the country’s northern breakaway region of Somaliland, the country’s oil ministry said. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe bans raw lithium exports as demand, prices soar

Zimbabwe has banned the export of raw lithium from its mines so it can cash in on value addition and stop losing billions of dollars in mineral proceeds to foreign companies. Click here to read…

Chinese, foreign consortiums reach deals with Guinean government on Simandou iron ore project’s infrastructure buildup

China Baowu Steel Group Corp and the joint ventures formed by Chinese and foreign enterprises SMB Winning Consortium and Simfer, have signed an infrastructure buildup agreement with Guinean government, reaching important cooperation consensus on joint investment and development of railways and ports of the Simandou project in Guinea. Click here to read…

Madagascar seeks Moroccan fertiliser investment -President

Madagascar is seeking an investment from Morocco in the fertiliser sector as part of its efforts to achieve farming self-sufficiency, President Andry Rajoelina said. Click here to read…

Algeria sets reference price for oil at $60 barrel through 2023/2025

Algeria has set the reference price for crude oil at $60 a barrel through 2023-2025, state news agency (APS) said on Sunday, citing the 2023 budget approved earlier in the day by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Click here to read…

UN chief slams Burkina Faso for expelling top envoy accused of discrediting country’

Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior UN official Barbara Manzi to leave the country because the doctrine of “persona non grata” could not be applied to her, the United Nations has said in a statement after the military government ordered Manzi to leave Burkina Faso immediately. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast hands down 11 life sentences in 2016 resort attack

Eleven people have been sentenced to life in prison in Ivory Coast after being convicted of abetting an attack that killed 19 people and injured dozens on a tourist beach nearly seven years ago. Click here to read…

Tanzania Starts Filling the Julius Nyerere Dam For 2115 MW Hydropower Plant

Tanzania has started filling the Julius Nyerere Dam for the new 2,115 MW hydropower plant. The project cost is said to be about $3 billion. Click here to read…

China’s new approach in Africa to focus on FDI over loans

China is taking a new approach to Africa which prioritizes FDI over loans, small and medium-sized businesses over large ones, and green development over carbon emissions. Click here to read…

Chinese provinces boost China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

Although the next China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is still six months away, an economic and trade delegation from central China’s Hunan Province has finished its trips promoting the expo to several African countries in mid-December. Click here to read…

Ukraine’s aim to deepen ties in Africa leaves open questions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced that new embassies would be opened on the African continent in first quarter of 2023. Click here to read…

Senate gives final approval for establishing Digital Egypt Fund

The 18-article bill, approved by the cabinet in October 2021, got a preliminary approval from the Senate on 12 December, and will find its way to the House of Representatives to be finally discussed and voted. Click here to read…

Africa Has Potential to Produce €1trn Worth of Green Hydrogen by 2035

Africa has the potential to produce €1 trillion worth of green hydrogen a year by 2035, allowing it to export the fuel and boost local industry, a study backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) has revealed. Click here to read…

Port of Berbera: Dubai invests in Horn of Africa shipping

Dubai-based DP World is expanding its operations in Somaliland as part of a plan to turn the breakaway region into a major trade hub. Even though Somaliland relinquishes commercial power, it may gain political weight. Click here to read…

Delays, extortions, and voter exclusion: Cameroon’s national biometric ID card conundrum

Ashu M. just clocked 20 years this November, the legal age for voting in the central African nation of Cameroon.Click here to read…

Rights watchdogs condemn Algeria’s closure of Radio M

Algeria has arrested independent journalist Ihsane El Kadi and shut down his Radio M, in a move that was decried by international media and free speech watchdogs. Click here to read…

Four killed in attack on police checkpoint in Egypt’s Ismailia

ISIL claims responsibility for the attack in Ismailia city on the western side of the Suez Canal. Click here to read…

A Christmas Day Killing in Lagos

Fatal shooting of Lagos lawyer by police refreshes clamour for law enforcement reform in Nigeria. Click here to read…

Jihadi violence hits Benin, shows spread across West Africa

It’s been more than a year since jihadis first stormed Igor Kassah’s town in northern Benin but the priest still lives in fear. Click here to read…

Abduction, Torture, Rape: Conflict in Congo Worsens, UN Says

The accounts are haunting. Abductions, torture, rapes. Scores of civilians, including women and children, have been killed by the M23 rebels in eastern Congo, according to a U.N. report. Click here to read…

Niger: Military helicopter crashes, three crew members killed

Niger’s ministry of Defense announced Monday the crash of a military helicopter and the death of three members of the crew, during a drill. Click here to read…

South Africa Passes 200 Days of Power Cuts as 2022 Draws to a Close

SA passed 200 days of power cuts in 2022 on Tuesday, with more to come. Eskom ramped up load-shedding from stage 1 to stage 3 from 4pm until 5am for the rest of the week. The power utility has implemented record rotational blackouts this year, because its old and poorly maintained power stations continually break down. Click here to read…

Ghana warns against alarmist New Year prophecies

For many Ghanaian Christians, listening to their pastors make predictions during the New Year’s services has become an annual ritual. Ghana’s police want to stop proclamations that create fear and panic among the public. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Egypt’s President to be Republic Day Chief Guest as India expands Arab relations

This year both countries have celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the invitation to El Sisi, who has been the president of his country since 2014 is being seen as India’s plans to deepen relations in the region. Click here to read…

Ethiopia, India Agree to Strengthen Investment Cooperation

Ministry of Planning and Development Dr. Fitsum Asefe discussed with Indian Ambassador to Ethiopia Shri Robert Shetkintong on the need to strengthen the relationship between Ethiopia and India in the field of education and investment. Click here to read…

India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar on DECEMBER 27, 2022

India Madagascar Trade Conference was organized by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the Embassy of Madagascar on DECEMBER 27, 2022. Click here to read…

Elista India expects Rs 1,500 cr revenue by 2025, to invest up to Rs 400 cr

Electronics manufacturing company Elista India expects a revenue of Rs 1,500 crore by 2025 on the back of increased exports to the CIS countries, Middle East and Africa Click here to read…

RBI eases payment concerns involving large pulses suppliers

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stepped in to address concerns of banks in clearing payments to India’s major pulses suppliers, such as Myanmar, Mozambique and Tanzania. Click here to read…

Gambia deaths: Drug regulators launch nationwide inspection

Weeks after a tragedy in The Gambia where children died reportedly after consuming made-in-India cough syrups, India’s drug regulating agencies have launched a nationwide inspection of production units manufacturing sub-standing medicines Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

Where is Tunisia headed after its latest elections?

A 91 percent abstention rate from Tunisia’s parliamentary elections indicates a growing gap between Tunisians and the North African country’s politics. Click here to read…

A shift in the US perspective on Africa

China was the elephant in the room as the Biden administration sought to regain trust among African leaders gathered in Washington this week. Analysts say the US made some progress to that end. Click here to read…

NEWS

US, Africa seal $15 billion in trade investments during Washington summit

The United States committed to $15 billion worth of two-way trade deals with several countries in Africa during a summit in Washington this week, the White House said on WednesdayClick here to read…

US-Africa Leadership Summit: Nigeria & Rwanda become first African signatories of Artemis Accords on space collaboration

Nigeria and Rwanda became the first African signatories of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-led Artemis Accords on space collaboration, according to statement by the US White House December 13, 2022. Click here to read…

Battle for African Union leadership plays out at US-Africa Summit

With East Africa in line to select the AU chairman at its next annual leadership rotation in February, regional powerhouse Kenya is facing off with the island nation of Comoros. Click here to read…

Angola hosts 10th summit of the OACPS, represents 79 states

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states, which represents 79 countries, held its penultimate meeting in Angola’s capital Luanda on Friday. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Ramaphosa re-elected as leader of ruling ANC party

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party despite being mired in scandal and facing calls to step down as president. Click here to read…

Tunisian election, dismissed by Saied critics as charade, draws just 8.8% turnout

Only 8.8% of Tunisian voters cast ballots in Saturday’s parliamentary elections, authorities announced, after most political parties boycotted the vote as a charade aimed at shoring up President Kais Saied’s power. Click here to read…

Nigeria 2023: Will Nigerians see a peaceful transition of power?

Next year, Nigerians will go to the polls in what some regard as the most significant election for decades. Click here to read…

Biden backs African Union becoming permanent G20 member

US also pledges $165m to help support elections and good governance as African nations prepare to hold votes next year. Click here to read…

Biden announces presidential visit to Africa next year

President Biden announced Thursday he would make his first presidential visit to Africa next year as he seeks to convince African leaders that the United States is serious about engaging them in international decisions and countering China’s rising influence in the region. Click here to read…

US Hits Zimbabwe President’s Son With Sanctions

The Biden administration on Monday slapped corruption sanctions on the son of Zimbabwe’s president as the U.S. prepares to host a major summit of African leaders in Washington. Click here to read…

DR Congo floods leave more than 120 dead in Kinshasa

More than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, the authorities say. Click here to read…

Uganda to nationalise electricity utility as private contracts conclude

The government of Uganda is to form the Uganda National Electricity Company Ltd after contracts with Eskom and Umeme come to their conclusion. Click here to read…

Sudan, Ethiopia joint committee discusses railway connecting two countries

The Sudanese-Ethiopian Joint Technical Committee held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility study of a railway project linking the two neighbouring countries. Click here to read…

North gets lion’s share as Nigeria, US sign energy deal

At least 360 rural communities and 16 others have been earmarked nationwide for the construction of 5,000MW of solar power generation and 2,500MWh of battery energy storage power plants. Click here to read…

1st African Country to Provide Military Support To Ukraine, Morocco Could Send T-72 Tank Spare Parts To Kyiv

Morocco has reportedly decided to send military aid to Ukraine after the US secretly convinced Rabat to transfer spare parts for T-72 tanks to Kyiv. If true, this would make Morocco the first African country to provide military assistance to Ukraine. Click here to read…

Guinea’s ex-military leader denies role in 2009 stadium massacre

Guinea’s ex-military leader Moussa Dadis Camara on Monday denied charges that he was responsible for a 2009 stadium massacre, as he took the stand for the first time in a long-awaited trial. Click here to read…

Libya PM admits role in Lockerbie suspect’s transfer

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbaiba has admitted that his administration was involved in the transfer of Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Kheir al-Marimi, a Lockerbie bombing suspect, to the United States last week. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso aware of the dangers of Wagner force -France

France’s foreign ministry said on Thursday the Burkina Faso government was fully aware of the risks of working with mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group after Ghana alleged on Wednesday that Ouagadougou had hired the group. Click here to read…

Uganda army says 11 Islamist militants killed in cross-border raid

A group of 11 Islamist militants based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were killed in clashes with Ugandan forces overnight during a cross-border raid, Uganda’s army said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Russian culture center head wounded in Central African Republic assassination attempt

The head of a Russian cultural center in the Central African Republic was taken to hospital in the capital Bangui on Friday after an assassination attempt, the Russian Embassy said. Click here to read…

Two UN peacekeepers shot dead near Timbuktu in Mali

An unidentified gunman has shot and killed two officers from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali while they were on patrol near the city of Timbuktu. Click here to read…

US gifts SAFE International patrol boat to Mozambique

As part of the U.S. commitment to assist Mozambique in stabilizing the conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado province, the U.S. government this week donated a patrol boat to the Mozambican navy. Click here to read…

Botswana Develops Security Strategy to Counter Terrorism Threat

Botswana is developing a national security strategy amid fears of heightened terrorism threats. Click here to read…

Bodies of 27 migrants, including children, found in Chad desert

The bodies of 27 migrants, including four children, have been found in the Chadian desert, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which said they died of thirst. Click here to read…

IMF Approves $3 Billion Loan to Egypt

The International Monetary Fund has approved a deal that will provide a USD 3 billion support package to cash-strapped Egypt over a period of almost four years. Click here to read…

Ghana expects $3 bln IMF loan approval early in 2023

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is poised to lend Ghana $3 billion as the African nation grapples with its worst economic crisis in a generation, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Body of Zambian national killed fighting in Ukraine returns home

The body of Lemekani Nathan Nyirenda, a fighter recruited by the mercenary group Wagner for combat operations in Ukraine, was returned to Zambia on Sunday. Click here to read…

Shell begins drilling offshore Namibia

Shell Upstream Namibia BV, a subsidiary of Shell Plc, is advancing drilling offshore Namibia with delivery of Northern Ocean Ltd.’s Deepsea Bollsta semisubmersible drilling rig. Click here to read…

Bangladesh could import gas from Mozambique

Bangladesh and Mozambique have the opportunities to increase bilateral trade, such as of agricultural products and fish, alongside tourism. Click here to read…

Microsoft targets internet expansion in Africa, longer-term cloud adoption

Microsoft targets internet expansion in Africa, longer-term cloud adoption. Microsoft Corp aims to secure internet access for 100 million more people in Africa by 2025, teaming up with a satellite provider and setting the stage for longer-term cloud adoption. Click here to read…

Visa Pledges to Invest $1 billion in Africa to Accelerate Digital Transformation

During US-Africa Business Forum, Visa outlines pledge to invest $1 billion in Africa by 2027 to scale operations, deploy new innovative technologies and deepen collaboration with partners. Click here to read…

Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister

Ali Larayedh, vice president of opposition Ennahdha party, is arrested days after Tunisia’s legislative elections. Click here to read…

Ruto pitches Kenya Airways sale to Delta

Kenyan President William Ruto reportedly has pitched a plan to Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) to save Kenya Airways (KQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) as the government seeks to divest entirely from the struggling carrier. Click here to read…

Sudan strikes deal with UAE firms for $6 billion port

Sudan’s military government signed a $6 billion preliminary agreement with two firms from the United Arab Emirates Tuesday to construct a new port on the Red Sea coast, Sudanese state media said. Click here to read…

In Kenya, Meta sued for $2B for fueling ethnic violence

A lawsuit filed in a Kenyan court on Wednesday accused Meta of fueling political unrest in Africa demanding that the company pay over $2 billion in victims funds and make significant improvements to its service.’ Click here to read…

Egypt: Fake antibiotics kill several children in Egypt

Several children have died in Egypt as a result of the use of fake antibiotics, reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Click here to read…

Fiery violence after France trounced Morocco wasn’t random hooliganism but an obligation

Football, was once with some consideration, described as “socialism without the politics.” Click here to read…

Fresh from World Cup game, France ends Morocco visa restrictions

France’s foreign minister Catherine Colonna said Paris has restored normal consular relations with Morocco following a year-long dispute linked to France’s decision to slash the number of visas for Moroccans visiting France. Click here to read…

France and Algeria mend ties after months long visa row

France said Sunday it had ended months of tensions over a visa dispute with Algeria, just days after Paris and Rabat made a similar announcement. Click here to read…

Kagame defends Africa’s right to a partnership with China

Rwandan President Paul Kagame was a vocal defender of Africa’s quest to expand its economic partnership with China, saying the continent has a right to seek partners and China is filling a gap for investment. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Serum Institute of India dispatches 40k doses of Ebola vaccine to Uganda

Oxford’s Ebola vaccine candidate has been shipped to Uganda, just 80 days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a Sudan Ebola virus outbreak. Click here to read…

India launches ‘Group of Friends’ to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers

India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are co-chairs of the ‘Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers’. Click here to read…

India Making for World! Modern Coach Factory receives order for AC coaches from Mozambique-PHOTOS

Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli district has received a repeat order for 10 second class AC sitting loco hauled coaches from Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM), Mozambique. Click here to read…

Banks Looking At Possibility Of Rupee Trade With Bangladesh, African Nations

India imported goods worth USD 3,520.83 million from Egypt, of USD 1,004.24 million from Algeria and USD 2,725.08 million from Angola in the last financial year. Click here to read…

India rupee settlement mechanism draws interest from more nations

India’s rupee trade settlement mechanism, a means of using rupees instead of dollars and other big currencies for international transactions, is attracting interest from more countries. Click here to read…

Africa struggling to reduce dependency on imported Indian rice

Outside Dak village in central Senegal women sing and dance as they scythe through rice stalks with sickle or knife. The harvest is under way in the west African nation, but there will not be enough for everyone. Click here to read…

India contests Africa child death charge

India’s top drug regulator has accused the World Health Organisation of relying on a “premature deduction” to assert earlier this year that contaminated Indian-made cough syrups had caused child deaths in the Gambia. Click here to read…

India says samples taken from pharma firm linked to Gambia deaths meet required standards

India has told the World Health Organization that samples taken from Indian pharmaceutical company Maiden Pharma, whose products were linked to the deaths of children in Gambia, have been found to comply with required specifications. Click here to read…

Gambia child deaths: WHO stands by ‘dangerous’ India cough syrup claim

The WHO has said it stands by its action after India said that four cough syrups linked to child deaths in The Gambia complied with specifications when tested at home. Click here to read…

Senegal struggles to break dependence on imported rice

Around the village of Dak in central Senegal, women cut rice stalks with sickles and knives, singing and dancing. In this West African country, which is a major consumer of the cereal, the current harvest will not cover all needs. Click here to read…

No speedy resolution in sight as Indian businesses await South African visas

Indian High Commissioner Jaideep Sarkar previously assured Indian heads of companies represented in South Africa that the matter was being addressed with that country’s authorities. Click here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

Reframing India-Africa Relations in Post-pandemic World

Africa has always been a foreign policy priority for India. However, the new Government under PM Narendra Modi has displayed unprecedented eagerness to deepen its age-old relationship with the African continent. Click here to read…

Why Is There So Much Turmoil in Eastern Congo?

More than 120 militia groups are wreaking terror in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which now accuses neighboring Rwanda of backing one particularly violent group. Click here to read…

NEWS

Kenya elections: Ruto, man of the people, vs Odinga, king-in-waiting

Can five times Presidential candidate Raila Odinga defeat William Ruto, the champion of Kenya’s “hustler nation”, in the country’s 9 August election? Click here to read…

Angola Election 2022: ‘Dirty tricks’ as election nears

Barely two months before the Angolan elections, the opposition has criticized the ruling MPLA party for seeking to weaken it with the help of the secret services. Click here to read…

Mali’s transition govt sets February 2024 for presidential election

The Malian government has adopted an electoral calendar for the transition three days before a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is due to consider the tough sanctions imposed on the junta in January. Click here to read…

West African states Gabon and Togo join Commonwealth

Gabon and Togo joined the Commonwealth on Saturday, becoming the latest nations with no historic ties to Britain to enter the English-speaking club headed by Queen Elizabeth II. Click here to read…

UN urges Libya’s rivals to agree on elections this week

The U.N. political chief urged Libya’s rival factions on Monday to agree on measures governing the transition to elections, Click here to read…

Drought, Famine-Like Conditions Mar Somalia’s 62nd Birthday

Somalis across the world marked 62 years of independence Friday with little jubilation and much concern about a future blackened by drought, food shortages, and inflation. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s draft constitution – what’s new, and why now?

Tunisia has published a draft constitution that would further expand the president’s powers and limit the role of the parliament, raising fears of the prospect of one-man rule in the country. Click here to read…

Ethiopian Government and TPLF Wrangle Over Peace Talks Mediation

Ethiopia’s ruling party said this week it wants the African Union, partnering with the United States, to mediate any peace talks to end the war with Tigrayan forces. Click here to read…

Sudan security forces skirmish with demonstrators after protest deaths

Sudanese security forces fired tear gas at protesters on Friday near the presidential palace in Khartoum, a day after nine people were reported killed during the largest anti-military rallies for months. Click here to read…

African Union urges calm in Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute

The African Union says it is deeply concerned by “the escalating military tension” between Ethiopia and Sudan after seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian were killed in a border dispute. Click here to read…

MONUSCO calls on Rwanda, DR Congo to calm tensions fueling security crisis

The head of MONUSCO, the United Nations mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has appealed to both Rwanda and the DR Congo to calm tensions, Click here to read…

UN keeps peacekeepers in Mali as Russia and China abstain

The U.N. Security Council voted Wednesday to maintain the U.N. peacekeeping mission in turmoil-wracked Mali. Click here to read…

China’s pivotal role under scrutiny as Zambia seeks debt relief

Within months of his election last year, Zambia’s president Hakainde Hichilema had succeeded in negotiating a $1.4bn IMF bailout for the debt-stricken southern African country. Click here to read…

Nigerian governor lets residents carry guns for self-defense

A Nigerian governor has ordered the issuing of licenses so citizens can carry guns to defend themselves against armed groups, a first among the measures drawn up to defeat gunmen blamed for the deaths of thousands in the West African country’s troubled northern region. Click here to read…

Maasai plight in Tanzania shows ‘colonial’ roots of conservation

Violence broke out between protesters and security forces in Tanzania in recent weeks as the government moved in to implement a controversial plan for a game reserve. Click here to read…

More than 20 Migrants Die in Effort to Enter Spanish Enclave in Africa

The deaths occurred during an attempted mass crossing by 2,000 people over border fences into Melilla. Several human rights groups have called for an investigation. Click here to read…

Cameroon’s separatists suspected of rural attack killing 30

Suspected separatist rebels in western Cameroon attacked rural villages, killing at least 30 people, say health workers in the Akwaya district. Click here to read…

Polish citizen kidnapped in eastern province of Burkina Faso freed

The Ministry of Defense was able to free a hostage of Polish origin who was kidnapped on the Matiakoali-Kantchari (east) road on April 27, 2022 (…) while on his way to Niger,” Kaboré said at the end of the council of ministersClick here to read…

Egypt makes largest wheat purchase in 10 years as food insecurity increases

According to Bloomberg, the country’s grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), bought 815,000 tonnes of wheat yesterday, taking advantage of a recent price slump. Click here to read…

Angolan President Vows Big Infrastructure Projects Ahead of Vote

Angolan President Joao Lourenco has pledged to erect big infrastructure projects, including multi-billion dollar solar parks, if he gets re-elected at the helm of Africa’s second-biggest oil producer. Click here to read…

Ghana to make U-turn and ask IMF for help for its economy

Until now, Ghana had refused to seek IMF support to rescue an economy crippled by the pandemic, rampant inflation and a depreciating currency. Click here to read…

Nigeria gets new chief justice amid ‘all-time’ low judicial trust

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in a new acting chief justice, barely hours after the resignation of the previous one. Click here to read…

Mozambique: Thousands flee violence in Cabo Delgado

Hundreds of families have been displaced as Islamist insurgents step up attacks on villages in northern Mozambique. DW correspondent Adrian Kriesch visited the Cabo Delgado region and spoke to civilians fleeing the ongoing violence. Click here to read…

DRC buries murdered independence hero Lumumba’s remains

The family of Democratic Republic of Congo’s murdered independence hero Patrice Lumumba has buried his only known remains, a tooth, in the capital Kinshasa, 61 years after his death at the hands of Belgian-backed secessionist rebels. Click here to read…

De Beers, Botswana extend diamond sales deal by a year

De Beers Group said on Wednesday that it had agreed with the government of Botswana to extend by one year an agreement for the sale of rough diamonds from their joint venture, Debswana. Click here to read…

Russia’s Wagner group in Mali spurs refugee spike in Mauritania

Malians are fleeing to nearby Mauritania to escape from bandits, fighters, the army and now Russian operatives. Click here to read…

Why Rwanda doesn’t celebrate Independence Day

On July 1, Rwanda marks 60 years of independence from Belgium. Unlike other African countries that celebrate with pomp and festivities, Independence Day in Rwanda is a somewhat muted affair. Click here to read…

Burundi celebrates 60 years of independence in Bujumbura

Burundi celebrated the 60th anniversary of its independence in Bujumbura with a military parade and guests of honor from around the world. Click here to read…

Independent Algeria turns 60, but colonial-era wounds remain

Algeria marks 60 years of independence from France on Tuesday, but rival narratives over atrocities committed during more than a century of colonial rule still trigger bitter diplomatic tensions. Click here to read…

Four goals for Africa at Japan’s TICAD8 in Tunis

“Africa, a shining continent full of dynamic growth, is no longer a recipient of ‘aid’,” former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said in a 2014 speech from Addis Ababa. Click here to read…

Germany hands over two Benin bronzes to Nigeria

Germany has physically handed over two Benin bronzes and put more than 1,000 other items from its museums’ collections into Nigeria’s ownership. Click here to read…

70-yr British colonial rule left Botswana in a humiliating position: Prez

In remembrance of Sir Seretse Khama, the founding President of Botswana, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has urged the southern African nation to cherish the values of unity, freedom and peace that he strived and stood for. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

President of India greets Madagascar on its 62nd Independence Day

On the occasion of Madagascar’s 62nd Independence Day, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind greeted President Andry Nirina Rajoelina on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Ethiopia to Rwanda, Senegal to Mozambique — India deepens its commitment to African continent

India’s diplomatic outreach to Africa continues with the ongoing visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Rwanda for the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Click here to read…

India plans to build HAL Tejas fighter jet manufacturing line in Egypt

Besides offering Tejas Mk1A to Egypt, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has also introduced its range of indigenous helicopters such as the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Light Combat Helicopters (LCH). Click here to read…

India and Egypt work towards building strategic relationship with focus on defence & security

From holding joint military exercises to exporting wheat as Russia and Ukraine stop supplies, New Delhi and Cairo are redrawing their relationship as geopolitical tensions rise. Click here to read…

India Lesotho Business Council launched

India Lesotho Business Council has been launched by the Indian Economic Trade Organization and the High Commission of Lesotho to accelerate the trade relationships between both countries. Click here to read…

Mauritius regulator clarifies cap gains booked by PEs in India won’t be taxed

MRA clarified that any income which is distributed by a foreign “fiscally transparent entity” will retain its initial character in Mauritius. Thus, capital gains booked by a PE Fund in India, where a Mauritius vehicle has invested, will remain capital gains when funds are distributed by the PE to the Mauritius entity. Click here to read…

Renowned Entrepreneur & Producer Krishna Pimple To Boost Indian & Tanzania’s Relationship With Music

Known for producing films like Abhi Abhi, Choukat, Gharat, Krishna Pimple entered the film industry with ISIS: Enemies of Humanity. He is now gearing up for the release of as many as 11 upcoming short films and movies which include names like ‘Kashmir: The Final Resolution’. Click here to read…