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

COMMENTARY

The returning of Africa and Europe’s ghosts

The time has come for the restitution of African art and artefacts looted in the colonial era and selfishly kept in Europe’s museums and universities. Click here to read…

A moment of opportunity: Can the UN’s new special representative for Libya break the country’s cycle of devolution?

While a precarious ceasefire has uneasily prevailed in Libya since the end of its third bout of civil war in 2020, the country is increasingly showing signs of an eventual relapse into conflict today. Click here to read…

NEWS

Trudeau at French-speaking summit in Tunisia amid ‘battle of influence’ for Africa

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began a brief visit to Africa on Saturday as part of what his foreign affairs minister described as a fight for power on the continent between democratic and authoritarian statesClick here to read…

Leaders of French-speaking countries hold summit in Tunisia

Leaders of French-speaking countries gathered Saturday on a Tunisian island to discuss debt relief, migration, food and energy shortages amid a soaring cost-of-living crisis across Africa, Europe and the Middle East due to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Click here to read…

Thousands displaced as M23 rebels near key DRC city of Goma

Fighting between the M23 and the DRC army has led to a looming humanitarian crisis as thousands have been displaced in the country’s volatile east. Click here to read…

Kenya sends 1st batch of troops to rebel-hit eastern Congo

Kenyan troops deployed under the banner of a regional bloc arrived Saturday in troubled eastern Congo, where government forces are battling a violent rebel group that now controls some territory. Click here to read…

UN extends Somalia arms embargo amid government dissatisfaction

The United Nations Security Council has voted to maintain an arms embargo on Somalia over strong objections from its government, saying al-Shabab still seriously threatens peace and stability in the region and sanctions are needed to degrade its activities. Click here to read…

Angry protesters try to storm French Embassy in Burkina Faso

Police in Burkina Faso fired tear gas on Friday to disperse angry protesters who attempted to storm the French embassy in the capital Ouagadougou, local media reported. Click here to read…

Sudan’s difficult path to democratic transition

Over the past few weeks, the calls from protesters in Sudan have become louder. Carrying signs that say “Volker out!” and “No to foreign interference,” thousands of Sudanese people have indicated that they would like to see the back of German diplomat Volker Perthes, who heads the United Nations’ Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS). Click here to read…

Equatorial Guinea’s Obiang: World’s longest-serving president eyes re-election

The world’s longest-serving president is seeking re-election to continue his 43-year rule in Equatorial Guinea. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 80, has presided over a regime marked by alleged human rights abuses including torture and disappearances. Click here to read…

First international aid arrives in Ethiopia’s Tigray since ceasefire

Ethiopia’s Tigray region on Tuesday welcomed the first international aid delivery since a truce to end fighting, with the International Committee of the Red Cross driving two medical trucks to the capital of the war-ravaged area.Click here to read…

Ethiopia govt says aid flowing to Tigray but rebels deny

The restoration of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the region is one of the key planks of a peace deal between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to end two years of brutal war in northern Ethiopia. Click here to read…

UK withdraws troops from Mali early blaming political instability

The UK is withdrawing troops from Mali earlier than planned due to political instability in the country, Defence Minister James Heappey has said. Click here to read…

Germany deliberates pulling out of UN’s Mali mission

Germany’s government is heatedly debating whether to withdraw troops from the United Nation Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Click here to read…

Libya risks partition amid delayed elections: UN envoy

There is a risk that Libya may be partitioned almost a year after the postponement of elections, the country’s U.N. envoy warned Tuesday. Click here to read…

Somalia: Overcoming Somaliland’s Worsening Political Crisis

Somaliland is going through considerable political turmoil. The government and opposition disagree over the sequencing of two forthcoming high-stakes elections, and both sides are digging in. International partners should push the two sides to reach consensus, while standing by to mediate if talks fail. Click here to read…

EU Eyes ‘Military Partnership Mission’ for Niger

The European Union aims to set up a “military partnership mission” in the coming months to help bolster Niger’s forces as they battle jihadists, a senior EU official said Friday. Click here to read…

UN extends Central African Republic peacekeeping mission

The UN Security Council extended the nearly 17,500-strong UN peacekeeping mission in the troubled Central African Republican for a year on Monday, with Russia, China and Gabon abstaining. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast to withdraw from UN peacekeeping mission in Mali

Ivory Coast will gradually withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali by August 2023, according to an official letter seen by AFP Tuesday. Click here to read…

Nigerian soldier kills aid worker, injures UN helicopter pilot

A Nigerian soldier has shot and wounded a United Nations helicopter co-pilot then killed a humanitarian worker and a fellow soldier at a military base in northeastern Nigeria. Click here to read…

Seven terrorists killed in Niger, 18 hoodlums arrested

The Niger State Police Command said it has killed seven terrorists in a joint effort with some vigilantes in the Kumbashi town of Mariga Local Government Area of the state. Click here to read…

US Africa Command Carries Out A Strike In Somalia; 17 Al-Shabaab Terrorists Eliminated

US Africa Command has released a statement saying that US military conducted a strike on Wednesday to neutralise Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia. Click here to read…

Kenya’s mounting Chinese debts causing serious consequences: Report

Kenya is going through an economic emergency due to mounting Chinese debts leading many to believe that the successive Kenyan governments have over-borrowed for over-priced projects. Click here to read…

China’s Xi says wants to strengthen solidarity, cooperation with Senegal, Africa

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China will continue to support Senegal’s infrastructure construction, Chinese state media reported. Click here to read…

China is willing to continue to work hand in hand with Senegal: Xi

China is willing to continue to work hand in hand with Senegal on the road toward development and revitalization and support each other on issues involving each other’s sovereignty, security and development interests, said Chinese President Xi Jinping. Click here to read…

South Africa: Ramaphosa panned as Beijing grabs lion’s share of major road deal

Three Chinese corporations, two of which are state-owned, have just bagged the lion’s share of South Africa’s coveted road construction deal, which prompted domestic local bidders to demand that President Cyril Ramaphosa explain why they were given the cold shoulder. Can their reaction be dismissed as sour grapes, or do they have justified suspicions? Click here to read…

Tunisia, France ink financing agreement worth 200 mn euros

Tunisia and France have signed a 200-million-euro (about $206.9 million) deal to meet Tunisia’s financing needs on the sidelines of the 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie. Click here to read…

Belarus views Sudan as gateway to other African countries

Belarus has been actively developing relations with African countries in recent years, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko said. Click here to read…

Chad agrees debt plan with creditors, including Glencore

Chad has reached an agreement with its creditors, including Swiss commodities trader Glencore, paving the way for more funding from the International Monetary Fund, but stopping short of reducing the central African country’s $3 billion in external debt. Click here to read…

IMF says Chad debt deal cuts risks, protects against oil price fall

The head of the International Monetary Fund on Sunday welcomed a long-awaited debt deal by Chad’s creditors and said it would reduce the African country’s risk of debt distress while guarding it against downside risks, including lower oil prices. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Ramaphosa focuses on the poor as he seeks ANC re-election

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the plight of poor South Africans left out of nearly three decades of post-apartheid prosperity, he promised on Sunday ahead of a governing party election that will decide if he can run for a second term. Click here to read…

Interpol issues arrest warrant for Angola’s Isabel dos Santos, Lusa reports

Global police agency Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for Angolan billionaire and daughter of the country’s former president Isabel dos Santos, Portugal’s Lusa news agency reported on Friday. Click here to read…

Ethiopia is now the largest Economy in East Africa : Abiy

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday alleged that Ethiopia has managed to become the largest economy in the East Africa region and the third giant in sub-Saharan Africa. Click here to read…

Ghana president fires junior finance minister over mining expose

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has sacked Charles Adu Boahen, the minister of state for finance, the presidency said on Monday. Click here to read…

Zambia seeks answers from Russia after national dies in Ukraine war -foreign minister

Zambia has asked Russia to explain how one of its citizens who had been serving a prison sentence in Moscow ended up on the battlefield in Ukraine, where he was killed, Zambia’s foreign affairs minister said on Monday. Click here to read…

Uganda’s President Museveni slams ‘Western double standards’ over coal mine plans

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has slammed Western countries over what he calls a “reprehensible double standard” in their response to the energy crisis brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

British ship brings first gas exports from Mozambique to Europe

BP has begun shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Mozambique’s vast new reserves, opening up supplies that could help ease Europe’s energy crunch. Click here to read…

Military Drills in Gas-Rich Algeria Put Focus on Russian Ties

Algeria and Russia began their first joint military exercises on Algerian soil amid Western concerns over Moscow’s deepening ties with the North African nation that’s a key energy supplier for Europe. Click here to read…

Nigeria-Morocco sign gas pipeline deal

A new energy-supply route for West Africa and Europe is on the horizon as Nigeria and Morocco sign an agreement that inches a long-standing proposal for a gas pipeline between the two countries closer to reality. Click here to read…

Benin tests power of a rural mini-grid with 1.7 MW solar project

Together they will work on a mini-grid project to provide electricity in 12 rural localities, including 3 MWh of battery capacity that will supply more than 5,000 homes and businesses with electricity and that should be completed within a year. Click here to read…

Africa Primed to Become Global Green Hydrogen Leader, Landmark Masdar Report Finds

Africa could capture as much as 10 percent of the global green hydrogen market, helping to create up to 3.7 million jobs and adding as much as US$120 billion to the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to a landmark report issued jointly by Masdar. Click here to read…

UN plans further Russian fertiliser exports to Africa, upbeat on ammonia pipeline

A U.N. official on Friday said she hoped that a shipment of Russian fertiliser exports to Malawi would lead to a further easing of a 300,000 tonne backlog in European ports, as the global body works to address Russian concerns that have threatened a Black Sea grains export deal. Click here to read…

Morocco, Djibouti to bolster cooperation in merchant marine

Morocco and Djibouti signed, Monday in Rabat, a cooperation agreement aimed at developing maritime relations between the two countries and at ensuring better coordination of bilateral maritime traffic and related maritime transport. Click here to read…

Orange launches 5G in Botswana

Orange has announced that its Botswana affiliate is the first on the African continent to offer 5G services. Orange Botswana launched 5G on November 11, 2022 with coverage in grater Gaborone and Francistown, offering 30% of the population with coverage. Click here to read…

Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone signs $500 mln contract for container handling terminal

Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone has signed a $500 million contract with the Suez Canal Container Company (SCCT) to establish a second container handling terminal in East Port. Click here to read…

The first satellites launched by Uganda and Zimbabwe aim to improve life on the ground

When Uganda’s very first satellite was launched into space last week on Nov. 7, Bonny Omara, the lead engineer on the satellite development team, was filled with emotion. Click here to read…

Air Zimbabwe Hopeful of Getting Back Into IATA

Officials at Air Zimbabwe remain optimistic about a possible return to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which imposes industry policies and standards that promote safe, secure, and economical air travel operations. Click here to read…

Rwanda Secures €46 Million to Implement Climate Pledges

Rwanda has launched a €46 million facility that will finance government institutions working to implement Rwanda’s climate action plan, also known as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.Click here to read…

Cameroon celebrates the legacy of cotton

In Cameroon, fashion week has kicked off in Yaoundé with an urban parade dedicated to the celebration of cotton. Click here to read…

Will cooperation between Israel and Morocco make world greener?

For years, Morocco has worked to become an international leader in renewable energy. Click here to read…

COP27 | India, China, Brazil, South Africa oppose ‘carbon border tax’

With the 27 th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP) in Sharm El Sheikh nearing its final stages and efforts being ramped up to arrive at a conclusive agreement, a consortium of countries that includes India has jointly stated that carbon border taxes, that could result in market distortion and aggravate the trust deficit amongst parties, must be avoided. Click here to read…

Gabon Targets a Huge Payday With Carbon Credits

The African nation of Gabon, one of the most densely forested on earth, is launching the world’s biggest sale of carbon-offset credits. The plan could net the country billions of dollars and upend the fast-growing market for carbon credits. Click here to read…

Germany complains to Egypt over COP27 snooping: report

The German embassy in Cairo accused Egyptian security officials of monitoring and filming events at the German pavilion in the climate conference venue. Berlin has used its presence to highlight human rights issues.Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Coherent response required to defeat terrorism in Africa: India at UN

India on Thursday, reiterated that a strong response reflecting the international community’s collective commitment is required for defeating terrorism in Africa. Click here to read…

ISA launches Solar X Grand Challenge in Africa to ease deployment

Through this, ISA seeks to create a group of entrepreneurs who will create locally relevant business models and a pipeline of projects. Click here to read…

Beta Group to invest $100 million in Guinea-Bissau in cashew biz

Beta Group, the Kerala-based food company, which owns the Nut King brand, will be setting up an industrial unit in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau for cashew business. Click here to read…

India promises to deepen cooperation with Seychelles, says diplomat

Connectivity, trade and cooperation between Seychelles and India will be taken further, the newly accredited Indian High Commissioner said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Nigeria, India plan Jt fight against drugs

As many as 798 Nigerian nationals have been arrested across India in 2021 for their involvement in drug trafficking, cheating, forgery, violation of Foreigners Act among other crimes in India. The highest number of cases at 245 were related to drug trafficking, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 2021. Click here to read…

Mauritius-Hong Kong tax deal signed: HK funds may come to India via Mauritius

Hong Kong-based entities that put money into India may take an alternative route to invest into the country if a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) between Mauritius and Hong Kong comes through. Click here to read…

India and France carry out joint surveillance mission in Mozambique

India and France have jointly carried out a maritime surveillance mission in the Mozambique Channel using P-8I Poseidon and Falcon 50 aircraft. Click here to read…

Dharmendra Pradhan to inaugurate UNESCO India Africa Hackathon on Nov 22

The Ministry of Education, Ministry of External Affairs, UNESCO and AICTE will jointly organize a four-day UNESCO India Africa Hackathon starting November 21 at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Click here to read…

Ship Carrying Detained Indian Sailors Handed Over To Nigeria, Says Minister

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that information received is that the ship has been handed over to Nigerian authorities and request will be made for consular access once it reaches the port. Click here to read…

Thanks to Namibia for cheetahs? India abstains on ivory trade vote

For the first time since joining the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) in 1976, India did not vote against a proposal seeking to re-open the ivory trade. Click here to read…

After India, Google Launches Crackdown on Illegal Loan Apps in Africa

After launching a crackdown on illegal loan apps in India, Google is looking to replicate the same in Kenya. The tech giant has ordered loan apps in Kenya to submit licenses for operations or get banned on the Play Store. Click here to read…

India-made Nissan Magnite Red Edition launched in South Africa

Three months after being launched locally, the India-made Nissan Magnite Red Edition has been launched in South Africa. It is available there only in the top-spec Acenta trim level with both MT and CVT transmission options. Click here to read…

How Indian Food Made A Place For Itself In Kenya

Indian traders have been living along the east coast of Africa for centuries. When Vasco da Gama was on his voyage to discover a sea route to India, he encountered Indian traders in Malindi, a coastal town in present day Kenya.Click here to read…

Indian-origin minor girl abducted in S Africa’s Cape Town, triggers protests by residents

The abduction of an eight-year-old Indian-origin girl in South Africa’s Cape Town and the alleged inaction of the police in probing the case has triggered protests by the residents of the city. Click here to read…

South African Indian-origin abducted girl found safe and unharmed

Cops could not confirm some reports that five suspects had been arrested during search operation which came after residents in the Cape Town suburb protested demanding action. Click here to read…

Narayan Murthy says death of Gambia children due to Indian cough syrup shameful

Infosys founder, Narayan Murthy says that the death of children in Gambia due to Indian cough syrup brings shame to the country. 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

India-Africa Defence Dialogue- A positive step towards strengthening the defence diplomacy

The DefExpo 2022 was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from October 18 to 22, 2022. During the meeting, the grandiosity of India’s flagship Land, Naval, and Homeland Security Systems exhibition ensured that DefExpo 2022 remains Asia’s most prominent defence exhibition. Click here to read…

Rishi Sunak’s Tanzanian roots amid post-independence ambitions in EA

The rise of Rishi Sunak as British Prime Minister ends as a beautiful story that started with political rejection in East Africa. Click here to read…

NEWS

New round of peace talks between Ethiopia, Tigray envoys

A new round of talks began Monday between Ethiopia’s government and Tigray regional representatives to work out military and other details of last week’s signing of a “permanent” cessation of hostilities in a two-year conflict thought to have killed hundreds of thousands of people. Click here to read…

Ethiopia and Tigray rebels sign peace deal roadmap

Commanders of both Ethiopian and Tigrayan forces reach agreement on how to implement a peace deal. It will allow for aid deliveries and the disarming of rebels within the coming days. Click here to read…

Niger: Opposition, civil society groups welcome end of French Barkhane operation

In Niamey, the Nigerien capital, reactions are mixed after the official announcement of the end of the operation of the French anti-jihadist Barkhane force, part of which has redeployed to Niger after leaving neighbouring Mali. Click here to read…

Central African Republic: MINUSCA Mandate Renewal

Tomorrow afternoon (14 November), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for another year, until 15 November 2023. Click here to read…

Pro-Coup Coalition Forms in Sudan, Hopes to Break Country’s Political Stalemate

In Sudan, armed groups and supporters of the military’s coup last year have formed a new political coalition to appeal to marginalized groups. Calling itself the “Forces for Freedom and Change – Democratic Bloc (FFC-DB),” the pro-coup group wants to replace the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) group, which has opposed military rule. Click here to read…

Fighting picks up between M23 and Congolese army in eastern Congo

Fighting picked up on Friday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army, a rebel leader, military sources and civilians told Reuters. Click here to read…

Tunisia: Ennahda condemns official ‘courtesy’ towards Israel at COP27

Tunisia’s Ennahda movement has criticised the “courtesy” shown by Tunisian officials towards Israel, with some calling for normalisation of relations, Al-Quds Al-Arabi has reported. This, said Ennahda, confirms the “insincerity” of President Kais Saied’s oft-repeated slogan that “normalisation is high treason”.Click here to read…

Rising tensions between Rwanda and DRC jeopardise prospects for peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region

The province of North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing significant instability due to the resurgent March 23 Movement (M23), which has resumed clashes with the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in the territories of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo since June 2022. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s new transitional legislature takes office

The 71 deputies appointed to Burkina Faso’s new Transitional Legislative Assembly (TLA) took office on Friday, more than a month after the coup d’etat that brought Captain Ibrahim Traore to power. Click here to read…

El Burhan Speech to Sudan Military Dubbed ‘Political Posturing’

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces and leader of the October 2021 coup d’état, Abdelfattah El Burhan, confirmed that meetings about a new political framework for the country are being held on Sunday, provoking strong reactions. Click here to read…

France calls time on anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane in Sahel

President Emmanuel Macron has formally ended France’s decade-long operation to fight Islamist insurgents in the Sahel. Click here to read…

US offers $10 million reward for leads on Somalia’s Al-Shabaab leaders

The United States said Monday it was increasing its reward for information about key leaders of Somalia’s Al-Shabaab to $10 million apiece, a move that follows a spate of deadly attacks by the jihadist group. Click here to read…

Ghana’s finance minister set to present budget despite calls for dismissal

Ghana’s embattled finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta plans to present his 2023 budget statement this month, a ruling party official said on Friday, despite demands by ruling party and opposition figures that he resign. Click here to read…

World leaders expected in Tunisia for 18th Francophonie Summit

World leaders are expected to start arriving in Tunisia’s southern island of Djerba for the 18th Francophonie Summit, which will be held from November 19-20. Click here to read…

Mozambique Exports First LNG to Help Ease European Crunch

Mozambique flagged off its first shipment of liquefied natural gas, exports that could help ease Europe’s energy crunch as Russia squeezes supplies. Click here to read…

Tanzania to Sign Key $40 Billion LNG-Project Accords Next Month

Tanzania will sign key agreements with oil majors including Equinor ASA and Shell Plc next month to pave the way for a planned $40 billion liquefied natural gas export project Click here to read…

Why Washington Needs A Friendlier Approach To This Major Gas Producer

In September, a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives called on the U.S. Secretary of State to impose sanctions on the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria (“Algeria”), claiming that a $7 billion arms deal with Russia violated the 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Click here to read…

Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2022 to Unlock the Potential of Angola’s Deepwater Basins

Angola’s deepwater market success continues to shine a spotlight on the country’s untapped oil and gas potential. Click here to read…

Nigeria: 26 sailors charged for attempting to steal crude oil, vessel seized by Navy

26 crew members including 16 Indian and eight Sri Lankan sailors of an oil vessel have been detained and handed over to the Nigerian Navy for alleged oil theft. Click here to read…

Uganda Says Airforce Destroyed Islamic State-Linked Rebel Camp

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said his nation’s airforce had attacked and destroyed a camp in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo that was housing Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces. Click here to read…

ACP-EU Partnership: EU and Togo talk economic governance and security, among others

On Monday, November 7, 2022, Lomé hosted the first session of the partnership dialogue between Togo and the European Union (EU) within the framework of the new Partnership Agreement between the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) and the European Union (OACPS-EU). Click here to read…

Togo: In 2023, the government will pay special attention to inflation

The government of Togo will keep paying special attention to inflation in the coming months. The authorities said this last Friday, November 11, after the council of ministers held that day. Click here to read…

Italy: Refugee camps can be set up in Libya similar to ones in Turkey

Refugee camps, similar to the ones in Turkey, could also be in Libya and other countries where migrants leave for European shores, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told the press on Sunday. Click here to read…

Commonwealth Secretariat mission to visit Zimbabwe

The delegation’s visit is a part of the informal process of assessment regarding Zimbabwe’s request for re-admission into the Commonwealth. Click here to read…

Kenyans to enter South Africa visa-free from January

The presidents of South Africa and Kenya said Wednesday they have resolved a long-standing visa dispute and Kenyans will be able to visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days in a calendar year. Click here to read…

Lesotho Names First Female Central Bank Head as Finance Minister

Lesotho’s former central bank governor, Retselisitsoe Matlanyane, was appointed finance minister in the southern African nation’s new government. Click here to read…

Amnesty: Egypt has days to save jailed activist’s life

Amnesty International’s head on Sunday warned that the proceedings of COP27 in Egypt could be stained by the death of one of the country’s leading rights activists from a hunger and water strike in prison if Egyptian authorities do not release him within days. Click here to read…

Zambia plans to establish climate financing vehicle

Zambia plans to establish a robust national climate financing vehicle aimed at supporting the process of institutionalizing a climate resilient economy, a government official said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Africa launches new framework to support growth of carbon credits production, create jobs, protect biodiversity

Africa launched a new framework to support growth of carbon credits production, create jobs and protect biodiversity in the continent – the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI). Click here to read…

Uganda confirms Ebola case in country’s east as outbreak expands

An Ebola case has been confirmed in Jinja in eastern Uganda, the country’s health minister said on Sunday, the first time the outbreak has spread to a new region of the country from central Uganda where cases have been confined so far. Click here to read…

Last apartheid leader De Klerk’s Nobel Prize stolen in South Africa

The Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to South Africa’s last apartheid president, FW de Klerk, was stolen from his Cape Town home six months ago. Click here to read…

Digital Benin project reunites bronzes looted by British soldiers

Cheerfully gnashing their magnificent fangs as they stand side by side, the two bronze leopards look back on a journey that was as adventurous as it was cruelly absurd. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Balasubramanian accredited as India’s permanent representative to economic community of West African states

G. Balasubramanian has been concurrently accredited as the next Permanent Representative of India to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Click here to read…

South African Customs Union emerges as key trade partner for India: Report

A Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between India and the South African Customs Union countries will enhance future partnerships as the region has emerged as an important partner for India, both as an export destination and an import source, according to a report from the India Exim Bank. Click here to read…

India Deploys P-8I Aircraft At France’s Reunion Island For Third Time In Three Years As China Increases Presence In Western Indian Ocean

An Indian P-8I aircraft has been deployed to the island for the third time ifour years. A P-8I aircraft of the Indian Navy participated in a joint patrol with France from Réunion Island in 2020. Click here to read…

India has an invite to mine natural resources from oil-to-gold in Central African Republic

Landlocked in the heart of Africa, Central African Republic that is comparable to the size of Ukraine has the largest reserve of iron ore in the world and the best quality of rare wood and timber across the globe. Click here to read…

Wipro appoints Warren Zambelli as MD for Africa, Simmi Dhamija as COO for APMEA

Wipro, on Wednesday, announced the appointment of Warren Zambelli as Managing Director for Africa, and Simmi Dhamija as the Chief Operating Officer for APMEA (Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa). Click here to read…

A New Era of India-Africa Defense Cooperation

As India moves towards becoming a major exporter of defense products, achieving the target of exporting $5 billion by 2025, Africa will play a crucial role in realizing this goal. Click here to read…

India calls for early resolution as detained ship with 16 Indian sailors onboard reaches Nigeria

Days after 16 Indian sailors in the custody of Equatorial Guinea’s navy appealed to the Indian government to help them return home, Equatorial Guinea’s neighbour Nigeria released a detailed statement with fresh allegations and counter-clarifications. Click here to read…

Vijayan writes to Modi for help in releasing Indians held hostage in Africa

Some of the hostages have sent desperate videos home saying they were herded into a small room and regular food and water have become a luxury for them. Click here to read…

16 Indian sailors detained in Equatorial Guinea cry for help, send out SOS

A crew of 16 Indian sailors, who are stuck in Equatorial Guinea, have flagged an SOS for help. The crew have been detained in the region for over 80 days and they fear arrest by the Nigerian Navy. 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

DefExpo 2022 paves the way for a new golden era of India-Africa defence cooperation

The DefExpo 2022 took place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, between 18 and 22 October 2022. Initially scheduled to take place in March 2022, it was postponed due to logistic challenges. Click here to read…

In Zambia’s Reform Process, Political Parties Remain a Weak Link

In Zambia’s August 2021 elections, Hakainde Hichilema defeated then-incumbent President Edgar Lungu by a margin of over twenty percent. Lungu’s defeat and timely commitment to ensuring an orderly transition of power. Click here to read…

Thomas Sankara’s ghost haunts Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso, like the rest of West African countries lately, is becoming a geopolitical dilemma for Paris. As ex-President Thomas Sankara put it, ‘We must choose either champagne for a few or safe drinking water for all’Click here to read…

NEWS

Ethiopia Peace Deal Hailed as First Step to End Africa’s Deadliest Conflict

World leaders are reacting with cautious optimism after the announcement of a peace deal and a cease-fire between warring parties in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Click here to read…

Ethiopia: Peace agreement between Government and Tigray ‘a critical first step’: Guterres

A peace deal between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed on Wednesday in South Africa, represents “a critical first step” towards ending the brutal two year war, said the UN chief. Click here to read…

Guinea: Junta gives order to prosecute ex-president Alpha Condé

Guinea’s ruling junta on Thursday ordered prosecutors to take legal action against former president Alpha Conde (who was overthrown in a 2021 coup) and over 180 other officials and ex-ministers, notably for alleged corruption. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe: How Mnangagwa ‘crushed’ Chiwenga’s dream of becoming president

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has outmanoeuvred his deputy Constantino Chiwenga in the fierce battle to be the 2023 presidential candidate for the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu–PF). Click here to read…

Biden confirms that Burkina Faso is now on Russia’s side

The West’s attempt to hurt the economy of an African country just got unmasked with its sinister motives coming out in the open. The west is so blind in it obsessive fear of losing Africa to its nemesis, that it is willing to cause destruction. Click here to read…

US to Cut Burkina Faso from Africa Trade Program After Counter-Coup

The US said it will end Burkina Faso’s access to a preferential trade program for African countries, citing concern about unconstitutional changes in the nation’s government. Click here to read…

Pro-Coup Coalition Forms in Sudan, Hopes to Break Country’s Political Stalemate

In Sudan, armed groups and supporters of the military’s coup last year have formed a new political coalition to appeal to marginalized groups. Calling itself the “Forces for Freedom and Change – Democratic Bloc (FFC-DB),” the pro-coup group wants to replace the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) group, which has opposed military rule. Click here to read…

Sudan’s Burhan says political talks ongoing but Bashir loyalists not welcome

Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan confirmed on Sunday that talks on a new political framework for the country were being held, but he warned the former ruling party in harsh words not to interfere with the military or in politics. Click here to read…

E.Guinea accuses France, Spain, US of election ‘interference’

Equatorial Guinea on Sunday accused Spain, France and the United States of “interference” in its presidential and legislative elections scheduled for November 20. Click here to read…

Russia to send $100m in food and fuel to Mali, minister says

Mali expects Russia to send shipments of fuel, fertiliser and food worth around $100 million to Mali in the coming weeks, the West African country’s economy minister, Alousseini Sanou, says. Click here to read…

Burkina junta chief holds talks in Mali on first foreign trip

Burkina Faso’s new military leader on Wednesday visited Mali for his first foreign trip since taking power, holding what his Malian counterpart hailed as “fruitful” exchanges on peace and security. Click here to read…

Crisis in South Africa Shakes Up Politics Before Party Election

The economy is shrinking, power cuts are at a record, unemployment is close to an all-time high, living costs have surged, towns are falling apart and there are sporadic outbreaks of xenophobic violence. Click here to read…

800 schools forced to close in Niger

Hundreds of children, with their blue Unicef-stamped school bags on their backs, walk down small sand dunes to study on the outskirts of Ouallam, a town in southwestern Niger that has been plagued by jihadist violence for five years. Click here to read…

South Africa vows to support Western Sahara

South Africa has for decades been supporting the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara, a move that continues to anger Morocco which views this region as part of its territory. Click here to read…

Congo and Rwanda hold talks to resolve conflict in eastern Congo

Officials from Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda held talks on Saturday aimed at ending a political stand-off between the two countries caused by widespread conflict near their shared border. Click here to read…

Congolese diaspora in Rwanda backs ‘sincere dialogue’ to end tensions

The Congolese community living in Rwanda say they support peaceful means to the end of the conflict between the M23 rebels group and the Kinshasa government. Click here to read…

Cameroon’s Paul Biya marks 40 years as president

When Paul Biya first took the helm of Cameroon, Ronald Reagan was in his second year of presidency, Madonna had not yet made the charts and the Soviet Union was still nearly a decade away from break-up. Click here to read…

Sam Matekane – can a diamond magnate help Lesotho to sparkle?

Sam Matekane has taken many chances in his life – it is how he has been able to build a multimillion-dollar mining empire and become one of Lesotho’s most formidable businessmen. But those close to him say entering politics is by far his biggest gamble. Click here to read…

Leaders head to Algeria for first Arab League summit in two years

The first Arab League summit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is set to begin in Algeria, but political divisions continue to rankle among the regional organisation’s members. Click here to read…

Arab Tourism Organization honors Algerian leader for supporting industry

The Arab Tourism Organization has honored Algeria’s president for his country’s role in supporting the tourism industry in the Arab world. Click here to read…

New Tunisia electoral law ‘eliminates’ gender parity: HRW

New electoral changes, including ending public financing of campaigns, will make it difficult for women to run for office, critics say. Click here to read…

Turkey looks to sell armed drones to Libya

Ankara’s new deals with one of Libya’s rival premiers have inflamed the country’s internal rows, bringing the north African nation closer to acquiring armed drones. Click here to read…

Angola: The end of Isabel dos Santos at Unitel

The nationalisation of Unitel, the country’s main telephone operator, as decided by president João Lourenço, signals the exit of Isabel dos Santos and the general ‘Dino’ from a pillar of the Angolan economy. Click here to read…

Chinese builder completes US$1.5 billion deep water port in Nigeria

About 60km (37 miles) east of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, China Harbour Engineering has finished building the US$1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port. Click here to read…

UK agrees to negotiate with Mauritius over handover of Chagos Islands

The UK has agreed to open negotiations with Mauritius over the future handover of the Chagos Islands, in a major reversal of policy following years of resistance and legal defeats in international courts. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe teachers hits back at Zanu-PF

TEACHERS unions have hit back at the ruling Zanu-PF’s accusations that they were being funded by “hostile” embassies to destabilise the country’s education system. Click here to read…

Oil theft: Vessel arrested in Equatorial Guinea is on its way back to Nigeria, says navy

The Nigerian Navy says it is conducting an investigation into the activities of MV HEROIC IDUN, a supertanker, arrested by Equatorial Guinea forces over alleged crude oil theft in Nigeria. Click here to read…

Mozambique to Export First Gas to Europe in November

Mozambique’s petroleum regulator, the National Petroleum Institute (INP), says the country is set to ship its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to the European market from the Coral Sul floating LNG facility by the end of October or early November this year. Click here to read…

After six years, UN climate summit returns to Africa

The 27th annual Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – better known as COP27 – will be held in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and begins next week. Click here to read…

COP27 shines spotlight on Egypt’s rights abuses

From a small blue tent pitched outside the UK’s Foreign Office, Sanaa al-Seif has been leading a one-woman protest in a bid to secure her brother’s release from an Egyptian jail as the Arab state prepares to host global leaders at the COP27 summit. Click here to read…

Egypt Eyes Diplomatic Payoff From Hosting COP27 Climate Summit

Authorities want to show “that Egypt is not an irrelevant country, that Egypt has the prowess, the diplomatic clout and the power, the security presence to be a pivotal figure”, a scholar said. Click here to read…

Two Million People Are Demanding Payment for Forest Preservation

Right now, countries and companies can get paid for all kinds of pollution-reducing initiatives, including lowering historic rates of deforestation or planting new trees. Click here to read…

Afreximbank plans $1.5 billion economic package for Botswana

The African Import and Export Bank (Afreximbank) plans a $1.5 billion economic package for Botswana to support key economic sectors such as mining, manufacturing, transport and agricultureClick here to read…

South Africa says it needs $84bln for energy transition in next 5 years

South Africa needs about 1.5 trillion rand ($84 billion) over the next five years for its plans to cut carbon emissions, harness economic opportunities from the energy transition and support affected communities. Click here to read…

EU signs six financing agreements with Mozambique

The European Union has signed six financing agreements with Mozambique. They are worth more than 148 million euros for development programs in the country. Click here to read…

Xi exchanges congratulations with Madagascar’s president over 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday exchanged congratulatory messages with President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s economic tilt towards Africa

AFRICA spreads over 30 million km2 which makes it the second largest continent of the planet earth. Africa is also the second most populous continent. The continent sits at the intersection of international commerce and is adjacent to critical sea lanes of communication. Click here to read…

Passengers stranded as Kenya Airways’ pilots strike

Kenya Airways (KQNA.NR) on Saturday warned its striking pilots they could be dismissed if they do not return to work immediately as industrial action led to the cancellation of dozens of flights and left thousands of passengers stranded. Click here to read…

15 People Killed In Alleged Suicide Bombing At Military Base In Somalia’s Capital

A sucide bomb killed over a dozen on 5 november at Somalia Military Base named General Dhagabadan militarya training facility. 15 people dead. Click here to read…

Somali Government Says 21 Al-Shabab Militants Killed

The Somali government Sunday said its elite soldiers have killed 21 al-Shabab militants and wounding 10 others in an operation in the country’s lower Shabelle region. Click here to read…

Police: 21 bodies found at mine in South Africa

South African police are investigating the discovery of at least 21 bodies suspected of being illegal miners that were found near an active mine in the town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg. Click here to read…

Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests and zebras dead in Kenya amid prolonged drought

Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests, and zebras have died across Kenya amid the nation’s longest drought in decades. Click here to read…

Tanzanian plane crash-lands into Lake Victoria, 19 passengers dead

A Precision Air flight, carrying 43 persons, made a crash-landing into Lake Victoria on Sunday while attempting to reach a nearby airport in Bukoba, Tanzania. Click here to read…

World’s largest uncut emerald unearthed in Zambia, reminds people of kryptonite

Guinness World Records (GWR) regularly keeps people updated about different amazing and extraordinary things. The latest inclusion in their list of things that may make your jaw drop in wonder is a piece of uncut emerald. Click here to read…

Uganda extends lockdowns as Ebola spreads

Uganda on Saturday extended a three-week lockdown on two districts at the center of an Ebola outbreak which has claimed over 50 lives, curbing travel and closing public places. Click here to read…

Africa lost its largest female Elephant

Wildlife authorities have confirmed Dida, Africa’s giant female elephant, died between 60 and 65 years old on Tuesday at a national park southeast of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Click here to read…

South Africa throws mega party as new Zulu king crowned

South Africa’s new Zulu King was formally declared the head of the country’s most influential traditional monarchy at a colorful ceremony presided over by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Indian Exim Bank Inks Pact With Southern Africa’s Leading Bank to Boost India-Africa Trade

Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) has concluded a Master Risk Participation Agreement for supporting trade transactions with FirstRand Bank (FRB) Limited. The agreement was signed in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the India – Southern Africa Regional Conclave. Click here to read…

India Could Emerge As Major Supplier Of Africa’s Defence Requirements: Report

The report by India Exim Bank released on Tuesday talks about various major areas of defence like aerospace, defence, maritime equipment and boats which can safeguard the security and boost Africa’s technological capability while accelerating India’s defence export target of USD 5 billion by 2025. Click here to read…

India could fulfill Africa’s maritime, aerospace and defence requirements: Exim Bank report

The report by India Exim Bank, titled ‘Reinvigorating India’s Economic Engagements with Southern Africa’, was released at the inauguration of the CII-Exim Bank Regional Conclave on India-Southern Africa Growth Partnership, where government officials and captains of business and industry are meeting on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of areas of potential cooperation. Click here to read…

Africa ‘major buyer’ of Indian arms

India has emerged as a leading defence exporter in recent years and could fulfil Africa’s maritime, aerospace and defence requirements, with Mauritius, Mozambique and Seychelles becoming the major buyers of Indian arms during 2017-2021, according to a research report released here. Click here to read…

Bharat sharpens focus on East Africa with new round of naval exercises

As it ended Saturday, the first-ever India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral (IMT TRILAT) maritime exercise began a new chapter in the Indian Navy’s growing efforts to enhance the security of the east coast of southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Region as a whole. Click here to read…

First India-Africa trilateral naval exercise ends

India has held its first-ever trilateral Navy exercise with Africa as part of initiatives to expand defence partnership with the continent. The Trilateral exercise comprising the Navies of India, Tanzania and Mozambique was held late last month. Click here to read…

4th India-Namibia Foreign Office Consultations

India and Namibia held the 4th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) on 3rd November 2022 in Windhoek, Namibia. Click here to read…

IFS Rajesh Ranjan named as next Indian envoy to Ivory Coast

Indian Foreign Service officer, Dr Rajesh Ranjan has been appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to the West African nation of Cote d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast. Click here to read…

Stalled gas supplies may be part of EAM’s Russia agenda

Mint reported earlier that India is in talks with Angola and Algeria to procure liquefied natural gas on long-term contracts and that it has also reached out to the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq at a government-to-government level to secure additional spot LNG cargoes at affordable prices. Click here to read…

Two Kochi natives and Vismaya’s brother among 16 ship crew detained by Guinea

Concerted efforts for the release of the 16 Indian crew of a ship detained by the Navy of Guinea, a West African nation, are on. 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

A new chapter in India-Africa relations?

The size and health of India’s US$3.5 trillion economy have made the country a force to be reckoned with in global affairs. It has surpassed the United Kingdom in size and looks set to outstrip Germany by 2028, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Click here to read…

Kenyan politics, hit squads and Indians gone missing: The story so far

After having a blast of a lifetime at a popular club in a posh residential neighbourhood of Nairobi, the duo came out and got into a cab. Minutes later, a vehicle, the ones used by the now disbanded Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ (DCI) Special Service Unit (SSU), blocked the cab.
Click here to read…

Turkey deepens its defence diplomacy in Africa

Sales of drones and other arms to African nations are booming after Turkey signed military cooperation deals with dozens of governments on the continent. DW examines why so many countries are turning to Turkey for arms.
Click here to read…

NEWS

Diamond magnate Sam Matekane takes over as Lesotho’s prime minister

Sam Matekane officially became Lesotho’s new prime minister on Friday, vowing to make the small southern African state “great again.” 64-year-old businessman formed his political party just 6 months before winning October elections.
Click here to read…

Burkina Faso: Apollinaire Kyélem de Tambèla, Captain Traoré’s surprise prime minister

A popular polemicist and convinced Sankarist without claiming it, Apollinaire Kyélem de Tambèla is known for his outspokenness and iconoclastic positions.
Click here to read…

US is now at Burkina Faso’s mercy in the Sahel region

There have been worries that Burkina Faso could follow the example of its neighbor Mali, which late last year hired mercenary fighters from the Russian Wagner organization to support its army’s efforts to combat Islamist insurgents.
Click here to read…

Burkina Faso not planning to hire Russia’s Wagner mercenaries like Mali

Burkina Faso’s interim President Ibrahim Traore has assured US diplomats that he has no intention of inviting mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group to fight militants in the country.
Click here to read…

US blames Russia’s Wagner Group for worsening security in Mali

Mali’s security situation has become “significantly worse” due to the ruling junta’s choices, including an alleged decision to partner with Wagner, a Russian private security firm, a senior US official said Wednesday.
Click here to read…

Sudan Islamists protest UN post-coup mediation, call for religious rule instead

Some 3,000 protesters in Khartoum on Saturday rejected UN mediation efforts between civilian and military leaders as “foreign interference” and called for religious rule in Sudan.
Click here to read…

US orders families of embassy employees to depart Nigeria due to heightened risk of terrorism

The State Department has ordered non-emergency US embassy employees and their family members in Abuja, Nigeria to leave the country “due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks there.”
Click here to read…

Arab League seeks new start for joint Arab action, says Algerian foreign minister

The Arab League is seeking a new start for joint Arab action and global developments should not affect the pursuit of solving Arab issues
Click here to read…

Senegal: NGOs urge Macky Sall to give up 3rd mandate

Several Senegalese organisations on Thursday urged President Macky Sall to dispel any doubts and openly declare that he would not run for his own succession in 2024, a candidacy they say could spread “chaos”.
Click here to read…

Ethiopia peace talks start in South Africa

The first formal peace talks aimed at ending two years of war between the Ethiopian army and forces from the country’s northern region of Tigray started in South Africa.
Click here to read…

Witnesses allege deadly abuses by Eritrean forces during Ethiopia peace talks

Even as Ethiopia’s warring sides attend their first formal peace talks in a devastating two-year conflict, witnesses in the country’s embattled Tigray region tell The Associated Press that forces from neighboring Eritrea are killing some civilians and looting as they and allied Ethiopian forces head for the regional capital.
Click here to read…

Western Sahara: Morocco Welcomes Adoption of Resolution 2654

Morocco welcomed on Thursday the adoption of Resolution 2654 by the Security Council, which renewed the mandate of peacekeeping operation MINURSO in Western Sahara to one year.
Click here to read…

Madagascar minister fired for voting against Russia’s Ukraine annexation

Madagascar’s president has fired his foreign affairs minister for voting at the United Nations to condemn Russian-organised referendums to annex four partially-occupied regions in Ukraine.
Click here to read…

Zimbabwe President Gets Ruling Party’s Backing for Another Term

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa secured his party’s backing to be its candidate in next year’s elections.
Click here to read…

Seychelles: President Ramkalawan Announced Members of the New Defence Forces Council

President Wavel Ramkalawan today announced and convened the first meeting of the Defence Forces Council, at State House. The new Council has been set up following the promotions and restructuring of the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF).
Click here to read…

UN Security Council to receive report on Abyei region

The United Nations Security Council will on Thursday receive a briefing on the Secretary-General’s most recent report on the world body’s peacekeeping force in Abyei (UNISFA), covering the period from 15 April to 3 October.
Click here to read…

US Embassy issues demonstration alert for Port Louis, Mauritius, Oct. 29. Increased security likely.

The US Embassy in Port Louis issued a security alert Oct. 28, warning of a demonstration in the city Oct. 29. The purpose of the action is to demand justice for the killing of a local politician. Organizers plan protests at Place d’Armes, near Rogers House, from 14:00.
Click here to read…

Ramaphosa Criticizes US Over South Africa Terror Warning

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa criticized the US for failing to discuss a terror alert issued by the American Embassy with local authorities.
Click here to read…

Uganda: Keep Private Sector Money Out of Politics, Govt Asked

Stakeholders have raised concern over the increased financing of politics by the private sector that they said in turn kills the public interest of service delivery.
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Rice shipment brings relief to shortage-hit Comoros

It’s late in the evening in the Comorian capital of Moroni but the city’s port is filled with eager faces. An 800-tonne rice shipment docked in the Indian Ocean archipelago and was offloaded on October 3.
Click here to read…

President of Guinea-Bissau visits Kyiv after trip to Moscow

President of Guinea-Bissau and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Umaro Sissoco Embalo arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Click here to read…

French-Australian veterinarian kidnapped in Chad

Jérôme Hugonot, a conservationist with dual French and Australian citizenship, has been kidnapped in north-eastern Chad and a search and rescue mission is under way, the Chad government has said.
Click here to read…

Two car bombs set off outside education ministry in Somalia; 100 dead, says President

Two car bomb explosions outside Somalia’s education ministry in its capital Mogadishu on Saturday left at least 100 people dead and 300 injured
Click here to read…

DR Congo expels Rwandan ambassador as M23 rebels seize towns

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government has ordered Rwandan Ambassador Vincent Karega to leave the country within 48 hours after accusing Kigali of supporting M23 rebels, who have seized two towns in the DRC’s east, raising tensions between the two countries.
Click here to read…

Burkina Violence Displaces 4,000 in Togo

More than 4,000 people have been displaced this year in northern Togo after the security climate worsened following jihadist attacks in neighboring Burkina Faso, the government said.
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Al-Qaeda Claims Deadly Attack In Burkina Faso

A powerful jihadist group has claimed responsibility for an attack Monday on an army base in northern Burkina Faso, adding it had also freed scores of prisoners in addition to killing 10 soldiers.
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Niger Lists 15 Anti-rebel Operations With French Forces

Nigerien and French forces staged 15 “joint operations” seizing arms and ammunition from jihadist insurgents along the African country’s volatile border with Mali from July to October, Niger’s army said Saturday.
Click here to read…

Saudi Fund for Development helps Comoros with $5m water project

A Saudi Fund for Development delegation laid the foundation stone for a $5 million water project in Moroni, Comoros.
Click here to read…

World Bank approves $275 million in development support for Zambia

The World Bank has approved US$275 million in assistance to help Zambia recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and deal with the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
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Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2022 to Examine Best Approaches for Angola to Achieve Fuel Self Sufficiency

The upcoming Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2022 conference and exhibition (https://bit.ly/3sButIz) which runs from November 29 – December 1, will explore the best approach Angola should implement to ensure fuel self-sufficiency.
Click here to read…

Guinea’s Colonel Doumbouya visits Sierra Leone

The leader of Guinea’s ruling junta, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, was greeted in Freetown during a visit to neighbouring Sierra Leone.
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Tanzanian President to visit China with focus on cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Samia Suluhu Hassan, president of the United Republic of Tanzania, will pay a state visit to China from November 2 to November 4.
Click here to read…

Turkey looks to sell armed drones to Libya

Ankara’s new deals with one of Libya’s rival premiers have inflamed the country’s internal rows, bringing the north African nation closer to acquiring armed drones.
Click here to read…

Burundi declares border with Rwanda open more than 5 years after closure

Burundi’s foreign affairs minister officially declared that the border between the East African country and Rwanda has been reopened.
Click here to read…

Tunisia could lose its World Cup spot weeks ahead of 2022 kick off

FIFA has sent a warning to the Tunisian Football Federation (TFF) stating that its participation at the World Cup could be threatened if government interference is found within the organisation
Click here to read…

Saudi, Algerian ministers discuss bilateral ties

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji met Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra in Algiers, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
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Ivory Coast and Ghana join hands to destroy western chocolate industry and reclaim the cocoa throne

There is a famous saying that ‘God helps those who help themselves’. Two African countries have after years of exploitation decided to catch the devil by its horns in order to do something against the injustice being done to their farmers at the hands of the western multinational corporations.
Click here to read…

Gas, the new deal for Mauritania

In just a year, production is due to commence on the $4.8bn Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas platform. It will be operated by the British oil giant BP and Kosmos Energy of the US.
Click here to read…

Biden to visit Egypt, Cambodia and Indonesia for COP27, Nov summits

US President Joe Biden, as part of his North Africa and Asia visit, will attend the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt and other November summits in Cambodia and Indonesia.
Click here to read…

Greenpeace accused of greenwashing Egypt’s image ahead of Cop27

Greenpeace has been accused by human rights defenders of “greenwashing” the Egyptian government’s image and discouraging other activists from forcefully raising the country’s abysmal human right record ahead of Cop27.
Click here to read…

Nearly 200 dead as Niger flooding death toll rises

Flooding caused by torrential rain in Niger has left 195 people dead and affected more than 322,000, an official toll showed on Saturday.
Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India-COMESA Trade Council office opened

The launch was announced in a release on the first India – COMESA trade conference here on Thursday, an event in which Ambassadors of Ethiopia, Malawi, Djibouti, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Sudan participated.
Click here to read…

Jaishankar meets his UK, Ghana, UAE counterparts, discusses ways to boost bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met his UK, Ghana, and UAE counterparts – James Cleverly, Shirley A Botchwey and Reem Al Hashimy respectively.
Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan underscores policy to deepen engagement with Africa

Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan underscored India’s policy to intensify and deepen its engagement with Africa at the Dakar Forum held in Senegal.
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India stands ready to support Africa on its developmental priorities: MoS V Muraleedharan

Mr Muraleedharan was on a two-day visit to Senegal from 24th of this month to participate in the 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security. Click here to read…

Indian Navy’s Goa Maritime Symposium to commence from Monday

The fourth edition of the Goa Maritime Symposium (GMS) is being conducted by the Naval War College (NWC) at Goa from 31 October to 1 November 2022.
Click here to read…

India Takes Part in Maiden Trilateral Maritime Exercise With Mozambique And Tanzania

The 1st edition of India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise between the navies of the respective countries commenced at Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on Oct 27.
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Navy holds drill with Mozambique,Tanzania

The first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT), a joint maritime exercise, concluded at Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
Click here to read…

INS Tarangini Departs Djibouti

INS Tarangini visited Port of Djibouti from 23 to 25 October 2022 as part of Lokayan 2022. High level interactions were undertaken with Djibouti Coast Guard during stay. The ship was also open to visitors and a guided tour of ship was organised to help visitors understand the nuances of life onboard a ‘Tall Ship’.
Click here to read…

With India’s generous help, Morocco will be providing “green energy” to Europe

Indian business tycoon Gautam Adani is holding talks with the Moroccan government to develop its renewable energy projects which will be used to supply electricity and hydrogen to Europe.
Click here to read…

Exports to African and Latin American countries on the rise

Exports to African and Latin American countries have jumped in the first five months of the fiscal compensating to an extent diminished opportunities in the US and Europe because of a global slowdown.
Click here to read…

‘Global interest in India-modified M4’ — South African defence firm wants to manufacture in India

South African defence major, Paramount Group — which has a tie-up with India’s Kalyani Group for the joint production of M4 armoured vehicles for the Army here — wants to expand its Indian manufacturing presence to cater to its global clients.
Click here to read…

India’s G20 Presidency and the next phase of industrial growth

India will assume the Presidency of the Group of Twenty (or G20) for one year from 01 December 2022 to 30 November 2023 and this is expected to be a turning point for further deepening India’s global footprints.
Click here to read…

Bug diplomacy: Parasitoid from Africa’s Republic of Benin comes to aid of India’s tapioca

India is the number one producer of tapioca (fresh tubers) in the world with 35.0 tonnes/hectare as against the world average of 10.76 tonnes/hectare.
Click here to read…

EAM @DrSJaishankar Met FM of Ghana, Shirley A. Botchwey; Thanked Her for Participation in … – Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services

The latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services states, ‘EAM @DrSJaishankar met FM of Ghana, Shirley A. Botchwey; thanked her for participation in UNSC special meeting.
Click here to read…

UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 From November 22 For Students, Teachers; 23 Nations To Participate

The UNESCO India – Afrika Hackathon scheduled to be held between November 22 and 25, is an annual event that brings together students, educators, teachers and the research community of India.
Click here to read…

Why two Indians disappeared on a July night in Kenya

Two Indian tourists and their local driver disappeared in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on a July night. More than two months after the incident, nine policemen have been arrested in connection with the case, which India says it is “closely watching”.
Click here to read…

Deaths of Gambian children cast dark shadow over India’s drugs industry

The tragic demise of 66 children in the West African nation of Gambia as a result of the use of suspect cough remedies has brought into focus a dangerous aspect of India’s massive pharmaceutical industry.
Click here to read…

Airtel Africa profit after tax down 17.2% at $180 mn in Sept quarter

Airtel Africa’s revenue grew 12.7 percent on a reported basis and 18.5 percent in constant currency, to $1,308 million in Q2 September 2022.
Click here to read…

Pramukh Swami Maharaj Centenary Celebrations, Lusaka, Zambia

More than 8,800 visitors, including 1,500 students, from all over Zambia and Malawi, visited the seven-day Pramukh Swami Maharaj Centenary Celebrations organized by BAPS at the six-acre Pramukh Swami Nagar set up on the CPS Ground in the Kamwala area of Lusaka.
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

Indo-Africa: The Rising Relationship

The foreign policy of India is visible from the increasing number of high-level visits from both the sides, which primarily concerns areas related to cooperation in various fields. Today, the bilateral trade between the two has increased from $34 billion in 2009 to $69 billion in 2019. Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri’s Visit to Egypt: Significance for India–Africa Defence Cooperation

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh’s visit to Egypt from 18 to 20 September 2022 has opened new avenues for defence cooperation. The visit signifies India’s growing defence ties with the African region. Click here to read…

Africa’s next wannabe third-term presidents must be stopped

If the presidents of Senegal and the Central African Republic are planning constitutional coups, the AU must step in. Click here to read…

NEWS

Lesotho election body says it made a mistake over parliament seats

Electoral authorities in Lesotho have said they incorrectly allocated parliamentary seats after an Oct. 7 election, asking the country’s top court to amend the allocations and halt the legislature’s first sitting, court papers showed on Saturday. Click here to read…

Tigray peace talks to start on Monday, says Addis Ababa

The African Union (AU) has set October 24 as a new date for the start of direct talks between Tigray and the Ethiopian government. Click here to read…

Ethiopia, seeking to control Tigray airports, takes a town

Ethiopian authorities said Monday they are aiming to get immediate control of airports and other infrastructure in Tigray, a statement of their war intentions that was followed by the capture of a town in the embattled northern region. Click here to read…

Ibrahim Traore sworn in as Burkina Faso interim president

Ibrahim Traore has been sworn in as interim president of Burkina Faso, several weeks after Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was removed in a coup. Click here to read…

Sudan’s civilian coalition presents vision for military exit from politics

Sudan’s main political coalition on Monday presented its vision for a fully civilian-led authority to lead a transition to elections; following stepped up efforts to end an 11-month-old stalemate between the ruling military and pro-democracy forces. Click here to read…

South Africa vows ‘unapologetic’ support for Western Sahara independence from Morocco

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed his government’s “unapologetic” backing for the partially recognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Western Sahara. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: Morocco Hits Back at South Africa’s Hostile Position

The Moroccan FM recalled that half of African countries have opened representations in the southern provinces, reflecting their unwavering support for the country’s territorial integrity. Click here to read…

Guinea junta agrees return to civilian rule in two years

West African leaders had last month suspended Guinea from the bloc and imposed sanctions on a number of individuals following a military coup. Click here to read…

Tripoli-based PM Dbeibah rejects ‘sovereign positions’ deal in Libya

Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, the prime minister of Libya’s Tripoli-based unity government, rejected a deal with the east Libya-based parliament on changing the heads of the country’s sovereign positions. Click here to read…

Tunisian protesters denounce ‘coup’, demand president steps down

Thousands of Tunisians have demonstrated in the capital Tunis, denouncing President Kais Saied’s moves to consolidate political power and demanding accountability for the country’s long-running economic crisis. Click here to read…

Togo’s flag raised at Marlborough House to mark admission into the Commonwealth

The flag of Togo was raised for the first time at the Commonwealth Headquarters in London, formally marking the country’s entry into the 56-member association. Click here to read…

Attack on hotel in Somalia’s Kismayo ends with 9 civilians dead

An attack on a hotel in the centre of the port city of Kismayo in southern Somalia killed nine civilians on Sunday before security forces killed the gunmen. Click here to read…

Several killed in suspected ‘insurgency attack’ in western Niger

An attack on three Lorries and a motorcycle in western Niger near the border with Mali has killed 11 people, local sources have said, calling it a suspected insurgency attack. Click here to read…

DR Congo troops clash with M23 rebels, 4 civilians killed

Fresh clashes between the army and M23 rebels have erupted in eastern DR Congo, officials said Sunday, with at least four civilians killed and dozens more wounded in the fighting. Click here to read…

60 killed as anti-government protests intensify in Africa’s Chad

At least 60 people were killed in Africa’s Chad after security forces opened fire on anti-government demonstrators. This came amid demonstrations in the central African nation against interim leader Mahamat Idriss Deby’s two-year extension of his power. Click here to read…

Hundreds Flee Attacks in Mozambique’s Ruby Mining Region

This week, suspected Al-Shabab fighters attacked precious gem-rich areas of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, closing at least two mining operations and causing hundreds of people to flee villages in Ancuabe and Montepuez districts. Click here to read…

US hits al-Shabab finance facilitators with sanctions

The Treasury Department said Monday that it has sanctioned a group of high-ranking members of the Somalia-based al-Shabab militant group, who act as key middle men between the group and local companies in Somalia. Click here to read…

Saudi Arabia and South Africa sign 17 MoUs worth more than $15 billion

On the occasion of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the Kingdom, both countries agreed to strengthen their bonds in several fields by signing MoUs worth above 15 billion. Click here to read…

At least 150 killed in two days of fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile

At least 150 people were killed during two days of fighting in the latest ethnic clashes over land disputes in Sudan’s southern Blue Nile state. Click here to read…

Walmart doubles down on Africa despite a decade of frustration`

The strategy – according to nine analysts, investors and sources with direct knowledge of Walmart’s plans – is firstly to build Massmart into a force able to see off its brick-and-mortar rivals and then win a looming battle against Amazon for the future of African e-commerce. Click here to read…

Ethiopia, Djibouti eye strong electricity connectivity

The governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti have expressed the need to augment electricity connectivity to spur socio-economic ties among the two neighboring countries. Click here to read…

Ghana and Zambia race to secure IMF bailouts

Runaway inflation and soaring food prices have compelled Ghana and Zambia to seek bailouts from the International Monetary Fund. This week, traders across Ghana closed shop to protest the worsening economy. Click here to read…

Germany Allocates €38 Million For Morocco’s First Green Hydrogen Plant

Germany has vowed to allocate €38 million (MAD 408 million) to support the construction of Morocco’s first green hydrogen plant amid bilateral efforts to consolidate diplomatic and economic ties between Rabat and Berlin. Click here to read…

Burundi: $23 million from the African Development Bank Group to Develop the Agro-Pastoral Sector for the Youth and Women

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has greenlighted the award of a $23.26 million grant to Burundi to implement the Agro-Pastoral Entrepreneurship and Professional Development Project for the Youth and Women. Click here to read…

China may seize Kenyan assets, external debt reaches more than USD 36 billion

The default occurred a year after Kenya requested a six-month extension of the debt repayment moratorium from bilateral lenders, including China. However, the lenders, particularly the Exim Bank of China, refused to consider Kenya’s application. Click here to read…

China launches first-ever intermodal service to Africa

China set in motion a new intermodal service connecting the country with Africa via Europe. The rail part of the service will run between Chengdu, in southwest China, with Hamburg, in Germany, via the China-Europe Railway Express. From there, goods are shipped to Casablanca, in Morocco, by sea. Click here to read…

Cop 27: Uganda-Tanzania oil pipeline sparks climate row

Uganda and Tanzania are set to begin work on a massive crude oil pipeline a year after the International Energy Agency warned that the world risked not meeting its climate goals if new fossil fuel projects were not stopped. The two East African countries say their priority is economic development. Click here to read…

Fire breaks out at Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, locals help firefighters tackle blaze

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro that was spread due to heavy winds overnight. They were assisted by the police and the locals. Click here to read…

UN Agencies Say Rains Have Flooded Two-Thirds of South Sudan

The United Nations refugee agency says that South Sudanese flood victims are in desperate need of international support. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

MoS V Muraleedharan to visit Senegal 24-25 October

V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, will visit the Republic of Senegal during 24-25 October. Muraleedharan will participate in the Dakar Forum on Peace and Security. Click here to read…

India-Africa Defence Dialogue held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

The India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) was held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on October 18, 2022. The dialogue successfully brought out various aspects of the IADD’s theme ‘Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation’. Click here to read…

Rajnath Singh meets African counterparts ahead of India-Africa Defence Dialogue

Ahead of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue which is scheduled for Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held fruitful discussions with defence ministers of various African nations. Click here to read…

India committed to provide all-round support to African nations: Defence Minister

Addressing the delegates from 43 African countries during ‘India-Africa Defence Dialogue’ (IADD) in Gandhinagar today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh put forth India’s stand as committed partner to provide support in all arenas to African countries, for fulfilling their aspirations for peace and stability in the region. Click here to read…

India to showcase arms to Africa, Indian Ocean Region nations

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is holding bilateral talks with his counterparts from several African nations including Mauritania, Gambia and the Central African Republic (CAR) at the sidelines of the show, said India’s target is to achieve exports worth ‘35,000 crore by 2025, up from last year’s Rs 13,000 crore. Click here to read…

To counter China’s influence, India seeks to boost defence cooperation with African countries

Underlining that India does not believe in making another country a “client” or “satellite state”, New Delhi is aspiring for deeper defence cooperation with African countries in the form of training and sale of equipment like attack choppers, drones, missiles, patrol vessels and small arms, among others. Click here to read…

‘India-Africa Security Fellowship Programme’ at MP-IDSA launched during India-Africa Defence Dialogue on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022

During the IADD, in keeping with the new proposals of the Gandhinagar Declaration, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched the ‘India-Africa Security Fellowship Programme’ and released its brochure by handing it over to Director General, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). Click here to read…

India remains steadfast in supporting people of Mali in seeking peace

India remains steadfast in supporting the people of Mali in their quest for seeking enduring peace, security and development. Click here to read…

Jaishankar meets Botswana’s Foreign Minister

In a continuation of India’s deepening engagement with Africa, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Lemogang Kwape, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation of Botswana on 19 October 2022. Click here to read…

International Solar Alliance approves funding facility

The payment guarantee mechanism is expected to stimulate investments into solar projects through two financial components — a Solar Payment Guarantee Fund and Solar Insurance Fund. Click here to read…

INS Tarkash Arrives for IBSAMAR-VII in South Africa

INS Tarkash reached Port Grequhrea (also known as Port Elizabeth) in South Africa to participate in the seventh edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise among Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies from October 10-12. Click here to read…

Mudurunu receives an order in Gabon

Mudunuru has received orders worth US$355,395 for a project to implement the SmartPort solution for the mining port of Gabon (Central Africa). According to the filing, the order was received from Owendo Mineral Port (OMP). And it concerns the people and resources monitoring and management system for the Owendo mining port. Click here to read…

Billionaire Adani to Target Europe with Huge Morocco Clean Energy Project

Gautam Adani, Asia’s richest person, is in exploratory talks for a giant renewables project in Morocco, which would aim to supply electricity and emissions-free fuel to Europe. Click here to read…

The importance of the India-Africa defence dialogue

India is taking steps to increase its defence exports and emerge as a hub of defence production in the Indo-Pacific region. It is useful for building up a domestic defence-industrial-technological base, creating local capabilities and, in the long run, will reduce weapons imports. Click here to read…

2 missing Indians part of Kenyan President’s campaign killed: Report

A close aide of Kenyan President William Ruto has claimed that the two Indians, who went missing in July, have been killed. Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and his friend Mohammed Zaid Sami Kidwai were part of President Ruto’s digital campaign team. Click here to read…

Ekta Kapoor contacts Ministry of External Affairs and Kenya Red Cross to find the ex-COO of Balaji Telefilms after he goes missing in Nairobi

The owner of Balaji Telefilms, Ekta Kapoor recently took to social media to share a post regarding one of her friends and her colleagues who went missing during a recent trip. Zulfikar Ahmad Khan, who was the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Balaji Telefilms and also a former journalist, recently took off to Nairobi and has been missing since the past three months. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 42, 2022)Welcome toAfrica Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

Harnessing the Trade Winds: History of Indian Traders in Eastern Africa

Imagine someone telling you, Indians knew the monsoon winds much before European sailors. Imagine someone claiming that Indians started sailing long before the European explorers of the 14th century; even before Hippalus.Click here to read…

How death of Gambian children will affect India’s African outreach

FROM THE INDIAN perspective, Bangladesh and The Gambia may be worlds apart. But, there are a couple of commonalities between the western African country and India’s eastern neighbour. First is India’s diplomatic outreach. Click here to read…

Why Russia is cheering on the Burkina Faso coup

The latest coup in Burkina Faso saw young people waving Russian flags in the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou – something that must have warmed hearts in the Kremlin. Click here to read…

NEWS

Millionaire businessman turns tables to win Lesotho polls

Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), a party set up only six months ago by a 64-year-old businessman Sam Matekane, won 56 out of 120 seats in parliament. Click here to read…

Lesotho populist party wins most seats in election, falls short of majority

A Lesotho party led by a diamond magnate won the most seats in last week’s election, but fell short of an overall majority, the election commission said on Monday, raising the prospect of more political gridlock. Click here to read…

Lesotho’s RFP party forms coalition government with other opposition after election win

Lesotho’s newly formed party Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), which won the most seats in last week’s election but fell short of an overall majority, has formed a coalition government with two other opposition parties. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso geared for political change following coup unrest

Political parties, social and religious groups and representatives of the security forces gather Friday to chart the next phase in Burkina Faso’s future after the country’s latest coup. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s latest coup leader named transition president

Burkina Faso’s latest coup, announced on September 30 on state television, has raised fears that the country’s political chaos could result in more violence from the region’s Islamic extremists. Click here to read…

Sudan ‘close’ to a national consensus: army chief

Head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, has said the country’s political groups are close to reaching a national consensus. Click here to read…

Mali’s new draft constitution bolsters president’s power

The draft of a new constitution handed to Mali’s military ruler bolsters the powers of the future president and rules out extensive autonomy for the country’s north. Click here to read…

Chadian prime minister resigns to pave way for new government

Chad’s Prime Minister, Albert Pahimi Padacke, has resigned to pave the way for a new government after the Central African country pushed back elections by two years. Click here to read…

Chad names opposition politician Saleh Kebzabo as new PM

Chad’s transitional government on Wednesday named opposition politician Saleh Kebzabo as the new prime minister after the former prime minister resigned to pave way for a new administration. Click here to read…

Tunisia: Thousands from rival political parties protest against President Kais Saied

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Tunisia’s capital to demonstrate against the president. Parallel demonstrations by political movements who are deeply opposed to each other were held in Tunis. Click here to read…

Angola’s President gives first National Assembly speech since re-election

Angolan President Joao Lourenço delivered his first speech before the National Assembly since his re-election admitting to devoting all his strength and attention to the search for the best conditions for the population. Click here to read…

Botswana President reaffirms continuous support to Sahrawi people right to self-determination and independence

President of Botswana, Mr. Mokgweetsi Masisi, has reaffirmed his country’s historical position in support of the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, liberation and independence. Click here to read…

Somalia Warns Traders Not to Pay off Islamist Militants

Somalia’s government Saturday threatened to sanction businesses that pay extortion money to al-Shabab, looking to choke a lucrative cash pipeline the Islamist militants use to fund a deadly insurgency. Click here to read…

China’s CRRC Qiqihar branch exports largest railway flat wagon to Tanzania

A railway flat wagon, with a maximum capacity of 200 tons, which will be exported by CRRC Qiqihar Rolling Stock Co. has been loaded for shipment to Tanzania at Tianjin port, North China, on Saturday. Click here to read…

Kenya denies defaulting on China railway debt

Kenya on Thursday denied it had defaulted on interest repayments on a loan advanced by China for the construction of a railway line from the port city of Mombasa that opened in 2017. Click here to read…

Zambia finance minister eager to renegotiate debt, awaits China’s team

Zambia’s finance minister said on Saturday it is still unclear who will be leading talks for renegotiating its nearly $6 billion debt with China, the largest bilateral creditor of the first African sovereign default in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Click here to read…

Palestinian factions sign reconciliation agreement in Algeria

Rival Palestinian factions meeting in Algiers for talks mediated by the Algerian government have agreed on a reconciliation deal that aims to resolve 15 years of discord through new elections in the occupied Palestinian territories. Click here to read…

Nigeria election: Dangers of being religious in a religious nation

Religious intolerance – in one of the most religious countries in Africa if not the world – is one of the issues dominating debate ahead of next year’s elections. Click here to read…

Inter-Parliamentary Union condemns coups in Africa

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on Tuesday condemned the increasing coups on the African continent. Much of Africa’s Sahel region has been battling growing unrest which has prompted a spate of coups in Mali, Guinea and Chad since 2020. Click here to read…

‘Our problems are our problems,’ South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique have sent a strong message to the West

African countries have decided that their internal security crisis can be resolved only by them and not by any external player.Click here to read…

Sudan, Ethiopia agree to resolve border issues peacefully

The head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and the country’s de-facto leader Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to resolve border issues peacefully, the office of the Sudanese leader said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Nigeria dismisses terrorism charges against separatist leader

Charges against a Nigerian separatist leader accused of terrorism and instigating violence in the country’s southeast have been discharged by a local court, his lawyer told The Associated Press. Click here to read…

Ethiopia restricts use of foreign currency

Ethiopia has ordered banks to deny foreign currency to businesses importing non-priority goods, in an effort to shore up dwindling foreign reserves in one of Africa’s major economies. Click here to read…

With the help of Israel, Morocco is the first African country to enter the drone manufacturers club

Morocco has entered the club of drone manufacturers by virtue of the recent deal it concluded with Israel, according to which Morocco will manufacture Israeli war drones. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe inks deal to manufacture lithium-ion batteries

Zimbabwe entered into a deal with an unnamed foreign investor to manufacture lithium batteries, Deputy Mines Minister Polite Kambamura said on Sunday. Click here to read…

New commercial shipping service between France, Spain and Morocco

The French company CMA-CGM will put into service the transport of containers between France, Spain and Morocco with a stopover in Algeciras and Barcelona Click here to read…

Europe turns to Africa in bid to replace Russian natural gas

A new liquefied natural gas project off Africa’s western coast may only be 80% complete, but already the prospect of a new energy supplier has drawn visits from the leaders of Poland and Germany. Click here to read…

Mauritania boosts its industrial investments after finding new gas reserves off the country’s coasts

The Mauritanian country has accelerated the pace of awakening gas reserves on its Atlantic coast with the award of new exploration contracts, under the watchful eye of the European Union. Click here to read…

A $1 billion investment by Google in Africa is rooted in the ‘spirit of Ubuntu’

Pan-Africanism was meant to be centred on the Ubuntu principle, but it has been difficult to implement because some African nations are pushing for protectionist policies even under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (Afcfta.) Click here to read…

Botswana’s first indigenous bank to launch in early 2023

Botswana’s BBS Limited will launch as the country’s first indigenous commercial bank early next year after the central bank issued it a full banking licence. Click here to read…

6th Africa Agri Expo to kick off in Kenya next year in February!

Africa’s rich agribusiness, fertile untapped land, and enormous underlying prospects have always paved the way for such events that connect the continent’s agribusiness to the rest of the world – while also providing exclusive networking and brand-building opportunities for global agricultural industry players. Click here to read…

Africa’s longest oil pipeline takes shape in Niger

With a projected length of nearly 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) – including 1,250 km in Niger itself – the pipeline will connect oil wells in the eastern region of Agadem, a zone troubled by deadly jihadist incursions, with the Beninese port of Seme. Click here to read…

Africa’s airline industry to return to profit in 2024, IATA official says

Those problems were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as national airlines sought government bailouts while others were liquidated when passenger seats plummeted during strict lockdowns. Click here to read…

Mauritius becomes a model for innovation-driven development in Africa

Despite a turbulent year of inflation fuelled both by the war in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mauritius has retained its crown as Africa’s most innovative country, besting the likes of South Africa, Kenya, and Senegal. Click here to read…

Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia on edge as Africa fraught with default risks

The months-long Ukraine war and other global headwinds have left Africa’s largest economies struggling with relentless fiscal pressures and default risks, with soaring yields on the continent barely reversing an exodus of non-resident investors to developed nations. Click here to read…

Africa’s Only G-20 Member Wants to Reform Its Debt Framework

Africa’s only member of the Group of 20 nations is working with its continental peers to propose reforms to the forum’s mechanism for countries to restructure unaffordable debt. Click here to read…

Turkish ship suspected of carrying weapons arrives in Misrata, 444 militia start movement south

The movement of the 444 militia south of Misrata to Bani Walid on Friday took place after the Turkish container ship MATILDE A docked at the Port of Misrata on Wednesday around 1:30 pm, which continued unloading its cargo until Friday. Click here to read…

Jihadis Kill 11 in Burkina Faso Ambush, Security Sources Say

Jihadi militants killed at least three soldiers and eight civilian auxiliaries in an attack Saturday in Burkina Faso’s volatile north, security sources told AFP. Click here to read…

Blast in Central African Republic kills 3 Bangladesh UN peacekeepers

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “conveys his deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers and the people in government of Bangladesh,” he added. Click here to read…

11 killed, dozens injured in bus blast in central Mali

The bus hit an explosive device while travelling the road between Bandiagara and Goundaka, in the Mopti area, known as a hotbed for jihadist violence. Click here to read…

Mozambique jihadi violence spreads despite military effort

The 5-year wave of jihadi violence in Cabo Delgado province has killed more than 4,000 people and scuppered international investments worth billions of dollars. Click here to read…

Villagers brutally massacred in DRC’s eastern Ituri province

Unidentified militants have killed 12 civilians in a village in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a region which has been plagued by violence perpetrated by armed groups for years. Click here to read…

DR Congo colonels get death penalty for murder of Chinese workers

Six people, including two army colonels, sentenced to death while four others were jailed for 10 years in connection with the March killing. Click here to read…

Chinese investors dogged by controversy with gross human rights violations of Zimbabwean workers

Chinese-run companies in Zimbabwe have been dogged by controversy with gross human rights violations and safety norms for mining workers. Click here to read…

Chinese peacekeeper to South Sudan (Wau) awarded UN Peace Medals

An award ceremony was held on October 11 local time at the Chinese engineering camp in the Super Camp of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Wau. Click here to read…

Head of Africa CDC alleges mistreatment at German airport

The acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alleged he was “mistreated” upon his arrival at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport on Saturday and had decided to return to Africa. Click here to read…

Ebola in Uganda: Three-week lockdown announced for two districts

A three-week lockdown has been declared in two districts of Uganda as the country battles an Ebola outbreak. Bars, nightclubs, places of worship and entertainment venues will be closed in Mubende and neighbouring Kassanda, and a curfew will come into force. Click here to read…

From Shining Shoes in Africa to a Seat in Italy’s Parliament

When Aboubakar Soumahoro was a child in his West African home country of Ivory Coast, he cleaned people’s shoes to make money. He also had a dream to go to Italy. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Visit of External Affairs Minister to the Arab Republic of Egypt (October 15-16, 2022)

At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, will pay an official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt from 15-16 October 2022. Click here to read…

Jaishankar begins his first bilateral visit to Egypt

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar began his visit to Egypt visit in the capital city of Cairo on Saturday where he met eminent personalities in the field of foreign policy. Click here to read…

Jaishankar meets Egyptian president, says both countries promote global peace

India foreign minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday met the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Describing both the countries as “independent-minded” nations, in a series of tweets, Jaishankar said both the countries contribute towards global discourse and promote the cause of peace, progress and development. Click here to read…

In Egypt, EAM Jaishankar talks Ukraine, Indo-Pacific

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo on Saturday and the two leaders discussed regional developments and exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the Indo-Pacific. Click here to read…

India, Egypt to now explore opportunities in renewable energy, trade: Jaishankar

Addressing a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry following their meeting in Cairo, Jaishankar said bilateral trade had recorded the highest-ever figure of $ 7.2 billion last year. Click here to read…

India, Egypt to collaborate on premier higher educational institutes like IIT

A committee was constituted by the Union education ministry after IIT-Delhi submitted a proposal last year for opening centres in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Click here to read…

EAM Jaishankar thanks diaspora for shaping India’s image in Egypt

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar thanked the Indian business community in Egypt for advancing national interests and shaping the country’s image in the region. Click here to read…

Visiting Egypt very much on PM Modi’s mind: EAM Jaishankar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very good personal relationship with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and he has been wanting to visit the key north African country for some time, but the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the travel schedule, India’s top diplomat has said. Click here to read…

Partnership with Africa a top priority for India: Ruchira Kamboj at UNSC

Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, held that terrorist outfits like armed groups merit the attention of the Council. While addressing the council meet on October 11, Ruchira Kamboj said, “Terrorist outfits like armed groups deserve the attention of the council in their response to addressing security threats confronting Africa today. Click here to read…

African defence ministers to attend India-Africa Defence Dialogue in Gujarat next week

As many as 13 African defence ministers will be travelling to India to participate in the India-Africa Defence Dialogue that will take place on October 18 on the sidelines of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Click here to read…

Defence exports to cross Rs. 13,000 cr, Gujarat to get 5th airbase

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the second India-Africa defence dialogue and a conclave of defence ministers of over 25 countries during the DefExpo 2022, scheduled to begin in Gandhinagar on October 18. Click here to read…

Indian Naval Ship Tarkash Reaches South Africa for IBSAMAR VII

INS Tarkash reached Port Grequhrea which is also known as Port Elizabeth in South Africa. INS Tarkash will participate in the seventh edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise. Click here to read…

INS TARKASH PARTICIPATES IN IBSAMAR VII

The 7th edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise, among the Indian, Brazilian and South Africa navies was held at Port Gqeberha (also known as Port Elizabeth), South Africa from 10 to 12 Oct 22. The Indian Navy was represented in it by the guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, a Chetak helicopter and MARCOS Special Forces. Click here to read…

Former media executive among 2 missing in Kenya for over 80 days, friends seek PM Modi’s help

An Indian national and former senior executive at Star and Balaji, Zulfiqar Khan, has been missing in Kenya since July 21 this year. His friends say that there has been complete silence since then. Click here to read…

India pushes for settlement of international trade in rupee with Sudan

India has reached out to Sudan towards settlement of international trade in rupee as part of its push towards internationalisation of the domestic currency. Click here to read…

Airtel and Cellulant Plan to Increase Their Customer Base in Zambia

In order to increase their position in the Zambian market, operator Airtel Africa and payments provider Cellulant have made announcements. The Lusaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Cellulant Zambia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide digital payments to the LCCI’s member companies. Click here to read…

From obscure bank to a fintech darling: The curious case of SBM

What do fintech competitors Slice, Uni and Lazypay have in common? And we are not talking of their ambition to outrace each other in the digital lending space. The answer: State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) India.Click here to read…

Doon School Srinagar bags award of excellence from Mauritius Govt

The Doon International School (DIS) Srinagar has received a prestigious award in excellence in School Education Awards- 2022. Click here to read…

Cough Syrup death case: Death toll rises to 70, Gambia begins probe

As the world turns their eyes tot he cough syrup deaths of children, the Gambian government has informed that the death toll has risen to 70 from a previous toll of 69. Click here to read…

Nigeria, Liberia flag Maiden syrups after Gambia deaths

The head of India’s apex pharma export promotion body warned of rising “negativity” over the Maiden Pharma controversy after Nigeria and Liberia issued alerts over four Maiden-manufactured cough syrups linked to the deaths of 69 Gambian children. Click here to read…

Jaishankar: Deepest condolences to Gambia over death of children

“In a telecon with Gambian FM Dr Mamadou Tangara, conveyed our deepest condolences on the deaths of young children recently. Underlined that matter is being seriously investigated by appropriate authorities; we agreed to remain in touch,” Jaishankar tweeted. Click here to read…

The Gambia deaths | India seeks more data

India has sought more information from the World Health Organization on the deaths in the Gambia linked to contaminated cough syrups made by Maiden Pharma in India. Click here to read…

The cough syrups linked to child deaths in Africa: a wake-up call for India’s drug regulators

The World Health Organisation says cough syrups supplied by an Indian company are linked to the deaths of 66 children in Africa’s Gambia. The incident puts the spotlight on India’s weak drug regulatory system, which experts say has acquired a reputation and has been often found lacking due to a history of corruption. Click here to read…

India halts production of cough syrups suspected of links to child deaths

Indian health authorities have halted production at a pharmaceutical company in New Delhi after the World Health Organization (WHO) said its cough and cold syrups may be linked to the deaths of dozens of children. Click here to read…

Murder charge against Indian-origin doctor in South Africa over patient’s death after surgery

35-year-old Dr Avindra Dayanand surrendered before the police after his patient died following gall bladder surgery, according to a report in the Sunday Times. Click here to read…

Of drug quality, Gambia and India: an interview with the authors of The Truth Pill

The Truth Pill, by Dinesh Singh Thakur and Prashant Reddy Thikkavarapu investigates the challenges of drug regulation in India. It looks at why enforcement by authorities is lax; and how this sows the seeds for incidents such as the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia. Click here to read…

India has great potential in athletics, a champion from the country will come soon: Haile Gebrselassie

New Delhi is hosting legendary athlete Haile Gebrselassie. The Ethiopian won the 10,000m gold in successive Olympics and eight World Championships in his 25-year storied career. 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 41, 2022

COMMENTARY

Coups d’état as Instrument of France Non-grata in Africa: The Cases of Mali and Burkina Faso

Very few African countries had an independent status before 1960. These countries included Ethiopia in East Africa, Liberia and Ghana in West Africa. When many of the dependent countries began to accede to both national and international sovereignty in the 1960s, coup-making was generally presented as an instrument to achieve better governance and not necessarily for good governance. Click here to read…

For the second time this year soldiers stage a coup in Burkina Faso

At first glance the images of soldiers in a television studio on September 30th, some of them masked and bristling with guns were almost indistinguishable from those broadcasts in Burkina Faso in January, when the army overthrew an elected president, Roch Kaboré. Click here to read…

vWho is Peter Obi, and why is he making the Nigerian establishment so nervous?

It is not easy to get 2 000 Nigerians to sing the national anthem as if they mean it. On a Monday evening earlier this month, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, Peter Obi did exactly that. He was there to give a speech on the role of the Nigerian diaspora in civic leadership, as part of his global tour. Click here to read…

NEWS

Ibrahim Traore declared Burkina Faso president after coup

Captain Ibrahim Traore has been appointed as president of Burkina Faso after Paul-Henri Damiba was removed in the West African country’s second coup in less than nine months. Click here to read…

Who is Ibrahim Traore, the soldier behind Burkina Faso’s latest coup?

As a heavily armed convoy drove through a cheering crowd in Burkina Faso’s capital on Sunday morning, the boyish face of the country’s latest military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, emerged from the turret of an armored personnel carrier. Click here to read…

Pro-Russia demonstrators rally in Burkina after coup

Several dozen protestors waving Russian flags rallied in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou on Tuesday as West African delegates arrived on a fact-finding mission following the country’s second coup in less than nine months. Click here to read…

Protesters attack French Embassy in Burkina Faso after coup

Protesters in Burkina Faso’s capital have attacked the French Embassy after the military junta in charge accused France of sheltering the ousted interim president. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso coup supporters gather near regional mediation

Protesters waving Russian flags gathered in Burkina Faso’s capital where West African regional envoys were meeting on Tuesday to press the country’s latest coup leaders to swiftly return the country to civilian rule. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s new military government meets West Africa bloc

Burkina Faso’s new military leaders met with representatives of West Africa’s main political and economic bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday to discuss plans for a democratic transition after the country’s second coup this year, the interim presidency said. Click here to read…

vOusted Burkina Faso Leader Leaves Country for Togo

Burkina Faso’s ousted coup leader Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba left the country for Togo Sunday two days after he himself was overthrown in a coup, while the new junta urged citizens not to loot or vandalize. Click here to read…

AU invites Tigray, Ethiopia leaders for peace talks in South Africa

Ethiopia’s government on Wednesday said it has accepted an invitation from the African Union to take part in peace talks aimed at ending a nearly two-year-long ongoing civil war in the country’s northern Tigray region. Click here to read…

Junta set to stay in power after Chad delays elections by two years

Chad has adopted resolutions that push back democratic elections by two years and allow interim leader Mahamat Idriss Deby to stay in power and be eligible to run for president in the eventual vote. Click here to read…

Lesotho votes in election with political crisis still unresolved

Lesotho citizens were due to vote in an election on Friday, after years of political instability that the southern African mountain kingdom’s lawmakers have yet to resolve. Click here to read…

Gabon Takes the UN Security Council Hot Seat, Sticking to African Views

Naturally enough, Gabon is focusing on Africa as the country leads the United Nations Security Council this month. Gabon’s UN ambassador, Michel Xavier Biang, detailed his country’s plans for the rotating presidency, elaborating on a climate change agenda as well as counterterrorism, alignment of UN and African Union interests plus strengthening women’s resilience in conflicts. Click here to read…

Uganda president apologizes to Kenya for son’s ill-advised invasion tweets

President Yoweri Museveni has apologized to Kenyans over tweets posted by his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba that had repeatedly threatened to invade Uganda’s East African neighbor. Click here to read…

Two Including Russian Pilot Killed in Mali Plane Crash

A Russian pilot and a member of ground crew staff died Tuesday when a plane that Russia recently delivered to Mali’s armed forces crashed near the northern city of Gao, an official and the military said. Click here to read…

Sudan’s democracy groups approve charter opposing army rule

More than 50 Sudanese pro-democracy groups have agreed on a new draft constitution, in one of the largest shows of unity from the country’s opposition since the 2019 popular uprising. Click here to read…

Malawi: Political crisis looms as VP Chilima graft scandal unfolds

A report by Malawi’s anti-corruption body has landed Vice President Saulos Chilima in hot water. With pressure from President Lazarus Chakwera, his second-in-command might be tried in court at some point, a scenario that could lead to a political deadlock. Click here to read…

DR Congo appoints new army chief as part of military reforms

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has replaced the head of the country’s armed forces as part of broader military reforms aimed at boosting efficiency. Click here to read…

Lawmakers in breakaway Somaliland extend president’s term

The House of Elders in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has extended the term of office of President Muse Bihi Abdi by two years, a decision expected to cause more unrest by opposition groups. Click here to read…

Tunisian labour union warns of strikes as IMF talks loom

Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labour union has no deal with the government on reforming subsidies and publicly owned companies and will lead street protests over any “painful” changes, it said on Monday, potentially complicating foreign bailout talks. Click here to read…

Nigeria Discovers Huge Pipeline Used for Oil Theft

The head of Nigeria’s petroleum company told a legislative committee this week that a 4-kilometer pipeline from the Forcados export terminal has been used to steal oil for nine years, resulting in the theft of hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day. Click here to read…

Ghana Cedi is worst performing currency against US dollar – World Bank report

The World Bank has ranked the Ghana cedi as the worst-performing currency in Africa since the beginning of the year with a depreciation of 60 per cent against the United States dollar. Click here to read…

Somalia, Ethiopia sign deal to strengthen ties

Somalia and Ethiopia say they will work together to protect each other’s territories, including requesting the UN Security Council to lift an age-old arms embargo on Mogadishu. Click here to read…

South Africa’s phoenix president Zuma wants to rise from the ashes

Popular wisdom dictates that you will not die as long as you stay in politics, which means that every leading politician does their best to remain in the local political landscape, just like 86-year-old Silvio Berlusconi, who was seen during Italy’s election weekend. Click here to read…

Cameroon’s Biya Orders Enforcement of Bilingualism Law

Cameroon’s president has ordered officials to enforce a 2019 law on bilingualism and make life easier for English speakers in the French-speaking majority country. Click here to read…

Youth are vital for Sudan’s post-coup stability

Sudanese youth drove the demonstrations and uprising that toppled former president Omar al-Bashir’s nearly 30-year-long rule. They were instrumental in mobilising and creating a social movement urging the military to eventually step in to remove al-Bashir from power in a popular coup in April 2019. Click here to read…

US airstrike killed an al-Shabaab leader in Somalia on Saturday

A US airstrike in Somalia killed an al-Shabaab militant leader on Saturday in coordination with the Somali government, US Africa Command said in a statement. Click here to read…

‘Ma’awisley’ Militias in Central Somalia Mobilizing Against al-Shabab

For years, Somali clans and villages have tried to resist demands from the Islamist group al-Shabab, which can include taxes called “zakat,” plus livestock, weapons and boys they can turn into fighters. Click here to read…

Blast in Central African Republic kills 3 Bangladesh UN peacekeepers

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “conveys his deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers and the people in government of Bangladesh,” he added. Click here to read…

Mozambique Marks Five Years of Extreme Violence in Cabo Delgado

Mozambique marks five years since extreme violence erupted in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, forcing nearly 1 million people to flee during that time in October. Click here to read…

Regional court dismisses Maasai eviction case against Tanzania government

A regional court on Friday dismissed a case brought by a group of Maasai villagers claiming the Tanzanian government used violence to evict them from their ancestral lands in the north of the country. Click here to read…

Rwanda, IMF agree on $310m deal on climate financing

Rwanda has secured $310 million (approximately Rwf318 billion) loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) to tackle climate change. Click here to read…

In Kenya, green parties struggle for votes

In August, Kenya held its fifth general elections since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1991. Four of the 93 registered political parties were green parties. Click here to read…

Amid climate politics, Uganda presses on with oil pipeline

Uganda’s ambitions of joining the oil producer’s club almost entirely rest on a pipeline being built between the oil fields in the Lake Albert region and the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the east African coast. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe is poised to become Africa’s largest steel producer

Zimbabwe is poised to become Africa’s largest steel producer and one of the biggest steel players in the world. A multi-billion steel plant is being constructed in Manhize, central Zimbabwe, that has the potential to meet all of the country’s requirements plus that of most countries in Africa and beyond. Click here to read…

Namibia, Zambia sign deal to develop oil, gas pipeline

Namibia and Zambia on Thursday inked an agreement in Swakopmund, Namibia, to facilitate a private sector-led infrastructure development project. Click here to read…

Nigerians mark independence anniversary ahead of key poll

Nigerians celebrated the 62nd anniversary of their independence Saturday with the country’s leader acknowledging the economic and security hardships citizens are facing as they prepare to vote for a new president in four months. Click here to read…

Botswana turns 56: From one of the poorest countries to an upper middle-income economy

Botswana celebrates 56 years of independence on Friday after attaining self-government in 1965, following 80 years as the British protectorate Bechuanaland. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

MoS Muraleedharan meets Gabon FM, conveys wishes on UNSC Presidency

On the sidelines of the UNSC High-Level debate at New York, MoS for External Affairs V Muraleedharan met with the foreign minister of Gabon Michael Adamo and held discussions on various aspects of bilateral relations. Click here to read…

‘Terror outfits enhancing their finances and presence by exploiting natural resources in Africa’: Indian minister V Muraleedharan at UNSC

V Muraleedharan said terrorist organisations were exploiting resources to bolster their finances. “These regions have remained vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing. Click here to read…

India and Nigeria hold Foreign Office Consultations

New Delhi played host to the second round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Nigeria on 29 September 2022. Click here to read…

INS Tarkash visits Namibia’s Port Walvis Bay

Indian Navy warship, INS Tarkash visited Port Walvis Bay at Namibia from Oct 3-6 as a part of an ongoing extended-range operational deployment, the Indian Navy said in an official statement. Click here to read…

INS Sunayna participates in combined maritime forces exercise in Seychelles

The Indian Naval Ship Sunayna participated in the capacity-building exercise Operation Southern Readiness conducted by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) at Seychelles during September 24-27, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Click here to read…

India in talks with Angola, Algeria for LNG supplies

India is in talks with Angola and Algeria to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) on long-term contracts, said two officials aware of the development, amid concerns of a global gas shortage fuelled by the Ukraine crisis. Click here to read…

Togo govt plans to sign MoU with Andhra University on IT, space

Togo’s minister of education and research, Dr Wateba said that they will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Andhra University and will work in various fields. Click here to read…

‘A Hell Of A Fighter’ – Why India’s Joint Collaboration With Egypt Failed To Develop A Supersonic Warplane – The Helwan 300?

With the recent visit of the Indian defense minister to Egypt, the two nations are boosting their security cooperation. However, their defense ties stretch back to the 60s, when India played a pivotal role in Egypt’s attempts to develop a supersonic aircraft. Click here to read…

Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal: India’s export restrictions complicate rice supply

New Delhi’s rice export restrictions herald higher prices for many West African countries, including big rice importers Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana. Click here to read…

Tunisia runs out of sugar, to import from Algeria and India

Tunisian sugar reserves have run out, according to the secretary general of the Ben Arous regional office of the tourism, trade and industry federation of the UGTT trade union Souhail Boukhris. Click here to read…

Gambia deaths: 4 states had red-flagged Maiden Pharma

Several Indian states and at least one foreign country have red-flagged the quality of medicines manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceutical, whose contaminated cough syrups has reportedly led to the deaths of more than 60 children in The Gambia, in west Africa, prompting the WHO to issue an alert. Click here to read…

India-made cough syrups and deaths in Gambia: what we know so far

The World Health Organisation has issued an alert about four Indian-manufactured cough syrups that it said could have caused 66 deaths in Gambia. What do we know about the cough syrups? Are they sold in India? Should you be worried? Click here to read…

Why Bhagwat brought up East Timor, South Sudan & Kosovo in speech about ‘population imbalance’

In his annual Vijayadashmi speech in Nagpur, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat called for a comprehensive population control policy, citing “religion-based population imbalance”. Click here to read…

India Community in Ghana commemorates Gandhi’s 153 anniversary

The India Community in Ghana has commemorated the 153 anniversary of Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi, late leader and the foremost campaigner for India’s independence, in Accra. 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

India must step up its diplomatic efforts to help Mali

Mali is currently experiencing both an Islamist insurgency in the north of the country and a political crisis in the centre as a result of two consecutive coups. On August 18, 2020, a group of senior army officers dissatisfied with the deteriorating political and security situation overthrew the current democratically elected government and established a new transitional one. Click here to read…

Egypt is hosting COP27. What are the expectations?

As the host country for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) from November 6-18, Egypt has a huge role to play during its presidency of the event. Click here to read…

The rise of the opposition in Africa: Which governments are likely to fall next?

Governments in Africa are in trouble. Economic decline, more strategic opposition parties and increasingly sophisticated electorates have left ruling parties increasingly susceptible to election defeat. Click here to read…

NEWS

Eritrea starts big offensive in Ethiopia’s Tigray region – TPLF

Eritrean troops have launched a full-scale offensive in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, a spokesman for the Tigrayan rebel group, the TPLF, has said. Click here to read…

Ethiopia Rejects UN Report Warning of Crimes against Humanity in Tigray

Ethiopia on Tuesday rejected a report by U.N. investigators that accused Addis Ababa of possible ongoing crimes against humanity in its war-torn Tigray region, including using starvation as a weapon. Click here to read…

Central African Republic’s top court deals blow to president’s 3rd term bid

The Central African Republic’s Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that a commission for constitutional reforms set up recently is “unconstitutional,” dealing the first blow to President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s bid to get through legislation allowing him to run for a third term. Click here to read…

Equatorial Guinea’s Obiang, Africa’s Longest-Serving President, to Seek New Term

Teodoro Obiang, the president of Equatorial Guinea, who has led the country for more than 43 years, is the longest serving head of state in the world, excepting monarchs. Click here to read…

Senegal’s president appoints former economy minister as PM

Senegalese President Macky Sall reinstated the post of prime minister on Saturday, appointing a former economy minister to the job two months after a tense legislative election in which Sall’s ruling coalition lost its comfortable majority. Click here to read…

Sudan generals agree in principle to civilians naming prime minister, head of state

Sudan’s military leaders agreed on the appointment of a prime minister and head of state by civilian political forces, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said in a statement on Friday, following a meeting with head of state General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Click here to read…

Thousands protest alleged electoral fraud in Angola

Thousands of Angolans have protested against what they say was a flawed election last month that returned the ruling MPLA to power, continuing its nearly five decades of uninterrupted rule. Click here to read…

Commonwealth to observe Lesotho’s general elections

The Commonwealth will deploy a team to observe the general elections in Lesotho, scheduled for 7 October, 2022. The group will be led by the former president of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure. Click here to read…

Mmusi Maimane says he is ready to be South Africa’s next president

Former Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane has partnered with struggle veteran and current deputy mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay metro, Mkhuseli Jack, to form a new political platform, Build One SA, which is expected to contest the 2024 elections. Click here to read…

Western countries call for holding elections in war-torn Libya

The United States and four European countries have reiterated support to hold inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya “in the shortest time possible.” Click here to read…

Kenya’s Polisario Snub Reveals Morocco’s Growing Clout in Africa

Morocco’s phosphate riches are enabling its growing geopolitical clout, and its vital importance towards food security in Africa and beyond. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: South Sudan Slams Alleged Rapprochement with Polisario

Over the past years, South Sudan has repeatedly expressed interest in advancing economic and diplomatic ties with Rabat while notably distancing itself from the Polisario separatists. Click here to read…

Sudan committed to achieve national reconciliation, General Assembly hears

Abdel-Fattah Al Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, the President of the Transitional Government of Sudan, called for more multilateral action to find sustainable solutions to global challenges and to reduce terrible repercussions for people worldwide, particularly in countries affected by conflict and in the least developed countries. Click here to read…

Mozambique’s Nyusi Re-elected as Leader of Ruling Party

Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi was elected on Sunday to a third five-year term as leader of the ruling Frelimo party. Click here to read…

Biden and Ramaphosa vow to strengthen US-South Africa ties

South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa visits Washington for talks with Joe Biden on climate crisis, trade and Ukraine war, among other issues. Click here to read…

US Bill on Russia will punish African countries: SA Prez Cyril Ramaphosa

In terms of the Bill, the US will assess the influence that Russia has on African countries, especially those which it believes undermines the interests of those nations. Click here to read…

US Prez Biden calls South Africa a vital voice despite Russia stance

Biden made no direct mention that Ramaphosa is among African leaders who have maintained a neutral stance in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Ruling ANC Loses Control of Key City Council

South Africa’s African National Congress was voted out of power in the southern Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, leaving the ruling party in control of only three of the nation’s eight biggest urban areas. Click here to read…

ECOWAS sanctions Guinea, condemns Mali over Ivorian troops

The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has announced more sanctions on Guinea’s military government after it failed to establish a new schedule for a transition to democracy. Click here to read…

South Africa in electricity crisis, nationwide blackouts

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had an urgent meeting scheduled with his Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss the country’s electricity crisis, which has led to unprecedented levels of nationwide power blackouts in Africa’s most developed economy. Click here to read…

Devil in detail of South Africa’s $8.5 billion climate funding, deal on hold

South Africa uses coal to generate more than 80% of its electricity and is the world’s 13th-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. With the country facing record blackouts this year and a number of its coal-fired plants approaching retirement age, additional generating capacity is urgently needed, along with the money to finance it. Click here to read…

At UN, Mali army-appointed PM slams France, praises Russia ties

Mali’s military-appointed prime minister has lashed out at France and the United Nations in a grievance-filled address over his nation’s deteriorating security situation while praising the “exemplary” cooperation with Russia. Click here to read…

Chinese, Algerian FMs meet on sidelines of UNGA session

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra on Saturday on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Click here to read…

Mali – Burkina Faso: Goïta and Damiba met to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation

Mali’s transitional president Assimi Goïta received Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, his Burkinabe counterpart, for the first time on 3 September in Bamako. At the heart of their discussions was counter-terrorism cooperation between their two countries, which have been shaken by jihadist groups. Click here to read…

Egypt’s leader meets with Sudan’s military ruler in Cairo

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt on Saturday met with Sudan’s leader in Cairo for talks that focused on ties between the two neighbors, officials said. Click here to read…

Presidential terms should be “limited” – Namibian President

Representative of the last wave of African leaders, Namibian President Hage Geingob, was in Luanda last week for the inauguration of João Lourenço and shared with Euronews his vision of current African politics. Click here to read…

South Sudan Hopes Planned Port in Djibouti Will Increase Market Access, Profits

Officials in South Sudan confirmed this month they have bought land on the coast of Djibouti to build a port. South Sudan says the port will be key for exporting the country’s crude oil. Click here to read…

Tunisia detains former PM Ali Laarayedh after 14-hour questioning

Tunisia’s anti-terrorism police have detained Ali Laarayedh, a former prime minister and senior official in the Ennahdha party, a move the opposition party have called a “political attack” by the country’s president. Click here to read…

Algeria: Free Activist Granted Refugee Status in Tunisia

Algerian authorities should immediately release Slimane Bouhafs, an Algerian activist who disappeared a year ago from Tunisia and is now detained under investigation by an Algerian court, and ensure his freedom to leave the country. Click here to read…

Al-Shabaab suicide attack kills 7 in Somalia

A suicide attack claimed by the Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab killed at least seven people and injured nine others in Mogadishu on Sunday, the army and eyewitnesses told AFP. Click here to read…

Jihadist Attack Kills Four in Burkina Faso

At least two soldiers and two civilian auxiliaries died in a “terrorist” attack on a patrol in eastern Burkina Faso, the army said Sunday. Click here to read…

Armed bandits kill 15 at mosque in northwest Nigeria, residents say

A gang of armed men killed at least 15 people at a mosque in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state, residents said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s investment bill to open up the economy

In a quest to reform the country’s economy, a new proposed investment act, tabled for the first reading, seeks to encourage and attract more trade and investments both local and foreign. Click here to read…

As COP27 Looms, Africa Receives a 10th of Climate Financing It Needs

As the international climate community prepares to descend on Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, new analysis shows just how far off their host continent is in terms of attracting the finance it needs to adapt to catastrophic global warming. Click here to read…

Why Angola is Africa’s next agricultural powerhouse

When thinking of Angola, often the first thing that comes to people’s mind is the oil industry, with the country having overtaken Nigeria as Africa’s largest oil producer last month. However, Angola may soon be known as an agricultural powerhouse on the African continent as well. Click here to read…

Ethiopia terminates contract with Chinese POLY-GCL effective today

Takele Uma, Ethiopia’s Minister of Mines & Petroleum announced the termination of the contract with the Chinese POLY-GCL, which has been engaged in oil exploration in Ethiopia. Click here to read…

DAL Group and Air Arabia announce joint venture to launch new airline in Sudan

Sudan’s most innovative and customer-focused conglomerate, DAL Group, and Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier operator, announced on Thursday the planned launch of “Air Arabia Sudan,” a joint-venture company to be based in Khartoum International Airport. Click here to read…

Major fair marks Turkish defense industry’s high ambitions in Africa

The Turkish defense industry has various high-quality products for African countries and the states in the region are already interested in what Türkiye has to offer. Click here to read…

Vietnam boosts cooperation with Netherlands, African countries

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh had bilateral meetings with the Dutch Prime Minister, and Foreign Ministers of Sierra Leon, Guinea-Bissau and Malawi in New York on September 23 on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 77th United Nations General Assembly. Click here to read…

Eswatini hosts the 15th biennial East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing conference

The Kingdom of Eswatini has once again hosted the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing (ECSACON) delegates for the 15th Biennial Scientific Conference and the 7th Quadrennial General Assembly. Click here to read…

Chinese, Gabonese FMs meet on sidelines of UNGA session

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here with Gabonese Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo on Saturday on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Click here to read…

Pressure is rising for western countries to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe

At the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Sept. 20, the African Union (AU) piled more pressure on the US, EU, and UK to lift all sanctions against Zimbabwe. Click here to read…

Uganda says Ebola caseload rises to 16 as outbreak grows

Uganda said on Sunday its Ebola caseload had jumped to 16 people while a further 18 people also likely had the disease, fuelling fears of a spreading outbreak that involves a strain for which a vaccine has not yet been found. Click here to read…

Severe Drought Set to Plague the Horn of Africa in October; Could Impact Over 36 Million People

At least 36.1 million people in the Horn of Africa, including 24.1 million in Ethiopia, 7.8 million in Somalia, and 4.2 million in Kenya, will be affected by severe drought in October, the United Nations has warned. Click here to read…

South Africans want this diamond back from Britain

A recent report said that calls for the return of Great Star of Africa or Cullinan I, world’s largest known clear-cut diamond, were growing in South Africa. Click here to read…

Rich Chinese culture wows fans in Rwanda

A crowd made up mainly of young people braved the scorching sun in the Rwandan capital of Kigali Friday visiting Chinese cultural exhibitions on display at the University of Rwanda, featuring items ranging from Chinese literature, calligraphy, dance music, traditional costume, cuisine to Chinese kung fu. Click here to read…

Three baby chimps were kidnapped from a sanctuary. Their abductors are demanding a ransom

An animal sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing demands for ransom money, after kidnappers abducted three of its baby chimpanzees. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India: Visit of Minister of State for External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan to the Republic of Djibouti (September 21-22, 2022)

Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to the Republic of Djibouti on 21-22 September 2022. This will be his first visit to the country. Click here to read…

At DefExpo 2022, India-Africa defence dialogue on the anvil

The forthcoming DefExpo 2022, scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar from October 18 to 22, will host the second edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue with invites extended to 53 African countries. A separate Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR+) conclave with participation of approximately 40 countries is also on the anvil, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Growing India-Africa Bonhomie: Factors and Trends

Despite the constraints posed by post-pandemic challenges, there has been a marked increase in the flurry of visits and engagement between India and Africa. In just 2021, there were at least 22 engagements between India and Africa including bilateral visits at the level of External Affairs Minister (EAM) and Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, routine foreign office consultations, virtual meetings and phone calls at the level of Prime Minister and other such diplomatic events. Click here to read…

India, Egypt sign MoU to further defence cooperation

India and Egypt on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation. This was signed by Defence Minister Rajanth Singh, who is in a two day visit to Cairo, and his Egyptian counterpart General Mohamed Zaki. Click here to read…

Indian Navy holds anti-piracy operations in Africa

Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash deployed in the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa participated in a joint maritime exercise with Nigerian Navy patrol ships NNS Kano, Osun, Sokoto and Nguru. Click here to read…

Industry can be roped in to fund CV Raman International Fellowship for African Researchers: DST Secy

The objective of this Fellowship is to provide an opportunity for African researchers to conduct collaborative research in various areas of science and technology in different Indian universities and R&D institutions under the guidance of host scientists in India. Click here to read…

Indian Envoy in South Africa Inaugurates Brahmos Aerospace Corporation Pavilion

Indian High Commissioner in South Africa Jaideep Sarkar September 21 inaugurated the BrahMos Aerospace corporation pavilion on the inaugural day of the Africa Aerospace and the Defence Expo in Cape Town. Click here to read…

India hopes to see Sudan emerge as prosperous, peaceful and stable country

India hopes to see Sudan emerge as a prosperous, peaceful and stable country, said India’s Permanent Representative at United Nations Ruchira Kamboj on Tuesday. Click here to read…

This time for Africa: For Indian exporters, a new continent of opportunities as demand wanes in Europe, US

“We are getting 20-25% more export orders from Africa than Europe, a major market that now seems to be drying up,” says Ritesh Bhansali, Director at Mumbai-based exporting firm Picaso Trade Enterprises. Click here to read…

India limits rice exports, Togo braces for impact

India recently decided to limit its rice exports, and this poses new risks for Africa’s food security. On September 9, the Indian government imposed a 20% tariff on exports of white and brown rice and banned the sale of broken rice abroad. Click here to read…

Bharathiyar Awards return to South Africa after Covid hiatus

The annual awards named after renowned Tamil poet and freedom fighter C Subramania Bharati, returned to the Siva Gnana Sabay — a religious organisation based in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg — after a two-year break forced by the coronavirus pandemic. Click here to read…

Durga Puja goes global: From Finland to Colombia to Nigeria and more

Durga Puja has come a long way (quite literally) since the first ever barowari puja in Hooghly’s Guptipara in 1790, with Bengal’s favourite festival becoming a truly international affair in the third decade of the 21st century. Click here to read…

EEPC India raises curtain on INDEE Tanzania & inks MoU with Tanzania Chamber

India’s largest overseas engineering exhibition INDEE after completing 45 years, traversing 27 nations all set for the 42nd edition from September 22-24 in Tanzania. Click here to read…

After 8 Namibian cheetahs, India now working to get big cats from South Africa

After Namibian wild cheetahs, India might soon get to see South African felines roaming free in the wilds of the country. Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has said that India is now working with South Africa to bring the big cats from there. 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

The crisis in Mali poses a stiff hurdle for Indian diplomacy

With a heterogeneous mix of Islamists, separatists and ethnic militias, Mali has become a tinderbox and can explode anytime. India must act cautiously but fast. Click here to read…

Ten years after the Marikana massacre in South Africa

This August 2022, South Africa commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Marikana massacre. Located 90 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, Marikana is one of the richest mineral belts in the world. Click here to read…

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: its Impact and Implications for Southern Africa

This article attempts to contribute to the discussions on the evolutionary political confrontations and contradictions between Russia and Ukraine, its impact on and implications for Africa. Click here to read…

NEWS

Angola’s Joao Lourenco takes oath of office for second term as president

Angola’s Joao Lourenco took the oath of office Thursday for a second term as the country’s president at an inauguration ceremony held in Luanda, the Angolan capital. Click here to read…

Kenya snaps ties with Western Sahara’s Polisario after talks with Morocco

Nairobi rescinds its recognition of the area controlled by Polisario movement, which seeks independence of Western Sahara from Rabat after President William Ruto meets Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita. Click here to read…

Ethiopia’s economy struggles as war reignites in Tigray

Once home to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies, Ethiopia is struggling as the war in its Tigray region has reignited and weary citizens far from the front are pleading for peace. Click here to read…

Ruto appoints predecessor as peace envoy to Ethiopia, Great Lakes region

Newly sworn-in Kenyan President William Ruto has appointed his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta as peace envoy to Ethiopia and the Great Lakes region. Click here to read…

William Ruto: New Kenya president’s bold move to scrap subsidies

While leaders around the world are introducing subsidies to protect people from the rising cost of living, in his first major policy announcement, Kenya’s President William Ruto has surprised the nation by scrapping a subsidy on petrol which has increased the retail price to an all-time high. Click here to read…

Kenya revokes its support for Western Sahara independence, pleases Morocco

Hours after his swear-in ceremony, William Ruto, Kenya’s new president, upended the country’s decades-long policy of siding with the African Union on Western Sahara’s independence by revoking Nairobi’s support. Click here to read…

Egypt withdraws from Arab League meeting amid Libya presidency row

Egypt withdrew from an Arab League meeting on Tuesday in protest of chairing the session by the Libyan foreign minister in the outgoing government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Click here to read…

Djibouti: France’s President Emmanuel Macron reaffirms support for Ismaïl Omar Guelleh

France’s President Emmanuel Macron assured his “attachment to Djibouti’s stability” during a phone conversation with his Djiboutian counterpart Ismaïl Omar Guelleh. Click here to read…

Mozambique’s jihadis spread into most populous province

Extremists allied with the Islamic State group have spread their attacks further south into Mozambique’s most populous province, Nampula, including an assault on a Catholic mission in which an Italian nun was among those killed. Click here to read…

Grim outlook for Guinea-Bissau elections

Bá was found guilty of coordinating the import of 1 800 kilograms of cocaine in September 2020, resulting in the biggest seizure on record in Guinea-Bissau. Click here to read…

In Somalia, al-Shabab’s courts win more converts

More Somalis are losing faith in the country’s slow judicial process and taking their complaints to the armed group. Click here to read…

Chadian rebel pardoned by Egypt ahead of N’djamena dialogue

The release comes on the heels of a pre-negotiation parley held for months in Doha by the Qatari emirate with Chad’s envoys and more than 300 rebel groups. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast asks for ECOWAS summit over diplomatic row with Mali

Ivory Coast on Wednesday accused Mali of “blackmail” over 46 Ivorian troops who have been detained by Bamako and called for West African leaders to discuss the crisis as soon as possible. Click here to read…

‘Difficult’ Discussion on Ukraine Predicted at Biden-Ramaphosa Meeting

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House Friday, with trade, energy, and security all on the agenda. What’s not officially on the program, but will likely be discussed, analysts say, are the two democracies’ differences over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

Hungary’s Cooperation with Africa Built on Respect

“Hungary sees Africa not primarily as a continent of threats, but as a continent of opportunities and a continent of the future,” said Tristan Azbej, the State Secretary for the Aid of Christians and the Hungary Helps Program, at the opening of the Hungary-Africa Week, an educational, cultural, and economic event in Budapest on Monday. Click here to read…

UK-Africa ties: future looks gloomy under Liz Truss as political myopia reigns

Britain has a new prime minister in Liz Truss. For African leaders wondering what the new administration might mean for UK-Africa relationships, the view must be pretty gloomy. Click here to read…

Talks between rival Palestinian factions to resume in Algeria in October

The Fatah Party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) will join the dialogue on October 2. Click here to read…

South Sudan offers 14 oil blocks to increase output

South Sudan is putting up 14 oil blocks for sale in a bid to increase production to pre-war levels of 350,000 barrels a day. Click here to read…

Morocco, Nigeria ink deal to pipe gas to West Africa, Europe

The 5,600-km Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project traverses 13 African countries along Atlantic coast and would be linked to Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline in order to reach Europe via Algeria. Click here to read…

Morocco, World Bank Sign €236.7 Million Loan Agreement for North-East Project

Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah and World Bank Vice President for the MENA region Ferid Belhaj signed on Monday a €236.7 million (MAD 2.5 billion) loan agreement to finance Morocco’s North-East Economic Development Project. Click here to read…

NEWS

Turkish firm to build three luxury hotels in Rwanda

A Turkish company, Doğuş Group, is looking into investing in Rwanda’s hospitality sector by setting up at least three luxury resort hotels. Click here to read…

Senegal seeks to cash in on global dash for gas

President Macky Sall of Senegal has become a popular figure on the international stage. His country’s gas reserves, from which exports are due to start in the next couple of years, are now the target of intense interest by European leaders desperate to find alternatives to Russian gas following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Click here to read…

Botswana seeks investors in project to triple strategic oil reserves

Botswana Oil said in a tender document it was seeking bids from companies to design, build, finance and operate the Tshele Hills strategic oil storage depot, which will be transferred to the government after 20 years. Click here to read…

U.S. to withhold $130 mln of military aid to Egypt over human rights -official

The Biden administration has decided to withhold $130 million of foreign military aid to Egypt over its failure to fulfill human rights conditions, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Lenders urged to cancel Zambia debt as country faces economic collapse

More than 100 economists and academics have urged international lenders to crisis-stricken Zambia to write off a significant slice of their loans during financial restructuring talks this month. Click here to read…

Demonstrators burn Israeli flag in Morocco amid probe into misconduct at mission

Around 100 protestors rally against normalization in wake of recall of top Israeli envoy after allegations; initial investigation suggests sexual and financial improprieties. Click here to read…

Chinese-born candidate running for office in Lesotho promises jobs if elected

Jason Shao is an independent candidate running in the October 7 elections in Lesotho. Shao is a Chinese national and a naturalised citizen of Lesotho since 2006. Click here to read…

Nigerian inflation hits 17-year high

Inflation in Nigeria hit a 17-year high of 20.5 per cent in August, driven by soaring prices of food, diesel and a weakened currencyClick here to read…

Guests call out burkini ban at Tunisian hotels as discriminatory

On the second day of her stay at the Marriott Hotel in Sousse, Jannette Mensi waded into the swimming pool only to be told by hotel staff that she would have to get out due to her choice of swimwear — a burkini. Click here to read…

Soldiers and ‘terrorists’ dead in Burkina Faso attack

Two soldiers died and a dozen “terrorists” were killed on Monday during an attack against a military detachment in Burkina Faso’s militant-hit north, the army said. Click here to read…

Yemenia Airways handed maximum fine over 2009 plane crash in Comoros

Yemen’s national airline was convicted of “manslaughter and unintentional injuries” and given a fine of €225,000. The company was also ordered to pay two associations more than €1 million in legal fees and damages. Click here to read…

Tanzania becomes the latest African country to launch 5G

Tanzania’s leading telecom operator by subscriptions, Vodacom has launched the country’s first 5G technology in what promises to be a transformational development in the country’s digital journey. Click here to read…

William Ruto’s rise from chicken seller to Kenya’s president

He went to primary school barefoot, wearing his first pair of shoes at the age of 15. He also sold chicken and groundnuts by the roadside in rural areas of the Rift Valley. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India-Africa ties deepen, MoS Muraleedharan in Nairobi

India and Kenya are working towards consolidating economic cooperation, maritime security, Indo-Pacific, Space Cooperation, fight against terrorism and Big Four Agenda of the African nation. Click here to read…

PM Modi congratulates Angola’s President on being re-elected

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco on being re-elected as the president of Angola. Click here to read…

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to embark on key Egypt visit next week

The two-day visit by Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh to Egypt next week will be part of India’s attempt to strengthen strategic ties with the Middle East. Click here to read…

CECPA fosters trade ties between India, Mauritius

The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) offers new opportunities for trade, investments, and services activities between Mauritius and India and can accelerate our economic growth. Click here to read…

Mauritius PM hails India for CECPA agreement, says it fosters trade between the two countries

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on Tuesday, while speaking at an event to commemorate the relations between India and Mauritius expressed gratitude to New Delhi for their continued support and unwavering commitment to making CECPA a reality. Click here to read…

India, Madagascar sign MoU on training of diplomats

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Madagascar for the training of diplomats, according to an official statement. Click here to read…

Egypt, India discuss strengthening bilateral relations, international issue

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received on Saturday a telephone call from his Indian counterpart Subramaniam Jaishankar, where they discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest. Click here to read…

Egypt interested in coordinating with India on climate issues: FM

FM highlighted Egypt’s interest in coordinating with India on various climate issues, taking into account India’s upcoming presidency of the G20 next year Click here to read…

Nigeria to produce vaccines locally with Serum Institute of India

Nigeria will partner with Serum Institute of India to start local manufacturing of vaccines used in the country’s immunisation programmes, health minister Osagie Ehanire said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

INS Tarkash Mission Deployed in Gulf of Guinea

Reinforcing Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security, INS Tarkash is currently mission deployed in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) for anti-piracy operations. Click here to read…

Indian war vessel INS Tarkash takes part in Joint Maritime Exercise with Nigerian Navy

Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash which is currently mission deployed in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), took part in a Joint Maritime Exercise with Nigerian Navy Patrol Ships on September 12-13, according to a statement by Indian Navy. Click here to read…

Shri Prakash Chand appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea

Shri Prakash Chand (YOA: 2004), presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, Bali, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea. Click here to read…

India hopes to see Sudan emerge as prosperous, peaceful and stable country

India hopes to see Sudan emerge as a prosperous, peaceful and stable country, said India’s Permanent Representative at United Nations Ruchira Kamboj on Tuesday, adding that India remains confident that the people of Sudan will overcome the current challenges and press further ahead towards securing a stable and prosperous future. Click here to read…

Indian-origin officer appointed South Africa’s intelligence inspector-general

Imtiaz Ahmed Fazel, an Indian-origin intelligence service officer, has been appointed as the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI) of South Africa by the country’s Parliament. Click here to read…

India will do its best to promote South-South cooperation: UN envoy Kamboj

South-South cooperation is a broad framework of collaboration among countries of the South in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains. Click here to read…

Gujarat Ion Exchange and Chemicals Limited supplied and commissioned the High Speed Fully Automatic Turnkey Mineral Bottling Project in Ethiopia

GIECL, a leader in mineral water plant and turnkey water projects supplier for 26 years in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, delivered a working model of the unique combination “Fully Automatic Turnkey Mineral Water Bottling Project”. Click here to read…

10 things to know about the 8 Namibian cheetahs flying to India on PM Modi’s birthday

Five female and three male cheetahs are in the group being transported to India. All of them are below 5.5 years of age. 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

With Tears and Steel, Kenya’s ‘Hustler’ President Vanquishes His Foes

William Ruto built a career on beating the odds. In his greatest triumph, he is expected to be inaugurated as Kenya’s fifth president on TuesdayClick here to read…

The real reason Egypt is moving its capital

In 2015, Egypt’s government announced it would build a new capital city, about 45 kilometers outside of Cairo, the current capital. Click here to read…

Mikhail Gorbachev on the Streets of Accra

The aftershock of the collapse of the Soviet empire reverberated from Cape Town to Cairo. Click here to read…

NEWS

Kenya’s Supreme Court upholds Ruto’s narrow presidential win

Kenya’s Supreme Court on Monday unanimously rejected challenges to the official results of the presidential election and upheld Deputy President William Ruto’s narrow win in East Africa’s most stable democracy. Click here to read…

Angola court rejects poll result appeal, opposition urges protest

Angola’s Constitutional Court made a final ruling on Thursday to dismiss a complaint filed by the runner-up in the August 24 election seeking to annul the results that gave victory to the ruling MPLA party. Click here to read…

Tunisian opposition to boycott December elections, decry ‘coup’

The National Salvation Front, a body representing the main parties in Tunisia’s opposition, including Ennahdha, has announced that it will boycott December elections to replace a parliament dissolved by President Kais Saied. Click here to read…

Burundi president names new PM after coup plot claims

President Ndayishimiye, a former army general, gave no reasons for the replacement but had warned of a coup plot against his government last week. Click here to read…

Power struggle continues in Libya

Recent deadly clashes have alarmed regional and international powers, as civilians fear displacement and a shortage of medicine and food. Click here to read…

Denmark moves closer to sending asylum seekers to Rwanda

Denmark signed a deal with Rwanda to move the Nordic country closer to setting up an asylum center outside of the European Union to reduce the number of people seeking refuge. Click here to read…

Commonwealth to observe Lesotho’s general elections

The Commonwealth will deploy a team to observe the general elections in Lesotho, scheduled for 7 October, 2022. The group will be led by the former president of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure. Click here to read…

Moroccan army to participate in Israeli military conference next week, Israeli spox says

Morocco and Israel have gone on to sign a number of agreements- especially military deals – since Rabat and Tel Aviv normalised ties in late 2020. Click here to read…

DRC officials tumble as bridge collapses at ribbon-cutting ceremony

Dignitaries gathered to inaugurate a footbridge in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo only for the structure to collapse beneath their feet to the barely concealed delight of onlookers, a video shows. Click here to read…

Zambia seeks $8bn debt relief

Zambia is asking for more than $8bn of relief on its debts to Chinese lenders, private bondholders and other creditors, according to an IMF analysis, in a restructuring widely seen as a test of Beijing’s willingness to absorb losses on loans it has extended to developing countries. Click here to read…

Nigerian oil exports at lowest level in 25 years due to oil theft

Nigeria’s crude oil production fell below 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, figures from its regulator show, as the nation grappled with rampant theft from its pipelines. Click here to read…

Togo: Parliament extends state of emergency in the north for six months

Togo’s parliament on Tuesday extended for six months the state of emergency in the Savannah region in the far north of the country, which has been plagued by incursions by jihadist groups. Click here to read…

Dozens of civilians killed in eastern Mali

Local officials said dozens of civilians were killed this week in Talataye, a town located in north-eastern Mali. The locality which sits at croassroads of influence for rival terrorist groups was allegedly attacked by EIGS fighters who have ties with the Islamic State organization. Click here to read…

Thirty-five civilians killed in convoy blast in Burkina Faso

At least 35 civilians have been killed and 37 wounded when a convoy carrying supplies in Burkina Faso’s jihadist-hit north struck an improvised explosive device, the governor of the Sahel region has said. Click here to read…

At least six Mozambicans beheaded, Italian nun shot dead by insurgents

At least six people were beheaded and an Italian nun killed on Tuesday by Islamic State-linked insurgents in Mozambique’s Nampula province, authorities said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Al-Shabaab: the latest addition to Ethiopia’s woes

In late July, al-Shabaab militants carried out an attack on three towns, Aato, Yeed, and Washaqo, which are on the Ethiopia-Somalia border. Click here to read…

Somali army kills senior Al Shabab militant, frees hostages

Somalia claims to have killed a senior militant leader during a military operation against Al Shabab terrorists in the country’s Lower Shabelle region, as well as freed several civilians who had been held hostage by them. Click here to read…

Thousands flee deadly violence in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state: UN

Deadly fighting between armed groups in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state has prompted thousands to flee from their homes and triggered violence in displacement camps, a UN spokesman said. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso buys 5 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey

Burkina Faso is the latest country to acquire Bayraktar TB2 drone from Turkey to reinforce its aerial capabilities against insurgents. Click here to read…

Phase 2 of Senegal LNG project needs $5 bln – president

The second phase of Senegal’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project will need investments worth around $5 billion and could start in 2024 or 2025, Senegal’s President Macky Sall said on Thursday. Click here to read…

How gold mining in Ghana is threatening Swiss chocolate

As the world’s second-largest cocoa producer continues to lose swathes of farmland to illegal gold mining, Switzerland’s chocolate makers are waking up to the threat to their raw material supply. Click here to read…

African bloc outlines 10-year plan

Africa’s second 10-year plan will focus on expansion of infrastructure development across the continent, increase agriculture outputs and clean energy transition, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission said Friday. Click here to read…

Deep-Water Somali Port Gives Landlocked Ethiopia New Trade Route

Somalia will open a deep-water port on its northern coast next month, with a road link forging a new trade route connecting Ethiopia’s south-eastern region with the city of Gara’ad. Click here to read…

Türkiye to send grain to Africa if Russian exports unblocked

President Erdogan echoes view of his Russian counterpart; says Ukrainian grain goes to developed countries, not to those in need. Click here to read…

1st Ukraine grain ship for Horn of Africa reaches Djibouti

The first ship carrying grain from Ukraine for people in the hungriest parts of the world has docked at the Horn of Africa port of Djibouti as areas of East Africa are badly affected by deadly drought and conflict. Click here to read…

Eni buys BP’s business in Algeria to secure more African gas

Italian energy group Eni (ENI.MI) said on Wednesday it had agreed to acquire BP’s (BP.L) business in Algeria, including two major gas fields. Click here to read…

African nations urged to pile on pressure at climate summit

The former Irish President has called on African nations to pile on the pressure on rich, heavily-polluting countries to fulfill their climate pledges to the continent during a visit to Uganda. Click here to read…

Tanzania dismisses claims of freezing maize export permits

Tanzania has dismissed claims by Kenyan traders that it has frozen the issuance of new maize export permits, urging them to follow procedures. Click here to read…

China-built flyover helps reducing traffic congestion in Botswanan capital

A China-built rainbow intersection which partially opened Friday will help reduce traffic congestion in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, said Mmoloki Baele, the project manager. Click here to read…

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II in Zimbabwe

In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II visited Zimbabwe for the meeting of the heads of government in the Commonwealth, a community of former British colonies. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

INS Tarkash Visited Port Lome, Togo

As part of her ongoing deployment to the Gulf of Guinea, INS Tarkash entered Lome, Togo on 01 September 2022. The first Indian Navy ship to make a port call at Togo, she was welcomed there by the Indian Ambassador to Togo, along with the local Indian diaspora. Click here to read…

Indian warship INS Tarkash arrives at Nigeria’s Port Lagos

Continuing with her deployment in the Gulf of Guinea, the naval vessel was welcomed by officials of the Nigerian Navy, the High Commission of India and children of the Indian Language School at the largest port of Nigeria, the Indian Navy said in an official statement. Click here to read…

All set to create a sattvik environment in Africa

Sattvik Certification South Africa (Pty) Ltd, licensee of Sattvik Council of India, in collaboration with DNV Business Assurance South Africa (Pty) Ltd, has introduced the Sattvik Certification Scheme for the African market in New Delhi. Click here to read…

Lootere teaser: Hansal Mehta’s thriller shows Rajat Kapoor’s ship hijacked in Somalia

Helmed by Hansal Mehta, Lootere traces the story of an Indian ship hijacked in Somalian waters. Click here to read…