Tag Archives: Israel

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 26, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

United States of Africa: Ultimate Dream of a Pan-Africanist

Every year on May 25, the world celebrates Africa Day. It was on May 25, 1963, that the first organisational body of Africa, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), was established in Ethiopia. Click here to read…

Mozambique’s Reversal of Fortune

Just a year ago, the news from Mozambique was rather glum. The security crisis in the northern region of Cabo Delgado had displaced hundreds of thousands of people, created a humanitarian crisis. Click here to read…

NEWS

As election season nears, Kenyans brace for unrest and hope for peace

A fleet of shiny SUVs descended on the dusty city of Wajir in northeast Kenya on a spring afternoon. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s president plans to omit ‘Islam’ from new constitution

The secularist Kais Saied is putting the constitution to a referendum on July 25 in the hope of overhauling the country’s legal, political and economic structures and granting himself more powers. Click here to read…

Somalia parliament endorses new Prime minister

Somalia’s parliament on Saturday unanimously endorsed Hamza Abdi Barre as new prime minister, paving the way for the creation of a new government for the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Click here to read…

Mali strongman Goita adopts electoral law, key to civilian rule

Mali’s strongman ruler on Friday signed into law election legislation adopted by parliament a week ago, paving the way for polls and a return of civilian rule, according to a presidential decree. Click here to read…

World Bank to provide war-torn Ethiopia with $715 mln

The World Bank on Friday agreed to provide $715 million in grants and loans to Ethiopia, which has been ravaged by drought and a devastating conflict, the country’s government said. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s Masaai demand Indigenous rights in UN framework

Tanzania’s Maasai people, resisting government pressure to leave their ancestral homes in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, have presented their demands for Indigenous land rights to negotiators in Nairobi finalizing the proposed U.N. global biodiversity framework. Click here to read…

UK names new envoy for Horn of Africa

Britain has named a new envoy for the Horn of Africa and Red Sea., strategic region beset by multiple security and humanitarian crises. Click here to read…

Shaked heads to Morocco on Monday, in 3rd visit by government minister

Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked will travel to Morocco for a diplomatic visit on Monday, becoming the third government minister to do so. Click here to read…

China Says It Is Willing to Help End Conflict in Horn of Africa

China’s special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, has said Beijing is ready to help the region’s countries find peace and get rid of what he called external interferenceClick here to read…

Qatar’s emir makes first visit to Egypt since thaw in ties with Doha

Qatar’s emir arrived in Cairo late Friday for talks with Egypt’s president, his first visit to the country following years of frayed ties and a boycott of Doha by four Arab states, including Egypt. Click here to read…

Sheikh Mohamed reaffirms UAE’s support for Somalia during meeting with president

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has affirmed the UAE’s continuous, all-out support for Somali people to achieve their aspirations for development, stability, prosperity. Click here to read…

Window of opportunity closing for South Sudan, on road to lasting peace

With eight months remaining, the window of opportunity is closing for South Sudan to meet critical benchmarks required to complete its transition away from long-running civil conflictClick here to read…

Algeria, Niger, Nigeria resume talks on Trans-Sahara gas pipeline

Algeria, Niger and Nigeria held talks this week on the revival of a decades-old project to pipe gas across the Sahara, a potential opportunity for Europe to diversify its gas sources as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso: 14 days to evacuate before vast army operation

Burkina Faso’s army has given civilians two weeks to evacuate vast areas in northern and southeastern regions of the country in advance of military operations against rebel fighters. Click here to read…

Morocco: 18 migrants die in attempt to enter Spain’s Melilla

Moroccan authorities said that 18 migrants were killed and dozens of migrants and police officers were injured in a “stampede” of people trying to cross into the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla. Click here to read…

Attacks in Sudan’s Darfur bring new surge in people fleeing their homes

Violence in western Sudan this month alone has displaced more than 84,000 people, doubling the number of those driven from their homes so far this year, according to UN reports. Click here to read…

Libya’s Interior Ministry condemns deadly clashes in Tripoli

Libya’s Interior Ministry has condemned the deadly clashes that broke out between armed groups in the capital Tripoli. Click here to read…

Suspected Jihadists ‘Systemically’ Slaughter Over 130 People in Western Africa’s Mali

Suspected jihadists massacred more than 130 civilians over the weekend in neighbouring central Mali towns, the latest mass killings in the Sahel regionClick here to read…
Click here to read…

Morocco, US launch annual ‘African Lion’ military exercise

Morocco and the US kicked off the annual African Lion military exercises on Monday, which will last until the end of the month. The exercises include 7,500 personnel from ten nations, among them Brazil, France and BritainClick here to read…

Commonwealth heads call for climate action at Rwanda meeting

Leaders of Commonwealth nations are calling for increased climate action at a meeting in Rwanda this week, ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in Egypt later this year. Click here to read…

Eight UN peacekeepers wounded in Mali blast

Eight UN peacekeepers were wounded Thursday in a mine explosion in Mali’s Timbuktu region, the United Nations said. Click here to read…

M23 rebels ask Congolese refugees in Uganda to return home

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have asked refugees fleeing the conflict torn North Kivu province of the nation to return home. Click here to read…

DR Congo welcomes deployment of regional force to fight rebels

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has welcomed Kenya’s proposal to deploy a regional force to fight the M23 rebel group in the east of the country, but said it won’t accept neighbour Rwanda’s participation. Click here to read…

Commonwealth meet draws attention to Rwanda’s human rights record

Commonwealth leaders met in Kigali on Friday to discuss cooperation on topics from trade to health to climate, against a backdrop of criticism of host Rwanda’s human rights record and of a British policy to deport asylum seekers thereClick here to read…

Cameroon Deploys Hundreds of Troops to Protect 40,000 People Displaced by Boko Haram

Cameron has deployed hundreds of troops along its border with Nigeria after attacks by Boko Haram militants forced more than 40,000 villagers over the past two months to flee the area. Click here to read…

Saudi Arabia, Djibouti sign joint cooperation agreement on maritime transport

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Transport General Authority (TGA), has signed a joint maritime transport cooperation agreement with the Department of Maritime Affairs in Djibouti. Click here to read…

Gabon eyes Commonwealth entry to advance economic diversification

Gabon, a French-speaking country in Central Africa that has been seeking membership in the Commonwealth, is awaiting the final decision made at the Commonwealth summit currently held in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. Click here to read…

African court orders Kenya to pay $1.3 million as reparations to indigenous Ogiek people

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an international court established by members of the African Union, ordered the Kenyan government June 23, 2022, to pay $1.3 millionClick here to read…

Chinese fugitive wanted for racist videos of Malawi children arrested in Zambia

A fugitive Chinese national wanted in Malawi for filming children singing racist chants in Chinese has been arrested in neighbouring ZambiaClick here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

EAM Jaishankar meets several leaders, counterparts in Rwanda

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong here and also met several leaders and his counterparts from the Commonwealth nations to discuss bilateral ties and geopolitical trends. Click here to read…

Jaishankar discusses growing defence ties with Tanzanian counterpart

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday (local time) met with the Tanzanian Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula and discussed strengthening defence and security ties between the two countries. Click here to read…

Jaishankar meets Mauritius PM, discusses thriving relations between nations

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday (local time) met with the Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth in Rwanda and discussed the thriving relations between the two countries. Click here to read…

EAM Jaishankar meets counterparts from Tanzania, Solomon Islands; discusses bilateral cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met his counterparts from Tanzania and the Solomon Islands here and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors. Click here to read…

External affairs minister S Jaishankar interacts with Indian community in Rwanda

External affairs minister S Jaishankar lauded the Indian community in Rwanda for its contribution towards strengthening bilateral ties and spoke about India’s progress. Click here to read…

EAM Jaishankar calls Rwanda ‘important’ friend of India

External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar who is on his first visit to Kigali described Rwanda as the most progressive, business-friendly, and socially inclusive societies. Click here to read…

Indian embassy in Madagascar begins free Hindi classes for language enthusiasts

The Indian embassy in Antananarivo on Thursday began free Hindi language classes for all language enthusiasts in Madagascar, Indian Ambassador to Madagascar, Abhay Kumar said. Click here to read…

Senegal, India Renew Alliances with 3 MoUs

This month saw Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Dakar, received by Senegalese President H.E. Macky Sall and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Aissata Tall Sall. Click here to read…

Indian Embassy in Madagascar celebrates 8th International Day of Yoga

The 8th International Day of Yoga celebrations took place at the University of Antananarivo, organised by Indian Embassy in Madagascar on June 21st 2022. The theme for this year’s International Day of Yoga is “Yoga for Humanity” Click here to read…

Airtel Africa issues tender offer to clear $300 mn debt

Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) BV, which manages Airtel’s Africa business, has issued a tender offer to buy back up to USD 300 million (about Rs 2,348 crore) of senior notes. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 25, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Africa: Requiem for a continent

Every year on May 25, the world celebrates Africa Day. It is to commemorate May 25, 1963, when 30 independent African leaders signed the founding charter of the OAU (Organization of African Unity). Click here to read…

Africa Day 2022: An Odyssey of a Continent

Every year on May 25, the world celebrates Africa Day. On May 25 1963, 30 independent African leaders signed the founding charter of the OAU (Organization of African Unity). Click here to read…

Kenya’s political titans gear up for electoral fight

After 10 years of outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta’s rule, a faltering economy and rising prices, shopkeeper Betty Kagwiria wants to vote for change in this year’s elections in Kenya. Click here to read…

NEWS

CHOGM 2022: Commonwealth heads to assemble in Rwanda

From June 20 to 27, Rwanda will host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). What exactly is the Commonwealth? What is the point of this international summit? Click here to read…

Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces move towards negotiations

The Ethiopian government has formed a committee to negotiate with forces from the Tigray region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a televised speech to parliament on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Kenya’s political titans gear up for electoral fight

After 10 years of outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta’s rule, a faltering economy and rising prices, shopkeeper Betty Kagwiria wants to vote for change in this year’s elections in Kenya. Click here to read…

Somali president nominates Hamza Abdi Barre as prime minister

Somalia’s president has nominated Hamza Abdi Barre, a former chairman of the Jubbaland state election commission, as prime minister. Click here to read…

Voters head to polls in Nigeria’s key local election

Voters in Nigeria’s Ekiti state have started casting their ballots to elect a new governor in what could be a bellwether for who wins next year’s presidential election. Click here to read…

Tunisians protest against constitution referendum as opposition grows

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Tunis on Saturday in opposition to a referendum on a new constitution called by President Kais Saied that would cement his hold on power. Click here to read…

South Sudan’s President hails bilateral relations with Israel

South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday held discussions with the Israeli ambassador to the country, Gershon Kedar during which he hailed the strong bilateral relations between the two countries. Click here to read…

Is Uganda heading for a dynastic succession?

He is the son of the president and a vainglorious Twitter user. He is also a belligerent general whose soldiers are accused of kidnapping and torturing opponents. Click here to read…

‘Farmgate’ threatens Cyril Ramaphosa’s South Africa re-election bid

The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is facing the most serious personal challenge of his four years in power after claims he tried to cover up the theft of millions of US dollars hidden at his game farm. Click here to read…

Algeria is increasingly aligned with Russia, Spanish minister says

Algeria’s decision to suspend a friendship treaty with Spain last week was not surprising because Algiers is increasingly aligning itself with RussiaClick here to read…

What DRC brings to the EAC table

The DR Congo, a sub-Sahara’s largest country, became the seventh member state of the East African Community (EAC) on March 29, joining Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Click here to read…

IMF bailout alone will not solve Zambia’s debt crisis

As Zambia began talks with its creditors to resolve its debt crisis, Hannah Ryder, the CEO of China-based African consultancy Development Reimagined, spoke to African Business about the country’s chances of obtaining an IMF bailout and its prospects for economic growth. Click here to read…

Egypt boosts ties with Tanzania amid ongoing Nile dam dispute

Egypt is boosting ties with the Nile Basin countries while Ethiopia inches toward the third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without an agreement with the downstream countries. Click here to read…

Rights groups condemn Tanzanian police violence against Maasai

Human rights organisations have accused Tanzanian police of using violence to evict members of the Masaai Indigenous community in Loliondo, in the country’s northern district of Ngorongoro. Click here to read…

Russian Mercenaries in Mali Base Days After France Pullout: Sources

Russian mercenaries arrived in the Malian town of Menaka on Wednesday just days after France’s military pullout from the site, sources briefed on the matter told AFP. Click here to read…

U.K. vows more Rwanda deportation flights after legal setback

The British government vowed Wednesday to organize more flights to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda, after a last-minute court judgment grounded the first plane due to take off under the contentious policy. Click here to read…

Gambia: Officials Accused of Crimes Under Jammeh to Be Suspended

The Gambian government has announced this week that it would order suspensions for state employees accused of crimes under the former Yahya Jammeh regime, one of the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Click here to read…

State controls just 60 percent of Burkina Faso: ECOWAS mediator

Authorities in Burkina Faso control just 60 percent of the country and the remaining territory is outside state control, a mediator from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said. Click here to read…

DRC closes Rwanda border after soldier is shot dead during attack

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has closed its border with Rwanda after a Congolese soldier was shot dead while attacking border guards inside Rwandan territory. Click here to read…

France says it has captured Islamic State bigwig in Mali

French troops operating at the border between Mali and Niger have arrested a senior figure of the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) armed group, authorities in Paris have said. Click here to read…

Libya Has Another Chance at Democracy

Libya was founded as a democracy. It is not too late to be a democracy again. Click here to read…

Clashes in Sudan’s Darfur Kill More Than 100

Clashes in Sudan’s Darfur between Arab and non-Arab groups have killed more than 100 people, adding to a toll of hundreds in the region over recent months. Click here to read…

Forty fighters ‘neutralised’ in drone strikes in Niger

French drone strikes have killed nearly 40 fighters earlier travelling on motorcycles near Niger’s border with Burkina Faso, France’s military said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Kenya calls for immediate deployment of regional force to eastern Congo

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday called for the immediate deployment of a new regional military force to try to stop rebel violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read…

Thousands flee as jihadist attacks resume in Mozambique

At least seven people have died in a spate of jihadist-related violence in northern Mozambique, local sources said Tuesday, as the UN said 10 000 people had fled their homes. Click here to read…

Somalia: Security Forces Kill Nearly 70 Al-Shabab Terrorists In Galmudug Region

Somalia’s state forces, on Friday, killed 67 Al-Shabab terrorists and inflicted injuries on several others. The clashes happened in the Galhaduud. Click here to read…

One-third of Sudan’s population faces hunger crisis: UN

Aid groups warn food insecurity may dramatically increase to ‘unprecedented levels’ and lead to more conflict and displacement unless Sudan receives ‘robust agriculture support’. Click here to read…

Egypt localizes environment-friendly transport ahead of COP27

Egypt has developed a future strategy to introduce electric means of transport into public transport. This comes as the state is only 138 days away from hosting the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, referred to as (COP27). Click here to read…

In Zimbabwe, reporter’s conviction sparks fears of renewed abuse

For the first time in more than a year, Jeffrey Moyo, reporter for The New York Times in Zimbabwe, is breathing rather easy. Click here to read…

Urgent support needed for 14,000 who fled following Burkina Faso massacre

In Burkina Faso, UN humanitarians on Friday appealed to the international community for help, after attacks by armed groups forced thousands to flee their homes in the east of the country. Click here to read…

Spain Resumes Operation Crossing the Strait with Morocco

Following a closure that lasted for two years, Spain has yesterday resumed Operation Crossing the Strait, which will allow movement between the continent of Europe and Africa for three months. Click here to read…

Cameroon, Central African Republic Agree to Demarcate Border

Cameroon and the Central African Republic have agreed to demarcate several hundred kilometers of their shared border. Click here to read…

Chad rebels threaten to pull out of Doha talks

Chad rebels due to take part in landmark talks with opposition groups and the military government on Saturday threatened to pull out citing “provocations and attempted aggression” by the government. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe breaks ground on $300 million lithium project

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa oversaw the groundbreaking of a 300 million U.S. dollar spodumene project at the Bikita Minerals mine. It’s hoped the spodumene project will ramp up lithium production and extend the life of Zimbabwe’s oldest mine. Click here to read…

Angola to become Germany’s first supplier of green hydrogen
Angola is set to become Germany’s first supplier of green hydrogen from renewable energy after its state-owned energy company Sonangol signed a letter of intent to build a factory with two German engineering firms on WednesdayClick here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

African Union is India’s 4th largest trading partner

The African Union is India’s fourth largest trading partner after the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates, propped up by diversification in Indian exports to the continent. Click here to read…

Egypt looks to India for wheat to make up losses from Ukraine war

A potential deal between Egypt and India to import 500,000 tons of Indian wheat in exchange for Egyptian fertilizers is in the works amid ongoing global wheat shortages. Click here to read…

India, Tanzania hold foreign office consultations

India and Tanzania on Thursday reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including political, economic and defence at the second round of Foreign Office Consultations between the two countries. Click here to read…

Vedanta starts iron ore mining in Liberia via subsidiary

Vedanta Iron & Steel sector has ventured into International Iron ore mining operations in Liberia, West Africa through its subsidiary Western Cluster Limited (WCL). Click here to read…

BCG Digital Ventures Launches New Innovation Centers in India and Morocco

BCG Digital Ventures (BCGDV), the corporate innovation and business-building arm of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), is opening innovation centers in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Casablanca. Click here to read…

Lessons for India: How Benin got its bronzes back

Formal requests began in the 1960s and were ignored. Nigeria persisted, lobbied the international community, kept the pressure up. Now, countries one by one are returning the treasures. Click here to read…

Muslim Conference of Ghana demands apology from India over insulting comments by two politicians

The National Muslim Conference of Ghana has joined Muslims across the world to call on the Indian government to render an unconditional apology for insulting comments made by two political figures. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 24, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Decoding The Gambian Voting System – Keep It Simple

On 4th December 2021, The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, held its presidential election. The successful election and transfer of power were a powerful message toward Gambia’s successful transition into a democratic society. Click here to read…

NEWS

New Somali President Inaugurated, Warns of Famine

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was inaugurated as the 10th president of Somalia Thursday in a colorful ceremony attended by hundreds of people, including the leaders of Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Click here to read…

Mozambique elected to serve on UN security council

Mozambique was unanimously elected Thursday as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Click here to read…

Algeria suspends trade ties with Spain over Western Sahara row

Algeria has suspended foreign trade in products and services with Spain amid an escalating dispute over the status of Western Sahara. Click here to read…

Belgian king expresses ‘deepest regrets’ to Congolese

Belgium’s King Philippe expressed his “deepest regrets” for his nation’s abuses in its former colony Congo, telling lawmakers Wednesday on his first official trip to the country that Belgian colonial rule was unjustifiable and racist. Click here to read…

Guinea Bissau President Embaló names new government

Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on Thursday appointed a new government tasked with the preparation of the December 18 legislative election. Click here to read…

Nigeria Ruling Party Picks Tinubu as Presidential Candidate

Nigeria’s ruling party selected Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate in elections scheduled for next February, establishing him as the frontrunner to become the next head of state in Africa’s biggest economy. Click here to read…

TikTok videos stoke tensions ahead of Kenya vote – Mozilla report
As Kenya’s general election draws closer, an increasing number of TikTok videos featuring “hate, incitement and other political disinformation” have been on the rise. Click here to read…

Ethiopia willing to resume dam talks with Egypt, Sudan

Ethiopia has expressed interest in resuming talks with Egypt and Sudan on a huge and controversial Blue Nile dam which is expected to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant. Click here to read…

Talks to end Sudan crisis begin as anti-coup groups boycott

Talks aiming at ending Sudan’s ongoing political deadlock began Wednesday, the United Nations said. Click here to read…

UK judge allows first flight sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda to go ahead

The United Kingdom’s controversial plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda as early as next week was green-lit on Friday. Click here to read…

Djibouti Strategically Placed to Become Global ICT Center, Says Adesina

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina met with President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti Guelleh and senior government officials. Click here to read…

Turkey Delivers Six Bayraktar Drones to Niger

Turkey delivered six Bayraktar TB2 drones to Niger earlier this month as part of an arms deal Ankara signed with Niamey in November, Radio France Internationale reported. Click here to read…

ISWAP blamed for church massacre in Nigeria

The Nigerian government has blamed an ISIL-affiliated armed group in the country for carrying out an attack that killed dozens of worshippers at a church. Click here to read…

ECOWAS unhappy with Mali’s 24-month transition decision

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it regrets a decision by Mali’s interim government to delay the return to civilian rule by 24 months while negotiations between the two sides were ongoing. Click here to read…

Libya oil shutdown expands with threat to close new port

A blockade of Libyan oil output by groups aligned with forces in the east of the country expanded on Thursday and Friday with the closure of two more export terminals. Click here to read…

Uganda announces discovery of huge gold deposits

Uganda has announced that it has struck a deposit of 31 million tonnes of gold ore, with extractable pure gold estimated to gross 320,000 tonnes. Click here to read…

Cape Verde, Togo to Open Consulates in Morocco’s Western Sahara

Cape Verde and Togo will will soon open general consulates in Dakhla, Western Sahara’s second largest city. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s president, opposition battle over who will fold first

Tunisia is approaching a crossroads as President Kais Saied continues to clash with growing opposition to his proposed new constitution. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe Leaning to Russia as Others Shun Moscow for Invading Ukraine

As much of the world is shunning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Zimbabwe this month hosted Russia’s third highest ranking official. Analysts say Zimbabwe is looking to Russia for fuel as well as cooking oil and wheat that it used to get from Ukraine, while Russia has its eyes on Zimbabwe’s minerals. Click here to read…

Chad declares food emergency as grain supplies fall

Last week, Chad declared a food emergency due to a lack of grain supplies. The landlocked African nation on Thursday urged the international community to help its population cope with rising food insecurity. Click here to read…

Soldiers kill 9 villagers in Cameroon, investigation launched

Cameroon’s government said Tuesday that a group of soldiers killed nine villagers, including an 18-month-old girl. The authorities called the incident a “manifestly disproportionate” and “hasty” response to a confrontation in the restive English speaking part of the country. Click here to read…

South Africa’s president faces probe over unreported theft

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing a criminal investigation after a revelation that he failed to report the theft of about $4 million in cash from his farm in northern Limpopo provinceClick here to read…

Russia launches production for Egypt’s nuclear power plant

Ukraine war not stopping Russia’s Rosatom from manufacturing equipment for Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. Click here to read…

Zambia commissions China-funded modern conference center

Aerial photo taken on May 26, 2022 shows the Kenneth Kaunda International Conference Center in Lusaka, Zambia. Zambia on Tuesday commissioned an ultra-modern international conference center financed by China. Click here to read…

Togo and Israel want to improve their cooperation, at the economic level especially

After more than 60 years of diplomatic relations, Togo and Israel have decided to actualize their cooperation. Click here to read…

Morocco is Home to Africa’s Fifth Largest Gold Reserves

Morocco’s gold reserves are estimated at 22.12 metric tonnes (mt) and are the fifth largest in Africa, according to the German database Statistica. Click here to read…

Total Energies ploughs $850 million into new Angola project

TotalEnergies and its partners have taken a final investment decision on an $850 million project in Angola to further develop the deepwater Clov complex in Block 17. Click here to read…

Why the Central African Republic adopted Bitcoin

The Central African Republic’s decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender came as a surprise to many, but the government argues that it will secure an independent financial future for the country. Click here to read…

Botswana tight lipped on the value of its ivory stockpile

Botswana has remained mum on the value of its ivory stockpile despite a desperate campaign to have a decade-long ban on sales by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) lifted. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India is a “Friend in Need” says Tanzania

India and Tanzania share a multifaceted relation. Recently, Dy NSA Vikram Misri had visited the country followed by Def-Expo organised by India with participation of 16 Indian defence manufacturers. Water sector has also evolved as an important area of partnership in recent years. Click here to read…

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

Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Libreville on the first leg of his three-nation tour of Gabon, Senegal and Qatar. Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan Meets Malawi’s VP; Explores Areas Of Cooperation Between Both Nations

After completing his visit to Zimbabwe, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan met with the Vice-President of Malawi Dr Saulos Chilima and held a dialogue to explore various areas of cooperation between both the countries.Click here to read…

India, Ghana holds consultations on UN, multilateral issues in Accra

India and Ghana held consultations on UN and Multilateral issues level in Accra on June 9 and discussed issues on the agenda of the UNSC, including on West Africa and Sahel region, and other issues related to counter-terrorism and UN Peacekeeping. Click here to read…

India’s first wheat shipment to Egypt clears quality tests

The first Indian wheat consignment of 55,000 tonnes to Egypt has got through all government tests for quality and other parameters. Click here to read…

India announces donation of 5,000 tonnes of rice to Madagascar as humanitarian aid

India’s Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros, Abhay Kumar, called on the Prime Minister of Madagascar Christian Ntsay and announced the donation of 5,000 tonnes of rice to the island nation as humanitarian aid. Click here to read…

India-Africa Trade Council appoints Gagan Arora, Founder Vertex Group as Trade Commissioner of Nigeria Division

Gagan Arora, the Founder of Vertex Group, has been appointed as the Trade Commissioner of India-Africa Trade Council Incharge of Nigeria Division at the India-Nigeria Trade Conference held in Delhi a few days ago. Click here to read…

Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles commends 22 completed projects

The outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles has said his tenure in the island nation has been a beautiful experience and over 20 projects have been accomplished. Click here to read…

Morocco Showcases Outsourcing Opportunities in India

The Moroccan delegation paid a visit as well to the International Institute of Information Technologies to explore the research in the IT industry and discuss ways for future collaborations. Click here to read…

India’s Saatvik to supply 9.3 MW of solar modules in Mauritius

Indian solar module manufacturer Saatvik Solar has won an order for 9.3 MW of modules to be installed at a solar project in Mauritius. Click here to read…

Airtel Africa, Others Receive Notice to Pay About $180 Million to Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has ordered mobile-phone companies operating in the African nation to pay a levy estimated at about $180 million a year. Click here to read…

Rise and fall of Gupta brothers: An Indian-South African tale of politics, power, & corruption

Two of the three Gupta brothers- Rajesh and Atul Gupta- have been arrested by the UAE authorities for alleged corruption committed when Jacob Zuma was South Africa’s president. Click here to read…

Book Review

‘Born in Blackness’ is a compelling, unforgettable read

In the first book in this year’s African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular, journalist Howard French shows how European explorers’ curiosity about a wealthy African king shaped the modern world. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 23, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Will France’s Africa Policy Hold Up?

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

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

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

NEWS

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

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

AU expresses deep concern over complex humanitarian situations in Africa

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

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

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

Angola to hold general elections on August 24

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

An epic contest between Ruto and Odinga

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

Buhari Backs Setting Up of African Standby Force On Terrorism

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

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

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

UK targets mid-June for first Rwanda asylum flight

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

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

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

One killed in first major protest under Guinea junta

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China invites Sudan for Horn of Africa peace conference

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

Nigeria’s political system favours old wealthy men

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

Tunisia: Ennahda leader Ghannouchi decries state of ‘tyranny’

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

Civilians in peril as tensions in DR Congo escalate: HRW

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

Al-Qaida Affiliate Claims May Attack in Togo

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

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

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

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

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

Kenya: Case of growing Chinese debt obligations

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

Libya participates in NATO exercises in Turkey

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

Chad Declares ‘Food Emergency’, Urges International Help

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

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

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

Coca Cola inaugurates its ‘mega’ factory in Ethiopia

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

South Africa president accused of ‘kidnapping’, bribing burglars

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

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

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

Nigeria agrees step on new gas pipeline through Morocco to Europe

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

Central African Republic announces plan to tokenize country’s minerals

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

Key Hydrocarbon Discoveries in Namibia Could Ensure Strong Economic Growth

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

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

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

Tanzania seeks to be key rice producer in Africa

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

Guinea Junta Rejects UN Call to End Ban on Protests

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

In Niger, Scholz vows to support fight against Islamist militants

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

Cameroon, CAR Join Forces to Fight Rebels on Border

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

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

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

Xi says China ready to expand ties with Zambia

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

Polish president visits Egypt for the first time in decades

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

Abraham Accords accelerate Israel-Africa rapprochement

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

Zambia commissions China-aided milling plants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

Naidu embarks on tour of Gabon, Senegal, Qatar

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

MoS Muraleedharan to visit Zimbabwe, Malawi

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

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

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

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

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

VP Naidu interacts with Indian diaspora in Gabon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Senegal Is Most Stable and Model Democracies in Africa: Naidu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Egypt rejects ship carrying Indian wheat originally intended for Turkey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saatvik secures solar module supply order for Mauritius project

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

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

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 22, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

African-Indian Ocean Diving: Inside Modi government’s Africa policy

India is Africa’s fourth-largest partner with a volume of $70 billion. India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference scheme extends duty-free access to 98.2 per cent of India’s tariff linesClick here to read…

Africa Day 2022: the Good, Bad and Ugly

Every year May 25, the world celebrates Africa Day. On May 25 1963, 30 independent African leaders signed the founding charter of the OAU (Organization of African Unity). In 2002, to give more impetus to the organization, many new areas were added and it was transformed into African Union (AU). Click here to read…

NEWS

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

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

For new Somalia government, al-Shabab a threat to authority

Somali police officer recently received an unexpected summons from the enemy. An unknown caller ordered him to report to a town outside the capital, Mogadishu. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s trade union rejects president Saied’s proposed dialogue

Tunisia’s powerful trade union centre UGTT has refused to take part in a dialogue proposed by President Kais Saied. Click here to read…

Security tensions in Tripoli as armed conflict appears to be looming

Tens of armed vehicles with tens of armed fighters took to roads in Hay Al-Andalus neighbourhood in Tripoli chanting words against the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbiebah. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Zuma suffers new setback in corruption trial

South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma has suffered another setback in his attempts to remove the lead prosecutor from his arms deal corruption trial. Click here to read…

UN votes narrowly to extend arms embargo on South Sudan

The U.N. Security Council voted by a narrow margin Thursday to extend an arms embargo on South Sudan and a travel ban and financial sanctions for targeted individuals for a year. Click here to read…

Afwerki defends Russia, China in Eritrean Independence Day speech

President Isaias Afwerki, authoritarian leader of Eritrea, defended both Russia and China while holding the West responsible for the situation in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Algeria-Morocco: Western Sahara diplomatic fight continues with Kabylia weaponised

The latest assertion from Morocco’s permanent representative to the UN against Algeria’s UN ambassador shows that Rabat is now determined to use the Kabyle card as a tool of counter-attack in the Western Sahara dossier.Click here to read…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Angola’s FM

Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed his Angolan counterpart to the State Department on Thursday. Click here to read…

Uganda criminally charges leader of protests over prices

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was criminally charged Wednesday by authorities who accused him of inciting violence with his efforts to stage street protests against rising commodity prices that the government largely blames on the war in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Rwanda hotels prepare to receive asylum seekers from UK

Hotels and guest houses in Rwanda are being prepared to accommodate asylum-seekers illegally arriving into the UK. Click here to read…

Islamic State group ‘trying to control’ Mali-Niger border with series of attacks

The Islamic State (IS) group appears to be stepping up attacks close to the border between Mali and Niger, with sources suggesting that the jihadists are trying to seize control of the border itself. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe President Praises China, Slams West in Column

If there’s a new cold war brewing and both China and the United States are trying to get African countries on their side, it’s clear where Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allegiance lies. Click here to read…

Kenya elections: Ruto and Odinga square up to fight for presidency

Kenya’s upcoming presidential election might mark the seventh time its citizens have expressed their views at the ballot box, but polls in the East African powerhouse still make the international community wince. Click here to read…

Ethiopia arrests 4,000 in Amhara region crackdown, local state media report

Ethiopian authorities have arrested more than 4,000 people in the northern Amhara region. Click here to read…

Algeria lawmakers seek to criminalise normalisation with Israel

Algerian lawmakers, on Tuesday, submitted a Bill criminalising normalisation with Israel, including articles prohibiting travel or any direct or indirect contact with Tel Aviv.Click here to read…

M23 rebels advance on major military base in eastern Congo

Fighters from the M23 rebel group advanced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday and were locked in heavy fighting with the army outside the region’s largest military base. Click here to read…

Armed assailants kill about 50 people in eastern Burkina Faso

Armed assailants have killed about 50 people in a part of eastern Burkina Faso ravaged by Islamist violence. Click here to read…
Rwanda accuses Congo of shelling its territory” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…
Rwanda said on Monday that several civilians were injured in cross-border shelling of its territory by the military of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, known as Congo. Click here to read…

Mauritius protests: “When people feel lost, they resort to revolt”

In late-April, protests against the soaring cost of living erupted in cities across Mauritius. In Beau Bassin, Rose Hill, and the capital Port Louis, large groups of frustrated residents – particularly from low-income neighbourhoods – took to the streets. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s Jonathan can contest presidential elections next year, court rules

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan can run in next year’s presidential election, a court ruled on Friday, clearing doubts over his eligibility and paving the way for him to return to national politics. Click here to read…

World Bank won’t support Central African Republic’s Sango crypto hub

The World Bank has signaled its concerns over the Central African Republic (CAR) adopting Bitcoin (BTC) as a legal currency and says it won’t support the newly announced “Sango” crypto hub. Click here to read…

Cameroonian Villagers Protest China Iron Ore Mining Deal

Cameroonian authorities say Monday several hundred civilians took to the streets of Lolabe, a small coastal village on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to read…

Zambian President announces ‘big decision’ to abolish death penalty

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has announced he is making moves to abolish the death penalty in the country. He termed it a “big decision” by the government. Click here to read…

Nigeria, Ethiopia to Hold Bilateral Talks on Trade, Economy, Politics

Nigeria and Ethiopia have concluded plans to hold a Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Addis Ababa in June 2022 to discuss various areas of bilateral relationship and exchange perspectives on a wide range of international issues of mutual interest. Click here to read…

Italian energy giant Eni signs deal to boost Algerian gas supply

Italian energy giant Eni and Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach have reached agreement to boost both gas exploration and the development of green hydrogen in the North African nation. Click here to read…

Is Japan Beginning to Overtake China on Infrastructure Financing in Kenya?

Recent media reports on Kenya’s infrastructure financing trends have suggested that Japan has overtaken China in the “loans race.” Click here to read…

In Niger, Scholz vows to support fight against Islamist militants

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

German chancellor Scholz kicks off Africa trip in Senegal

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country is interested in a major gas exploitation project in Senegal as he began a three-nation visit to Africa. Click here to read…

Israel seeks to double trade with Egypt

The visit to Egypt of the Israeli Firqat Alnoor Orchestra reflects a clear trend in the past year and a half of cultural, environmental and economic ties warming up between the two countries. Click here to read…

In Morocco, Israeli innovation minister hails ‘amazing’ opportunities ahead

Israel and Morocco are signing the first government-to-government agreement to facilitate tech and science collaborations. Click here to read…

Central African Republic’s adoption of bitcoin is mostly about geopolitics

Imagine a landlocked, coup-prone country where armed groups control much of the territory outside the tiny capital and where people get by on a median income of $493 a year. Click here to read…

Has China changed its ‘hands-off’ foreign policy in South Sudan?

China has a reputation for maintaining a diplomatic strategy of non-interference, which is core to its foreign policy principle. Click here to read…

Dar port reaps from rising political heat ahead of Kenya polls

Smarting from the 2007 post-election violence that subjected businesses to heavy losses, Tanzania has become the favourite for most importers, who are avoiding the Northern Corridor ahead of the August polls. Click here to read…

A post-war surfing renaissance is underway in Africa’s oldest republic

Nestled between Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea, Liberia is the oldest republic in Africa. But despite its historic legacy, in the minds of many outsiders the West African nation is still more commonly associated with civil war and convicted war criminal Charles Taylor. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s Samia among Time 100 most influential people

Tanzania’s first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been named among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Click here to read…

Mauritania details ambitious drive to exploit huge gas, solar and wind resources

Mauritania has laid out detailed plans to become a leading exporter of natural gas and green hydrogen, while also using these resources to develop and decarbonise the country. Click here to read…

Ghana secures $1.3 billion for climate adaptation

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) on Thursday pledged to help Ghana secure at least 1.3 billion U.S. dollars to implement its climate adaptation programs. Click here to read…

Davos 2022: Namibia pitches green hydrogen to Europe

It’s difficult to miss the Namibia House on Davos Promenade. The Namibian residence is plastered with posters exhorting potential investors to take a bet on its renewable potential. Click here to read…

Ghana and Uganda ban grain and food exports

Global food protectionism is now in full swing. After India, some major EU food exporting nations like Hungary halted the export of certain cropsClick here to read…

SADA launches national digital academy in Ghana

As a pan-African dynamic learning ecosystem, SADA says it aims to improve digital skills qualifications, employability, and meet the emerging talent needs of African citizens. Click here to read…

Russia Alleges Monkeypox Spread Began From 4 Biological Labs Operated by US In Nigeria

After accusing the US of having military-biological laboratories in Ukraine, Russia has claimed that there are at least 4 US biological laboratories in Nigeria. Click here to read…

Things are looking up again in Africa’s tourism sector

Africa’s tourism industry all but disappeared during the pandemic, but since the start of 2022, travellers are returning to the continent. DW’s Arian Kriesch reports from Cape Town. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA
African Heads of Missions in New Delhi celebrate Africa Day

African Heads of Missions in New Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) jointly celebrated Africa Day on Wednesday in New Delhi, the MEA said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

India’s cumulative investments in Africa stand at USD 70 billion: MEA

India’s cumulative investments in Africa stand at USD 70 billion while it has extended Lines of Credit (LoCs) worth USD 12.26 billion to countries in the continent, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Click here to read…

Africa is ‘priority continent’ for India, huge potential to join collaboration in resource exploration: MEA

Terming Africa a priority continent for India, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said the continent has a huge potential of joining collaboration in the exploration of Oil and Gas, especially in Western Africa. Click here to read…

India committed to support Africa in Covid vaccination: Mandaviya

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said India is committed to Africa in taking the journey from vaccine availability to vaccination. Click here to read…

Africa Day: Here’s why the second largest continent is strategically important for India

According to reports in the vision statement of IMS 2050, the main aim is to develop a blue economy, and to foster increased wealth creation from the oceans and seas in Africa. Click here to read…

Noida International University Remembers Africa’s Culture, Heritage, History on Africa Day Celebration

Leading educational institute Noida International University (NIU) recently celebrated Africa Day by paying tribute to the rich African history, heritage and culture. Click here to read…

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to visit Gabon, Senegal, Qatar from May 30: MEA

Ministry of External Affairs on May 27 informed that Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will pay an official to visit Gabon, Senegal and Qatar from May 30. Click here to read…

Main focus of Vice President’s visit to Sengal, Gabon is Francophone countries: MEA

The main focus of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to Senegal and Gabon is the Western African region which is Francophone countries. Click here to read…

Indian troops, others under UN mission fend off militant attack in Congo

The efforts by the Indian peacekeepers were lauded by UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. Noting that the M23 armed group has been active. Click here to read…

SII plans plant in Africa

The Serum Institute of India (SII) is considering setting up its first manufacturing plant in Africa as it looks to expand globally after its success in selling COVID-19 shots, its CEO told Reuters recently. Click here to read…

2 diesel locomotives exported to Mozambique 15 months back stabled due to mechanical failure

Two out of the five Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives exported to Mozambique from India have been stabled due to Mozambique from India have been stabled due to mechanical failure. Click here to read…

Airtel recalls bonds, sells towers in Tanzania, Malawi and Madagascar

Airtel Africa Plc has recalled $505 million bonds and sold off telecommunication towers in Malawi, Madagascar and Tanzania for a total consideration of $284 million. Click here to read…

‘Make in India’ Gets a Further Boost with Kenyan Interest in Indian Warehousing and Agri Derivatives Sector

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign gets a major boost in the African country. Click here to read…

Kenya keen to replicate Indian agriculture derivative ecosystem

High level committee from the African nation is on a visit in India to understand the process of issuance of electronic warehouse receipts. Click here to read…

Ashok Leyland partners with ETG Group to strengthen presence in Africa

As part of the tie-up, ETG Logistics (ETGL) will operate dealerships for Ashok Leyland in six key southern African countries. Click here to read…

TVS HLX 125 Gold and TVS HLX 150 Gold limited editions launched in Kenya

TVS Motor has announced the launch of limited edition TVS HLX 125 Gold and TVS HLX 150 Gold in Kenya. Click here to read…

ArcelorMittal studies pellet/DRI joint venture with Mauritania’s SNIM

Mauritanian iron ore mining company SNIM – Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière – and ArcelorMittal have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to assess jointly developing iron ore pelletising and direct reduced iron plants in Mauritania. SNIM would supply iron ore feedstock. Click here to read…

Modi carried friendship band to Africa, except it is a 10-point guide for mutual engagement

In ‘The Harambee Factor’, former Indian ambassador to African Union Gurjit Singh talks about how under Modi ministry, Africa has been receiving a lot of economic support. Click here to read…

Nigerian man who duped over 300 Indian women on marriage pretext arrested in Delhi

The accused befriended women through social media and matrimonial websites, where he introduced himself as a non-resident Indian (NRI) settled in Canada and a prospective groom, the officials said. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 21, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

The Crisis in Ethiopia is not all about Ethiopia

One and half years ago, when Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed decided to punish the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for their alleged role in attacking a federal military base, it was expected to be a swift operation. Click here to read…

Why it has taken Uganda so long to embrace Kiswahili

There is an old east African joke that Kiswahili was born in Zanzibar, grew up in mainland Tanzania, fell sick in Kenya, died in Uganda, and was buried in Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read…

NEWS

Hassan Mohamud: The second coming of Somalia’s new president

He will have to tackle insecurity, rising inflation, and severe drought while building trust in a country polarised by in-fighting between the federal and regional governmentsClick here to read…

Divided Libya Looms as Rival Premier Sets Up Outside Tripoli

Libya’s parliament-elected prime minister plans to set up his new government in the central city of Sirte on Wednesday after being forced to flee the capital, threatening to again fracture the country between two rival administrations. Click here to read…

Mali’s Military Junta Pulls Out of Regional G5 Sahel Force

Mali is pulling out of a multi-national military force in West Africa’s Sahel region combatting an Islamist insurgency, the country’s military junta said in a statement on Sunday. Click here to read…

Egypt tells US should use leverage, pressure on Ethiopia to resolve dam issue

A senior Egyptian diplomat said Tuesday that the Biden administration is not putting enough pressure on Ethiopia to help resolve the controversy surrounding Addis Ababa’s construction of a controversial dam on the Nile River. Click here to read…

Guinea Bissau president dissolves parliament in new political row

The disagreements between parliament and the president centre around the immunity of opposition leader and lawmaker Domingos Simoes Pereira who lost to the president in 2019. Click here to read…

Netherlands backs Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy plan- statement

The Netherlands views Morocco’s plan for autonomy for Western Sahara as serious and credible, it said on Wednesday, moving closer to Rabat’s stance on the disputed territory where the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks an independent state. Click here to read…

Thousands in Tunisia protest against president, demand democratic return

Thousands of Tunisians protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied, demanding a return to the normal democratic order and rejecting his replacement of the independent electoral commission with one he named himself. Click here to read…

Guinea: Doumbouya and political parties harden their tone

The ban on demonstrations announced on 13 May by the “Comité National de Rassemblement pour le Développement” (CNRD) has caused an outcry in Conakry. The parties plan to coordinate their response at a series of meetings taking place in the near future. Click here to read…

Jihadis’ attack in eastern Burkina Faso kills 11 soldiers

Eleven soldiers were killed and nearly two dozen injured by jihadis targeting a military base in eastern Burkina Faso, the government said. Click here to read…

Mali government says it has thwarted countercoup attempt

Malian government headed by a two-time coup leader announced late Monday that security forces had thwarted a countercoup attempt that it said was supported by an unnamed Western government. Click here to read…

IMF extends Somalia funding to August following election

The IMF accepted the Somali government’s request for a three-month extension to examine and endorse planned reforms. Click here to read…

COP15: Ivory Coast hosts desertification talks

The COP15 conference is meeting to address issues of land degradation, advancing deserts and deforestation. Experts and activists hope that this will not be just another high-level conference with no concrete results. Click here to read…

U.N. says Benin will terminate contribution to peacekeeping mission in Mali

Benin has decided to terminate its military and police unit contributions to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in regional neighbour Mali. Click here to read…

Sudanese communist leader arrested as protests rage in Khartoum

A leading Sudanese politician was arrested on Thursday as protests raged in the capital Khartoum for the seventh month against military rule, with tear gas and heavy security force deployment. Click here to read…

Eleven migrants die off coast of Algeria while trying to reach Europe

Eleven migrants have reportedly drowned after their both sank off the Algerian coast of Tipaza on Sunday evening. Click here to read…

Rwanda to get first batch of asylum seekers from UK this May

Rwanda expects the first group of 50 asylum seekers to be transferred from the United Kingdom by the end of May, a government spokesperson has said. Click here to read…

Niger President says Mali’s withdrawal marks ‘death’ of G5 Sahel alliance

Niger’s President has said Mali’s withdrawal from the G5 Sahel, a multinational force created to fight Islamist militants, will mark the end of the alliance. Click here to read…

Uganda says it will pull out troops from DR Congo

The military in Uganda says it will withdraw hundreds of troops it sent last year to help neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo combat an Islamist insurgency. Click here to read…

Mossad Chief Cohen Kicked Out of DRC, on a Mission That Could Jeopardize Israel

Former senior Mossad officials described Yossi Cohen’s conduct as ‘madness’ after three trips to Congo on Israel’s behalf for problematic purposes that are barred from publication. The visits weren’t coordinated with Congo’s government and ended with him being deported. Click here to read…

Violence, Lockdown, Running Battles Paralyze Cameroon National Day in Western Regions

Cameron’s National Day on May 20 has been marked by running battles between government troops and separatists who imposed a lockdown, crippling business in English-speaking western regions. Click here to read…

Ethiopia’s Tigray forces announce release of thousands of POWs

The Tigray rebel forces fighting Ethiopia’s federal army have said they will release 4,000 prisoners of war as part of an amnesty. Click here to read…

Eritrea accuses TPLF of planning fresh attacks against Asmara

War drums are beating again on the restive Ethiopia-Eritrean border after Asmara accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of plotting to launch attacks to reclaim lost territory. Click here to read…

Burundi reforms frustrated by hardliners – Analysts

In Burundi, this has been an open question since President Evariste Ndayishimiye took power two years ago, ending years of isolationism to great fanfare, but failing to improve its dire record on rights abuses. Click here to read…

Namibia launches sovereign wealth fund following oil discoveries

Namibia launched a sovereign wealth fund, months after oil discoveries by oil giants TotalEnergies and Shell off its coastClick here to read…

Spain, Morocco reopens land borders after two years

Morocco and Spain have reopened the land borders between the north African country and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, two years after they were shut due to Covid restrictions and a major diplomatic row. Click here to read…

Ireland, Liberia to Establish Military Relations

Ireland Ambassador accredited to Liberia, but with residence in the Republic of Sierra Leone, Clarie Buckley has assured the Minister of National Defense, Maj/Gen. Daniel D. Ziankahn (Rtd), of her country’s willingness to establish strong military ties with the Armed Forces of Liberia, especially in the area of peacekeeping. Click here to read…

Foreign investors from Mauritius likely to keep taxman at bay

One such attempt by the Income tax (I-T) department to lift the ‘corporate veil’ was struck down this week by a court which ruled that the tricky subject of ‘beneficial ownership’ (BO) of the Mauritian entity cannot be linked to capital gains. Click here to read…

Algeria looks to Türkiye to realise untapped economic potential

Growing regional ties and cooperation are leading rapid economic recovery for Algeria and Türkiye, despite nearly two years of pandemic disruption and market volatility. Click here to read…

Japan steps up its Africa engagement

Laying the foundation for the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held talks on 28 March 2022 with ministers from 50 African nations. Click here to read…

For the first time in half-a-century, Chad welcomes Israeli envoy

Israeli diplomat Ben Bourgel presented his credentials to the president of Chad this week – the first time in half-a-century the country has welcomed an Israeli ambassador, as the two countries move to strengthen diplomatic ties. Click here to read…

Saudi delegation visits Namibia, Rwanda, Burundi

A Saudi delegation led by Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Kattan, adviser at the Royal Court, visited southwest and East African countries. The delegation met Namibian President Hage Geingob, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye. Click here to read…

Germany backs two Togolese training centers with €6M financing

As part of the African Union’s Skill Initiative for Africa (SIFA) support mechanism, Germany’s development fund, KfW, will provide €6 million to two training institutions in Togo. Click here to read…

Kenya’s debt obligations towards China more than double in one year

Kenya’s debt obligations towards China have shot up by a staggering 135.15 per cent in the last one year on the back of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in the African country. Click here to read…

World’s longest subsea cable lands in Djibouti, East Africa

Meta’s 2Africa subsea cable has landed in Djibouti City, Djibouti. Djibouti Telecom announced on 13 May that the country’s 9th subsea cable, which is 45,000 km long, had landed in the capita. Click here to read…

Pakistan overtakes Uganda as top market for Kenyan exports

Pakistan overtook Uganda as Kenya’s biggest export destination in the first quarter of the year, boosted by growth in tea exports. Click here to read…

Southeast DR Congo seizes 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory

Authorities in southeastern DR Congo have seized one and a half tonnes of elephant ivory, legal and environmental officials said, in one of the largest hauls in Africa in years. Click here to read…

Botswana plans to build $2.5bn facility to convert coal into liquid fuels

State oil company Botswana Oil is planning to build a new coal-to-liquids plant, with an investment of $2.5bn, in a bid to reduce its dependence on imported fuel. Click here to read…

Egypt launches National Climate Change Strategy 2050

Egypt has launched its billion-dollar National Climate Change Strategy 2050 to support a stronger, greener Egyptian economy. Click here to read…

Turkey’s TIKA trains South Sudanese beekeepers

Thanks to the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), villagers in South Sudan earn extra income through beekeeping. Click here to read…

Ghana: President Akufo-Addo Expresses Concern Over Russia-Ukraine War Impact on Food Security

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed concerns over the impact the crises in Ukraine is having on food security in the country and on the continent. Click here to read…

Botswana invites bids to build 200 MW solar plant

The scope of the bid covers financing, construction, operation and maintenance as well as decommissioning the plant at the end of its economic life. Click here to read…

EU Calls for Zimbabwe to Implement Electoral Reforms Ahead of 2023 Polls

Elmar Brok, the head of the EU electoral mission, told reporters Friday that as Zimbabwe prepares for next year’s elections, it must amend its electoral laws so that all parties have a fair chance of winning at the polls. Click here to read…

Tanzania ports authority opens offices in landlocked neighbors

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has opened liaison offices in neighboring landlocked countries to attract more business, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Botswana, with an import ban on 16 vegetables, plans to ban more over the next two years

Botswana’s government says it has no plans to lift its ban on vegetable imports, citing that it plans to expand its list, which comprises 16 vegetables, over the next two years. Click here to read…

Mozambique confirms first wild poliovirus case in 30 years

Mozambique has identified its first case of wild polio in three decades following the genetic sequencing of a similar strain of the childhood disease in Malawi earlier this year. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India and Africa must respond to uncertain world: Jaishankar

India and Africa must respond to the “volatile and uncertain” world and important lessons can be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and knock-on effects of the Ukraine conflict. Click here to read…

India working with African states to counter threat of terrorism: Jaishankar

The first India-Africa defence ministers’ conclave, held in February 2020, institutionalised defence cooperation between the two sides. Click here to read…

India-Africa relations are truly deep-rooted: Jaishankar

India-Africa relations are truly deep-rooted and go back into the recesses of history, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday as he touched upon the shared bonding of fighting against colonialism. Click here to read…

Africa must be included in reformed UNSC, says EAM Jaishankar

India’s external affairs minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar has backed African representation at the United Nations Security Council, a long-standing policy of the Indian government. Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan, Zambian counterpart discuss issues covering gamut of bilateral cooperation

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan engaged in discussions with the Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Minister of Zambia, Stanley Kakubo on Thursday on the sidelines of the high-level Ministerial meeting on “Global Food Security- Call to Action” in New York. Click here to read…

India, France carries out second joint patrol in Southern Indian Ocean

The navies of India and France concluded their second joint patrolling in the South-Western Indian Ocean last week, while an Australian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft is expected in India next month on a reciprocal visit. Click here to read…

India to instal coast guard radar system for Seychelles

India will be helping Seychelles with the installation of a coast guard radar system and other defence matters, Indian High Commissioner General Dalbir Singh Suhag (retd) has saidClick here to read…

U.S. hopes India would reconsider wheat export ban

India, the world’s second-biggest wheat producer, has banned wheat exports in a bid to check high domestic prices amid concerns of wheat output being hit by scorching heat waves. Click here to read…

India ships wheat to Egypt post ban, gets diplomatic requests from 12 nations

India, which banned all private export of wheat on May 13 to manage the country’s food security, has kept a window open for overseas shipments on the specific request of a foreign government to meet their food-security needs. Click here to read…

Nigeria: India Says Open to Exporting Wheat to Poor Nations Despite Ban

The ban is expected to affect the price of the produce globally, including in Africa and Nigeria in particular. The world’s second largest producer of wheat, India, has banned wheat exports, at a time the Russian invasion of Ukraine crippled the supply of the crop across the globe. Click here to read…

Over 500 workers at Indian-owned Mozambique coal mine go on strike

Over 500 workers at a coal mine in Mozambique owned by a subsidiary of an Indian company have been on strike for a week, the company said in a statement. Click here to read…

Arms sales: India zeroes in on African markets

Attempting to tap into the large African arms market, a delegation of the Ministry of Defence, having representatives of top private manufacturers, is visiting Tanzania at the end of this month. Click here to read…

Liberia: President Weah Announces Renegotiations with Arcelor Mittal for an ‘Amendment That Fairly Satisfies’ All Parties

President George Weah has announced the authorization of the Inter-Ministerial Concession Committee (IMCC) to engage Arcelor Mittal for the resubmission of an amendment that will be in the interest of all parties. Telugus in South Africa help with blankets

In an initiative, the Telugu community in Johannesburg, South Africa, distributed blankets to the needy, an act which earned it much appreciation by the Midrand police. When during these times, it gets cold, we show our concern for those who need to be helped. Click here to read…

Kenya’s Indian origin doctor campaigning silently to retain Kesses parliamentary seat

In the August 9 General elections in Kenya, voters will elect the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county Governors and members of the 47 county assemblies. The Constitution requires that a presidential election take place at the same time as the general election. Click here to read…

Indian philanthropists and spiritual leaders address ethics summit in S Africa

Several globally-recognised Indian-origin philanthropists and spiritual leaders addressed the Conscious Leadership and Ethics Summit here, delving deep into the relation between businesses, consciousness, leadership and the environment. Click here to read…

Book Review

Talmiz Ahmad’s Encyclopaedic Study of West Asia and North Africa

In ‘West Asia: Repression, Resistance and Great Power Games’, the author begins his narrative with the 19th century scramble among European powers for dominance in the region. Click here to read…

From South Africa, a success story for democracy

In a new book, MIT political scientist Evan Lieberman examines a quarter-century of post-Apartheid government and finds meaningful progress. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 15, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Justice for Thomas Sankara

This week, Blaise Compaoré was jailed for his role in the murder of Burkinabe revolutionary Thomas Sankara –but real justice can only be won by a movement that fights to bring Sankara’s socialist vision back to life. Click here to read…

Corridor in uncertainty

The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, a joint initiative of India and Japan, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a meeting of the African Development Bank in 2017Click here to read…

NEWS

Morocco, Spain mend ties after change in policy on Western Sahara

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez and Moroccan King Mohammad VI met in Rabat after a year of tense relations. Spain said it backed the kingdom’s plan of limited autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty for Western Sahara. Click here to read…

EXCLUSIVE- Draft Sudan deal seeks to cement military’s grip

Factions aligned with Sudan’s military have drawn up a deal to form a transitional government that would cement the army’s control and bypass pro-democracy groups it shared power with before an October coup. Click here to read…

Russia blocks UN security council request for investigation into Moura massacre

A UN Security Council request for independent investigations into the alleged Moura massacre in Mali has been blocked by Russia. Click here to read…

Despite a recent agreement, new clashes broke out between supporters of South Sudan’s rivals

Less than a week days after a major agreement was sealed between South Sudan’s rival leaders, fighting erupted in the North of the country. Click here to read…

Sparring Somali leaders now at odds over expulsion of African Union envoy

Somalia’s prime minister on Thursday expelled the African Union representative because of “acts incompatible with his status” but the president rejected the order, signalling a new rift between the leaders of the Horn of Africa nation. Click here to read…

Tunisia to compensate victims of revolution

Tunisian President Kais Saied, facing political and economic crisis and accusations that he took power in a coup, announced compensation on Sunday for the families of those killed and wounded in the 2011 revolution that brought democracy to the country. Click here to read…

DR Congo’s Tshisekedi signs EAC Treaty

Tshisekedi’s accession signature immediately brought the DR Congo into the realms and provisions of all the protocols and regional policies of the EAC. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s electricity grid collapses for the second time in a month

Nigeria’s national electricity grid has collapsed for the second time in a month, the federal ministry of power said on Saturday, leaving the parts of the country it serves, including capital Abuja and Africa’s biggest city Lagos, without power. Click here to read…

Burkina ex-president moved to home after house arrest

Burkina Faso’s military-led government said in a statement that former president Kabore would return to his home after house arrest. Click here to read…

Eastern Libyan military commanders urge closure of road to west

Military commanders in eastern Libya said on Saturday they had suspended participation in a U.N.-backed joint military council, accusing the Tripoli-based government of failing to hand power to a new cabinet and calling for the road west to be closed. Click here to read…

The Gambia votes for a new National Assembly

Gambians to vote for 53 legislators on a five-year term, with President Barrow picking five others, including the parliament’s president. Click here to read…

What is happening with Chad’s peace talks in Doha?

About 300 rebels landed in the Qatari capital, seeking a peace deal, but find themselves in a curious cohabitation. Click here to read…

Guinea junta chiefs warns mining giants over inequality

The head of Guinea’s ruling junta, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has warned foreign mining companies to build processing factories locally and to share revenues with the country equally. Click here to read…

Angola: UN Supports Angola’s Transition to Middle Income Country

The resident coordinator of the United Nations in Angola Zahira Virami reaffirmed Wednesday the support of the UN system in the preparation process of Angola’s transition from Least Developed Country to Middle Income Country. Click here to read…

New COVID-19 variant discovered in Botswana

A new COVID-19 variant has been discovered in Botswana, a government official said. The new variant, which has characteristics of both the Alpha and Delta variants, has yet to be named. Click here to read…

Kenya’s Odinga running his fifth presidential race. Why outcome means so much for Kenya

“Odinga has a common touch that resonates with Kenyans who have felt locked out of the power matrix controlled by two ethnic groups.” Click here to read…

Life sentence for Burkinabe ex-leader Compaoré for Sankara murder

The long-awaited verdict brings to close a six-month trial for the assassination of Thomas Sankara on October 15, 1987. Click here to read…

Separatist commander killed in infighting in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone region

Security and local sources said on Saturday that a notorious separatist commander has been killed in Cameroon’s war-torn Anglophone region of Northwest in clashes between rival separatist groups. Click here to read…

Ghana on high alert against terrorist attacks – Minister of National Security assures

The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has given the assurance that the country will be able to respond and ward off any terrorist attacks in the country. Click here to read…

Coptic Christian Priest Killed in Egypt’s Alexandria

On Thursday 7 April 2022, the Ministry of Interior announced on its official Facebook page the arrest of a 60-year-old man who stabbed an archpriest to death in Alexandria. Click here to read…

US Alarmed by Reports of Atrocities in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region

The United States expressed concern Friday about reports of ethnically motivated atrocities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Click here to read…

Draghi Heads to Algeria as Italy Seeks to Cut Russia Gas Imports

Mario Draghi will visit Algeria on Monday as part of a plan to wean Italy off Russian natural gas. Click here to read…

Zambia’s President Hichilema goes eight months without salary

The Zambian leader, who was elected into office last August, says a salary was not his motivation for seeking public office. Click here to read…

Togo dismisses more teachers in new dispute with teachers’ union

The Togolese government has dismissed nine teachers, within a week of firing 137 others, even as the teacher’s union continues to demand that the Faure Gnassigbe administration honour its promises to them. Click here to read…

The problem with gaming in Uganda

The gaming industry in Uganda is highly informal, with individual-owned gaming parlours charging per hour of game time. However, the opportunity is huge. Click here to read…

Tanzania commemorates 100 years of founding leader Julius Nyerere

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Saturday joined fellow citizens in commemorating 100 years of the birth of founding leader Julius Nyerere. Click here to read…

Negotiating Local Business Practices with China in Benin

Beninese officials have shown how even small countries can use close coordination between ministries and other negotiating tactics to strike deals with Chinese counterparts that better protect their own interests. Click here to read…

Mozambique: All eyes on suitors as they await news on bid round qualification

Thirteen players — including two from Russia — will hear this week if they have succeeded in their plans to take part in Mozambique’s upcoming licensing round. Click here to read…

29,000 COVID-19 Vaccines Expired in Botswana: Official

At least 29,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have already expired and some will expire at the end of April in Botswana, an official said Saturday. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Haryana signs collaboration deal with Ethiopia to strengthen trade, investment ties

The FFC was signed by Haryana’s Principal Secretary Yogender Choudhary and Ethiopian Ambassador Dr Tizita Mulugeta. Click here to read…

India, Kenya holds 2nd Foreign Office Consultations, review bilateral relations

India and Kenya on Friday held the 2nd round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including political and economicClick here to read…

MoU with Congo-based foundation

MS University has signed an MoU with the Vinmart Foundation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for our scholarships to students of Congo who will be coming to Vadodara to pursue higher education. Click here to read…

Haryana, Ethiopian panel sign trade framework

During the two-day meeting of the Haryana-Ethiopia Investment Commission (EIC), a framework of collaboration (FFC) was signed between Haryana and the EIC. Click here to read…

Madagascar joins India-backed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Madagascar has become the 30th country to join the India-backed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) that aims to help small island nations develop resilience to deal with the adverse impact of climate change. Click here to read…

Fishermen team meets Kanimozhi for release of five captains from Seychelles

Thoothukudi MP and DMK leader Kanimozhi has assured a delegation from the International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET) that she will take efforts for the release of five captains and their boats detained in Seychelles. Click here to read…

Rwandans in India pay tribute to genocide victims

The Rwandan High Commission in New Delhi, India in collaboration with the India Africa Trade Council commemorated the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi on April 7Click here to read…

Why India’s beautiful flowers miss the plane of exports while Kenya & Ethiopia fly high

Ethiopia and Kenya have promoted floriculture in key markets, offered tax holidays, organised producers and worked to create infrastructure for farmers. Click here to read…

Why is a dragon carved on Jain temple in Mangalore? Medieval Africa-China trade holds answer

While many of us have heard of Indian interactions with Southeast Asia and China, or even Arabia, Africa is a gaping hole in how we think about premodern trade. But it was one of the most prosperous. Click here to read…

Review: India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons by Rajiv Bhatia

A meticulously detailed book that tells us why Africa matters so much to India and presents good suggestions on how the India-Africa relationship should be enhanced and pushed ahead. Click here to read…

Chibuzor, who once ruled Kolkata football, dies in Nigeria

Nigerian striker Chibuzor Nwakanma – the first foreigner to play for Kolkata’s big three clubs and whose unique nose for goals often set the field afire with his special somersault celebration – is no more. Click here to read…

Egyptian Govt expresses interest to buy Indian wheat

Team from Cairo to visit New Delhi next week, to inspect facilities for imports by supplies and commodities authorityClick here to read…

Nigeria Exports Crude Oil worth NGN774.5 Bln to India in 4Q

Nigeria exported crude oil worth 774.5 billion Nigerian naira ($1.86 billion) to India in the fourth quarter of 2021, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics said in a report. Click here to read…

Paree Sanitary Pads Eyes Global Expansion, Enters Tanzania, Africa, and Nepal

With an objective to cater to women’s needs and make sanitary pads easily accessible, Paree Sanitary Pad has now expanded its operations to Tanzania, Africa, and Nepal. Click here to read…

Indian community to strengthen economic relations with Ghana

The Indian community in Ghana has said it will expand business operations as part of efforts to boost investment and increase its economic relations with the country. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 10, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Explaining Israel’s Africa policy

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

NEWS

Somalia enters transition as Amisom gives way to ATMIS

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

Burkina Faso appoints interim government after January coup

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

Malian army says dozens of its soldiers killed in jihadist attack

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

Ethiopia Brings Nile River Dam Online as Sudan, Egypt Object

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

Sudan welcomes military base agreement with Russia in the Red Sea

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

Libyan parliament swears in new PM as crisis deepens

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

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

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

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

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

Tensions flare in Eswatini

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

Mozambique announces new prime minister after cabinet reshuffle

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

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

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

President Kenyatta endorses Raila Odinga in upcoming presidential election

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

More than 200 gunmen killed in Nigeria security operation

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

Algeria is Prepared to Fulfil Europe’s Gas Demand

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

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

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

Chinese Company Removed as Operator of Cobalt Mine in Congo

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

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

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

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

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

Shunned by Others, Russia Finds Friends in Africa

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

Ivory Coast’s hope: Digital agriculture

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

Timber giant quietly converts Congo logging sites to carbon scheme

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

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

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

New Amazon Headquarters Sparks Feud Among Indigenous South Africans

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

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

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

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

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

Second India-Africa defence dialogue on March 12 in Gujarat

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

EAM Jaishankar extends greetings to Ghana on its national day

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

Uganda to sign MoU with Naruvi Hospitals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Event Report

The African Continental Free Trade Area and Opportunities for India

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 8, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Israel’s Africa Conundrum: Bilateral Relations, Multilateral Opposition

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

NEWS

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

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

France announces military withdrawal from Mali

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

Burkina Faso’s junta sworn in as president

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

Mauritius formally challenges Britain’s ownership of Chagos Islands

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

Kenyan Elections Will Struggle to Meet the Moment

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

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

Will Libya have two prime ministers again?

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

Combat troops patrol in Kinshasa after failed coup attempt

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

Ethiopia parliament votes to lift state of emergency early

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

Guinea-Bissau: Government critics under increasing pressure

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

Terror Attacks Surge as Elections Drag in Somalia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guinea Must Put Justice At the Heart of Its Transition

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

Report finds rampant abuse of women in African parliaments

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

56 African heritage sites threatened by extreme coastal events: Study

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

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

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

EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit

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

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

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

Amnesty Accuses Tigray Forces of Atrocities in Ethiopia’s Amhara

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

No school In Zimbabwe after government suspends 90% of teachers

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

After Mali exit, Niger accepts foreign forces to secure border

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

Cameroon’s Rival Separatist Groups Clash, Kill Fighters

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

Applause in Tanzania After President Meets Exiled Opposition Leader in Belgium

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

Zimbabwe teachers go on strike days after schools’ resume classes

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

Defexpo 2022 India-Africa ministers’ meet from March 10

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

NATHEALTH and African Health Federation organised second India Africa Health Summit

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

Indian Railways exports Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives to Mozambique

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

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

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

Africa applauds India’s technology inspired rapid vaccination drive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

South African Tourism Kickstarts Travel Recovery Efforts in India

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

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

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

India delegation heads to Namibia to discuss cheetah translocation

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

Global Developments and Analysis: Weekly Monitor, 20 December – 26 December 2021

Economic
China consolidates 3 rare earth miners into ‘aircraft carrier’

China on Dec 23 announced the merger of three state-owned rare earth miners into a company that will control nearly 70% of the country’s output of key metals. The new entity, China Rare Earth Group, brings together the rare-earth operations of Aluminum Corp. of China, China Minmetals and Ganzhou Rare Earth Group. The last is under the government of the Jiangxi Province city of Ganzhou, an area rich in these metals. Beijing is tightening its grip on the country’s supply chain for rare earths, which are essential for a wide range of high-tech products, in preparation for prolonged tensions with the U.S. The news follows the announcement of a strategic partnership between China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High-Tech and China Rare Earth Holdings. China Rare Earth Group will be among the roughly 100 “central companies” directly overseen by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, which controls 31% of the new enterprise. Aluminum Corp., China Minmetals and the Ganzhou company each hold a 20% interest. Chinese media reporting on the merger plans have called the combined company an “aircraft carrier” in reference to its sheer scale. It will hold almost 70% of China’s production quota for medium and heavy rare earths, and nearly 40% for rare earths as a whole including light elements, according to information released by Beijing. Click here to read…

Standard-bearer: China races U.S. and Europe to set tech rules

Whether it is something as complex as a computer or as simple as a screw, standards help to ensure products are reliable, safe and work across borders. Many are set by global bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), after discussions by “technical committees” comprising experts from around the world. China’s presence on these panels has increased significantly. From 2011 to 2021, its secretariat positions in ISO technical committees and subcommittees — influential roles in the development of specific standards — rose by 58%, while its comparable IEC positions doubled from 2012 to 2021. Over the same period, secretariat spots occupied by the U.S., Germany and Japan in both organizations remained relatively flat, according to the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC). While China remains behind the more established players, some critical observers stress it is focusing its efforts on strategic sectors. No company, for example, had more technical contributions approved for 5G than China’s Huawei Technologies, according to a November 2021 report by market intelligence company IPlytics. New technologies yet to be standardized — drones, lithium batteries, data security, artificial intelligence and so on — are also key targets. Click here to read…

Japan, Taiwan agree to boost economic security cooperation

Lawmakers of the ruling parties of Japan and Taiwan agreed Dec 24 to bolster cooperation in the field of economic security with an emphasis on supply chain resiliency for semiconductors and other crucial goods. During online talks attended by members of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, the Taiwanese side showed strong interest in a planned bill to promote economic security which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government aims to submit to parliament next year. “We must make it effective legislation,” said Akimasa Ishikawa, head of the LDP’s Economy, Trade and Industry Division. The meeting was held as the LDP has stepped up exchanges with the Taiwanese ruling party, with the self-ruled island facing military pressure from an increasingly assertive China. In the meeting, the LDP welcomed Taipei’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement between 11 Pacific Rim countries, which China has also applied to join, Masahisa Sato, chief of the LDP Foreign Affairs Division, told reporters. Japan, a member of the TPP, said earlier it welcomes Taiwan’s application to take part in the trade deal and it sees no technical problem with it, while Beijing has expressed strong opposition to Taipei’s move and has lodged a protest to it. Click here to read…

Japan’s cabinet approves largest-ever budget for next fiscal year

Japan’s cabinet approved Dec 24 a 107.60 trillion yen ($940 billion) draft budget for fiscal 2022, the largest ever, to finance measures against the coronavirus pandemic, swelling social security costs and record defense spending. Compared to fiscal 2021’s initial 106.61 trillion yen, the budget for the new fiscal year starting in April will be a record high for the 10th year in a row. The largest policy spending component is social security, growing by around 440 billion yen to a record 36.27 trillion yen and accounting for more than a third of the overall budget, as the aging population continues to push up medical costs. The budget includes 24.34 trillion yen in debt-servicing costs, up from 23.76 trillion yen a year ago. The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expects a record-high tax revenue of 65.24 trillion yen, larger than 57.45 trillion yen originally projected for the current fiscal year when compiling the year’s initial budget, as the government expects the domestic economy to continue recovering from a pandemic-triggered slump. Defense outlays will rise to the largest-ever amount of 5.40 trillion yen, a record high for the eighth successive year. The national security costs include 291.10 billion yen of research and development expenditures such as a next-generation fighter jet development. Click here to read…

SpaceX Starlink satellites twice came too close, China tells UN chief

China has complained of “close encounters” with Elon Musk’s space programme, with SpaceX Starlink satellites twice approaching the Chinese Space Station (CSS) in orbit. The two events, on July 1 and October 21, forced the Chinese spacecraft to undertake avoidance manoeuvres to avoid collision. Both times there were crew members on board, “which could constitute a danger to the life or health of astronauts”, the Chinese delegation said in a diplomatic note presented to the United Nations secretary general earlier this month. China said in the note that it wanted the UN to remind all state parties to the Outer Space Treaty of the pledge to “bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space … whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities”. The CSS “Tiangong” has stayed in a near-circular orbit at an altitude of around 390km on an orbital inclination of about 41.5 degrees since it was launched on April 29. From May 16 to June 24, the Starlink-1095 satellite maintained a steady descent from its original 555km-altitude orbit to around 382km, and then stayed there, posing the risk of potential collision. Click here to read…

Space project seeks to explore origins of universe, search for exoplanets

The world’s most powerful space telescope on Dec 25 blasted off into orbit, headed to an outpost 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth, after several delays caused by technical hitches. The James Webb Space Telescope, some three decades and billions of dollars in the making, left Earth enclosed in its Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana. “What an amazing day. It’s truly Christmas,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, head of scientific missions for NASA, which together with the European and Canadian space agencies, ESA and ACS, built the telescope. ESA chief Josef Aschbacher said he was “very happy to say that we’ve delivered the spacecraft into orbit very precisely… that Ariane 5 performed extremely well.” This was key since placing the spacecraft in orbit helps economize on the fuel the telescope will need to reach its final destination and perform well after that. It is expected to take a month to reach its remote destination. It is set to beam back new clues that will help scientists understand more about the origins of the universe and Earth-like planets beyond our solar system.Click here to read…

Biden pushes ‘aggressive’ green mileage standard

The rule, announced Dec 20, will see the standard raised to 40 mpg in 2023 and up every year from there. It is a 25% increase over the Trump administration standard of 36 mpg announced last year, and 5% above the 38 mpg the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in August. “We are setting robust and rigorous standards that will aggressively reduce the pollution that is harming people and our planet – and save families money at the same time,” EPA chief Michael Regan said in a statement. The rule was “a giant step forward” in delivering on President Joe Biden’s agenda to combat climate change, he added, “while paving the way toward an all-electric, zero-emissions transportation future.” According to the EPA, the rule will help slow climate change, improve public health, and lower the cost of driving through improved fuel efficiency. The agency estimates it will lower the consumption of gasoline by about 360 billion tons, prevent the release of 3.1 million tons of carbon dioxide through 2050, and save drivers about $1,080 over the lifetime of their new vehicle. The new rules will start applying to 2023 vehicle models and ratchet up the emissions standard every year through 2026, much faster than previous rules. Click here to read…

US population growth at lowest rate since nation’s founding

U.S. population growth dipped to its lowest rate since the nation’s founding during the first year of the pandemic as the coronavirus curtailed immigration, delayed pregnancies and killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents, according to figures released Dec 21. The United States grew by only 0.1 percent, with an additional 392,665 added to the U.S. population from July 2020 to July 2021, bringing the nation’s count to 331.8 million people, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. has been experiencing slow population growth for years but the pandemic exacerbated that trend. This past year was the first time since 1937 that the nation’s population grew by less than 1 million people. ”I was expecting low growth but nothing this low,” said William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s metropolitan policy program, Brookings Metro. Once there’s a handle on the pandemic, the U.S. may eventually see a decrease in deaths, but population growth likely won’t bounce back to what it has been in years past because of fewer births. That will increase the need for immigration by younger workers whose taxes can support programs such as Social Security, Frey said. Click here to read…

Harvard professor found guilty of hiding ties to China

A Harvard University professor charged with hiding his ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program was found guilty on all counts Dec 21. Charles Lieber, 62, the former chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China. The jury deliberated for about two hours and 45 minutes before announcing the verdict following five days of testimony in Boston federal court. Lieber’s defense attorney Marc Mukasey had argued that prosecutors lacked proof of the charges. Prosecutors argued that Lieber, who was arrested in January, knowingly hid his involvement in China’s Thousand Talents Plan — a program designed to recruit people with knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property to China — to protect his career and reputation. Lieber denied his involvement during inquiries from U.S. authorities, including the National Institutes of Health, which had provided him with millions of dollars in research funding, prosecutors said. The case is among the highest profile to come from the U.S. Department of Justice’s so-called “China Initiative.” Click here to read…

Strategic
Japan, U.S. draft operation plan for Taiwan contingency: sources

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military have drawn up a draft joint operation plan that would enable the setup of an attack base along the Nansei island chain in the country’s southwest in the event of a Taiwan contingency, according to Japanese government sources. Japan and the United States will likely agree to begin work to formalize an operation plan when their foreign and defense chiefs meet in early January under the “two-plus-two” framework, the sources told Kyodo News by Dec 23. The development will likely draw a backlash from China, which regards the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Under the draft plan, U.S. Marines will set up a temporary attack base at the initial stage of a contingency on the Nansei Islands, a chain stretching southwest from the Japanese prefectures of Kagoshima and Okinawa toward Taiwan. Okinawa hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan. The U.S. military will get support from the SDF to send troops to the islands if a Taiwan contingency appears imminent, the sources said. Such a deployment, however, would make the islands the target of attack by China’s military, putting the lives of residents there at risk. Legal changes would be needed in Japan to realize the plan, the sources said. Click here to read…

Moscow considering NATO proposal to hold talks on Jan 12: TASS

Russia has received a NATO proposal to commence talks on Moscow’s security concerns on Jan. 12 and is considering it, TASS news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying on Dec 26. Russia, which has unnerved the West with a troop buildup near Ukraine, last week unveiled a wish list of security proposals it wants to negotiate, including a promise NATO would give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine. “We have already received this (NATO) offer, and we are considering it,” TASS quoted the foreign ministry as saying. The United States and Ukraine say Russia may be preparing an invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour. Russia denies that and says it is Ukraine’s growing relationship with NATO that has caused the standoff to escalate. It has compared it to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when the world came to the brink of nuclear war. President Vladimir Putin said on Dec 23 Russia wanted to avoid conflict but needed an “immediate” response from the United States and its allies to its demands for security guarantees. Moscow has said it expects talks with US officials on the subject to start in January in Geneva. Click here to read…

China keeps an eye on the skies as US Space Force marks 2nd anniversary

The US Space Force celebrated its second anniversary this week while China closely watches its development. The eighth and youngest branch of the US armed services was established on December 20, 2019 to “help the United States deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground,” as for US president Donald Trump put it when he signed the law establishing the force. The USSF now has about 6,500 uniformed personnel and operates missile detection networks and the Global Positioning System (GPS), as well as monitoring more than 4,500 active satellites in space for their safety. It is also in charge of technology with offensive uses, such as a satellite jamming system. “The USSF has presented an impressive big picture – grand projects with great expectations since establishment – but so far they are still working on constructing its organisational structure and command chain, and the implementation of their master plans will take at least a few more years,” said Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang military science and technology institute in Beijing. China National Defence News, an official military publication, has warned that the space force can already claim some achievements that Chinese military must note, including a missile surveillance system. Click here to read…

Ultra-leftist voices are making themselves heard in China, but at what cost?

First, China’s ultra-left opinion leaders battled outspoken media, liberal intellectuals and NGOs, then foreign governments, corporations and moderate liberals. But lately they have found new ideological opponents to take on. Leftist bloggers are targeting private tech firms, entrepreneurs and capital markets, as well as misbehaving celebrities, in combative essays pushing a socialist agenda in the name of patriotism. Ultra-leftist sentiment riding on the rising tide of nationalism is gaining popularity on the Chinese internet. Deng Yuwen, a former editor of Study Times, a paper run by the party’s top academy, said widening wealth gaps and corruption arising from China’s reform and opening up gave oxygen to the ultra-leftists who dreamed of a return to the Mao era. However, analysts warn that leftist tendencies that build on irrational and misguided policy interpretation could threaten China’s progress of reform and opening up if left unchecked. Zhan Jiang, a retired professor of journalism and communications from Beijing Foreign Studies University, said the ideological tensions created could lead to uncoordinated development in politics and the economy. In one of the latest attacks, Sima Nan accused Lenovo, China’s largest PC maker, of allegedly selling state assets for less than they are worth and paying top executives unreasonably high salaries, among other things. Click here to read…

South China Sea code of conduct may miss 2022 deadline, PLA adviser warns

A China-Asean code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea is likely to miss its 2022 deadline, a Chinese military adviser has warned. Yao Yunzhu, a retired People’s Liberation Army major general, put the expected delay down to unresolved disputes on the code’s scope and range, as well as intense US-China geopolitical rivalry and the Covid-19 pandemic. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) remained divided on a number of contentious issues, Yao pointed out in the latest World Affairs journal, a monthly publication affiliated with the Chinese foreign ministry. This included whether the agreement should be legally binding, its geographic and maritime activities scope, as well as the role of extra-regional powers, Yao wrote. “As the negotiations deepen, bargaining will become more intense and interference from the US and other extraterritorial powers will intensify, making it more difficult to reach a consensus,” she said. “There is still great uncertainty on whether China and the Asean would be able to complete the negotiations by the end of 2022 as scheduled.” Click here to read…

Hong Kong University Pulls Down Monument to Tiananmen Massacre Victims

The governing body of the city’s oldest university removed a statue commemorating the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, felling one of the most prominent monuments to the incident on Chinese soil. The Council of the University of Hong Kong said in a statement Dec 23 that it made the decision based on legal and risk assessments. It said that no party had ever obtained approval from the university to display the statue on campus. The “Pillar of Shame,” a contortion of 50 torn bodies and faces, stood on the campus of the university for more than two decades until it was removed in the early hours Dec 23. The sculpture was created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt to symbolize those who died during China’s crackdown of student protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Mr. Galschiøt, who in recent months has said the statue is his personal property and has made requests to the university to retrieve the sculpture, said he was shocked by the university’s actions. The removal comes amid a crackdown on civic freedoms more than a year after the imposition of a sweeping national-security law, which has also cast a chill over the local academic landscape. Commemorations of the June 4 crackdown in Tiananmen are gradually being extinguished in Hong Kong. Click here to read…

Taiwan’s opposition KMT rushes to regain lost voice in America

Taiwan’s main opposition party has stepped up plans to reopen its liaison office in Washington, as it seeks to rebuild US ties after a 13-year hiatus. The move from the Kuomintang, which is largely Beijing-friendly, comes at a time of rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and warming ties between the administrations of US President Joe Biden and Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen. As a result, new KMT chairman Eric Chu Li-luan, wants to swiftly reestablish the party’s presence in the US capital, to have its voice heard by American policymakers and think tanks, according to officials. The party’s US-educated deputy international affairs director, Eric Huang, was dispatched to Washington late last month, tasked with reopening the office that was first set up in 2004 with the KMT’s pro-mainland ally, the People First Party. The office, which closed in 2008 after Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT became president of Taiwan, was due to reopen earlier this year but kept getting stalled by successive Covid-19 outbreaks in the US. However, while the KMT remained unrepresented in the US following the Ma years, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party retained its office in Washington even after its chairwoman Tsai was elected president in 2016 and has won the trust and support of Americans in the years since. Click here to read…

China replaces Xinjiang Communist Party chief Chen

China has replaced Chen Quanguo, who as Communist Party chief in the Xinjiang region oversaw a security crackdown targeting ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims in the name of fighting religious extremism. Chen, in his post since 2016, will move to another role and Ma Xingrui, governor of the coastal economic powerhouse Guangdong province since 2017, has replaced him, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Dec 25. It gave no other details. United Nations researchers and human rights activists estimate more than one million Muslims have been detained in camps in western China’s Xinjiang region. China rejects accusations of abuse, describing the camps as vocational centres designed to combat extremism, and in late 2019 said all people in the camps had “graduated”. Chen, 66, is a member of China’s politburo and is widely considered to be the senior official responsible for the security crackdown in Xinjiang. He was sanctioned last year by the United States. On Dec 23, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a ban on imports from Xinjiang over concerns about forced labour, provoking an angry Chinese condemnation. Some foreign lawmakers and parliaments, as well as the U.S. secretaries of state in both the Biden and Trump administrations, have labelled the treatment of Uyghurs genocide. Click here to read…

China has multiple military basing options in Africa, analysts say

China is reportedly looking to build a military presence in Equatorial Guinea, which would be its second such facility in Africa and the first along the Atlantic Ocean. But China’s options are not limited to the small country, analysts say. Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Angola and Seychelles are strong candidates, each with different reasons. “If we look at China’s operational patterns of behavior, there will be a number of considerations that the Chinese government will take into account,” Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies said. First, China will likely opt for partners with which it enjoys the highest strategic level of relations, Nantulya said. Of the five tiers of partnerships it has, the “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” is the highest. Those that fit that category are Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. But politically unpredictable Zimbabwe, for instance, will not be considered an option, Nantulya said. “Even when relations are strong, whenever there are signs of instability, China has shown to be very cautious and very conservative.” Beijing will also favor countries that have clout in the African Union and will be able to mobilize support and mitigate resistance to a Chinese base, Nantulya said. Click here to read…

Turkish elections may hinge on short window of lira calm

The new set of policy measures announced on Dec 20 included a guarantee to compensate any loss of value in lira deposits due to currency depreciation by the treasury and the central bank. The moves are designed to encourage the de-dollarization of existing forex accounts while creating a chance of increasing central bank reserves, as well as discouraging further forex buying by individuals, easing pressure on the lira, and thus tame inflation. According to opposition politician Umit Ozlale, an economist, “the critical thing is external financing requirements. If they can create a current-account surplus and high debt rollovers, that may be successful up to one year.” The one-year time frame may have political implications, Ozlale said, suggesting that it may be a move with an eye on an early election. Erdogan has until now vehemently denied such speculation and insists that the elections will be held on time in June 2023. Ozer Sencar, head of leading pollster Metropoll, said, “All signs lead to a snap election by Erdogan,” pointing to the 50% minimum wage hike announced this month, the promised wage hike for public servants and now the new deposit scheme to prop up the lira. Click here to read…

Manchin rejects Biden’s $1.75tn ‘Build Back Better’ investment bill

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who is key to President Joe Biden’s hopes of passing a $1.75 trillion domestic investment bill, said on Dec 26 he would not support the package. “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” Manchin said during an interview with the “Fox News Sunday” program, citing concerns about inflation. “I just can’t. I have tried everything humanly possible.” The White House called Manchin’s remarks a breach of commitments he made to find common ground and said it would find a way to move forward with the legislation in 2022. Many Democrats feel passage of the bill is essential to the party’s chances of maintaining control of Congress in next year’s elections. The exchange marked the first sharp public break between the White House and a senator who many top allies of Biden privately regard as damaging the Democratic president’s political future. Manchin has been a key holdout on the White House’s “Build Back Better” plan, which aims to bolster the U.S. social safety net and fight climate change and is the cornerstone of Biden’s legislative agenda. In a statement released after the “Fox News Sunday” interview, Manchin said that increasing the U.S. debt load would “drastically hinder” the country’s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical threats. Click here to read…

U.N. Plans $8 Billion Fund to Restart Afghanistan’s Economy

The United Nations is planning an $8 billion program of aid and services in Afghanistan for next year, taking on many government functions at a time when the Taliban regime remains under economic sanctions and lacks diplomatic recognition, according to international officials. From providing hot meals for children in schools, to generating jobs or finding ways to pay Afghanistan’s energy bills to its neighbors, the U.N.’s plan would move beyond its current humanitarian mission to rebuilding governing systems and social services. “A human being needs more than being handed a piece of bread. They need dignity, they need hope,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, deputy special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General and the humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan. “We do not want to become an alternative government of Afghanistan. But is it important to support systems, not lose the gains made in past years.” The Afghan economy has shrunk by at least 40% since the Taliban took over in August. The U.S. froze some $9 billion in Afghan central-bank assets and financial sanctions have paralyzed the country’s banking system. Half the country is on the verge of starvation, according to the U.N. International donors have already given more than $1 billion since the Taliban takeover to meet emergency needs for the rest of 2021. Click here to read…

Belgian military hit by cyberattack

The security breach was initially detected last week, but only publicized on Dec 20 by ministry spokesman Commander Olivier Severin, according to a local media report. “[The Defense Ministry] on Dec 16 discovered an attack on its computer network with internet access,” Severin said, adding that “all weekend our teams have been mobilized to control the problem, continue our activities and warn our partners.” A spokesperson for Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder also told Politico that the ministry was “working hard” to secure the network, though officials have yet to comment on the origin of the attack. The breach reportedly targeted a security flaw in a widely used utility known as Log4j, a fault that was first observed by cyber experts earlier this month, stoking fears that hackers could use the vulnerability to compromise millions of devices. While many attackers have exploited the flaw to install cryptocurrency mining software on computers without the owners’ knowledge, others have taken aim at businesses and even government agencies, according to Check Point, an Israel-based cyber security firm. Click here to read…

Iran holds extensive military drills in 3 provinces

Iran fired missiles from land and sea on Dec 21 as part of five days of military exercises in three provinces, including near its only nuclear power plant, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement. The military maneuvers come after the US said it was preparing “alternatives” in case negotiations to revive a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program collapse in Vienna. “We have carried out exercises to destroy the enemy before they approach the Hormuz islands,” Guards navy commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said, quoted by the Guards’ Sepah News website. The military drills dubbed Payambar-e-Azadm, or “Great Prophet,” began on Dec 20 in Bushehr, Hormozgan and Khuzestan provinces, each of which touch the Gulf. They included biological warfare exercises. The maneuvers also saw the deployment of Iranian-made boats that are capable of launching high-precision missiles and reaching speeds up to 75-95 knots. At dawn on Dec 20, “in order to increase the defense capability of the armed forces, an exercise was held over the Bushehr nuclear power plant,” Mohammad-Taghi Irani, Bushehr’s deputy governor for political and security affairs, told Fars news agency. Click here to read…

Landslide in Myanmar mining area leaves dozens missing

A landslide at a remote jade mine in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state killed one person and left at least 70 missing Dec 22 and a search and rescue operation was underway, rescue officials said. Reports were scant from the area in Hpakant, which is the center of the world’s biggest and most lucrative jade mining industry. It’s a region where sporadic fighting has broken out between the Myanmar army and ethnic guerrilla forces. Gayunar Rescue Team official Nyo Chaw, who was coordinating the effort, said more than 70 miners who were digging for jade were swept into a lake a couple of hours before dawn when the landslide hit. Earth and waste from several mines around Lonekhin village slid 60 meters (about 200 feet) down a cliff and struck the miners, he said.. Hpakant is a mountainous and remote area in Kachin state, 950 kilometers north of Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon. A ceasefire in the region has been disrupted since a Feb. 1 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her elected government. It has some of world’s richest jade deposits, making the industry a hotbed for corruption. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka shuts three foreign missions as dollar crisis worsens

Sri Lanka has announced the closure of three overseas diplomatic missions in a bid to save foreign currency reserves, as the country’s Central Bank slaps tighter controls on dollars needed to finance essential imports. The Sri Lankan High Commission in Nigeria and consulates in Germany and Cyprus will be closed from January in the restructuring, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Dec 27. “The restructuring is undertaken with a view to conserving the country’s much needed foreign reserves and minimising expenditure related to maintenance of Sri Lanka’s missions overseas,” the ministry said in a statement. The island’s tourism-dependent economy has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic. In March last year, the government imposed a broad import ban to shore up forex reserves, triggering shortages of essential goods such as fuel and sugar. The closure of the three missions came on the same day the Central Bank of Sri Lanka tightened restrictions on foreign currency remittances received by locals. It ordered all commercial banks to hand over a quarter of their dollar earnings to the government, up from 10 percent. Sri Lanka had foreign reserves of just $1.58bn at the end of November, down from $7.5bn when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took office in 2019. Click here to read…

Malaysia government under fire over slow clean-up after deadly floods

Malaysia’s government was under fire on Dec 27 as residents accused it of responding too slowly after the country’s worst floods in years. Days of torrential rain caused rivers to overflow last week, swamping cities, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Damaged appliances and soaked furniture were piled up on the streets and outside homes in flood-hit areas as residents and volunteers continued a massive clean-up drive. Many were frustrated with the authorities. “I am angry. There is no assistance from the government … We need cash to rebuild our lives,” said Asniyati Ismail, who lives in a residential enclave in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state. “There is mud everywhere, everything has been destroyed,” she told AFP as her two children helped her clean. The mounds of rubbish left in the area after the floods have also sparked fear of disease outbreaks. Selangor, which encircles the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, was the state hit hardest by the floods. Many in Shah Alam were left stranded in their homes with barely any food for days, before being evacuated on boats in a chaotic rescue operation. “The government has been absolutely slow in the rescue mission,” resident Kartik Rao told AFP. “And now they are slow in the clean-up operation. Click here to read…

Conflict between Korea, USFK simmers

Deep-seated tension between the South Korean government and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) is coming into public view, as a former American four-star general has belittled the Moon Jae-in administration’s security pledges, struck back by Cheong Wa Dae and the defense ministry. Robert Abrams, who led the USFK from 2018 to 2021, told Voice of America, Dec 25 (local time), that South Korea’s military capabilities were not sufficient to take over wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from the United States, while questioning the intentions of the Moon administration’s push for an end-of-war declaration. In 2014, Seoul and Washington agreed upon a conditions-based OPCON transition, and President Moon had sought to complete the task before his term ends in May 2022, although the plan has fallen through due to a lack of adequate assessment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “What we do say publicly is that condition one is the Republic of Korea must acquire the critical military capabilities to lead the combined defense that translates into 26 discrete systems. In addition, there’s a couple of additional tasks for condition one, which includes certifying that the future CFC (Combined Forces Command) led by a Korean four-star general would be capable of leading the combined defense,” Abrams said. Click here to read…

Korea grants special pardon to ex-President Park Geun-hye

South Korea’s government on Dec 24 announced a special pardon for Park Geun-hye, the former president currently serving a 22-year prison term for corruption, saying that pardoning Park would help bolster national unity. Park has been serving a combined 22-year prison sentence since March 2017 after being impeached and removed from office over far-reaching corruption charges and an influence-peddling scandal. The 69-year-old former president was included in a list of 3,094 pardon beneficiaries who are scheduled to be released on New Year’s Eve. The amnesty was decided in consideration of her deteriorating health. This year, Park was hospitalized three times due to chronic shoulder and lower back pain. In 2019, she received shoulder surgery. She will be released directly from Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul, where she is currently staying for treatment, according to officials. Granting a pardon to Park is expected to have a significant impact on next March’s presidential election, as Park has commanded the support of voters in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, a stronghold of the main opposition People Power Party. Click here to read…

Somalia’s president suspends prime minister amid election spat

Somalia’s president said on Dec 27 he had suspended the prime minister for suspected corruption, a move the prime minister described as a coup attempt, escalating a power struggle between the two leaders The raging, months-long dispute has seen both leaders trade allegations over the holding up of parliamentary elections, and is widely seen as distracting the government of the Horn of Africa country from fighting an Islamist insurgency. It will also raise concerns about the prospect of renewed clashes between factions in the security forces allied to each side, prompting the United States to call for calm. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed accused Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble of stealing land owned by the Somali National Army (SNA) and of interfering with a defence ministry investigation. “The president decided to suspend [the] prime minister … and stop his powers since he was linked with corruption,” the office of the president said in a statement, accusing Roble of interfering with an investigation into a land grabbing case. In response, Roble said the move was unconstitutional and aimed at derailing an ongoing election. He also ordered the security forces to start taking orders from him, instead of the president. Click here to read…

Israel plans to double settlement in Golan Heights

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Dec 26 the country intends to double the amount of settlers living in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights with a multimillion-dollar plan meant to further consolidate Israel’s hold on the territory it captured from Syria more than five decades ago. Bennett said the new investment in the region was prompted by the Trump administration’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the swath of land and by the Biden administration’s indication that it will not soon challenge that decision. “This is our moment. This is the moment of the Golan Heights,” Bennett said at a special Cabinet meeting in the Golan Heights. Bennett’s office said the government would invest some 1 billion shekels (over $300 million) into developing the Golan, including the establishment of two new settlements as well as investments in tourism, industry, clean energy and technology that would create several thousand jobs. Entrenching Israeli control over the territory would complicate any future attempt to forge peace with Syria, which claims the Golan Heights. Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed the territory, promoting settlement and agriculture there as well as creating a thriving local tourism industry. Click here to read…

Medical
China puts 13m residents in lockdown ahead of Beijing Olympics

China is redoubling efforts to control new virus outbreaks with a lockdown of the 13 million residents of the northern city of Xi’an following a spike in coronavirus cases. The measure comes just weeks before the country hosts the Winter Olympics in Beijing, roughly 1,000 kilometers (6,210 miles) to the west. There was no word on whether the virus was the newly surging omicron variant or the far more common delta. China has recorded just seven omicron cases – four in the southern manufacturing center of Guangzhou, two in the southern city of Changsha and one in the northern port of Tianjin. China has also been dealing with a substantial outbreak in several cities in the eastern province of Zhejiang near Shanghai, although isolation measures there have been more narrowly targeted. Authorities have adopted strict pandemic control measures under their policy of seeking to drive new transmissions to zero, leading to frequent lockdowns, universal masking and mass testing. While the policy has not been entirely successful while leading to massive disruptions in travel and trade, Beijing credits it with largely containing the spread of the virus. The Xi’an restrictions are some of the harshest since China in 2020 imposed a strict lockdown on more than 11 million people in and around the central city of Wuhan. Click here to read…

China tightens border with Vietnam, stokes trade worries

China has tightened its land border with Vietnam amid worries over the omicron variant of COVID-19, dealing a blow to trade from the Southeast Asian country as it battles to get its economy back on track in the face of the pandemic. Beijing informed Vietnam on Dec 23 that foreign drivers would be barred from crossing the border between the two countries from Dec 24 due to a request from Chinese health authorities, with similar measures also affecting China’s borders with Myanmar and Laos. China is Vietnam’s second-largest export market and its biggest source of imports. The customs process on the Chinese side of the border had already slowed from November, with authorities taking steps such as mass testing after a COVID case was discovered in a town near the border in China. As of Dec 23, over 6,300 trucks carrying industrial goods and agricultural produce such as jackfruit, watermelon, mango and dragon fruit were queuing for kilometers along Vietnamese roads to the four main border gates, waiting for customs clearance. Some had been there for over 20 days, while around another 3,000 trucks were also stuck on the Chinese side. Hanoi-based economist Le Dang Doanh said initial estimates show that Chinese border controls over the last few weeks have cost Vietnamese trade some $174 million. Click here to read…

Omicron less likely to put you in the hospital, studies say

Two new British studies provide some early hints that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the delta version. Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to be weighed against the fact Omicron spreads much faster than delta and is more able to evade vaccines. Sheer numbers of infections could still overwhelm hospitals. Still, the new studies released Dec 22 seem to bolster earlier research that suggests Omicron may not be as harmful as the delta variant, said Manuel Ascano Jr., a Vanderbilt University biochemist who studies viruses. “Cautious optimism is perhaps the best way to look at this,” he said. An analysis from the Imperial College London COVID-19 response team estimated hospitalization risks for Omicron cases in England, finding people infected with the variant are around 20 percent less likely to go to the hospital at all than those infected with the delta variant, and 40 percent less likely to be hospitalized for a night or more. That analysis included all cases of COVID-19 confirmed by PCR tests in England in the first half of December in which the variant could be identified: 56,000 cases of Omicron and 269,000 cases of delta. Click here to read…