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

COMMENTARY

Zambia’s success will be Africa’s success

The year 2021 has been a landmark year for Zambia. Two important events occurred. The passing of the first president of independent Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, was mourned in June. Then, in the election in August 2021, the people of Zambia voted decisively for change. Click here to read…

East Africa: Was China’s foreign minister’s visit a success or failure?

Last week, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his tour of Eritrea, Kenya and Comoros – part of a 31-year-old tradition of Chinese foreign ministers visiting the continent for their first overseas trips in the new calendar year (or before the end of the lunar new year). Click here to read…

NEWS

Senegal Elects Mayors with Eyes on 2024 Presidential Election

Senegal votes in municipal and regional elections on Sunday, amid growing political tensions over whether President Macky Sall will seek to extend his rule beyond the two-term limit in a nation long considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies. Click here to read…

Burkina Faso govt denies army takeover after barracks gunfire

Burkina Faso’s government denied that the army had seized control of the country on Sunday after exchanges of gunfire took place at multiple army barracks, including two in the capital. Click here to read…

Ethiopia army planning to ‘eliminate’ Tigrayan forces, military official says

Ethiopia’s military is planning to enter the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle and “eliminate” rebellious forces, a top military official said late on Friday amid diplomatic efforts to end conflict in the country’s north. Click here to read…

Djibouti: Can IOG ‘finish the job’ during his last term in office?

In the very troubled Horn of Africa, the small Republic of Djibouti is an island of stability. Although Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (IOG) was re-elected thanks to a positive economic record, the expectations of the population – three-quarters of whom are under 35 – remain high. Click here to read…

Biden’s dangerous refusal to reverse Trump’s Western Sahara policy

Trump recognized the wholesale annexation of one country by another. If Biden lets that stand, the global implications are deeply troubling. Click here to read…

Sudanese hold ‘day for martyrs’ after anti-coup protest killings

Sudanese anti-coup protesters have held a “day for the martyrs”, gathering outside the homes of some of those killed in a bloody crackdown on demonstrations since an October military takeover. Click here to read…

Guinea junta establishes council to lead transition to elections

Guinea’s junta on Saturday set up an 80-member council to act as a parliament during the country’s transition to electionsClick here to read…

Arab League Summit postponed in blow to Algeria’s diplomatic hopes

Algeria’s President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, announced on Wednesday that the thirty-first Arab League Summit will be postponed. Click here to read…

Kenya is refusing to release the loan contracts for its Chinese-built railway

Kenya has declined to make public the loan contracts for its Chinese-built railway in response to a court petition by two activists, saying they have non-disclosure clauses and that releasing them would amount to breaching a bilateral agreement, impairing relations between Kenya and China. Click here to read…

The signs suggest that another uprising looms in Egypt

Many human rights organisations, political activists and reports point out unambiguously that the people of Egypt have lived under a brutal police state since the 2013 military coup. Click here to read…

Somali government spokesperson wounded in suicide bomb attack -police, state media

Somalia’s government spokesperson was wounded on Sunday in an explosion at a road junction set off by a suicide bomber in the capital Mogadishu, police and the national news agency said. Click here to read…

Tunisian dies after protesting President Saied’s moves

A Tunisian man has died of wounds he sustained during a crackdown by security forces on anti-government protesters during a demonstration last week. Click here to read…

US AFRICOM Commander Says Russian Mercenaries in Mali

The U.S. has now confirmed reports that Russian mercenaries known as the Wagner Group have deployed in Mali and are supported by the Russian military. Click here to read…

Construction Starts on Congo, Central African Republic Sub-River Fiber Connection

As part of the Central African Backbone (CAB) development project, the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR) will be connected by a 285km steel-reinforced, sub-river fiber optic connection designed to enhance business and communications between Congo and the Central African region. Click here to read…

Mali holds state ceremony for ex-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

Mali has held a state ceremony for former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was removed in a 2020 coup and died last week. Click here to read…

U.S. Envoy Visits Coup-Hit Sudan in Bid to End Spiralling Unrest

A new U.S. envoy arrived in Sudan for crisis talks as expectations grow for a more robust response from Washington to the military’s crackdown on opponents of October’s coup that’s left dozens of people dead. Click here to read…

Macron says EU and Africa seek vaccines deal at February summit

The EU is working with African countries toward a deal to improve access to coronavirus vaccines, French President Emmanuel Macron said. Click here to read…

Appeal in ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero’s case can proceed without him, judge rules

A Rwandan court ruled on Tuesday that an appeal by prosecutors in a case involving Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed in the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’ sheltering hundreds of people during the 1994 genocide, could proceed in his absence. Click here to read…

Elon Musk’s Tesla Inks Mozambique Deal to Get Key Battery Component Outside China

Tesla is turning to Mozambique for a key component in its electric car batteries in what analysts believe is a first-of-its-kind deal designed to reduce its dependence on China for graphite. Click here to read…

Tanzania, Burundi Sign $900 Million Railway Deal to Boost Trade

Tanzania and Burundi have signed an agreement to build a $900 million railway that will connect the neighboring East African nations. Click here to read…

Angola to produce 10.5 mn carats of diamonds in 2022

Angola estimates to produce 10.5 million carats of diamonds in 2022 with a revenue of $1.4 billion, the country’s National Diamond Company (Endiama) announced here. Click here to read…

Kenyan e-commerce company Copia Global raises $50M to ramp up African expansion

Kenyan B2C e-commerce company Copia Global has raised $50 million in a Series C equity round led by Goodwell Investments. Click here to read…

False banana: Is Ethiopia’s enset ‘wondercrop’ for climate change?

Scientists say the plant enset, an Ethiopian staple, could be a new superfood and a lifesaver in the face of climate change. The banana-like crop has the potential to feed more than 100 million people in a warming world, according to a new study. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Development partnership key pillar of India-Mauritius ties: PM Narendra Modi

Jointly inaugurating multiple development projects in Mauritius, along with the country’s Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that Mauritius is “integral” to India’s approach to the Indian Ocean, and that the development partnership is a key pillar of the close ties between the two nations. Click here to read…

PM to launch India-assisted projects with Mauritius counterpart Jugnauth today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate an India-assisted social housing project in Mauritius during a virtual event on January 20. Click here to read…

India to send a battalion for peacekeeping ops in Africa

India will next month dispatch an infantry battalion for UN peacekeeping operations in the oil-rich Abyei region in Africa, which straddles northern and southern Sudan and is hotly contested by both. Click here to read…

Second defence export deal this month: India to supply ALH (MkIII) to Mauritius

Close on the heels of the BrahMos supply contract India has got another contract to supply Indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). Click here to read…

Devas shareholders to continue seizing Indian assets abroad

Unfazed by the Supreme Court upholding winding up of the company, shareholders of Devas Multimedia will continue to seek seizure of Indian government assets abroad to collect $1.2 billion the firm has been awarded by arbitration tribunals for cancellation of a satellite deal but are open for talks to settle the issue, counsel said. Click here to read…

At UNSC, India Urges All Sides to Find ‘mutually Acceptable Solutions’ To Normalise Sudan

India at United Nations Security Council (UNSC) highlighted that the resignation of Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok shows the “inherent challenges to the transition process.” Click here to read…

J’khand workers stuck in Mali seek help for return home

Around three dozen residents of Jharkhand, working at a power transmission line laying project in the African country of Mali, have sought help from the authorities back home to ensure payment of their pending salaries and safe return to IndiaClick here to read…

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

COMMENTARY

Strategy and ambition: In Wang Yi visit, China’s long Africa game

For a dozen years, China has been Africa’s biggest trading partner. Two-way trade in 2020 was $187 billion. The balance of trade is heavily in favour of China. Click here to read…

NEWS

Six people killed in blast in Somalia’s capital

Six people were killed on Wednesday in a car bomb explosion in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, a security official and witnesses said. The attack was claimed by the Al-Shabaab jihadist group, which said in a brief statement that it was targeting “foreign officers”.Click here to read…

US Africa envoy to visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Ethiopia

The US special envoy for the Horn of Africa will visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Ethiopia next week amid ongoing crises in the two African nationsClick here to read…

Mozambique kicks off first offshore gas project

A floating plant for liquefying natural gas arrived in Mozambican waters on January 3 after a seven-week maritime voyage from South Korea. Click here to read…

Violence erupts, police use water cannon on Tunisian protesters

Tunisian police used water cannon and sticks to disperse more than 1,000 protesters trying to reach central Tunis on Friday to demonstrate against the president in defiance of COVID-19 restrictions. Click here to read…

Ethiopia raps WHO chief for ‘supporting’ rebellion Tigray forces

Ethiopia has accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief of supporting the rebellious Tigrayan forces who are fighting the government.Click here to read…

Cameroonian senator and soldier killed in restive anglophone regions

A prominent opposition figure and a soldier have been killed in separate attacks in Cameroon’s restive anglophone regions, intensifying security concerns as the country hosts the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament. Click here to read…

Kenya ports authority receives Turkey-built tugboat

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPS) said Wednesday that the previous day it received a modern Turkish-built tugboat with fire-fighting (Fi-Fi) capabilities that will offer supplementary protection to port facilities and ships. Click here to read…

Nigeria lifts 7-month ban on Twitter

The human rights group Amnesty International said Wednesday night that the Twitter ban had been “illegal” and described it as an attack on Nigerians’ basic freedoms, including freedom of expression. Click here to read…

Malians rally after army calls for protests over ECOWAS sanctions

Thousands protest across Mali in support of ruling military after West Africa bloc-imposed sanctions over delayed vote.
Click here to read…

Uganda to destroy over 400k doses of expired Covid vaccines

Uganda is set to destroy more than 400,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines after they expired before being administeredClick here to read…

DRC forces launch offensive against ADF forces in eastern Congo

Armed forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have launched a series of attacks against the positions held by Allied Democratic Forces in Virunga National Park in the east of the country.Click here to read…

Russia, China block UN support for ECOWAS sanctions on Mali

The draft council statement endorsing the sanctions failed to be approved during closed-door consultations. Click here to read…

5G buzz continues with launches in Zambia and Lithuania

There’s been no let-up in 5G activity lately, with Zambia’s MTN announcing the country’s first 5G launch and Telia highlighting a dynamic spectrum sharing-based 5G launch now underway in Lithuania. Click here to read…

MTN Uganda introduces overdraft facility as it steps up competition in digital lending space

Africa’s mobile-money sector remains the most active of any region in the world, according to GSM Association (GSMA), an umbrella body representing the interests of players in the telecommunications industry.
https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/12/mtn-uganda-introduces-overdraft-facility-as-it-step-ups-competition-in-digital-lending-space/” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Uganda’s schools reopen, ending world’s longest lockdown

Uganda’s schools reopened to students on Monday, ending the world’s longest school disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

Tanzania launches Chinese financed project to enhance civil aviation safety

Tanzanian authorities on Friday launched the enhancement of the civil aviation safety oversight systems project financed by the Chinese government for 1 million U.S. dollars grant. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe’s scrap metal rush creates a circular economy, and headaches for authorities

Small steel companies are paying scrap collectors and filling a production gap left by the country’s collapsed industry. But the rush for scrap has led to vandalism and theft. Click here to read…

Egyptian parliament to approve new law on status of Christians

Egypt’s parliament is set to approve new legislation drafted in collaboration with local Christian Churches regarding on the personal legal status of Christians in the country. Click here to read…

China helps advance technology in Africa

China has set a milestone in its technological commitments to Africa, with tech giant Huawei working with Zambia’s mobile telecom operator MTN in a pilot program to roll out the African nation’s first 5G network. Click here to read…

Sudan expresses desire to further strengthen ties with Turkey

Sudan’s Sovereign Council on Thursday hailed Turkey’s supportive stance toward the country and its keenness to strengthen ties between Ankara and Khartoum. Click here to read…

Namibia: 178 Pharmacies ‘Guilty of Price-Fixing’

NAMIBIA’S competition regulator says it will institute legal action against more than 170 pharmacies that have been found guilty of contravening the competition law by manipulating trading conditions to fix the price of medicines. Click here to read…

China applies brakes to Africa lending

Beijing has signalled a more cautious approach amid warnings that several African countries could struggle to repay debtsClick here to read…

“No Way to Censor”: How Africa’s WhatsApp-Only Newspaper Went Viral

Even though it’s published as a PDF file and distributed on WhatsApp, The Continent feels like an old-fashioned newspaper: Catchy headlines, short stories, reported pieces and interviews. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India’s POWERGRID to set up first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) in Kenya

India has signed an agreement with the Government of Kenya to develop a Power transmission project in Kenya on a public-private partnership basis (PPP). The project entails the development, financing, construction, and operation of the 400kV Lessos – Loosuk and 220kV Kisumu – Musaga transmission lines under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework, said a senior officer of the Power Ministry. Click here to read…

Kenya Police inducts 100 made-in-India Mahindra Scorpio Getaway pick-up trucks

The pick-up SUV supplied to the Kenya Police is a single-cab model and is based on the current-generation Mahindra Scorpio sold in India. Click here to read…

India’s development partnership with Mali: Making difference on the ground

One such example is the ongoing construction of 393 kilometres of high voltage (225 kV) double circuit transmission line from Sikasso to Bamako, Mali’s capital city, to Sikasso, the second largest city of Mali and capital of its eponymous and southern-most region. Click here to read…

Rama Steel Tubes hit record high on signing a deal with Hong Kong-based Huihai Group

RST lndustries (RSTIL) signed a new annual contract with Huihai Group, Hong Kong for procuring 15,000 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) with an exclusive arrangement for Nigeria. Click here to read…

Indian Navy hands over interceptor craft to Mozambique

The Indian Navy has handed over two Solas Marine fast interceptor craft to Mozambique and provided military training during a port visit by the tank landing ship INS Kesari. Click here to read…

Vijay Construction to rebuild Seychelles’ health studies school as donation

Vijay Construction will bear the cost for the rebuilding of the National Institute of Health and Social Studies (NIHSS) following an agreement concluded by the company’s director and the Seychelles health minister on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Vedanta puts $12-bn price tag on privatisation-bound Bharat Petroleum

Vedanta Group is willing to spend $12 billion to acquire India’s state-owned refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp., an asset sale that’s among the nation’s biggest and which has faced delays in completion. Click here to read…

Madagascar Prime Minister reviews bilateral ties with India

Indian Ambassador on Tuesday attended a review meeting over the progress on bilateral ties between New Delhi and Antananarivo. Click here to read…

India to invest in Tanzania’s energy sector

The government of Tanzania has announced the country has opened its doors to India and its investors to explore opportunities in the country’s energy sector. ‘Click here to read…

Indian Embassy in Madagascar celebrates ‘World Hindi Day 2022’

World Hindi Day was celebrated at the Embassy of India in Antananarivo on 10th January 2022. The event was graced by members of ITEC, ICCR alumni, the Indian community, and the families of the Embassy officials. Click here to read…

Keywords: Africa, Cameroon, China, Covid, Coup, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa, Indian Navy, India in Africa, Madagascar, Mahindra Scorpio, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tigray, Uganda, Vedanta, World Hindi Day 2022

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

COMMENTARY

Africa: Looking Back at 2021 and Likely Trends in 2022

For the second year in a row, countries across the world battled to cope with the negative economic impacts of covid. Though African continent handled the initial impacts of Covid-19 relatively well, in 2021 it suffered immensely from Covid-19 outbreaks and the resulting lockdowns. While governments across the continent took several measures including complete economic lockdown to stop the spread of the mutating virus, people struggled to come up with the devastating loss of life and livelihoods.Click here to read…

NEWS

Russian Troops Deploy to Timbuktu in Mali After French Withdrawal

Russian soldiers have deployed to Timbuktu in northern Mali to train Malian forces at a base vacated by French troops last month, Mali’s army spokesperson said Thursday. Click here to read…

China plans peace envoy for conflict-riven Horn of Africa

China said on Thursday it would appoint a special envoy to foster peace in the turbulent Horn of Africa and wanted to shift focus on the continent to trade over infrastructure. Click here to read…

Morocco and China agree to implement the Belt and Road initiative

Morocco and China have enhanced their cooperation as they signed on Wednesday the joint Belt and Road implementation plan. Click here to read…

Why Equatorial Guinea May Host China’s First Atlantic Naval Base

Since mid-2021, U.S. defence officials have warned that China is considering whether to build a naval base in the Central African nation of Equatorial Guinea. If built, it would be China’s second such facility in Africa and its first in the Atlantic. Click here to read…

Chinese, Comorian FMs hold talks over bilateral relations

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday met with Comorian Foreign Minister Dhoihir Dhoulkamal in Moroni, capital of the Comoros.
Click here to read…

Wang Yi’s Kenya trip shows importance of bilateral ties, offsets US’ ’empty checks’ and ‘politicized schemes’

Concluding a visit to Eritrea, where Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi signed a joint statement on opposing hegemonic interference, Wang’s new year trip moved on to Kenya. Click here to read…

Fire burns South Africa’s Parliament building in Cape Town

Firefighters battled a blaze at South Africa’s national Parliament complex on Sunday that sent a dark plume of smoke and flames into the air above the center of Cape Town. Click here to read…

Ethiopia releases several political prisoners

Ethiopia released several political prisoners on January 7 in a bid to jumpstart a “national dialogue” amid a gruelling civil war. The unexpected move to release political prisoners, including some from Tigray, the region whose forces are at odds with the federal government in Ethiopia, comes amid a pause in the conflict. Click here to read…

What next for Sudan after PM Hamdok’s resignation?

Amid mounting unrest, analysts expect ruling military to co-opt new civilian figure to avoid missing out on crucial foreign aid.’ Click here to read…

Three Chinese nationals abducted in Nigeria, police say

Police in Nigeria said gunmen abducted three Chinese nationals working in the country’s north central region, the latest incident in a cycle of violence in Africa’s most populous nation. Click here to read…

Morocco has advanced weaponry, so Algeria wants a Chinese defence system

The Algerian army has bought a sophisticated Chinese electronic warfare system because Morocco has obtained advanced weapons systems from Turkey and other sources. The Chinese system is capable of blocking enemy communications and detecting radar at a range of hundreds of kilometres. Click here to read…

Two years of COVID-19 in Africa: lessons for the world

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa’s rapid and coordinated response, informed by emerging data, was remarkable. Now, in 2022, as vast vaccination campaigns have enabled the global north to gain some control over the pandemic, Africa lags behind.Click here to read…

Foundation stone laid for $1.1bn deep water port in Senegal

Macky Sall, the president of the West African country, laid the foundation for the 300ha facility on Monday. The ceremony follows a concession agreement signed in December 2020 between the Dubai-based logistics company and the government of Senegal. Click here to read…

Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and UAE join Security Council

Albania is joining for the first time while Brazil is taking an 11th turn. Gabon and Ghana each have been on the council three times before and the UAE once. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Egyptian, Indian FMs discuss furthering cooperation, urge boosting coordination on int’l issues

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, discussed continuing to boost and expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Click here to read…

Agri trade is booming this fiscal, but April-Oct basmati exports fell 23% since last year

APEDA says basmati exports have dipped due to stock pile-up. But a top industry leader says high freight charges and issues over maximum residue levels in pesticides are to blame. Nepal, Bangladesh and African nations like Benin, Senegal and Togo were top importers for India’s non-basmati rice. Click here to read…

Indian Navy Ship lands in Comoros to provide technical assistance

Indian Naval Ship Kesari arrived at the port of Moroni, Comoros on Friday to extend technical assistance to the Comorian Coast Guard. Click here to read…

Congo Hold-Up: A Group of Indians in Spotlight for Illicit Money Transfers

Some of the chief operators of the alleged illicit money transfers are persons of Indian origin based in Congo, according to analysis of a data leak by Radio France International. Click here to read…

Karnataka: Ugandan national caught carrying Rs 1.5 crore worth drugs in Cerelac boxes

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a Uganda national and have seized methamphetamine worth Rs 1.5 crore in Karnataka on Friday.Click here to read…

India, Somalia and Madagascar may join to become one continent in 200 million years: Study

The collision will lead to the ‘formation of a long mountain range along the modern west coast of India’ which the team named ‘Somalaya’. Click here to read…