Tag Archives: Mali

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 20, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

It’s Africa’s Century—for Better or Worse

Since the 1990s, the idea that we might be entering an “Asian century” has preoccupied and disorientated the West. However, once we take in view the long sweep of history, the return of China and India to the centre stage of world affairs is less a revolution than a restoration. Click here to read…

Why Is Madrid Pandering to Morocco?

Spain has traded five decades of neutrality on Western Sahara while getting nothing but a spyware scandal in return.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/13/spain-sanchez-morocco-polisario-western-sahara-algeria/” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Aapravasi Ghat: Witness to the Great Indian Migration to Mauritius

The largest human migration in history occurred between 1834 and 1923 when the British in its experimental bid to abolish slavery brought mostly Indians as indentured labourers to work in the sugarcane estates of Mauritius. Click here to read…

NEWS

Somalia set to hold overdue presidential election

Somalia is set to hold its long-delayed presidential vote this weekend, ending the convoluted electoral process that raised tensions in the country when the president’s term expired last year without a successor in place. Click here to read…

Somalia police announce 33-hour curfew in capital Mogadishu during Sunday’s Presidential vote

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is facing 37 opponents in the vote, including two former Presidents, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who analysts see as the frontrunnersClick here to read…

Ivory Coast: President Ouattara sets the agenda at COP15 summit in Abidjan

The COP15 against desertification began Monday in Abidjan in the presence of several African heads of state, to try to take concrete action against the rapid degradation of land and respond “to the climate emergency. Click here to read…

vGuinea announces three-year transition period before restoring civilian rule

Guinea’s legislative body on Wednesday announced there would be a three-year transition period before civilian rule is restored, defying regional partners who have called for a swifter timetable following a coup. Click here to read…

Sudanese protests against military rule persist

Sudanese demonstrators are back on the streets to protest against the military in power and ask for the implementation of a civil government. Click here to read…

Mali: Thousands in new demonstration to show support for junta

Several hundred Malians gathered Friday in Bamako to support the junta, the army and the military cooperation with the Russians, denounced by the West. Click here to read…

Can Niger become the main Western ally in the Sahel?

Niamey has consistently presented an image of a friendly and reliable partner to the international community and used Western aid to boost its military strength. Click here to read…

Uganda’s plans for first nuclear power station approved

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved Uganda’s plan to build East Africa’s first nuclear power station. Click here to read…

China cuts down investment pledges for Africa amid mounting debt fears

While infrastructure projects are one of the main priority areas in China-Africa cooperation, Beijing has cut down on its investment pledges for the continent for the first time in December 2021, according to reports. Click here to read…

Sierra Leone launches bid for UN Security Council seat

Sierra Leone on Monday launched a bid for a seat in the Non-permanent category of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Click here to read…

Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Is Paramount to Regional Economy, Politics

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project is of critical importance for inter-Africa development and integration as it would significantly address regional energy security issues. Click here to read…

Guinea Coup: You can be free, but you will have to wait three years

The military junta in Guinea said its transition back to civilian rule would probably take more than three years, a proposal likely to upset West Africa’s political bloc that has called for a swift return to constitutional order. Click here to read…

As Wheat Prices Soar, Africa Pivots to Cheaper Alternatives

Global wheat prices are so high that African consumers are starting to ditch the grain from their diet and Food companies using rice, manioc flour and sorghum in recipes. Click here to read…

AFC Plans $2 Billion Fund to Support Africa Economic Revival

Africa Finance Corp. is setting up a $2 billion fund to help institutions on the continent recover quickly from the pandemic and overcome challenges posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

Museveni woos Turkish investors to Uganda

President Museveni yesterday made a case for Uganda as a favourable and profitable investment destination, rallying investors to set up business across different sectors of the economy. Click here to read…

Africa roundtable unites with European allies

Politicians from African and European countries gathered in Berlin on Thursday for The Africa Roundtable to discuss strategies to cope with common challenges. Click here to read…

Kenyans are protesting plans by tax authority to snoop on their online chats

There is outrage across Kenya after the country’s tax authority announced on May 11 that it plans to start mining data from digital devices in a bid to combat tax and financial fraud. Click here to read…

At least 35 killed in attack on DR Congo gold mine: local sources

Raiders killed at least 35 people in an attack on a gold mine in Ituri, in the strife-torn northeast of Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said Sunday. Click here to read…

Female student killed by mob at Nigeria school over blasphemy claims

A female student in northern Nigeria was killed by a mob who stoned, beat and set fire to her for allegedly posting a blasphemous statement against the Prophet Mohammed, according to police. Click here to read…

Head of Tunisian opposition party claims he is under investigation

The head of a Tunisian opposition party said on Friday he had been summoned for investigation over a radio interview and accused President Kais Saied of attempting to intimidate opponents. Click here to read…

Ethiopia-China cooperation benefits both sides: Ethiopian Ambassador to China

Ethiopia’s newly launched 10-year development plan opens the door to bilateral cooperation that will benefit both China and Ethiopia, said Teshome Toga Chanaka, the Ethiopian ambassador to China Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s Junta Under Pressure to Deliver on Security Promises

The junta in power in Ouagadougou justified the 24 January coup by citing the inability of former president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré’s government to provide security in Burkina Faso. By making security its primary objective, the regime raised people’s hopes of a rapid return to peace and stability. Click here to read…

Rwanda-Burundi relations to improve further

Rwanda-Burundi relations will improve when 2015 coup plotters, said to be hiding in Kigali, are handed over Gitega to face justice, said Burundian President Evariste NdayishimiyClick here to read…

Spain, Morocco to open land borders next week after 2 years

The Spanish government says the land borders between Morocco and Spain’s North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla will reopen next week. Click here to read…

Sinosteel signs $690 million deal for Cameroon iron ore mine

China’s Sinosteel Corp. has signed a $690 million contract to exploit an iron ore mine in southern Cameroon amid a push to cut Chinese reliance on Australian and Brazilian ore. Click here to read…

South Africa’s COVID-19 spike intensifies

As daily COVID-19 cases in South Africa topped 10,000 cases today, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today. Click here to read…

Algerian President Tebboune to visit Turkey to discuss bilateral cooperation

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to pay an official visit to Turkey on May 16-17 upon the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to a statement by the Algerian Embassy on Friday. Click here to read…

Togo suffers its first deadly jihadist attack

It was probably only a matter of time, as terrorist groups are targeting the countries of the subregion one by one. Click here to read…

Meet election deadline for smooth transition, South Sudan urged

South Sudan’s peace monitoring agency has appealed to the Revitalized Transitional Legislative Assembly to urgently enact legislations aimed at meeting the elections deadlines as stipulated in the 2018 revitalized peace deal. Click here to read…

Europe looking to get a million tonnes of coal annually from Botswana, says President Masisi

Botswana has been inundated with inquiries to supply coal to Europe and estimates that demand from Western countries could top a million tonnes a yearClick here to read…

Ghana’s President Strongly Supports African Development Bank’s Quest for More Resources to Accelerate Continent’s Transformation Agenda

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has backed calls for more resources for the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) to accelerate its transformative role across the continent. Click here to read…

Russia’s Growing Strategic Interest in Eritrea

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reaffirmed Russia’s strategic interest to make coordinated efforts aim at building logistics hub along the coastline of the Republic of Eritrea. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe’s bank lending freeze will worsen economic crisis, business chamber says

Zimbabwe’s decision to suspend bank lending in a desperate bid to arrest the rapid devaluation of its currency will worsen the economic crisis and expose borrowers to predatory loans. Click here to read…

Will bitcoin succeed in the Central African Republic? Probably not

The Central African Republic has become the second country to adopt the cryptocurrency as legal tender, but experiences in El Salvador, the first nation to do so, point to a gloomy outlookClick here to read…

World Bank to Give Mozambique $300 Million To Support Its Budget

By June the World Bank plans to provide $300 million to support the national budget of the Republic of Mozambique, according to the World Bank country director for Mozambique, Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough. Click here to read…

Zambia wants to be a model for resolving Africa’s debt crises

After five unsuccessful attempts and a spell in prison on trumped-up charges of treason, Hakainde Hichilema was elected president of Zambia in August. Click here to read…

Angola’s central province is massively behind the MPLA

The governing People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in Portuguese) received today the support of tens of thousands of people in the central province of Huambo, in a campaign rally for the next general elections in the country. Click here to read…

Life in Egypt Is Getting Harder, but Don’t Dare Protest About It

A new study predicts that Egypt’s public debt will climb to half a trillion dollars in coming years. But while economists offer pessimistic views, the public is likely to find itself in prison if it dares criticize the high cost of livingClick here to read…

Gabon: 2023 presidential candidate Mike Jocktane asks for “free and transparent elections”

Gabonese bishop and politician Mike Jocktane held a press conference in the capital, Libreville to talk about his candidacy for next year’s presidential electionClick here to read…

Liberia: ANC’s Stalwart Abraham Sesay Gets Huge Support Ahead Of 2023 Elections

Executives and supporters of fallen Brewerville City Mayor George Varney Curtis, who was defeated in the 2017 general and presidential elections, have endorsed the representative bid of top Liberian humanitarian and businessman Abraham Carlison SesayClick 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 coast. Click here to read…

Botswana: Former president Khama claims continued harassment by President Masisi

The Botswana government has rubbished claims by former president Ian Khama that his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, was harassing him. Masisi himself refuses to speak on the matter himself. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Mauritius PM inaugurates second phase of Metro Express project spearheaded by India

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, along with PM Jugnauth inaugurated the first phase of the metro via video-conferencing in October 2019Click here to read…

Mozambique-India joint working group on defence back on track to tackle terrorism, drug trade

Mozambique and India intend to revive its joint working group on defence as part of counter-terrorism efforts and at the same time promote their respective blue economies and curtail drug trafficking. Click here to read…

Egypt in talks with India on wheat export ban exemption

Egypt is in talks with Indian officials about getting an exemption from India’s decision to ban wheat export. Click here to read…

Kenya mulls ending India wheat import ban as prices soar

Kenya is set to send a team of inspectors to India with the aim of ending along standing wheat import ban from the Asian nation amid low global supply. Click here to read…

Gravita’s Ghana unit commences waste rubber recycling plant

Gravita India announced that its step-down subsidiary in Ghana, Recyclers Ghana has started commercial production and recycling of waste rubber with an annual capacity of around 6,000 MTPA. Click here to read…

Prasar Bharati inks MoU with Madagascar for broadcasting collaboration

The MoU aims at exchange of programmes, exploring co-production of programmes and training and exchange of personnelClick here to read…

Deployment of ins gharial to Seychelles – mission Sagar ix

As part of ongoing deployment of Indian Naval Ship Gharial in South West Indian Ocean, under Mission SAGAR IX, the Ship called at Port Victoria, Seychelles from 11 to 14 May 22. Click here to read…

Indian Navy’s P-8I begins 5-day mission to La Reunion Island in Southern Indian Ocean

The Indian Navy’s P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft arrived on Monday at the La Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean on a five-day mission to undertake coordinated surveillance with French warships in the region. Click here to read…

INS Kolkata visited Djibouti as part of anti-piracy patrol by Indian Navy

INS Kolkata visited Djibouti from May 4-7, 2022, as part of the anti-piracy patrol being undertaken by the Indian Navy to ensure safe transit of merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden. Click here to read…

India, Madagascar planning direct flights between Mumbai and Antananarivo

“Ambassador Abhay Kumar met M Rolland Ranjatoelina, Hon’ble Minister of Transport and #Meteorology of Madagascar today. They discussed the possibility of starting a direct flight between #Mumbai and #Antananarivo,” Click here to read…

Kenya Welcomes Indian Travellers as Tourism Recovery Takes Shape

The tourism sector has received a major boost from the Indian market with a visit of about 300 tourists for an excursion of the country’s tourism products. Click here to read…

India Keen to Cement Ties with Ethiopia

The Director-General of the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gebeyehu Ganga (Ph.D.) had a meeting on Thursday with the Ambassador of the Republic of India, Shri Robert Shetkintong. Click here to read…

Indian envoy Abhay Kumar talks cooperation with Madagascar in mining sector

India imports many thousand tonnes of nickel every year which is a key ingredient in EV batteries. Madagascar can be a source of nickel and cobalt import for India as well as coal and goldClick here to read…

Indian ‘Military Base’ In Agalega: New Satellite Imagery Shows Hangars Large Enough to House Navy’s Submarine Hunting P-8I Aircraft

India is building military infrastructure on Mauritius’ Agalega Island to increase its presence in the western Indian Ocean. Click here to read…

South Africa court bars some ArcelorMittal workers from strike

South Africa’s labour court has ordered workers at ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd’s steel plants, blast furnaces and coke batteries to be excluded from an ongoing job boycott, after the company argued these are essential services barred from striking by law. Click here to read…

Vedanta challenges Zambia’s appointment of new KCM liquidator

Vedanta Resources has challenged Zambia’s appointment of a new Provisional Liquidator for Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) following the resignation of the previous office holder. 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 19, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

West Africa: Enablers of Political Extremism – a Checklist for West African Countries

The Sahel – the region just south of the Sahara – is home to the world’s fastest growing extremist group, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin or JNIM, and the deadliest group, Islamic State in West Africa, according to the 2022 Global Terrorism IndexClick here to read…

What Elon Musk Does Not Get about Twitter and Democracy in Africa

Last month, Elon Musk gave an insight on the path that Twitter may take following his acquisition of the social media platform. Click here to read…

The sacred Indian hues of Mauritius

Situated just a few hundred kilometres from the fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar, and located off the southeastern coast of Africa, Mauritius is a gem of a destination whose cultural history remains widely unknown. Click here to read…

NEWS

U.N. chief calls for debt relief, investment on West Africa trip
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged debt relief for African countries and more investment to help their economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and weather the impacts of the Ukraine war. Click here to read…

Somalia: Lawmakers to decide president on May 15

Somali lawmakers are expected to pick the country’s new president on May 15, a long-overdue final step in a protracted political crisis. Click here to read…

Kenya election 2022: A record 47 independents vie for the presidency

On Monday 2 May 2022, the registrar submitted the list of names to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the final clearance, in line with election timelines. Click here to read…

Nigeria 2023: Buhari warns US to stay out of elections

Widely believed to have benefitted from tacit US support for his 2015 campaign, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is now the one warning western diplomats to stay out of next year’s elections. Click here to read…

Congo: First round of legislative elections set for July 10

The first round of legislative elections and local elections in Congo-Brazzaville will be held on July 10, according to a government decision announced Friday on state television Télé-Congo. Click here to read…

Muhoozi announces interest in Uganda presidency

After almost a decade of speculations, Lt-Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has publicly expressed his interest in succeeding his father Yoweri Museveni as president of Uganda. Click here to read…

Tunisia union rejects any formal dialogue over political reforms

Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labour union rejected on Friday any formal dialogue over political reforms that marginalise political and social forces in the country and include “ready-made decisions”Click here to read…

Interfaith tensions simmer in Ethiopia

Muslims and Christians in parts of Ethiopia are on edge after an attack in Gondar sparked a swell of unrest. Politics is usually to blame when interfaith tensions turn deadly in the countryClick here to read…

Burkina Faso: Seven soldiers and four auxiliaries killed in ambush

Seven soldiers and four auxiliaries of the Burkina Faso army were killed on Thursday in two ambushes by “terrorists” in the northern and central-northern regions. Click here to read…

Benin: Five soldiers killed in national park attack

Five soldiers were killed in an attack by suspected an armed group possibly linked to ISIL or al-Qaeda in a national park in the north of Benin Republic, two military sources have said. Click here to read…

Burundi says 10 of its peacekeepers killed in Somalia attack

Burundi’s military said on Wednesday 10 of its African Union (AU) peacekeepers were killed in an attack on their base in Somalia, while a security source in the region and a Mogadishu-based source said dozens were dead. Click here to read…

Cameroon takes over as chair of AU’s Peace and Security Council

Cameroon will preside over the Peace and Security Council (PSC), the standing decision-making organ of the African Union (AU) on the prevention and resolution of conflicts for the month of May. Click here to read…

Germany to end EU training mission in Mali

Germany will end its participation in the European Union training mission in Mali but is ready to continue with a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country under certain conditions. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: International Support ‘Refutes’ Algeria’s Outdated Narrative

The growing international support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan reflects a strong rejection of secessionist aspirations and Aleria’s narrative on Western Sahara, according to a Mexican politician. Click here to read…

South Africa to host international conference to tackle child labour

South Africa is going to host the International Labour Organisation (ILO) global conference on the elimination of child labour later this month, announced Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Thursday. Click here to read…

Al-Shabab attack on African Union forces in Somalia: What we know

Islamist militant group al-Shabab says it has carried out what may prove to be one of its most deadly attacks on the African Union mission in Somalia, however the two sides provide very different death tolls. Click here to read…

Turkey to take tangible steps for deeper ties with Africa: FM

Turkey plans to improve its relations with the African continent, and take tangible steps to deepen ties with regional organizations such as the African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Click here to read…

Algeria to raise oil output by 11,000 barrels a day

Algeria will raise its oil output by 11,000 barrels a day in June, Energy and Mining Minister Mohamed Arkab said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Libya’s Bashagha denies writing Times article condemning Russia

Fathi Bashagha, one of two rival Libyan prime ministers, has denied writing an article published on Tuesday under his name by the Times newspaper in London. In the article, purportedly written by Bashagha, the Libyan politician declares that he wants his country to “stand with Britain against Russian aggression”. Click here to read…

Sudan’s coup leaders hold secret consultations with political leader

Yasir al-Atta, a member of the Sovereign Council, revealed that the coup leaders held a series of meetings with the political forces to create a suitable atmosphere and to ensure the needed basic agreement before starting the process of national dialogue. Click here to read…

Guinea to Prosecute Ousted President Alpha Conde

Guinea’s military government this week announced plans to prosecute ousted President Alpha Conde and 26 of his former officials for murder, rape, kidnapping and other crimes. Click here to read…

Togo agrees to mediate in Mali political crisis

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe has agreed to act as a mediator in Mali’s political crisis as the West African country’s military government faces pressure to re-establish civilian rule, their foreign ministers have said. Click here to read…

Egypt’s President Sissi sells assets to try to boost the country’s economy

The Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the Egyptian economy’s flaws. Faced with the risk of social unrest, the government has introduced a series of emergency measures. Click here to read…

Dollar o’clock: Should Zimbabwe axe its faltering currency again?

In early 2019, Zimbabwe’s central bank announced plans to bring back the Zimbabwe dollar as legal tender after a decade of using the US dollar. Click here to read…

Ethiopia ‘foils’ cyber-attack on Nile dam, financial institutions

Ethiopian Authorities on Tuesday said they had stopped international cyber-attack attempts targeting the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the country’s major financial institutions. Click here to read…

AD Ports signs agreement to develop Egypt’s Safaga Port

Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group is to develop, operate, and manage a multi-purpose terminal at Safaga Port on Egypt’s east coast as a part of a consortium. Click here to read…

Russian-linked forces ‘tortured’ and ‘executed’ civilians in Central African Republic since 2019, HRW says

Forces identified by witnesses as Russian have “summarily executed, tortured, and beaten civilians” in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2019, a report by rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s central bank chief to run for presidency in 2023

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, has bought a nomination form from the governing All Progressive Congress party in a bid to become President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor. Click here to read…

China Should Lead $17 Billion Zambia Debt Talks, Minister Says

China should head the creditors committee being formed to renegotiate Zambia’s $17.3 billion of foreign debt because that will help accelerate the resolution process, the southern African country’s finance minister said. Click here to read…

Mozambique: President Nyusi and President Chakwera Inaugurate Electricity Interconnection

President Filipe Nyusi on 21 April announced that laying the first stone for the regional electricity interconnection between Mozambique and Malawi is a historic landmark. Click here to read…

Ukraine’s Zelensky renews request to address African Union

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again requested to address the African Union (AU), Moussa Faki Mahamat, AU Commission Chairperson said on Friday. Click here to read…

Angola and Spain Sign Protocol in Geosciences Field

According to the figures, Angola was responsible for almost 300,000 bpd of the of the OPEC+ supply shortfall while Nigeria was pumping almost 400,000 bpd below target. Click here to read…

Family of Hotel Rwanda hero launches $400m lawsuit over his alleged abduction

The family of Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina has filed a $400m lawsuit in the US over his alleged abduction and torture. Click here to read…

UN Slavery Investigator Arrives in Mauritania, Rights Group Urges UNHRC to Oust Regime

The independent non-governmental human rights group UN Watch today called on U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to move for the suspension of Mauritania from the 47-nation Human Rights CouncilClick here to read…

Gabon’s Plan to Revive Economy

The Gabonese government has announced the construction of a new special economic zone (SEZ), the Mpassa-Lebombi, in the south-eastern province of Haut-OgoouéClick here to read…

Africa’s tourism operators need local visitors

With international tourism still in a slump, African tour companies need local visitors to stimulate tourism. But many on the continent can’t afford to travel. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

PM Narendra Modi Thanks Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina for recognising India’s leadership in promoting climate and disaster resilience. Click here to read…

India-Nigeria relations: Onyeama calls for stronger ties

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has called for stronger ties between Nigeria and India. This was even as Onyeama said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a “game-changer”. Click here to read…

Madagascar: A firm partner of India

The visit in late April of Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato to India revitalized the India-Madagascar relationship in diverse ways. Click here to read…

Indian Amb Abhay Kumar discusses cooperation with Madagascar in mining sector

Indian Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar held talks with Madagascar’s Mining Minister Rakotomalala Herindrainy Olivier and discussed the prospect of a partnership in the mining sector. Click here to read…

Deputy NSA visits Tanzania to widen defence ties in Indian Ocean Region

Deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri visited Tanzania this week to strengthen defence ties with one of India’s key partners in Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through measures including export of defence productsClick here to read…

India, Mauritius pact may include safeguard mechanism related provisions

India-Mauritius trade agreement may include safeguard mechanism related provisions to protect the domestic industry from a sudden or unusual surge in imports of goods. Click here to read…

India and Mozambique to expand fight against terror

These issues, along with efforts to curb illegal narco smuggling, which fuels terrorism, and to expand defence ties, including maritime security, topped the agenda of deputy national security adviser (NSA) Vikram Misri’s visit to Mozambique this week, according to people aware of the matter. Click here to read…

Kenya-India Strengthen Trade-Deal Talks

Kenya and India have continued to build bilateral trade relations with the ceramic business between the two countries increasing by 27 per cent in the past one year. Click here to read…

Coromandel International acquires 45% stake in Senegal-based BMCC for Rs 225 cr

Coromandel International will acquire 45% stake in Baobab Mining and Chemicals Corporation (BMCC) for $19.6 million (Rs 150 crore approx.), besides a loan infusion of of $9.7 million (Rs 75 crore approx.) into BMCC for capital projects and expansion. Click here to read…

ASIA RICE Strong demand from Asia, Africa lift Indian prices

Export prices of rice from India rose this week on increasing demand from Asia and Africa, while dwindling supplies of the staple lifted Vietnamese rates. Click here to read…

Ethiopian Airlines Increases Focus On India

After successfully navigating the COVID pandemic and ending 2021 in a profitable state, Ethiopian Airlines plans to retain its sharp focus on network expansion that is likely to be high in demand. Click here to read…

Nexcharge to use India plant for exports to Africa, Middle East & S America

Nexcharge, a battery pack three-way partnership between Exide Industries and Leclanché, will discover choices to take its tropical market experience to different world markets. Click here to read…

Holcim likely to seek exemption under India-Mauritius tax agreement

Mauritius-based Holderind Investments, which holds a 63 per cent stake in Ambuja Cements, can claim capital gains exemption under the India-Mauritius tax treaty. Click here to read…

Nigeria accuses Indian drug makers, exporters of unethical practices

Accusing Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers and exporters of indulging in unethical and unprofessional practices in connivance with Nigerian importers. Click here to read…

Indian footprints in Africa

A close linkage between LOC and boosting of India’s trade, investment and technology has been well brought outClick here to read…

Over 1,100 Indian peacekeepers receive UN medals for exceptional service in South Sudan

The daunting tasks that include protecting civilians, undertaking a variety of engineering assignments, and offering health services, are some of the capabilities of 1,160 Indian peacekeepers who were recently decorated with UN medals for their exceptional service in South Sudan. Click here to read…

China, India eye Russian oil, move to jettison Nigeria

Nigeria may lose its largest crude oil buyers, China and India, as both countries plan to negotiate Russian oil at discount prices. Click here to read…

Gabon ‘greedy’ For Investments from India: Minister Madiya

Resource-rich Gabon is “greedy” for investments from India and is expected to sign a bilateral trade and investment treaty later this year with India to further improve the bilateral economic ties. Click here to read…

High Commissioner of Tanzania to India Anisa Mbega visited LPU to meet hundreds of Tanzanian Students

Her Excellency Mrs Anisa Kapufi Mbega, the High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to India visited Lovely Professional University, today, to meet and interact with hundreds of Tanzanian students studying at LPU campus. Click here to read…

India, Germany to work together in Africa, Latin America as part of triangular cooperation: FS Kwatra

India and Germany are to undertake development partnership projects in three African countries and one country in Latin America as part of the agreement on triangular cooperation signed between the two countries. Click here to read…

Solar Inds bags orders worth Rs 1563-cr from Singareni Collieries

Solar Industries India said that the company and its subsidiary have received orders worth Rs 1,563 crore from Singareni Collieries Company. Click here to read…

Fresh fruit importer IG International all set to introduce Tanzanian avocados in India

Avo Africa is a part of the Keitt Group of companies. Keitt Exporters Limited prides itself on being the leading grower & exporter of fruits and vegetables to markets in Europe and the Middle East for over two decades now. They are the biggest growers and exporters of avocados from Tanzania and Kenya. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 18, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

The Future of Israel-Africa Ties

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. Click here to read…

Africa Day 2022 comes amid a divided continent

Fifty-nine years have passed on since the proclamation of the need for a United States of Africa and with it hopes and dreams. Click here to read…

NEWS

Israel Offers Support to Morocco Over Western Sahara After Summit

On March 27th, Israel hosted a landmark summit in which foreign ministers from Morocco, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States met to discuss a myriad of international issues. Click here to read…

Algeria threatens to halt gas exports to Spain

The warning from Algeria comes against the background of already-soaring gas prices driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Libyan parliament lashes out as Algeria recognises GNU

The Libyan House of Representatives has condemned Algeria’s recognition of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and refusal to acknowledge the competing government in Tobruk. Click here to read…

Sudanese people protest against military rule in anniversary

Demonstrators marched across Sudanese cities to mark the deadly sit-in protests during the military takeover of the government where over 60 people were killed in the capital Khartoum in 2019. Click here to read…

Guinea to move to civilian rule in three years

The head of Guinea’s military government has announced the country will return to civilian rule after a 39-month transition period. Click here to read…

UN condemns Mali’s ban on French media

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights criticised Mali’s decision to ban French media outlets and called on its military rulers to reverse their decision. Click here to read…

China deployed Surface-to- Air Missiles (SAM) in Zimbabwe?

China has reportedly deployed and installed new generation of surface-to- air missiles (SAM) in Zimbabwe, Team pachedu has alleged. Click here to read…

Biya Bets on Russia

Cameroon’s president signs a security deal with Putin amid war in Ukraine and conflict at home. Click here to read…

UN chief to make West Africa trip to Senegal Niger Nigeria

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is heading to West Africa on Saturday to join Muslims marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and to highlight the impact of the Ukraine war on the African continent. Click here to read…

Raila horse trading in Nairobi governor race

Kenya’s presidential contender Raila Odinga has moved to broker a pre-election power-sharing deal in Nairobi among the political parties in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, defusing tensions that threatened to derail his campaign. Click here to read…

AfDB President garners strong support for robust 16th replenishment of African Development Fund

African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina concluded a three-day official visit to Washington DC on Saturday. Click here to read…

OPEC Fund to finance Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline

The OPEC Fund for International Development will finance 14.3 million U.S. dollars for the second phase of the studies in the submarine Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project. Click here to read…

Chinese Lending to Africa Fell to 16-Year Low When Pandemic Hit

Chinese lending to African governments fell to a 16-year low in 2020 as the impact of the coronavirus deterred countries on the continent from borrowing. Click here to read…

Ethiopia says Tigrayan peacekeepers victims of rebel ‘propaganda’

More than 500 UN peacekeepers from Tigray who were deployed to Abyei, a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan, have asked Khartoum for asylum, citing fears for their safetyClick here to read…

Central African Republic accepts Bitcoin as legal tender

After El Salvador and a Honduras SEZ, and the city of Lugano, the Central African Republic has also accepted the Bitcoin as the legal tender in the country. Click here to read…

Guinea considers proposals for political transition

Guinea’s military junta announced that it has received “proposals” for a political transition in the country. The proposals range from 18 to 52 months. Click here to read…

Kenya distances itself from US-led pact against internet shutdowns

Kenya has distanced itself from a United States listing of 60 signatories to an agreement that commits countries from arbitrarily shutting down the internet. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s opposition to pick presidential candidate at end of May

Nigeria’s opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday it will choose a presidential candidate at the end of May to contest elections set for February next year as it seeks to return to power after losing office seven years ago. Click here to read…

Few optimistic about DRC peace talks in Kenya

The Congolese presidency said on Thursday that the first round of peace talks to end one of the world’s worst and longest-running humanitarian emergencies had concluded. Click here to read…

Libya is losing $60m a day in oil shutdown: Oil minister

Libya is losing tens of millions of dollars a day from the shutdown of its oil facilities, while global prices are at their highest in years, the country’s oil minister told AFP. Click here to read…

Tunisia president unwilling to compromise as democracy fears grow

As Tunisia’s political crisis rumbles on, President Kais Saied has made several moves that critics say are designed to entrench him in power and appears increasingly unwilling to compromise. Click here to read…

Somalia: Parliament elects new speaker after security standoff

Somali lawmakers have elected a new parliamentary speaker after a tense standoff between African Union peacekeepers and police, underscoring bitter divisions within the country’s security forces exacerbated by delayed elections. Click here to read…

Guinea and Burkina Faso Juntas Risk More Sanctions Over Transition Delays

Guinea’s ruling junta on Monday signalled it might break a deadline to set out its plans to return to civilian rule, opening up the prospect of more sanctions from West Africa’s political and economic bloc. Click here to read…

Joint West African force claims 20 rebels killed in Lake Chad

Troops participating in a West African joint military force claim to have killed an estimated 20 rebel fighters in the Lake Chad basin. Click here to read…

Sudan: West Darfur clashes leave 200 dead

Clashes in West Darfur left at least 200 people dead and over a hundred injured, local authorities said on April 27. The clashes unfolded between members of the non-Arab Massalit community and Arab fighters near West Darfur’s state capital El Geneina. Click here to read…

Togo to join Commonwealth

TOGO COULD become the latest country to join the Commonwealth after MPs passed a vote asking its Government to make a formal bid for membership on Friday. Click here to read…

Benin celebrates return of royal treasures after 130 years
The much-celebrated return of 26 treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey has culminated in a month-long celebration of heritage and art at the Museum of the Marina in Cotonou, Benin, attracting large crowds. Click here to read…

Will AU give support to Ukraine after Zelensky’s second request to address African leaders?

The African Union has said there was need for a “peaceful solution to the conflict with Russia”. Click here to read…

NZ peacekeepers to stay in Africa, Middle East

New Zealand will extend its peacekeeping contributions in South Sudan and the Middle East. An international relations expert said the deployments were a chance for troops to get specialist training and learn from overseas counterparts. Click here to read…

China aids Zambia in debt restructuring process

President Hakainde Hichilema has thanked China for coming on board to commit and join other creditors in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Zambia debt restructuring process. Click here to read…

Malawi looks to cannabis for profits amid declining Tobacco demand

Under a scorching sun at a trading post in Malawi, Chikumbutso Chekeni and his wife head to their tobacco sheds to dry their newly harvested leaf. Click here to read…

Suspected Islamic State terrorists blow up gas pipeline in Egypt’s Sinai

Suspected Islamic State terrorists blew up a natural gas pipeline Saturday in Egypt’s restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, causing a fire but no casualties, security officials saidClick here to read…

Senior Eritrean delegation on working visit to Russia

Senior Eritrean delegation composed of Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Presidential Adviser Mr. Yemane Gebreab is on a two-day working visit to Russia on invitation of Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Click here to read…

Bitcoin not a panacea for Africa’s economic woes: IMF

Bitcoin is not a cure-all for Africa’s economic woes, the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday, after the Central African Republic adopted the cryptocurrency as legal tender. Click here to read…

Pressure mounts for Chad to delay its national dialogue

Pressure is piling on the Chadian government to delay the date of a national dialogue set to start in two weeks as rebel groups and representatives of the country’s transitional council are yet to reach an amnesty agreement seen as a crucial condition for the success of the talks. Click here to read…

Angola’s historic first oil platform to be launched in June

The Angolan oil sector has reason to smile with export figures more than satisfactory at the end of 2021-beginning of 2022. In the same vein, the historic launch of the very first oil platform in the country will take place next June. Click here to read…

South Africa likely in new Covid wave, says health minister

South Africa has likely entered a new wave of Covid-19 earlier than expected as new infections and hospitalisations have risen rapidly over the past two weeks, the country’s health minister said on Friday. Click here to read…

South Africa Offers to Co-Chair Zambia’s Creditor Committee

South Africa has indicated its interest in co-chairing Zambia’s official creditors committee together with France, the nation’s finance ministry said. Click here to read…

More faithful in South African mosques during Ramadan this year

South African Muslims are pleased to see more faithful gathering at mosques during this year’s holy month of Ramadan. Click here to read…

Paul Rusesabagina: Hotel Rwanda hero’s family files $400m US lawsuit

The family of Paul Rusesabagina, the subject of Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, have filed a $400m (£307m) lawsuit in the United States over his alleged abduction and torture. Click here to read…

Gabon launches new economic zon

The Gabonese government has announced the construction of a new special economic zone (SEZ), the Mpassa-Lebombi, in the south-eastern province of Haut-Ogooué. Click here to read…

Africa-Vietnam fashion trade ties yet to hit full potential: Vietrade

Despite significant growth Vietnam-Africa bilateral ties in recent years, the trade relationship between the two had not achieved its full potential, especially in the fashion industry, according to Le Hoang Tai, deputy director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade). Click here to read…

Mauritania working to promote 28 offshore blocks open for bids

African energy sector investment platform Energy Capital & Power (EPC) has created a coalition with Mauritania’s Energy Ministry and NOC to attract foreign stakeholder interest in the country’s potential renewable projects and 28 offshore blocks that are open for bids, EPC announcedClick here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Madagascar FM calls Indo-Pacific a ‘legitimate vision’; bats for peaceful military ties with India

The visiting Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato has called the “Indo-Pacific vision a legitimate vision”, an important remark given the country’s key location in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Click here to read…

Why are Indian Army and ‘Made in India’ vehicles in Africa’s oil-rich Abyei?

Realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a self-reliant nation in defence manufacturing, an Indian Army peacekeeping battalion equipped with homemade wheeled armoured personnel carriers has been deployed in Africa’s oil-rich Abyei region, which sits between northern and southern Sudan. Click here to read…

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra urges Indian diaspora to register as Overseas Voters

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has urged members of the Indian Community to register as Overseas Voters. He also told the NRI community that extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility to overseas voters is being contemplated.Click here to read…

Over 1,000 Indian Peacekeepers Get UN Award for Serving In South Sudan

Over 1,100 Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded UN medals, honouring them for their exceptional service in the strife-torn East African country. Click here to read…

Kenya delegation visits DFCCIL freight corridor

A delegation from Kenya visited the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor along with N Srinivas, the Director of Operations & Business Development, DFCCILClick here to read…

Mozambique: EDM Awards Power Line Construction Work to India’s L&T

Mozambique’s publicly owned electricity company, EDM, has awarded the construction of the interconnection power line with neighbouring Malawi to “Lasern & Toubro” (L&T), India’s infrastructure development companyClick here to read…

ICRISAT’S 50th Anniversary Celebration Held in Malawi

Since its founding in March 1972, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been celebrating 50 years of scientific innovation and impact in the drylands. Click here to read…

India to send first wheat cargo to Egypt

India is scheduled to ship its first wheat cargo to Egypt, following the latter’s phytosanitary approval of India-origin crop earlier in April. Click here to read…

Gov’t urges Ghanaian, Indian pharmaceutical companies to access AfCFTA opportunities

The AfCFTA, whose Secretariat is hosted in Accra, provides duty-free and quota-free trade access for businesses and companies. Click here to read…

Navy Chief hands over navigation charts to Maldives and Seychelles

Continuing with what has been New Delhi’s approach on strengthening bonds with countries in the Indian Ocean Region, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar has visited Seychelles and Maldives. Click here to read…

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to completely fund university studies for students from Africa

India’s top private university Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has announced a new scholarship program to support 350 students from across Africa to travel to India for higher education. The announcement made at the Amrita-Africa Summit in New Delhi was attended by ambassadors from across Africa and hosted by dignitaries from the universityClick here to read…

India, Mauritius trade pact may include safeguard mechanism related provisions

The sources said a chapter on general economic cooperation is also expected to be included in the pact, which is officially termed as Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA). Click here to read…

Ethiopian Airlines to boost India flights, eyes higher traffic from BRICS

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest carrier in Africa, is allowed to operate 35 flights per week to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. Click here to read…
Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry

A report said Jacob Zuma “would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them”, including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions. Click here to read…

CM Yogi Adityanath invites Mauritius businessmen for UP Summit

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has invited Mauritian investors to invest in the state as well as participate in the Global Investors Summit proposed to be held in the state soon. Click here to read…

Jaishankar congratulates Tanzania on country’s Union Day

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Tanzania Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula and the people of the country on the 58th anniversary of their Union DayClick here to read…

UNESCO funds launch of Seychelles first-ever balloon satellite

In a significant initiative towards boosting scientific temper and enthusiasm for space technology in the young citizens of Seychelles, an Indian organization facilitated the launch of Seychelles’ first-ever balloon satellite. Click here to read…

Karnataka: Ugandan woman dies falling from hostel terrace, students stage protest

Tension prevailed at GITAM University campus on the outskirts of Bengaluru after a 22-year-old student fell to her death from the sixth floor of the hostel building on Wednesday night, the police said. Click here to read…

India’s Gupta’s brothers used South Africa’s Ex-President in capturing Eskom

In one of the latest reports issued by the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, the three Gupta brothers have been held responsible for capturing the parastatal electricity supplier, Eskom and provoking South African natives against their former President Jacob Zuma. Click here to read…

Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry

A report said Jacob Zuma “would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them”, including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions. Click here to read…

India’s UPL applies to flush toxic pesticides into South African sea

Indian agrochemicals manufacturer UPL Ltd has applied for permission to flush water contaminated by a toxic pesticides spill in South Africa’s city of Durban directly into the sea or the sewerage system, the company said on Saturday. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 17, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Africa’s dilemma in the Russia-Ukraine crisis

On February 24, as Russia began its air and missile assaults in Ukraine’s Donbas area, it escalated into a full-fledged war. Most western countries condemned the attack, and economic measures were imposedClick here to read…

Hidden costs of Chinese projects in key African state of Kenya

Although Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has defended the country’s strategy, many Kenyans have alleged that the China-funded projects are secretive, high cost and debt creating. While these projects have put extra burden on the people, these assets are at risk due to failure in debt servicing. Click here to read…

NEWS

Ethiopia men queue up to volunteer for Russia’s fight in Ukraine

Ethiopians with military records line up outside Moscow’s embassy in Addis Ababa in the hope to join the Russian army amid rumours $2,000 will be paid to each volunteer. Click here to read…

Rwanda jails Chinese national for torturing mine workers

The Chinese embassy in Rwanda said in a statement that it had ‘taken note’ of the ruling. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: Algeria Sets Conditions for Ambassadors Return to Spain

Algeria is attempting to put further pressure on Spain after Sanchez’ government changed its position to favour Morocco’s Autonomy Plan. Click here to read…

Niger approves hosting more European forces amid Mali withdrawal

President Momahed Bazoum proposed hosting more troops, a move opposed by some groups weary of foreign involvement. Click here to read…

Denmark in talks with Rwanda on transfer of asylum-seekers

Denmark is in talks with Rwanda about setting up a new procedure for transferring asylum seekers to the East African nation, mirroring a similar move by Britain announced last week. Click here to read…

Nigeria: U.S. Approves $1 Billion Arms Sale Despite Human Rights Concerns

The United States has approved a nearly $1 billion weapons sale to Nigeria after lawmakers had put a hold on the deal over concerns about possible human rights abuses by the Nigerian government. Click here to read…

France says Russian mercenaries staged ‘French atrocity’ in Mali

Russian mercenaries buried bodies near a Malian military base to falsely accuse France’s departing forces of leaving behind mass graves, the French military has claimed. Click here to read…

De Mistura plans tour in new quest for Western Sahara settlement

UN envoy to Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura announced his intent to undertake a second tour in the region for talks with the parties involved in the Western Sahara dispute. Click here to read…

Italy Signs Gas Deals in Angola, Congo to Cut Russia Ties

Italy struck new deals to boost natural gas imports from Angola and the Republic of Congo as Mario Draghi’s government rushes to cut energy dependence on Russia. Click here to read…

Algeria struggles to meet rising demand for its gas after Russian invasion of Ukraine

This could have been Algeria’s moment: Europe’s efforts to wean itself off Russian gas should have provided the north African country with a golden opportunity to maximise exports and carve out a bigger share of the continent’s energy market. Click here to read…

Libya oil company says field closed amid political impasse

Libya’s national oil company said Sunday it was forced to shut down an oil field amid a political impasse that threatened to drag the North African nation back into armed conflict. Click here to read…

Tunisian President Saied seizes control of electoral commission

Tunisia’s president has seized control of the country’s election commission, saying he would replace most of its members in a move that will entrench his one-man rule and cast doubt on electoral integrity. Click here to read…

Cameroon signs agreement with Russia in further boost to military ties

Cameroonian Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo has signed a military cooperation agreement in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Choigou, as Wagner mercenaries are boosting Russia’s influence in West Africa. Click here to read…

Sudan: Anti-coup voices being silenced to subdue the resistance

The international community should not turn a blind eye to the ongoing human rights crisis in Sudan. Click here to read…

Somalia: At least six killed in Mogadishu attack near beach

Six people have been killed in a blast at a seaside restaurant in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, an ambulance service official said. Click here to read…

Nigeria to hold 1st census in 17 years after security delay

Nigeria’s first census in 17 years will be conducted in 2023 in order to try to accurately survey its population, estimated at more than 200 million and the largest in Africa, the head of the national population agency announced Thursday. Click here to read…

MSF worker, dozens of civilians killed in fighting in South Sudan

Dozens of civilians, including a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) worker, have been killed in the ongoing fighting in South Sudan’s Unity state, the medical charity has confirmed. Click here to read…

South Africa’s EFF leads peaceful protests at Eswatini borders

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South Africa’s third-largest political party, has organised peaceful protests along the country’s borders in the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces with the neighbouring Eswatini. Click here to read…

East African Nations Agree on Force to Fight Congo Armed Groups

Leaders from four East African nations and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to form a regional force that will fight armed groups in eastern Congo. Click here to read…

Africa’s Last Absolute Monarchy Revives Airline After 23 Years
Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, is set to launch a flag-carrier airline almost a quarter of a century after the previous one ceased operation in the country formerly known as Swaziland. Click here to read…

South Africa allocates $67 mn in relief for Durban flooding; 443 dead

Declaring a national state of disaster, South Africa has allocated $67 million to help those hit by floods that have killed at least 443 people in the eastern city of Durban and the surrounding Kwazulu-Natal province. Click here to read…

Google to Set Up Its First Africa Product Development Centre in Kenya

Alphabet Inc’s Google is investing in its first ever Africa product development centre in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, it said, as it positions itself to serve a growing base of internet users on the continent. Click here to read…

Mali junta says sticking to two-year transition

Mali’s ruling junta has announced the launch of a two-year transition “process” before elections are held, in defiance of West African bloc partners. Click here to read…

Ivory Coast: Achi reappointed PM, regional bank chief named VP

President Alassane Ouattara accepted the resignation of his entire cabinet last week ahead of a government reshuffle. Click here to read…

Chad: How Much Longer Will the Military Council Stay

One year ago, Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno was killed in clashes between rebels and government forces in Western Kanem province. Click here to read…

Two Morocco, Japanese Trade Agreements Enter into Force on Friday

Morocco’s embassy in Tokyo, Japan, celebrated on Friday the official start of two trade agreements that Morocco and Japan had originally signed in January 2020Click here to read…

Former Guinea president Conde released from house arrest

Guinea’s deposed president Alpha Conde has been released from house arrest and can receive visitors, including family members, the ruling military government announced. Click here to read…

ICC entreat Guinea-Bissau Membership
The president of the International Criminal Court urges Guinea-Bissau to become a member as proof of the unstable West African nation’s commitment to peace. Click here to read…

Former Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki dies at 90

Former Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki, who led the country from 2002 to 2013, has died at 90. Click here to read…

Former Botswana president faces criminal charges

Former Botswana president Ian Khama was summoned to appear before a court on Thursday to face multiple criminal charges. Click here to read…

Malawi solar mini-grid shows promise as way of electrifying rural Africa

Development experts say village-level solar power is a more promising way of bringing electricity to Africa’s remotest areas than conventional grids, which often do not reach them, tend to prioritise more privileged neighbourhoods and are often powered by polluting fossil-fuel generation. Click here to read…

Egyptian students enjoy broader chances to learn Chinese

In Egypt, the ways to learn Chinese have become increasingly diverse and considerate towards local youngsters who are willing to challenge themselves with the language famed for profoundness and splendid culture. Click here to read…

The African Union Must Ask What Space Can Do for Africa

The African outer space programme is a means to meet the ends of other flagship programmes in Agenda 2063 and needs more attention from the African Union. Click here to read…

Chinese envoy arrives in Zambia as another debt crisis looms for Lusaka

Zambia’s debt troubles will be the biggest headache for the new Chinese ambassador to Lusaka, who arrived on Sunday with a promise to “strengthen the friendly ties the two countries have enjoyed over the years”.Click here to read…

Morocco, Mauritania Keen to Consolidate Diplomatic, Economic Relations

Morocco and Mauritania have reiterated their commitment to advance diplomatic and economic relations to address issues of shared interest. Click here to read…

Tanzania, US sign investment agreements worth Sh11.7 trillion

Tanzania and the US have on Friday April 22, signed Seven agreements for business projects which are set to be implemented in Tanzania by investors and companies from the United States of America. Click here to read…

New Ebola case confirmed in Congo’s west Equateur province

A new Ebola case has been confirmed in Congo’s northwest Equateur Province in the city of Mbandaka, Congo health authorities said Saturday, declaring an outbreak nearly four months after the last one ended in the central African nation. Click here to read…

Russian mercenaries accused of human rights abuses in Central African Republic

When reports emerged that mercenaries from the Russian security company the Wagner Group were being sent to Ukraine, the people of the Central African Republic knew just what that meant. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Mauritius PM meet in Varanasi, discuss areas of cooperation

In an almost hour-long discussion held between the two, the CM promised Jagannath cooperation in helping natives of Mauritius with Indian origins connect to their roots. He also invited Mauritian investors to invest in the state as well as participate in the Global Investors Summit proposed to be held in the state soon. Click here to read…

UP can play prime role in economies of India, Mauritius: Yogi to Jugnauth

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at Hotel Taj here on Friday. Click here to read…

EAM S Jaishankar calls on Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Saturday called on the Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, who is on an eight-day visit to India to strengthen bilateral ties, in New Delhi. Click here to read…

Symbiosis School of International Studies launches M.A. programme in African Studies (Geo-economics and Foreign Policy)

Symbiosis School of International Studies (SSIS) has launched a Masters of Arts in African Studies (Geo-economics and Foreign Policy) that offers a holistic understanding of the African continent and its relation with major countries in the world. Click here to read…

Navy chief pays 3-day visit to Seychelles

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar has held extensive talks with the top civilian and military brass of Seychelles to further boost bilateral maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Click here to read…

Indian Navy Conducts Sail Training Capsule for South Africa Navy Officers

Indian Navy conducted a Sail Training capsule of three weeks duration for officers’ trainees (Sub Lieutenants) of Republic of South Africa Navy (RSAN) at Ocean Sailing Node (OSN) of Indian Navy at INS Mandovi, Goa from 28 Mar 22 to 16 Apr 22. Click here to read…

Chief Election Commissioner urges members of Indian Community to register as overseas voters

Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sushil Chandra urged Indian Community living in South Africa and Mauritius to register as overseas voters. Click here to read…

Kenyan Envoy Seeks Investment from India

Ambassador of Kenya, Willy Bet on Tuesday sought Indian investments to the African country in various sectors ranging from oil to healthcare. Click here to read…

Ghana Invites Indian Companies to Explore Investment Avenues In Mineral Refining

West African nation Ghana has invited Indian companies to invest in mineral refining capacity including gold, bauxite, lithium, diamond, crude oil and manganese. Click here to read…

At AYUSH summit, PM Modi tells how Ayurveda helped ex-Kenyan PM’s daughter regain eyesight

“It has been a struggle since I lost my vision in 2017. I have been to China and other countries and undergone various treatment modalities like acupuncture. Nothing seemed to have helped,” says Rosemary Odinga, daughter of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Click here to read…

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Hari Kumar visits the Seychelles to boost bilateral defence cooperation

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R. Hari Kumar, now on his maiden overseas visit since taking over the mantle of the CNS, visited the Indian Ocean archipelago of Seychelles on a three-day visit starting April 21. Click here to read…

Postal ballot facility for NRIs being contemplated: Chief Election Commissioner

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra urged Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to register as overseas electors and told them about a proposal on postal ballots for NRIs being contemplated during a recent visit to South Africa and Mauritius, the Election Commission (EC) said on Friday. Click here to read…

Bolloré Africa Logistics acquisition expands MSC’s India presence

The acquisition gives MSC presence at Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal secures it a “growth-oriented” container-handling foothold on India’s east coast. Click here to read…

Watch video: How Indian Railways Modern Coach Factory is giving boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India

The Modern Coach Factory got an order to manufacture as many as 90 rail coaches for Mozambique. Click here to read…

Tanzania: Mwinyi Appreciates India’s Support to Isles Development
President Hussein Mwinyi has commended the efforts taken by the Indian Embassy in Tanzania in supporting Zanzibar to implement its development projects, including the improvements of water supply for domestic use in the islands. Click here to read…

‘Earlier I couldn’t see, now I can’: Ex Kenya PM’s daughter praises Ayurveda

The comment came in the backdrop of the World Health Organisation launching its Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar in Gujarat a day ago. Click here to read…

African Swine Fever: Tripura to order culling of pigs in Sepahijala farm

After African Swine Fever cases were reported in a breeding farm in Sepahijala district, the Tripura government on Wednesday decided to go in for mass culling of infected pigs at the farm. Click here to read…

Indian Embassy in Madagascar holds plantation drive on Earth Day

Indian Embassy in Madagascar organised a plantation drive with over 200 saplings of native trees to mark the 52nd Earth Day on Friday. Click here to read…

Cheap Indian wheat faces quality checks, high freight cost for Egypt export

Indian wheat could offer a cheaper option for top importer Egypt but will have to overcome quality controls set by the country’s agriculture ministry as well as higher freight costs. Click here to read…

After her recovery, India repatriates Seychelles Coast Guard sailor who had mid-sea medical emergency

India has repatriated a woman sailor of the Seychelles Coast Guard, for whom India provided mid-sea assistance and medical evacuation during an emergency, while she was off India’s Western coast, near Lakshadweep. Click here to read…

Powering Electric Two- and Three-Wheelers with Rural Minigrids in Nigeria and India

Imagine a future where a restauranteur in rural Nigeria flips on her shop lights and pulls cold beers from the fridge as the evening crowd trickles inClick here to read…

Five held in Seychelles: Fishers want MEA to intervene

International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET) President P Justin Antony sent a representation to the Indian External Affairs Minister on Wednesday requesting a diplomatic talk between India and Seychelles for the release of five fishing captains and their vessels. Click here to read…