Tag Archives: Senegal

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 51, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Where is Tunisia headed after its latest elections?

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

A shift in the US perspective on Africa

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

NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biden backs African Union becoming permanent G20 member

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

Biden announces presidential visit to Africa next year

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

US Hits Zimbabwe President’s Son With Sanctions

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

DR Congo floods leave more than 120 dead in Kinshasa

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

Uganda to nationalise electricity utility as private contracts conclude

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

Sudan, Ethiopia joint committee discusses railway connecting two countries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Libya PM admits role in Lockerbie suspect’s transfer

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

Burkina Faso aware of the dangers of Wagner force -France

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

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

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

Russian culture center head wounded in Central African Republic assassination attempt

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

Two UN peacekeepers shot dead near Timbuktu in Mali

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

US gifts SAFE International patrol boat to Mozambique

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

Botswana Develops Security Strategy to Counter Terrorism Threat

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

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

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

IMF Approves $3 Billion Loan to Egypt

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

Ghana expects $3 bln IMF loan approval early in 2023

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

Body of Zambian national killed fighting in Ukraine returns home

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

Shell begins drilling offshore Namibia

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

Bangladesh could import gas from Mozambique

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

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

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

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

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

Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister

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

Ruto pitches Kenya Airways sale to Delta

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

Sudan strikes deal with UAE firms for $6 billion port

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

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

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

Egypt: Fake antibiotics kill several children in Egypt

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

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

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

Fresh from World Cup game, France ends Morocco visa restrictions

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

France and Algeria mend ties after months long visa row

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

Kagame defends Africa’s right to a partnership with China

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

India rupee settlement mechanism draws interest from more nations

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

Africa struggling to reduce dependency on imported Indian rice

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

India contests Africa child death charge

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

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

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

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

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

Senegal struggles to break dependence on imported rice

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

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

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 1, 2023)

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

COMMENTARY

Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South

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

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

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

Will Africa’s 2023 elections strengthen democracy?

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

NEWS

Two Gambian Military Officers Arrested in Connection with Failed Coup

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

Tunisian president extends state of emergency until Jan. 30

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

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

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

El Burhan calls for inclusivity in Sudan’s political negotiations

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

Mediators meet to bolster Ethiopia truce amid signs of détente

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

Mozambique about to join UN Security Council

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

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

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

Angola court orders dos Santos’s assets seized

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

DRC dismantles Rwanda-backed spying network

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

Exiled Former Botswana President Khama Faces Arrest

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

Eritrean soldiers leave major towns in northern Ethiopia – eyewitnesses

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

30,000 Displaced In South Sudan After Ethnic Violence

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

Eritrean Catholic bishop is freed after two months in detention

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

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

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

9 killed in stampede in Uganda shopping mall

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

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

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

Mali sentences 46 Ivory Coast soldiers to 20 years in prison

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

Namibia Halts Russian Uranium Exploration Over Environmental Concerns

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

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

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

Zimbabwe bans raw lithium exports as demand, prices soar

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

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

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

Madagascar seeks Moroccan fertiliser investment -President

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

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

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

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

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

Ivory Coast hands down 11 life sentences in 2016 resort attack

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

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

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

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

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

Chinese provinces boost China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

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

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

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

Senate gives final approval for establishing Digital Egypt Fund

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

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

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

Port of Berbera: Dubai invests in Horn of Africa shipping

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

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

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

Rights watchdogs condemn Algeria’s closure of Radio M

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

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

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

A Christmas Day Killing in Lagos

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

Jihadi violence hits Benin, shows spread across West Africa

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

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

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

Niger: Military helicopter crashes, three crew members killed

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

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

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

Ghana warns against alarmist New Year prophecies

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

Ethiopia, India Agree to Strengthen Investment Cooperation

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

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

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

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

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

RBI eases payment concerns involving large pulses suppliers

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

Gambia deaths: Drug regulators launch nationwide inspection

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 1, 2023)

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

COMMENTARY

Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South

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

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

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

Will Africa’s 2023 elections strengthen democracy?

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

NEWS

Two Gambian Military Officers Arrested in Connection with Failed Coup

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

Tunisian president extends state of emergency until Jan. 30

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

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

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

El Burhan calls for inclusivity in Sudan’s political negotiations

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

Mediators meet to bolster Ethiopia truce amid signs of détente

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

Mozambique about to join UN Security Council

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

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

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

Angola court orders dos Santos’s assets seized

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

DRC dismantles Rwanda-backed spying network

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

Exiled Former Botswana President Khama Faces Arrest

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

Eritrean soldiers leave major towns in northern Ethiopia – eyewitnesses

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

30,000 Displaced In South Sudan After Ethnic Violence

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

Eritrean Catholic bishop is freed after two months in detention

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

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

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

9 killed in stampede in Uganda shopping mall

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

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

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

Mali sentences 46 Ivory Coast soldiers to 20 years in prison

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

Namibia Halts Russian Uranium Exploration Over Environmental Concerns

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

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

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

Zimbabwe bans raw lithium exports as demand, prices soar

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

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

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

Madagascar seeks Moroccan fertiliser investment -President

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

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

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

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

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

Ivory Coast hands down 11 life sentences in 2016 resort attack

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

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

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

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

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

Chinese provinces boost China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

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

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

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

Senate gives final approval for establishing Digital Egypt Fund

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

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

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

Port of Berbera: Dubai invests in Horn of Africa shipping

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

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

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

Rights watchdogs condemn Algeria’s closure of Radio M

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

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

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

A Christmas Day Killing in Lagos

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

Jihadi violence hits Benin, shows spread across West Africa

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

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

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

Niger: Military helicopter crashes, three crew members killed

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

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

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

Ghana warns against alarmist New Year prophecies

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

Ethiopia, India Agree to Strengthen Investment Cooperation

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

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

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

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

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

RBI eases payment concerns involving large pulses suppliers

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

Gambia deaths: Drug regulators launch nationwide inspection

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 51, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Where is Tunisia headed after its latest elections?

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

A shift in the US perspective on Africa

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

NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biden backs African Union becoming permanent G20 member

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

Biden announces presidential visit to Africa next year

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

US Hits Zimbabwe President’s Son With Sanctions

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

DR Congo floods leave more than 120 dead in Kinshasa

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

Uganda to nationalise electricity utility as private contracts conclude

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

Sudan, Ethiopia joint committee discusses railway connecting two countries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Libya PM admits role in Lockerbie suspect’s transfer

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

Burkina Faso aware of the dangers of Wagner force -France

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

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

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

Russian culture center head wounded in Central African Republic assassination attempt

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

Two UN peacekeepers shot dead near Timbuktu in Mali

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

US gifts SAFE International patrol boat to Mozambique

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

Botswana Develops Security Strategy to Counter Terrorism Threat

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

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

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

IMF Approves $3 Billion Loan to Egypt

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

Ghana expects $3 bln IMF loan approval early in 2023

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

Body of Zambian national killed fighting in Ukraine returns home

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

Shell begins drilling offshore Namibia

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

Bangladesh could import gas from Mozambique

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

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

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

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

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

Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister

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

Ruto pitches Kenya Airways sale to Delta

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

Sudan strikes deal with UAE firms for $6 billion port

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

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

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

Egypt: Fake antibiotics kill several children in Egypt

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

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

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

Fresh from World Cup game, France ends Morocco visa restrictions

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

France and Algeria mend ties after months long visa row

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

Kagame defends Africa’s right to a partnership with China

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

India rupee settlement mechanism draws interest from more nations

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

Africa struggling to reduce dependency on imported Indian rice

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

India contests Africa child death charge

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

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

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

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

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

Senegal struggles to break dependence on imported rice

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

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

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 5, 2022)

Week 5, 2022Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

Burkina Faso is the site of Africa’s latest coup. How many more are coming?

The African continent was rattled by another military coup Monday—its fourth in less than two years—after Burkina Faso’s military ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré from power. Click here to read…

African Politics: Return of The Military

The military seized power in Burkina Faso on Monday, ousting the country’s democratically elected President, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. I was in a conference on security in the Sahel last November and already at that time, the conversation was that the military had decided to seize power in the country and the only question was when not if they would. Click here to read…

NEWS

Burkina Faso crowd celebrates West Africa’s latest coup

More than 1,000 people gathered in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou on Tuesday in support of a military coup that a day earlier ousted President Roch Kabore, dissolved the government and suspended the constitution. Click here to read…

Denmark pulls troops from Mali as military gov’t swipes at France

The decision comes amid rising tensions after several countries imposed sanctions on Mali for failing to organise elections following two military coups. Click here to read…

Ethiopia PM open to talks with Tigray forces

Ethiopia’s prime minister has said there will be negotiations on a cease-fire between his government and the rival Tigray forces who have been waging war for almost 15 months. Click here to read…

Senegal ruling coalition suffers setbacks in key cities

Senegal’s ruling coalition suffered crushing defeats in the capital and other major cities in Sunday’s local elections, local media reported, in a vote seen as a key test for the president. Click here to read…

US envoy for Horn of Africa to visit Turkey to discuss Sudan crisis

The newly appointed United States special envoy for the Horn of Africa will visit five countries, including Turkey, to discuss Sudan and regional peace, the State Department said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Egypt sceptical of Ethiopia call for cooperation on Nile dam

Egypt sees Ethiopia’s latest call for cooperation over its controversial Nile dam as mere ink on paper, as Cairo continues to insist on resuming the negotiations to reach a legally binding agreement. Click here to read…

Sudanese protest against UN talks to resolve post-coup crisis

Sudanese pro-military demonstrators have taken to the streets of the capital, Khartoum, to protest against a UN attempting to resolve a political crisis that has been marred by a wave of bloody protests since a military coup in October. Click here to read…

Shell hits oil and gas in Namibian offshore well

Shell (RDSa.L) has made a significant oil and gas discovery at an closely-watched offshore well in Namibia which could spark a wave of investment in the southern African country. Click here to read…

The Republic of Congo to Receive $455 million IMF Loan

The board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $455 million loan for the Republic of Congo with the objective of extending fiscal relief and stimulating re-growth for the hard-hit economy of the central African country. Congo’s economy has been adversely impacted by the pandemic and the loan is vital for the country with a 52.5% poverty rate. Click here to read…

China writes off $25.3m of debt owed by Mauritania

Mauritania and China yesterday signed an agreement under which China wrote off part of its debts owed by the Mauritanian government. Click here to read…

Beijing puts Djibouti at odds with West by helping equip its army

Beijing is pushing ahead with its policy of providing military equipment by donating 160 Dongfeng trucks to the army, having already supplied two vessels to the Djibouti navy last year. Click here to read…

Uncertainty shrouds Arab League summit in Algeria

The Arab League is facing a third year without a meeting, as the summit due to be held in Algeria in March is set to be delayed. Click here to read…

Libyan parliament committee urges change of interim PM

A Libyan parliament committee has said the chamber should choose a new interim prime minister, a move that could set major factions against each other in the wake of a failed election. Click here to read…

Zambia’s president visits South Africa to discuss trade and security

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema arrived on Wednesday in South Africa to discuss security and trade between the two nations. Click here to read…

Kenya on High Alert After France Warns of Impending Terror Attack

The French Embassy in Kenya has issued a terror alert to Western nationals, urging them to avoid places this weekend where foreigners gather, such as hotels and shopping centers, especially in the capital, Nairobi. Click here to read…

Rwanda to re-open border with Uganda as relations thaw

Rwanda will re-open on Monday a border crossing with Uganda that was shuttered nearly three years ago, even as tensions rise between the central African neighbours, fuelled by accusations of espionage and support for each other’s dissidentsClick here to read…

Death Toll from Tropical Storm Ana in Mozambique, Malawi Rises to 12

The death toll from tropical storm Ana has risen to at least 12 in Mozambique and Malawi, authorities said, although officials and aid agencies are still assessing the full impact of the storm that swept through southern Africa on Monday. Click here to read…

Book Review: Politics of Change in Middle East and North Africa since Arab Spring

After decades of suffering and deprivation under authoritarian regimes, the incident motivated the Arab masses to take their anger and frustration to the streets and demand justice, freedom and democracy. Click here to read…

Where Is Pan-Africanism Today?

Kwame Nkrumah foresaw a period when Africa would be unified and coined the term ‘pan-Africanism’ in the 1960s. He thought that African unification was essential for the continent’s economic, social, and political growth. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Shri G. Balasubramanian appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Shri G. Balasubramanian (IFS: 1998), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Click here to read…

India-South Africa trade exceeds USD 10 billion target set by leaders

Trade between India and South Africa has exceeded the USD 10 billion target set by the leaders of the two countries, Consul General Anju Ranjan announced at a reception here on Wednesday to celebrate India’s 73rd Republic Day. Click here to read…

Tanzania, India agrees on new areas of cooperation

Tanzania and India have expressed readiness to open up new areas of cooperation to ensure sustainable development for mutual benefits. Click here to read…

Nigeria, India Deepen Ties to Boost ICT, Renewable Energy

The federal government and the Republic of India have mapped out ways through which they can strengthen the existing bilateral relations between both countries to enhance development in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and renewable energy. Click here to read…

India calls for countering terror in Africa’s Sahel and Libya

India has called on the international community to focus its attention on the threat of terrorism in Africa, in particular the Sahel region. Click here to read…

PM Modi thanks Zambian President for R-Day greetings, says ‘India greatly values its friendship’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema for his greetings on the occasion of India’s 73rd Republic Day on January 26. Click here to read…

Indian community marks 75th independence anniversary in Accra

The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Sugandh Rajaram, has called for the strengthening of the bilateral relations between Ghana and India.
According to Mr Rajaram, the achievements chalked by his country had been possible due to the help of its global partners of which Ghana was tops. Click here to read…

Indian embassy in Madagascar celebrates 73rd Republic Day by unfurling national flag

Indian ambassador in Madagascar inaugurated the event by unfurling the Indian flag.Click here to read…

73rd Republic of India: Prime Minister inaugurates the Ashoka Stambh in Ebène

The Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, inaugurated the Ashoka Stambh to mark the 73rd Republic Day of India, this evening, at the High Commission of India, in Ebène. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s avocados now hit Indian markets

Efforts to find international markets for Tanzania’s avocados achieved a milestone after a maiden consignment was exported to India on Friday. This is good news to smallholder growers, traders and the government alike.Click here to read…

Made-in-India Nissan Magnite is now exported to 15 global markets

The Made-in-India Nissan Magnite is now on sale in 15 countries across the world. They are: India, Indonesia, South Africa, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Uganda, Kenya, Seychelles, Mozambique, Zambia, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Malawi. Click here to read…

NeoCov: India to monitor deadlier Covid variant found in South Africa

India is keeping an eye on reports of a Chinese study on coronavirus type NeoCov, which spreads among bats in South Africa. Click here to read…

Bharti Airtel’s subsidiary Airtel Africa to be added to FTSE 100 Index

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Thursday informed that its subsidiary Airtel Africa has been made a part of the FTSE 100 Index with effect from Monday, 31 January, 2022. Click here to read…

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 4, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Zambia’s success will be Africa’s success

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

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

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

NEWS

Senegal Elects Mayors with Eyes on 2024 Presidential Election

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

Burkina Faso govt denies army takeover after barracks gunfire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guinea junta establishes council to lead transition to elections

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

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

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

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

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

The signs suggest that another uprising looms in Egypt

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

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

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

Tunisian dies after protesting President Saied’s moves

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

US AFRICOM Commander Says Russian Mercenaries in Mali

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

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

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

Mali holds state ceremony for ex-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

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

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

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

Macron says EU and Africa seek vaccines deal at February summit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Angola to produce 10.5 mn carats of diamonds in 2022

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

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

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

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

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

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

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

India to send a battalion for peacekeeping ops in Africa

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

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

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

Devas shareholders to continue seizing Indian assets abroad

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

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

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

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

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 3, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

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

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

NEWS

Six people killed in blast in Somalia’s capital

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

US Africa envoy to visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Ethiopia

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

Mozambique kicks off first offshore gas project

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

Violence erupts, police use water cannon on Tunisian protesters

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

Ethiopia raps WHO chief for ‘supporting’ rebellion Tigray forces

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

Cameroonian senator and soldier killed in restive anglophone regions

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

Kenya ports authority receives Turkey-built tugboat

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

Nigeria lifts 7-month ban on Twitter

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

Malians rally after army calls for protests over ECOWAS sanctions

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

Uganda to destroy over 400k doses of expired Covid vaccines

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

DRC forces launch offensive against ADF forces in eastern Congo

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

Russia, China block UN support for ECOWAS sanctions on Mali

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

5G buzz continues with launches in Zambia and Lithuania

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

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

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

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

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

Tanzania launches Chinese financed project to enhance civil aviation safety

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

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

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

Egyptian parliament to approve new law on status of Christians

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

China helps advance technology in Africa

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

Sudan expresses desire to further strengthen ties with Turkey

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

Namibia: 178 Pharmacies ‘Guilty of Price-Fixing’

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

China applies brakes to Africa lending

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

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

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indian Navy hands over interceptor craft to Mozambique

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

Vijay Construction to rebuild Seychelles’ health studies school as donation

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

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

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

Madagascar Prime Minister reviews bilateral ties with India

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

India to invest in Tanzania’s energy sector

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

Indian Embassy in Madagascar celebrates ‘World Hindi Day 2022’

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

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

Africa Now – Weekly Newsletter (Week 2, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Africa: Looking Back at 2021 and Likely Trends in 2022

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

NEWS

Russian Troops Deploy to Timbuktu in Mali After French Withdrawal

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

China plans peace envoy for conflict-riven Horn of Africa

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

Morocco and China agree to implement the Belt and Road initiative

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

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

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

Chinese, Comorian FMs hold talks over bilateral relations

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

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

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

Fire burns South Africa’s Parliament building in Cape Town

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

Ethiopia releases several political prisoners

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

What next for Sudan after PM Hamdok’s resignation?

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

Three Chinese nationals abducted in Nigeria, police say

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INDIA IN AFRICA

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

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

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

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

Indian Navy Ship lands in Comoros to provide technical assistance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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