Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.
COMMENTARY
How Burkina Faso became the epicentre of conflict in the Sahel
In 2014, when millions of Burkinabes ended the 27-year rule of Blaise Campaore by forcing him to step down, observers and analysts dubbed the occurrence West Africa’s version of the “Arab Spring”. Click here to read…
How China’s Ambitious Belt and Road Plans for East Africa Came Apart
As China draws back from large scale infrastructure investments in Africa, it is worth considering why so many major Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the region, unveiled with great fanfare, have ultimately struggled. Click here to read…
UN chief wants Amisom to remain in Somalia
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has recommended to the Security Council that the African Union maintains its staffing level in Somalia through the end of the year. Click here to read…
Libya armed groups backing rival PM withdraw from Tripoli
Libya’s parliament-appointed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha said that armed groups backing him have withdrawn from positions around Tripoli, after the UN warned of a new escalation in the divided country. Click here to read…
Russia ramps up ties with Sudan as Ukraine war rages
As much of the West seeks to isolate Russia after it invaded Ukraine, experts say Moscow is boosting relations with its long time African ally Sudan, eyeing its gold wealth and strategic location. Click here to read…
France to continue aerial support to Mali after troop withdrawal
France will still provide aerial military support to Malian troops battling an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel even after its counter-terrorism mission has withdrawn, but only where Russian fighters are not present. Click here to read…
Arab League summit to take place in Algeria starting November 1
The Arab League will hold its first annual summit for three years in November in Algeria, the bloc said on Wednesday, after the pandemic forced the meetings’ suspension. Click here to read…
Ukraine looms over US-African Union summit
The United States and the African Union (AU) held their first high-level summit since the Covid-19 pandemic this week with the conflicts in Ukraine and Ethiopia looming over the gathering. Click here to read…
South Africa is ready for a woman chief justice
During the vetting of the candidates for chief justice, the question was asked if South Africa is ready for a woman chief justice. Although the question is absurd, misogynistic and a confirmation of our patriarchal society, the answer is a resounding yes — and it is long overdue. Click here to read…
Mohamed Bazoum: Is Niger France’s new key partner in the Sahel?
The president of Niger discusses if his country will become the new focal point in the fight against ISIL and al-Qaeda. Click here to read…
Chad junta and rebels gear for tricky talks in Qatar
Chad’s ruling junta is scheduled to meet rebel leaders in Qatar on Sunday for delayed talks aimed at coaxing armed groups into joining a “national dialogue” on the troubled country’s futureClick here to read…
African Start-up Eswatini Air to Launch Soon After Taking First Aircraft
The southern African nation of Eswatini – previously Swaziland – is tiny. At just 6,704 square miles (17,364 square km), it is smaller in area than Wales and only a bit larger than the US state of Connecticut. It is Africa’s smallest landlocked country. Click here to read…
Important Step Toward Justice in DR Congo?
The Congolese human rights minister launched national consultations on a new transitional justice initiative that, if implemented, would help the Democratic Republic of Congo emerge from conflict, address grave human rights violations, and institute needed reforms. Click here to read…
Morocco to chair 6th UN Environment Assembly
At the end of the 5th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) which took place in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, the member countries voted Morocco as the host country for the next edition. By hosting the 6th edition of UNEA, the Cherifian kingdom reaffirms the need to strengthen the fight against pollution and climate change whose effects have impacts on the global economy. Click here to read…
Tunisian authorities urged to drop draft law restricting civil society organizations
Thirteen NGOs urged Tunisian authorities on Friday to drop a draft law providing restrictions on civil society organizations, which could result in a “major setback” for rights after the country’s 2011 revolution. Click here to read…
New Zimbabwe law threatens to criminalise and ban NGOs
The bill will effectively criminalise the operations of NGOs, proposing harsh penalties, including closure of the organisations, require them to disclose their source of funding and jail terms of up to a year for breaches. Click here to read…
Egypt announces the country is to diversify its sources of wheat
Egypt’s Prime Minister announced the country is to diversify its sources of wheat to avoid relying on what he described as “specific sources” for this productClick here to read…
Chinese Imports Edging Out Kenya’s Local Products
Kenyan artisans say they are losing the market for their products to Chinese imports. According to the crafts persons, the high quality and lower prices of Chinese-made goods put them at a disadvantageClick here to read…
Lesotho: EU Considering Deployment of EOM
The European Union (EU) is planning to deploy the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Lesotho ahead of the elections which are due to take place in September 2022. Click here to read…
Malian Army Accused of Killing Mauritanian Citizens
A Malian delegation is expected in Mauritania’s capital Friday to discuss the alleged disappearance of several Mauritanians on Malian territory. Click here to read…
Rwanda to impose tax on watching Netflix
Rwanda is the latest African country to announce plans to tax online services consumed within the country. This comes a few months after Zimbabwe and Nigeria laid out plans for the collection of taxes from e-commerce and digital companies such as Netflix, Google, YouTube, and Amazon. Click here to read…
Guinea suspends Simandou iron ore project, saying there has been no progress
Guinea’s ruling junta has ordered the cessation of all activities at the massive Simandou iron ore deposit owned by Rio Tinto and a Chinese-backed consortium, saying it was seeking clarification of how Guinea’s interests will be preserved.
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-suspends-simandou-iron-ore-mine-project-2022-03-11/
Turkey’s women diplomats shape relations with Africa
Turkey has made significant progress in its political, economic and cultural ties with African countries in the last two decades, and women diplomats have an important place in these relationsClick here to read…
Uganda: Doctors, MPs unite against bid to jail unvaccinated
In February, the Ugandan parliament introduced a bill proposing to fine anyone refusing to take COVID-19 vaccines four million Ugandan shillings ($1,100) or sentence them to jail for six months. Click here to read…
Ethiopian Airlines, Air Djibouti partner for China-Africa Sea to air transport
Ethiopia’s national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines announced on Tuesday it has partnered with Air Djibouti and Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) to commence sea-air multimodal transportation. Click here to read…
Eni And bp Finalize Agreement to Create New Independent Joint Venture in Angola
BP and Eni confirmed Friday that they have signed an agreement to form a new 50/50 independent company, Azule Energy [a bp and Eni Company], through the combination of the two companies’ Angolan businesses. Click here to read…
Zambia’s ex-President Rupiah Banda dead at 85
Rupiah Banda, who served as president of Zambia from 2008 and 2011, died Friday evening in the capital Lusaka at age 85 after a two-year battle with cancer. His son Andrew confirmed the former leader’s death, saying, “He is gone.” Click here to read…
Prince William says war normal in Africa and Asia, ‘alien’ in Europe; invites backlash
Prince William’s comments that it is ‘very alien’ to see a war in Europe while it was normal to witness conflict in Asia and Africa has invited a backlash on social media. Click here to read…
INDIA IN AFRICA
Defence Expo put off
The situation in Ukraine has led to the postponement of the prestigious defence exhibition DefExpo-2022, to be held from March 10-14 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Click here to read…
India, European Union hold inaugural consultations on Africa
The leaders of India and EU held the inaugural India-EU Consultations on Africa on March 7, in virtual mode, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. Click here to read…
South Africa: Made-in-India Suzuki Celerio goes on sale
Suzuki has launched the second generation Celerio in the South African market. The car is manufactured and exported from Maruti Suzuki’s production facility in India. Click here to read…
Indian Embassy unveils plaque of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ in Antananarivo
To mark the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on the occasion of 75 years of India’s Independence, the Indian Embassy in Madagascar organized a special unveiling ceremony of the plaque of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. Click here to read…
India focuses on Revitalization Agreement, election preparations in South Sudan at UNSC
India emphasised the execution of the Revitalization Agreement and election preparations at a UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in South Sudan. Click here to read…
South Africa to issue e-visas for Indian travellers soon
As part of post-pandemic revival plans, South Africa will introduce e-visas for Indians to attract more tourists, business travellers and movie-makers, mainly from the south. Click here to read…
26 more Indian fishers held in Seychelles
Twenty-six more Indian fishermen were detained by authorities in Seychelles, off East Africa, on Wednesday on charges of entering their territorial waters. This takes the total number of Indian fishermen detained there in three days to 59. Click here to read…
Sewa International evacuates 467 African students from Ukraine
Houston-based Indian-American non-profit body Sewa International has evacuated 467 African students including 367 Nigerians, from Ukraine’s Sumy amidst a Russian military offensive. Click here to read…
Former diplomat Rajiv Bhatia’s India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons, is an essential reader on India’s burgeoning ties with African states
This book is certainly rare considering the paucity of scholarly writings by Indians on the core issues of Africa. As a scholar-diplomat, who headed Indian embassies in South Africa, Kenya and Lesotho, Rajiv Bhatia has deftly handled changing horizons of Indo-African ties. Click here to read…
Chennai’s Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science celebrates its 12th Convocation
Chennai’s Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science (HITS) celebrated its 12th annual convocation on March 5 where Dr Grace Akello, Uganda Ambassador to India, was one of the key guest speakers. Click here to read…
Morocco & Jordan join hands with India to organise sporting tournament in Kashmir
Key Arab states of Morocco and Jordan have taken a key step in organising a sporting tournament in collaboration with India in Kashmir. Click here to read…
‘Best experience in India’: Travelers from Morocco join clean-up drive at Thiruvanmiyur beach
Two Moroccon travelers joined the save a turtle team for a beach clean-up drive to create awareness on responsible tourism at Thiruvanmiyur beach on Friday. Click here to read…
Telecoms major Airtel Uganda plans IPO by 2022-end: MD
Airtel Uganda, the country’s second largest telecoms company and a unit of India’s Bharti Airtel, plans to list a part of its equity by the end of this year, a top company official told local NTV Uganda late Monday. Click here to read…