Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent - news that matters.
COMMENTARY
Israel’s Africa Conundrum: Bilateral Relations, Multilateral Opposition
In the first week of February, the annual summit of the African Union (AU) took place in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union. The principal objective of the meeting was to evaluate AU's achievements over the past one year. Click here to read...
NEWS
African leaders head to Brussels for 6th EU-AU Summit
African Heads of State and Government are expected in Belgium this week to meet their European counterparts at the 6th European Union-African Union Summit. Click here to read...
France announces military withdrawal from Mali
France and its allies in the anti-jihadi operation in Mali have announced a "coordinated withdrawal" of their forces. A joint statement cited "multiple obstructions" by the country's ruling military junta. Click here to read...
Burkina Faso's junta sworn in as president
Burkina Faso's junta leader, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was sworn in as president Wednesday, less than a month after mutinous soldiers seized control of the West African country in a coup. Click here to read...
Mauritius formally challenges Britain’s ownership of Chagos Islands
Britain’s ownership of the Chagos archipelago has been formally challenged after the Mauritian ambassador to the UN, Jagdish Koonjul, raised his country’s flag above the atoll of Peros Banhos. Click here to read...
Kenyan Elections Will Struggle to Meet the Moment
Kenya’s August elections will undoubtedly be among the most consequential political events in Africa in 2022. In a turbulent region, Kenya’s stability, economic muscle, and diplomatic leadership are more essential than ever before. Click here to read...
Sudan: Burhan dismisses sanctions threats, lauds ties with Israel
Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has made comments in which he dismissed Western threats of sanctions tied to protests in the country and discussed meetings between Sudanese and Israeli officials he said were for security cooperation, not politics. Click here to read...
Will Libya have two prime ministers again?
Libya is facing political turmoil again. On February 10, the country’s parliament, the House of Representatives, voted to sack the current Prime Minister Abdulhamed Dbeiba and appoint Fathi Bashaga, the interior minister in the previous government and main architect of the resistance against General Khalifa Haftar’s attack on Tripoli in 2019. Click here to read...
Combat troops patrol in Kinshasa after failed coup attempt
Republican Guard combat troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo marched through the streets of the capital Kinshasa on Saturday, following a failed coup and the arrest of the alleged perpetrators. Click here to read...
Ethiopia parliament votes to lift state of emergency early
Ethiopia’s parliament has voted for an early end to a six-month state of emergency, declared last November when rebel Tigrayan forces were threatening to march on the capital, Addis Ababa. Click here to read...
Guinea-Bissau: Government critics under increasing pressure
After what authorities said was a coup by drug dealers aiming to kill President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, a new spate of violence against critics of the government is compounding the feeling of insecurity in Guinea-Bissau. Click here to read...
Terror Attacks Surge as Elections Drag in Somalia
A senior African Union official said Tuesday that while al-Shabab continues to be the main security threat in Somalia, the AU is also monitoring a possible resurgence of Islamic State. Click here to read...
Does new decree mark the end of judicial independence in Tunisia?
President Kais Saied’s new decree establishing a temporary judicial authority to replace the dissolved Supreme Judicial Council continues to draw widespread criticism in Tunisia in a setback for the rule of law. Click here to read...
Nigeria: 365 Days to Presidential Election, Aspirants Begin to Emerge
Today makes it exactly a year to the 2023 presidential election and aspirants in the two main political parties – the All-Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – as well as some other parties, are positioning for the most coveted office in the land. Click here to read...
“We were born free and we will stay free”: Somaliland is resisting pressure from China
Last week, a delegation from Somaliland went on a five-day tour of Taiwan, a trip that elicited a negative reaction from China. Click here to read...
Algeria’s fate is tied to the Ukraine crisis. Will a war extinguish hope for the country’s popular movement?
With international attention concentrated for weeks on Russian forces amassed at Ukraine’s borders, fewer resources have been spent anticipating the many second- and third-order effects that conflict between these two countries could trigger worldwide. Click here to read...
Guinea Must Put Justice At the Heart of Its Transition
The September coup was domestically popular. The junta can build on this and send a signal to the region by prioritising accountability. Click here to read...
Report finds rampant abuse of women in African parliaments
A study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the African Parliamentary Union has found that acts of sexism, harassment, and violence against women are common in African parliaments. Click here to read...
56 African heritage sites threatened by extreme coastal events: Study
Around 56 heritage sites in Africa are vulnerable to extreme coastal events and erosion, according to a new study. They are at the risk of being damaged by these factors and the number of exposed sites may more than triple by 2050, the report added. Click here to read...
Malawi Detects Polio, First Wild Case in Africa in Over 5 Years
Malawi has declared a polio outbreak after a case was detected in a young child in the capital Lilongwe, the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years, the WHO said. Click here to read...
EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit
Speaking on the first day of an EU-Africa summit in Brussels, the head of the European Commission said the EU will continue to focus in the short term on the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines. Click here to read...
Egypt lengthening two-way portion of Suez Canal by 10 kilometres
Egypt is working to improve the Suez Canal by making an additional 10 kilometres accessible to two-way traffic, while widening and deepening another 30 kilometresClick here to read...
Amnesty Accuses Tigray Forces of Atrocities in Ethiopia’s Amhara
Rights groups Amnesty International says Tigrayan fighters have committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity as they were withdrawing from Ethiopia’s Amhara region. Click here to read...
No school In Zimbabwe after government suspends 90% of teachers
A strike by Zimbabwean teachers that has crippled learning entered a second week on Monday, with no resolution on sight after the government suspended 135,000 teachers for failing to report for work. Click here to read...
After Mali exit, Niger accepts foreign forces to secure border
President Mohamed Bazoum says Niger has accepted that French and European special forces will be deployed into its territory from Mali to boost security near the border with its neighbouring country. Click here to read...
Cameroon’s Rival Separatist Groups Clash, Kill Fighters
Rival anglophone separatist groups in Cameroon have clashed this month, causing an undetermined number of casualties. The fighting was triggered by power struggles within the separatist movement. Click here to read...
Applause in Tanzania After President Meets Exiled Opposition Leader in Belgium
Tanzanian political figures are applauding after President Samia Suluhu Hassan met in Brussels Wednesday with opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu has lived in Belgium since a 2017 assassination attempt. Click here to read...
Zimbabwe teachers go on strike days after schools’ resume classes
A teachers’ strike has paralyzed learning at many Zimbabwean schools, which opened this week after a prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read...
INDIA IN AFRICA
Modi meets ex-Kenyan PM, expresses commitment to strengthen ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former Kenyan premier Raila Amolo Odinga on Sunday and expressed his commitment to further strengthening the India-Kenya relations. Click here to read...
Defexpo 2022 India-Africa ministers’ meet from March 10
The second edition of the India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave, will be one of the highlights of the 12th edition of biennial defence exhibition — Defexpo 2022, which will be held from March 10 to 13, at three different venues in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Click here to read...
NATHEALTH and African Health Federation organised second India Africa Health Summit
With an objective to strengthen the efforts towards the vaccination drive in Africa and share best practices, and exchange knowledge NATHEALTH – Healthcare Federation of India in collaboration with Africa Healthcare Federation organised the Indo-Africa Vaccine Summit on Friday – 11th February 2022 virtually.Click here to read...
Indian Railways exports Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives to Mozambique
The Indian Railways has exported the four powerful Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives, manufactured at Banaras Locomotive Works, to Mozambique now. Click here to read...
MOZAMBIQUE: India grants $10 million for water in Cabo Delgado
The Indian High Commissioner to Mozambique, Ankan Banerjee, has signed a memorandum of understanding worth $10 million with the Mozambican government. This funding supports a drinking water supply program that will benefit the populations of the Mueda district, in the Cabo Delgado province. Click here to read...
Africa applauds India’s technology inspired rapid vaccination drive
Healthcare Federation of India in collaboration with the Africa Healthcare Federation organised the Indo-Africa Vaccine Summit virtually. The summit saw participation from key dignitaries from both India and Africa to deliberate and to offer a framework to build resilience towards future emergencies and pandemics. Click here to read...
India’s Homegrown Direct Selling Brand Vestige Announces Foray into Ghana to Expand Global Footprint
After gaining a stronghold in India and several international markets, Vestige Marketing Pvt Ltd. has announced its foray into Africa by launching operations in Ghana. In the initial phase, the company will offer a range of health and wellness products from its bestseller categories – health supplements, personal care, home care and oral care. Click here to read...
Indian govt to partner Bono East become tourism hub in W/A
The Indian government says it would partner the Bono East Regional Coordinating Council (BERCC) to make the region a tourism hub in West Africa. Click here to read...
Airtel Kenya to pay local regulator $17.5 mn in out-of-court settlement
Under the settlement pact terms, Airtel Kenya will pay $17.5 million to the Kenyan telecom regulator for its licence renewal. The payment will happen over the next two years. Click here to read...
South African Tourism Kickstarts Travel Recovery Efforts in India
Reigniting its travel recovery efforts in India, South African Tourism launched its ‘More & More’ campaign today. Localized for Indian audiences, this campaign aims to highlight the variety and diversity of experiences that South Africa has to offer, ranging from 3000+ adventure activities to exciting culinary experiences and more, across its 9 provinces. Click here to read...
'Will take Ayurveda to Africa': Ex-Kenya PM Raila Odinga after daughter’s eyesight recovery
Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya, who was in Kerala for his daughter’s eye treatment expressed his happiness and satisfaction from Ayurveda treatment. Click here to read...
India delegation heads to Namibia to discuss cheetah translocation
A delegation from India left for Namibia on Thursday to discuss cheetah translocation logistics with the Namibia government, according to people familiar with the development. Click here to read...
