Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent - news that matters.
COMMENTARY
The Future of Israel-Africa Ties
In February 2022, the annual summit of the African Union (AU) took place in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, also headquarter of the African Union. Click here to read...
Africa Day 2022 comes amid a divided continent
Fifty-nine years have passed on since the proclamation of the need for a United States of Africa and with it hopes and dreams. Click here to read...
NEWS
Israel Offers Support to Morocco Over Western Sahara After Summit
On March 27th, Israel hosted a landmark summit in which foreign ministers from Morocco, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States met to discuss a myriad of international issues. Click here to read...
Algeria threatens to halt gas exports to Spain
The warning from Algeria comes against the background of already-soaring gas prices driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Click here to read...
Libyan parliament lashes out as Algeria recognises GNU
The Libyan House of Representatives has condemned Algeria's recognition of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and refusal to acknowledge the competing government in Tobruk. Click here to read...
Sudanese people protest against military rule in anniversary
Demonstrators marched across Sudanese cities to mark the deadly sit-in protests during the military takeover of the government where over 60 people were killed in the capital Khartoum in 2019. Click here to read...
Guinea to move to civilian rule in three years
The head of Guinea's military government has announced the country will return to civilian rule after a 39-month transition period. Click here to read...
UN condemns Mali’s ban on French media
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights criticised Mali’s decision to ban French media outlets and called on its military rulers to reverse their decision. Click here to read...
China deployed Surface-to- Air Missiles (SAM) in Zimbabwe?
China has reportedly deployed and installed new generation of surface-to- air missiles (SAM) in Zimbabwe, Team pachedu has alleged. Click here to read...
Biya Bets on Russia
Cameroon’s president signs a security deal with Putin amid war in Ukraine and conflict at home. Click here to read...
UN chief to make West Africa trip to Senegal Niger Nigeria
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is heading to West Africa on Saturday to join Muslims marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and to highlight the impact of the Ukraine war on the African continent. Click here to read...
Raila horse trading in Nairobi governor race
Kenya’s presidential contender Raila Odinga has moved to broker a pre-election power-sharing deal in Nairobi among the political parties in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, defusing tensions that threatened to derail his campaign. Click here to read...
AfDB President garners strong support for robust 16th replenishment of African Development Fund
African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina concluded a three-day official visit to Washington DC on Saturday. Click here to read...
OPEC Fund to finance Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline
The OPEC Fund for International Development will finance 14.3 million U.S. dollars for the second phase of the studies in the submarine Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project. Click here to read...
Chinese Lending to Africa Fell to 16-Year Low When Pandemic Hit
Chinese lending to African governments fell to a 16-year low in 2020 as the impact of the coronavirus deterred countries on the continent from borrowing. Click here to read...
Ethiopia says Tigrayan peacekeepers victims of rebel 'propaganda'
More than 500 UN peacekeepers from Tigray who were deployed to Abyei, a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan, have asked Khartoum for asylum, citing fears for their safetyClick here to read...
Central African Republic accepts Bitcoin as legal tender
After El Salvador and a Honduras SEZ, and the city of Lugano, the Central African Republic has also accepted the Bitcoin as the legal tender in the country. Click here to read...
Guinea considers proposals for political transition
Guinea's military junta announced that it has received "proposals" for a political transition in the country. The proposals range from 18 to 52 months. Click here to read...
Kenya distances itself from US-led pact against internet shutdowns
Kenya has distanced itself from a United States listing of 60 signatories to an agreement that commits countries from arbitrarily shutting down the internet. Click here to read...
Nigeria's opposition to pick presidential candidate at end of May
Nigeria's opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday it will choose a presidential candidate at the end of May to contest elections set for February next year as it seeks to return to power after losing office seven years ago. Click here to read...
Few optimistic about DRC peace talks in Kenya
The Congolese presidency said on Thursday that the first round of peace talks to end one of the world's worst and longest-running humanitarian emergencies had concluded. Click here to read...
Libya is losing $60m a day in oil shutdown: Oil minister
Libya is losing tens of millions of dollars a day from the shutdown of its oil facilities, while global prices are at their highest in years, the country’s oil minister told AFP. Click here to read...
Tunisia president unwilling to compromise as democracy fears grow
As Tunisia’s political crisis rumbles on, President Kais Saied has made several moves that critics say are designed to entrench him in power and appears increasingly unwilling to compromise. Click here to read...
Somalia: Parliament elects new speaker after security standoff
Somali lawmakers have elected a new parliamentary speaker after a tense standoff between African Union peacekeepers and police, underscoring bitter divisions within the country’s security forces exacerbated by delayed elections. Click here to read...
Guinea and Burkina Faso Juntas Risk More Sanctions Over Transition Delays
Guinea's ruling junta on Monday signalled it might break a deadline to set out its plans to return to civilian rule, opening up the prospect of more sanctions from West Africa's political and economic bloc. Click here to read...
Joint West African force claims 20 rebels killed in Lake Chad
Troops participating in a West African joint military force claim to have killed an estimated 20 rebel fighters in the Lake Chad basin. Click here to read...
Sudan: West Darfur clashes leave 200 dead
Clashes in West Darfur left at least 200 people dead and over a hundred injured, local authorities said on April 27. The clashes unfolded between members of the non-Arab Massalit community and Arab fighters near West Darfur's state capital El Geneina. Click here to read...
Togo to join Commonwealth
TOGO COULD become the latest country to join the Commonwealth after MPs passed a vote asking its Government to make a formal bid for membership on Friday. Click here to read...
Benin celebrates return of royal treasures after 130 years
The much-celebrated return of 26 treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey has culminated in a month-long celebration of heritage and art at the Museum of the Marina in Cotonou, Benin, attracting large crowds. Click here to read...
Will AU give support to Ukraine after Zelensky's second request to address African leaders?
The African Union has said there was need for a "peaceful solution to the conflict with Russia". Click here to read...
NZ peacekeepers to stay in Africa, Middle East
New Zealand will extend its peacekeeping contributions in South Sudan and the Middle East. An international relations expert said the deployments were a chance for troops to get specialist training and learn from overseas counterparts. Click here to read...
China aids Zambia in debt restructuring process
President Hakainde Hichilema has thanked China for coming on board to commit and join other creditors in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Zambia debt restructuring process. Click here to read...
Malawi looks to cannabis for profits amid declining Tobacco demand
Under a scorching sun at a trading post in Malawi, Chikumbutso Chekeni and his wife head to their tobacco sheds to dry their newly harvested leaf. Click here to read...
Suspected Islamic State terrorists blow up gas pipeline in Egypt’s Sinai
Suspected Islamic State terrorists blew up a natural gas pipeline Saturday in Egypt’s restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, causing a fire but no casualties, security officials saidClick here to read...
Senior Eritrean delegation on working visit to Russia
Senior Eritrean delegation composed of Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Presidential Adviser Mr. Yemane Gebreab is on a two-day working visit to Russia on invitation of Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Click here to read...
Bitcoin not a panacea for Africa's economic woes: IMF
Bitcoin is not a cure-all for Africa's economic woes, the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday, after the Central African Republic adopted the cryptocurrency as legal tender. Click here to read...
Pressure mounts for Chad to delay its national dialogue
Pressure is piling on the Chadian government to delay the date of a national dialogue set to start in two weeks as rebel groups and representatives of the country’s transitional council are yet to reach an amnesty agreement seen as a crucial condition for the success of the talks. Click here to read...
Angola's historic first oil platform to be launched in June
The Angolan oil sector has reason to smile with export figures more than satisfactory at the end of 2021-beginning of 2022. In the same vein, the historic launch of the very first oil platform in the country will take place next June. Click here to read...
South Africa likely in new Covid wave, says health minister
South Africa has likely entered a new wave of Covid-19 earlier than expected as new infections and hospitalisations have risen rapidly over the past two weeks, the country's health minister said on Friday. Click here to read...
South Africa Offers to Co-Chair Zambia’s Creditor Committee
South Africa has indicated its interest in co-chairing Zambia’s official creditors committee together with France, the nation’s finance ministry said. Click here to read...
More faithful in South African mosques during Ramadan this year
South African Muslims are pleased to see more faithful gathering at mosques during this year's holy month of Ramadan. Click here to read...
Paul Rusesabagina: Hotel Rwanda hero's family files $400m US lawsuit
The family of Paul Rusesabagina, the subject of Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, have filed a $400m (£307m) lawsuit in the United States over his alleged abduction and torture. Click here to read...
Gabon launches new economic zon
The Gabonese government has announced the construction of a new special economic zone (SEZ), the Mpassa-Lebombi, in the south-eastern province of Haut-Ogooué. Click here to read...
Africa-Vietnam fashion trade ties yet to hit full potential: Vietrade
Despite significant growth Vietnam-Africa bilateral ties in recent years, the trade relationship between the two had not achieved its full potential, especially in the fashion industry, according to Le Hoang Tai, deputy director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade). Click here to read...
Mauritania working to promote 28 offshore blocks open for bids
African energy sector investment platform Energy Capital & Power (EPC) has created a coalition with Mauritania’s Energy Ministry and NOC to attract foreign stakeholder interest in the country’s potential renewable projects and 28 offshore blocks that are open for bids, EPC announcedClick here to read...
INDIA IN AFRICA
Madagascar FM calls Indo-Pacific a ‘legitimate vision’; bats for peaceful military ties with India
The visiting Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato has called the “Indo-Pacific vision a legitimate vision", an important remark given the country's key location in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Click here to read...
Why are Indian Army and 'Made in India' vehicles in Africa's oil-rich Abyei?
Realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a self-reliant nation in defence manufacturing, an Indian Army peacekeeping battalion equipped with homemade wheeled armoured personnel carriers has been deployed in Africa's oil-rich Abyei region, which sits between northern and southern Sudan. Click here to read...
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra urges Indian diaspora to register as Overseas Voters
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has urged members of the Indian Community to register as Overseas Voters. He also told the NRI community that extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility to overseas voters is being contemplated.Click here to read...
Over 1,000 Indian Peacekeepers Get UN Award for Serving In South Sudan
Over 1,100 Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded UN medals, honouring them for their exceptional service in the strife-torn East African country. Click here to read...
Kenya delegation visits DFCCIL freight corridor
A delegation from Kenya visited the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor along with N Srinivas, the Director of Operations & Business Development, DFCCILClick here to read...
Mozambique: EDM Awards Power Line Construction Work to India's L&T
Mozambique's publicly owned electricity company, EDM, has awarded the construction of the interconnection power line with neighbouring Malawi to "Lasern & Toubro" (L&T), India's infrastructure development companyClick here to read...
ICRISAT’S 50th Anniversary Celebration Held in Malawi
Since its founding in March 1972, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been celebrating 50 years of scientific innovation and impact in the drylands. Click here to read...
India to send first wheat cargo to Egypt
India is scheduled to ship its first wheat cargo to Egypt, following the latter's phytosanitary approval of India-origin crop earlier in April. Click here to read...
Gov't urges Ghanaian, Indian pharmaceutical companies to access AfCFTA opportunities
The AfCFTA, whose Secretariat is hosted in Accra, provides duty-free and quota-free trade access for businesses and companies. Click here to read...
Navy Chief hands over navigation charts to Maldives and Seychelles
Continuing with what has been New Delhi’s approach on strengthening bonds with countries in the Indian Ocean Region, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar has visited Seychelles and Maldives. Click here to read...
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to completely fund university studies for students from Africa
India's top private university Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has announced a new scholarship program to support 350 students from across Africa to travel to India for higher education. The announcement made at the Amrita-Africa Summit in New Delhi was attended by ambassadors from across Africa and hosted by dignitaries from the universityClick here to read...
India, Mauritius trade pact may include safeguard mechanism related provisions
The sources said a chapter on general economic cooperation is also expected to be included in the pact, which is officially termed as Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA). Click here to read...
Ethiopian Airlines to boost India flights, eyes higher traffic from BRICS
Ethiopian Airlines, the largest carrier in Africa, is allowed to operate 35 flights per week to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. Click here to read...
Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry
A report said Jacob Zuma "would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them", including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions. Click here to read...
CM Yogi Adityanath invites Mauritius businessmen for UP Summit
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has invited Mauritian investors to invest in the state as well as participate in the Global Investors Summit proposed to be held in the state soon. Click here to read...
Jaishankar congratulates Tanzania on country's Union Day
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Tanzania Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula and the people of the country on the 58th anniversary of their Union DayClick here to read...
UNESCO funds launch of Seychelles first-ever balloon satellite
In a significant initiative towards boosting scientific temper and enthusiasm for space technology in the young citizens of Seychelles, an Indian organization facilitated the launch of Seychelles' first-ever balloon satellite. Click here to read...
Karnataka: Ugandan woman dies falling from hostel terrace, students stage protest
Tension prevailed at GITAM University campus on the outskirts of Bengaluru after a 22-year-old student fell to her death from the sixth floor of the hostel building on Wednesday night, the police said. Click here to read...
India’s Gupta’s brothers used South Africa’s Ex-President in capturing Eskom
In one of the latest reports issued by the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, the three Gupta brothers have been held responsible for capturing the parastatal electricity supplier, Eskom and provoking South African natives against their former President Jacob Zuma. Click here to read...
Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry
A report said Jacob Zuma "would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them", including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions. Click here to read...
India's UPL applies to flush toxic pesticides into South African sea
Indian agrochemicals manufacturer UPL Ltd has applied for permission to flush water contaminated by a toxic pesticides spill in South Africa’s city of Durban directly into the sea or the sewerage system, the company said on Saturday. Click here to read...
