Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent - news that matters.
COMMENTARY
The Crisis in Ethiopia is not all about Ethiopia
One and half years ago, when Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed decided to punish the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) for their alleged role in attacking a federal military base, it was expected to be a swift operation. Click here to read...
Why it has taken Uganda so long to embrace Kiswahili
There is an old east African joke that Kiswahili was born in Zanzibar, grew up in mainland Tanzania, fell sick in Kenya, died in Uganda, and was buried in Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read...
NEWS
Hassan Mohamud: The second coming of Somalia’s new president
He will have to tackle insecurity, rising inflation, and severe drought while building trust in a country polarised by in-fighting between the federal and regional governmentsClick here to read...
Divided Libya Looms as Rival Premier Sets Up Outside Tripoli
Libya’s parliament-elected prime minister plans to set up his new government in the central city of Sirte on Wednesday after being forced to flee the capital, threatening to again fracture the country between two rival administrations. Click here to read...
Mali's Military Junta Pulls Out of Regional G5 Sahel Force
Mali is pulling out of a multi-national military force in West Africa's Sahel region combatting an Islamist insurgency, the country's military junta said in a statement on Sunday. Click here to read...
Egypt tells US should use leverage, pressure on Ethiopia to resolve dam issue
A senior Egyptian diplomat said Tuesday that the Biden administration is not putting enough pressure on Ethiopia to help resolve the controversy surrounding Addis Ababa’s construction of a controversial dam on the Nile River. Click here to read...
Guinea Bissau president dissolves parliament in new political row
The disagreements between parliament and the president centre around the immunity of opposition leader and lawmaker Domingos Simoes Pereira who lost to the president in 2019. Click here to read...
Netherlands backs Morocco's Western Sahara autonomy plan- statement
The Netherlands views Morocco's plan for autonomy for Western Sahara as serious and credible, it said on Wednesday, moving closer to Rabat's stance on the disputed territory where the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks an independent state. Click here to read...
Thousands in Tunisia protest against president, demand democratic return
Thousands of Tunisians protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied, demanding a return to the normal democratic order and rejecting his replacement of the independent electoral commission with one he named himself. Click here to read...
Guinea: Doumbouya and political parties harden their tone
The ban on demonstrations announced on 13 May by the "Comité National de Rassemblement pour le Développement" (CNRD) has caused an outcry in Conakry. The parties plan to coordinate their response at a series of meetings taking place in the near future. Click here to read...
Jihadis’ attack in eastern Burkina Faso kills 11 soldiers
Eleven soldiers were killed and nearly two dozen injured by jihadis targeting a military base in eastern Burkina Faso, the government said. Click here to read...
Mali government says it has thwarted countercoup attempt
Malian government headed by a two-time coup leader announced late Monday that security forces had thwarted a countercoup attempt that it said was supported by an unnamed Western government. Click here to read...
IMF extends Somalia funding to August following election
The IMF accepted the Somali government’s request for a three-month extension to examine and endorse planned reforms. Click here to read...
COP15: Ivory Coast hosts desertification talks
The COP15 conference is meeting to address issues of land degradation, advancing deserts and deforestation. Experts and activists hope that this will not be just another high-level conference with no concrete results. Click here to read...
U.N. says Benin will terminate contribution to peacekeeping mission in Mali
Benin has decided to terminate its military and police unit contributions to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in regional neighbour Mali. Click here to read...
Sudanese communist leader arrested as protests rage in Khartoum
A leading Sudanese politician was arrested on Thursday as protests raged in the capital Khartoum for the seventh month against military rule, with tear gas and heavy security force deployment. Click here to read...
Eleven migrants die off coast of Algeria while trying to reach Europe
Eleven migrants have reportedly drowned after their both sank off the Algerian coast of Tipaza on Sunday evening. Click here to read...
Rwanda to get first batch of asylum seekers from UK this May
Rwanda expects the first group of 50 asylum seekers to be transferred from the United Kingdom by the end of May, a government spokesperson has said. Click here to read...
Niger President says Mali's withdrawal marks 'death' of G5 Sahel alliance
Niger's President has said Mali's withdrawal from the G5 Sahel, a multinational force created to fight Islamist militants, will mark the end of the alliance. Click here to read...
Uganda says it will pull out troops from DR Congo
The military in Uganda says it will withdraw hundreds of troops it sent last year to help neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo combat an Islamist insurgency. Click here to read...
Mossad Chief Cohen Kicked Out of DRC, on a Mission That Could Jeopardize Israel
Former senior Mossad officials described Yossi Cohen’s conduct as ‘madness’ after three trips to Congo on Israel’s behalf for problematic purposes that are barred from publication. The visits weren’t coordinated with Congo’s government and ended with him being deported. Click here to read...
Violence, Lockdown, Running Battles Paralyze Cameroon National Day in Western Regions
Cameron's National Day on May 20 has been marked by running battles between government troops and separatists who imposed a lockdown, crippling business in English-speaking western regions. Click here to read...
Ethiopia’s Tigray forces announce release of thousands of POWs
The Tigray rebel forces fighting Ethiopia’s federal army have said they will release 4,000 prisoners of war as part of an amnesty. Click here to read...
Eritrea accuses TPLF of planning fresh attacks against Asmara
War drums are beating again on the restive Ethiopia-Eritrean border after Asmara accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of plotting to launch attacks to reclaim lost territory. Click here to read...
Burundi reforms frustrated by hardliners - Analysts
In Burundi, this has been an open question since President Evariste Ndayishimiye took power two years ago, ending years of isolationism to great fanfare, but failing to improve its dire record on rights abuses. Click here to read...
Namibia launches sovereign wealth fund following oil discoveries
Namibia launched a sovereign wealth fund, months after oil discoveries by oil giants TotalEnergies and Shell off its coastClick here to read...
Spain, Morocco reopens land borders after two years
Morocco and Spain have reopened the land borders between the north African country and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, two years after they were shut due to Covid restrictions and a major diplomatic row. Click here to read...
Ireland, Liberia to Establish Military Relations
Ireland Ambassador accredited to Liberia, but with residence in the Republic of Sierra Leone, Clarie Buckley has assured the Minister of National Defense, Maj/Gen. Daniel D. Ziankahn (Rtd), of her country’s willingness to establish strong military ties with the Armed Forces of Liberia, especially in the area of peacekeeping. Click here to read...
Foreign investors from Mauritius likely to keep taxman at bay
One such attempt by the Income tax (I-T) department to lift the 'corporate veil' was struck down this week by a court which ruled that the tricky subject of 'beneficial ownership' (BO) of the Mauritian entity cannot be linked to capital gains. Click here to read...
Algeria looks to Türkiye to realise untapped economic potential
Growing regional ties and cooperation are leading rapid economic recovery for Algeria and Türkiye, despite nearly two years of pandemic disruption and market volatility. Click here to read...
Japan steps up its Africa engagement
Laying the foundation for the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held talks on 28 March 2022 with ministers from 50 African nations. Click here to read...
For the first time in half-a-century, Chad welcomes Israeli envoy
Israeli diplomat Ben Bourgel presented his credentials to the president of Chad this week - the first time in half-a-century the country has welcomed an Israeli ambassador, as the two countries move to strengthen diplomatic ties. Click here to read...
Saudi delegation visits Namibia, Rwanda, Burundi
A Saudi delegation led by Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Kattan, adviser at the Royal Court, visited southwest and East African countries. The delegation met Namibian President Hage Geingob, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye. Click here to read...
Germany backs two Togolese training centers with €6M financing
As part of the African Union’s Skill Initiative for Africa (SIFA) support mechanism, Germany’s development fund, KfW, will provide €6 million to two training institutions in Togo. Click here to read...
Kenya’s debt obligations towards China more than double in one year
Kenya’s debt obligations towards China have shot up by a staggering 135.15 per cent in the last one year on the back of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in the African country. Click here to read...
World’s longest subsea cable lands in Djibouti, East Africa
Meta's 2Africa subsea cable has landed in Djibouti City, Djibouti. Djibouti Telecom announced on 13 May that the country’s 9th subsea cable, which is 45,000 km long, had landed in the capita. Click here to read...
Pakistan overtakes Uganda as top market for Kenyan exports
Pakistan overtook Uganda as Kenya’s biggest export destination in the first quarter of the year, boosted by growth in tea exports. Click here to read...
Southeast DR Congo seizes 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory
Authorities in southeastern DR Congo have seized one and a half tonnes of elephant ivory, legal and environmental officials said, in one of the largest hauls in Africa in years. Click here to read...
Botswana plans to build $2.5bn facility to convert coal into liquid fuels
State oil company Botswana Oil is planning to build a new coal-to-liquids plant, with an investment of $2.5bn, in a bid to reduce its dependence on imported fuel. Click here to read...
Egypt launches National Climate Change Strategy 2050
Egypt has launched its billion-dollar National Climate Change Strategy 2050 to support a stronger, greener Egyptian economy. Click here to read...
Turkey's TIKA trains South Sudanese beekeepers
Thanks to the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), villagers in South Sudan earn extra income through beekeeping. Click here to read...
Ghana: President Akufo-Addo Expresses Concern Over Russia-Ukraine War Impact on Food Security
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed concerns over the impact the crises in Ukraine is having on food security in the country and on the continent. Click here to read...
Botswana invites bids to build 200 MW solar plant
The scope of the bid covers financing, construction, operation and maintenance as well as decommissioning the plant at the end of its economic life. Click here to read...
EU Calls for Zimbabwe to Implement Electoral Reforms Ahead of 2023 Polls
Elmar Brok, the head of the EU electoral mission, told reporters Friday that as Zimbabwe prepares for next year’s elections, it must amend its electoral laws so that all parties have a fair chance of winning at the polls. Click here to read...
Tanzania ports authority opens offices in landlocked neighbors
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has opened liaison offices in neighboring landlocked countries to attract more business, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday. Click here to read...
Botswana, with an import ban on 16 vegetables, plans to ban more over the next two years
Botswana’s government says it has no plans to lift its ban on vegetable imports, citing that it plans to expand its list, which comprises 16 vegetables, over the next two years. Click here to read...
Mozambique confirms first wild poliovirus case in 30 years
Mozambique has identified its first case of wild polio in three decades following the genetic sequencing of a similar strain of the childhood disease in Malawi earlier this year. Click here to read...
INDIA IN AFRICA
India and Africa must respond to uncertain world: Jaishankar
India and Africa must respond to the “volatile and uncertain” world and important lessons can be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and knock-on effects of the Ukraine conflict. Click here to read...
India working with African states to counter threat of terrorism: Jaishankar
The first India-Africa defence ministers’ conclave, held in February 2020, institutionalised defence cooperation between the two sides. Click here to read...
India-Africa relations are truly deep-rooted: Jaishankar
India-Africa relations are truly deep-rooted and go back into the recesses of history, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday as he touched upon the shared bonding of fighting against colonialism. Click here to read...
Africa must be included in reformed UNSC, says EAM Jaishankar
India's external affairs minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar has backed African representation at the United Nations Security Council, a long-standing policy of the Indian government. Click here to read...
MoS Muraleedharan, Zambian counterpart discuss issues covering gamut of bilateral cooperation
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan engaged in discussions with the Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Minister of Zambia, Stanley Kakubo on Thursday on the sidelines of the high-level Ministerial meeting on “Global Food Security- Call to Action” in New York. Click here to read...
India, France carries out second joint patrol in Southern Indian Ocean
The navies of India and France concluded their second joint patrolling in the South-Western Indian Ocean last week, while an Australian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft is expected in India next month on a reciprocal visit. Click here to read...
India to instal coast guard radar system for Seychelles
India will be helping Seychelles with the installation of a coast guard radar system and other defence matters, Indian High Commissioner General Dalbir Singh Suhag (retd) has saidClick here to read...
U.S. hopes India would reconsider wheat export ban
India, the world’s second-biggest wheat producer, has banned wheat exports in a bid to check high domestic prices amid concerns of wheat output being hit by scorching heat waves. Click here to read...
India ships wheat to Egypt post ban, gets diplomatic requests from 12 nations
India, which banned all private export of wheat on May 13 to manage the country’s food security, has kept a window open for overseas shipments on the specific request of a foreign government to meet their food-security needs. Click here to read...
Nigeria: India Says Open to Exporting Wheat to Poor Nations Despite Ban
The ban is expected to affect the price of the produce globally, including in Africa and Nigeria in particular. The world's second largest producer of wheat, India, has banned wheat exports, at a time the Russian invasion of Ukraine crippled the supply of the crop across the globe. Click here to read...
Over 500 workers at Indian-owned Mozambique coal mine go on strike
Over 500 workers at a coal mine in Mozambique owned by a subsidiary of an Indian company have been on strike for a week, the company said in a statement. Click here to read...
Arms sales: India zeroes in on African markets
Attempting to tap into the large African arms market, a delegation of the Ministry of Defence, having representatives of top private manufacturers, is visiting Tanzania at the end of this month. Click here to read...
Liberia: President Weah Announces Renegotiations with Arcelor Mittal for an ‘Amendment That Fairly Satisfies’ All Parties
President George Weah has announced the authorization of the Inter-Ministerial Concession Committee (IMCC) to engage Arcelor Mittal for the resubmission of an amendment that will be in the interest of all parties.
In an initiative, the Telugu community in Johannesburg, South Africa, distributed blankets to the needy, an act which earned it much appreciation by the Midrand police. When during these times, it gets cold, we show our concern for those who need to be helped. Click here to read... In the August 9 General elections in Kenya, voters will elect the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county Governors and members of the 47 county assemblies. The Constitution requires that a presidential election take place at the same time as the general election. Click here to read... Several globally-recognised Indian-origin philanthropists and spiritual leaders addressed the Conscious Leadership and Ethics Summit here, delving deep into the relation between businesses, consciousness, leadership and the environment. Click here to read... In 'West Asia: Repression, Resistance and Great Power Games', the author begins his narrative with the 19th century scramble among European powers for dominance in the region. Click here to read... In a new book, MIT political scientist Evan Lieberman examines a quarter-century of post-Apartheid government and finds meaningful progress. Click here to read... Telugus in South Africa help with blankets
Kenya’s Indian origin doctor campaigning silently to retain Kesses parliamentary seat
Indian philanthropists and spiritual leaders address ethics summit in S Africa
Book Review
Talmiz Ahmad's Encyclopaedic Study of West Asia and North Africa
From South Africa, a success story for democracy
