Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent - news that matters.
Commentary
The dragon is expanding its tentacles in the Sahel; the world must support India
For now, China maintains a low profile in the Sahel, primarily concerned with protecting millions of Chinese citizens living and working in the region, as well as safeguarding its investments.Click here to read…
(Mis)understanding and (mis)managing the Sudanese crisis
The African Union’s peacemaking efforts in Sudan are doomed to failure if it does not change its approach to the conflict.Click here to read…
South Africa’s Ramaphosa plans call with China’s Xi amid furor over Putin warrant
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as Pretoria considers switching the venue of an upcoming BRICS summit to avoid having to execute an international arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin if he attends.Click here to read…
News
Algeria among new nonpermanent countries elected to UN Security Council
Algeria, alongside Sierra Leone, will replace Gabon and Ghana as the African continent's representatives in the UN Security Council.Click here to read…
Guinea-Bissau opposition wins majority in parliamentary polls
The legislative elections are the first since President Embalo dissolved parliament more than a year ago.Click here to read…
Zimbabwe presidential and parliamentary polls set for August 23
President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on Wednesday that Zimbabwe will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on August 23, as the southern African country battles a raging economic crisis.Click here to read…
Gabon: Long queues at polling centres after deadline extension for voter registration
Thousands of Gabonese have thronged electoral roll registration centers in the country following the announcement of a deadline extension. Operations began on May 9 and were due to end on June 8, but were then postponed by the Interior ministry for three days, until June 11.Click here to read…
Latest Sudan truce begins amid civilian scepticism
Three hours into the truce, residents in various areas of Khartoum said the shelling and air strikes that have rocked the capital daily since mid-April had halted, at least temporarily.Click here to read…
Libya: Joint "6x6" committee sign agreements on drafting election law
Members of the Libyan 6+6 Joint Committee for Preparing Electoral Laws announced that they had reached an agreement on presidential and legislative electoral laws.Click here to read…
President Ruto to attend Igad meeting in Djibouti
President William Ruto. He will be among heads of state and government attending the 14th Ordinary Session of Igad in Djibouti.Click here to read…
Is Ghana warming up to the Sahel again after diplomatic rift?
Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo has sent emissaries led by his national security chief Albert Kan-Dapaah to Ouagadougou and Bamako and followed up with a personal meeting with military leader Ibrahim Traore.Click here to read…
Tunisia will not be Europe’s border guard, president says
Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Saturday that Tunisia would not accept becoming a border guard for other countries ahead of a planned visit by European leaders concerned at the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean.Click here to read…
Cameroon: new frontline in China-Australia trade war?
Despite being sued by Australia’s Sundance Resources, Cameroon is set to begin in August the construction of a railway line with two China-affiliated businesses, connecting the coast to substantial iron ore deposit on Congo Republic borderClick here to read…
Angola: Police must exercise restraint during nationwide protests
Police must protect human rights and exercise restraint during upcoming nationwide protests against high fuel costs and restrictive laws aimed at limiting the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Angola, Amnesty International said today ahead of the demonstrations planned from 10 to 17 June.Click here to read…
Nigeria’s new president scraps the fuel subsidy
Normally when presidents ad-lib in an inauguration speech it is to stress their folksy charm.Click here to read…
Kenya's planned tax hikes spark anger
Kenya wants to raise taxes to help pay off its massive foreign debt. But with Kenyans hard hit by high prices, the government's Finance Bill is proving wildly unpopular among ordinary citizens and analysts.Click here to read…
Troubles in Senegal: Amnesty speaks of 23 dead and calls for an investigation
Amnesty International said on Thursday it had counted 23 dead in the unrest that shook Senegal last week, more than the official toll of the authorities, and demanded an independent investigation.Click here to read…
Eastern Congo Violence: Extremist Rebels Kill At Least 15 Civilians, Rights Group Says
At least 15 people were killed by extremist attacks in eastern Congo's North Kivu province, a rights group said Friday.Click here to read…
Blast kills 25 children in Somalia
At least 25 children were killed and several others injured after unexploded ordnance went off at a playing field near Qoryoley town in southern Somalia, local authorities have confirmed.Click here to read…
One UN peacekeeper dead, four others injured in north Mali attack
More than 300 of the peacekeepers in MINUSMA have also been killed since the start of the Mali mission in 2013.Click here to read…
At least 21 people killed in suspected terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso
Twenty-one people, most of them members of the security forces, have been killed in Burkina Faso in attacks by suspected jihadists, security sources said on Wednesday.Click here to read…
Violent Ethnic Clashes Erupt At South Sudan UN Site, Resulting In 13 Fatalities
The unexpected violence unfolded at the Malakal site, catching authorities and residents off guard, raising concerns about the resumption of hostilities in the region.Click here to read…
Jailed Tunisian opposition leader’s health deteriorating: Wife
Sahbi Atig has been hospitalised in intensive care after 25-day hunger strike in protest of his imprisonment.Click here to read…
Israel considers recognition of Morocco's rule over Western Sahara
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser visited Rabat on Wednesday as his government mulls a possible announcement of recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over disputed Western Sahara.Click here to read…
Germany wants EU to adopt ‘Rwanda-style’ migrant programme
Berlin takes ‘leading role’ pushing for new asylum system across the bloc, but Green coalition partners criticise ‘exclusion’ policy.Click here to read…
Egypt begins requiring visas for all Sudanese after detecting ‘unlawful activities’
Egypt instituted a new policy requiring all Sudanese entering the country to obtain visas prior to entry, after detecting “unlawful activities” including the issuance of fraudulent visas.Click here to read…
President El-Sisi Meets with President of the Republic of Zambia
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with President of the Republic of Zambia, President Hakainde Hichilema, during his visit to Zambia, in which he also participated in the COMESA summit.Click here to read…
Angola and Portugal sign new cooperation agreement
The president of Angola, João Lourenço, has welcomed the Portuguese president, António Costa, in the capital, Luanda, on Monday.Click here to read…
WFP temporarily suspends food aid to Ethiopia after diversion of supplies
The United Nations World Food Programme has said it is temporarily suspending food aid to Ethiopia because its supplies are being diverted.Click here to read…
Israeli Defense Giant Elbit Systems Plans to Establish Two Sites in Morocco
Morocco and Israel re-established diplomatic relations in December 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.Click here to read…
South Africa Risks Losing $32 Billion on Russia Stance, Stanlib Says
South Africa stands to lose as much as $32.4 billion in export revenue, almost a 10th of its gross domestic product, should some of its main trading partners retaliate against its unwillingness to take a stance against Russia’s war in Ukraine.Click here to read…
Ukraine Promises Embassies, Grain to Counter Russia’s Influence in Africa
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba laid out his country’s plans to counter Russia’s influence in Africa, while saying he has no indication of what leaders from the continent are proposing in a planned peace initiative.Click here to read…
US-Moroccan military exercises cover two-thirds of African countries
The United States and Morocco's "African Lion 2023" military exercises, which kicked off on Monday, will cover "almost two-thirds" of the African continent this year.Click here to read…
China offers South Africa help to bolster security for BRICS summit after arrest warrant issued against Putin
China’s offer of bolstering security at the BRICS summit assumed significance as the ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin over human rights violations by the Russian security forces in the current Ukraine war.Click here to read…
China-Africa trade expo to be held in China's Changsha
Representatives from 50 African countries and eight international organizations have registered to attend the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, to be held from June 29 to July 2 in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.Click here to read…
Africa to soon gets its first gigantic battery factory
The memorandum of understanding envisions the first factory for EV batteries in Africa, with an annual capacity of 100 gigawatts, backed by an investment of €6 billion ($6.4 billion).Click here to read…
How Total Energies can bring $20 billion Mozambique LNG project back to life
Critical issues are funding long-term development initiatives, cutting off direct links with armed forces and improving liaisons with civil society groups.Click here to read…
Madagascar Receives $100 Million for Reforms to Help Unleash Drivers of Equitable and Resilient Growth
The World Bank Group Board of Directors approved today a $100 million credit for a Development Policy Operation (DPO) in Madagascar.Click here to read…
Africa Data Centres to Commence Construction of Largest Facility in Accra, Ghana
Africa Data Centres, the largest network of interconnected data centre facilities in Africa, has announced that it would start the commencement of construction on its newly acquired land in the Central Business District of Accra, Ghana.Click here to read…
11 UN peacekeepers accused of sexual exploitation, abuse in Central African Republic
Eleven U.N. peacekeepers stationed in Central African Republic have been accused of sexual exploitation and abuse, the United Nations said Friday.Click here to read…
CAR: Tanzanian peacekeepers to be repatriated after abuse claims
The UN on Friday (June 09) announced a unit of 60 peacekeepers from Tanzania was to be repatriated from the Central African Republic following serious allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.Click here to read…
Russian man killed in shark attack off Egypt’s Red Sea resort
A Russian man has died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, officials have said.Click here to read…
India in Africa
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with President of South Africa
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with His Excellency Mr. Matemela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa.Click here to read…
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal interacts with 15 Ambassadors from African region for strengthening Trade and Investment ties with India
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal hosted fifteen Ambassadors from various countries of the Africa region yesterday in New Delhi.Click here to read…
Piyush Goyal says India is open to free trade agreements with African countries, to act as a ‘trusted partner’
India is open to negotiations with Africa as a whole or with individual countries in the continent for free trade agreements, commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.Click here to read…
India and Africa forge strong friendship, poised to become future powerhouse: Goyal
In a meeting with 15 ambassadors from various African countries, Goyal highlighted the significant value of India-Africa relationship.Click here to read…
Jaishankar concludes India-Namibia Joint Commission Meeting, emphasises bilateral cooperation amid 'very challenging' international situation
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the time has come for countries like India and Namibia to work together to cooperate on the global stage amid a ”very challenging” international situation.Click here to read…
India: Visit of External Affairs Minister to Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Namibia (June 01-06, 2023)
External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar (EAM) paid official visits to the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Namibia from 01-06 June 2023.Click here to read…
Jaishankar's South Africa, Namibia visit saw high-level interactions, cemented strong bonds
Jaishankar's South Africa, Namibia visit saw high-level interactions, cemented strong bonds.Click here to read…
Jaishankar’s visit strengthens India’s ties with South Africa, Namibia: MEA
During his visit to Cape Town, South Africa, from 1-3 June, EAM participated in the BRICS foreign ministers‘ meeting and the Friends of BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on June 1 and 2, respectivelyClick here to read…
INS Trishul visits Durban to mark 30 years of relations with South Africa
"At a commemorative event in Pietermaritzburg, the ship's band will play some of the favourite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi. They will also pay floral tributes at the plinth where Gandhiji was thrown out," said Consul General for India in Durban Dr Thelma David.Click here to read…
INS Trishul Visits Port Anjouan in Comoros
As part of the Indian Navy’s long-range deployment, INS Trishul visited port Anjouan, Comoros from 31 May to 2 June 2023. The ship anchored off Anjoun Island on 31 May 2023 and was received by civil-military leadership.Click here to read…
Navy to attend event to mark 130 yrs of Gandhi's rail incident in S Africa
A frontline warship of the Indian Navy is visiting Durban to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the June 7, 1893 incident when Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train.Click here to read…
India's JAM trinity to push Africa's digital reach: Sunil Bharti Mittal
Quickly establishing Africa’s digital and physical infrastructure based on India’s Jan Dhan-Aadhar Mobile (JAM) trinity of technologies, developing African food systems, and ease in logistics and trade barriers are among the top recommendations shortlisted by the Business 20 (B20) Council on African economic integration.Click here to read…
Benefits Of India- Mauritius DTAA Available To Collective Investment Vehicles: ITAT
The Delhi Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that the benefits of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) are available.Click here to read…
Can GIFT City Replace Singapore, Mauritius As Preferred Financial Hub For Startups & Investors?
India’s maiden IFSC (international financial services centre) at GIFT City, Gujarat, has lately created a lot of buzz as the newfound hub for alternative investment funds (AIFs), fintechs and a diverse range of international financial services.Click here to read…
Egypt to import meat from India, African countries
The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade announced on Thursday that Egypt inked deals with India, Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti, and Tanzania to import live and frozen meat as a means of expanding its supply sources.Click here to read…
Empowering communities: Meet the Kerala couple who built a school in Africa's Malawi
Arun, hailing from Malappuram, found himself questioning the state of education when he discovered a dilapidated school building at Chisasila village.Click here to read…
Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana
Education of women is essential for a just society as well as for accelerating social transformation.Click here to read…
