Commentary
Can Africa Challenge China’s Stranglehold in Lithium?
If Africa wants to reap the rewards from its lithium industry, it must step up its game and learn to tame the Dragon. The flow and pace of the global energy transition may well be determined by the success of Africa’s negotiation skills. Click here to read…
Colonialism, Coups, and Development
The recent spate of coups in Africa signals that civil and democratic ideals have regressed on the continent. Yet, the coups also present an opportunity for African governments and regional blocs to recommit themselves to continental development & social welfare. Click here to read…
What is happening in West Africa and why?
Today's political turmoil in West Africa and anti-French sentiment stem from the shift in French neo-colonialism, moving from costly military domination to asserting control through economic and technological superiority Click here to read…
Julius Malema: Why the South African politician touched a nerve in Kenya
On 9 November, two men stood before Kenyans to deliver long-awaited speeches, separated by just a few hours and a few kilometres. Click here to read…
News
Liberia’s President concedes election defeat in a knife-edge vote
Liberia’s president, George Weah, conceded defeat Friday night in his bid for a second term, after a tight runoff against Joseph Boakai, a 78-year-old political veteran, in an election that was considered a test of democracy in the West African nation. Click here to read…
After decades in the wings, Liberia’s quiet man Boakai set for presidency
When Joseph Boakai won a place at Liberia’s prestigious College of West Africa in the 1950s, he helped pay his fees by working as the school janitor, cleaning floors and toilets at night and studying by day, his spokesman Amara Konneh told Reuters. Click here to read…
Madagascar votes for president amid political crisis
Voters in Madagascar head to the polls on Thursday for the first round of a tense presidential election after weeks of opposition protests demanding a “fair and equitable” vote. Click here to read…
Voting ends in Madagascar presidential election boycotted by opposition
Voting has ended in Madagascar’s presidential election after a turbulent campaign marred by boycotts and allegations of election irregularities. Click here to read…
Madagascar: 'Unseen' by politics, the poor snub upcoming elections
As dawn breaks in Antananarivo, streams of people begin their daily climb to the city's public fountains to collect enough water to wash or earn a few pennies, with Madagascar's upcoming election one of the last things on their minds. Click here to read…
Gabon: transition timetable Sparks Debate
Announced by the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions and then adopted by the Council of Ministers, the timetable for the major stages of the transition in Gabon will reach its conclusion in August 2025. Click here to read…
Gabon elections: Junta plans post-Bongo polls for 2025
Gabon's military leaders say they plan to hold a general election in August 2025. Click here to read…
Senegal court annuls ruling that allowed opposition leader to run for president
Senegal's Supreme Court on Friday overturned a judgment that had put detained political opponent Ousmane Sonko back in the 2024 presidential race, ruling that the case would be retried. Click here to read…
Senegal: polarized public opinion in Sonko case
Public opinion is divided, with some calling for him to be allowed to run, and others supporting the court's decision. Click here to read…
DR Congo election campaign kicks off with fireworks and bullets
The Democratic Republic of Congo launched a month-long election campaign Sunday with 25 candidates running for president amid a tense political climate and relentless fighting in the east of the country. Click here to read…
DRC elections: Kabila family legacy looms large over nation's polls
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to hold elections on December 20, 2023. The country’s electoral commission has announced President Felix Tshisekedi will be seeking re-election alongside 23 other candidates. Click here to read…
DRC elections: Denis Mukwege’s difficult bet
The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, now a presidential candidate in DRC’s December elections, tells us that the opposition must find common ground to face off against Félix Tshisekedi. Click here to read…
African Opposition Leaders Move to Halt Senegal Democracy Slide
A group of African opposition politicians have banded together to check democratic backsliding on the continent, starting with Senegal where presidential elections next year may exclude the main opposition candidate. Click here to read…
Death of Political Activist in Zimbabwe Increases Fears of Crisis
Leaders of the main opposition party said a member had been abducted while campaigning, the latest in a string of political violence. Click here to read…
UN Mission Leaves 9 of 12 Mali Bases in Forced Withdrawal
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali on Saturday said it had left a ninth of its 12 bases as part of its forced withdrawal from the junta-led country battling separatist and jihadi rebellions. Click here to read…
Mali’s Army Says Kidal Recaptured from Rebels
Mali’s army said Tuesday it has retaken the northern city of Kidal from rebels, after a raid that left many insurgents dead. Click here to read…
Niger's military regime congratulates Mali on "liberation of Kidal"
Niger’s military regime on Wednesday congratulated the Malian junta on the “liberation of Kidal" the previous day, a strategic town that had been under the control of predominantly Tuareg separatists. Click here to read…
Governorship elections in key Nigerian states marred by violence
The governorship elections in three critical Nigerian states were marred by violence, observers said on Sunday. Click here to read…
Malawi's President Chakwera bans himself and his cabinet from foreign travel
Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has suspended with immediate effect all international travel for himself and his government in a bid to save money. Click here to read…
South Sudan’s 2018 force unification ‘sorely late’
South Sudan’s programme to unify forces from various militia is sorely late, an assessment by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) shows. Click here to read…
Togo: two journalists jailed for defaming a minister
Two Togolese journalists were indicted and jailed in Lomé on Wednesday, accused of "defamation" after claiming on social networks that a minister had had the equivalent of 600,000 euros stolen from his home, their relatives said. Click here to read…
Uganda hosts developing and non-aligned countries, but to what end?
Welcoming both the Non-Aligned Movement and the G77 to Kampala is a historic but costly endeavour with unclear benefits for President Museveni. Click here to read…
G20-led summit for Africa highlights renewed interest in fast-growing continent
Leaders from more than a dozen African countries will gather in Germany over the next two days for the G20 Compact with Africa conference, which aims to help bolster private investment in the world's poorest, but fast-growing, continent. Click here to read…
Sudan’s Al-Burhan, Ethiopian prime minister discusses bilateral relations
The head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Wednesday met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy to discuss bilateral relations and the latest situation in the Horn of Africa. Click here to read…
Algeria appoints new ambassador to Spain after nearly 20 months of friction
Algeria has appointed a new ambassador to Spain, after nearly 20 months of diplomatic friction caused by Madrid's U-turn on the Western Sahara issue, the Algerian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. Click here to read…
Kenya's parliament approves Haiti police deployment
Kenya's parliament on Thursday approved the proposed deployment of its police to Haiti to lead a UN-backed multinational mission aimed at restoring peace and security in the gang-plagued Caribbean nation. Click here to read…
Chinese-built airport opens in Angola
The Dr Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport opened for operation on Friday in Luanda, the national capital and largest city in Angola, marking the completion of the largest airport ever constructed by any Chinese enterprise outside of China. Click here to read…
Chinese-funded Africa CDC laboratory opens in Ethiopia as Beijing looks to health diplomacy to boost influence
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has unveiled a China-funded reference laboratory at its headquarters in Ethiopia, creating another milestone for China’s health diplomacy. Click here to read…
Forum on China-Africa agricultural cooperation opens in China's Hainan Province
The Second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture is being held from November 13-15 in Sanya, Hainan Province. Click here to read…
Chinese Man Extradited from Morocco Faces Embezzlement Charges in Shanghai
A Chinese man wanted for allegedly embezzling millions of yuan (hundreds of thousands of dollars) from his company and then fleeing to Morocco was extradited back to China on Saturday, the Ministry of Public Security said. Click here to read…
US launches democratic transition scheme for Africa after consecutive coups
The Joe Biden administration is banking on Guinea to demonstrate whether the US can actually work with purportedly well-intentioned putschists to bring democracy back to Africa. Click here to read…
Germany Will Lend South Africa €500 Million for Energy Switch
Germany, through its KfW development bank, will on Friday sign an agreement to lend South Africa €500 million ($543 million) at below commercial market rates to help it transition away from the use of coal-fired electricity. Click here to read…
Celebrating 30 years of SA-Qatar diplomatic relations – ANC
As the African National Congress (ANC), we proudly celebrate three decades of thriving diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar, which began on 10 May 1994. This milestone marks a journey of mutual respect, cooperation, and shared values. Click here to read…
Many areas to improve Qatar and SA’s relationship – Cyril Ramaphosa
I would like to thank the government of the State of Qatar for their warm and friendly hospitality and I welcome this opportunity to engage with Qatari business. Click here to read…
Romania adopts National Strategy for Africa
Romania’s new strategy for Africa is designed to revive the country’s ties with Africa, leveraging a promising basis for collaboration, ahead of President Klaus Iohannis’ upcoming tour in Africa, which starts on Tuesday. Click here to read…
South African parliament debates proposed closure of Israeli Embassy
South African lawmakers Thursday held a heated debate on the proposed closure of the Israeli Embassy in the country and suspension of diplomatic relations. Click here to read…
Tema Port expansion termed new era in Ghana’s maritime industry
The second phase of the Tema Port expansion project was officially launched last week by President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Click here to read…
Ethiopia cancels process for international telecoms licence: Official
Ethiopia has cancelled a process seeking an international telecoms licence, a senior adviser at the finance ministry said on Friday, further delaying the potential entry of a third operator. Click here to read…
Ghana to Sign Costliest Loan Ever for Cocoa as Debt Crisis Bites
Ghana secured its annual loan to pay for cocoa purchases at the highest interest rate on record, following this year’s debt restructuring of the West African nation’s obligations that ruined investor appeal. Click here to read…
Zambia’s debt restructuring derailed after official creditors reject deal
Zambia’s quest to restructure its debt is in tatters after official creditors, led by China, forced the copper-rich African nation to suspend a deal of almost $4bn in dollar bonds. Click here to read…
Nigeria withdraws $1.1 bln claim against Eni on oilfield deal
Shell (SHEL.L) confirmed on Friday that Nigeria withdrew civil claims totalling $1.1 billion against it in relation to allegations of corruption in a 2011 oilfield deal. "We are pleased that this claim has been withdrawn. Click here to read…
Niger debt default reaches $304 million due to sanctions- agency
Niger has missed payments on interest and capital totalling 187.136 billion ($304 million) CFA francs since a July coup and its suspension from regional financial markets, data from the West African regional debt management agency showed on Tuesday. Click here to read…
Angola to scrap fuel subsidy by end-2025, says finance minister
Angola will push ahead with removing all fuel subsidies by the end of 2025, which should enable state oil company Sonangol to pay taxes and dividends again, the country's finance minister Vera Daves de Sousa said. Click here to read…
'Crisis upon crisis' as Kenya and Somalia go from drought to floods
Humanitarian organisations in East Africa report that close to a million people have been displaced in the two countries, with Somalia bearing the brunt. Click here to read…
Zimbabwe declares state of emergency in Harare over cholera
Zimbabwe has declared a state of emergency in the capital Harare over a cholera outbreak. The outbreak has so far killed dozens of people with more than 7,000 suspected cases. Click here to read…
Plan to send migrants to Rwanda unlawful as they would be at risk: UK top court
Britain’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the government’s contentious plan to send some migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda is illegal. Click here to read…
Nigeria frees 4,000 prisoners to ease jail crowding
Thousands of detainees across Nigeria have been released from prison in an effort to tackle overcrowding, interior minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said Saturday on social media. Click here to read…
India in Africa
MoS Muraleedharan to pay official visit to Tanzania, Kenya from November 20-23
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to Tanzania and Kenya from November 20-23. Click here to read…
India-Africa Trade Exceeds $100 Bn, Shows Fair Balance: EAM Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has said India's trade with Africa today is in excess of USD 100 billion and is fairly evenly balanced. Click here to read…
Indo-German development plans to cover Benin, Ethiopia
India and Germany are in talks to expand their development cooperation programme in partnership with key third countries, according to persons aware of the matter. Click here to read…
Indian Navy completes second anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea in Atlantic Ocean
The Indian Navy has completed its second anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) in the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to read…
INS Sharda visits Port Antsiranana, Madagascar to strengthen ties of friendship
The ship's visit aims to strengthen bridges of friendship and the Indian Navy's sustained efforts towards ensuring maritime security in the region by partnering with regional navies in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), as per an official release. Click here to read…
India offers UPI tech cooperation to Seychelles
India's outreach to the Seychelles, which lies off the coast of East Africa, has had a strong emphasis on defence, with India working on setting up a Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CSRS) and providing defence equipment like Dornier aircraft to the country. Click here to read…
Zanzibar: For centuries, a home to Indians; now an IIT
Indians invested heavily in commercial enterprises based in Zanzibar, profiting abundantly from them and finding themselves in possession of significant property. Click here to read…
G20 more inclusive with African Union in it: Amitabh Kant
India played a significant role in making the G20 more inclusive by ensuring the African Union's permanent membership during its presidency, according to G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. He described this achievement as a victory for developing countries. Click here to read…
India, South Africa, Cuba call for more power to Global South
Ahead of the second edition of the virtual Voice of Global South summit, India, South Africa and Cuba have called for more prominence to interests and aspirations of developing countries in multilateral groupings. Click here to read…
Is India’s Manufacturing Might Fuelling Africa’s Economic Surge?
India’s deepening economic relationship with Africa is transforming the continent’s industrial landscape. This strategic partnership, driven by India’s investments in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, agriculture, and automotive manufacturing, showcases a commitment to mutual growth and sustainable development. Click here to read…
S African Chambers of Commerce welcome initiatives by Indian missions to boost trade
A host of South African Chambers of Commerce and trade organisations have welcomed an offer from the Indian Consulate in Johannesburg to use the various initiatives started by the government of India to boost mutual trade. Click here to read…
How Billionaire Mittal’s Brother Got a $500 Million Bailout in Nigeria
Billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s younger brother is effectively getting a helping hand — and a possible way out of financial distress — from Nigerian taxpayers. Click here to read…
