OVERVIEW
Africa witnessed a series of political, economic, and security developments and key developments unfolded across the continent. Zimbabwe announced a ban on lithium concentrate exports from 2027 to boost domestic value addition. While, Rwanda withdrew from ECCAS over disputes linked to DRC tensions. Nigeria’s airstrike in Zamfara killed over 20 militants and drew criticism for alleged civilian casualties. Southern African Development Community (SADC) began the final withdrawal of troops from eastern DRC amid M23 advances. Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD secured all parliamentary seats in disputed elections.
During the first half of June 2025, Africa witnessed significant diplomatic and security developments. The U.S. urged Rwanda to withdraw troops from eastern Congo to facilitate a peace deal, while Sudan’s civil war displaced over four million refugees, straining regional resources. Russia pledged enhanced economic and military cooperation in Africa following Wagner’s exit from Mali. China deepened engagement through FOCAC, proposing duty-free market access for African exports. Simultaneously, a U.S. travel ban targeted countries including Congo, Sudan, and Chad, drawing criticism from the African Union. Armenia and Ethiopia held their first political consultations, focusing on expanding ties in trade, tourism, aviation, and diplomacy.
India advanced its strategic engagements across Africa through diplomatic, defence, and developmental initiatives. India and Namibia deepened defence cooperation, focusing on joint military training and maritime security. Concurrently, IIT Madras and GRID-India partnered to build Tanzania’s power infrastructure via clean energy collaborations. The all-party parliamentary delegations visited Ethiopia, Egypt, and Liberia to reinforce India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
AFRICA
Zimbabwe to ban export of lithium concentrates from 2027
On June 10, 2025, Zimbabwe’s mines minister, Winston Chitando announced that it will ban the export of lithium concentrates from January 1, 2027. This move comes after it had banned the export of lithium ore in 2022 to push for building local capacity and process more domestically. Major Chinese backed mines such as Bikita Minerals and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, are already constructing lithium sulphate plants, paving the way for the 2027 target. Zimbabwe, Africa's top producer of lithium, used in batteries to power renewable energy technologies, can leverage this position to become a key player in the battery supply chain. Click here to read…
Rwanda quits Central African bloc in dispute with DRC
On June 8, 2025, Rwanda withdrew from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) after being denied chairmanship of the bloc and extended Equatorial Guinea’s term. Kigali’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision as a breach of ECCAS’s founding principles and accused the bloc of being politically manipulated by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said that ECCAS members had "acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil." The exit marks deepening divide between Kinshasa and Kigali and latter’s deteriorating relationship with ECCAS, which fosters cooperation in areas like security and economic affairs among its member states. Click here to read…
Nigerian Air Force kill more than 20-armed militia
On June 2, 2025, the Nigerian Air Force launched an airstrike, killed 20-armed militia members and destroyed 21 motorcycles in north western Zamfara state. Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the strike followed intelligence that "a significant number of terrorists were massing and preparing to strike unsuspecting settlements." Residents and Rights groups are however now calling for authorities to investigate the incident stating that civilians were mistakenly killed. Amnesty International said that the ‘attacks by bandits clearly warrant a response from the state, but to launch reckless airstrikes into villages — again and again — is absolutely unlawful." If the investigation holds the Nigerian Airforce accountable, then this would be one of many recent mistaken airstrikes by the Nigerian military in the recent years. Click here to read…
Former Zambian President dies at the age of 68
On June 5, 2025, former Zambian President Edgar Lungu passed away at home in Lusaka while exercising. He served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 to 2021, after President Michael Sata’s death. This period was marked by major infrastructure projects but also rising debt and economic challenges. In 2021, he lost the election to Hakainde Hichilema, who described Lungu’s death as a tragic loss for the nation. The government has offered to repatriate Lungu’s body and hold a state funeral but his family and his party Patriotic Front (PF) have refused, stating that Lungu had left instructions that the Hichilema, should not be allowed “anywhere near his body.” The government has declared a period of national mourning with flags at half-mast from June 8 to June 14. Click here to read…
SADC peacekeeping troops begin final phase of withdrawal from the east DRC
On June 12, 2025, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced that it would begin the final phase of withdrawing its troops from the conflict-hit eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In 2023, the SADC sent several thousand peacekeeping troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania to eastern Congo to help the Congolese government to ensure peace and stability in the mineral-rich region. But the military mission suffered heavy losses with dozens of soldiers killed as the M23 rebels seized control of Goma. Despite the withdrawal, the bloc reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peace, security, and political stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the broader SADC region. Click here to read…
Burundi’s ruling party wins all parliamentary seats
On 12 June 2025, the national electoral commission released the results of Burundi’s legislative elections, in which the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, won all 100 contested seats. The opposition parties denounced the polls as fraudulent and undemocratic. The main opposition party, the National Congress for Liberty (CNL), was largely side lined before the vote, with its leaders removed, harassed, and detained during the campaign period. The CNDD-FDD secured 96.51% of the vote, while all other parties failed to meet the 2 percent threshold required for parliamentary representation. These developments indicate the fragile nature of democracy, heightened corruption, and an uncertain future for the country. Click here to read…
Burkina Faso completes nationalisation of five gold mining assets
On June 12, 2025, Burkina Faso completed the transfer of five gold mining assets to the country's state-owned miner which would increase control over its mineral resources. To facilitate this control, it established the Société de Participation Minière du Burkina (SOPAMIB) to own, manage and operate strategic mining assets. The five assets transferred to Burkina Faso’s state ownership include two operating gold mines and three exploration licenses previously held by subsidiaries of London-listed Endeavour Mining and Lilium. These include Wahgnion Gold SA, SEMAFO Boungou SA, Ressources Ferké SARL, Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso SARL, and Lilium Mining Services Burkina Faso SARL. Through nationalisation, the country aims to deliver greater economic benefits for the country. Click here to read…
Botswana's Debswana curbs diamond production
On 6 June, 2025, Botswana's Debswana Diamond Company temporarily pauses production at some of its mines, in response to protracted weakness in the global diamond market. The company, a 50-50 joint venture between Botswana's government and global giant De Beers, plans to reduce output to 15 million carats in 2025. The global diamond market has experienced a downturn since the second half of 2023, which caused Debswana to cut production by 27 percent to 17.93 million carats in 2024. The Company said that temporary stoppages are expected to deliver significant cost savings across fuel, electricity, and other production consumables. Click here to read…
At least 100 people killed as gunmen attack Nigeria’s Benue
On June 14, 2025, unidentified gunmen killed at least 100 people in a northcentral town of Benue state. Such attacks are common in Nigeria’s northern region where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The farmers accuse the herders of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence. The government has not named any one group responsible for the killings. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to bring an end to a wave of killings, describing it as "inhuman and anti-progress". Click here to read…
AFRICA AND WORLD
US wants Rwandan troops out of Eastern Congo
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is holding talks to end fighting in eastern Congo and is promoting a deal that would require Rwanda to pull troops from eastern Congo before the two sides sign a peace agreement. The analysts and diplomats have alleged Rwanda of sending 7,000-12,000 soldiers to eastern Congo to support M23 rebels which Rwanda has long denied. Qatar presented a draft peace proposal to DR Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and the two sides will consult their leaders before resuming talks. The signing of this deal remains a challenge as Kinshasa is unwilling to engage directly in a national dialogue with the M23 which it regards as both a terrorist group and a Rwandan proxy. Click here to read…
More than 4 million refugees have fled Sudan civil war: UN
U.N. refugee agency official, Eujin Byun said the number of people who have fled Sudan since the beginning of its civil war in 2023 has surpassed four million, adding that many survivors faced inadequate shelter due to funding shortages. More than 800,000 of the refugees have arrived in the neighbouring country of Chad, where their shelter conditions are dire due to funding shortages. If the conflict continues in Sudan, thousands more people will continue to flee, putting regional and global stability at stake, exacerbating the world’s worst displacement crisis at the moment. Click here to read…
Russia to boost role in Africa
Russia plans to step up cooperation with African countries in areas such as defence and security. Russia’s role in Africa’s security came under greater scrutiny after mercenary group Wagner announced it was leaving Mali. Wagner had been deployed in Mali since December 2021 and had been repeatedly accused of human rights abuses. But the Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, would remain in the west African country. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the growing Russian presence in Africa and the need to comprehensively develop interaction with African countries, focusing primarily on economic and investment interaction. Russia’s growing interest in Africa might cause some stir among countries like US, China, and France, who have considerable stake in the African continent. Click here to read…
Chinese Foreign Minister hosts African leaders
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, held meetings with several of his African counterparts as a part to review the implementation of outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Foreign ministers from Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, and Angola attended the discussions. One of the key outcomes was the potential for duty-free access to the Chinese market for all African countries, contingent upon agreement between the two sides. The initiative aims to facilitate greater market access for African exports, especially from least developed countries, and inject new momentum into China-Africa economic ties. Click here to read…
U.S. travel ban hits Congo, Chad, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. There will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The White House said these "common-sense restrictions" would "protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors". The African Union said it was "concerned about the potential negative impact" of the measures and called on the US to adopt "a more consultative approach with the countries concerned". Click here to read…
Armenia Committed to Strengthening Its Bilateral Relations with Ethiopia
On June 9, 2025, in Addis Ababa, the first political consultation between Ethiopia and the Republic of Armenia was held. State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia, Ambassador Hadera Abera and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Vahan Kostanyan co-chaired the meeting. Both sides emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral relations in areas like aviation, trade, investment, and tourism. Discussions were also held towards the opening of the Armenian embassy in Addis Ababa. Both sides agreed to hold the second round of political consultations in Yerevan, Armenia. Click here to read…
AFRICA AND INDIA
India and Namibia strengthen defence ties
India and Namibia held discussions to enhance bilateral defence cooperation during a high-level meeting in Windhoek on June 9, 2025. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized strengthening joint military engagements, training initiatives, and maritime security collaboration. The nations reviewed existing partnerships—such as anti-piracy exercises and Namibian participation in Indian military academies—and explored modalities for deepening ties in defence technology, logistics support, and capacity-building. The dialogue underscored both countries’ commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting concluded with agreements to increase personnel exchanges, conduct joint training exercises, and bolster defence-industrial cooperation. Click here to read…
IIT Madras and GRID-INDIA to work on strengthening Tanzania energy infrastructure
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and GRID INDIA, a Central Public Sector Enterprise under Indian Union Ministry of Power, signed an MoU on 22 May 2025, to advance capability and capacity-building in Tanzania’s electrical grid sector. Operated through IIT Madras’s Energy Consortium, the collaboration will offer certification programmes, joint research, and technical consultancy focused on sustainable clean-energy infrastructure. Leveraging IITM Zanzibar’s regional footprint, the partnership aims to foster cross-border knowledge exchange, applied research, and commercialisation of clean-energy technologies. Both partners emphasise shared objectives of strengthening East Africa’s power systems through capacity development and resilient energy solutions. Click here to read…
Visit of All-Party Delegation to Egypt
The all-party delegation led by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule reached Egypt on June 3, 2025, to present India’s stance on zero tolerance against terrorism. The delegation comprised of BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Anurag Thakur and V Muraleedharan, Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Anand Sharma, TDP leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, AAP leader Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin. The delegation met Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who reiterated Cairo’s solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism and welcomed deeper bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism. Click here to read…
Visit of All-Party Delegation to Ethiopia
On June 1, 2025, an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by NCP MP Supriya Sule concluded its official visit to as part of India’s diplomatic outreach to reinforce its zero-tolerance policy on cross-border terrorism. The delegation described Operation Sindoor as a calibrated, targeted, and proportionate response, demonstrating India’s resolve to counter terrorism decisively without escalating regional tensions. Highlighting India’s long-standing challenges with cross-border terrorism, the delegation stressed the urgency of identifying and holding accountable not just the perpetrators of terror but also their supporters, enablers, and those who offer moral or material backing. The Ethiopian side, in turn, reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and expressed strong solidarity with India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Click here to read…
Visit of All-Party Delegation to Liberia
On June 2, 2025, the all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde concluded a three-day visit to Liberia. This was a part of reinforcing India’s global campaign against terrorism and strengthening bilateral ties with the West African nation. The delegation held meetings with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The delegation conveyed appreciation for President Boakai’s statement of condolence and condemnation addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Apart from Shinde, the delegation included Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Sasmit Patra, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, S.S. Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. The visit concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to work together in building a peaceful, secure, and terror-free world. Click here to read…
