Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent - news that matters.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Vivekananda International Foundation launches "Connect Africa"

The Vivekananda International Foundation unveiled its latest "Connect Africa" programme on September 22, 2022. This initiative's primary goal is to invite prominent African and Indian figures, such as academics, diplomats, practitioners, and journalists, for conversations on various emerging African issues. click here to read..

COMMENTARY

Ethiopia’s conflict: Politics of nationalism and federalism without a federation

In a statement made on Sunday September 11, 2022, the African Union Commission welcomed the announcement by the Regional Government of Tigray of its commitment for a peaceful resolution of the civil war as well as its willingness to participate in a robust African Union-led peace process. click here to read..

Japan's Africa policy: Power struggle in 'the rising star'

After the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held recently in Tunisia, all eyes turned to Japan's activities as an actor in the resource-rich African continent. click here to read..

Africa – where is the good news?

A sombre mood has dominated the discourse around Africa this year. At a recent investor roundtable in London, there was a sheepish silence when attendees were asked where the good news was to be found. click here to read..

NEWS

Heavy gunfire, soldiers on the streets in Burkina Faso capital

Soldiers are on the streets and heavy gunfire has been heard near the main military camp and residential areas of Burkina Faso’s capital. click here to read..

Ethiopia civil war raging again in Tigray region, satellite images appear to confirm

New satellite images have shed some light on the world's most hidden conflict. The images released by Maxar Technologies appear to confirm that fighting in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has resumed after a five-month humanitarian ceasefire. click here to read..

Sudan coup leader bids to co-opt pro-democracy movement

Mohamad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, has tried to reach out to Sudan’s pro-democracy movement, despite his involvement in October’s coup against the country’s civilian government. click here to read..

Lesotho reforms hang in the balance ahead of elections

Lesotho citizens are going to the polls on 7 October amid uncertainty over the future of much-needed reforms that were declared null and void at the eleventh hour. Violence and brutality by security forces also threaten the elections, which over 50 political parties are contesting. click here to read..

Mali says it will not respect regional sanctions on Guinea

Mali does not respect and will not apply sanctions imposed by West Africa's main political and economic bloc on neighbouring Guinea in the wake of last year's coup, Mali's interim prime minister said on Wednesday. click here to read..

Botswana turns 56: From one of the poorest countries to an upper middle-income economy

Botswana celebrates 56 years of independence on Friday after attaining self-government in 1965, following 80 years as the British protectorate Bechuanaland. click here to read..

South Africa's Beleaguered Zuma Open to Return to Politics

Beleaguered former South African President Jacob Zuma has said he is ready to make a surprise return to politics by standing for a top position when the ruling African National Congress holds a conference in December. click here to read..

Can scandal-hit Ramaphosa survive as South Africa’s president?

Ramaphosa’s opponents want him impeached over a growing scandal, but he still retains significant support in the African National Congress. click here to read..

Algeria Requests to Join BRICS

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed Algeria's request to join the BRICS economic group, as an effort to join major powers. click here to read..

IMF chief pledges support for Malawi President's aid request

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva met with Malawi's President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Thursday and committed to provide support to the country, as it faces economic challenges and "unsustainable" public debt. click here to read..

Egypt urges world to 'act now' as it sets out COP27 vision

Egypt has set out a vision for the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to make it an "implementation COP" by pushing for actions across prior agreements through all areas of climate change needs, according to a press release by Egypt's COP27 Presidency. click here to read..

Mozambique, Tanzania reach deal to fight terrorism

The leaders of Mozambique and Tanzania have signed defense and security agreements aimed at fighting terrorism and crime along their shared border. click here to read..

Tanzania and Mozambique join hands to create a hydrocarbon empire in Africa

Mozambique and Tanzania have recently signed many agreements in the fields of security, resources and infrastructure development. The high point of these agreements is the one on cooperation with respect to ‘Exploration and Extraction of Hydrocarbons’. click here to read..

Ex-Guinea military ruler goes on trial for 2009 stadium massacre

Moussa Dadis Camara and 10 others are accused of responsibility in the killing of 150 people and mass rape by Guinean security forces. click here to read..

Félicien Kabuga: Rwanda genocide suspect goes on trial at The Hague

One of the alleged masterminds and financiers of the 1994 Rwandan genocide has gone on trial at a UN tribunal in The Hague. click here to read..

Author Dangarembga found guilty in Zimbabwe rights protest

World-renowned author Tsitsi Dangarembga was found guilty Thursday of promoting public violence in her home country of Zimbabwe for participating in a largely peaceful antigovernment protest in 2020 that called for reforms. click here to read..

France vows ‘full’ support for Ivory Coast in spat with Mali

France on Tuesday offered its “full” support to the Ivory Coast in its bitter spat with Mali over 46 Ivorian soldiers detained by Bamako since July. click here to read..

Al-Shabab Fighters Kill Crew Drilling Well in Southern Somalia

Islamist militants from al-Shabab on Friday killed 12 people drilling a well in drought-ravaged southern Somalia, a local resident and official said. click here to read..

Niger halts oil product deliveries to Mali on security grounds

Niger has decided to suspend the transit of petroleum products destined for neighboring Mali for security reasons, in the face of the threat of jihadist groups. click here to read..

Nigeria squanders oil price bonanza as gasoline subsidies soar

Nigeria has failed to capitalise on an oil price boom that has helped cushion other exporters from the impact of inflation, with millions more Nigerians now facing poverty. click here to read..

After Anti-China Campaign, Kenya’s Ruto Does About-Face

Kenya’s newly elected President William Ruto, who talked tough on China while campaigning, has reversed his stance on Beijing since taking office. click here to read..

Wang Yi Meets with Foreign Minister Michael Moussa-Adamo of Gabon

On September 24, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Gabonese Foreign Minister Michael Moussa-Adamo on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. click here to read..

China’s capture of Ghana’s fishing industry threatening food security

Usually under cover of darkness, fishing vessels take to the waters off Ghana’s coast close to Togo. Chinese-owned vessels proliferate and now appear to control Ghana’s waters and the fishing industry. click here to read..

The United States and Tunisia Sign the 35th Annual Joint Military Commission

Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Dr. Celeste Wallander and Tunisian Minister of National Defense Imed Memmiche, co-chaired the 35th U.S.-Tunisia Joint Military Commission September 27-28, 2022 at U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. click here to read..

Japan PM Reaffirms Non-Recognition of Algeria-Backed Polisario Front

The statement is part of a series of remarks and press releases from the Japanese government to reassure Morocco about its traditional stance with regards to the Polisario Front. click here to read..

Germany to help Togo make its private sector more competitive

Germany will support investment projects in Togo as part of its new partnership framework with the West African country. Recently, GIZ Resident Director Inge Baumgarten and Togo's Minister of Investment Promotion, Rose Kayi Mivedor-Sambiani, discussed the upcoming implementation of the Promotion of Private Sector Competitiveness in Togo (ProComp) program. click here to read..

International Court of Justice says Equatorial Guinea starts proceedings against France

Equatorial Guinea has started proceedings against France at the International Court of Justice, said the Dutch-based court body on Friday, adding it related to charges that France had not followed up its obligations over fighting corruption. click here to read..

Morocco and Mauritania reinforce their exchange of information and intelligence

Morocco and Mauritania are once again showing a cordial understanding in their security relations with a meeting between the two police chiefs. click here to read..

DRC declares end to latest Ebola virus outbreak

The country’s 15th outbreak comes to an end as neighbouring Uganda races to tackle virus outbreak of its own. click here to read..

What is Ebola and why is Uganda's outbreak so serious?

An outbreak of Ebola in Uganda is proving more difficult to deal with than more recent epidemics, but the president has rejected calls for a lockdown. click here to read..

Algeria opts for English Elementary Classes

Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune has announced that the former French colony and overseas territory will start teaching English in elementary schools later this year. click here to read..

Egypt's state universities impose new student dress code

Activists in Egypt have criticised a new dress code at a number of state universities before the new academic year. click here to read..

Why Senegal is investing in air quality in stadiums

Senegal wants to push for sustainable sports in Africa, by installing air cleaning devices in stadiums and running tracks. click here to read..
 

INDIA IN AFRICA

India, Nigeria hold second round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi

The Second round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Nigeria was held on Thursday in New Delhi, where the delegations of both sides discussed various ways to strengthen the multifaceted relations between the two countries. click here to read..

What stakeholders said at India-Nigeria LPG Summit

During presentations and panel sessions at the India-Nigeria liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) summit that took place on Wednesday, September 28 in FCT, Abuja. click here to read..

India, Nigeria, Pakistan discuss sustainable financing for digital ID schemes with ID4Africa

Designing identity authorities based on business models which can generate funds for the proper functioning and sustainability of their systems was the focus in Part 2 of ID4Africa’s 34th Livecast, click here to read..

Bandaru Wilsonbabu appointed Indian Ambassador to Madagascar

IFS officer Bandaru Wilsonbabu, presently joint secretary in the ministry of external affairs, has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to the Republic of Madagascar, the MEA said on Monday. click here to read..

Shri G. Balasubramanian concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Benin

Shri G. Balasubramanian (IFS: 1998) presently High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Benin, with residence in Abuja. click here to read..

INS Tarkash at Port Gentil, first-ever visit by an Indian Navy ship to Gabon

INS Tarkash made a port call at Port Gentil, Gabon as part of her ongoing deployment in the Gulf of Guinea for anti-piracy patrol, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Monday. click here to read..

INS Tarkash Departs Port Gentil, Gabon

Continuing her deployment in Gulf of Guinea, INS Tarkash departed Port Gentil, Gabon after her visit from 24 to 27 September 2022. Port call included professional interactions and courtesy calls by ship's crew on various senior government and military officials of Gabon. click here to read..

Bharatiya warship anchors in Seychelles, key to New Delhi’s foothold in western Indian Ocean

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayna entered Port Victoria in the capital city of the archipelago of 115 islands which lies northeast of Madagascar on Saturday to participate in CMF’s annual training exercise ‘Operation Southern Readiness’. click here to read..

Senegal to seek talks with India over rice export ban

Senegal plans to hold talks with India to secure a much-needed rice supply after India banned exports of broken rice globally and imposed tariffs on some other types. click here to read..

Egypt seeks to attract Chinese mobile companies fleeing India

Egypt is trying to take advantage of the crisis between Chinese smartphone companies and India by providing incentives to such companies to lure them into investing in the Egyptian market. click here to read..

Indian Sailor Returns Home After Being Stuck In Libya For 19 Months

The seafarer, Roshan Raj, spent 19 months on the ship in breach of Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. He was abandoned at the Misrata Port in Libya for nine months. click here to read..

PODCAST

Russia Africa Relations

In this episode of VIF podcast, Steven Gruzd from the South African Institute of International Affairs discusses with Samir Bhattacharya, Research Associate at the Vivekananda International Foundation on the current contours of Russia-Africa relations, tracing the past experiences, new expectations and perceptions. There is a strong historical connection between Russia and Africa throughout the Cold War, when these two continents came close for the first time. Despite the temporary rupture in the relations, Russia seems to be back in the continent, particularly since the 2019 Sochi summit. click here to read..