Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 14, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Algorithms, Bots and Elections in Africa - How Social Media Influences Political Choices

The rise in the use of smartphones and an increased adoption of mobile internet in Africa are fundamentally altering the media ecology for election campaigns. Click here to read... [2]

"India–Africa Relations: Changing Horizons" by Rajiv Bhatia, Routledge India, Pp 244, 15 November 2021, INR 995. ISBN 9781032268989

Former High Commissioner to Kenya, South Africa and Lesotho, Ambassador Rajiv Kumar Bhatia, is a Distinguished Fellow of the Foreign Policy Studies Programme at Gateway House. In his new book titled "India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons", the author contemplates the rise to the prominence of the African continent as a major global actor. Click here to read... [3]

NEWS

Tunisia’s president dissolves parliament, extending power grab

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied has announced on state TV that he is dissolving the country’s parliament, eight months after suspending it in a July power grab. Click here to read... [4]

UN authorises new AU mission in Somalia to dislodge armed groups

The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to endorse the African Union’s new transitional mission in Somalia and authorised it to take action against al-Qaeda and armed groups allied to the ISIL (ISIS), as well as to conduct a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somalia’s government. Click here to read... [5]

Burkinabe government dismisses ECOWAS calls for Kaboré's release

Burkina Faso has dismissed regional bloc ECOWAS 'expression of serious concern about its 36-month transition period and calls for the immediate release of former President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré'. Click here to read... [6]

Ethiopia fails at U.N. to block funding for independent abuse inquiry

Ethiopia failed at the United Nations on Thursday in its bid to block funding for an independent investigation into abuses in the country's conflict, garnering just 27 yes votes, while 66 countries opposed the move and 39 countries abstained. Click here to read... [7]

Security Council meets on 20 April on Western Sahara

The United Nations Security Council will meet on 20 April to discuss the conflict in Western Sahara, indicated the United Kingdom, which chairs the UN executive body for the current month. Click here to read... [8]

Kenya top court blocks president's push for constitution change

Kenya's top court ruled Thursday that President Uhuru Kenyatta's bid to change the constitution was illegal, dealing a blow to him and his allies ahead of key elections in August. Click here to read... [9]

Sudan's military leader Burhan threatens to expel UN representative

Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has threatened to expel the United Nations' special representative, accusing him of overstepping his mandate. Click here to read... [10]

Togo holds Africa's first cybersecurity summit

Africa is growing exponentially in terms of internet connectivity but at the same time lags behind on cybersecurity. Click here to read... [11]

Zimbabwean opposition party wins majority in by-elections

After winning two-thirds of the seats in by-elections held last weekend, Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is dreaming big. His party secured 19 of the 28 contested parliamentary seats and 75 seats in 122 municipalities. Click here to read... [12]

Ghana passes controversial tax bill after opposition walkout

The Ghanaian Parliament has approved a new electronic transaction tax which the government says will help raise $900m in much-needed revenue but which has sparked widespread popular criticism. Click here to read... [13]

Mali says 203 killed in military operation in centre

Mali’s army said Friday that it had killed 203 combatants in an operation in the centre of Sahel state, an apparent uptick in violence in the conflict-torn country. Click here to read... [14]

M23 rebel group declares unilateral ceasefire in eastern Congo

The M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo declared a unilateral ceasefire on Friday after several days of clashes with the government’s army. Click here to read... [15]

Uganda says military kills 309 in security push in mineral-rich region

Uganda's military has killed 309 people in an eight-month-old operation against cattle rustling in a northeast region rich in minerals including gold, limestone and potentially oil, the armed forces said. Click here to read... [16]

East Africa Bloc Becomes $250 Billion Market as Congo Joins

The Democratic Republic of Congo joined the East African Community, bringing the regional trading bloc’s market size to a quarter of the continent’s population and providing it with access to the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to read... [17]

Scramble for Gas Set to Draw $10 Billion Into Tanzania Project

Tanzania expects investments in its liquefied natural gas project to rise by $10 billion as the world rushes for new sources of the fuel to reduce reliance on Russian energy. Click here to read... [18]

Benin River Port will boost export earnings, facilitate economic growth

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said his administration remains committed to the realisation of the Benin River Port project, considering its economic benefits to the state and country. Click here to read... [19]

Mauritius aims to shed ‘tax haven’ image

For three decades, Mauritius positioned itself as the low-tax jurisdiction of choice for international businesses investing in Africa and Asia — particularly, India. Click here to read... [20]

Israel offers support to Morocco over Western Sahara after summit

Israel on Monday voiced support for Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara after the countries' foreign ministers met at an Israel-Arab summit. Click here to read... [21]

U.S. Government and Government of Mozambique Sign $1.5 Billion Development Cooperation Agreement

The U.S. Government’s lead development agency, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), officially renewed its partnership with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique (GRM) during a signing ceremony of the Development Objective Grant Agreement. Click here to read... [22]

Iranian Spokesman Holds Extensive Talks in Tour of West Africa

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh visited Senegal, Ghana and Sierra Leone, holding talks on the promotion of Tehran’s political, cultural and economic relations with the West African nations. Click here to read... [23]

Israeli delegation secretly met Sudanese military officials in Khartoum

An Israeli delegation of security officials met with Sudanese military officials during a secret visit to Khartoum earlier this week, public broadcaster Kan reported Friday, citing Sudanese sources. Click here to read... [24]

OIC Foreign Ministers Reaffirm Support to Gambia Summit

Foreign Ministers representing the fifty-seven (57) member-states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have reasserted unwavering commitment to supporting The Gambia in its ongoing efforts to successfully host the 15th Session of the OIC Heads of State Summit. Click here to read... [25]
The prospects for elections in Libya remain slim to none
It has been more than a decade since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime, yet post-civil war Libya remains a foggy mess, shackled to woeful uncertainty as different factions remain at bitter odds with one another on how to move the country forward. Click here to read... [26]

Cameroon Struggling to Contain Cholera Outbreak, Quarantines Patients

Cameroon is struggling to contain a cholera outbreak that has sickened 6,000 people with the bacteria and killed nearly 100 since February. Click here to read... [27]

Global Shift Towards Green Energy Opportunity for Mineral-Rich Nations

As the world increasingly looks toward an energy transition, Zambia can take advantage of the appetite for electric vehicles to be in the queue of prospects as a key supplier of the green revolution. Click here to read... [28]

White CEO’s Hiring at Absa Angers Top South African Investor

South Africa’s most powerful investor has lashed out at the country’s third-biggest bank for choosing a White man as its chief executive officer. Click here to read... [29]

Russia sanctions could spur Chinese arms sales to Nigeria

Western sanctions on Russia and Belarus could push Nigeria to import more accessible and affordable Chinese armaments. Click here to read... [30]

How Rwanda can leverage the Fourth Industrial Revolution to strengthen post-COVID-19 resilience

Rwanda has long placed technology and innovation at the heart of efforts to boost the country's economic development. Click here to read... [31]

Africa grapples with climate finance issue

From cyclones in the south, to floods and drought in the east: Climate change is already leaving its mark on the African continent. Although Africa accounts for the world's smallest share of global greenhouse gas emissions — just 3.8 per cent — it's paying a severe price for a crisis it did little to help create. Click here to read... [32]

Why Africa prints money in Europe

At least 40 African countries print their money in the UK, France and Germany — decades after independence, raising questions about self-sufficiency. What prompts them to outsource their currency production? Click here to read... [33]

Alleged PLA Navy ship’s port call in Djibouti ‘contributes to regional stability’

Foreign media on Tuesday claimed that a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ship recently docked at the PLA Support Base in Djibouti "for the first time," in an obvious attempt to hype the "China threat" theory.
Click here to read... [34]

INDIA IN AFRICA

Indian Ocean Naval Symposium holds maiden maritime exercise

The regional grouping Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) conducted its maiden edition of maritime exercise, IMEX-22, at Goa and in the Arabian Sea from March 26 to 30. The exercise witnessed participation of 16 of the 25 member nations. Click here to read... [35]

India-Seychelles Joint Military Exercise Lamitiye Concludes at Seychelles

The 9th edition of India - Seychelles Joint Training Exercise LAMITIYE-2022, which commenced on March 22 at Seychelles Defence Academy, Seychelles culminated on Thursday with a 48 hours validation exercise. Click here to read... [36]

Egyptian delegation to visit India to discuss wheat imports

A delegation from Egypt will visit India in the first week of April to facilitate wheat imports as part of efforts to secure supplies and tide over shortages at one of the world's biggest importers of the staple, government sources. Click here to read... [37]

India Tops Nigeria’s Foreign Trade – NBS

India was the top trading partner for Nigeria in the fourth quarter of 2021, a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed. Click here to read... [38]

Amid terrorist attack, India at UNSC calls for protection of civilians in Congo

Concerned over the spread of terrorism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern provinces, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti highlighted major challenges in front of DRC authorities of providing security to civilians and supporting the stabilization and strengthening of State institutions. Click here to read... [39]

Mizoram bans import of pigs, pork products amid fresh African Swine Fever outbreak

The Mizoram government banned the import of pigs and pork products after new cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) were detected in the state. Click here to read... [40]

Boom in Drug Smuggling from South Africa During Pandemic; NCB Suspects Expansion, Revival of Illegal Labs

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has reached out to representatives of African nations in India, expecting action to be pursued in their home countries. Click here to read... [41]

Bank fraud accused who fled to Kenya arrested on return after 9 years by CBI

An absconding businessman, wanted in a Rs 20 crore bank fraud, was arrested today by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on his return from Nairobi, Kenya after absconding for after nine years. Click here to read... [42]

‘The West African monsoon always had the potential of impacting the Indian monsoon’

The Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and the West African Monsoon (WAM) are of immense significance for around 1.7 billion people of India, northern and central Africa. Click here to read... [43]

India-UAE pact to act as gateway to Africa, GCC and EU: Goyal

Piyush Goyal listed gems and jewelry, textiles and leather products, pharmaceuticals, steel and petrochemicals as the top 5 sectors with the greatest potential for growth in the India-UAE CEPA. Click here to read... [44]

41 illegal immigrants from India arrested in Zanzibar

Police in Zanzibar have arrested 41 illegal immigrants who are believed to be from India in Migombani area. Click here to read... [45]

Mauritius Tourism launches campaign for Indian travellers

Mauritius has unveiled a new advertising campaign in India. The campaign ‘Where Else but Mauritius’ has different facets covering various target groups and is designed to attract more Indian visitors to explore the wide variety of offerings that makes Mauritius one of the most popular travel destinations for Indians. Click here to read... [46]

Nigerian held for defrauding woman of ₹1.07L in Greater Noida

A Nigerian national residing in Greater Noida was arrested by the cyber cell of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force on Thursday for cheating a woman of ₹1.07 lakh on a matrimonial siteClick here to read... [47]

EVENT REPORT

VIF virtual Book discussion on "India–Africa Relations: Changing Horizons" by Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia

The Vivekananda International Foundation organised a book discussion on "India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons", on March 23, 2022. The event was chaired by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF. Click here to read... [48]