Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 49, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

Netanyahu's return may augur well for India-Israel-Africa trilateral relationship

Against the backdrop of waning US influence, Israel, similar to India, seeks to stake its claim on the continent. Despite lacking clear direction, at least since the Netanyahu administration, Africa has begun to receive sufficient attention in Israel's foreign policy.
Click here to read... [2]

Ukraine crisis provides Africa another opportunity to reclaim its rightful place

The pandemic has taught African countries to take care of themselves and their neighbours, while being more assertive. Indeed, significant improvements to infrastructure and investment are needed.
Click here to read... [3]

NEWS

Obiang elected to another 7 years in Equatorial Guinea

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has been elected to another seven-year term in Equatorial Guinea, where the 80-year-old has held the office since August 1979.
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Burkina Faso government suspends broadcast of France’s RFI

Burkina Faso’s military government has suspended the broadcast of France’s Radio France Internationale in the West African state over what it said were false reports and giving voice to armed groups.
Click here to read... [5]

Coup attempt thwarted in Sao Tome and Principe, PM says

PM Trovoada says at least six people detained after overnight attack, including the National Assembly’s former president.
Click here to read... [6]

Tunisia's UGTT union says elections expected this month 'have no colour or taste'

The elections, which are scheduled to take place on Dec. 17, will hand parliament far less power than that enjoyed by the previous one.
Click here to read... [7]

Tunisia's powerful labour union rejects December election, attacks president's agenda

Tunisia's powerful labor union attacked the president's political and economic agenda on Saturday, including elections this month, saying it will no longer accept what it called a threat to democracy in its clearest challenge to him yet.
Click here to read... [8]

South Africa's Ramaphosa will not resign, says spokesperson

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will not resign and will seek a second term as leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) after allies rallied behind him to stay on.
Click here to read... [9]

Sudan’s Islamist movements reject transitional framework agreement

Sudan's Islamist movements have expressed their rejection of the transitional framework agreement between the country's military and civilian groups with a mass protest in the capital Khartoum on Saturday.
Click here to read... [10]

Tigray forces in Ethiopia say 65% of fighters have left frontline

More than half of Tigrayan rebel fighters have withdrawn from the front lines in Ethiopia, their top commander says, a month after a ceasefire was agreed to end the two-year conflict in the northern region of Tigray.
Click here to read... [11]

Buhari vows to restore political stability, security in West Africa

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged Nigeria’s commitment to restoring democratic rule to Mali, Guinea and Burkina-Faso, and to ensure peace, and political stability in the West African Sub-region.
Click here to read... [12]

South Africa's Ramaphosa faces impeachment debate

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa could be impeached after an independent panel found he "may be guilty of a serious violation" of the country's constitution.
Click here to read... [13]

EU unveils details of $150bn Global Gateway investment plan for Africa

European Union and African Union (AU) leaders met in Brussels earlier this week to unveil details of the bloc’s $150bn Global Gateway Plan for Africa that is designed to fund projects in infrastructure, energy, and food security.
Click here to read... [14]

Interpol seeks arrest of Angolan tycoon Isabel dos Santos

Global police agency Interpol is asking law enforcement authorities around the world to locate and provisionally arrest Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, the Reuters news agency has reported.
Click here to read... [15]

EUCOCO reaffirms support for self-determination for independence of Western Sahara

Participants in the 46th conference of the European Coordination for Support and Solidarity with the Saharawi People (EUCOCO), held on Friday and Saturday in Berlin, have reaffirmed their support for the right to self-determination for the independence of Western Sahara.
Click here to read... [16]

Sudanese anti-corruption figure freed on eve of political deal

A prominent Sudanese politician has been released from jail one day before the civilian coalition he belonged to was due to sign an initial deal with the military to end a political standoff triggered by an October 2021 coup.
Click here to read... [17]

African former rebels recruited as mercenaries by the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group have been abandoned in Ukraine, a report says

Former rebels from the Central African Republic who the Wagner Group recruited to fight in Ukraine have been left without money, food, or ammunition.
Click here to read... [18]

Somali Military Liberates 4 Strategic Villages From al-Shabab Militants

Somalia’s defense ministry says the country’s national army, supported by local clan militias, has seized control of several strategic villages from al-Shabab Islamist militants.
Click here to read... [19]

Nine Mali soldiers killed in November IED attacks

Mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) killed nine Mali soldiers during November in central and southern areas in thrall to a decade-long jihadist insurgency, the military said Sunday.
Click here to read... [20]

11 sentenced to death in Tanzania over conservationist's murder

A court in Tanzania sentenced 11 people to death on Friday over the 2017 murder of renowned conservationist Wayne Lotter.
Click here to read... [21]

Thousands of churchgoers protest violence in DR Congo

Tens of thousands of Christians took to the streets across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday to protest violence in eastern regions.
Click here to read... [22]

Gunmen kidnap 19 worshippers in Nigeria mosque attack

The attackers stormed the mosque in Maigamji village, in Katsina state, during evening prayers Saturday and carried out the kidnappings after shooting and wounding the imam and another worshipper.
Click here to read... [23]

49 people sentenced to death for mob killing in Algeria

An Algerian court has sentenced 49 people to death for the brutal mob killing of a painter who was suspected of starting devastating wildfires – but had actually come to help fight them.
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Missionary Pilot Imprisoned in Mozambique

An American missionary pilot has been detained for nearly a month in Mozambique on suspicion of supporting insurgents in the southern African nation.
Click here to read... [25]

Four arrested after invasion of Niger Senator’s home

Four people have been arrested after an invasion of the home of Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Sani Musa.
Click here to read... [26]

Rwanda set to benefit from liberalised air transport market

Expectations are high behind the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), an initiative aimed at, among others, creating a single unified air transport market in Africa.
Click here to read... [27]

Ghana to swap Cedi debt for new bonds in restructuring

The West African country will replace existing local-currency debt with four new bonds maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032 and 2037.
Click here to read... [28]

German economy minister exploring new energy resources in Namibia, South Africa

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck began a five-day trip to Namibia and South Africa Sunday, part of a push to secure new energy resources for Europe’s biggest economy to compensate for the cut-off from Russian gas supplies.
Click here to read... [29]

Uganda says its debut satellite launched into orbit

Uganda's first satellite PearlAfricaSat-1 was deployed into orbit from the International Space Station," Monica Musenero Musanza, minister for science, technology and innovation said in a statement.
Click here to read... [30]

Zambia plans power cuts due to low water levels in Lake Kariba

Zambia will start rationing electricity supply to domestic consumers from December 15 following a big drop in water levels in Lake Kariba, threatening hydropower generation, the energy minister has said.
Click here to read... [31]

Southern Africa’s Biggest Dam Halts Power Generation to Zimbabwe

The Zambezi River Authority has ordered the suspension of electricity generation on the Kariba Dam, which supplies energy to Zimbabwe’s power utility, until January due to a water shortage.
Click here to read... [32]

Zimbabwean president urges national response to tackle power shortages

A broader national response is required to tackle the energy shortages gripping Zimbabwe, including increasing imports and harnessing renewable energy.
Click here to read... [33]

Morocco enjoys record revenues thanks to fertilizer supply shock

A global fertilizer supply shock deepened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought boom times for Morocco, the North African phosphate superpower, and earned the kingdom new diplomatic capital.
Click here to read... [34]

Exxon to exit Equatorial Guinea amid wider Africa crude phaseout

The departure reflects a wider move by major oil producers to reduce crude production in West Africa and shift investments to lower-carbon natural gas development on the continent, and to more lucrative projects in the Americas.
Click here to read... [35]

Kyiv launches 'Grain from Ukraine' scheme for poor African nations amid Russian invasion

In a bid to challenge the Russian narrative that the West’s response to the ongoing war has aggravated pre-existing food shortages in Africa.
Click here to read... [36]

South Sudan to build dry port in Mombasa

Kenya will allocate land to South Sudan for construction of a dry port in Mombasa, President William Ruto has said.
Click here to read... [37]

Ryanair in talks to expand into Egypt and Libya, CEO says

Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, Ryanair , is in talks with authorities in Egypt and Libya about operating flights to the countries for the first time, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Tuesday.
Click here to read... [38]

Egypt reaches out to Serbian Muslims

Egypt is working to strengthen its relations with Serbia’s Muslims as part of efforts to boost its influence in the southeastern European country.
Click here to read... [39]

African continent finally to receive 1st mpox vaccines

Africa's top public health body says the continent is set to receive its first batch of mpox vaccines as a donation from South Korea.
Click here to read... [40]

British High Commission Commends YIAGA Africa, Partners for Advocacy on Youth Political Participation

The Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA Africa) and its parent partners have been commended for their dedication to youth empowerment and mobilisation for political participation, transparency, and accountability.
Click here to read... [41]

INDIA IN AFRICA

India invites Egypt to G20 summits

India invited Egypt to participate as a guest country in the G20 meetings during its yearlong presidency of the intergovernmental forum, which starts on Dec. 1.
Click here to read... [42]

Vice President describes India and Africa as neighbours across the Indian Ocean

The Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today addressed the valedictory session of UNESCO India Africa Hackathon as a Chief Guest at Gautam Buddha University, Uttar Pradesh.
Click here to read... [43]

IIT Tanzania to become a hub for tech education in Africa: Education Minister

The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said that an offshore campus of IIT in Tanzania can be a hub for technology education in Africa.
Click here to read... [44]

Dharmendra Pradhan addressed UNESCO India-Africa Hackathon valedictory session; winners announced

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the valedictory session of UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022 at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh today.
Click here to read... [45]

Tech Mahindra to establish delivery center in Egypt, hire 1,000

Tech Mahindra aims to hire more than 1000 employees over the next three years to serve both global and local customers from its newly inaugurated center in Cairo.
Click here to read... [46]

Ukraine war weapons in Nigeria: Why India should be concerned

A few months after the Ukraine conflict began on February 24, there have been reports of West-supplied small weapons and ammunition having being found in the Islamist militancy-plagued regions of Africa.
Click here to read... [47]

After Namibian cheetahs, India may add more big cats from South Africa

The Indian government is likely to add more cheetahs to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP). However, wildlife experts said that a delay in signing a formal agreement has worsened the health of cheetahs.
Click here to read... [48]

Gujarat assembly polls phase 1: India’s mini African village to vote at special tribal booth in Jambur

As Gujarat is all set to vote for the first phase of the assembly elections, Jambur, India’s mini African village will vote in its special tribal booth for the first time.
Click here to read... [49]