Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 21, 2023)

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

Commentary

Operation Kaveri: India's call of duty to protect its citizens in peril

It is a significant operation conducted jointly by Indian Naval Ships and Indian Air Force aircraft. As part of 'Operation Kaveri', India took its citizens in buses from various conflict zones in the capital Khartoum as well as many other conflict-ridden areas to Port Sudan. Click here to read... [2]

G7 vs China: US, Europe unite in tough messaging against Beijing

China on Saturday faced a strong pushback from the Group of Seven countries over its stances on Russia, Taiwan, trade bullying, economic monopoly and domestic interference, with the G7 leaders' statement reflecting a broad convergence of the U.S., Europe and Japan on a need to change tack. Click here to read... [3]

Kishida’s African Diplomacy

The Japanese prime minister has been laying the groundwork for the G-7 Hiroshima Summit. Click here to read... [4]

News

Mauritania's ruling party wins parliamentary elections

The ruling party in Mauritania has won a landslide victory in last week's legislative and local elections, according to official results on Sunday. Click here to read... [5]

U.N. urges Sudan's warring parties to honour 7-day ceasefire starting from May 22 night

The U.N. envoy for Sudan urged the country's warring generals to honour a seven-day ceasefire starting from May 22 night, warning the growing ethnic dimension to the fighting risks engulfing Sudan in a prolonged conflict . Click here to read... [6]

Air strikes hammer Sudan capital as conflict enters 6th week

Air strikes hit outer areas of the Sudanese capital Khartoum overnight and on Saturday morning as fighting that has trapped civilians in a humanitarian crisis and displaced more than a million entered its sixth week. Click here to read... [7]

Divided Cameroon celebrates National Unity Day

Cameroon has been celebrating 51 years as unified nation with a military and civilian parade on National Unity Day in its capital Yaounde. Click here to read... [8]

Guinea-Bissau's PM kicks off electoral campaign

The prime minister of Guinea-Bissau, Nuno Gomes Nabiam, kicked off on Saturday the electoral campaign for the June 4th legislative elections. Click here to read... [9]

Rwanda asylum plan: Timeline of government’s policy to deport migrants

The Rwanda plan to deport asylum-seekers who arrive in the UK is back in the courts after it was deemed wrong that the High Court ruled the scheme lawful. Click here to read... [10]

Tunisia protests as police question journalists

Dozens of journalists protested Monday in front of a Tunis police station after two of their colleagues had been taken for questioning over comments on Tunisia’s security forces. Click here to read... [11]

DR Congo security forces clash with anti-govt protesters in Kinshasa

Democratic Republic of Congo security forces fired tear gas and fought running battles in the streets of the capital Kinshasa with anti-government protesters demonstrating on Saturday over alleged irregularities in voter registration. Click here to read... [12]

Senegal tension: Who are the youths ready to "die" for Ousmane Sonko?

The 48-year-old politician who's declared his intention to run in the 2024 presidential election, was set to appear on Tuesday (May. 17) before a criminal chamber in Dakar over a rape accusation. Click here to read... [13]

Arab League summit offers unique opportunity to end Sudan conflict, says Djibouti FM

Arab leaders meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah for the Arab League summit on Friday will have a “unique opportunity” to resolve the conflict in Sudan, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the foreign minister of Djibouti, told Arab News en Francais. Click here to read... [14]

Comoros president attends the G7 Summit in Hiroshima

Azali Assoumani, the president of the Comoros, which is made up of just three islands off south-eastern Africa, has arrived in Hiroshima for the G7 summit. Click here to read... [15]

Conference against Terrorism in Niger

"Terrorism is a great challenge to international security, in Europe as well as in Africa. Terrorism is global and the fight against it should be too”, states EUBAM Libya’s counter-terrorism expert Dominik Fasching. Click here to read... [16]

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni welcomes 2027 joint Afcon bid

President Yoweri Museveni Monday received Uganda’s bid to jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with East African neighbours Kenya and Tanzania. Click here to read... [17]

US Military Confirms Airstrike Against Al-Shabab in Somalia

The United States military has confirmed conducting a new airstrike against al-Shabab militants in the Middle Juba region of southern Somalia. Click here to read... [18]

Russia's Wagner group moving weapons to Ukraine via Mali

The US suspects Russian mercenary firm Wagner Group is trying to ship weapons to fighters in Ukraine through the West African nation of Mali, according to State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller. Click here to read... [19]

Trade deal signing expected as DRC leader visits China this week

The president of the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, will visit China from May 24 to 29 during which he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping to review and sign several key trade deals. Click here to read... [20]

Algerian pipeline gas flows to Southern Europe remain robust in 2023

Algerian exports of natural gas to Southern Europe have remained strong so far in 2023, with Italy continuing to rely on imports from the country and gas flows to Spain recovering from a slight Q1 lull. Click here to read... [21]

Equinor and Shell conclude talks for mega LNG project in Tanzania

Energy giants Equinor, Shell and Exxon Mobil have concluded talks with the Government of Tanzania over the construction of a mega LNG export facility in the East African country. Click here to read... [22]

Zimbabwe shuts down Chinese-owned Bikita Minerals weeks after claims of lithium looting

Zimbabwe’s largest lithium mine Bikita Minerals, currently owned by China’s Sinomine Resource Group, has been ordered to suspend operations, reported New Zimbabwe. Click here to read... [23]

Dangote oil refinery launched in Nigeria

Africa's biggest oil refinery has been opened in Nigeria, where it is hoped it will alleviate chronic fuel shortages. Click here to read... [24]

Zambia's president 'engaging China' on debt rework amid plans to meet Xi

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema said on Thursday that the government is actively engaging with China on the southern African country's long-delayed debt restructuring, as it tries to line up a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Click here to read... [25]

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in state visit to China

Eritrea has got a new boost in search for global allies after its leader Isaias Afwerki made a state visit to Beijing this week. Click here to read... [26]

Libya: Former PM make discreet visit to Paris to play role against Dbeibeh

Prime Minister of former Tripoli-based “Government of National Salvation”, Khalifa al-Ghwell, made discreet visit to Paris on 14 May, preparing to return to front lines of the Libyan political scene & play leading role against the current Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, according to Africa Intelligence website. Click here to read... [27]

Niger president defends French involvement in Sahel region

The president of Niger has defended France’s actions in the troubled Sahel region, saying Paris had been the victim of propaganda and populist anti-neocolonial sentiment. Click here to read... [28]

Ramaphosa to lead African leaders to Moscow, Kyiv for peace talks

President Cyril Ramaphosa will join a group of African leaders who will soon be travelling to Moscow and Kyiv to meet with Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Click here to read... [29]

Israel, U.S. Aim to Expand Negev Forum Before June Meeting in Morocco

The Negev Forum, which will be attended by foreign minister of several Arab countries, was previously postponed due to security tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. Jerusalem and Washington focus on adding an African country with a Muslim majority to the forum. Click here to read... [30]

Angola and South Korea Enhance Bilateral Cooperation

The governments of Angola and South Korea have recently announced their plans to strengthen collaboration in the areas of renewable energy, education, and agriculture. Click here to read... [31]

South Africa denies supporting Russia's war in Ukraine

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday that the country's nonaligned position did not favor Russia over other states. He reiterated a call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. Click here to read... [32]

Saudi Arabia to open embassy in Eswatini

Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of a full-fledged embassy in the Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, a tiny Southern African landlocked country with a population of slightly more than a million people. Click here to read... [33]

Italy Slams Algerian Propaganda, Commends Morocco’s Efforts on Sahara Dispute

The Italian statement insists that the opening of a temporary VFS-Global branch in Tindouf does not signal Rome’s support for Algerian-backed separatism in southern Morocco. Click here to read... [34]

German right cries foul over return of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Germany had hoped that by returning 20 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria last year it was “healing the wounds” of colonialism and righting a historic wrong. Click here to read... [35]

World Bank gives Mozambique $150m for Cyclone Freddy recovery

The World Bank has moved $150m of the funds it has earmarked for Mozambique projects to help fund the Southern African nation’s efforts to recover from Cyclone Freddy. Click here to read... [36]

Ten lions killed in Kenya as conflict between humans and wild animals worsens

Ten lions have been killed in southern Kenya this past week, including six on Saturday alone, as human-wildlife conflict escalates in the region, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Click here to read... [37]

Libya loses US$ 5 bn annually due to illegal Tuna fishing within its territorial waters

The Tuna fishing season in Libya is a neglected economic resource that is costing Libya around US$ 5 billion annually in potential lost revenues due to illegal fishing within its territorial waters. Click here to read... [38]

India in Africa

As India Looks Forward to Strengthen Ties With Africa, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande Heads To Egypt For A High-Level Dialogue

As India strives to bolster its ties with African nations, the Indian Army Chief, General Manoj Pande, embarks on a visit to Egypt on 16 and 17 May 2023 to further strengthen Indo-Egyptian defense relations. Click here to read... [39]

ONGC, Oil India in talks for 50% stake in $3.4-bn Kenya oilfield, Chinese firm enters fray

India's flagship overseas oil firm ONGC Videsh has got a new partner in Oil India Ltd. to replace a reluctant IndianOil (IOC) for the potential acquisition of a 50% stake in Tullow Oil Plc.'s $3.4-billion oilfield project in Kenya. Click here to read... [40]

Kenya could find a good partner in India for digital IDs

As Kenya decided to provide digital identity to all Kenyans by February 2024, it can find a good partner in India for digital ID and platforms, owing to New Delhi's expertise in the digital sector. Click here to read... [41]

India wants steel mills to increase exports to Tanzania

High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, has proposed sending a business delegation by the end of this year to facilitate a buyer-seller meetingClick here to read... [42]

Mauritius President inaugurates eye hospital

Tamil Nadu in the next two years to further enhance healthcare facilities in the region. President Roopun also visited the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) in Tirunelveli, where he held discussions with the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. K Pitchumani, regarding collaborations between Mauritian and Indian universities, especially in the field of research and development. Click here to read... [43]

IIT Madras to open first campus in East Africa

One of India’s most prestigious institutions, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, will open a campus on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania later this year as the country moves to embrace transnational education. Click here to read... [44]

Indian Gaming Unicorn MPL Enters Africa, Launches App In Nigeria

For decades, western companies have launched their products and startups in India. Now Indian startups are increasingly venturing into uncharted territories abroad. Click here to read... [45]

Mauritius Metro Express Project Sponsored By India To Be Completed By 2024 End

The $550 million Mauritius Metro Express project phase four sponsored by India is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Click here to read... [46]

India wants steel mills to increase exports to Tanzania

High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, has proposed sending a business delegation by the end of this year to facilitate a buyer-seller meetingClick here to read... [42]

India, Germany plan to broaden trilateral development partnership initiatives

India and Germany are planning to expand their trilateral development partnership initiatives, focusing on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Click here to read... [47]