Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 33, 2023)

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

Commentary

The Second Russia-Africa Summit: A Continent at A Crossroads

From 27-28 July 2023, the second Russia-Africa Summit took place in Russia’s St Petersburg. Initially, the summit was scheduled in Addis Ababa in October 2022.Click here to read… [2]

Niger’s Coup Is a Turning Point for Africans

For most global observers trying to make sense of recent events in West Africa, the key points of interest follow a story as old as the Cold War.Click here to read… [3]

The Coup in Niger Is Much More Than an Internal Crisis

While much of the developed world is focused on other matters, whether it be government elections, the Ukraine invasion, getting control of inflation, or a rise in COVID, there lurks another global risk that is not getting adequate attention: The coup in Niger.Click here to read… [4]

Zambia’s plan to dig its way out of debt with a copper revival

In July, the search to find the world’s next top-tier copper reserve led a Silicon Valley start-up to the doorstep of a faded mining powerhouse.Click here to read… [5]

News

Niger junta names government, West African leaders to discuss next steps

West African heads of state meeting in Nigeria later on Thursday aim to agree on a plan of action for Niger, where coup leaders have refused to stand down.Click here to read… [6]

West African bloc prepares standby force for possible Niger intervention

The Nigerien army ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years and an action that raised the spectre of more unrest.Click here to read… [7]

West African bloc scraps crisis meeting on Niger coup

An emergency meeting of West African nations on the coup in Niger has been postponed indefinitely as concerns over the health of detained President Mohammed Bazoum increase.Click here to read… [8]

Carriers face longer Africa flights, suspensions as Niger closes airspace

European carriers on Monday reported disruptions and suspended flights across the African continent after Niger’s junta closed its airspace on Sunday.Click here to read… [9]

Nigerian religious delegation arrives in Niger

A delegation of religious leaders from Nigeria met with the junta-appointed prime minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine in Niger's capital of Niamey on Saturday amid ongoing efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.Click here to read… [10]

Mali, Burkina Faso, sends delegation to Niger in solidarity

Mali and Burkina Faso's ruling juntas sent delegations to Niamey on Monday to show unity with the leaders of the coup in Niger amid regional threats to intervene against them.Click here to read… [11]

Mali, Burkina Faso declare African Union chairperson persona non grata

Mali and Burkina Faso decided Sunday to declare the head of the African Union (AU) persona non grata due to a controversy over a family photo taken during last month’s Russia-Africa Summit.Click here to read… [12]

Niger coup: Russia warns Ecowas not to take military action

Russia has warned that military intervention in Niger would lead to a "protracted confrontation" after regional bloc Ecowas said it would assemble a standby force.Click here to read… [13]

Algeria faces political dilemma over Niger coup

The Algerian government is critical of the coup in Niger but opposes any potential intervention by ECOWAS. This ambivalent stance reflects the enormous challenges the coup poses for the country.Click here to read… [14]

Niger coup can blight Chinese investments in Africa’s Sahel region

China is the second largest investor in Niger after France and in the last two decades, it has pumped in huge amount in the landlocked West African nation, according to media reports.Click here to read… [15]

Air France extends the suspension of its flights to Mali and Burkina

Air France has extended "until August 18 inclusive" the suspension of its flights to and from Bamako and Ouagadougou "following the coup d'état in Niger and because of the geopolitical situation in the Sahel region", the airline said on Friday.Click here to read… [16]

Burkina Faso accuses France of 'serious breach' after suspension of flights

Burkina Faso's National Civil Aviation Agency on Thursday expressed concern over the suspension of flights by the French flag carrier, accusing it of breaching a bilateral agreement.Click here to read… [17]

Burkina Faso Junta Suspends Radio Station Over Niger Criticism

Burkina Faso's junta-led government has suspended one of the country's most popular radio stations after it broadcast an interview deemed "insulting" to Niger's new military leaders.Click here to read… [18]

Central African Republic approves new constitution, possible third term for Touadera

Voters in the perennially restive Central African Republic overwhelmingly approved a draft constitution that paves the way for Faustin Archange Touadera to seek a third term as president.Click here to read… [19]

Gabon: Supporters of Ali Bongo rally in Owendo, say he is "the choice of reason"

Supporters of Gabonese president Ali Bongo believe that their candidate "is the choice of reason" as he launched his election campaign in the Owendo commune on Friday.Click here to read… [20]

South Sudan not ready for elections despite assurances by political actors: UN

Constant delays in the implementation of key electoral and constitutional benchmarks by South Sudan parties to the 2018 revitalised peace agreement cast doubts on the possibility of holding elections in 2024.Click here to read… [21]

Mali, France suspends issuing visas in escalating row

France and Mali have suspended issuing visas to each other's citizens in a heightening of a row between the former allies, diplomats said Thursday.Click here to read… [22]

Mnangagwa says Zimbabwe will be 'lost' if he is not re-elected

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday told over 150,000 supporters in the capital of Harare they would be "lost" if they did not re-elect him at this month's tense polls.Click here to read… [23]

Nelson Chamisa: The comeback preacher who wants to be Zimbabwe president

With all the drama of the Pentecostal preacher that he is, Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa can work a crowd.Click here to read… [24]

Libya’s High State Council elects new leader as political gridlock deepens

One of Libya's top governing bodies has elected a new leader in a development that could further fracture the deeply divided country.Click here to read… [25]

Fighting flares in South Darfur amid fears of new civil war

Violence flared in the western Sudanese city of Nyala and elsewhere in the state of South Darfur on Sunday, witnesses said, threatening to engulf the region in Sudan's protracted war.Click here to read… [26]

Bodies pile up without burials in Sudan’s capital, marooned by a relentless conflict

It was a funeral no one had envisaged: Sadig Abbas’ lifeless body was lowered hastily into a shallow unmarked grave in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, not long after dawn.Click here to read… [27]

UAE sending weapons to Sudan instead of humanitarian aid, report reveals

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly been supplying weapons to Sudan instead of humanitarian aid, further implicating it in the continuation of conflict within the country.Click here to read… [28]

EU to send observation mission for Liberia elections

The European Union will send an observation mission (EOM) to Liberia ahead of the country's general election in October.Click here to read… [29]

Kenya political rivals launch fresh talks to resolve crisis

Kenya's government and the opposition launched fresh talks Wednesday aimed at resolving a bitter political feud following a spate of violent protests over the high cost of living and calls for electoral reforms.Click here to read… [30]

Tanzania accused of silencing critics over port deal with Dubai

At least 22 people have been threatened or detained for criticising a deal between Tanzania and Dubai that covers the management of a Tanzanian port by Emirati logistics company DP World.Click here to read… [31]

Senegal suspends TikTok amid clampdown on dissent

Senegalese authorities block access to social media app TikTok amid unrest, days after dissolving opposition party.Click here to read… [32]

Rwanda scheme and migrant barges overwhelmingly backed in new poll

New polling conducted this week reveals the public are big supporters of the Government's two flagship migration policies.Click here to read… [33]

At least 10 killed in southwest Congo as intercommunal violence worsens over land rights and taxes

In Congo, close to the borders with Rwanda and Uganda, more than 120 armed groups continue to fight for control of valuable mineral resources and some to protect their communities.Click here to read… [34]

Army kills 23 al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia

The Somali National Army has killed 23 al-Shabab terrorists in the southern part of the country.Click here to read… [35]

Fresh Fighting in Ethiopia Leads Israel to Evacuate More Than 200

Less than a year after the war in the country’s northern Tigray region ended, Ethiopia’s military is battling an ethnic militia in the neighboring Amhara region in a part of Africa already ravaged by conflict.Click here to read… [36]

S Africa keen on collaborating with BRICS partners in vaccine manufacturing

South Africa is keen on strengthening collaboration with BRICS nations in the field of vaccine manufacturing, the hydrogen economy as well as the marine sciences, a minister said.Click here to read… [37]

Rwanda, South Korea sign cooperation pacts

Rwanda and South Korea have signed two agreements, namely a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on political consultations, and a Framework Arrangement on Economic Development Cooperation Fund.Click here to read… [38]

Japan signs deal with Namibia to explore for rare earth minerals

Japan on Tuesday signed an agreement with Namibia to jointly explore for rare earth minerals as part of its broader plan to develop supply chains for cobalt and other minerals used in making electric vehicle batteries.Click here to read… [39]

Algeria-US Discuss Reinforcing ‘Strategic Partnership’

Secretary Antony J. Blinken said on Wednesday that the US and Algeria share important security, economic, people-to-people ties, and a lot of shared interests, “particularly when it comes to dealing with terrorism, and also advancing peace and security in the broad region and particularly, of course, in the Sahel.”Click here to read… [40]

Biden Red-Faced After Egypt Snubs U.S. Call To Send Arms To Ukraine Amid Russia War | Details

Egypt has reportedly rebuffed Washington's request to supply arms to Ukraine. Cairo, which is heavily dependent on the U.S. for military aid, has refused to send weapons to Kyiv.Click here to read… [41]

Somalia receives Bell 412 Helicopters to boost Counter-Insurgency fight

The Somali government has received a shipment of Bell 412 helicopters, and some other weapons to boost its counter-insurgency fight against the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.Click here to read… [42]

Guinea: Transitional government and African Development Bank Group sign $28 million loan agreement for agropastoral development, digitization and market access

The African Development Bank Group signed an agreement with the transitional government in Guinea for a $28 million loan to support agropastoral development, digitization and market access in the West African country.Click here to read… [43]

Uganda revives colonial-era railway after Chinese funds fall through

Uganda has begun restoring a disused branch of a railway line built under the British Empire, which it hopes will offer a cheaper way to transport goods to neighbouring countries.Click here to read… [44]

Uganda president defiant after World Bank funding suspended over LGBT law

The anti-LGBTQ law, enacted in May, has drawn widespread denunciation from local and international rights organisations and Western governments, though it is popular domestically.Click here to read… [45]

China and Wagner in Africa: Friends or Foes?

As Russian military troop Wagner Group sets in and supports the local junta, China faces a complex position - their economic projects may steadily reap with Russia’s security control or become diluted in competition.Click here to read… [46]

Iranian FM Goes to S. Africa for ‘Full Revival’ of Ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian traveled to South Africa on Wednesday to attend a meeting of the joint commission of economic cooperation.Click here to read… [47]

Ghana Approves Green Minerals Policy to Develop Lithium Industry

Ghana approved a green-minerals policy to help manage the exploitation and production of lithium, a step toward tapping into the multibillion-dollar global industry.Click here to read… [48]

African tech startups take aim at AI 'colonialism'

Lelapa AI is one of a clutch of African startups that aims to offer an alternative to AI systems being built by Western firms such as OpenAI and Google as "digital colonialism" concerns grow about how Big Tech harvests and uses people's data.Click here to read… [49]

Tunisia, Libya announce deal on migrants stranded on border

Tunisia and Libya announced on Thursday they had agreed to share responsibility for providing shelter for hundreds of migrants stranded in a border area, many of them for a month.Click here to read… [50]

Google Doodle celebrates 95th birthday of South African Activist Fatima Meer

Google Doodle on Saturday celebrates the 95th birthday of Famita Meer who is a South African writer, artist, scholar, and anti-apartheid activist.Click here to read… [51]

India in Africa

Niger Crisis: India asks citizens to leave African country 'as soon as possible'

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday urged Indian nationals to leave Niger, following a military coup that deposed the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.Click here to read… [52]

1st India-Angola Foreign Office Consultations

Inaugural Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Angola were held in Luanda on 11 August 2023. From Indian side, Shri Sevala Naik Mude, Additional Secretary (Central & West Africa Division) led the delegation and Ambassador Esmeralda Bravo Conde Da Silva Mendonca, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs led Angolan delegation.Click here to read… [53]

India & Angola hold talks to increase defence cooperation

India and Angola held their 1st Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in the capital city of Angola, Luanda, on August 11. The talks witnessed discussions on domains such as trade, defence, energy, agriculture, science and technology, among others.Click here to read… [54]

3rd India - Cameroon Foreign Office Consultations (FOC)

The third round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Cameroon was held on 7th August, 2023 in Yaounde, Cameroon. It was co-chaired by Shri Sevala Naik Mude, AS (C&WA), from Indian side and H.E. Mr. Oumarou Chinmoun, Secretary General of Ministry of External Relations, from Cameroon side.Click here to read… [55]

Ethiopia reiterates its readiness to strengthen relations with India

The Ethiopian government has reiterated its readiness to strengthen its long-standing relations with India on the basis of mutual benefit and interest in attracting investors from the South Asian country.Click here to read… [56]

India commits $2million to boost digital financial inclusion across Africa

The Indian government will contribute US$2 million to the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI) housed and managed by the African Development Bank to help break down barriers to the growth and uptake of digital financial solutions and accelerate financial inclusion in Africa.Click here to read… [57]

Egypt Air eyes pie of India transit traffic with direct flights

In a bid to tap the fastest growing aviation market in the world, the airline has launched a direct flight between Delhi and Cairo.Click here to read… [58]

Ninth India-Africa ICT Expo began in Ethiopia

The two-day event, jointly organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and Telecommunications Equipment and Services, New Delhi, aims to promote the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy among stakeholders.Click here to read… [59]

India extends assistance to over 600 stranded Sudanese people

Over 600 Sudanese people have been stranded in India in view of ongoing conflict in Sudan and New Delhi is extending their stay in the country.Click here to read… [60]

Why India should lead Africa’s integration with the global economy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States in June made headlines on several accounts.Click here to read… [61]

These Latin American, African nations are next in line for India’s bilateral currency settlement drive

India aims to expand its bilateral currency settlement initiative to Latin America and Africa, following recent agreements with the UAE and Indonesia.Click here to read… [62]

Mauritian NRI reaches Bihar village to trace his roots after 164 years

Dharmadev Nirmal Hari visited Bihar's Vishambharpur village to find out about his ancestral roots. Though he could not trace anyone, Dharmadev was touched by the love and compassion of the villagers.Click here to read… [63]