Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent - news that matters.
Encouraging investments in Africa is no longer a question of expanding businesses alone, but of diversifying supply and value chains to create an assured and relatively shockproof international economy Click here to read... [2]
As the 21st century's emerging continent, Africa garners global attention. With vital contributions, they continue a prime investment for leading nations in competition's power centers Click here to read... [3]
Indian trade with Africa has been growing rapidly in recent years. Since 2003, two-way trade volumes have risen more than 18% per year on average to reach $102.6 billion last year. Click here to read... [4]
After Wagner's mutiny, Russia, which had consolidated its presence in Africa through Wagner, will have to revise its Africa policy. Click here to read... [5]
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been elected to a second term with 52.6% of the vote, the electoral commission says. Click here to read... [6]
Term limits are a contentious issue in the southern African country given the length of Mugabe's rule. Click here to read... [7]
Voters in Gabon were called to the polls on Saturday for a triple election in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that has ruled for 55 years, is seeking victory over a belatedly-united opposition. Click here to read... [8]
Gabon's government announced a nationwide curfew and cut off internet access Saturday evening as voting in major national elections was wrapping up. Click here to read... [9]
The Democratic Republic of Congo's ruling party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) confirmed Félix Tshisekedi's candidacy for the 2023 presidential election at an extraordinary congress in Kinshasa on Saturday. Click here to read... [10]
Niger's junta has sought military support from Mali and Burkina Faso, while expelling the French ambassador, deepening the standoff as ECOWAS threatens intervention to restore democracy. Click here to read... [11]
The pact allows Mali and Burkina Faso to provide military assistance to Niger in the event of military intervention against the putschists there. Click here to read... [12]
Niger has authorized Mali and Burkina Faso’s armed forces to intervene on its territory in case of an attack, the countries said in a joint statement on Thursday, a possible sign the junta in Niger plans to keep resisting regional pressure to stand down. Click here to read... [13]
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said it was open to a long-term cease-fire with the army and presented its vision for a "Sudan Reborn," an initiative that could revive efforts to hold direct talks between the warring parties. Click here to read... [14]
Head of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo "Hemedti" proposed on Sunday a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in the country. Click here to read... [15]
Sudan has condemned comments made by US Ambassador John Godfrey in which he said neither side in the current conflict “is fit to govern.” Click here to read... [16]
General Abdel Fatah al-Burhan engaged in a conversation with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Saturday subsequent to his departure from Khartoum through a military operation executed by his troops on August 24, 2023. Click here to read... [17]
Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party has endorsed a slate of candidates, including vice president Mahamudu Bawumia, to contest the NPP’s presidential primary slated for Nov. 4. Click here to read... [18]
The National Salvation Front in Tunisia staged a protest in the capital Tunis late Thursday demanding the release of politicians arrested on charges of "conspiring against the security of the state.” Click here to read... [19]
Egypt hopes its imminent inclusion in the BRICS bloc of developing nations will help ease its shortage of foreign currency and attract new investment, but analysts say it may take time before any benefits appear. Click here to read... [20]
As was expected, the BRICS put Algeria in its place by rejecting its long sought after bid to join the group, which announced it will welcome six new countries with a diversified and higher growth economies. Click here to read... [21]
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for handling the summit of the BRICS group of nations and for his efforts to expand the bloc. Click here to read... [22]
South Africa’s president and his Chinese counterpart co-chair China-Africa leaders' roundtable dialogue in Johannesburg. Click here to read... [23]
China's leader Xi Jinping told African leaders at a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on Thursday that China would launch initiatives to support Africa's industrialisation and agricultural modernisation. Click here to read... [24]
South Africa signed a raft of deals with China on Wednesday to help it overhaul its creaky energy sector including upgrading its nuclear power plant as the government seeks to ease a severe energy crisis hobbling the economy. Click here to read... [25]
The New Development Bank (NDB), which was established by the BRICS bloc, and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) have inked a loan agreement for the implementation of phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). Click here to read... [26]
Libyan troops loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an airborne assault on a Chadian rebel headquarters in the southern desert late Friday, his office said. Click here to read... [27]
Algeria said it sent a high-ranking official to Niger on Thursday as part of its diplomatic push in the aftermath of a military coup in the neighbouring country Click here to read... [28]
Algeria has refused to allow France to use its airspace for a military operation in Niger, State Radio has said. Click here to read... [29]
Libya does not recognise Israel, as Tripoli backs the Palestinian cause, and the meeting has sparked protests. Click here to read... [30]
The Libyan foreign ministry described it as a "chance and unofficial encounter", but news of the meeting had already led to street protests in several Libyan cities Click here to read... [31]
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has banned the importation of used clothing into the east African country, saying it stifles the development of local textile industries and that the clothes belonged to dead Westerners. Click here to read... [32]
Electricity was being restored in most parts of Kenya on Saturday, 14 hours after the longest outage in recent memory, the majority government-owned power distributor said. Click here to read... [33]
Egypt, Ethiopia have been logged in years-long dispute on Nile dam project on Blue Nile. Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan resumed negotiations on a dam project on the Nile River's main tributary on Sunday after more than two years of suspension. Click here to read... [34]
Angolan President Joao Lourenço welcomed his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the presidential Palace in Luanda on Thursday. Click here to read... [35]
A private plane found with more than $5m (£4m) in cash, fake gold, guns and ammunition on board is at the centre of a deepening investigation in the Zambian capital, Lusaka. Click here to read... [36]
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Eswatini, the island's last African ally, early next month, the government said on Friday, looking to shore up ties at a time China is whittling away at the small number of countries still sticking by Taipei. Click here to read... [37]
Indonesia has bagged new deals, ranging from palm oil and vaccine exports to energy and mineral partnerships, in President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's trip to four African countries this week. Click here to read... [38]
The U.S. military on Sunday said it believed it had killed 13 al Shabaab fighters in southern Somalia in what it called a “collective self-defense airstrike” at the request of the Somali government. Click here to read... [39]
The United States has imposed sanctions on six people it accuses of exacerbating violence in eastern Congo. Click here to read... [40]
The president of Somalia's separatist region of Somaliland on Saturday vowed revenge on a local militia which the previous day seized a major base belonging to his army. Click here to read... [41]
The armed group ISIL (ISIS) has almost doubled its territory in Mali in less than a year, United Nations experts have said in a new report. Click here to read... [42]
A crush at a stadium in Madagascar left at least 12 people dead and 85 injured as sports fans attended the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, authorities said Saturday. Click here to read... [43]
Nigeria expects its four oil refineries to be operational by the end of next year, its new oil minister said on Friday, with the southern Port Harcourt plant seen starting as early as December. Click here to read... [44]
The Togolese government has acquired a 14.39% stake in ASKY Airlines (KP, Lomé) for XOF6 billion CFA franc (USD9.8 million) according to the terms of an agreement signed in Lomé on August 21 by Minister of Economy and Finance, Sani Yaya, and ASKY founder Gervais Djondo. Click here to read... [45]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country’s role as the G20 host this year would focus on highlighting the concerns of the developing world. Click here to read... [46]
India’s offer to South Africa is part of its attempt to raise issues concerning the so-called Global South. Click here to read... [47]
Excellencies, I am pleased to be here among all my friends in the land of Africa. Click here to read... [48]
External affairs minister S Jaishankar posted a photo of PM Modi going through the headline of a South African newspaper on Chandrayaan 3. Click here to read... [49]
"India has given high importance to relations with Africa," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he addressed a Session of BRICS - Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue today. Click here to read... [50]
The 'Agenda 2063' is the African Union's economic development blueprint for the 50 years that came into effect in 2013. Click here to read... [51]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India has given high importance to relations with Africa. Adding to this, he said that India has opened 16 new embassies in Africa. Click here to read... [52]
A delegation from Mauritius led by its Health and Wellness Minister has asked if it was possible for the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) to procure and supply drugs required by the country in the future. Click here to read... [53]
Aden Bare Duale, Cabinet Secretary for Kenya's Ministry of Defence, arrived in New Delhi on Monday on his maiden visit to India. Click here to read... [54]
The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed five MiG-29 combat jets, six transport aircraft and a group of its Special Forces personnel at a 21-day multilateral war game in Egypt that began on August 27. Click here to read... [55]
The drills come months after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended this year’s Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest, a first for an Egyptian leader. Click here to read... [56]
INS Sunayna, an Indian Navy ship, concluded a successful visit to the port of Durban in South Africa from August 21 to 25. Click here to read... [57]
Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar addressed the third Excellence in Education Awards ceremony held at World Hindi Secretariat here. Click here to read... [58]
IT major HCL Tech is the latest Indian company to set foot in Morocco, taking the number of Indian firms there to 37. Click here to read... [59]
India will supply 14,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice this year to Mauritius and 79,000 tonnes to Bhutan under humanitarian operations, making an exception for two key diplomatic partners. Click here to read... [60]
Vedanta Resources plans to pay the $250 million it owes to suppliers in Zambia once it regains control of the copper mines that were seized by the government over four years ago. Click here to read... [61]
For nearly 300 years under the Gujarat Sultanate and the Portuguese Estado da India, Indian traders made fortunes in East Africa. Click here to read... [62]
The Daily Maverick had claimed that PM Modi was miffed over ‘only a cabinet minister’ being sent for his reception, in contrast to the attention given to the Chinese president. Click here to read... [63]
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Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/2023/august/31/africa-now-weekly-newsletter-week-35
[2] https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/sunil-bharti-mittal-africa-india-g20-presidency-opportunity-8905868/
[3] https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/columns/why-africa-matters-to-the-world-in-shaping-the-future
[4] https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/India-has-more-to-offer-Africa-than-just-trade
[5] https://politicstoday.org/how-wagners-mutiny-will-affect-african-politics/
[6] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66631185
[7] https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2572795-zimbabwes-re-elected-president-fends-off-election-fraud-claims
[8] https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/gabons-bongo-aims-for-third-term-in-nationwide-poll/article
[9] https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/27/gabon-imposes-curfew-and-cuts-internet-access-as-voting-wraps-up/
[10] https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/27/dr-congos-president-felix-tshisekedi-to-seek-re-election/
[11] https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/niger-junta-support-mali-burkina-faso-french-ambassador-expelled-17642761.htm
[12] https://www.dw.com/en/niger-burkina-faso-and-mali-form-military-pact/a-66628372
[13] https://www.arabnews.com/node/2361131/world
[14] https://www.voanews.com/a/sudanese-paramilitary-force-backs-cease-fire-and-talks-on-country-s-future/7243778.html
[15] https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/4511661-hemedti-proposes-federation-part-solution-sudan-crisis%C2%A0
[16] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/sudan-urges-us-ambassador-to-revise-position-on-conflict/2977206
[17] https://sudantribune.com/article276562/
[18] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-26/ghana-s-ruling-party-picks-candidates-for-presidential-primary
[19] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tunisian-group-demands-release-of-political-detainees/2975837
[20] https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/egypt-hopes-brics-entry-will-lure-foreign-cash-analysts-counsel-patience-2023-08-25/
[21] https://northafricapost.com/70702-brics-reject-algerias-membership.html
[22] https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2569144-russias-putin-thanks-south-africas-ramaphosa-for-work-on-brics-expansion
[23] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/china-africa-call-for-reforms-of-multilateral-financial-institutions-unsc/2975832
[24] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-08-24/chinas-xi-pledges-to-support-africas-industrialisation-at-brics
[25] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/south-africa-china-sign-power-deals-during-brics-summit-2023-08-23/
[26] https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/brics-bank-signs-loan-agreement-for-lesotho-water-project-17615461.htm
[27] https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20230825-libyan-national-army-led-by-strongman-haftar-launch-assault-on-chad-rebels
[28] https://www.arabnews.com/node/2361086/middle-east
[29] https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/france-to-attack-niger-algeria-snubs-macron-says-wont-allow-paris-to-use-its-airspace-details-101692730919639.html
[30] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66636651
[31] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/libyan-foreign-minister-suspended-over-talks-with-israeli-counterpart/article67242858.ece
[32] https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/uganda-bans-imports-used-clothing-dead-people-2023-08-25/
[33] https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/power-returns-to-kenya-after-14-hrs-longest-in-recent-memory-airport-shut-123082600462_1.html
[34] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103106393.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
[35] https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/26/angola-and-brazil-agree-to-strengthen-and-relaunch-cooperation/
[36] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66614769
[37] https://www.reuters.com/world/taiwan-president-visit-last-african-ally-eswatini-2023-08-25/
[38] https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indonesia-s-Jokowi-deepens-Global-South-ties-in-Africa-tour
[39] https://theprint.in/world/us-air-strike-said-to-kill-13-al-shabaab-militants-in-somalia/1733761/
[40] https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-sanctions-military-leaders-accused-making-violence-worse-102576050
[41] https://nation.africa/africa/news/somaliland-vows-revenge-after-militia-attack-on-army-camp-4349170
[42] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/27/isil-doubled-territory-it-controls-in-mali-in-less-than-a-year-un
[43] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/a-crush-at-the-opening-ceremony-of-the-indian-ocean-island-games-in-madagascar-kills-at-least-12/article67238390.ece
[44] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103073491.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
[45] https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/131152-togo-acquires-minority-stake-in-asky-for-about-10mn
[46] https://apnews.com/article/india-modi-g20-african-union-ef8982f795fb687fd2206cc793bdab21
[47] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/27/indian-pm-modi-proposes-full-g20-membership-for-african-union
[48] https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/37032/English_translation_of_Prime_Ministers_remarks_at_the_BRICSAfrica_Outreach_and_BRICS_Plus_Dialogue
[49] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indias-modi-out-of-this-world-pm-checks-out-south-africa-newspapers-headline-on-chandrayaan-3-101692863538236.html
[50] https://ddnews.gov.in/international/pm-modi-talks-about-indias-relation-africa-brics-africa-outreach-dialogue
[51] https://www.outlookindia.com/national/india-is-your-trusted-partner-pm-modi-to-african-countries-news-313284
[52] https://www.aninews.in/news/world/others/india-has-given-high-importance-to-relations-with-africa-pm-modi-at-brics-africa-outreach20230824164521/
[53] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/mauritius-delegation-meets-health-minister-officials-in-chennai/article67227658.ece
[54] https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1114378
[55] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/five-mig-29-jets-of-iaf-participating-in-mega-war-game-in-egypt/article67241153.ece
[56] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-air-force-contingent-joins-multilateral-exercise-in-egypt-to-deepen-military-ties-101693122094114.html
[57] https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/ins-sunayna-concludes-its-visit-to-port-of-durban-in-s-africa-to-boost-ties-123082601022_1.html
[58] https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/advisor-bhatnagar-receives-lifetime-achievement-award-from-president-of-mauritius/
[59] https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2023/aug/27/morocco-looks-to-boost-bilateral-trade-with-india-2609019.html
[60] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-exempts-export-ban-on-non-basmati-rice-for-mauritius-and-bhutan-in-humanitarian-operations-11692811198927.html
[61] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/metals-mining/anil-agarwal-pledges-to-pay-zambia-creditors-250-million-before-retaking-mine/articleshow/103001208.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
[62] https://theprint.in/opinion/portuguese-gujarati-bania-companies-south-indian-bronzes-how-africa-helped-india-become-rich/1728329/
[63] https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/08/24/cyberattack-from-india-south-africa-portal-which-claimed-modi-refused-to-get-off-plane
[64] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 35, 2023)&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/2023/august/31/africa-now-weekly-newsletter-week-35
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[67] https://www.vifindia.org/author/Samir-Bhattacharya