Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 41, 2023)

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

Commentary

SADC must intercede in resolving political crisis

In August, Zimbabwe held its harmonised elections which are a combination of the presidential, legislative and council elections.Click here to read… [2]

Africa’s coups are part of a far bigger crisis

For many years, coups in Africa seemed a thing of the past. But in the 2020s they are back with a vengeance.Click here to read… [3]

Africa is astir

Momentous changes are occurring in Africa. Other countries of the Global South, after a period of dirigisme development following decolonisation, were reintegrated into an international order dominated by globalised capital.Click here to read… [4]

Africa’s First Climate Summit: From Victim to Leader?

The UN Environment Programme has described Africa as the most vulnerable region in the world to climate change.Click here to read… [5]

News

Gabon's coup leader Nguema appoints new parliament

Gabon's coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema on Saturday appointed members of a new national assembly and senate for a transitional period ahead of promised elections on an unknown date.Click here to read… [6]

Gabon's Military Junta Says It Will Invest Recovered Wealth from Ousted Bongo Government

Gabon's military-appointed government says it will invest more than $10 million and distribute hundreds of luxury vehicles said to be part of ill-gotten wealth recovered from family and friends of ousted President Ali Bongo.Click here to read… [7]

Senegal president dissolves government

Senegal's President Macky Sall dissolved members of the government by decree, according to a communique Friday.Click here to read… [8]

Ivory Coast’s president removes prime minister and dissolves government in a major reshuffle

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has removed the country’s prime minister and dissolved the government, a senior public official announced Friday, in yet another major reshuffle in the West African nation.Click here to read… [9]

Comoros to hold presidential election on January 14

Presidential elections in the Comoros will be held on January 14, with the incumbent head of state and current president of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, standing for re-election.Click here to read… [10]

Eswatini announces parliamentary election results under monarch's rule

Fifty-one men and eight women were elected to Eswatini's parliament in last week's election, with a strong showing for pro-royalist candidates in results expected to make little difference to the politics of Africa's last absolute monarchy.Click here to read… [11]

France begins withdrawing its troops from Niger

France has begun withdrawing its troops from Niger after being ordered out of the West African nation by the leaders of the July coup that ousted the pro-Paris president, the military said Tuesday.Click here to read… [12]

Mali: Military junta aims takeover of key UN camp in north

The military junta in Mali is aiming to take over a key United Nations military camp in the rebel stronghold of Kidal.Click here to read… [13]

Egypt Ups Int’l Pressure Over GERD

Egypt has continued its international escalation on the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).Click here to read… [14]

IMF-World Bank Meetings: Morocco’s Earthquake Special Fund Reaches $1.15 Billion

A key part of Morocco’s post-earthquake relief efforts was the launch of a special fund to collect donations and contributions to help rebuild the affected communities.Click here to read… [15]

Several Killed during Shelling on Sudan Hospital

At least three civilians were killed on Monday in Sudan when shells struck a key hospital in the capital, a medical source said, as fighting between rival generals continued unabated.Click here to read… [16]

Somalia Claims Killing Hundreds of Militants Amid Recent Setbacks

The Somali government on Wednesday said government troops have killed hundreds of militants during military operations in the last two months.Click here to read… [17]

Two Israeli tourists, local guide shot dead by Egypt policeman

Israel's National Security Council later said its citizens should consider not travelling abroad particularly in the Middle East "on the backdrop of the attack in Egypt."Click here to read… [18]

Clashes reported in Libya’s Benghazi amid communications blackout

Telecoms in Libya’s second-largest city, Benghazi, have been cut since Friday, with authorities blaming a broken cable but the U.N. Libya mission saying it comes amid armed clashes between the main military force and a smaller group.Click here to read… [19]

South Africa: Can Ramaphosa secure a 2024 victory?

South Africa's economic situation is dire. The country's unemployment rate is among the highest in Africa and around the world.Click here to read… [20]

DR Congo Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege declares presidential bid

Democratic Republic of the Congo's Denis Mukwege, a surgical gynaecologist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced on Monday that he would run for president in elections planned for December.Click here to read… [21]

Burkina Faso: former president Thomas Sankara elevated to the rank of "national hero"

Burkina Faso's transitional government decided on Wednesday to elevate former president and father of the Burkinabe revolution Thomas Sankara, killed on 15 October 1987 in a putsch, to the rank of "hero of the nation".Click here to read… [22]

DR Congo: Military court sentences MP to death over treason charges

A member of parliament, owner of a strategic mining company, was sentenced to death on Friday in Kinshasa by the military justice system on charges including "participation in the M23 insurrectionary movement" and "treason", in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Click here to read… [23]

Tunisia detains Abir Moussi, prominent opponent of president

Tunisia’s public prosecutor detained Abir Moussi, a prominent opponent of President Kais Saied, after she was arrested at the entrance to the presidential palace on Tuesday, lawyers said, the latest arrest targeting Saied’s political rivals.Click here to read… [24]

Bobi Wine 'under house arrest' after return to Uganda

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said he was "grabbed" by "goons" and put under house arrest on his return from South Africa.Click here to read… [25]

Madagascar presidential candidate injured after opposition rally teargassed

Former Madagascar president Marc Ravalomanana said he had sustained a leg injury on Saturday when police and soldiers fired teargas to disperse a gathering of his supporters and those of other candidates challenging the incumbent president.Click here to read… [26]

Algeria tries to play peacemaker in Niger

Algeria announced that the military junta in Niger has accepted its offer to mediate a return to civilian control. In late August, Algiers proposed a six-month-long transition plan, overseen by a civilian.Click here to read… [27]

Niger says it ‘was surprised to read it had accepted Algeria’s mediation offer

Niger's military authorities denied that they accepted a six-month transition period that was proposed by Algeria, according to the Foreign Ministry.Click here to read… [28]

South Sudan’s Kiir, French MPs discuss Sudan peace process

South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Monday discussed with French lawmakers the conflict in Sudan as part of effort to resolve the ongoing crisis.Click here to read… [29]

Angola mulls slowing fuel subsidy removal after protests - finance minister

Angola may slow the removal of fuel subsidies to avoid a repeat of protests in June over a near-doubling in petrol prices in which at least five people were killed, the southern African country's finance minister said on Monday.Click here to read… [30]

African Union endorses Somalia's peacekeepers drawdown pause request

The African Union has endorsed Somalia's request to the UN Security Council for a three-month tactical pause to a drawdown of international troops fighting the al-Shabaab terror group in the country's central regions amid military setbacks.Click here to read… [31]

Flood disaster deepens political rift in Libya

The flood disaster that killed thousands of people in Libya has further deepened political rifts between the country’s east and west.Click here to read… [32]

IMF downgrades Nigeria’s economic growth

The International Monetary Fund has downgraded Nigeria’s economic growth by 0.3 percentage points to 2.9 percent for 2023 following weaker oil and gas production.Click here to read… [33]

How Ghana's central bank lost $5bn in one year

Ghana - once touted as a trailblazing African economic success story - is facing an unprecedented financial crisis.Click here to read… [34]

Zimbabwe turns gold-backed digital token into payment method

On Oct. 5, the gold-backed digital token under the name Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) officially kicked off as a payment method. The launch was announced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).Click here to read… [35]

‘Blue Africa’ Partnership Seeks to Curb Annual $10B Loss from Illegal Fishing

Faced with an annual $10 billion loss from Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, West African nations are moving to work together to better understand and police their exclusive economic zones as a group, the head of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe and Africa told USNI News last month.Click here to read… [36]

Credit Suisse, Mozambique secures out-of-court 'tuna bond' settlement

Credit Suisse has reached an 11th-hour out-of-court settlement with Mozambique over the decade-old $1.5 billion-plus "tuna bond" scandal, the Swiss bank's new owner UBS (UBSG.S) said on Sunday, drawing a line under a damaging dispute it inherited.Click here to read… [37]

Namibian company takes minister to court over oil blocks

Namibian indigenous company Red Soil Energy and Mineral Exploration (Pvt) Ltd has taken the minister of mines and energy to court over his refusal to approve the company’s application for an oil exploration block off-shore Namibia.Click here to read… [38]

EU, Algeria Allot $15.9M for Emission Mitigation Cooperation

Algeria and the European Union have agreed to pour $15.9 million (EUR 15 million) into joint efforts in emission mitigation including renewables deployment and power interconnection.Click here to read… [39]

Kenya President Ruto to ask China for $1bn loan, debt restructure

Kenya's President William Ruto will ask China for a $1-billion loan and a restructured debt payment plan, his deputy said Friday, despite having criticised his predecessor's heavy borrowing from Beijing.Click here to read… [40]

Kenya-Uganda SGR extension still hinges on Chinese funding?

Kenya is eyeing a Public-Private Partnership agreement to avoid incurring more debts as Uganda is poised to finalise a deal with Turkish company Yapi Merkezi soon.Click here to read… [41]

China said to approve G20 debt framework in boost for Africa

China has approved a proposed G20 debt restructuring framework for debtor countries, the German finance minister has suggested.Click here to read… [42]

Nigeria: Taiwan Seeks Collaboration to Help Nigeria Grow Non-Oil Sector

The Representative and Head of Mission of the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria, Mr Andy Liu, has expressed his country's willingness to support Nigeria to grow its non-oil sector to catalyse economic development.Click here to read… [43]

Vietnam-South Africa relationship enters new development period: President Cyril Ramaphosa

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa has noted with pleasure developments of the Vietnam-South Africa relationship, which is entering a new period as the two countries are celebrating the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (1993-2023).Click here to read… [44]

Sudan Says It Will Resume Diplomatic Relations with Iran

Sudan said on Monday that would restore diplomatic relations with Iran, seven years after they were severed and three months after a meeting between the countries' foreign ministers.Click here to read… [45]

Starlink goes live in Zambia

“Starlink is now live in Zambia,” tweeted the country’s president Hakainde Hichilema. “Access to technology and information is no longer a luxury for our people.Click here to read… [46]

Barrick Gold to invest nearly $2 bln in Zambia mine to raise copper output

Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) said on Wednesday it would invest nearly $2 billion as part of a project to increase copper production at its Lumwana mine in Zambia.Click here to read… [47]

India in Africa

High on G20 bonhomie, India readies 4th summit with African Union

Keen to capitalise on the growing geopolitical support from African nations after the recently concluded G20 Summit, India is working with the African Union to hold the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit later this year in Kenya’s Nairobi, sources said.Click here to read… [48]

India to post Defence Attaches in 10 more nations, focus on Africa

This deployment includes four from the Army, two from the Navy, and three from the Air Force. The Attaches will be stationed in various nations, including African countries like Djibouti and Tanzania, as well as Ethiopia, Algeria, Mozambique, Poland, Ivory Coast, Spain, and Armenia.Click here to read… [49]

India will assist in maintaining all sites connected to Gandhi in South Africa: envoy

India will assist in maintaining all sites connected to Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa, the Indian envoy here said today as the world marked the 154th birth anniversary of the global peace icon.Click here to read… [50]

Countering China's Deepening African Footprint, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande Travels to Tanzania for A Four-Day Visit

In a continued effort to strengthen India's military presence in Africa, particularly in light of China's strategic influence, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande is set to embark on a crucial four-day visit to Tanzania.Click here to read… [51]

India expands Defence diplomacy: Strengthening ties with Africa and beyond

In an effort to boost India-Africa bilateral defence relationship and to expand its export basket, the government is firming up plans to post more Defence Attaches (DA) to the continent.Click here to read… [52]

After Jaishankar, Army Chief’s visit to Zanzibar shows India’s outreach to Africa, Global South

Army Chief General Manoj Pande’s visit to Zanzibar, a small Island off the coast of mainland of Eastern Africa, before wrapping up his four-day visit to Tanzania on Thursday.Click here to read… [53]

Non-stop flight between India and Uganda from October 7

India is set to have an enhanced air connectivity to East Africa with Uganda Airlines all set to commence its direct flight services to Mumbai from Entebbe. from this Saturday (October 7).Click here to read… [54]

Rice-eating West Africa longs for the Indian grain

If you chance upon a random person in a conference or in a hotel in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire (which is also known as Ivory Coast), and introduce yourself as someone visiting from India, the first question that confronts you will be – “when is your country lifting the ban on rice exports?”Click here to read… [55]

How India can expand footprint in Global South by tapping Africa’s mega trade pact

Positioned itself as the voice of the Global South, India is now looking to play a more proactive role in Africa.Click here to read… [56]