Africa Now – (01-15 February, 2025)

OVERVIEW

This edition of Africa Now looks into significant developments across the African continent, focusing on security, politics, economy and foreign policy. The continent mourns the passing of Namibia's founding father, Sam Nujoma who played an important role in the fight for independence from apartheid. Security challenges continue to persist with M23 rebels resuming attacks just two days after declaring a unilateral ceasefire while the CODECO militia claimed the lives of 55 civilians in the eastern DRC.

On the international front, Africa’s presence was quite profound. Botswana and De Beers finalised a diamond sales agreement and Brazil’s Petrobras engaged in talks to acquire stakes in African oil assets. Meanwhile, Africa’s relationship with the US appears strained as the US President, Donald Trump’s decision to cut USAID funding to African nations has halted emergency services in conflict affected countries. Additionally, his threats to cut funding to South Africa over the Land Expropriation Act and his proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt have drawn a lot of criticism from African leaders.

However, the relations between India and Africa continued to thrive. During the Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, the defence minister of India, Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with Tanzania, Algeria and Zambia. He signed MoUs with Zimbabwe and Ethiopia on defence cooperation that further deepened India and Africa ties.

AFRICA

Namibia's founding father dies at 95

The first president of independent Namibia, Sam Nujoma, died at the age of 95 in the capital city of Windhoek. He founded Namibia’s liberation movement known as the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo) in the 1960s and led the long fight for independence from apartheid in South Africa during the 1990s. He served three terms as president and was in power till the year 2005. The current presidency paid homage to the veteran leader and said that ‘he inspired us to rise to our feet and to become masters of this vast land of our ancestors.’ Click here to read... [2]

M23 Rebels resume attack in DR Congo after a brief lull

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have attacked Congolese government forces in the South Kivu province, just two days after declaring a unilateral ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. The rebels seized Goma and are now pushing southwards towards Bakavu, another key city in the South Kivu province. According to the latest UN figures, around 2,900 people have been killed since early January due to the hostilities. The resumption of the M23 offensive is a threat to regional stability and its continuation has the making of a severe humanitarian crisis in the region. Click here to read... [3]

Mali Army says ambush on Convoy kills 25 civilians

On 9 February 2025, a military-escorted convoy was ambushed by insurgents near Gao in north-eastern Mali. The Malian army has said that 25 civilians and several others were injured due to the ambush. The attack occurred near Kobe village, a hub for Islamic State and Al-Qaeda-linked groups. The army also said that at least 19 assailants were killed when the soldiers retaliated. The insurgencies have caused widespread violence, displacement and instability in Mali. Click here to read... [4]

Militia fighters kill 55 civilians in northeastern Congo

On 11 February 2025, armed men from the Cooperative for the Development of Congo, or CODECO attacked the Djaiba group of villages in the province of Ituri. Eyewitnesses said that the entire town was attacked despite the intervention of UN peacekeeping forces, MONUSCO and the Congolese government troops. This fresh attack by a rebel group in an already volatile area, grappling with the M23 rebels advances would lead to further instability and insecurity in the region. Click here to read... [5]

Djibouti’s Foreign Minister becomes the new AUC Chair

Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Youssouf won the race to become the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). He defeated former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga and former Malagasy Foreign Minister, Richard Randriamandrato. The new chair said that he aims to promote greater unity across Africa as well as prioritise regional security. His role in executing and administering the decisions and policies of the African Union (AU) marks a significant moment for Djibouti. Click here to read... [6]

African leaders meet at the African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia

African leaders met at the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 13 February 2025. The main theme of the summit was reparation, a topic that has been vehemently denied and contested by the leaders of the US and Europe. Experts argue that Africa’s economic struggles, debt crises, and vulnerability to climate change are rooted in colonial exploitation. The AU leaders aimed to define a unified approach towards reparations including financial payments, land restitution, returning cultural artefacts, and policy changes to address inequalities. Click here to read... [7]

AFRICA AND WORLD

Arab nations reject Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza

Powerful Arab nations on February 1 2025, rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League released a joint statement rejecting any plans to move Palestinians out of their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The Arab statement warned that such plans “threaten the region’s stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples.” They further emphasized that they were looking forward to working with the Trump administration to “achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution." Click here to read... [8]

Botswana and De Beers Finalise Diamond Sales Agreement

On 3 February 2025, De Beers finalized a rough diamond sales deal with Botswana and also extended the mining licences for its joint venture to 2054. Based on 2023 negotiations, the agreement will gradually increase Botswana’s share of production to 50 percent. Duma Boko, the new president of Botswana intends to quickly finalize the deal which seeks to increase Botswana's 15 percent ownership stake in De Beers. This deal between De Beers and Botswana will help boost diamond sales amid falling diamond prices and rising competition from lab grown diamonds. Click here to read... [9]

UK denies Mauritius’s claim on payments over Chagos Deal

The UK government denied claims made by Navin Ramgoolam, the Prime Minister of Mauritius that a renegotiated deal over the Chagos Islands for paying double lease payments that is from £9bn to £18bn. Last year in October, the UK announced that it would hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius but would maintain a 99-year lease over the UK-US military airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia. However, Ramgoolam reopened negotiations after assuming power in October. The US is also closely reviewing the deal as it poses a threat to their own security, given the close economic relationship between China and Mauritius. Click here to read... [10]

Sudan's FM visits Moscow, talks about Russian Naval Base deal

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Yusef Sharif on his visit to Moscow confirmed that the agreement signed years ago for the creation of a Russian naval base in Sudan remains on the table. Earlier, the deal was signed under former President Omar al-Bashir who was overthrown in 2019 and the plan never materialised. The proposed base would provide strategic access to Russia without posing a threat to any other country or to Sudan's sovereignty, similar to Djibouti, which hosts several foreign bases. Click here to read... [11]

Egypt's President Sisi to stay away from White House if Gaza displacement on agenda

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on 12 February, 2025 said that he would not travel to the White House for discussions if it involved the proposal to move Palestinians out of Gaza as suggested by the US President, Donald Trump. Trump had said that Gaza should be controlled by the U.S. and turned into the ''Riviera of the Middle East''. He also urged Egypt and Jordan to take in Gaza's some 2 million residents and warned to halt aid if they refused to do so. This has sparked a lot of controversy and disillusionment among many leaders worldwide. Click here to read... [12]

Brazil's Petrobras in talks to buy African oil assets

The Brazilian state energy firm, Petrobras wants to buy stakes in African oil assets in Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It is in talks to buy shares in African assets of companies like ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies. Last month, Petrobras said that its estimated proven reserves of oil, condensate, and natural gas increased from 10.9 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in 2023 to 11.4 billion boe in 2024. By buying shares in African oil assets, Petrobras aims to boost its reserves. Click here to read... [13]

Sudanese army rejects UAE proposal for ceasefire

On 11 February 2025, the UAE called for a ceasefire in Sudan during the coming holy month of Ramadan. The call was rejected by the Sudanese army which considers the UAE to be an aggressor in the war. The army along with the UN and US lawmakers have accused the UAE of arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These accusations have been denied by the UAE which has said that these allegations will not divert it from achieving its primary objective of promoting peace and stability in the region. Click here to read... [14]

UN humanitarian initiatives in DRC affected due to US Aid suspension

On 12 February 2025, Bruno Lemarquis, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) raised concerns regarding the suspension of UN aid by the United States. The situation in DRC remains volatile due to the M23 offensive and hospitals and mortuaries are at their capacity. During this time, the move to stop aid has severely affected the operations of several UN agencies and international NGOs. DRC was the largest recipient of U.S. humanitarian aid in 2024, receiving $910 million out of a total of $1.3 billion, which accounts for 70 percent of the aid. Moreover, heavy reliance on U.S. funding has forced many programs to shut down. Click here to read... [15]

President Trump pledges to cut funding to South Africa over land expropriation law

US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order ending financial assistance to South Africa for its “massive” human rights violation occurring over a new land expropriation law. Last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that would make it easier for the state to expropriate land in the name of public interest. The law aims to address racial disparities in land ownership that persist even three decades after apartheid's end in 1994. This move has garnered severe criticism from the US President and his close aids, Marco Rubio and Elon Musk. Overall, these events have strained the relationship between South Africa and the US. Click here to read... [16]

INDIA AND AFRICA

Indian Defence Minister hold bilateral meetings with Defence Ministers of Tanzania, Zambia and Algeria

During the Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, the defence minister of India, Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with Tanzania's Minister for Defence & National Service, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Algeria's Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, General Said Chengriha and Zambia's Minister of Defence, Ambrose Lwiji Lufuma. They discussed about cross-border terrorism, defence cooperation in shipbuilding, and capacity building that would enhance bilateral engagements between the countries. Click here to read... [17]

South Africa eases visa rules for Indian travellers

On February 11, 2025, the South African government implemented several rules to simplify visa procedures for Indian travellers. The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa said that as part of the reform agenda, South Africa will continue to enhance its visa system to make it easier for skilled people to invest in the country and boost tourism. This move will not only provide a boost to the South African tourism industry but also strengthen India-Africa ties. Click here to read... [18]

Nigeria to collaborate with India to boost energy transition

At the India Energy Week, Agbu Kefas, governor of Nigeria's Taraba state highlighted Nigera’s financial challenges in meeting the shift towards renewable energy. He stated that Nigeria is keen to partner with India for funding and technical assistance for its green energy projects. India, while ramping up its non-fossil fuel capacity would be a great support for Nigeria that aims to vigorously accelerate its energy transition plans. Click here to read... [19]

India-linked firms partner to resolve South Africa's water and energy crisis

On February 14, 2025, two South African firms with strong links to India, Imbanita Consulting and Engineering Services and the local subsidiary of ION Exchange signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the office of the Consul General of India in Johannesburg. The MOU aims to resolve the water and energy crisis in the country. This move will assist South Africa in reducing the load-shedding problems which have had a drastic effect on the economy. Click here to read... [20]

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sign MoUs with Zimbabwe and Ethiopia

On the third day of the Aero India 2025, Rajnath Singh, the defence minister of India held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. During his meeting with Zimbabwe’s Defence Minister, Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on defence cooperation while also exploring avenues for collaboration in defence industries and military medicine. During talks with Ethiopian Defence Minister Aisha Mohammed, a MoU was signed to institutionalize ongoing cooperation, covering areas such as military training, peacekeeping, and capacity building for Ethiopia’s Armed Forces. Click here to read... [21]