Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 34, 2022)

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

COMMENTARY

The Impact of the Marikana Massacre: ‘Plus ca change, plus c’est la même chose’

This August 2022 will be the 10th year of the Marikana Massacre. After a week of protracted protest, on August 16, 2012, South African Police shot at labourers of a platinum mine, resulting in 34 fatalities and 78 injuries. Click here to read... [2]

The Marikana Massacre: 10 Years On

I do not remember much of my ninth year. In fact, it was perhaps the year in which I shed most (not all) of my naive ways of looking at the world and began to grow into consciousness. I had just turned nine years old when, on Aug. 16, 2012, the South African police shot dead 34 striking mine workers in what we now call the Marikana Massacre. Click here to read... [3]

NEWS

Kenya election 2022: Raila Odinga likely to go to court, as others celebrate

Kenya has held one of its most nail-biting and controversial elections since one-party rule ended in 1991, as candidates vied for a plethora of seats. Here, we look at some of those who succeeded, and some who failed, in their quest for power. Click here to read... [4]

Unequal and divided, Angola braces for tense election

Angolans head to the polls next week in what is likely to be a tense standoff between a ruling party in power for nearly five decades and an opposition with growing appeal to a frustrated, impoverished youth. Click here to read... [5]

What is at stake for investors in Angola's elections?

Angolan voters will choose next Wednesday between a party that’s been in power for nearly five decades and its main opponent for even longer, in what looks like the closest ever election in Africa’s second-biggest oil producer. Click here to read... [6]

Tunisia constitution giving president wider powers comes into effect

Tunisia's new constitution giving the president far greater powers is to come into effect after the official electoral commission announced final results on Tuesday for last month's referendum. Click here to read... [7]

France has withdrawn its final troops from Mali

In january 2013 French forces swooped into Mali to halt columns of northern separatists and jihadists that were threatening Bamako, the capital. Click here to read... [8]

Sierra Leone’s main opposition party demands probe over deadly protest

Sierra Leone’s main opposition party is calling for an independent probe into last week’s deadly clashes and ensuing police raids that killed one of its well-known members. Click here to read... [9]

Ethiopia plans referendum to create 12th region

Ethiopia's House of Federation, or the upper house of Parliament, has approved a resolution to hold a referendum on the creation of the East African country's 12th region. Click here to read... [10]

Denmark in talks with Rwanda on UK-style transfer of asylum seekers

Denmark is in talks with Rwanda about setting up a UK-style scheme to transfer asylum seekers to the country. Click here to read... [11]

South African Opposition Considers Joint Campaign for 2024 Vote

South African opposition parties that formed coalitions to wrest control of a number of towns from the governing African National Congress in last year’s municipal elections, are now considering campaigning jointly ahead of a national and provincial vote in 2024Click here to read... [12]

U.N.'s Congo peacekeeping mission pulls out of major eastern city

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo has pulled out of one of the largest cities in the country's east after deadly protests against its failure to protect civilians. Click here to read... [13]

Zanu PF determined to win at all costs

AS Zimbabweans ready themselves for the crunch polls expected next year, there is a feeling that the elections will be largely characterised by violence, of similar magnitude to the one seen in 2008. Click here to read... [14]

SADC needs a firmer strategy for the spiralling Eswatini crisis

The Eswatini crisis is descending into violent conflict, with the bombing of state institutions and attacks against security forces on the rise. At the same time, brutal repression of protests and apparent abductions of civil society members continue. Click here to read... [15]

Peru cuts ties with Western Sahara area after talks with Morocco

Lima snaps relations with the Polisario-run area of Western Sahara, saying it "respects" territorial integrity of Morocco, which claims the entire disputed territory and controls nearly 80 percent of it. Click here to read... [16]

Rebel leader Timan Erdimi returns to Chad after 17 years in exile

One of Chad’s most prominent rebel leaders, Timan Erdimi, has returned to the country after 17 years in exile, days ahead of the start of national talks aimed at paving the way for elections after the military seized power last year. Click here to read... [17]

Burkina Faso lashes ‘ethnic cleansing’ calls on social media

Burkina Faso’s government on Thursday lashed calls on social media to attack the country’s Fulani minority, describing them as a campaign for “ethnic cleansing” similar to the Rwanda genocide. Click here to read... [18]

Senegal says keeping troops in Mali after opposition lashing

Senegal’s army says it is standing by the country’s commitments to the UN’s peacekeeping mission in neighboring Mali, after an opposition leader suggested it was withdrawing. Click here to read... [19]

African Leaders Quick to Address US-China Tensions Over Taiwan

A spike in tensions between China and the United States over Taiwan has not gone unnoticed in Africa and has prompted responses that underscore the continent’s tilt toward Beijing. Click here to read... [20]

At the US-Africa Leaders Summit, launch ‘Process Africa’

Several weeks ago, President Biden announced that he will host a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington in December. It’s about time. This is the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit since 2014, and just the second such meeting ever. Click here to read... [21]

SADC leaders criticise US law seeking to punish African countries that trade with Russia

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) says the United States' plan to implement measures to punish African countries that trade with Russia was in bad taste. Click here to read... [22]

China-Africa Ties: Wang Yi: Implementation of FOCAC goals progressing well

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a virtual conference on Thursday to discuss progress following last November's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Senegal. Known by the acronym FOCAC, it's a high-level forum between China and nearly all the African countries. CGTN's Gao Ang brings us the latest. Click here to read... [23]

Emirates airline suspends all flights to Nigeria as it struggles to repatriate funds

Nigeria's aviation ministry says it is "working hard" to release trapped funds to the Emirates airline after the carrier suspended flights to Nigeria beginning from next month. Click here to read... [24]

Nigerians May Use Togo, Ghana Airports for International Travels As More Airlines Will Suspend Services To Nigeria – Foreign Airlines Association

The President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, Kingsley Nwokeoma, has said the Emirates Airlines’ suspension of its flights to Nigeria over trapped forex is just the beginning as more international carriers would join soon if nothing was done to address their concerns. Click here to read... [25]

Al-Shabaab attacks hotel in Somalia's Mogadishu, casualties reported

The assault on the Hayat Hotel triggered a fierce gunfight between security forces and gunmen from the jihadist group who are still holed up inside the building, a security official said. Click here to read... [26]

Ethiopia denounces WHO head for saying crisis ignored because of Tigrayans' skin color

Ethiopia's government is criticizing as "unethical" the statement by the World Health Organization's director-general that the crisis in the country's Tigray region is "the worst disaster on Earth" and his assertion that the lack of attention from global leaders may be due to Tigrayans' skin color. Click here to read... [27]

Botswana to Become the Latest Target of Biden State Department’s Ideological Colonialism

It seems Biden’s State Department has decided it must do even more to shame countries into normalizing same-sex relations. It announced a new grant to “promote greater social acceptance of LGBTQI+ persons” in a small African country using U.S. tax dollars. Click here to read... [28]

Ivorian troops arrested in Mali charged with undermining state security

Dozens of Ivorian soldiers held in Mali and accused of being mercenaries have been charged with attempting to harm state security and remanded in custody, judicial sources told AFP on Sunday. Click here to read... [29]

Nigerian President Marks Humanitarian Day in War-Impacted Borno State

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has formally opened resettlement houses for people internally displaced by the 13-year conflict with Islamist militants in the country's northeastClick here to read... [30]

A cybersecurity regional hub will soon be built in Lomé, Togo

Togo will soon host a regional cybersecurity hub: the African Cybersecurity Center. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will help the country build the facility. Click here to read... [31]

Ghana delivers biggest rate hike ever at emergency meeting

Ghana's central bank on Wednesday delivered its biggest rate hike ever, a 300 basis point increase to 22% (GHCBIR=ECI), at an emergency meeting to address the economy's rapid deterioration amid crippling inflation. Click here to read... [32]

Egypt Seeks “Exceptional” Treatment by the IMF

Egypt is seeking a new loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address the fallout from a sharp increase in prices that has had devastating impacts on people’s economic rights. Click here to read... [33]

Arab Monetary Fund Forecasts 1% Economic Growth in Morocco

After 2021’s staggering 7.9% growth in Morocco’s economy, adverse international economic conditions are causing the economy to slow down again, prompting experts to speculate the country’s economic growth is set to average 1% in 2022. Click here to read... [34]

Tanzania installs internet on Mount Kilimanjaro for Insta-ascents

Tanzania has installed high-speed internet services on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, allowing anyone with a smartphone to tweet, Instagram or WhatsApp their ascent up Africa's highest mountain. Click here to read... [35]

Torrential rain, floods in Sudan kill 77 and destroy 14,500 homes

Flooding in Sudan has killed scores of people and destroyed an estimated 14,500 homes as seasonal rains pound the country, causing rivers to flood and destroying property. Click here to read... [36]

Wildfires across Algeria kill at least 37 people

Wildfires have killed at least 37 people and injured dozens more across northern Algeria, with the fires continuing to rage in several areas of the North African country. Click here to read... [37]

Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe….15 must-read books this summe

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer is a great time to recalibrate from a fast-paced year. Regardless if you are at a holiday destination or holed up in the comfort of your home, it's a moment to catch up on literature, especially from Africa and Africans in the Diaspora. Click here to read... [38]

All aboard Botswana's Elephant Express

Botswana's eastern Okavango panhandle has as many elephants as it does people, leading to conflict where they both live in close quarters. Can a solution as simple as a bus help? Click here to read... [39]

How English is becoming a popular option in Algeria

The three main streets of the centre of the Algerian capital all radiate from the Grande Poste, a neo-Moorish edifice which sits above the city's majestic bay. Click here to read... [40]

INDIA IN AFRICA

MoS Muraleedharan to visit Nigeria, address Nigeria-India Business Council meet

Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to Nigeria from August 22-23 and address the Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC) meeting. Click here to read... [41]

Egypt releases Postage Stamp celebrating 75th Anniversary of diplomatic ties with India

The two nations became even more closer in the 1950s and concluded a historic Friendship Treaty in 1955. During the last couple of years, the traditionally strong bilateral relations enjoyed by the two countries have received an impetus with regular exchange of high-level meetings and contacts between the two sides. Click here to read... [42]

Jaishankar extends wishes to Egypt on 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday extended his wishes to his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, the government and the people of Egypt on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Click here to read... [43]

Ghana-India Trade Bounces Back To $2.7b After COVID-19 Slowdown – High Commissioner

Trade between Ghana and India is on the path of recovery after plummeting in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read... [44]

India @ 75: Amrit Mahotsav in Mali strengthens India-Mali Relationship

The celebration of 75 years of India’s Independence and ongoing Amrit Mahotsav has led to deepening of India-Mali relationship. In particular, numerous events held in various parts of Mali have reinforced the people-to-people relationship between India and Mali and expanded the goodwill for each other and awareness about the growing potential for win-win partnership between the two countries. Click here to read... [45]

Exclusive Satellite Pics: China's New 'Mission Indian Ocean' Targets India

China's naval base in Djibouti is its first overseas military base, built at a cost of $590 million and has been under construction since 2016. Click here to read... [46]

An Expert Explains: Why a stable Kenya is in the interest of Africa and the world

Africa, and the world as a whole, could do without a meltdown in Kenya. The country is in transition, with a different tribal and class coalition, and new kinds of engagement. Click here to read... [47]

Salesians in Zambia invite Indian film experts to train students

Salesian missionaries in Zambia have invited filmmaking experts from India to train youth who are passionate about filmmaking. Click here to read... [48]