Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 38, 2023)

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

Commentary

Africa in G20: A recognition of the continent’s importance in the global economy

The African Union’s inclusion in G20 is a welcome development as it provides Africa a platform to seek equitable and respectful treatment from the world powers. Click here to read... [2]

African Union and the G20: Africa on the high table

Facilitating the African Union's entry to the G20 was a masterstroke of India's presidency. Delhi could be counted upon as a trusted partner, and, in turn, draw strength. Click here to read... [3]

What AU membership of G20 means for Africa

In a historic move, The African Union (AU) has secured a permanent place in the Group of 20 (G20), a development that could have major implications for Africa’s role in global geoeconomics and geopolitics. Click here to read... [4]

Africa needs peace to hit SDGs

Conflict, climate change and a lack of access to basic services hinder Africa's progress towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve lasting success, experts say the continent needs more than money. Click here to read... [5]

A Shameful Shambles: An account of Zimbabwe’s elections of August 2023

An election observer who has witnessed every Zimbabwean election since independence in 1980, narrates his experience of the 2023 elections. Click here to read... [6]

India-Africa Partnership and the Development of a Multipolar World

In this insightful interview, Samir Bhattacharya, a research associate at Vivekananda International Foundation, discusses the changing geopolitical situation, how India and Africa are working closely together to support the emerging multipolar world. Click here to read... [7]

News

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign new Sahel pact

Mali has joined neighboring nations Niger and Burkina Faso in establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, a treaty among new leaders in a region. Click here to read... [8]

French ambassador is being ‘held hostage at the French embassy’ in Niger, says Macron

The French ambassador to Niger and other French diplomats are “literally being held hostage at the French embassy,” according to French president Emmanuel Macron. Click here to read... [9]

US military resumes drone, manned aircraft counter-terrorism operations from post-coup Niger

The United States has reached an agreement with Niger’s military leaders to resume flying drones and manned aircraft out of air bases in the country more than a month after a coup halted all those activities there. Click here to read... [10]

Niger scraps military pact with Benin over aggression claims

Niger scrapped a military pact with neighboring Benin on Tuesday amid fears of possible armed intervention to restore constitutional order in the West African country. Click here to read... [11]

Congo Govt Denies Rumours Of Coup Attempt

The Congo Brazzaville Government headed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso has denied rumours of a coup attempt against his government, yesterday. Click here to read... [12]

Sudan conflict: Landmark skyscraper in Khartoum engulfed in flames

Buildings have caught fire in Sudan's capital after heavy fighting between the army and rival forces. Click here to read... [13]

Sudan's Burhan holds talks in Uganda as battles rage in Khartoum

Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan held talks on Saturday with Uganda's veteran President Yoweri Museveni on his latest diplomatic foray abroad. Click here to read... [14]

Senegal's Sall backs PM Ba for 2024 presidential elections

Senegal President Macky Sall on Saturday designated Prime Minister Amadou Ba as the ruling party's candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, presidential and governmental sources said. Click here to read... [15]

Presidential election in Madagascar: Rajoelina in the race, the controversy ruled out

The Malagasy electoral commission took note on Monday of the candidacy for the next presidential election of the outgoing head of state, Andry Rajoelina, hampered in recent months by a controversy surrounding his nationality finally swept aside by the courts. Click here to read... [16]

Egyptian court hands opposition figure Hisham Kassem six-month sentence

An Egyptian court has sentenced prominent dissident Hisham Kassem to six months in prison, his lawyer and political movement said, a move barring him from taking part in campaigning for next year's presidential election. Click here to read... [17]

Tanzania opposition leader released on bail –party

After a brief detention and interrogation by police on Sunday evening, Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been released on bail. Click here to read... [18]

Zimbabwe’s president faces outrage after appointing son and nephew as government ministers

Zimbabwe’s recently re-elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa is facing outrage after appointing his son as deputy minister to the country’s finance ministry. Click here to read... [19]

Hundreds of Eritrean opposition supporters arrested in Stuttgart

More than 200 Eritrean opposition supporters have been arrested in Germany after clashing with police. Click here to read... [20]

Mali's Tuareg rebels claim capture of more military bases

Fresh fighting broke out between Mali's army and northern Tuareg rebels on Sunday, with the rebels claiming to have taken control of two army bases in the central town of Lere. Click here to read... [21]

Massacre in Goma Clouds DR Congo’s Elections and UN Mission’s Future

On 30 August, elite troops slaughtered over 50 civilians planning to protest perceived foreign interference in the eastern DR Congo, three months ahead of elections. Click here to read... [22]

DR Congo Again Sounds Alarm Over Rwandan 'Aggression'

Kinshasa again sounded the alarm Thursday over the humanitarian tragedy being caused by Rwandan "aggression" inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Click here to read... [23]

Nigeria hit by widespread blackout in 'total system collapse'

A "total system collapse" caused widespread power cuts across Nigeria on Thursday. Click here to read... [24]

Power being restored in Nigeria after nationwide grid collapse

Nigeria experienced a nationwide power outage for about 10 hours after the country’s electrical grid collapsed due to a fire, authorities and the nation’s electricity distribution companies reported. Click here to read... [25]

Ethiopian forces clash with al Shabaab in western Somalia, residents say

Ethiopian forces engaged in fierce clashes with al Shabaab fighters near the town of Rab Dhuure in western Somalia on Sunday morning, local residents said. Click here to read... [26]

Kenya's President Ruto in Silicon Valley charm offensive woos US tech giants

Kenya's President William Ruto has invited American technology companies to set up regional offices in Kenya, saying the country was ready for investments. Click here to read... [27]

Somalia’s national ID system launched with NADRA’s help

Prime Minister of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre on Sunday inaugurated the Somali National Identification System (SNIDS) in partnership with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). Click here to read... [28]

Tunisia expels hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants amid crackdown

Tunisian authorities expelled hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants from the port of Sfax Sunday after they were thrown out of their homes during unrest in July, a rights group said. Click here to read... [29]

Catastrophic Libya flood: Death toll in Derna rises to 5,200

In Libya, the death toll from stunning flood impacts brought by a fierce Mediterranean storm has now reached more than 5,200, according to interior minister Essam Abu Zariba of the country’s eastern government. Click here to read... [30]

UN launches $71m urgent appeal for Libya flood victims

The United Nations is urgently seeking more than $71 million to assist those most in need after deadly flash floods swept Libya over the weekend. Click here to read... [31]

Taiwan pledges US$1 million to Libya for flood relief efforts

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday it will provide US$1 million in donations to Libya after devastating floods brought by Storm Daniel hit the north African nation, killing more than 5,300 people. Click here to read... [32]

Four killed in blast at Chinese-owned quarry in Ghana

At least four people were killed, including one Chinese national, in an explosion at a granite quarry in western Ghana owned by Chinese company Omni Quarries late on Saturday, local officials said on Sunday. Click here to read... [33]

Algeria: Bejaïa forest burns again as several wildfires break out

Emergency crews have begun work to extinguish several wildfires that have broken out in Algeria's northeastern Bejaia and Tizi-Ouzou provinces. The fire is reported to have gained strength and is now threatening hamlets. Click here to read... [34]

Africa CDC, France sign MoU to strengthen public health systems in Africa

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the government of France have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in public health. Click here to read... [35]

Germany adopts a new, humble Africa policy

Europe's influence in Africa is waning. Germany is now attempting a values-based approach but without paternalism. Click here to read... [36]

Iran contributes to launching healthcare center in Ghana

The center provides essential medical care, health education, and support services to over 20,000 residents within the inner-cities of the Zongo communities across the country. Click here to read... [37]

US to withhold $85 million aid to Egypt over political detentions

The United States plans to withhold $85 million in military aid to Egypt because of Cairo's failure to meet U.S. conditions on freeing political prisoners and other issues. Click here to read... [38]

US military resumes drone flights and manned counterterrorism missions out of Niger bases

The U.S. military has resumed flying drones and manned aircraft out of air bases in the Niger more than a month after a coup temporarily halted all those activities there. Click here to read... [39]

Macron Snubbed By Another African Nation; Quake-hit Morocco 'Won't Accept' French Aid

President Emmanuel Macron said that discussions about the state of French-Moroccan relations over aid for earthquake victims should "cease". Click here to read... [40]

Morocco rejects French foreign minister's comments that Macron will visit

Morocco rejected on Saturday remarks by French Foreign Minister Catherina Colonna who siad President Emmanuel Macron will visit Morocco. Click here to read... [41]

Central African Republic: President Touadéra meets Macron in France

French President Emmanuel Macron receives his Central African counterpart Faustin-Archange Touadéra on Wednesday against a backdrop of relaunching bilateral relations after years of tension due to the rise of the Russian Wagner militia in this country. Click here to read... [42]

Türkiye, Russia, China could fill void left by France in Africa: Professor

Following recent coups in former French colonies in Africa, countries like Russia, China, India and Türkiye could emerge as alternative options for Africans, demonstrating that France isn't their sole choice. Click here to read... [43]

EU chief calls for more engagement with Africa

The European Union must engage more with African countries, the bloc’s chief executive said on Wednesday, accusing Russia of stirring chaos in the Sahel and saying military coups destabilise the region making it prone to risk of terrorism. Click here to read... [44]

China, Zambia to boost cooperation as ties elevated

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday. Click here to read... [45]

Canada's Roxgold officially opens Ivory Coast gold mine

Canada's Roxgold on Friday opened its gold mine in the north-western region of Ivory Coast, aiming to produce about 130,000 ounces of gold per year, the company said on Friday. Click here to read... [46]

Zimbabwe Digs for Oil, Gas Despite Environmentalists' Opposition

Zimbabwe’s government is continuing with oil drilling near the border with Mozambique and Zambia, despite opposition from activists who warn that fossil fuel exploration will damage the environment. Click here to read... [47]

India in Africa

PM’s meeting with the President of Comoros

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met H.E. Mr. Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of the Comoros on 10 September 2023 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi. Click here to read... [48]

Renowned trade organisation, Africa India Economic Foundation grants permanent membership to the African Union at the G20 Summit in New Delhi

At the widely celebrated New Delhi-based G20 Summit, powered by the Presidency of India, the prestigious trade and strategic business alliance organization AIEF (Africa India Economic Foundation) granted its coveted permanent membership to the African Union (AU). Click here to read... [49]

RITES shares in focus as co signs MoU with CFM Angola for railways infra development

RITES and CFM Angola will collaborate in areas such as supply of Rolling stock, railway infrastructure projects, repairing of rolling stock, operations and maintenance of railway infrastructure and information technology services. Click here to read... [50]

Angola confirms Diamond delegation to Bharat Diamond Week

The Angolan delegation will take time to visit the Bharat Diamond Bourse to witness the state of the art infrastructure and facility within the world's largest diamond exchange. Click here to read... [51]

India to bring 12 cheetahs from South Africa every year

Despite the death of nine cheetahs in the last six months at Madhya Pradesh' Kuno National Park, the government is planning to import more wild cats from South Africa. Click here to read... [52]

‘Indian tourists to S. Africa could soar with direct flights’

Eyeing a larger share of Indian travellers, South Africa’s tourism marketing promotion council said it expects that travel could jump manifold if direct flights from India are introduced. Click here to read... [53]

Mauritian regulator revokes licences of Adani-linked firm under probe: Report

Mauritius' Financial Services Commission (FSC) revoked the business and investment licences of the firm, the controlling shareholder of two funds that invested in listed Adani companies and are now under probe. Click here to read... [54]