On 2 October 2023, when India celebrated both Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti, there was one more reason to celebrate this year. Click here to read... [2]
On October 17th officials from at least 90 countries are expected to arrive in Beijing for a two-day diplomatic festival. Click here to read... [3]
While the international community struggles to coordinate a unified effort to broker peace, Sudanese civilians bear the brunt of the fighting. Click here to read... [4]
Thirty years after the civil war between the Hutu and Tutsi began in Burundi, nobody has forgotten the atrocities. But the country's current conflict is more political than ethnic. Click here to read... [5]
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip has left the African continent deeply divided, with some countries choosing to remain silent while some have openly shown solidarity with either Israel or Palestine. Click here to read... [6]
Algeria’s football federation has offered to host Palestine’s international matches and ‘bear all associated costs’ amid the war in Gaza. Click here to read... [7]
A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry denied Thursday, 19 October, the closure of the Israeli liaison office in Rabat, claiming that Tel Aviv "took measures related to temporary circumstances." Click here to read... [8]
Liberians look set to return to the polls for a second time to determine the West African country’s next president, after neither of the two leading contenders secured enough votes for an outright victory. Click here to read... [9]
Yesterday in Brussels, President Bio addressed the Rebranding Africa Forum where he highlighted efforts by his government to develop Sierra Leone. Click here to read... [10]
The Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission (Céni) has declared admissible the 24 candidates registered for the 20 December presidential election, according to a list published on Friday but still to be examined by the Constitutional Court. Click here to read... [11]
The governor of the Abidjan district and former head of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), Robert Beugré Mambé, was named the new Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire on Monday and is expected to form a new government within the week, two years before the next presidential election. Click here to read... [12]
Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed the Minister of Economy and Planning on Tuesday and appointed the Minister of Finance as interim head of the ministry, the presidency of the Republic announced without giving any explanation. Click here to read... [13]
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared by-elections in nine constituencies that were controlled by lawmakers from the main opposition party who were stripped of their parliamentary seats. Click here to read... [14]
Prime Minister Sam Matekane of Lesotho is confronting an uncertain political future as the main opposition party, the Democratic Congress (DC), initiates a vote of no confidence. Click here to read... [15]
While the UN voiced concern over an escalation of fighting in Azawad in northern Mali, the Malian foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop said this weekend that the withdrawal of United Nations peacekeepers from the region would go ahead before 31 December. Click here to read... [16]
The first French road convoy containing troops withdrawing from Niger following the overthrow of its president has arrived in neighboring Chad, the French military said on Thursday. Click here to read... [17]
The military government in Niger says it has foiled an attempt by the deposed former President, Mohamed Bazoum, to escape from custody. Click here to read... [18]
The International Criminal Court said on Thursday that it had released a former militia leader in the Central African Republic and is dropping all charges against him. Click here to read... [19]
Ali Bongo Ondimba's former chief of staff was finally released from prison on October 20, after spending nearly four years in solitary confinement and more than a week after his confrontation with Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, the wife of the deposed former leader. Click here to read... [20]
Tensions are high in Madagascar as President Andry Rajoelina and his long-standing rival, former president Marc Ravalomanana, prepare for the island nation to head to the polls on 16 November. Click here to read... [21]
A collective of opposition candidates taking part in the Madagascan presidential elections have held a major rally in the capital, Antananarivo, denouncing what they described as “an illegitimate electoral process. Click here to read... [22]
The paramilitaries fighting the Sudanese army over the past six months have advanced and sought to consolidate their reach in the capital in recent weeks, eyewitnesses told Reuters. Click here to read... [23]
A prominent member of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) has disclosed that the African Union and IGAD are planning to hold a meeting with the banned National Congress Party (NCP) in an effort to involve them in an upcoming inclusive political process they prepare to convene. Click here to read... [24]
Several African countries have reiterated their support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan before the 4th Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York. Click here to read... [25]
The families of the victims of the crackdown on a demonstration against the extension of military rule in Chad, which left more than 100 people dead a year ago, are "still waiting for justice", Amnesty International deplored on Friday. Click here to read... [26]
In a recent turn of events, Paris willingly delivered its classified files to a commission of historians from both countries charged by President Paul Biya of Cameroon and French President Emmanuel Macron to unveil the gruesome yet often ignored part of colonisation and decolonization process of the central African country. Click here to read... [27]
Two boats carrying illegal migrants on Wednesday were intercepted by a Senegalese navy patrol off the coast of Senegal. Click here to read... [28]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Click here to read... [29]
The two-day visit will coincide with Zambia’s 59th anniversary of independence, which President Hassan will also attend. Click here to read... [30]
Djibouti joined Eritrea and Somalia in rejecting an appeal from Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to grant his country direct access to a port on the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Click here to read... [31]
For years, Africa's largest economy relied mainly on oil, but is now placing its bets on its mining industry. Nigeria wants to bank on the booming global lithium market. Click here to read... [32]
Ghana has granted a lithium mining license to Sydney-based Atlantic Lithium Limited, as the West African nation positions itself to tap into the multibillion-dollar global industry. Click here to read... [33]
Eurasian Resources Group plans an $800 million revamp of its dormant Comide copper and cobalt operation in Democratic Republic of Congo, as the Kazakhstan-backed miner taps demand for green-energy minerals. Click here to read... [34]
Sonangol and China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC) signed a contract for the construction of the Lobito Refinery in Angola. Click here to read... [35]
This 20-year investment cycle, which began in 2010, is anticipated to end with major LNG projects in Mozambique and floating LNG (FLNG) initiatives spanning five African nations. Click here to read... [36]
Losses occur at sea from primary processing of the catch and on land from processing in factories. Much of this can go toward production of fishmeal or fish oil. Click here to read... [37]
Togo and Benin have inked an agreement cutting significantly telecommunication costs including roaming and internet between the two countries. Click here to read... [38]
Jostling for space, people jam the crowded footpaths crisscrossing a massive open market in Uganda's capital. Click here to read... [39]
Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, with a message that China "can only do well when the world is doing well". Click here to read... [40]
China and the U.S. presented competing visions for development in Africa this week as several leaders from the continent attended Beijing’s Belt and Road Forum, marking the 10-year anniversary of the global infrastructure initiative. Click here to read... [41]
China on Tuesday upgraded its bilateral ties with Ethiopia in a show of deeper support for its a long-time strategic partner while extending a diplomatic push in a strategic part of Africa amid contesting efforts from Washington. Click here to read... [42]
On the morning of October 17, 2023, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali who is in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and pay an official visit to China. Click here to read... [43]
Vice President Kashim Shettima, says Nigeria’s strategic partnership with China needs to be scaled up because it remains key to Africa’s development. Click here to read... [44]
On the evening of October 19, 2023, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Prime Minister of Mozambique Adriano Afonso Maleiane who is in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF). Click here to read... [45]
Burkina Faso's military leaders have signed a deal with Russia to build a nuclear power plant to increase electricity supplies. Click here to read... [46]
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Libya's Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah for a closed-door meeting in Istanbul on Friday. No statement has been made about the details pertaining to the meeting. Click here to read... [47]
South Korea is increasing the number of African countries participating in its official development assistance (ODA) project to alleviate the chronic food shortage on the continent. Click here to read... [48]
The President of Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) President, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, and Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs of The Gambia, H.E. Mr. Seedy Keita met on the sidelines of the World Bank Bank/IMF Annual Meetings where they reviewed ongoing projects being financed by IsDB. Click here to read... [49]
A Turkish firm has cut power supplies to Guinea-Bissau's capital over an unpaid bill of at least $15m (£12m), plunging the city into darkness. Click here to read... [50]
Airtel Rwanda has announced the launch of the most affordable 4G LTE smartphone in Rwanda as part of the 'ConnectRwanda2.0' initiative, in partnership with the government of Rwanda. ‘Click here to read... [51]
Frederic Petit, a French MP of the Democratic Movement, has presented to France’s Foreign Affairs Committee a report detailing a new non-governmental diplomacy approach for France’s relations with Algeria. Click here to read... [52]
In a constitutional change, Mali, the eighth-largest country in Africa, has dropped French—its official language since 1960. Click here to read... [53]
Brian Mwenda, a Kenyan resident, posed as a legal practitioner, and his professionalism went unquestioned by judges until his recent arrest. Click here to read... [54]
Malawians endured the country’s hottest weekend on record, with temperatures reaching nearly 20C above the seasonal average. Click here to read... [55]
Morocco plans to build a large stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca, and upgrade six others in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, the prime minister’s office said on Friday. Click here to read... [56]
Six people including two civilians were killed and nine others wounded in a suicide attack on a military outpost in the outskirts of the Somali capital Mogadishu Saturday, police said. Click here to read... [57]
Nigeria has burned $1.4m (£1.2m) worth of pangolin scales in a stand against trafficking, officials said. Click here to read... [58]
An epidemic of dengue fever, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes, has killed 214 people in Burkina Faso since January 1, mainly in the capital Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, the country's second city, the Burkinabe government announced Thursday. Click here to read... [59]
An outbreak of diphtheria in northeastern Guinea has killed 58 people, many of them young children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement received Thursday. Click here to read... [60]
In a bid to enhance their long-standing relationship, India and Zambia have come together to explore new avenues of collaboration, particularly in the manufacturing of small arms, ammunition, and other defence equipment. Click here to read... [61]
India and Zambia on Friday agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration in the manufacture of small arms, ammunition and other defence equipment in Zambia. Click here to read... [62]
State Bank of Mauritius’s Indian arm is undergoing a revamp. A much-needed one. Click here to read... [63]
Taking into account that two women from Tamil Nadu who lost their husbands in 2013 in a road accident in Nigeria were yet to receive compensation, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the Nigeria High Commission in New Delhi to pursue the claim of the two women seeking compensation. Click here to read... [64]
The international focus on China’s expanding presence in Africa has overshadowed another significant development. Click here to read... [65]
[69]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/2023/october/26/africa-now-weekly-newsletter-week-43
[2] https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-how-indias-vaccine-industry-will-save-millions-of-children-in-africa-8621426.html
[3] https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/10/17/how-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-is-changing
[4] https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/10/after-six-months-civil-war-whats-state-play-sudan
[5] https://www.dw.com/en/the-long-road-to-reconciliation-after-burundis-civil-war/a-67174207
[6] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/israel-palestine-conflict-leaves-africa-divided/3027545
[7] https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2023/10/17/algeria-to-host-palestine-football-matches
[8] https://www.newarab.com/news/morocco-protests-continue-after-israeli-officials-leave
[9] https://www.ft.com/content/1958a8c3-0425-42e2-aa8b-d8521261addf
[10] https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/president-bio-speaks-in-brussels-as-sierra-leoneans-wait-impatiently-for-his-statement-on-peace-accord-signed-with-opposition-apc/
[11] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/20/dr-congo-lists-24-provisional-candidates-for-december-elections//
[12] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/16/ivory-coast-governor-robert-beugre-mambe-appointed-prime-minister/
[13] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/19/tunisia-president-saied-dismisses-economy-minister//
[14] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-20/zimbabwe-calls-by-elections-after-opposition-lawmakers-lose-seats
[15] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/17/lesothos-prime-minister-faces-uncertainty-amid-constitutional-challenge/
[16] https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231016-mali-junta-upholds-un-peacekeepers-departure-sends-more-troops-north
[17] https://www.voanews.com/a/military-first-french-convoy-withdrawing-from-niger-arrives-in-chad/7317461.html
[18] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67166122
[19] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/20/central-african-republic-ex-militia-leader-released-by-icc/
[20] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/21/gabon-former-bongos-chief-of-staff-released-from-prison/
[21] https://www.theafricareport.com/325186/madagascar-police-violence-mars-election-build-up/
[22] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/22/madagascar-opposition-denounce-illegitimate-electoral-process/
[23] https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudans-paramilitary-rsf-advances-seeks-cement-control-2023-10-18/
[24] https://sudantribune.com/article278419/
[25] https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/10/358402/western-sahara-several-african-countries-renew-support-for-moroccos-autonomy-plan
[26] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/20/chad-amnesty-calls-for-justice-one-year-after-bloody-demonstration/
[27] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/18/cameroon-paris-delivers-classified-colonisation-files-to-historians/
[28] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/20/senegal-navy-intercepts-two-migrant-boats//
[29] https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2676145-south-african-president-ramaphosa-to-attend-cairo-peace-summit
[30] https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/trade-infrastructure-in-focus-as-samia-embarks-on-zambia-trip-4409232
[31] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-19/djibouti-latest-nation-to-reject-ethiopia-s-red-sea-access-plea
[32] https://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-taps-into-the-global-lithium-market/a-67135006
[33] https://swarajyamag.com/world/ghana-joins-lithium-bandwagon-awards-historic-first-mining-lease-to-australian-firm
[34] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-20/erg-plans-800-million-reboot-of-idled-congo-copper-cobalt-mine
[35] https://www.greencarcongress.com/2023/10/20231022-lobito.html
[36] https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/africa-commits-800-billion-to-double-lng-exports-by-2035/104568494
[37] https://theprint.in/economy/namibia-is-building-a-blue-economy-turning-fish-waste-into-high-value-products-like-oil/1814318/
[38] https://northafricapost.com/72269-togo-benin-slash-telecommunication-charges.html
[39] https://www.foxnews.com/world/uganda-president-declares-ban-used-clothing-imports-west-says-items-coming-dead-people
[40] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/18/xi-jinping-opens-belt-and-road-forum-in-beijing/
[41] https://www.voanews.com/a/african-leaders-hear-china-s-xi-outline-new-development-push/7319955.html
[42] https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2652344-china-upgrades-ties-with-ethiopia-in-fresh-africa-diplomacy-push
[43] https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202310/t20231017_11162318.html
[44] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/10/nigeria-china-strategic-partnership-key-to-africas-development-shettima/
[45] http://ca.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zgxw/202310/t20231020_11164518.htm
[46] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67098444
[47] https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/president-erdogan-receives-libyan-pm-in-istanbul
[48] https://www.kedglobal.com/business-politics/newsView/ked202310200016
[49] https://www.isdb.org/news/isdb-and-the-gambia-to-strengthen-collaboration-in-education-energy-and-transportation
[50] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67143386
[51] https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-rwanda-launches-affordable-4g-smartphone-connectrwanda/886551/
[52] https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/10/358468/french-mp-encourages-non-governmental-diplomacy-with-algeria
[53] https://www.languagemagazine.com/2023/10/17/mali-drops-french-as-an-official-language/
[54] https://www.livemint.com/news/world/fake-kenyan-lawyer-who-won-26-cases-arrested-11697251093378.html
[55] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/17/malawi-swelters-in-record-heat-with-temperatures-nearly-20c-above-average
[56] https://theprint.in/sport/morocco-to-build-new-stadium-upgrade-six-others-before-2030-world-cup/1812551/
[57] https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/six-killed-in-suicide-bombing-in-somalias-capital-mogadishu-101697913058585.html
[58] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67134651
[59] https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/20/burkina-214-deaths-from-dengue-since-january-1//
[60] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/58-killed-due-to-diphtheria-outbreak-in-guinea-who-4497259
[61] https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-india-and-zambia-strengthen-bilateral-defence-ties-with-a-focus-on-manufacturing-3282869/
[62] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/zambia-seeks-indian-help-in-manufacture-of-small-arms-ammunition/article67443033.ece
[63] https://themorningcontext.com/business/how-state-bank-of-mauritius-is-rebuilding-itself-in-india
[64] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/hc-directs-indian-nigerian-authorities-to-pursue-claim-of-two-tamil-nadu-women-seeking-compensation/article67446528.ece
[65] https://www.military.africa/2023/10/while-the-world-watch-china-india-quietly-built-a-naval-base-in-africa/
[66] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 43, 2023)&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/2023/october/26/africa-now-weekly-newsletter-week-43
[67] http://twitter.com/share?text=Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 43, 2023)&url=https://www.vifindia.org/2023/october/26/africa-now-weekly-newsletter-week-43&via=Azure Power
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[69] https://www.vifindia.org/author/Samir-Bhattacharya