VIF News Digest: International Developments (Africa), 4 Feb - 10 Feb 2019

Al-Shabab claims responsibility for two Somalia attacks: VOA
4 February 2019

The Islamist al-Shabab group has claimed responsibility for two attacks in Somalia Monday. The terrorist group said one of its gunmen shot dead the manager of a Dubai-owned port in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Three other people were wounded in the incident.

Mohamad Dahir, a local security official, told the French news agency AFP, "An armed man shot and killed Paul Anthony Formosa who was the construction project manager for DP World. He was killed inside the port and the security forces also shot the killer on the spot." Click here to read... [2]

South Africa disappointed after Western powers' criticise policy in memo to Ramaphosa: Reuters
4 February 2019

South Africa expressed disappointment on Sunday after the United States and other Western powers wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to tackle corruption, and said those countries had breached diplomatic protocol.

The Sunday Times newspaper reported that the United States, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, had sent a joint memorandum to Ramaphosa through their diplomatic missions in Pretoria to warn that foreign investment was at risk unless South Africa takes tangible action against perpetrators of corruption and other serious crimes. Click here to read... [3]

Ghana President for 8-Day Working Visit to South Africa, U.S., Ethiopia: allAfrica
4 February 2019

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left Accra yesterday for an eight-day working visit to South Africa, the United States of America, and Ethiopia.

In South Africa, President Akufo-Addo will deliver the keynote address at the 2019 edition of the Investing in African Mining Indaba, the world's largest mining investment conference dedicated to the capitalisation and development of mining in Africa. Click here to read... [4]

African Development Bank, Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS), sign agreement for study on Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway: africanews
5 February 2019

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org [5]) and the Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) have signed an agreement for a study into a 1,000 kilometre highway linking Cote d’Ivoire’s commercial capital Abidjan, to Lagos in Nigeria, marking a new step in building regional integration and trade.

The proposed Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway, a six-lane (3-lane dual) motorway, will connect the countries via Ghana (Accra), Togo (Lomé) and Benin (Cotonou).The agreement signed Monday for a study on the technical, implementation and operational aspects of the project, comes nearly five years after the presidents of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, signed a treaty on the establishment of the highway in March 2014. Click here to read... [6]

Rights group accuses Burkina army of executions following anti-militant operations: Reuters
6 February 2019

Burkina Faso’s army said it had killed nearly 150 militants in response to an attack on civilians this week, but an international rights group said some of them had been executed in front of their families. The army has stepped up operations in response to worsening security across northern Burkina since last year, including attacks by Islamist militants and inter-ethnic clashes, leading to accusations of extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests. Rights activists fear such abuses could fuel spiraling instability in previously peaceful Burkina as they have in neighbouring Mali, where jihadist groups have tapped into ethnic rivalries and anger with the central government to recruit.

The violence in the West Africa’s Sahel region, a semi-arid band below the Sahara, has alarmed former colonial power France and the United States, who have deployed thousands of troops to the zone to counter al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups. Click here to read... [7]

Rwanda Signs $400M deal to produce Methane Gas from 'Killer Lake': VOA
6 February 2019

Rwanda said on Tuesday it had signed a $400 million deal to produce bottled gas from Lake Kivu, which emits such dense clouds of methane it is known as one of Africa's "Killer Lakes."

The project by Gasmeth Energy, owned by U.S. and Nigerian businessmen and Rwandans, would suck gas from the lake's deep floor and bottle it for use as fuel. This should, in turn, help prevent toxic gas bubbling to the surface. The seven-year deal, signed on Friday, was announced on Tuesday. Rwanda already has two companies that extract gas from Lake Kivu to power electricity plants. Click here to read... [8]

Researchers discover 40 mummies at ancient Egyptian burial site: The Hindu
7 February 2019

Researchers in Egypt have discovered more than 40 mummies at a burial site in central Egypt dating to the Ptolemaic era. The mummies include adults, children and animals. They had been laid on the floor or in open clay coffins in a crumbling underground chamber in Minya governorate.
While mummification is mostly associated with ancient Egypt, the practice continued under the kingdom founded by Ptolemy, a successor to Alexander the Great, which lasted from 323 BC to 30 BC. Click here to read... [9]

Russia is expanding its strategic influence in Africa: Quartz
8 February 2019

Much has been made about China’s role and profile in Africa and the factors underlying its activities on the continent. Less debated is the spread and depth of Russia’s contemporary presence and profile in Africa.

There was a strong Russian influence in Africa during the heyday of the Soviet Union. The post-independence governments of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Benin at some point all received diplomatic or military support from the Soviet Union. Click here to read... [10]

Egypt's Sisi takes over as new head of African Union: Aljazeera
10 February 2019

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took over as chair of the African Union (AU) following a meeting by heads of state from the continent in Ethiopia's capital on Sunday. The post rotates annually between the five regions of the continent.

The Egyptian leader is expected to focus on the fight against armed groups on the continent and rebuilding efforts of countries recovering from conflict. Click here to read... [11]

African Union: 32nd Summit opens today – African Daily Voice
10 February 2019

Virtually all of the 55 African heads of State and governments as well as the UN Secretary General are in Addis Ababa as the 32nd Session of the AU leaders kicks off this Sunday morning.

The summit officially opens this Sunday morning behind closed doors with outgoing President Paul Kagamé presenting his year-long stewardship at the helm of the Union. An afternoon session would include plenary discussion of major issues and events of prime concern to the development agenda of the African Union. Click here to read... [12]