News That Matters To Africa©️
Quote of the Day:
A 91 year old Comic’s Opening line: “My parents couldn’t be here tonight…”
Highlights:
Somalia changes constitution but faces Puntland revolt
Macron tells Senegalese he wants to ‘intensify partnership’
Extreme drought in Southern Africa; Sisi to swear-in as Egypt president for 3rd time
Russia-Ukraine conflict moves to Africa.
Top News:
Eastern Africa
Eastern DRC ‘at breaking point’ as security, humanitarian crises worsen
US talks often with Congo’s Gecamines on cobalt and copper
Ethiopia: MP, Councilmen facing terrorism charges appear before court in a closed hearing
Ethiopia repatriates 70,000 nationals from Saudi Arabia
Addis grants mining licenses to four companies
British Museum investigated over Ethiopian artefacts hidden from view for 150 years
From Shadows to Spotlight: Why Ethiopia became latest scene for cryptocurrency rush
6 Kenyan ‘hawkers’ killed in Somalia in suspected Al Shabaab attack
‘It’s mission impossible’: fear grows in Kenya over plan to deploy police to Haiti
Madagascar cyclone Gamane kills at least 18, displaces thousands, state says
Somalia parliament passes bill allowing President to appoint PM
Somalia’s Puntland refuses to recognise federal government after disputed constitutional changes
The Sudan conflict has become a ‘death wish’ for journalists
Ugandan president’s son vows crackdown on graft after taking over military
West Africa
A French-Malian singer is caught in an olympic storm
‘No decision’ on fate of US forces’ presence in Niger, Pentagon says
Nigerian village celebrates the return of kidnapped students
KFC Nigeria sorry after wheelchair user refused service
Macron tells Senegalese president-elect France wants to ‘intensify partnership’
Faye’s headache of keeping poll promises and kingmaker Sonko
Senegal’s fishermen pin hopes on new president to help them fill their nets
Southern Africa
Extreme drought in southern Africa leaves millions hungry
SAfr bus crash kills 45 Easter pilgrims from Botswana – one girl survives
Zuma’s past may cost him a seat in Parliament
Explainer: Jacob Zuma election ban. How does it affect South Africa’s election?
South Africa joins anti-US axis: WSJ
North Africa
IMF Confirms Increasing Egypt’s Bailout Loan To $8 Billion
Sisi to swear in as Egypt president for third time
A racist campaign is underway against black Tunisian journalist
Africa General
Africa expected to be $2.5 trillion short for climate finance, says UN
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict has spread to Africa
Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa top list of most polluted African countries
TikTok strikes deal with AU amid increased scrutiny over data use
Understanding the impact of major internet outages across Africa
Saharan dust smothers Switzerland, Southern France
Video of the Day
Ramaphosa: We are pleased and sad over ICJ outcome
What Is the Future of U.S.-Africa Trade Policy?
Rwanda’s Inyambo Parade Festival Returns After 60 Years
Africa Related Books/Publications
Who was Frantz Fanon, the freedom fighter Palestine supporters love to quote?
Africa News Podcast
Sudan: The war the world forgo
(8) Articles on Analysis,Editorial & Opinion
Eastern Africa
DR CONGO
Eastern DRC ‘at breaking point’ as security, humanitarian crises worsen
War is on the doorstep of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Goma city and the region is at breaking point, activists and aid workers have said, as the United Nations sounds an alarm over the situation in the Central African country. “One Congolese person out of four faces hunger and malnutrition,” Bintou Keita, the head of the UN’s DRC peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, told the UN Security Council this week, warning of a rapidly deteriorating security situation and a humanitarian crisis reaching near catastrophic levels. “More than 7.1 million people have been displaced in the country. That is 800,000 people more since my last briefing three months ago,” she said. Heavy fighting between the Congolese army and armed group M23 has intensified in the eastern part of the country since February, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes as the rebels make territorial gains. The armed group “is making significant advances and expanding its territory to unprecedented levels”, Keita said at the UN on Wednesday. This comes as fierce battles between the army and rebels have reached the outskirts of Sake, a village about 25km (15.5 miles) from regional economic hub Goma – marking a major advancement for M23. About 250,000 people fled their homes between mid-February and mid-March, according to UN figures, with the vast majority seeking shelter in and around Goma. Pockets of makeshift tents have popped up along roads or desolated areas with no access to basic aid. Things are at a breaking point,” said Shelley Thakral, a World Food Programme spokesperson, after returning to Kinshasa from a trip to Goma. The effects are also being felt inside Goma, where civilians have seen the price of basic commodities skyrocketing and health services being disrupted by a steady stream of refugees coming in.
US talks often with Congo’s Gecamines on cobalt and copper, official says
The United States speaks regularly with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s state miner Gecamines, as Washington seeks to deepen relationships with key suppliers of cobalt and copper across the African continent. Chinese aggressive investment across Congo, Zambia and elsewhere in Africa – which holds massive supplies of minerals used to make electric vehicles and other electronics – has for some time raised concern in Washington. Jose Fernandez, the U.S. State Department’s under secretary for economic growth, energy, and the environment, said in an interview this week that conversations with Gecamines center on supply deals and potential new mines or other projects the company is considering. Conversations take place on average every four to six weeks, he said. The Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), a multinational collaboration of more than a dozen countries and the European Union to invest in a global supply chain, announced a deal with Gecamines and Japan’s JOGMEC in February. That deal was a product of those conversations, Fernandez said. Fernandez said that the United States continues to work with Zambia and Congo on mining and regulatory structures. Despite Washington’s efforts in recent years, the United States has lagged behind China in securing access to minerals across the African continent needed for the production of products like EV batteries and solar panels. Washington’s goal is not to offset China’s influence in Africa’s critical mineral sector but to diversify its own supply chains and encourage African partners to boost their mining standards, Fernandez said.
ETHIOPIA
MP, Councilmen facing terrorism charges appear before court in a closed hearin
Member of Parliament Christian Tadele, Amhara Regional Council member Yohannes Buyalew, Addis Abeba City Council member Kassa Teshager were part of the 14, of 52 individuals facing terrorism charges, who were presented in a closed hearing at the Federal High Court’s Lideta branch on Friday. One relative of defendant Christian Tadele stated that neither Christian nor his lawyers were aware of the rescheduled hearing. The relative further alleged the defendants had not received the formal charges against them nor been able to consult their legal counsel prior to the proceedings. On Thursday, state media outlets reported that Christian Tadele, Yohannes Buyalew and 50 other individuals were charged with terrorism offenses by the Ministry of Justice’s Directorate General of Organized and Transboundary Crime Affairs. The reports state the defendants had “assembled since 2022 with the objective of establishing the Amhara Fano Unity Council.” While noting the “Amhara nation holds ownership of the country along with other Ethiopian nationalities and peoples,” the reports allege the defendants believed “the country had been usurped from Amhara, its lands unlawfully taken, with the country no longer governed according to Amhara traditions and principles alone.” The defendants are accused of seeking to reclaim what they viewed as “Amhara lands” through military means with the intent that Ethiopia must be ruled exclusively by “Amhara ideals.” The reports further indicate the defendants are alleged to be the primary perpetrators who directly and indirectly participated through “organizing, procuring arms, commanding, coordinating logistics for a terrorist group.” The reports state the defendants “acted as propagandists for a terrorist group, launching attacks on defense and security forces, as well as peaceful citizens, with the aim of violently overthrowing the government.” The reports list over 1,100 deaths among security personnel and civilians resulting from the alleged attacks, as well as more than 600 serious and minor injuries.
70,000 nationals repatriated from Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia has opted to take back thousands of its nationals who had been living in squalid conditions in Saudi Arabia. The decision was announced last week in Addis Ababa but will actually begin in early April, targeting some 70,000 Ethiopians. It may be the noblest thing to do in rescuing its stranded citizens, but it poses a humanitarian problem to a country struggling with displacement of populations by local conflicts and from neighbouring countries…In March 2022, Ethiopia had struck a deal with Saudi Arabia to repatriate more than 100,000 Ethiopians. It followed rights groups’ accusations of Saudi Arabia that it was mistreating foreign labourers. But an earlier assessment by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which has been involved in past repatriation, showed most of them unemployed or in irregular unskilled work. The repatriation includes flights to Addis Ababa from Saudi Arabia, electronic registration and temporary holding to await transfer back to their villages. It also includes some kind of counselling, temporary access to meals and medical assistance. The programme has in the past fallen short, however. “Given this sudden and unprepared forced repatriation, the reintegration of Ethiopian returnees has been painfully slow and largely unaddressed,” IOM said of the previous programmes. “Most returnees face severe difficulties in reintegrating, as they return empty-handed because they used their earnings for living expenses and remittances.” Last year, IOM helped 42,000 of them return to Ethiopia. It helped over 92,000 in 2022.
Gov’t grants mining licenses to four companies
The Ministry of Mines has just granted mining licenses to four dynamic companies, signaling a major step forward in Ethiopia’s mining sector. With a combined registered capital exceeding three billion birr, these enterprises are set to drive significant growth and development. The licenses were ceremoniously bestowed upon company representatives by Minister of Mining, Habtamu Tegegne, yesterday. These licenses, in line with the Council of Ministers’ decision, aim to boost bromine, granite, coal, and alluvial gold mining activities. Among the recipients is Jereh Chemical Industrial PLC, gearing up for bromine production with a hefty investment of over $39 million. Earlier in the week, the Ministry unveiled a significant discovery of over 517 tons of gold reserves in Ethiopia. State Minister for Mines, Million Mathios, revealed that extensive surveys conducted over the past 15 years have led to the identification of substantial gold ore deposits across various regions, including Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Oromia, and Tigray.
British Museum investigated over Ethiopian artefacts hidden from view for 150 years
The information watchdog is investigating the British Museum over claims it has been overly secretive about some of the most sensitive items in its collection – a group of sacred Ethiopian altar tablets that have been hidden from view at the museum for more than 150 years. The 11 wood and stone tabots, which the museum acknowledges were looted by British soldiers after the Battle of Maqdala in 1868, have never been on public display and are considered to be so sacred that even the institution’s own curators and trustees are forbidden from examining them. There have long been calls for them to be returned to Ethiopia. In 2019 the country’s culture minister, on a visit to the museum, requested their return. Campaigners have now submitted a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) arguing that the museum has failed to disclose key details of internal discussions about the tabots in response to a freedom of information request. Returning Heritage, a not-for-profit organisation that collates information on cultural restitution, submitted the FoI request in August 2023 and says the museum’s reply omitted relevant material, while other information was overly redacted. An internal museum review carried out at Returning Heritage’s request upheld its initial response. The organisation argues that while the British Museum Act 1963, which bars the disposal of objects except in very limited circumstances, means the status of other disputed artefacts is ambiguous, the tabots could lawfully be returned now. “The act is very explicit that the museum [can’t] return objects,” said Lewis McNaught, Returning Heritage’s managing editor. “But there are some legal exemptions within the act. And one of those exemptions allows the trustees to return certain items if they consider them ‘unfit to be retained’.” Because the tabots will never be exhibited or studied – they are thought to be held in a sealed room that can only be entered by Ethiopian clergy – they fit this category, the organisation believes.
From Shadows to Spotlight: Why Ethiopia became latest scene for cryptocurrency rush
With vast untapped renewable energy resources, rock-bottom electricity costs, and a government hungry for foreign direct investment (FDI), Ethiopia is becoming a magnet for Bitcoin miners worldwide. Last month, Bloomberg reported that 21 Bitcoin miners, of whom 19 hail from China, have successfully procured cost-effective power supply agreements within the confines of the East African nation. In mid-February 2024, Ethiopian Investment Holdings, a state-owned entity, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Data Center Service, a subsidiary of the West Data Group based in Hong Kong. The MoU outlines collaboration on a project valued at $250 million aimed at developing advanced infrastructure to support data mining and artificial intelligence training operations in Ethiopia. This influx of financial resources signifies a growing trend, as Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) has disclosed that 25 mining firms have petitioned to collaborate with the state electric utility. Among them, four companies have initiated operations, five are in the process of constructing data centers, and ten others are in the preparatory stages for launch. Of considerable significance within the forthcoming investments in the cryptocurrency sector, which exemplify the profitability of the endeavor, is the planned development of a $250 million Bitcoin mining facility on the outskirts of Addis Abeba by the Russian company, BitCluster…This mining process is exceedingly energy-intensive, necessitating miners to consume substantial quantities of cost-effective and reliable electricity to power their mining equipment continuously. It is this relentless demand for computational power and electricity that has drawn miners to exploit Ethiopia’s plentiful renewable energy potential. Following China’s crackdown on cryptocurrency mining (due to Bitcoin’s energy-intensive operations and their potential to undermine the nation’s environmental objectives), certain countries stand to benefit, with Ethiopia notably emerging as a new frontier for this energy-intensive industry in Africa.
KENYA
6 Kenyan ‘hawkers’ killed in Somalia in suspected Al Shabaab attack
Six Kenyans have been killed in Dhobley, Somalia by suspected Al Shabaab militants, Liboi Deputy County Commissioner Ali Manduku has confirmed. Mr Manduku said the six are from the Meru region in Kenya and have been hawking plastic utensils in Dhobley Town. Mr Manduku could not explain how the six found their way into Dhobley despite a closed border between Kenya and Somalia. Kenya announced the closure of her border with Somalia in 2011.
’It’s mission impossible’: fear grows in Kenya over plan to deploy police to Haiti
Haiti’s raging gang insurrection has prompted growing concern in Kenya over plans to deploy hundreds of paramilitary police officers from the East African country on a UN-backed multinational mission to counter the violence. “If they come back in body bags, what will [Kenya’s president, William Ruto] tell the nation?” said Ekuru Aukot, leader of the opposition Thirdway Alliance, who last year filed a legal challenge against the deployment. The mission, which was slated to begin in early 2024, has faced intense public and legal scrutiny in Kenya, especially since the country’s high court ruled against the deployment, arguing that a deployment would be unlawful for lack of a “reciprocal agreement” between the two countries. The resignation of Haiti’s embattled prime minister, Ariel Henry, threw up yet another roadblock, after armed groups formed a united front to force him from office, launching attacks on key infrastructure like international airports, police stations and prisons. The spiraling bloodshed has revived public concerns over the safety of the Kenyan officers being deployed. Reports also emerged earlier this month that some of the Kenyan paramilitaries scheduled for deployment had dropped out. “The [Kenyan] public is much more concerned now given the meltdown in the security situation,” said Murithi Mutiga, Africa program director at the International Crisis Group. Authorities in Nairobi paused the plan following Henry’s resignation, citing a “fundamental change in circumstances in Haiti” and “complete breakdown of law and order”. But Kenyan authorities have indicated an intention to press on with the mission once Haitian political factions have agreed on a transitional council. Opposition leaders have promised further legal challenges, and criticised the perceived government “secrecy” around the deal, which has not been made public. Opposition figures have also questioned why the country’s elite forces are being sent abroad while security challenges at home go unaddressed.
MADAGASCAR
Cyclone Gamane kills at least 18, displaces thousands, state says
A tropical cyclone that swept across the island of Madagascar this week killed at least 18 people and displaced thousands more, the country’s disaster management office said on Friday. Tropical cyclone Gamane, which crossed the northeast of Madagascar on Wednesday and Thursday, displaced more than 20,000 people, the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said in a report. Three others were injured and four were still missing, it added. Gamane made landfall north of Vohémar in northeast Madagascar on Wednesday morning with average winds of 150 km per hour and gusts of 210 km per hour, BNGRC said late on Thursday. It slowly dissipated on Thursday afternoon while still over land, the disaster management office said, having dumped heavy rain and caused flooding in many localities. Roads and bridges collapsed in the north of Madagascar, BNRGC said. Gamane is the first this year in Madagascar’s cyclone and storm season.Early last year, cyclone Freddy and tropical storm Cheneso killed at least 37 people and forced thousands from their homes.
SOMALIA
Parliament passes bill allowing President appoint PM
Somalia made significant changes to its constitution on Saturday, granting the president the authority to appoint and dismiss the prime minister. This decision, approved by a substantial majority of parliament, follows intense debates within the federal assembly in Mogadishu. The amendments, proposed by the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission (ICRIC), underwent thorough scrutiny. Hussein Idow, the chairperson of the Constitutional Review Committee, announced that three draft provisions concerning religion would undergo further review to ensure alignment with Somali principles and values. These amendments, under review for almost a decade, gained momentum in late 2023. They aim to address longstanding disputes in Somali politics, particularly power struggles between presidents and prime ministers, often fueled by constitutional ambiguities. The amended constitution also introduces a five-year term for government bodies, refers to regional state leaders as presidents, and promotes a multi-party system. However, some political figures, including former presidents and state leaders, oppose these changes, citing concerns about insufficient consensus. In February, the ICRIC proposed amendments covering various topics, including the age of maturity for girls and the criminalization of female genital mutilation. While the approved amendments set the age of maturity at 15 and the age of responsibility at 18, rights groups caution that this may exacerbate the risks of child marriage, particularly for girls.
Puntland refuses to recognise federal government after disputed constitutional changes
Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland said on Sunday it has withdrawn from the country’s federal system and will govern itself independently until constitutional amendments passed by the central government are approved in a nationwide referendum. The federal parliament in Mogadishu on Saturday approved several constitutional changes that the government says are necessary to establish a stable political system. Critics say the changes, which include introducing direct presidential elections and allowing the president to appoint a prime minister without parliamentary approval, concentrate power in the hands of the executive. “Puntland will act independently until there is a federal government with a constitution that is agreed upon by a referendum in which Puntland takes part,” the state’s council of ministers said in a statement. The rift is another headache for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is struggling to end an al Qaeda-linked insurgency, put down a resurgence in piracy and assert federal authority over the breakaway region of Somaliland after it agreed to lease a port to Ethiopia.
SUDAN
The Sudan conflict has become a ‘death wish’ for journalists
Since the outbreak of hostilities between the paramilitary RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023, journalists have suffered escalating violations at the hands of both factions. Covering the conflict has now become a death wish. More than 249 Sudanese journalists have been documented as victims of threats, torture, or death in the wake of the conflict, as per the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS). Neither opposing sides acknowledges the notion of independent journalism, often levelling accusations against those who practice it, which puts the lives of journalists covering the war and its harrowing aftermath in grave danger. “It is obvious that both [the RSF and the SAF] show little concern for the freedom of the press and the lives of journalists documenting the civil war,” Secretary of the SJS, Mohammed Abdulaziz, says. “The syndicate is applying pressure on both sides to respect these fundamental rights.” According to Mohammed, SJS data revealed a surge in infractions against journalists in Khartoum and Darfur, where hundreds faced various injustices ranging from unlawful arrests to murder. The systemic targeting has forced the majority of media institutions to cease operations, leaving 90 percent of Sudanese journalists with unpaid dues and no viable source of income.
UGANDA
Plan revived to tarmac highway through Serengeti
The son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to fight corruption in the military after taking over as its top commander, a move widely expected to accelerate his rise to eventually succeed his father. Museveni, 79, who has led Uganda for 38 years, named 49-year-old son Muhoozi Kainerugaba as the East African country’s new Chief of Defence Forces last week. In a formal handover ceremony, Kainerugaba “vowed to improve the welfare of soldiers by fighting the evil of corruption and mismanagement of resources”, according to a statement released by the military. Uganda’s military plays a significant role in regional peace and has contingents deployed in Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo where troops are helping battle Islamist insurgents. Uganda’s opposition has accused Museveni of fast-tracking his son’s military career to prepare him to take political power. Museveni has denied grooming him for the presidency. In 2022, Museveni removed Kainerugaba from his post as commander of Uganda’s land forces after he made threats to invade neighbouring Kenya in posts on social media platform X.
Western Africa
MALI
A French-Malian Singer Is Caught in an Olympic Storm
Aya Nakamura’s music is one of France’s top cultural exports. But reports that she might perform at the Paris Games have prompted fierce debates over identity and language. The possible choice for the opening ceremony of Ms. Nakamura, a superstar French-Malian singer whose slang-spiced lyrics stand at some distance from academic French, has ignited a furor tinged with issues of race and linguistic propriety and the politics of immigration. Right-wing critics say her music does not represent France, and the prospect of Ms. Nakamura performing has led to a barrage of racist insults online against her. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation. The rapid immersion of the Olympics in France’s culture wars has its roots in a meeting on Feb. 19 at the Élysée Palace between President Emmanuel Macron and Ms. Nakamura, 28. Mr. Macron, doubling as the artistic director of the Olympics, asked if she would perform. Born Aya Danioko in Bamako, Mali, she took her stage name from a character in “Heroes,” a science fiction series on NBC. Raised in a suburb of Paris, she mixes French lyrics with Arabic, English and West African languages like Bambara, the Malian language of her parents, in songs that interweave R&B, zouk and the rhythms of Afropop. Marine Le Pen, a leader of the far-right National Rally party, weighed-in by insisting that Ms. Nakamura sang “who knows what” language — certainly not French — and was unfit to represent the country…The furor over her possible performance reflects a fractured France. Some see a reactionary nation intent on ignoring how large-scale immigration, particularly from North Africa, has enriched the country hosting the 33rd Summer Olympics of modern times. Others, especially on the right, see a multicultural France intent on concealing its Christian roots, even the nation itself, especially with the erasure of the cross from the Invalides dome and the absence of a single French flag in the official poster.
SEE ALSO
How Africans Are Changing French — One Joke, Rap and Book at a Tim
More than 60 percent of French speakers now live in Africa. Despite growing resentment at France, Africans are contributing to the evolution and spread of the French language.
NIGER
’No decision’ on fate of US forces’ presence in Niger, Pentagon says
No decision has been made by the US regarding its troops in Niger. Reporters were told by Pentagon Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder when asked about the fate of US troops in Niger that “there’s been no decisions made at this stage on the movement of US forces. Well, I did see that article…I really don’t have anything on that… To my knowledge, there continue to be ongoing discussions at this time,” he added. This comes a day after the West African country said the US intends to submit a plan to “disengage” its soldiers from the region and after Niger canceled its military agreement with the US earlier this month, deeming the presence of the US and its 1,000 troops and contractors “illegal”. Nigerien government Spokesperson Amadou Abdramane justified the decision because “it was not democratically approved and imposes unfavorable conditions on Niger, particularly in terms of lack of transparency on military activities.” The accord, which facilitated the “illegal” presence of American military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense within the Nigerien borders, was labeled by Niger as unfair and a tool used by the US to undermine the nation’s sovereignty.
NIGERIA
Nigerian village celebrates the return of kidnapped students
The whole village of Kuriga ran towards the convoy of buses shouting “Our children are back!” and “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Thank you, God”, to welcome home more than 100 students and staff who were abducted this month in Nigeria’s northwest. The army announced on Sunday it had rescued 137 hostages – 76 female and 61 male – in the neighbouring state of Zamfara, days before a deadline to pay a 1 billion naira ($767,000) ransom for their release. The students described being marched through the forest for more than two weeks in an attempt to hide from authorities, having to sleep under trees, being fed half cooked rice and given only filthy water to drink. “Even the bandits were hungry,” said Amina Alhassan, one of the kidnapped students, talking through the window of a bus as it pulled into Kuriga. “We used our dirty headscarves as sanitary pads…we were crying and praying every day.” Tanko Musa, one of the freed students, said the kidnappers told them the government had paid the ransom and they could be released as a result. “We don’t know how much was paid, but they said the government has paid them,” he said. Earlier this week, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said no ransom had been paid. One security source said he saw 14 black bags, which he assumed contained the ransom money, being delivered to an area in Zamfara state where the students were held after their March 7 abduction. Relieved parents crowded around the buses to catch a glimpse of the children they thought they had lost.
KFC Nigeria sorry after wheelchair user refused service
KFC Nigeria has issued an apology after the airport authority shut one of its outlets over alleged discrimination against a disabled client. Adebola Daniel, son of a former Nigerian state governor Gbenga Daniel, said in a post on X that he was ordered to leave a KFC outlet at Lagos airport because of his wheelchair. The post sparked widespread outrage.
It also prompted an investigation by the federal airport authority, ending in the branch’s closure. In a long thread, Mr Daniel described the incident, which happened on Tuesday, as “the worst sort of public humiliation” he had ever experienced. “Today I felt less than human, like a guard dog not allowed into the house. Lonely and isolated.” He alleged that the manager of the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s busiest airport, denied him service despite multiple pleas from his wife and two brothers, who were travelling with him. “When you guys came in, we should have told you guys that wheelchair is not allowed… people know that wheelchair is not allowed [at KFC],” the KFC employee said, suggesting that the restaurant’s policy barred wheelchair users. In a post on X on Thursday, KFC Nigeria said sorry to Mr Daniel and announced measures to address the situation, including training its employees on inclusion and empathetic customer service.
SENEGAL
Faye’s headache of keeping poll promises and kingmaker Sonko
In his first speech after his landslide victory, Senegal’s incoming President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye promised to stay the course of his party’s pre-election campaign promises. On top of the list of these promises contained in his campaign manifesto, christened Project Senegal, are fighting corruption, creating employment opportunities for the youth, and significantly reducing the cost of living, a major concern for the majority of the 17 million Senegalese population. Diomaye, as he is popularly known, also promises to review oil and gas mining agreements, among other things. But an even more thorny issue surrounding the new president is his promise to revisit relations with former colonial master, France. His party, the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef), has said the new administration wants to terminate the country’s membership of the 14-nation West African monetary union, which is pegged on the Euro, and which many Senegalese believe has allowed France to control its former colony since independence. Pastef was led by Ousmane Sonko who, like Mr Faye, was in jail until two weeks ago. Mr Sonko emerged from jail and publicly endorsed Mr Faye, earning him a great dose of popularity. With that, some say Mr Faye’s victory is largely a credit to Mr Sonko, who himself has nursed presidential ambitions. A lot of the discussions before and during the elections centred on the French connection, but, tallying with high anti-French sentiment partly fuelled by events in neighbouring countries, where the militaries have usurped power in the face of growing insecurity in the region. Senegal had been the odd one out of the former French colonies, having never experienced a coup since independence. But, for many Senegalese youth, the outcome of the election marks the true independence of their country. And, by this they mean that they should be able to determine their destiny, going forward.
Macron tells Senegalese president-elect France wants to ‘intensify partnership
President Emmanuel Macron told Senegal’s anti-establishment president-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye that France wanted to “continue and intensify the partnership” between their countries, his office said. Macron offered Faye “warm congratulations” for his victory in last Sunday’s presidential election, hailed the smooth unfolding of the vote and “the sovereign choice of the Senegalese people,” his office said. In their first telephone call since the election, Macron and Faye discussed the main areas of “bilateral cooperation and the regional situation,” the Elysée Palace added. Faye’s firebrand political mentor Ousmane Sonko has regularly railed against former colonial power France, but Faye said after his win that Senegal would remain a trustworthy ally of foreign partners. That reassurance was welcomed by France, Senegal’s main political and economic partner, which has seen its influence wane in its former West African colonies in recent years.
Fishermen pin hopes on new president to help them fill their nets
Hope is on the horizon and it lies in the country’s new president: Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Newly elected this week after years of tribulations and political crises – including a recent failed attempt by outgoing leader Macky Sall to delay the vote – Faye is Africa’s youngest leader at 44. For many disenfranchised Senegalese fishermen who feel they have been wronged by their former leaders, he is also a symbol of change. For the past years under President Sall, legal fishing by industrial foreign trawlers from China and Europe who had signed contracts with the government, decimated Senegal’s fish stocks, leaving artisanal fishers with empty nets. This scarcity also led local fish prices to soar, according to fishermen – something that could significantly affect people’s nutritional intake, as Senegalese get about 40 percent of their animal protein from seafood, according to 2017 figures. In 2018, the value of Senegal’s legal fish exports reached more than $490m, accounting for 10 percent of the country’s exports, behind only phosphates, oil and gold. Senegal also loses $272m per year because of unauthorised and illegal industrial fishing by foreign boats. Foreign boats are restricted from fishing in certain areas and have strict indicators as to what type of catch they are allowed to fish. But often, they turn off their satellite transponders to avoid being tracked and use illegal nets. Without fish, many livelihoods that depend directly and indirectly on fishing are lost, and a sizeable number of fishermen choose to immigrate to other countries or use their sailing skills and take dangerous boat journeys to Spain’s Canary Islands. In 2023, the UN refugee agency had registered more than 15,000 arrivals to Spain. But now, the president-elect wants to change the fate of fishermen.
Southern Africa
ZIMBABWE
Extreme drought in southern Africa leaves millions hungry
Over 2 1/2 million people in rural, Zimbabwe are threatened with hunger because of the drought that has enveloped large parts of southern Africa since late 2023. It has scorched the crops that tens of millions of people grow themselves and rely on to survive, helped by what should be the rainy season. They can rely on their crops and the weather less and less. The drought in Zimbabwe, neighboring Zambia and Malawi has reached crisis levels. Zambia and Malawi have declared national disasters. Zimbabwe could be on the brink of doing the same. The drought has reached Botswana and Angola to the west, and Mozambique and Madagascar to the east. A year ago, much of this region was drenched by deadly tropical storms and floods. It is in the midst of a vicious weather cycle: too much rain, then not enough. It’s a story of the climate extremes that scientists say are becoming more frequent and more damaging, especially for the world’s most vulnerable people. The United Nations Children’s Fund says there are “overlapping crises” of extreme weather in eastern and southern Africa, with both regions lurching between storms and floods and heat and drought in the past year. In southern Africa, an estimated 9 million people, half of them children, need help in Malawi. More than 6 million in Zambia, 3 million of them children, are impacted by the drought, UNICEF said. That’s nearly half of Malawi’s population and 30% of Zambia’s. While human-made climate change has spurred more erratic weather globally, there is something else parching southern Africa this year. El Niño, the naturally occurring climatic phenomenon that warms parts of the Pacific Ocean every two to seven years, has varied effects on the world’s weather. In southern Africa, it means below-average rainfall, sometimes drought, and is being blamed for the current situation.
SOUTH AFRICA
Bus crash kills 45 Easter pilgrims from Botswana – one girl survives
A bus crash in northern South Africa killed 45 pilgrims travelling from Botswana for Easter festivities on Thursday, authorities said, with the sole survivor an eight-year-old girl currently being treated in hospital. South African police said 31 female and 15 male Botswanan passengers died in the crash, after the driver lost control and collided with barriers on a bridge near Mamatlakala. The bus went over the bridge and hit the ground below, catching fire. All the victims were from the village of Molepolole near the Botswana capital Gaborone, it said. Some bodies were burned beyond recognition while others were trapped inside the debris or strewn about the scene. Authorities had begun a “process to identify and repatriate the remains of the deceased”, the police statement said. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent his condolences to the families of the victims, his office said in a statement. The young girl who survived was receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital, the Limpopo region’s Department of Transport said.
Zuma’s past may cost him a seat in Parliament
Former president Jacob Zuma’s attempt at another shot in the presidency has come crashing down after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) upheld an objection that he may stand as one of the candidates in the elections. Zuma’s past has come back to haunt him, with the IEC set to remove him from the ballot. But his party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) has indicated it would appeal the decision of the IEC. Chairperson (IEC) Mosotho Moepya has said parties who want to appeal have until Tuesday to do so and the final decision will be made on April 9. But IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo fired the warning shot a few months ago when he said the law was clear that people who have been convicted and given a sentence longer than 12 months are barred from participating in the elections. One of the reasons that a candidate cannot contest for a seat in Parliament or provincial legislature was a criminal record. Zuma spent a few months in jail in 2021 after he disobeyed a court order to appear before the Zondo Commission into State Capture. The Constitutional Court had sentenced him to 15 months in jail for this. Zuma has been talking about getting two-thirds in the elections, but opinion polls have put the African National Congress (ANC) at below 50%. But the MK party has been doing well in by-elections. The test for the party would not lie in the national elections on May 29. There are currently 14 parties represented in Parliament. The outcome of the elections may determine a new chapter in Parliament.
Explainer: Jacob Zuma election ban. How does it affect South Africa’s election?
South Africa’s election authorities have barred former President Jacob Zuma from standing in the country’s May election, heightening political tensions as the vote approaches in a nation that many analysts believe could see its most competitive electoral contest since the end of apartheid and the initiation of democracy in 1994.
Here is what we know about the case and Zuma’s political future:
South Africa joins anti-US axis: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pointed out on Sunday that South Africa’s legal case against “Israel” before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its war on the Gaza Strip and other developments are causing Congress to reexamine Washington’s ties with what it called “our non-friends in Pretoria.” In an opinion piece, the newspaper’s editorial board echoed a similar statement by “Israel” and considered that “South Africa held hands with Hamas in January and charged Israel with genocide at the International Court of Justice.” It said that on Thursday, the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee 36-13 with bipartisan support. According to the piece, the bill mentioned that South Africa has a “history of siding with malign actors,” which include the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, Russia, and China. The House bill added that the ruling African National Congress party hosted three Hamas members in Pretoria last December, and said that in February 2023, South Africa hosted trilateral naval exercises with Russia and China. It noted that the legislation was passed while South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor was in Washington as part of a progressive speaking tour. The WSJ’s editorial board said that Pandor is known for her anti-Israeli foreign policy stance, adding that the top diplomat has warned South African citizens fighting with the Israeli occupation forces or alongside them in the Gaza Strip will face arrest upon returning home…The WSJ’s editorial board concluded its opinion piece by affirming that the United States needs friends around the world, but considered that South Africa has been moving toward the anti-US axis for some time, adding that Pretoria’s efforts to bring “Israel” to the ICJ constitute a hostile act against a US ally.
North Africa
EGYPT
IMF Confirms Increasing Egypt’s Bailout Loan To $8 Billion
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund confirmed a deal with Egypt to increase its bailout loan from $3 billion to $8 billion, in a move that is meant to shore up the Arab country’s economy, which is hit by a staggering shortage of foreign currency and soaring inflation. In a statement late Friday, the board said its decision would enable Egypt to immediately receive about $820 million as part of the deal, which was announced earlier this month. The deal was achieved after Egypt agreed with the IMF on a reform plan that is centered on floating the local currency, reducing public investment and allowing the private sector to become the engine of growth, the statement said. Egypt has already floated the pound and sharply increased the main interest rate. Commercial banks are now trading the U.S. currency at more than 47 pounds, up from about 31 pounds. The measures are meant to combat ballooning inflation and attract foreign investment. The Egyptian economy has been hit hard by years of government austerity, the coronavirus pandemic, the fallout from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and, most recently, the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea have slashed Suez Canal revenues, which is a major source of foreign currency. The attacks forced traffic away from the canal and around the tip of Africa.
Sisi to swear in as Egypt president for third time
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to officially commence his third term in the headquarters of the presidential palace in the New Administrative Capital on Tuesday following a swearing-in ceremony at the lower house of the parliament. Sisi’s inauguration will mark the opening of the first phase of the controversial mega project of the new capital, local news outlets reported on Sunday. The move comes amid, arguably, the toughest economic crisis the North African country has ever sustained in modern history and widespread criticism of public spending on white elephant projects including the new capital which cost Egypt about $US 60 billion. In December last year, Sisi was reelected for a third term as president winning 89.6 percent of the vote, a contest arguably witnessing the absence of high-profile candidates and overshadowed by Israel’s brutal onslaught on the neighbouring Palestinian Gaza Strip. The country’s constitution was amended in 2019 to extend the presidential term to six years from four, which allowed Sisi to run for a final term in 2030.
TUNISIA
A racist campaign is underway against journalist Khalifa Chouchène
In Tunisia, a prominent black journalist has become the target of a racist campaign following a ‘controversial interview’ regarding political governance and opposition in the North Africanstate. Khalifa Chouchène (Chouchane), a radio host on Diwan FM, addressed the state of opposition in his “Here Tunisia” program last week, criticising those opposing current president Kais Saied who seek foreign support for their causes. “For instance, the Bar Association’s statement represents genuine opposition from within the country, striving for more rights, unlike certain amateur groups who consistently seek support from embassies,” Chouchène stated on 22 March. “For these groups, if you don’t advocate for Saied’s downfall, you’re not considered opposition. That’s illogical,” the journalist added. Across social networks, many have expressed disagreement with Chouchène, resorting to racist slurs and targeting his blackness rather than addressing his position. On Thursday, 29 March, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) strongly condemned the racist campaigns against Chouchène. Tunisia has witnessed a surge in anti-black racism since President Saied’s speech last February, where he suggested that the influx of sub-Saharan migrants would alter the country’s demographic makeup. Despite the absence of official data, black Tunisians are estimated to constitute over 10% of the population. However, their representation in politics and the media remains minimal. While Saied’s speech has, to some extent, ‘legitimised’ racism in the country, Tunisia has long grappled with a history of slavery and anti-black prejudice. Tunisia was the first country in the region to abolish slavery, outlawing the practice in 1846, 19 years ahead of the United States. Nevertheless, many descendants of those enslaved still bear surnames like ‘Atiq’ or ‘Chouchane’ (meaning saved or liberated by) as part of their last names. Several people are fighting to remove this part of their names, which denotes slave ancestry.
AFRICA – GENERAL NEWS
Africa expected to be $2.5 trillion short for climate finance, says UN
“Africa faces a $2.5 trillion deficit in climate change finance by 2030,” stated a U.N. official on Monday, noting the continent’s minimal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions despite enduring severe impacts. According to United Nations Economic Commission for Africa chief economist Hanan Morsy, speaking at a conference in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa receives a mere 2% of global investments in clean energy but requires $2.8 trillion in sectoral investment by 2030. Morsy cautioned against the repercussions of inadequate funding, warning of a detrimental cycle where investment shortfalls increase exposure risk and worsen impacts, further diminishing fiscal capacity and raising finance costs. Despite Africa’s comparatively low emissions, Morsy highlighted that climate change exacts a significant toll, costing African countries 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually. She noted that on average, each African emitted 1.04 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2021, less than a quarter of the global average, as indicated by a joint U.N.-African Union report. The report also revealed that Africa experienced a faster rate of warming, with a 0.3-degree Celsius increase per decade between 1991 and 2022, compared to the global average of 0.2 degrees Celsius. Morsy further emphasized the challenge posed by heavy public debt in African countries, where interest rates are 1.7 percentage points higher than elsewhere, leading to a prioritization of debt servicing over climate action.
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict has spread to Africa
More than two years into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, both sides remain largely stationary with little progress to be found. Yet the human and economic impact of the war across the globe continues to be strongly felt. These repercussions are now taking a significant toll on politics and the lives of people in Africa, a continent in which Russia has sought a “growing influence” over recent years, said Gavin Mortimer in The Spectator. In particular, President Vladimir Putin has sought to extend his reach in western and central Africa, capitalising on political instability to gain access to the region’s resources. But Ukraine, too, has looked to “strengthen its alliances” in Africa to counter growing Russian influence, said Alexis Akwagyiram in Semafor. President Volodymr Zelenskyy will make his first state visit to the continent over the coming months, while Ukraine also plans to double the number of its embassies there. The desire to gain influence in Africa shows a “growing appreciation of the role played by the continent in geopolitical affairs”, said Akwagyiram. The “value of African alliances” – and Russia’s traction on the continent – was underscored by 17 of the 54 African countries in the United Nations abstaining from a 2022 vote condemning Russia’s invasion. That “made it clear that international condemnation of Moscow was not universal”, added Akwagyiram. For Russia, onboarding African allies creating instability can act as a way to create further “political destabilisation” for its Western and European enemies, particularly with increases in mass illegal migration from the continent, said CNBC. It also sees African nations as a gateway to accessing “strategically important natural resources” to give it an advantage. Countries in western and central Africa have been “neglected” by the West, added Lisa Klaassen at the New Statesman, and Russia has ostensibly been “walking through doors left wide open by former colonial powers”, including in the Central African Republic, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan, where anti-European feeling is stoked by propaganda.
Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa top list of most polluted African countries
A new study on air pollution and disease burden has ranked Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa as the most polluted countries in Africa. The report prepared by Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace MENA and titled, “Major Air Polluters in Africa Unmasked’ revealed that these countries exhibit large disease burdens linked to air pollution.
Further details indicate that many African countries produce some of the worst nitrogen dioxide and Sulphur dioxide linked to thermal power plants. While Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa were identified as countries with some of the highest mortality rates linked to fossil fuel air pollution, other NO2 emission hotspots were identified in other African countries. South Africa was found to be hub to two of the world’s ten largest NO2 emission hotspots. Nine of these hotspots are linked to thermal power stations and the remaining one linked to a smelter complex in Mali. South Africa hosts four of these power stations, Morocco hosts two and Egypt and Zimbabwe own one each. According to Green Peace Africa, about 1.1 million premature deaths have been linked to air pollution annually.
TikTok strikes deal with AU amid increased scrutiny over data use
Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok has announced a new campaign to educate Africans about online safety, amid increased scrutiny from countries on the continent. The new move comes as some countries, including Kenya, are considering a partial ban on the platform. Launched on the sidelines of the TikTok Safer Internet Summit in Accra, Ghana last week, the new campaign, to be rolled out across the continent on the digital platform and on the ground, in partnership with the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD), comes at a time when TikTok is facing existential challenges in Africa and beyond, with many questioning the security of user information on the platform. These new efforts to boost online safety of TikTok users, may, however, not ease the scrutiny it is already facing across Africa and beyond, with an imminent ban in the United States, for instance, if it doesn’t divest its American arm. In Kenya, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki last week told lawmakers that the government is considering barring civil servants from using TikTok, as part of the measures to ensure security of sensitive information. The European Union, Belgium, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom have all banned their senior staff from using TikTok on their phones. Somalia in August last year banned TikTok, citing the harm it had caused to social morals and cultural values in the horn of Africa country, coming days after Senegal also banned the platform, citing security risks.
Understanding the impact of major internet outages across Africa
In recent times, major internet disruptions have plagued various countries across Africa, causing widespread inconvenience and disruption to daily life. From South Africa to Nigeria, Ivory Coast to Liberia, Ghana to Burkina Faso, reports of internet outages have raised concerns about the reliability and stability of internet infrastructure across the continent. The causes of these outages are not immediately clear, but their effects are felt by millions of individuals and businesses reliant on internet connectivity for communication, commerce, and information access. One of the most significant consequences of these internet outages is the disruption of essential services and communication channels. In countries like Liberia, where internet connectivity plummeted to as low as 17%, citizens were unable to access basic internet services, social media platforms, or conduct international bank transfers. The impact on businesses was equally profound, with entrepreneurs like Fatumata Barry experiencing stalled operations due to the inability to receive payments through mobile money. These disruptions highlight the critical role that internet connectivity plays in facilitating economic activity and everyday transactions in modern society. Behind the scenes, the technical challenges of restoring internet connectivity during such outages are complex and multifaceted. In many cases, undersea cable failures have been cited as the root cause of disruptions, highlighting the vulnerability of Africa’s internet infrastructure to physical damage and technical issues. Repairing and restoring these cables often require specialized equipment and expertise, as well as coordination among multiple stakeholders, including telecommunications companies, government agencies, and international partners.
Saharan dust smothers Switzerland, Southern France
An exceptionally rare haze of Saharan dust cloaked Switzerland and southeastern France on Saturday, sparking health warnings as a yellow hue tinged the sky. The phenomenon, which began in Switzerland on Friday, brings with it “a very clear worsening of sunlight and visibility. Added to that is an increase in concentrations of fine particles,” the MeteoSuisse weather service posted on X. In neighboring France, local authorities in the southeast and south announced that the air pollution threshold was breached on Saturday, with the Herault department asking residents, particularly those with heart or respiratory problems, to avoid intense physical effort. The Sahara Desert releases 60 to 200 million tons of mineral dust per year. While the largest particles come rapidly back down to earth, the smallest can travel thousands of kilometers. The sand gives an orange tint to snow and can impact melting processes, notably for glaciers, which are shrinking as average temperatures rise, by reducing the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Ramaphosa: We are pleased and sad over ICJ outcome
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is saddened that the ICJ order for Israel to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza was not heeded, but pleased to see more countries around the world seeing ‘the correctness of the step we took.’
What Is the Future of U.S.-Africa Trade Policy?
Join the Carnegie Endowment for an informative conversation with leading experts from business and civil society to discuss Professor David Luke’s ‘How Africa Trades’ and how the United States can rethink trade with Africa.
Reviving History: Inyambo Parade Festival Returns After 60 Years
The Inyambo Parade Festival is a three-day cultural event that also features the Inyambo, or the long-horned royal cows, traditionally paraded for and by Rwandan kings and that stand as one of Rwanda’s most distinctive treasures, embodying a legacy deeply connected with the nation’s history and cultural identity. They are considered Rwanda’s most unique treasure and represent more than just livestock – they symbolize pre-colonial ways of selective breeding, a sign to the ancient science pursued by Rwandans in their quest for superior cattle. The Inyambo are presented to esteemed chiefs, and other honored guests.
AFRICA NEWS PODCASTS
The war the world forgot
The Sudan civil war broke out last April between two rival factions of the military government, the Sudanese Army Force (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF. Thousands have been killed and the country is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Why aren’t we hearing more about it?
AFRICA RELATED BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
Who was Frantz Fanon, the freedom fighter Palestine supporters love to quote?
The 20th-century psychiatrist, who saw violence as necessary to liberation from colonialism, is routinely referenced in conversations about Gaza. A new book considers the complexities of an icon.
AFRICA – ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL/OPINION
Gulf Cash & Influence in African States
Middle East crisis brings African leadership into the spotlight
It’s not unpatriotic to tell the whole truth about Britain and the end of slavery
EGYPT
The real price of Egypt’s €7.4 billion agreement with the EU
The funding, which pushes Egypt closer to the EU than ever before, gives Cairo the incentive to implement even harsher policies towards migrants.
KENYA
Ruto’s firebrand allies climb down in bid for rapprochement
RWANDA
Demystifying the deceptive narrative about Rwanda
SENEGAL
Senegal’s new leader Faye, Ruto, Malema have same political father, different mothers
ZIMBABWE
The Global Magnitsky Act: Make it make sense, Joe
I have no love lost for Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, but I will not celebrate the sanctions imposed on him by the US.
The Africa Edition ©️ 
Leave a comment