News That Matters To Africa©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We should not keep something for tomorrow if someone needs it today.”
HIGHLIGHTS
Kenya-led Haiti mission delayed
Burkina military extends rule by 5 years
SAfrica on cusp of elections
Aid deliveries from Egypt Into Gaza to resume
Africa’s richest man needs 35 visas to travel in Africa.
TOP NEWS
Eastern Africa
Comoros President sworn in for fourth term after disputed poll
GMO mosquitoes released in Djibouti to fight malaria
Ethiopia repatriates over 27,000 undocumented nationals from Saudi Arabia
Kenyan police advance team leaves Haiti as mission is delayed
Kenya’s new US-backed bid to save Sudan from ‘genocide’
Will Ruto’s US trip help diminish Chinese influence in East Africa?
UK’s Rwanda migrant scheme may never get off the ground
Turkiye planning to donate land, build $6m embassy for Somalia
Sudan to solidify military and economic ties with Russia, including Red Sea base
West Africa
Burkina Faso extends military rule by five years
Mali opposition sets up transition government in exile
Pomp and drama as deposed Nigerian emir returns to throne
Nigerian students unable to pay fees are told to leave UK
Southern Africa
>Final pre-election rally before the elections
>EFF’s final rally draws thousands as South Africa prepares for pivotal election
>Ramaphosa promises to ‘do better’ as election looms
>It’s possible no party will get a majority in South Africa’s election.
SA set to have first-ever woman chief justice
Zimbabwe authorities attempt to shore up the world’s newest currency
North Africa
Aid Deliveries From Egypt Into Gaza Are Due to Resume
Israeli Intelligence mistakes Egyptian journalist for Hamas leader
In Egypt, the rise of a notorious former smuggler turned key figure in El-Sisi’s regime
Ahly clinches historic 12th African Championship title
Morocco lodges UNESCO complaint against Algeria over ‘appropriation’ of fassi caftan
Tunisia, the target of Moscow’s growing attention
AFRICA GENERAL
UN RELATED NEWS
VIDEO (S) OF THE DAY
PODCAST OF THE DAY
(7) ARTICLES ON ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL & OPINION
EASTERN AFRICA
COMOROS
President sworn in for fourth term after disputed poll
President Azali Assoumani pledged on Sunday to work for peace and rapidly grow the economy as he was sworn in for his fourth term in office, following a tense January election which his opponents claim was tainted by voter fraud. One person was killed and at least 25 injured in violent protests that erupted in the country, a group of three islands off the coast of Mozambique, after the election body declared him re-elected to another five-year term with 63% of the vote. Comoros, with a population of about 800,000, has experienced around 20 coups or attempted coups since winning independence from France in 1975 and is a major source of irregular migration to the nearby French island of Mayotte. Opposition leaders claimed the latest presidential poll was rigged, alleging instances of ballot stuffing and of voting being ended before the official closing time. The government denied the claims. Assoumani first came to power through a coup in 1999. He stepped down in 2002 and then won elections 14 years later. Constitutional reforms in 2018 removed a requirement that the presidency rotate among its three main islands every five years, allowing Assoumani to seek re-election in 2019.
DJIBOUTI
GMO mosquitoes released to fight malaria
Tens of thousands of genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes have been released in Djibouti in an effort to stop the spread of an invasive species that transmits malaria. The friendly non-biting male Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, developed by Oxitec, a UK-based biotechnology company, carry a gene that kills female offspring before they reach maturity. Only female mosquitoes bite and transmit malaria and other viral diseases. The laboratory-produced mosquitoes carry a “self-limiting” gene that prevents female mosquito offspring from surviving to adulthood when they mate. Only their male offspring survive but would eventually die out, according to the scientists behind the project. It is the first time such mosquitoes have been released in East Africa and the second time in the continent. Similar technology has been successfully used in Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and India, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than one billion such mosquitoes have been released around the world since 2019, CDC says.
ETHIOPIA
27,000 undocumented nationals repatriated from Saudi Arabia
More than 27,000 Ethiopians repatriated from Saudi Arabia over the past weeks, Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed. Nebiyu Tedla told reporters that the ongoing large-scale repatriation effort of undocumented nationals is part of the Ethiopian government’s commitment to bringing home its citizens stranded in difficult situations abroad. He said the country has established a national committee composed of various government agencies to facilitate the repatriation of over 70,000 undocumented Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia. Tedla said the Ethiopian government is currently conducting three daily flights for four days every week as part of the repatriation effort. The national committee is working with stakeholders to facilitate both the repatriation efforts and the provision of shelter upon their arrival in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. In recent years, Ethiopia has stepped up efforts to return its citizens stranded overseas, mainly in Saudi Arabia, as part of the government’s “citizen-centered” diplomatic initiative.
KENYA
Kenyan police advance team leaves Haiti as mission is delayed
Kenyan police sent to check if they were ready to help stop violence in Haiti are coming back home. They said it’s not the right time to go yet. A senior Kenyan official who declined to be named as they are not the official spokesperson said the bases are still under construction and crucial resources including vehicles are needed before deployment of the first 200 police officers from Kenya can take place. The base where the police will operate from is about 70% done and there is a need for secure stores for the armory, according to the senior official, who was in the advance team. The officials arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, met the Haitian police on Thursday and the transitional presidential council on Friday. The United States has agreed to contribute $300 million to a multinational force that will include 1,000 Kenyan police officers and others drawn from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda and other countries.
Will Ruto’s US trip help diminish Chinese influence in East Africa?
Kenya is earning a central role in helping push Washington’s rivals to the periphery of the East African region, reflecting Nairobi’s growing stature in the eyes of Americans. After a three-day State visit to the US this week, President William Ruto witnessed several multimillion-dollar deals in infrastructure and security. But these are a reward for his staying closer to Washington in the past 20 months of his administration. It means US rivals such as China and Russia may find a stronger competitor in a region where Beijing had enjoyed unassailable advantage, building roads, bridges and cultural influence through education. The US won’t be providing all of that, or even matching it, but it offered an escape from some of the attendant burdens that have come from it.
KENYA/SUDAN
Kenya’s new US-backed bid to save Sudan from ‘genocide’
Sudan’s 13-month war is generating the highest amount of displaced people and hurtling towards genocide, a special envoy told the United Nations Security Council this week. The horrifying details emerged even as Nairobi pushed backchannels for a new track seeking to coalesce movements opposed to main warring factions and help weaken the desire for war. It is a plan backed by Washington but bequeathed to Nairobi to help end one of the deadliest wars on the continent today. Kenya’s President William Ruto has been encouraging civil society groups and other armed groups not part of either the Rapid Support Forces or the Sudan Armed Forces to sue for non-violence and put forward solutions that will be Sudan-led…the idea is to deal with accusations previous peace bids in Sudan were an imposition from foreigners.
RWANDA
UK’s Rwanda migrant scheme may never get off the ground
The controversial plan to fly thousands of asylum seekers from Britain to Rwanda may never get off the ground, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday that there would be no deportations before a national election in July. After taking office in October 2022, Sunak made the plan to send migrants who arrived in Britain without permission to the East African nation one of his flagship policies, saying it would put an end to thousands of asylum seekers coming on small boats across the Channel. In April, Sunak promised the first flights would take off in the next 10 to 12 weeks, after parliament finally passed a law designed to get round legal obstacles that had held up the plan for more than two years. But, after announcing on Wednesday that Britain would go to the polls on July 4, he said there would be no departures before the vote. Instead, his message was that only by re-electing him would the Rwanda scheme – popular with some voters whose support the Conservatives need in order to win – get up and running. The opposition Labour Party, currently about 20 points ahead in opinion polls and seen as likely to defeat Sunak’s Conservatives, has promised to scrap the scheme if it wins.
SOMALIA
Turkiye planning to donate land, build $6m embassy for Somalia
Turkiye is planning to donate a plot of land and construct an embassy building for Somalia in an offer worth up to $6 million, in what is the latest development in relations between Ankara and Mogadishu. In a deal submitted to the Turkish parliament on Monday, the government proposed its plans for the allotment of 4,918 square metres of land in Ankara’s Incek diplomatic site to the Somali diplomatic mission, where the Turkish government would construct a 3,000 square metre embassy building for the East African nation. The agreement, worth an estimated $6 million, would allow Somalia the right to sell the land and buildings in the future if it so wishes. The plan first requires ratification by the Turkish parliament before it can proceed, however. Some Turkish media outlets have criticised the deal and the Turkish government’s proposal of it, condemning such a construction, while the funding for various domestic projects and services have apparently been cut by authorities amid an austerity drive. The plan’s proponents have hit back at that criticism by highlighting that it is in return for an agreement signed between Turkiye and Somalia in 2022, in which the Somali government donated to Turkiye’s diplomatic mission a plot of land covering over 61,000 square metres and worth $65 million – more than ten times that of Ankara’s offering, and located in a prime area in Mogadishu.
SUDAN
Sudan to solidify military and economic ties with Russia, including Red Sea base
Sudan and Russia are set to sign a series of military and economic agreements, including the establishment of a Russian naval logistical support center on the Red Sea, according to Lt Gen Yasir al-Atta, a member of Sudan’s military-led Sovereign Council. While a previous military deal under Sudan’s former regime, which also included a Red Sea naval station, had been put on hold, the ongoing conflict with the Rapid Support Forces and external involvement created an opportunity for Moscow to revisit the agreement. During a recent visit to Port Sudan, Russian presidential envoy Mikhail Bogdanov proposed providing military aid to the Sudanese army in exchange for the naval support centre. In an interview with Alhadath TV, Lt Gen al-Atta confirmed these discussions, stating, “Russia proposed military cooperation through a logistical support centre, not a full military base, in return for urgent weapons and ammunition supplies.” He further elaborated, “We agreed to this but suggested expanding the cooperation to include economic aspects like agricultural ventures, mining partnerships, and port development. Russia agreed to this broader scope.”
WEST AFRICA
BURKINA FASO
Military rule extended by five years
Burkina Faso’s ruling junta will remain in power for another five years after participants in national talks on Saturday proposed extending the transition back to democracy by 60 months from July, according to the text of an approved new charter. The military authorities seized power in a 2022 coup and promised to hold elections in July this year to restore civilian rule, but also said that security considerations would take priority.
MALI
Mali opposition sets up transition government in exile
Malian opposition politicians said Saturday that they had formed a transition government in exile to rival the one governing the country, ruled by the military since a 2020 coup. It was the latest maneuver by the civilian opposition since Mali’s military rulers failed to meet a March deadline to hold elections and hand over power to a civilian government. “The citizen assembly of the civil transition has today elected the members of the government,” read a statement datelined Geneva and signed by exiled Malian politician Adaman Traore, identified as the body’s president. This “civil transition (government) … is the only legitimate one in Mali,” the text said. It named the prime minister and defense minister of the rival government as Mohamed Cherif Kone, one of several prominent exiled politicians listed as members.
NIGERIA
Pomp and drama as deposed Nigerian emir returns to throne
Nigeria’s influential Emir of Kano addressed the people who deposed him four years ago. Those who expelled Muhammadu Sanusi II from his role as a traditional Muslim leader in the northern state of Kano were not worth talking about, he said on Friday. Mr Sanusi became the 14th Emir of Kano in 2014 after the death of Ado Bayero. Traditional leaders in Nigeria hold few constitutional powers but are able to exert significant influence as they are seen as custodians of both religion and tradition…From 2017 onwards, he had frosty relations with then-Governor Ganduje. He was sacked in 2020, with the government accusing him of “total disrespect” towards the local institutions. The government then created five new emirates in the state and appointed Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero as the new emir in Kano. On Thursday, the day before Mr Sanusi returned to the throne, the Kano State House of Assembly abolished the five former emirates.
Nigerian students unable to pay fees are told to leave UK
Some Nigerian students at Teesside University have been ordered to leave the United Kingdom, after falling behind with their tuition fees because of the currency crisis and devaluation of the Nigerian naira…a group of students from Nigeria failed to pay the final instalment of their international student fees, advertised on the institution’s website as being £15,000 (US$19,000) a year. They have been told they have no right to appeal, according to documents obtained by media. The value of the Nigerian currency has plummeted in what is being seen as the worst economic crisis in a generation for the West African nation and this has left students struggling to pay tuition fees on time…The Home Office told students that their permission to enter the UK had been cancelled because they stopped studying at the university. In the University’s response, a spokesperson explained that while Teesside is proud to be a global institution with a diverse student population, it is also very aware of its obligations regarding visa issuance and compliance. In the past three academic years, Teesside University has recruited more than 800 students from the Sub-Saharan Africa region, with a strong proportion coming from Nigeria.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
Final pre-election rally before the elections
South Africa’s ruling party African National Congress’ (ANC) supporters arrived in their thousands at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday for a final pre-election rally. Singing, dancing and donning the party’s colors and promotional regalia, supporters expressed optimism at their flag-bearer and sitting president Cyril Ramaphosa’s chances of winning the vote. Several polls put the ANC’s support below 50% ahead of Wednesday’s polling day, raising the prospect that it might not be the majority party for the first time since winning control of the government when Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first all-race elections that ended white minority rule in 1994. Supporters attending the party’s final political rally at the iconic FNB Stadium however exuded confidence in an outright ANC victory. Others however expressed disappointment and stressed it is time the ANC actually delivered for the people of South Africa.
Ramaphosa promises to ‘do better’ as election looms
President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed on Saturday to do more on issues including jobs and state welfare as he campaigned ahead of elections next week that polls suggest could loosen the African National Congress’ 30-year grip on power. Political parties are holding rallies in the final weekend before the national and provincial elections on May 29, which Ramaphosa called one of the most important in the country’s history. If poll predictions prove accurate, the ANC, which has faced corruption scandals, a sky-high unemployment rate and economic stagnation, could win less than 50% of the vote. Such an outcome would mean it would have to seek one or more coalition partners for the first time since coming to power under the leadership of liberation hero Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid. “We gather here carrying with us the hopes and aspirations of millions of our people … to declare that together, we will do more and we will do better,” Ramaphosa told supporters dressed in the ANC’s colours of yellow, green and black who gathered at a soccer stadium in the country’s most populous township, Soweto.
EFF’s final rally draws thousands as South Africa prepares for pivotal election
Thousands of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters gathered at a stadium in Polokwane, South Africa for the party’s final election rally. South Africa’s four main political parties have concluded their campaigns ahead of what could be a pivotal election, marking a potential turning point for the country after 30 years. Malema, the fiery leader of EFF, thanked his supporters for their unwavering backing, claiming a successful campaign. “I am here to conclude the campaign of the EFF. I am here to say to you, we have run a good race. We are here today because we ran a very successful campaign. The ground forces of the EFF have made everybody aware that there is a child called the EFF, who must be allowed to lead.”
It’s possible no party will get a majority in South Africa’s election.
The focus for South Africa’s national election next week is on the fate of the African National Congress party and whether it is going to lose its parliamentary majority for the first time, as many expect. Several polls put the ANC’s support below 50% ahead of Wednesday’s vote, raising the prospect that it might not be the majority party for the first time since winning control of the government when Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first all-race elections that ended white minority rule in 1994. But the ANC is still widely expected to be the biggest party. Here’s how no clear majority would bring an unprecedented political change and complicate how the president is elected and how the government works in Africa’s most advanced economy:
SA set to have first-ever woman chief justice
Mandisa Maya is set to lead South Africa’s judiciary for the next 10 years, after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which oversees senior judicial appointments, determined on Tuesday to recommend her appointment as chief justice by President Cyril Ramaphosa. As the first woman to hold such a position in the country’s history, it seems like a reward for a judge who stayed away from controversy. However, the position itself is increasingly the focus of political contention, as is the entire legal system, part based on Roman-Dutch and part on English jurisprudence. Outgoing Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was something of a ‘controversial’ choice…due to his four-year stint as chair of the commission of inquiry into state capture graft…That means that Justice Maya’s new heights bring her the task of managing the politics related to the calls for a change in legal framework, together with the potential legal drams that may ensue over which way to go about change.
ZIMBABWE
Authorities attempt to shore up the world’s newest currency
Desperate to halt a money crisis underlining the country’s economic troubles, the government launched the gold-backed ZiG, the latest attempt to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, which had been battered by depreciation and often outright rejection by people unwilling to put their faith in it. Commercial jingles heralding the currency flooded the airwaves along with Caleb’s single. Although the ZiG has largely held its value on the official market, it has tumbled on the black market, where $1 can be exchanged for up to 17 ZiGs…Law enforcement agents have arrested more than 200 street currency dealers on allegations of flouting foreign currency exchange regulations, national police spokesman Paul Nyathi said. The government accuses them of undermining and devaluing the new currency by using exchange rates higher than the official one…Zimbabwe has a long and tumultuous history of monetary instability. The ZiG is the 6th currency used following the spectacular 2009 collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar amid hyperinflation of 5 billion percent, one of the world’s worst currency crashes.
NORTH AFRICA
MOROCCO/ALGERIA
Morocco lodges UNESCO complaint against Algeria over ‘appropriation’ of fassi caftan
Morocco has filed an official complaint with UNESCO against Algeria, accusing its neighbour of appropriating the traditional Moroccan garment known as “Caftan Ntaa El Fassi”. The kingdom’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in collaboration with its permanent delegation to UNESCO, submitted the formal complaint. This move follows a series of disputes between the two North African countries over cultural heritage. Last year, Moroccan activists launched an online petition opposing Algeria’s attempt to claim the Caftan Ntaa El Fassi, originating from Fez, as part of its cultural heritage. The petition gathered tens of thousands of signatures, calling on Moroccans to “defend their heritage against repeated attempts of cultural appropriation.” The issue is not isolated. In recent years, Morocco has repeatedly accused Algeria of appropriating various elements of its culture, including the caftan, the intricate mosaic tile work known as Zellige, certain types of traditional music, and culinary staples like couscous. These accusations also come amid intensified geopolitical tensions between Rabat and Algiers, namely over Morocco’s normalisation with Israel and Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front in relation to the disputed Western Sahara.
EGYPT
Aid Deliveries From Egypt Into Gaza Are Due to Resume
Aid trucks from Egypt were expected to enter the devastated Gaza Strip on Sunday under a new U.S.-brokered agreement to reopen a vital conduit for humanitarian relief. Egypt has blocked aid from entering the enclave via its territory since Israel’s seizure of the Rafah crossing — which provides access to southern Gaza — in early May. The two sides have traded blame over the crossing’s closure, even as aid has piled up on the Egyptian side. After U.S. pressure, Egypt announced on Friday that it had agreed to divert trucks through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, which is roughly two miles from the Rafah crossing, as a temporary measure. Roughly 200 trucks carrying food and other aid from Egypt were set to enter Gaza on Sunday via Kerem Shalom, according to Ahmad Ezzat, an Egyptian Red Crescent official. COGAT, an Israeli military agency that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs, could not be reached for comment.
Israeli Intelligence mistakes Egyptian journalist for Hamas leader
Israel’s recent attempt to eliminate Mohamed Shabana, a Hamas commander of the Rafah brigade, was marred by a significant error when its security agency mistakenly used a photograph of prominent Egyptian sports journalist Mohamed Shaman on their hit-list instead. The Israeli Security Agency (Shabak) created and distributed a poster featuring several Hamas members with their names and faces. The poster, which is designed to look like a deck of cards with each member as a card, was aimed at informing IDF soldiers about prominent targets. Shabana, who is also a former member of the Egyptian Parliament, now intends to sue Israel for libel and defamation. The mix-up, initially spotted by Egyptian media on 24 May, garnered widespread ridicule in Arab media and on social media – including Shabana himself. “I was not surprised either way, since [Israel] are known for spinning false news and spreading lies…but now they’re becoming obvious to everyone,” Shabana added. The status of the namesake Hamas commander remains uncertain according to Israeli media, although there is no conclusive evidence that he has been assassinated.
The rise of a notorious former smuggler turned key figure in El-Sisi’s regime
The Bedouin chief Ibrahim Al-Organi, who has cornered the profitable business of entering and leaving the Gaza Strip, has been promoted to head a tribal union, responsible for securing the country’s borders. This former smuggler, has become a key figure in Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s regime. His meteoric rise from obscurity to prominence, from prison to the inner circles of power, coincided with the reign of the Egyptian president, who turned him into a wealthy businessman at the head not only of a powerful conglomerate, but also of an armed group resembling a state militia. The 50 year old has gained a virtual monopoly on the management of entries and exits to and from the Palestinian enclave in the space of the last decade. After the outbreak of war, Al-Organi’s company established itself as an obligatory intermediary for civilians fleeing the fighting, in return for a prohibitively high crossing fee of $5,000 (€4,600) per adult. At the same time, Abnaa Sinai (Sons of Sinai), another of his offshoots, has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees to oversee the transit of truckloads of goods and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave. In just a few months, according to an investigation, the Rafah business would have earned his group, christened Organi, profits of at least $88 million.
Ahly clinches historic 12th African Championship title
Egyptian giants Al Ahly have won their 12th CAF Champions League title. They beat Tunisia’s Esperance 1-0 in the final held in Cairo. The first leg in Tunisia was a 0-0 draw, making this game crucial. Al Ahly scored just four minutes in when an Esperance player accidentally deflected a header into his own net. The header came from a corner by Hussein El Shahat. The win on Saturday also marks 20 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League matches without a loss for the champions.
TUNISIA
Tunisia, the target of Moscow’s growing attentions
On Sunday, May 19, of an article in the Italian daily La Repubblica reported that “Russian military” aircraft had landed on Djerba airport, a tourist haven in southeast Tunisia located 130 kilometers from the Libyan border, “in recent days.” While Tunisian authorities remained silent on the subject, Moscow issued a statement on Monday from its embassy in Libya – not in Tunisia – dismissing La Repubblica’s reports as “lies” and “falsifications.”. “There have indeed been landings [of Russian aircraft in Djerba], but we don’t know their nature,” said a Western diplomatic source. According to unconfirmed reports circulating in security analyst circles in Tunis, these were civilian “cargo planes” and “charters,” not the military aircraft mentioned by La Repubblica. According to the same sources, some of these aircraft carried Russians affiliated to the former Wagner security company (renamed Africa Corps), who had come to relax on Djerba. Other aircraft were said to have stopped off to refuel. These comings and goings of Russian aircraft on the Tunisian island have been reported for about a year. According to many analysts, they are not unrelated to the new deployment of Russian influence in the Sahel.
AFRICA – GENERAL NEWS
Africa home to nearly half of global displaced population, report says
A record 75.9 million people are living in internal displacement due to conflict, and nearly half that number is in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a recent report. The report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) shows 34.8 million people in the region were displaced in 2023, up from the previous year. The biggest increase came in Sudan, which is currently in the midst of civil war. Fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF has displaced 9.1 million since April 2023, making Sudan the country with the most displaced people globally. Elsewhere, fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo between the army and rebels has displaced close to 7 million people. Conflict in Ethiopia that began with a two-year war in Tigray in 2020, and erupted in many parts of the country, displaced 790,000 people last year. Africa’s conflicts are usually over territory, community politics, and control over resources, with at least 10 African countries, predominantly in West Africa, dealing with terrorism-related conflicts. Burkina Faso is the most affected of the West African countries, with 700,000 people displaced last year, up 61 percent from 2022.
Harris unveils plan to double internet access in Africa
Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new partnership Friday that will double internet access across Africa. Roughly 40 percent of the continent has access to the web, and the new partnership looks to increase it to 80 percent. Harris’s announcement follows a trip last year to Africa and came as Kenyan President William Ruto visited Washington for a state visit. The continent has struggled to obtain the capital it needs to build its technological sector. Foreign direct investment fell in 2022 after reaching a record high the year before. Africa accounts for just 3.5 percent of foreign investment worldwide. The African Development Bank Group, along with Mastercard and other organizations, will help form the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy Alliance. The alliance will give digital access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria before expanding elsewhere.
Africa’s richest man needs 35 visas to travel in Africa
Despite doing business in multiple countries, Nigerian-born Aliko Dangote complains he faces far more hurdles crossing Africa than visitors with European passports ever do. “As an investor, as someone who wants to make Africa great, I have to apply for 35 different visas on my passport,” Dangote told the recent Africa CEO Forum in Kigali. The 67-year-old entrepreneur’s visa woes have reignited a fresh firestorm about the frustrations of traveling within Africa for Africans. It’s even more infuriating for many Africans that European passports from former colonial masters have more visa-free access in Africa than many African passports. It’s a point Dangote made powerfully in Kigali, when he turned to the French executive next to him and deadpanned: “I can assure you that Patrick (Pouyanné, CEO of Total Energies) doesn’t need 35 visas on a French passport, which means you have freer movement than myself in Africa.” Dangote commended Rwanda, which eliminated visas for all African nationals in 2023. Benin, The Gambia and Seychelles also offer visa-free access to all Africans.
UN RELATED NEWS
UNCTAD’s 60th anniversary pre-event: Maximizing Africa’s potential
In June 2024, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a Global Leaders Forum to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, under the theme “Charting a New Development Course in a Changing World”. It will be preceded by a pre-event in Addis Ababa organized jointly by UN Trade and Development, ECA and the African Minerals Development Center, which will bring together leaders from Africa to discuss the course of development in a world where prosperity for all remains central and fundamental. Outcomes and recommendations from this pre-event will inform the discussions at the Global Leaders Forum. The pre-event will explore the opportunities and resources in the critical minerals sector for supporting Africa’s development. It will build on established frameworks agreed by Member States to maximize the developmental impact of mineral endowments, namely the Africa Mining Vision, Africa Green Minerals Strategies, and various sub-regional and national policies.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
What do African countries stand to gain from William Ruto’s US visit?
Kenyan lion takes dog from family home, CCTV reveals
James Acaster: “Britain is the master of robbery – and we are proud of it!”
PODCAST OF THE DAY
The ripple effects of the coup in Niger
Niger has been a key U.S. ally in West Africa in the fight against growing threats from Islamist extremist groups. But a military coup last July soured that relationship. Now, the U.S. says it will withdraw from the country by mid-September.
AFRICA – ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL/OPINION
Africa must reap the benefits of its energy transition minerals
In the rush to exploit minerals needed to fight climate change, African leaders should harness their natural wealth for the continent’s development
Internet is not just about social media; it’s also about democracy
Egypt
Egyptians disappearing ‘behind the sun’
Kenya
Kenya TikTok ban: Why the app can be useful and empowering
Nigeria
Evaluating Tinubu’s first year: security, governance, infrastructure
President Tinubu’s administration tackles Nigeria’s challenges in security, governance, and infrastructure with strategic initiatives aimed at fostering economic growth, transparency, and national stability
Reviving Nigeria’s old anthem: a path to strong democracy
Embracing Nigeria’s 1960s Constitution and old anthem represents a commitment to democracy, unity, and technological advancement, writes Ojo Emmanuel Ademola
Sudan
Hazy geopolitics mean Sudan’s war rages largely unseen.
The Africa Edition ©️ 
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