News That Matters To Africa©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A person often meets their destiny on the road they took…to avoid it.”
HIGHLIGHTS
6,000 Sudanese refugees stranded in Ethiopian forests
Burkina Faso world’s worst forgotten crisis
SAfrica: the search for coalition partner
Egypt’s Sisi wants a a new Cabinet
South Korea gathers African leaders.
TOP NEWS
Eastern Africa
U.S. denied access to Americans detained in Congo coup plot
Ethiopia’s conflict recovery could require USD 44 billion
Report: 3 million displaced in Ethiopia, more than half due to conflict
Kenya Supreme Court rules that EACJ can’t review its decisions
Kenyan shilling to hit Sh138 by June, say experts
Explainer: Why Kenya is investigating alleged abuse by UK soldiers
A community’s fight to take back Kenya’s Lipton tea estates
Rwanda’s 2024 Election: What to know
Somalia threatens to expel Ethiopian troops unless Somaliland port deal scrapped
South Sudan cabinet restricts access to President Kiir
Mass exodus from Sudan’s El Fasher amidst intensifying conflict
South Korea agrees to lend billions to Tanzania, Ethiopia
No respite for the besieged Ugandan Speaker of Parliament
West Africa
Burkina Faso world’s worst forgotten crisis: report
Nigeria’s unions suspend strike for talks
Nigerian strike shuts power grid, disrupts airlines
What is Nigeria doing to stop chronic oil theft?
UAE to lift visa ban on Nigeria
Southern Africa
South Africa’s president urges unity as ANC support plunges
All eyes on ANC as it discusses who to enlist to govern South Africa
ANC says Ramaphosa will not step down for the sake of a coalition
What’s next for South Africa and the key figures in unprecedented coalition talks
South Africa’s MultiChoice recommends Canal+ offer
Zambia’s debt restructuring limps over line as painful test case
Zimbabwean authorities urge citizens to cycle to work
North Africa
Algeria seeks to lure tourists to neglected cultural, scenic glories
Egypt’s Sisi orders prime minister to form new cabinet
Resentment against US grows in Egypt’s defence establishment
A blow to the poor: Egypt’s public hospitals up for privatisation after new law
Morrocco: University staff petition to sever ties with Israeli university
AFRICA GENERAL
AFRICA NEWS IN PICTURES
PODCAST(S) OF THE DAY
VIDEO(S) OF THE DAY
ARTICLES ON ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL & OPINION
EASTERN AFRICA
DRCONGO
U.S. denied access to Americans detained in Congo coup plot
The U.S. Embassy in Congo said Monday that Congolese authorities have not shared details or provided access to the Americans who were arrested following a coup attempt last month, following pleas for help from one family trying to confirm whether their son is alive. Congo’s army has released the names of three Americans accused of having a role in the attack led by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga on May 19. Malanga, who in the past declared himself Congo’s president in exile, live-streamed the attempt to overthrow the government with his Utah-born son, Marcel Malanga, as they threatened President Felix Tshisekedi from inside the presidential palace. Malanga was shot dead for resisting arrest, the Congolese army said. In all, six people were killed and dozens arrested. The fate of the Americans is unclear. A video on social media showed a bound and bloodied Marcel as he was taken into custody. He appeared in the video with a second American, 21-year-old Tyler Thompson Jr. His family said they had played high school football together.
ETHIOPIA
Report: 3m displaced in Ethiopia, more than half due to conflict
Over 3 million people were internally displaced in Ethiopia by the end of last year according to the latest National Displacement Report by the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). The Report shows that the majority – 69 per cent – of those displaced were a direct result of conflict, whereas drought and other climate induced events such as floods, landslides and fires on the other hand contributed to 17 per cent, and 9 per cent respectively. Tigray region in the north hosts the highest number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), primarily due to war whereas the Somali region in the east hosts the highest number of those internally displaced by drought. Ethiopia and other countries in the region were impacted by the worst drought in four decades.
Conflict recovery could require USD 44 billion
$44B. The amount Ethiopia needs to rebuild after the devastation wrought during the two-year war in its northern Tigray region, according to a study. The findings, alongside those of several studies exploring the consequences of conflict in the country, were presented last week. Analysis showed that the country lost 7.5% of its GDP to the conflict, while private consumption dropped by between 8.3% and 15.3%. The destruction of human, physical and natural resources, and the disruption of the normal order of businesses reached an all-time high, the experts said. The research covered the period between 2020 and 2022 and so did not include estimates for damage caused by conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions that have erupted since then.
ETHIOPIA/TANZANIA
South Korea agrees to lend billions to Tanzania, Ethiopia
anzania and Ethiopia said they had signed accords with South Korea for loans of billions of dollars, part of broader deals that will give the Asian nation access to Africa’s crucial mineral resources and vast export market. South Korea is hosting at least 30 heads of state, including Tanzania and Ethiopia, at a South Korea-Africa summit this week. Tanzania said it will borrow $2.5 billion over the next five years from South Korea through concessional loans. The country also signed two accords on Korean use of its ocean resources and minerals used in clean energy technologies such as nickel, lithium and graphite, presidential spokesperson Zuhura Yunus said on Sunday. Ethiopia, a fast-growing economy with 126 million people, signed a $1 billion financing deal over four years for infrastructure, science and technology, health and urban development, the state-affiliated Fana media outlet said. Since Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has held meetings with the leaders of Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Ethiopia and was due to meet separately with heads of other states including Zimbabwe, Togo, Rwanda and Mozambique on Monday.
KENYA
Kenya Supreme Court rules that EACJ can’t review its decisions
Kenya’s Supreme Court has declared that its decisions cannot be subjected to review by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ). In a blow to opposition leader Martha Karua and Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, the country’s apex court said decisions rendered by the regional court over judgments that have been finalised by the Supreme Court have no legal consequences. Attorney-General Justin Muturi had sought the opinion of the court on the legal consequences and effects of decisions of the EACJ on Kenya’s sovereignty. Mr Muturi said whereas there is no express provision in the East African Community (EAC) Treaty conferring upon the EACJ the jurisdiction to interpret the constitutions of partner States, the regional court has, in a number of decisions, interpreted its jurisdiction to include the review of decisions issued by apex courts of partner States…He cited a decision of the regional court awarding the Narc-Kenya party leader Karua Ksh2.7 million ($2,0690) in damages for infringement of her right to fair trial, in 2019. Ms Karua filed the case in the regional court after the Supreme Court dismissed her 2017 petition challenging the election of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru. Mr Abdullahi has equally moved to the regional court citing various violations after the Supreme Court imposed on him an indefinite ban over persistent attacks on the judges of the apex court.
Kenyan shilling to hit Sh138 by June, say experts
Financial experts are now predicting that the Kenyan shilling will rise to Sh138 against the US dollar by the end of June 2024. The analysist from pan African market insights firm Stears, say that the Kenyan shilling witnessed large swings in May, after appreciating 2.09 per cent between May 2 and 16. This saw the local currency resume a consistent depreciation to close the month at Sh133.37 against the dollar. Stears notes that although the currency remained relatively unchanged compared to April, on average, the movements of the shilling in the month will be a major concern for the apex bank at its upcoming June meeting. “By the end of Q2 2024, we predict the currency will trade at Sh137.95 against the dollar, 8.73 percentage points above the Sh149.99 against the dollar average in Q1’2024. This indicates moderate currency risks in Kenya ahead of when the final interest payments on the $2 billion Eurobond issuance will be paid in June,” says the experts. Like the South African rand, Egyptian pound and Ghanaian cedi, the performance of the currency was largely driven by the movements in the US dollar, the lingering global interest rate environment and escalating geopolitical tensions that make the Kenyan economy susceptible to external shocks.
Explainer: Why Kenya is investigating alleged abuse by UK soldiers
Kenya this week kick-started public hearings into widespread allegations that United Kingdom soldiers stationed in the country have committed multiple human rights violations. For over a decade, locals on different occasions accused British soldiers training in towns in central Kenya of misconduct, environmental degradation, murder, and a host of other serious offences. The hearings mark the culmination of long-winded legal proceedings to try British soldiers under Kenyan law following years of lobbying by civil society groups and after initial pushback from the British government. Here’s what we know about the abuse allegations and what’s expected to happen after the hearings:
A community’s fight to take back Kenya’s Lipton tea estates
A community-led consortium in Kenya’s tea-growing region is fighting to stop a global private equity firm selling the renowned Lipton tea estates to a Sri Lankan conglomerate in a deal estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars. It includes 11 plantations and eight factories in Kericho, Bomet, and Limuru counties. Sri Lankan firm Browns won with a promise to allocate a 15% stake in the Kenya operation to the community through a cooperative society. CVC Capital bought the Lipton estates in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda in 2022 from Unilever for €4.5 billion ($4.8 billion). The tea estates in Kericho, a highland town in southern Rift Valley, sit on lands from which members of the Kipsigis community were first forcefully evicted by British colonialists over a hundred years ago. In more recent years, the community has faced off with the multinational firms running the estates over layoffs due to mechanization,as well as alleged sexual abuse violations against female workers. The Kipsigis Community Clans Organization — an umbrella group of elders, clans and cooperative societies claiming to represent over 340,000 members — had earlier sealed a partnership with London-based management consultancy firm 101 Partners with whom they formed a consortium and sought financing for the bid. Members of the consortium claim their bid was not considered despite their willingness to match the highest offer, and that the community was not adequately consulted on the sale. “The people drinking Lipton tea should know that they are drinking blood tea,” Nicholas Kirui, a member of Kericho’s tea mechanization task force and former CEO of the Kenya Tea Growers Association, told Semafor Africa. “The land was forcefully taken from the Kipsigis people without compensation.”
SOMALIA/ETHIOPIA
Somalia threatens to expel Ethiopian troops unless Somaliland port deal scrapped
Somalia will expel thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country to help with security by the end of the year unless Addis Ababa scraps a disputed port deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland, a senior Somali official said on Monday. Security experts and foreign diplomats said the move risks further destabilising Somalia as local forces would be unable to fill the security vacuum, which would likely be exploited by fighters from al Shabaab, an affiliate of al Qaeda. At least 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers are stationed in the Horn of Africa country as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission (Atmis) fighting al Shabaab, which controls large portions of Somalia, while an estimated 5,000-7,000 are stationed in several regions under a bilateral agreement. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), which is mandated by the UN Security Council, is due to fully withdraw and hand over security responsibilities to the Somali state by the end of 2024. But the Somali government has requested several times for the withdrawal of troops to be slowed down, citing setbacks on the battlefield. The troops come from Burundi, Djibouti, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
RWANDA
The 2024 Election: What to know
Rwanda’s presidential and parliamentary elections this year are taking place three decades after the genocide in which some 800,000 people were killed. President Paul Kagame, who helped end the bloodshed, has been in power ever since and is expected to win again in this election, which takes place on July 15. Under his rule, the Central African nation of Rwanda has achieved significant economic strides and become a leading contributor of troops to the United Nations’ peacekeeping forces. But critics say Mr. Kagame has also overseen a repressive state accused of widespread human rights violations and where power and wealth are reserved for his ethnic Tutsi elites. The election is taking place against the backdrop of rising tensions with the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr. Kagame has accused Congolese officials of backing Hutu rebels who fled after committing genocide in 1994 and who he says plan on returning to finish what they started. Mr. Kagame has, in turn, been accused of sowing chaos in eastern Congo by backing rebel forces who have carried out massacres and displaced tens of thousands of people in the country.
SOUTH SUDAN
Cabinet restricts access to President Kiir
South Sudan cabinet has restricted access to President Salva Kiir, amid concerns over breach of health and safety protocols within the palace. The Minister for the Presidency, Joseph Bakosoro said the move seeks to improve the protocols in the president’s office, while streamlining the schedules of visitors. However, while some people welcomed the announcement, others see it as an attempt to promote and protect personal interests at the expense of the greater good when the country prepares for the general elections due in December 2024. Observers and opposition officials see the restriction as a hint to President Kiir’s health, which has been a source of speculation and at times a cause of tension between aides and military officers showing interest in succession politics. South Sudan’s Deputy Information Minister, Jacob Korok said ministers intending to see the president must first submit a formal request to the cabinet affairs office…The new measures and procedures are meant to reduce congestion in the president’s office, ” explained Korok. The same applies to presidential advisers, security as well as defense officials. The new measures do not, however, apply to the country’s five vice presidents.
SUDAN
6,000 Sudanese refugees trapped in Ethiopian forests
Sudanese organisations issued calls to the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, to rescue about 6,000 Sudanese refugees stranded in forests in Ethiopia. The Sudanese Al-Rakoba website said that since the beginning of May, thousands of Sudanese refugees have fled from the Comer camp on the western border of Ethiopia, after coming under attack by gunmen. They then became stranded in a forest amid difficult humanitarian conditions. The Sudanese organisations said in their statement that among the 6,000 Sudanese refugees, there are 2,133 children, 1,017 women, 1,917 men, 1,135 ill individuals, and 76 people with special needs. They called on the UNHCR and humanitarian organisations to look into the problems faced by Sudanese refugees, as they spent 22 days inside a forest during which they were deprived of all forms of aid from international, local and voluntary organisations. They have now almost entirely run out of most of their food and medicine, with whatever remaining food and medicine being left to the children, the elderly, people with special needs and critical cases.
Mass exodus from El Fasher amidst intensifying conflict
As fierce battles rage between the Sudanese army, its allied movements, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), thousands of civilians are fleeing El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Since May 10, the historic city has been engulfed in bloody conflict, resulting in substantial civilian casualties and widespread devastation…Adam Regal, spokesperson for the Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, reported a significant influx of displaced people arriving in the Tawila area and other locations in Jebel Marra, areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement…El Fasher, the central hub of the five-state Darfur region, remains the only city not under RSF control. The paramilitary group has been mobilizing thousands of fighters for months in a concerted effort to seize the strategic capital.
UGANDA
No respite for the besieged Ugandan Speaker of Parliament
The United States, on May 30, 2024, issued sanctions against five Uganda public officials, among them Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces in a crackdown on corruption and human rights violation. This comes just a month after the United Kingdom announced similar sanctions against the leader of the National Assembly and two ex-ministers. The US also announced sanctions against former Minister of Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu and her deputy Agnes Nandutu, as well as Minister of State for Finance Amos Lugolobi, over their alleged involvement in significant corruption, misuse of public resources and diverting materials meant for Uganda’s needy communities…But breaking ranks with the UK, Washington aimed at the military, President Museveni’s most trusted state institution, by designating Lt-Gen Peter Elwelu, who, until two months ago, was the Deputy Chief of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). Sanctions against him are pegged on gross violations of human rights. “Specifically, Peter Elwelu was involved, while commanding UPDF forces, in extrajudicial killings that members of the UPDF committed. As a result of these actions, the designated Ugandan officials are generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” the statement said. Currently, Elwelu is also a Member of Parliament, representing the army in the National Assembly.
WEST AFRICA
BURKINA FASO
Report – the world’s worst forgotten crisis
Burkina Faso topped a list of the world’s most neglected crises for a second year in a row, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The organization has said ongoing conflicts and a chronic lack of funding have led to the neglect of millions of displaced people. It has compiled a grim ranking of the worst-affected countries. The NRC said there were currently around 2 million internally displaced people in the country, most of them cut off from aid. To arrive at its 2023 ranking, the NRC looked at which countries were worst affected by three metrics: funding shortfalls, lack of media attention and faltering international diplomatic initiatives. It analyzed 39 crises in total. All but one of the countries in the top 10 were in West or Central Africa. Burkina Faso was in first place, followed by Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger, Honduras, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan. “The utter neglect of displaced people has become the new normal,” said Jan Egeland, the NRC’s secretary general. “The world is neither shocked nor compelled to act by stories of desperation and record-breaking statistics,” Egeland added. “We need a global reboot of solidarity and a refocus on where needs are greatest.”
NIGERIA
Unions suspend strike for talks
Nigeria’s main labor unions suspended an indefinite strike for a week on Tuesday in order to continue talks with the government over a new minimum wage after reforms in the West African nation caused inflation to spike, worsening a cost of living crisis. Nigeria’s two biggest union federations, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), shut down the national grid and disrupted flights across the country on Monday as they began an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to agree a new minimum wage. Unions and the government met late on Monday for talks where the government said it was open to a higher monthly minimum wage than the amount of 60,000 naira ($41.38) it had proposed. But a new amount is yet to be announced.
Strike shuts power grid, disrupts airlines
Nigeria’s main labour unions on Monday shut down the national grid and disrupted flights across the country as they began an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to agree a new minimum wage. Unions declared the indefinite strike on Friday after talks for a new minimum wage meant to cushion the impact of reforms collapsed. They had demanded a sixteen-fold raise in the minimum wage to 494,000 naira ($333.23) a month from 30,000 naira, and vowed to continue the strike until a new minimum wage was in place. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said union members drove operators away at the country’s power control rooms and shut down at least six substations, eventually shutting the national grid. Nigerian airline Ibom Air said it was suspending flights until further notice due to the strike, while another, United Nigeria, said airports across the country had been shut down and striking workers had permitted none of its flights to operate. Electricity and aviation unions said in a statement on Monday they had directed members to withdraw their services in compliance with the indefinite strike.
What is Nigeria doing to stop chronic oil theft?
Nigeria relies on crude oil for more than two-thirds of its earnings and about 90% of foreign exchange income, but massive theft in the country’s oil-rich heartland is draining national revenue. Authorities have beefed up efforts to thwart the theft of crude products in the West African country’s oil-rich Niger Delta region. Nigeria’s oil workers union in April asked Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to deploy more troops to combat the widespread theft from oil pipelines, which, along with the sabotage of onshore pipelines, has forced oil majors like Shell and Exxon to sell onshore assets. In the same month, Nigeria’s Navy recruited 1,486 personnel to boost internal security operations in the country’s crude production heartland, according to local media sources. Most of those involved in carrying out the oil theft are young people, many of whom are unemployed and looking to improve their livelihoods. Some of the oil thieves are suspected members of militant groups. The Nigerian government in 2022 awarded a pipeline protection contract to Tompolo, a forme miltant — a controversial move…to end the menace by engaging a broad section of militant groups across communities where the thefts take place. According to a local analyst, “the best thing is for government to look at the entire region, look at the various communities there and the youth, bring them together so that there would be a kind of collaborative work,” he said, suggesting that authorities could perhaps incentivize the groups by offering them a share of the oil they helped recover.”
UAE to lift visa ban on Nigeria
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that the UAE plans to lift a travel ban on Nigerian citizens imposed in 2022. Keyamo made the announcement during a welcome dinner for delegates at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 80th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai. Keyamo stated: “The issue of visa has been resolved, just the announcement remains. They want to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. The announcement will be made in a couple of weeks.” The travel ban was imposed by the UAE due to diplomatic disputes, including issues with visa denials and a face-off with Emirates Airlines, which had suspended flights to the West African country. President Bola Tinubu had intervened last year to resolve these disputes, and his office claimed to have “secured a landmark deal” with the UAE to lift the ban with immediate effect. However this was later denied by an Emirati official. The official announcement, once made, is expected to rekindle bilateral relations and increase trade and flight connectivity between the two countries. Last month, Emirates Airlines announced that it will resume flights to Nigeria starting 1 October.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
Elections 2024:
South Africa’s president urges unity as ANC support plunges
President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africa’s political parties to work together for the good of the country as final results from last week’s election confirmed his African National Congress had lost its majority for the first time. Voters, angry at joblessness, inequality and rolling blackouts, slashed support for the ANC to 40.2%, down from 57.5% in the previous 2019 parliamentary vote. Official results showed the ANC winning 159 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly, down from 230 previously. The result means that the ANC must now share power, likely with a major political rival, in order to keep it – an unprecedented prospect in South Africa’s post-apartheid history. ANC officials earlier on Sunday said the party was humbled by the result and had “nothing to celebrate” but stood by Ramaphosa, once Mandela’s lead negotiator to end apartheid, and said they would not bend to pressure for him to step down.
All eyes on ANC as it discusses who to enlist to govern South Africa
South Africa was on tenterhooks on Monday for the African National Congress to signal whom it will choose as a partner to govern the nation after it lost its majority in last week’s election for the first time in 30 years of democracy. The ANC’s vote share was still the largest of any party but was not enough for the ANC to govern alone, thrusting South Africa into unknown political territory. The ANC’s potential partners are diametrically opposed, ranging from the free-marketeer Democratic Alliance (DA) to uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), parties that advocate nationalising mines and banks and redistributing land. “We would work with anyone who wants to work with us but not with a cap in the hand,” ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said late on Sunday after the official results were announced. With the future direction of government policy at stake, a working committee of 27 ANC officials was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to prepare a presentation on the party’s options to be delivered to the National Executive Committee on Wednesday. The DA and the smaller, socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have both announced they had set up negotiating teams to engage with other parties. Both are part of an alliance of parties formed before the election.
ANC says Ramaphosa will not step down for the sake of a coalition
As South Africa heads for a series of complex talks to form a national coalition government for the first time and establish stability, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said Cyrille Ramaphosa would remain as party leader and any demands from others that he resign for talks to go ahead was “a no-go area.” Mbalula said the ANC was open to talks with every other political party in an effort to form a government. The new MK Party of former President Jacob Zuma, which won 14% in the election in a surprise showing that makes it the third biggest in parliament, has said Ramaphosa must go as leader of the ANC and the country for it to enter any coalition talks with the ANC. The ANC has many options for coalition partners among South Africa’s other parties, including one with the main opposition Democratic Alliance, which won 21% of votes.
What’s next for South Africa and the key figures in unprecedented coalition talks
South Africa’s election has decided little, other than the African National Congress that liberated the country from apartheid in 1994 has lost its 30-year majority. It remained the biggest party, though. With no one holding a majority, South Africa’s party leaders are embarking on coalition talks to form a government. South Africa has never had to do this due to the ANC’s long dominance. There are four major political parties and at least eight with significant shares of the vote after last week’s election. Here’s a guide to some of the key figures and what might be coming next as South Africa enters uncharted territory.
MultiChoice recommends Canal+ offer
An independent board formed by MultiChoice recommended an all-cash mandatory offer made by French media group Vivendi’s Canal+ for the shares it does not already own in the South African broadcaster, the companies said. The independent board concluded that the terms and conditions of the offer were fair and reasonable to MultiChoice shareholders. In April, Canal+ made a firm offer of 125 rand in cash per MultiChoice share, meaning it would pay about 35 billion rand ($1.88 billion) for the shares it does not own in a deal that valued the whole company at about 55 billion rand. Both parties are in the process of assessing and finalising a suitable structure for the licensed activities of MultiChoice Group to ensure compliance with the applicable limitations on foreign control in implementing the mandatory offer. The deal would create a pan-African broadcasting powerhouse with about 31.5 million subscribers across more than 50 countries, able to put African content to global audiences as well as compete on an international scale. The French media company has a broad reach in French-speaking African nations, while MultiChoice has a stronger presence in English-speaking countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. ($1 = 18.6373 rand)
ZAMBIA
Zambia’s debt restructuring limps over line as painful test case
More than three-and-a-half years, or 1,300 days, after resource-rich Zambia formally declared itself bankrupt it is about to drag itself out of default, leaving some hard lessons for richer nations about how their much-vaunted debt relief plan performed. Tuesday will see its international bondholders vote through their part of a $13.4 billion debt restructuring and make Zambia the first to complete a full-blown rework under the G20-led ‘Common Framework’ architecture…for many involved in the day-to-day work – and repeated delays – it will be more of a weary cheer than a celebratory fist shake. “It was painful for Zambia – we fully recognise that,” said William Roos, the co-chair of both the ‘Paris Club’ of richer Western creditor nations and of Zambia’s Official Creditor Committee. The overall restructuring is estimated to cut around $900 million dollars from Zambia’s debt and spread its future payments over a much longer time frame. It has been its role as a Common Framework guinea pig though that has made it prominent. Launched during COVID-19 in 2020, the Framework was designed to bring all the different lenders to poorer countries under one roof — particularly China whose lending exploded in the decade before the pandemic. It was regarded as a breakthrough but the extraordinary length of time Zambia’s restructuring has taken, as well as others still ongoing in Ghana and Ethiopia, has led to criticism of delays and complexity. Officials and creditors in all three countries have complained about a lack of transparency.
ZIMBABWE
Authorities urge citizens to cycle to work
Faced with a broken public transit system, poor road conditions, fuel shortages and low salaries, Zimbabwean authorities are urging citizens to cycle to work, ostensibly for health reasons and to promote a clean environment, as bicycles do not use fossil fuels. Jacob Mafume, the mayor of Harare, said if Zimbabweans in greater numbers chose to cycle to work, there would be less congestion and fewer road accidents, among other benefits… Mayor Mafume said he is aware of the dilapidated state of cycling lanes in the capital city. “We are going to revamp them,” he said. “One of the issues that we have to do is to put a cycle track running across Harare Drive. Once we have a cycle track circling the city, then all the other cycle tracks can fit into Harare Drive. Harare Drive is the city’s longest road and circles Harare.
NORTH AFRICA
ALGERIA
Algeria seeks to lure tourists to neglected cultural, scenic glories
Algeria wants to lure more visitors to the cultural and scenic treasures of Africa’s largest country, shedding its status as a tourism backwater and expanding a sector outshone by competitors in neighbouring Morocco and Tunisia. The giant north African country offers Roman and Islamic sites, beaches and mountains just an hour’s flight from Europe, and haunting Saharan landscapes, where visitors can sleep on dunes under the stars and ride camels with Tuareg nomads. But while tourist-friendly Morocco welcomed 14.5 million visitors in 2023, bigger, richer Algeria hosted just 3.3 million foreign tourists, according the tourism ministry. About 1.2 million of those holiday-makers were Algerians from the disapora visiting families. The lack of travellers is testimony to Algeria’s neglect of a sector that remains one of world tourism’s undiscovered gems. As Algeria’s oil and gas revenues grew in the 1960s and 70s, successive governments lost interest in developing mass tourism. A descent into political strife in the 1990s pushed the country further off the beaten track. But while security is now much improved, Algeria needs to tackle an inflexible visa system and poor transport links, as well as grant privileges to local and foreign private investors to enable tourism to flourish, analysts say.
MOROCCO
University staff petition to sever ties with Israeli university
In response to the demand of 600 university professors and administrative staff, the presidency of the Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi, or the Abdelmalek Saadi University, located in the northern city of Tetouan, Morocco, is planning to review its 2022 academic partnership agreement with the Israeli University of Haifa. Professor Al-Moumni Boushti, the university’s president, pledged to include the petition’s demands as an agenda point at the next university council meeting, with the purpose of cancelling the September 2022 partnership agreement between the universities. In a petition addressed to the university president, the signatories also demanded “the cessation of all forms of [diplomatic] normalisation with Israel”. The petition added: “Our initiative comes as a step of solidarity with the Palestinian people …” and it states that Palestinian university presidents, deans, professors and students have been killed, This petition came after the 16 May statement issued by the regional office of the Moroccan Union of Higher Education and Scientific Research Academic Staff calling for the cutting of ties with Israeli universities. Abdelmalek Saadi University is set to join several European, Asian, African, Latin American and North American universities which have ended their relationships with Israeli universities in response to the war in Gaza.
EGYPT
Sisi orders prime minister to form new cabinet
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reappointed Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Monday to form a new government after the latter submitted his cabinet’s resignation, following Sisi’s reelection for a third term last year, the presidency said in a statement. Sisi directed the new government to focus on lowering inflation and regulating markets as well as attracting and increasing local and foreign investments, the presidency added. Targets for new cabinet members would also include preserving the country’s national security in light of regional and international challenges, and counter-terrorism, the statement said. There was no immediate indication of which ministers would be replaced in the long-awaited reshuffle, or when the new cabinet would be announced. Sisi was sworn in for his third term in April after sweeping to victory with 89.6% of the vote in an election with no serious challengers last December.
Resentment against US grows in Egypt’s defence establishment
The Biden administration’s near unconditional support for Israel’s war on Gaza is stoking resentment towards the US among Egypt’s powerful defence establishment, complicating the administration’s bid to revive ties between Cairo and Israel to reach a Gaza ceasefire. Egypt’s Supreme Military Council, the General Intelligence Service and other defence officials are angry that the US has sided with Israel over its invasion of Rafah and seizure of the Philadelphi Corridor…Riccardo Fabiani, at the International Crisis Group, described US-Egypt ties at the moment as “triangular”. “The tensions between Egypt and Israel on the Gaza border are effectively fuelling tensions between the US and Egypt.” One Israeli accusation that particularly rattled Egypt’s defence establishment is that it has allowed Hamas to smuggle weapons and supplies through its Gaza border. In a bid to smooth over tensions between the two, the US deployed technical teams to Egypt’s side of the border earlier this year to address the Israeli allegations, the former Egyptian official told MEE. Israel still seized the crossing and the US has effectively backed Israel’s decision.
A blow to the poor: Egypt’s public hospitals up for privatisation after new law
A new law giving the private sector the right to operate public hospitals has raised concerns among Egypt’s population, more than half of whom rely on government-run health facilities.
Approved by parliament on 20 May, the Law on the Management and the Operation of Medical Establishments will come into effect after it’s ratified by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The government hopes the law, the first in the country’s history, will attract investment in the health sector and improve medical services offered by the public hospitals. Nevertheless, the legislation has prompted widespread opposition, including from the Doctors Syndicate, the independent guild of physicians, which has called on the president not to ratify it. The syndicate expressed fear that the law would not commit the private sector to treating low-income patients for free, as the government does now. Civil society has also weighed in, accusing the government of commercialising medical services. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights has denounced the law as flawed, and said it was rushed through without enough discussion by lawmakers.
WESTERN SAHARA
The uphill struggle of Sahrawis battling Morocco on Western Sahara’s berm
Fighting is found mostly along the berm, a fortified sand wall that runs down Western Sahara, delineating areas held by Morocco and territory nominally controlled by the SADR, the Sahrawi quasi-state that is dominated by the Polisario Front liberation organisation. For decades, Sahrawi refugees have pinned their hopes for brighter futures on the eventual return to their homeland, but at the moment that prospect may be further away than ever. It’s fair to say that the war between Morocco and the Sahrawis is less than evenly matched. The kingdom can count on the United States, which provides around 90 percent of Morocco’s arms, as well as Turkey and France as allies and suppliers. Meanwhile, a 2020 recognition agreement with Israel has seen Morocco gain access to top-of-the-range drone technology. Both mines and drones have left their mark on large numbers of Sahrawis across the refugee camps. The Landmine Victims’ Centre and Sahrawi Mine Action Coordination Office (SMACO) in Rabouni camp document the widespread wounds and fatalities that Moroccan weaponry has left on the refugees. Those hazards add to an already hard existence for those in the Algerian camps, with little or no running water and limited electricity, scant medical facilities and inhabitants entirely reliant on aid and the hope that their almost 50 years residency is still only temporary.
AFRICA – GENERAL NEWS
*Russian FM Sergei Lavrov begins Africa tour
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Guinea on Monday on the first leg of a three-country African tour and is expected to continue to Chad and Burkina Faso, according to reports by Russian state media. The trip comes as Moscow looks to bolster support from countries on the continent, amidst Russian isolation on the world stage. In July last year, Russian president Vladimir Putin hosted several African heads of government at the second Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg. During the summit, Russia made promises focused on delivering grain to a number of African countries, while also declaration an intention to strengthen economic and security cooperation between Moscow and the continent. Russia’s main economic interests in Africa have centred on its grains, arms, extractives, and nuclear power exports. More than 70 per cent of all Russian trade with Africa in 2021 was carried out in just four countries—Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and South Africa.
South Korea-Africa summit: 25 heads of state attend maiden meeting
Representatives from 48 African nations are attending the first-ever Korea-Africa summit. The 2-day talks which opened on Tuesday (Jun. 3) are expected to focus on trade, technology and investment. South Korean officials say expanding ties in the area of minerals and resources would help improve the country’s supply chain resilience in key industries such as batteries. “In order to boost cooperation with Africa, South Korea will expand ODA (Official Development Assistance program) to around 10 billion dollars until 2030. Also in order to encourage South Korean trade and investment in the region, South Korea will provide 14 billion dollars in export financing.” Trade with African nations currently accounts for less than 2% of South Korea’s total imports and exports. South Korea’s outreach to the continent comes at a time when neighbour North Korea seeks to break out of diplomatic isolation.
South Korea’s Yoon calls for greater cooperation with Africa on minerals, trade
Hosting a first-ever summit with the leaders of 48 African countries, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea will increase development aid for Africa to $10 billion over the next six years as it looks to tap the continent’s rich mineral resources and potential as a vast export market. “We will seek sustainable ways to work together on issues directly related to future growth, such as stable supplies of key minerals and digital transformation,” Yoon said in his opening remarks. He also pledged to offer $14 billion in export financing to promote trade and investment for South Korean companies in African countries. South Korea is one of the world’s largest energy buyers and is home to leading semiconductor producers. It is also home to the world’s fifth-largest automaker Hyundai Motor Group, which is making a push for electrification. Partnering with Africa, which has 30% of the world’s reserves of critical minerals including chrome, cobalt and manganese is crucial, Yoon’s office has said.
How much does the EU discuss countries outside of the bloc?
Most African, Asian and Latin American countries are rarely discussed at the European Parliament according to a DW analysis. Ukraine, Russia and China score highest. Countries including Turkey, Syria, Iran, Belarus and India have gotten some airtime in the parliament’s chamber — though none were featured in more than 3% of speeches. But almost no nation in Africa, Oceania or Central and South America made the top 10 list of those most cited — even when EU member states, Ukraine and global heavyweights China, Russia and the United States (US) were excluded from the count. Given the Parliament’s role in crafting laws for EU citizens, most debate inside its chamber centers on member states themselves. But what about the rest of the world?
Poor facilities cost African teams home advantage in World Cup qualifiers
Nearly half of the African countries hosting World Cup qualifiers over the next week are being forced to host their matches in neutral venues as the Confederation of African Football continues to clamp down on poor facilities. Some 17 of the 43 countries who have a home game scheduled in qualification for the 2026 World Cup between Wednesday and next Tuesday are barred from using their own stadia because they are not up to standard. The list includes Kenya, who are one of the three countries designated to co-host the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2027, and Benin, whose stadium in Cotonou is in disrepair less than two years after a major renovation. CAF have taken a firm line on tardy facilities over the last two years in an effort to force countries to improve pitch conditions and other facilities like changing rooms and stadium lights…Benin, Congo and Madagascar are the latest countries to be banned from using home venues but South Sudan will end a lengthy exile as they play at home at a newly built stadium in Juba in their Group B derby with neighbours Sudan next week.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Dubbers translate foreign movies for Ugandan audience
In Uganda, translators like VJ Bumbash dub foreign films for local audiences. Dubbing is growing in popularity — but the industry hangs in the balance.
PODCAST OF THE DAY
A coup attempt’s aftermath in the DR Congo
The attackers were led by Christian Malanga, a politician and former military officer based in the US.
South African voters shun ANC
ANC loses majority support in crucial vote, DA rules out coalition with Malema’s EFF party, ex-president Jacob Zuma’s power vows to take back power from ANC
AFRICA NEWS IN PICTURES
How voting new Mufti of Rwanda unfolded
The Rwanda Muslim community in Rwanda, on Sunday, May 26, elected Sheikh Musa Sindayigaya to become the new Mufti of Rwanda. Sheikh Sindayigaya won the election after running unopposed for the position. The new Mufti was elected after Sheikh Salim Hitimana, who has served in the role since 2016, pulled out of the race at the last minute.
AFRICA – ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL/OPINION
Standby force was to be Africa’s shield and defender. What happened?
Africans have consistently rejected the presence of foreign military bases on their soil
Pouyanné and Dangote’s conversation at Kigali CEO Forum – a tale of two worlds
Africa doesn’t have a choice between economic growth and protecting the environment: how they can go hand in hand
Buying and selling forest carbon as a commodity is dangerous if it trumps other environmental and social uses – new report
Nearly 25% of land in Africa has been damaged – what’s to blame, and what can be done
Africa’s informal settlement evictions are popular but damaging
Where was African joy at Cannes or African humour at Sundance? The big film festivals need to look beyond stereotypes
Chad
Mahamat Deby doubles down on authoritarian rule in wake of election victory
Egypt
Why Sisi continues to protect Israel
Ethiopia
Golden Ambitions: War legacy impedes Tigray’s gold mining reviva
EU visa restrictions on Ethiopians reflect strained migration relations
The punitive measures reflect a history of major EU investment in Ethiopia’s migration governance – with few results
Ghana
Stevie Wonder’s Ghanaian citizenship reflects long-standing links between African Americans and the continent
Malawi
Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done
South Africa
South Africa elections: Zuma’s MK Party steals the ANC’s thunder with provocative rhetoric and few clear policies
South Africa: coalition government won’t fix past failures – expect the private sector to play a bigger role in delivering power, transport and security
Governance scenarios in South Africa: growth vs stability?
Rwanda
No one will lose sleep over Forbidden Stories’ stale tales: we’ve seen it all before
Double legitimacy: A danger to African governance
Sierra Leone
Bushmeat markets pose serious health hazards – we studied two for six months to find solutions
The Africa Edition ©️ 
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