Leaders of French-Speaking Countries Hold Summit in Tunisia
Leaders of French-speaking countries gathered Saturday on a Tunisian island to discuss debt relief, migration, food and energy shortages amid a soaring cost-of-living crisis across Africa, Europe and the Middle East due to Russia’s war on Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the presidents of eight African nations were attending the 18th biannual meeting of the 88-member International Organization of Francophonie, which promotes relations among nations that use French as their primary language. AP
Equatorial Guinea Ruling Party Wins 99% of Votes – Early Election Results
Preliminary election results released by Equatorial Guinea’s government on Monday showed the ruling party winning over 99% of votes counted so far in presidential, legislative, and municipal elections held on Sunday. The tiny, authoritarian, oil-producing Central African state is run by President Teodoro Obiang, the world’s longest-ruling head of state, who is seeking to extend his 43 years in office. Reuters
South African Court Sends Zuma Back to Jail, Says Parole Unlawful
South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the decision to release former President Jacob Zuma on early medical parole was “unlawful” and that he should return to prison to finish his sentence for contempt of court. Last year, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after ignoring a court order to testify at a government inquiry into widespread corruption during his near-decade as president, a tenure that ended in 2018 when incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa replaced him. Al Jazeera
South Africa Faces Challenges in Transition Away from Coal
A significant polluter because it relies on coal to generate about 80% of its electricity, South Africa plans to reduce that to 59% by 2030 by phasing out some of its 15 coal-fired power stations and increasing its use of renewable energy. Its target is zero carbon emissions by 2050. After receiving pledges of $8.5 billion at last year’s global climate summit in Scotland, South Africa’s plan to transition away from coal was widely endorsed at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt where officials signed agreements for some parts of the loan funding. AP
Five Years After Zimbabwe Coup: Professor Jonathan Moyo Reminisces in Exile
Five years after late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe was removed as head of state and leader of Zanu-PF, former minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo, reminisces about the coup d’état, during which Moyo and his then ally, Saviour Kasukuwere, escaped arrest by seeking shelter with the Mugabe family at the presidential residence. News24
Zimbabwe to Open New Chinese-Built Parliament
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa will on Wednesday formally open a new 650-seat parliament in the capital, Harare, that was funded by China. President Mnangagwa will use the occasion to deliver a state of the nation address, the state-run Herald newspaper reports quoting the clerk of parliament. The finance minister will on the next day present the 2023 national budget, the newspaper adds. China funded the project as a gift to Zimbabwe. It houses the national assembly and the senate. A Chinese company was behind the construction. BBC
Eritrea Deploying New Army Units into Tigray, Says Regional Government
Eritrea continues to send military reinforcements to the Tigray region despite the recent peace agreement, according to a statement issued by the regional government on Saturday. Earlier this month, the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) agreed to a ceasefire as a first step to ending the two-year conflict. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Tigray Communication Affairs Office said Eritrean troops continue to commit horrific atrocities against the people of Tigray. Sudan Tribune
Europe’s Opposition to Controversial Oil Pipeline Angers Uganda’s Government
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) will…make Uganda and Tanzania billions of dollars of much-needed revenue. But, as the world grapples with the threat of climate change, this fossil fuel project is rushing headlong into the complexities and the paradoxes of global climate politics.In September, the European Union parliament passed a motion that called for an end to all oil exploration and extraction activities in Uganda…The Ugandan government does not agree with this assessment. It points out that Uganda is much better than Europe in renewable energy use, with 80% of the country’s energy coming from renewable sources such as hydropower, solar and biomass. Mail & Guardian
Last Minute Objections Threaten Historic UN Climate Deal in COP27
Negotiators at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt neared a breakthrough deal on Saturday for a fund to help poor countries being ravaged by the impacts of global warming, but remained locked over how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions driving them…A COP27 draft agreement released on Saturday reaffirmed past commitments to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent the worst of climate change, but offered little evidence of increased ambition to make the emissions cuts needed to reach that goal. France24
France Halts Development Aid to Mali
France will stop sending public development aid to Mali because of the West African country’s alleged ties to Russian paramilitaries, according to the French foreign ministry. “Given the attitude of Mali’s junta leader, allied with the Russian mercenaries of Wagner, we have suspended our public development aid to Mali,” a ministry source said on Thursday. The announcement comes three months after France announced that it was winding down its anti-jihadist operation known as Operation Barkhane. The ministry said it will maintain humanitarian aid, however, and continue to support civil society organisations. RFI
West African States to Increase Cooperation as Jihadists Move Beyond Sahel
West African coastal states are holding talks on boosting military cooperation against jihadist violence spilling over from the Sahel. This follows recent announcements that several international peacekeeping contingents are being withdrawn from Mali. Benin, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo are confronting increased risks from Islamic State jihadists and Al Qaeda militants waging war over their northern borders in the Sahel. As part of the so-called Accra Initiative, representatives of coastal states on the Gulf of Guinea, the European Union and others met in the Ghanaian capital on Thursday for talks on security and intelligence cooperation. RFI
For Africa to Prosper, Africans Need to Be Able to Move
In an interview, Adesina spoke to Quartz about a key ingredient in the future of the African economy: the mobility of people, as envisioned in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world. The ease of movement of people across Africa is much more than a question of visa access and travel documents; it is also one of flight costs, logistics, and digitization. Quartz Africa
World Cup 2022: Six Questions Facing African Teams in Qatar
African sides will break new ground at the World Cup this year as all five qualifiers from the continent head to Qatar with home-grown coaches. Four of those men are taking charge at the finals for the first time, with just Senegal’s Aliou Cisse in the dugout in Russia four years ago. All five African teams were knocked out in the group stage in 2018, so the main task will be to clear the opening hurdle before they can even consider making history in Qatar by passing the last eight. BBC