Vol 66 No 25 |
- AFRICA
- BRITAIN
Diplomats consulted 47 governments and 25 multilateral institutions, but Britain’s new Africa policy is still seen as a damp squib
‘A new approach to Africa’ was the promise of Britain’s Labour government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, ahead of its 16 December launch. Yet after six months of...
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After four African deals, Washington claims there are advanced negotiations ongoing with 20 more countries for bilateral health pacts
After the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) comes America First healthcare. In the week ending 13 December, Lesotho, Eswatini and Uganda joined Kenya in signing agreements...
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US legislators eyeing extension of trade deal as they fear Russia and China filling the vacuum
Ten weeks after its expiry on 30 September, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is close to being reborn, at least for three years. Less clear is...
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Multilateralism survived and African leaders got some progress on debt, minerals and climate change at the G20 and the COP30
Winning a sort of victory in the teeth of United States opposition, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa rescued Africa’s first G20 on 22-23 November, pushing through a leaders’...
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Vol 66 No 24 |
- AFRICA
- FINANCE
Questioning South Africa’s Manuel report, S&P says it assesses African economies fairly
S&P Global Ratings has refuted claims that it treats African countries unfairly after it and the two other major credit ratings agencies, Moody's and Fitch, were slammed in...
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Plan to use debt and public-private financing may prompt other governments to change tack on widening housing deficit
A US$1.35 billion public-private financing plan by the World Bank for Kenya’s property market reflects the sky-rocketing demand for housing in Africa, the fastest urbanising continent. Over 40,000...
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Higher growth forecasts have to be set against falling per capita incomes, a monumental job creation challenge, and failure to agree on debt restructuring
As the International Monetary Fund and World Bank held their Annual Meetings from 13-18 October in Washington DC, persistent fears over global economic risks were tempered by relief...
Who will invest in local refining and processing of critical minerals was the question posed by African leaders at the Global Gateway Forum hosted by the European Union...
Vol 66 No 20 |
- AFRICA
- ISLAMISM
Al Shabaab tries to regain the initiative in Somalia, Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado is jolted by fresh attacks and the Sahel is the most lethal region
The global spotlight has shifted away from Africa’s jihadist wars, but the violence has not. As western military forces disengage and attention shifts to Ukraine and Gaza, militant...
Vol 66 No 19 |
- CHINA
- AFRICA
While Beijing has sharpened its trade offer to the continent, US protectionism has triggered record African imports of Chinese goods
China’s announcement that it will offer tariff-free trade access for all African exporters was a shrewd soft-power move by Beijing – coming just after the United States government...
With climate finance at a premium, delegates focused on bankable projects, trading and refining critical minerals and nature-based initiatives
Alongside the nationalist tub-thumping, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was making a serious point about climate and energy policy when he invited a group of international leaders for...
EU states in talks as Egypt’s Youssef aims for legally binding framework after Nairobi meeting in November
Against an unpromising diplomatic backdrop, the African-led push for a UN tax convention to boost public revenues by countering illicit financial flows is making progress through the labyrinthine...
Vol 66 No 19 |
- AFRICA
- UNESCO
The race to succeed France’s Audrey Azoulay as Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will be won by an African – but the...
Vol 66 No 18 |
- JAPAN
- AFRICA
Summit pledges on cutting the cost of capital, boosting fair trade and investment were popular, but delegates want quantity as well as quality
One of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s last diplomatic forays before his resignation on 7 September was his hosting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9)...
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The UN court’s opinion defining greenhouse gas emissions as ‘internationally wrongful acts’ argues for climate finance to become a legal obligation for the main polluting countries
The ruling by the UN’s top court that countries may be held legally accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental damage they cause could help reshape...
Vol 66 No 17 |
- FRANCE
- AFRICA
After their exit from the Sahel, French troops prioritise flexible partnerships and blunting Russia’s influence
When France’s Secretary of State for la Francophonie and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi told journalists on 27 July that the security crisis in the Sahel was no longer...
The worst was averted – yet oil states and surplus exporters still face steep duties, as Lesotho breathes easier and AGOA’s future hangs in the balance
The final tariff sweep was softer than feared – but still sharp enough to sting. Algeria, Libya and South Africa will face 30% tariffs on goods exports, while...
Vol 66 No 16 |
- ECONOMY
- AFRICA
Efforts to raise domestic funds are colliding with political constraints – and public trust remains elusive as global reforms falter
As indebted African governments confront declining aid flows and western reluctance to reform the international financial system, they are again eyeing ways to boost domestic revenues and tap...
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Development budget reduced as military spending increases
Africa will be the main victim of cuts to the UK’s foreign aid budget, according to a new report and impact assessment by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development...
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After yet another UN summit, African governments see sparse progress on debt relief or global financial reform
The familiar sound of empty promises rang around Seville at the close of the latest UN summit on international financial reforms. Few delegates from developing nations trusted commitments...
As the EU spends over US$9 billion on migration deals with African states, Washington is pushing its own plan
Opposition is mounting to efforts by US President Donald Trump’s administration to persuade African states to accept third-country deportees. Some governments such as Nigeria have openly rejected the...
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Despite US pledges, plans for AGOA revamp are unclear
South Africa, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia were among a group of over 20 countries to be issued with tariff letters from United States President Donald Trump’s administration this...
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Geopolitical rivalries are sinking the UN treaty to cut carbon emissions and protect developing economies ahead of the Brazil summit in November
The UN’s preparatory climate summit in Bonn from 16-26 June offered a grim portent of what may happen in the main event – the UN COP30 climate summit...
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The EU is pushing ahead with carbon credit schemes despite criticism from its own advisory board
EU governments will be encouraged to use carbon credit schemes in Africa to count towards their own emissions reduction targets by 2040, under a new law tabled on...
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US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jnr has criticised a key Gavi vaccine
Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, secured most of the funding it needs for its next five years of operations at a pledging summit in Brussels on 25 June,...
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Fitch’s downgrade raises questions about risk perception and preferred creditor status – and has reignited calls for an African-owned rating agency
Fitch Ratings downgraded the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) one notch to BBB- on 4 June, leaving the Cairo-based lender just above non-investment grade. The principal reason was a...
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Vol 66 No 13 |
- AFRICA
- MIGRATION
The Pan-African Parliament hopes its example will encourage governments to protect migrants’ rights
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has moved closer to agreeing a model law to harmonise the treatment of migrants across the continent following three days of meetings in Nairobi...
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Vol 66 No 13 |
- AFRICA
- DEBT
US aid cuts and tariffs increase need of African states to get a fairer deal on debt
An expert panel chaired by Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has called for a new round of debt relief for African countries to prevent a ‘perfect storm’ of...
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Vol 66 No 13 |
- CHINA
- AFRICA
Officials in Washington are mulling changes to the tariff policy ahead of a US-Africa business summit in September
China continues to position itself as Africa’s most important economic partner after offering tariff-free trade to all 54 African countries, other than Eswatini, which recognises Taiwan’s sovereignty.
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The UN Secretary-General hopes radical restructuring and austerity can rescue the organisation as multilateralism starts to split at the seams
Instead of celebrating its 80th birthday, there is a serious chance that the UN headquarters will have to declare a form of institutional bankruptcy at its General Assembly...
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Interviewees are frustrated with civilian governments but majority still favour democracy over military juntas
Support for democracy across Africa appears is ebbing due to falling governance standards, according to a new annual survey covering 39 African states by the Accra-based think tank...
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The US is considering merging Africom into its Europe command as its commitment to the continent wavers
African leaders should make their positions on the future of the United States’ military command in Africa known in the coming months, Africom commander General Michael Langley told...
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Vol 66 No 12 |
- AFRICA
- MIGRATION
Africans lost an estimated €60 million (US$67.5m) in 2024 alone due to rejected applications for Schengen visas to visit the European Union, according to data published by the...
Vol 66 No 11 |
- FRANCE
- AFRICA
President Macron’s new policy ideas keep foundering on the domestic priorities of African leaders
Two more sharp reminders of the cultural and political realities have jolted President Emmanuel Macron as he struggles to reshape France’s relations with Africa which have reached a...
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Kallas wants to work with AU to support beleaguered multilateral bodies
The European Union may not be putting anything new on the table but it ‘is the partner Africa can rely on’, the EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs...
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Vol 66 No 10 |
- OMAN
- AFRICA
Oman is joining the wave of Gulf Arab states reaching out to Africa with unprecedented levels of strategic investment and bilateral agreements
Until recently, Africa had slipped down the priority list for investors and diplomats from Oman, but like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, it is...
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The top investment bank is briefing South Africa on how to structure an offer to Washington
Goldman Sachs has positioned itself as the trade whisperer to United States President Donald J Trump, holding talks with several African leaders, including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa...
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US tariffs are disrupting trade routes, cutting into financial reserves and posing a threat to growth across the continent
Along with much of the rest of the world, the economic prospects for Africa have taken a serious hit due to the trade war launched by the United...
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Vol 66 No 9 |
- AFRICA
- OECD
- AID
The OECD is warning that assistance to poorest nations must be protected to avoid ‘dramatic’ impacts
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says that aid to struggling sub-Saharan African countries should be ringfenced amid the deep spending cuts threatened by the...
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Confidential document reveals plan to channel funds to Sahel juntas where civilian deaths from jihadist attacks have more than doubled since 2020
After spending over €8 billion on cash for migration controls with authoritarian regimes in North Africa in 2024, the European Commission is focusing on similar deals – but...
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Some officials insist the AGOA trade preference scheme will take precedence over the President’s executive order until September
Confusion reigns as officials and companies seek clarity on the timetable for the swingeing ‘reciprocal’ tariffs imposed on exports to the United States by President Donald Trump on...
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Loss of trade concessions will marginalise the US as a market for many African exporters
The round of tariffs due to be imposed by the United States across the world on 2 April signals the end of the African Growth and Opportunity Act...
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As western countries slash aid budgets, China, Turkey and the Gulf States step up the competition for soft power and commercial advantage
The 90-day freeze on almost all United States aid imposed on 20 January by President Donald Trump, together with swingeing cuts in assistance by other rich western economies,...
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Washington has shifted focus, leaving 33 African states uncertain about future trade prospects but creating an opportunity for China
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which offers tariff and quota-free United States trade for 33 African states, looks set to follow the United States Agency for...
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Vol 66 No 4 |
- AFRICA
- MINING
Political and economic risks are holding back countries hoping to benefit from a critical minerals boom
Africa’s gold miners, great and small, are reaping benefits from the mounting geopolitical chaos. The gold price, which surged 20% in 2024 due to escalating political risks, has...
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Scrambling for influence, governments are hiring start-ups and established Republican lobbyists
Amid uncertainty about aid and security policies, a flurry of lobbying contracts with foreign governments, many of them African, have been filed under the US State Department’s Foreign...
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An executive order from President imposes a 90-day freeze on most foreign funding – except military aid
Within hours of entering the White House, President Donald Trump issued an executive order for a three-month freeze on all foreign aid. This move seemed certain to result...
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Washington may penalise states applying OECD tax rules on multinationals
Fights over new rules to cut corporate tax avoidance and illicit financial flows are intensifying weeks ahead of the first meeting of a new UN convention to set...
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Vol 66 No 2 |
- AFRICA
- FINANCE
Despite current tighter financing conditions, Moody’s upgrades the region’s credit outlook to ‘stable’ amid reduced borrowing costs
Lower US interest rates will mean cheaper borrowing for African states, ratings agency Moody’s believes. The ratings agency has revised its outlook on sub-Saharan Africa’s sovereign credit to...
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Two United States foreign policy veterans are taking the lead on Africa policy in Donald Trump’s second presidency. Joseph Foltz, the staff director on the House Foreign Affairs...
A severe bout of pneumonia put a hold on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plans to visit Morocco last week, but nothing it appears can halt...