DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 5 | NIGERECOWAS Regional bloc backtracks on economic sanctions 28th February 2024 Leaders say the decision to lift restrictions has been made for humanitarian reasons as they urge Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso not to leave the community The decision by leaders of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to lift economic sanctions on Niger's military regime is an embarrassing admission of... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 5 | ETHIOPIASOMALIA Hassan Sheikh ups the ante in Ethiopia port dispute 28th February 2024 Somalia has signed a defence agreement with Turkey to protect its coastline and provide training and support to its naval force Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's promise that his country would 'defend itself' if neighbouring Ethiopia goes ahead with a controversial port deal with breakaway province Somaliland has further... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 5 | EUROPEAN UNIONAFRICA Carbon row heads to the World Trade Organization 28th February 2024 South Africa and India have accused the EU of using environmental issues as a cover for protectionism in its new CBAM African countries are set to raise formal complaints about the effects of some of the European Union's new laws on environmental protection and carbon at this week's Ministerial... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 5 | KENYAAFRICAN UNION Raila Odinga's bid for AU chair wins consensus in Nairobi 21st February 2024 The race to run the top diplomatic grouping will intensify despite its multiple funding and security threats The announcement on the eve of the 17-18 February African Union summit by Kenya's veteran opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga that he wants to take over from Chad's... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 5 | NIGERIA Slumping naira adds to pressure on Tinubu to change tack 21st February 2024 Government responds to critics with command economy tactics On 18 February, armed state security agents surrounded a foreign currency trader in Abuja accusing him of sabotage. For many Nigerians, it was a throwback to the military... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 5 | RWANDACONGO-KINSHASA Fighting escalates in the Kivus and western officials censure Kagame 21st February 2024 Despite growing alarms about regional conflict, EU officials announce MOU on minerals with Kigali Deepening hostilities between Kigali and Kinshasa were the subject of several closed-door meetings at African Union summit on 17-18 February in Addis Ababa. Yet on 19 February, the... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 4 | SENEGAL Election crisis poses credibility test to regional bodies 14th February 2024 The African Union and Ecowas are facing pressure to intervene on Sall's vote delay The political crisis following President Macky Sall's decision to postpone February's presidential election will be the subject of formal and informal discussions at this weekend's African Union summit... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 4 | ZIMBABWE A new gold standard 14th February 2024 The finance ministry wants to use the country's gold to shore up its local dollars Treasury officials say they are working on measures to stabilise the Zimbabwe dollar, including by linking its exchange rate to hard assets such as gold and creating a... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 4 | NIGERIAECONOMYAFRICA US helicopter crash robs Africa of one of its most ambitious bank chiefs 14th February 2024 Access Bank restructures after the death of its founder who had been establishing a pan-African financial network Following the death of the founder and chief executive of Access Bank Herbert Wigwe in a helicopter crash on 9 February, its directors moved quickly to appoint Bolaji... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 65 No 4 | SENEGAL Election delay triggers mass protests 6th February 2024 Citing concerns about the disqualification of two opposition candidates the outgoing president holds up the vote President Macky Sall's postponing of the presidential election scheduled for 25 February risks plunging Senegal into a deeper political confrontation. READ FOR FREE