Africa-China: The present “trade war” between Australia and China may give a boost to Africa-China trade, particularly as regards raw minerals and wine. (Reuters)
Benin: Only3 candidates out of 20 allowed to run for presidency against Pres. Talon. Opposition claim that the election is already rigged in Talon’s favour because of laws each candidate must be formally sponsored by 16 mayors or MPs. (France 24)
Central African Republic: Government forces territorial gains have opened up vital lifeline from Cameroon. Rebel forces have approached very close to the capital, Bangui. At the end of 2020 they controlled 2/3 of the country and had surrounded Bangui in an attempt to topple newly-elected Pres. Touadera. An attack on supply convoys to Bangui was repulsed by MINUSCA (a UN force) mid-January. 240,000 people have been forced from their homes and 2M people have been recognised as “food insecure”. (France 24)
Chad: Will deploy 1000 troops at the Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger border to support national armies and others against Islamic insurgents. (Reuters)
Meeting of G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauretania and Niger) in N’Djamena with Pres. Macron (France) about concerns that the fight against Islamic insurgents in the region is going nowhere. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and over 2M people displaced. France is hoping for more help from European allies through the Takuba Task Force. (France 24) (Al Jazeera English)
There have been signs of local feelings against the French military. The governments of both Mali and Burkina Faso have expressed the desire to negotiate with the insurgents. There have been some French military successes. 2 insurgent groups have recently begun turf wars about trafficking which has taken some pressure off the French military. (Al Jazeera English)
D R Congo: 11 people killed during attacks on 2 military camps by separatists looking for arms. The Bakata-Katanga Militia want the separation of Katanga from D R Congo and regularly attack Lubumbashi (mining city in Katanga region). (BBC)
4th Ebola case confirmed in Northern Kivu Province. (France 24)
eSwatini: Stops use of AstraZeneca vaccine because only minimally effective against South African variant of Covid-19. (Reuters)
Ethiopia: International calls for rumoured Eritrean military to withdraw from Tigray Region fighting. 2 refugee camps closed. (France 24)
2 refugee camps closed after they were destroyed. They housed refugees, some of whom were from Eritrea. Eritrean soldiers forced some back into Eritrea. Both Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied that Eritrean soldiers have operated on Ethiopian soil. (Al Jazeera English)
Ghana: Finance Minister left for USA for post-Covid-19 complications to his health. (BBC)
Parliament suspends most of its activities after 17 MPs and 151 staff members tested positive for Covid-19. (Reuters)
Guinea: Ebola epidemic declared. 7 confirmed infections. 3 deaths. These are the first in 5 years. WHO concerned. (BBC) (Reuters) (France 24)
Kenya: Decision to go ahead with vaccination of citizens with AstraZeneca vaccine. (Reuters)
Libya: Mohammad Younes Menfi arrived from Athens to meet tribal elders, academics and activists in Benghazi. He is the president of the newly elected interim government fostering unity ahead of December 2021 elections. (Al Jazeera English).
Malawi: Pres. Lazarus Chakwera has sacked co-chair of taskforce overseeing Governments response to Covid-19 after allegations of misuse of $7.7M.e (BBC)
Mali: The OSM (Organisation of Students of Mali) founded in 1990 has been accused of corruption and putting pressure on teachers and university management. Government funding has been suspended. (France 24)
Morocco: Second batch of 4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine received from India. (Reuters)
Nigeria: Pres. Buhari has called for calm after ethnic clashes between Hausa and Yoruba youths in Ibadan. Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation. (BBC)
42,500 Nigerian farmers and fishermen allowed by UK Supreme Court to sue Royal Dutch Shell in English courts over oil spills which have contaminated Niger Delta land and groundwater. (Reuters)
Protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos were beaten and arrested by police. 20 October 2020 soldiers are accused of shooting at least 12 protesters dead in Lekki district and another area. The military have denied involvement. The present protesters are angered because of the lack of a report by the commission of inquiry. It is claimed that despite the disbanding of SARS police beatings still occur. (Al Jazeera English).
Operation Amotekun. The 6 Governors in South Western Nigeria, faced with the alarming levels of criminal activities (killings and rapes) by herdsmen (mostly Fulani), are employing a newly recruited local police force to avoid vigilante-style retribution. But there have been accusations of extra-judicial killings. The Attorney-General fearing the setting up of a state police force deemed it illegal. However the Vice President intervened and it went ahead. Wole Soyinka insisted that the new force needed Ethics Training to avoid another SARS. (The Africa Report)
Rwanda: Covid-19 vaccination of health workers has begun (Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, Morocco, and Seychelles have also started. (BBC)
Senegal: 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from China at $19 a shot.
Somalia: Proposed talks on Somalia’s delayed elections (should have taken place 2 weeks ago) will not take place on Monday because of disagreements between the leaders of Jubaland and Puntland (autonomous regions). (BBC)
3 people killed and 8 wounded after car bomb exploded near Somali parliament HQ. (Al Jazeera English)
South Africa: Land borders now re-opened with Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. They were closed 1 month ago because of Covid-19 and fake certificates. (BBC) (Reuters)
Aim to immunise 350,000 – 500,000 health workers with Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
Sudan: 300 people arrested after protests over bread, fuel and power shortages. State of Emergency declared in 4 provinces. (BBC)
Tunisia: Thousands marched despite heavy security cordon in Tunis, protesting 8th anniversary of killing of Chokri Belaid and 6 months later of Mohammad Brahmi (both left-wing activists). No-one has been convicted of either killing. (France 24)
Uganda: ICC has convicted former Ugandan child soldier and commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army of dozens of crimes.
Zambia: IMF to discuss loan programme and debt relief after debt default to China. (Reuters)
Zimbabwe: First 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have arrived from China. 600,000 more doses expected in March. (BBC)
WTO: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigerian) is the new head of the WTO after South Korean rival withdraws. The first female. The first African. (BBC) (France 24)