Day: February 10, 2022

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Restive Central African Republic appoints new PM to head same cabinet

BANGUI— The Central African Republic’s Economy Minister Felix Moloua became premier on Wednesday after the president fired the post’s predecessor.

Moloua is to retain his ministry position while also becoming the new head of government in the former French colony, according to a presidential decree read on public radio.

The rest of the cabinet line-up remains the same.

The 64-year-old replaces Henri-Marie Dondra, who was sacked on Monday as tensions have escalated between pro-Russian and pro-French political elite.

Russia’s influence in the mineral-rich country has steadily increased in recent years.

In late 2020, at Bangui’s request, Russian military contractors helped quell a rebellion against President Faustin-Archange Touadera.

Dondra was appointed prime minister in June 2021, after France suspended budgetary aid, accusing Bangui of going along with a Russia-led disinformation campaign.

Dondra was perceived to be more pro-French than his predecessor, who was seen as sympathetic to Russia.

But analyst Roland Marchal said that Dondra had little influence over the defence and foreign ministers and pro-Russian parliament speaker.

Moloua, the new prime minister, is considered a Touadera loyalist and a technocrat “with no political profile”, according to a diplomat who requested anonymity.

Trained as a demographer, he was the chief of staff at the economy ministry for eight years before being assigned the portfolio by Touadera in 2016.

The Central African Republic is rated the world’s second-poorest country by the UN’s Human Development Index, and has been wracked by political instability since independence 60 years ago.

A civil war erupted in 2013, killing thousands and displacing more than a quarter of the country’s 4.9 million people from their homes.

While the violence had decreased in recent years, it resumed abruptly when rebels launched their failed offensive to overthrow Touadera.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Africans linked to global terrorist groups arrested – UN report

UNITED NATIONS— A recent United Nations report states that some Africans linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Libya (ISIL-Libya) have been arrested.

The report which is the 29th of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaeda, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities noted that the African nationals were from Nigeria, Eritrea, Kenya, Mali, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, and Sudan.

The 23-page report from Feb 3 has since been submitted to the UN Security Council Committee.

In Nigeria, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was strengthened by the death of Jama?atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda” Awati Wal-Jihad (Boko Haram) leader Abubakar Shekau in May 2021.

Member States remain divided on the status of ISWAP leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi (not listed), who was reportedly killed in September, in a fight with Boko Haram combatants and the group led by Ba Koura (not listed).

Although Malam Baku (alias Malam Bako, not listed) has replaced al-Barnawi as ISWAP leader, possibly followed by Sani Shuwaram (not listed), one Member State indicated that alBarnawi may have reverted to his previous role as head of the Al-Furqan office of the general directorate of provinces to ensure operational, logistical and financial liaison with the ISIL core.

The Al-Anfal office is almost defunct; its responsibilities in the Maghreb and the Sahel have been transferred to the Al-Furqan office in the Lake Chad Basin. Moreover, al-Barnawi is reported to have dissolved the old ISWAP shura council with the prior approval of the ISIL core in June.

The group and its 4,000 to 5,000 combatants have subsequently been reorganized into four branches: Lake Chad, Tunbuna, Sambisa Forest, and Timbuktu. Internal opposition to these developments led to a violent revolt in mid-August. ISWAP has sought to integrate Boko Haram fighters, but unification has proved difficult.

Ba Koura remains active, as the Boko Haram emir for Lake Chad, conquering Kirta Wulgo Island on 27 September and establishing his sanctuary in the Niger. Aliyu Ngulde sought to rebuild the group in the Mandara mountains, and Adamu Yunusa (alias Saddiqu) is active in gold extraction areas in north-western Nigeria.

One Member State asserted that they cooperate with the criminal group led by Dogo Gide and with Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (also known as Ansaru) but do not systematically join forces.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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China’s Loans to Sub-Saharan Africa Outweigh Those of Western Nations

Chinese banks provided more loans to fund developmental projects in sub-Saharan Africa than some of the world's greatest economies combined from 2007 to 2020, according to a new study.

The Washington- and London-based Center for Global Development on Thursday also reported that Chinese development banks provided a whopping $23 billion to finance public-private partnerships in the region.

The figure is more than double the combined amount of $9.1 billion lent by banks in the U.S., Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, France and South Africa, the report found.

"This is well short of what the region needs for roads, dams and bridges," said Nancy Lee, lead author of the study.

The global think tank examined more than 500 infrastructure projects in the region with a private sector component that reached financial closure during the period.

"There's a lot of criticism of China, but if Western governments want to boost productive and sustainable investments to meaningful levels, they need to deploy their own development banks and press the multilateral development banks to make these investments a priority," Lee said.

The report also found that despite the 2015 "billions to trillions" vision launched by multilateral development banks, institutions such as the World Bank provided only $1.4 billion per year to fund infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa from 2016 to 2020.

The lack of transparency and use of collateralized loans by China has been of great concern to stakeholders in recent years.

Economists at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have warned that several low-income countries face or are already in debt distress.

Lee, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, said Western countries have been slow to hike investments despite "much rhetoric."

"There's a real opportunity for the U.S. to provide more leadership on infrastructure finance in Africa," Lee noted.

Source: Voice of America

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EU Chief Announces $172 Million Investment for Africa

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Thursday announced a more than $172 billion investment plan for Africa, as part of the European Union’s Global Gateway infrastructure initiative.

Von der Leyen made the announcement at a news conference in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, as she spoke to reporters alongside President Macky Sall. Von der Leyen is in the West African nation to prepare for an EU–African Union summit scheduled for next week.

Senegal currently holds the rotating presidency of the AU.

In her comments, Von der Leyen said the funds for Africa represent the first regional package to be implemented as part of the Global Gateway investment initiative, first announced late last year. The Global Gateway seeks to invest up to $340 billion for public and private infrastructure projects around the world by 2027.

Seen as a response to China's Belt and Road initiative, the investment scheme will draw on private sector investments as well as funding from EU institutions and member countries.

In a release on its website, the EU says the package will include more than $488 million for COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine rollouts; roughly $1.7 billion toward strengthening health security architecture, pharmaceutical systems and manufacturing, and improving access to health care, along with nearly $70 million for sexual and reproductive health and rights infrastructure.

Von der Leyen said investments such as these and others “will be at the heart” of discussions at next week’s EU-AU summit, “because they are the means of our shared ambition.”

She said, "In this area Europe is the most reliable partner for Africa and by far the most important.”

Source: Voice of America

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Africa Sees Progress in Fight Against COVID-19

After two years of struggling to contain the deadly spread of COVID-19, the World Health Organization reports the African continent is poised to control the trajectory of the pandemic.

The first case of COVID-19 was detected in Africa on February 14th, 2020. Since then, more than 11 million people have been infected on the continent and more than 242,000 have died.

The World Health Organization regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, says the pandemic has taken a toll in terms of lives lost and the incalculable damage done to African economies.

Despite all this, she says the African people have battled and survived four waves and several variants of the infection. During this trying period, she says Africa has become smarter, faster, and better at responding to each new surge in COVID-19 cases.

“As we stand here today, we are finally able to say that if the current trends hold, there is light at the end of the tunnel," said Moeti. "As long as we remain vigilant, and we act intensively, particularly on vaccination, the continent is on track for controlling the pandemic. It has been an extremely difficult two years but, against all odds, Africa is weathering this terrible storm.”

Africa has made great progress over the past two years in managing COVID-19 cases. WHO reports the number of intensive care unit beds and oxygen production plants has increased. The U.N. health agency also has increased the number of laboratories able to detect COVID-19 from two to more than 900 today.

Despite these and other improvements, Moeti says vaccination remains the best defense against this deadly disease. She also notes African countries continue to lag behind other countries in inoculating their populations.

“While many countries are considering booster shots, 85 percent of Africans have yet to receive a single vaccine. To reach the levels of immunity achieved in other parts of the world, vaccine uptake needs to be significantly accelerated across the region—and urgently," said Moeti.

Moeti says a steady supply of doses is now reaching Africa but is not enough to change the situation for the better. Getting those lifesaving shots into peoples’ arms, she says, requires faster and more effective vaccine rollouts.

Source: Voice of America