Africa Intel

🇦🇴🇬🇧 UK sanctions Angola's Isabel dos Santos in corruption crackdown

Britain has imposed sanctions on Angola’s Isabel dos Santos, a billionaire businesswoman and daughter of a former president, as part of a crackdown on money laundering promised by the new Labour government.

The measures also impact an exiled Ukrainian oligarch, Dmytro Firtash, and Aivars Lembergs, one of Latvia’s richest men. Describing the three tycoons as “notorious kleptocrats”, it has frozen their UK assets and implemented a travel ban on them.

London says dos Santos abused her position at Angolan state oil company, Sonangol and telecoms company, Unitel, to embezzle at least $440 million.

Dos Santos, whose late father, Jose Eduardo dos Santos ruled Angola for 38 years – claims to be Africa's first female billionaire.

Her downfall began soon, soon after a new president came to power in 2017, and in the past few years she has faced numerous corruption charges in multiple countries.

She has denied the allegations saying she is the target of a political vendetta.

#Angola #UK

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🇨🇩 DR Congo opposition calls for protests against constitutional revision

The main political opposition forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have come out against the revision of the country's constitution and called on the population to protest against the initiative of President Felix Tshisekedi .

The opposition calls the constitutional revision initiative a " diabolical plan to consolidate the Balkanization of the country ." They believe the plan poses a serious threat to national sovereignty and democracy in the DRC. In this regard, politicians have called on the local population to organize demonstrations against the amendments.

"Congolese people, this is a serious hour. Let's wake up! Let's defend our rights and our sovereignty. Let's prevent Mr. Felix Tshisekedi from carrying out a constitutional coup," reads the opposition statement.

#DRCongo

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🇲🇦🇨🇳 China's Xi visits Morocco after G20 Summit, holds talks with Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a short visit to Morocco on Thursday and Xi was welcomed in Casablanca by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan. Xi made the visit after being in Brazil for the G20 Summit.

China has stepped up investments in Morocco’s infrastructure and rail sector in recent years.

Morocco’s geographic location close to Europe, its free trade agreements with key EU and U.S. markets and its existing automotive industry, make it attractive to Chinese electric vehicle battery makers.

In June, Chinese EV battery manufacturer Gotion High Tech picked Morocco to set up Africa’s first gigafactory for a total cost of $1.3 billion.

#Morocco #China

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🇸🇸 Gunfire breaks out at the home of South Sudan’s former spy chief who is under house arrest

Heavy gunfire erupted late Thursday in South Sudan ’s capital of Juba at the home of the country’s former spy chief who has been under house arrest for the past two months, residents said.

According to witnesses, soldiers exchanged fire with Gen. Akol Koor’s security guards in Juba’s high-end neighborhood of Thongpiny for about an hour. Army spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said two people were injured.

“There was a misunderstanding between the army and security forces deployed at the home,” he said and added that more details would be provided on Friday.

Koor has been under house arrest since early October after he was fired from the intelligence service. He was also appointed a state governor and sacked from that position before taking office. He had been the intelligence boss since 2011, when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.

South Sudan remains fragile despite a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war in which more than 400,000 people died. President Salva Kiir and his former rival turned deputy Riek Machar have been in charge of the implementation of the peace agreement and critics say it has taken too long to be fully implemented.

The country’s elections were scheduled for December but were postponed for two years to allow time for key aspects of the peace agreement to be fully implemented and provide the electoral body time to conduct voter registration.

#SouthSudan

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🇲🇿 Southern African leaders convene in Harare to address Mozambique post-election turmoil

Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders gathered in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Wednesday, November 20, for a summit focused on addressing post-election violence in Mozambique and other regional challenges.

SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi extended condolences to Mozambique, where post-election unrest has reportedly claimed dozens of lives. "The summit extended condolences to the government and people of Mozambique for the lives lost during the violence," Magosi said.

The summit also reviewed ongoing security operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), extending the SADC mission’s mandate by one year. "This is part of the regional response to address the unstable security situation in Eastern DRC," Magosi added.

#Mozambique

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🇳🇬 Experts warn Nigeria’s population could hit 450 million by 2050

Nigeria’s population is projected to reach 450 million by 2050 if current fertility rates are not reduced, according to experts.

Chairman of the Nigeria Family Planning Conference, Dr. Ejike Oji said the country is recording high fertility rates with about four million people added to the population on an annual basis.

Dr. Oji explained that the fertility rate in Nigeria has fallen slightly, from 5.3% to 4.8%, but more progress is needed.

He cited countries like India and China, which curbed population growth and invested in young people to promote the economy.

"If we don’t bring our fertility rate down to 4%, we’re going to be in serious trouble," he was quoted as having said.

Dr Martin Migombano from Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) also emphasised the link between population growth and maternal health.

According to him, Nigeria accounts for 28.5% of global maternal deaths. He stressed the importance of family planning access at the grassroots level and urged collaboration between governments, donors, and religious leaders.

#Nigeria

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🇨🇩 Six arrested over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

Congolese police have arrested six people over a break-in and vandalism earlier this week at the mausoleum of the country's assassinated independence leader Patrice Lumumba in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

During the break-in on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth — the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination — was broken by the vandals, according to authorities. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to the tooth.

Police announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Jacquemin Shabani, the country's interior minister, told reporters that Lumumba's tooth was not damaged during the break-in.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

“We are happy that the perpetrators of this act have been arrested,” Jean-Jacques Lumumba, one of Lumumba’s grandsons, told The Associated Press over the phone.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule. He became Congo’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

#DRCongo

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🇰🇪 Kenya cancels airport and energy deals with Adani group after the US indicts the Indian tycoon

Kenya’s president said Thursday that he has cancelled multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with Indian tycoon Gautam Adani after U.S. bribery and fraud indictments against one of Asia’s richest men.

President William Ruto said in a state of the nation address the decision was made “based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations,” without naming the United States.

The Adani group had been in the process of signing an agreement that would modernize Kenya’s main airport in the capital, Nairobi, with an additional runway and terminal constructed, in exchange for the group running the airport for 30 years.

The widely criticized deal had sparked anti-Adani protests in Kenya and a strike by airport workers, who said it would lead to degraded working conditions and job losses in some cases.

#Kenya

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🇸🇳 Senegal's Pastef Party Secures Parliamentary Majority

The Pastef party, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, secured 130 out of 165 seats in Senegal's legislative elections, achieving a parliamentary majority. This result, following Faye's earlier dissolution of the house, paves the way for him to pursue an ambitious reform agenda despite current fiscal challenges.

Faye, who rose to power in April after a decisive election victory, dissolved the assembly prematurely, challenging the opposition's refusal to approve executive bills. The new parliamentary majority is expected to facilitate the pursuit of Faye's reform agenda, which was crucial in his electoral success.

However, his administration faces the immediate challenge of tackling a pressing fiscal crisis while drafting a new budget. The confirmed legislative support will be vital for enacting the President's policy objectives.

#Senegal

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🇹🇳 Tunisian opposition leaderdoused with acid in his own home

Former Tunisian health minister and leader of the opposition Action and Achievement party Abdellatif Mekki was seriously injured after a neighbour threw acid at him in his home.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this criminal attack, which is a flagrant violation of all humanitarian laws and values. We call on the security and judicial authorities to shoulder their responsibilities, launch a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances of these repeated attacks, and take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of citizens," the party said.

Mekki tried to run in the presidential elections in October this year , but the electoral commission rejected his candidacy. Although the Tunisian administrative court upheld his appeal, Mekki was never included in the list of candidates for the vote.

#Tunisia

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🇺🇬 Uganda plans to launch longest heated oil pipeline by 2027 – minister

The world's longest heated oil pipeline, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), is "still viable" despite funding delays caused by activist protests, with first deliveries expected by 2027.

Construction of the pipeline began in 2017, and it will be almost 1,500 km long. The pipeline will run from two fields on the shores of Lake Albert through Uganda and Tanzania to the port of Tanga. Part of the EACOP will pass through national parks and reserves, which has caused active opposition from environmentalists and led to a temporary halt in funding.

"The construction of the East African oil pipeline is ongoing. We have invested a lot of money in exploration and in critical infrastructure. We are now starting drilling If it were not for the injustice that was done to the pipeline, we would be talking about seeing first oil in 2025. But because of the campaigns against it, we will not see first oil next year. So we are counting on 2026, 2027," Ugandan Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said on the sidelines of the COP29 summit.

#Uganda

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🇨🇩 Southern African bloc extends troop deployment in Congo by a year

Southern Africa's regional bloc on Wednesday extended by a year its troop deployment in Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is helping the government fight rebel groups.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) deployed the mission in Congo, a major producer of metals like cobalt and copper, in December 2023 with a one-year mandate.

"Summit extended the mandate of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo by one year, continuing the regional response to address the prevailing unstable security situation," the communique said.

Conflict in Congo's restive east has raged for decades between a myriad of rival armed groups over land and resources.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the fighting, which has continued despite numerous ceasefires.

#DRCongo

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🇸🇩 Sudan: Death toll in RSF siege of Wad Ashib climbs to 69

The death toll from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) siege of the town of Wad Ashib in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state has risen to 69, a local monitoring group said on Wednesday, with 42 people shot dead by the paramilitary force.

The RSF stormed Wad Ashib late last week as part of a retaliatory offensive in areas east of Al Jazirah. The ensuing siege, which included restrictions on movement, has led to a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food and medicine, according to the Al Jazirah Conference, a civilian group that monitors rights violations.

The statement added that the RSF looted and terrorized residents. Witnesses said RSF fighters forced large numbers of residents, including women, children and the elderly, from their homes. They are now sheltering on the banks of the Blue Nile with inadequate access to sanitation, shelter, medicine and food.

The RSF has controlled most of Al Jazirah state since late last year. The paramilitary force has been accused of widespread abuses, including killing, looting, arbitrary arrests and forced displacement. RSF leaders deny these accusations, blaming the violence on “outlaws” and groups linked to military intelligence.

#Sudan

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🇲🇱 Mali Prime Minister Shoguel Maiga has been dismissed

Ina move that was largely expected, the Malian prime minister has been dismissed along with his entire government.

“The powers of the Prime Minister and members of the government have been terminated,” said a decree by Malian President Assimi Goita, which was read out on state television.

Maiga has led the government since 2021.

"What happened today in Mali, that is, the resignation of the government and the prime minister, was to be expected, since the prime minister has not behaved very responsibly lately, criticizing what he himself was involved in. We, as citizens of the country, did not expect such statements from a person at the center of the power structure," said Aliou Tounkara, a member of the Transitional Council.

According to Tunkara, with his statement the prime minister “extended his hand to the opposition.”

#Mali

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🇳🇦 Namibia prepares for presidential election with key candidates in the race

Namibia will hold a presidential and parliamentary election on November 27, following the death of President Hage Geingob. His deputy, Nangolo Mbumba, is currently serving as interim president. This election could change the political landscape if the ruling SWAPO party loses power.

Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is the first female presidential candidate for SWAPO. Other candidates include Panduleni Itula, who previously ran as an independent and now leads the Independent Patriots for Change, and McHenry Venaani, leader of the Popular Democratic Movement.

Bernadus Swartbooi heads the Landless People's Movement, advocating for land redistribution. Job Amupanda, a former SWAPO youth leader, leads the Affirmative Repositioning movement, focusing on land reform.

#Namibia

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🇨🇩 Lack of education fuelling child soldier recruitment, says DRC minister

Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being forced into armed groups as a result of poverty and a lack of access to education, the country’s human rights minister has said.

According to Chantal Chambu Mwavita these are usually street children who are vulnerable.

“It is our children who are recruited by armed groups. Child soldiers are often children who are on the streets and who wander everywhere because they can’t afford to go to school,” she said.

To tackle the problem, the DRC government has introduced free schooling for all children. Mwavita stressed that providing education is key to reducing the number of children who fall prey to armed groups.

“The Congolese government has opened the door to giving free schooling so that all these children can have access to school,” Mwavita said. She also urged the international community to intervene and bring a resolution to the war.

The ongoing conflict in the DRC has left millions displaced and has worsened the humanitarian crisis. According to Human Rights Watch, armed groups continue to recruit children, disrupt aid, and commit abuses in areas such as Goma. Efforts to stop these practices are complicated by ongoing violence and instability.

#DRCongo

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🇲🇱 ICC sentences al-Qaida-linked former police chief to 10 years for war crimes in Mali

The International Criminal Court sentenced an al-Qaida-linked extremist leader to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out when he headed the Islamic police in the historic desert city of Timbuktu in the west African country of Mali.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was convicted of torture, religious persecution and other inhumane acts in June. Judges found he was a “key figure” in a reign of terror after Islamic extremist rebels overran Timbuktu in 2012.

Dressed head to toe in white traditional robes, Al Hassan was expressionless as he listened to the sentence being read out.

The 48-year-old was a member of Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali at the time, and served as the ancient city’s police chief. A French-led military operation in 2013 forced the group from power, but rebel elements have continued to stage attacks on Malian and international forces.

To the disappointment of many human rights groups, Al Hassan was acquitted of several charges focusing on the abuse of women. The three-judge panel found that rape and sexual slavery did occur while his group controlled Timbuktu, but that Al Hassan couldn’t be connected to those crimes.

#Mali

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🇨🇩 Congo accuses rebel group of 'ethnic cleansing' in country's east

Congo's government on Tuesday accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of “ethnic cleansing” in the central African nation’s east.

The minister of the interior, Jacquemain Shabani, denounced the “massive arrival of foreign populations” in the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi in North Kivu province, where locals were "expelled by violence."

More than 100 armed groups have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda. The violence has escalated as the M23 rebel group has reemerged. The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, many beyond the reach of aid.

M23, or the March 23 Movement, is a rebel military group mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army just over a decade ago. The group rose to prominence in 2012 when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the border with Rwanda.

Congo alleges that Rwanda has been involved in war crimes in the east, and U.S. and U.N. experts accuse it of giving military backing to M23. Rwanda denies the claim, but in February admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

A July truce brokered by the United States and Angola has reduced the fighting between Rwandan and Congolese forces, but fighting between M23 and other militias continues.

#DRCongo #Rwanda

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🇲🇿 Mozambique: Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane faces legal action

Mozambique’s Attorney General has filed a civil lawsuit against opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who is currently in exile, accusing him of inciting unrest following allegations of electoral fraud.

Authorities are seeking over 30 million meticais (approximately 480,000 euros) in damages for destruction caused during protests in Maputo. Mondlane has been calling for demonstrations since mid-October, denouncing what he claims is widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.

In addition to the civil suit, Mondlane is implicated in a criminal case against Vitano Singano, leader of the Democratic Revolution Party, who is accused of conspiring to attack the presidency. The alleged plot coincided with a major protest called by Mondlane on November 7.

Protests have resulted in significant casualties, with the UN reporting at least 30 deaths and civil society groups claiming over 60 fatalities. Authorities blame the demonstrations for widespread damage, while Mondlane has vowed to continue his mobilization against the government, further straining any possibility of dialogue.

#Mozambique

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