Africa Intel

🇪🇹 Ethiopians Trust the Police, But See Room for Improvement

A recent Afrobarometer survey reveals that while 57% of Ethiopians trust the police "somewhat" or "a lot," concerns about corruption, excessive force, and lack of professionalism persist. Nearly half of Ethiopians (46%) report feeling unsafe in their neighborhoods, and one-third (33%) fear crime in their homes. Among those who interacted with the police, 35% say they had to pay a bribe to get assistance, and 17% paid bribes during other encounters, such as checkpoints or traffic stops.

The survey also highlights that 50% of Ethiopians believe the police use excessive force against suspected criminals, and 43% say the same about their handling of protests. Only 34% of citizens feel the police operate professionally and respect all citizens' rights. Despite government efforts, such as the 2020 Ethiopian Police Doctrine and specialized training programs, public trust remains fragile, particularly in urban areas like Addis Ababa.

🌟 Why This Matters:
The findings underscore the critical need for police reform in Ethiopia to address corruption, improve professionalism, and rebuild public trust. These issues not only impact domestic security but also influence Ethiopia's international reputation and its ability to foster stability in a region marked by political and social challenges. Strengthening the police force is essential for ensuring citizen safety, upholding human rights, and supporting Ethiopia's broader governance and development goals.

#Ethiopia
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🇨🇩 Rebels seize key town in eastern Congo

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized a strategic eastern town near the provincial capital Goma in Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Tutsi-led M23 group has been waging a renewed insurgency in eastern Congo since 2022. Congo and the United Nations accuse neighbouring Rwanda of backing the group with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda says it has taken what it calls defensive measures.

Fighting has flared in recent weeks, leading to territorial gains for M23, which is now in control of Masisi, a town and local administrative centre about 80 km (50 miles) from Goma, provincial parliament member Alexis Bahunga told.

"The government will take measures to restore state authority over the entire territory," he said. Another parliamentary deputy, Jean-Pierre Ayobangira Safari, said Masisi had been taken "for now".

#DRC

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🌍🇫🇷 Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy went on trial on Monday, on charges of having received millions of euros in illegal financing from Libya's late strongman Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential bid.

Sarkozy, who was relaxed and chatting with lawyers and other defendants in the courtroom before the hearing started, has always denied the accusations.

The conservative former leader faces charges of "concealment of embezzlement of public funds, passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime," the financial prosecutor's office said.
#Africa #France

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❗️🇲🇱 Gold miner Barrick threatens to freeze Mali operations in row over rules

Canada's Barrick Gold said it would suspend operations in Mali if the country does not lift restrictions on gold shipments within the coming week, as mining companies face an increasingly hostile operating environment in West Africa.

The military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are trying to renegotiate terms and gain a bigger share of mining revenues after a series of coups that have seen them shift away from their traditional backers France, the United States and the United Nations towards Russia.

The Mali standoff, threats by Burkina Faso's junta to strip permits and the seizure of a French-run uranium site in Niger have unsettled Western miners in the region and could limit further investments, industry insiders say.

Barrick, whose Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali accounts for around 14% of its 2025 estimated gold output, has been in a dispute since 2023 with the country's government, over a contract based on new mining rules.

#Mali #Canada

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🌍🇫🇷 Still awaiting thanks for stopping Islamists in Sahel, Macron says

France's President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday he was still waiting for Africa's Sahel states to thank Paris for stopping them falling into the hands of militants and he dismissed suggestions his country had been forced out of the region.

Speaking to French ambassadors at an annual conference on foreign policy for 2025, Macron said France had been right to intervene in 2013 to fight Islamist militants even if those same states had now moved away from French military support.

"I think that they forgot to thank us, but that's ok, it will come in time," Macron said ironically.
French troops have in recent years pulled out of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso after successive military coups and are in the process of withdrawing from Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast.
"None of them would have a sovereign state if the French army had not deployed in this region," Macron said.
Macron dismissed the notion that Paris had been kicked out of the region, saying it had decided to re-organise its strategy.

#Africa #France

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🌍🇨🇳 China's top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa, maintaining a 35-year-long tradition, to quietly advance Beijing's already sizeable influence across the resource-rich continent as Europe's presence wanes and America's wavers.

While global capitals and investors brace for the return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to the White House, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and domestic politics keep German and French ministers occupied, Foreign Minister Wang Yi being in Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad and Nigeria highlights the consistency of China's engagement with Africa, analysts say.

#Africa #China

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