Africa

In the early hours of March 29, an estimated sixty gunmen attacked two small military installations in Kafolo and Kolobougou, both located in Ivory Coast on the border with Burkina Faso. The assailants killed at least three soldiers and wounded others. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the media is speculating credibly that the perpetrators were jihadis based in nearby Burkina Faso, where Islamist groups have been increasingly active.

Salvage teams on Monday finally freed the colossal container ship stuck for nearly a week in the Suez Canal, ending a crisis that had clogged one of the world’s most vital waterways and halted billions of dollars a day in maritime commerce.

A flotilla of tugboats, helped by the tides, wrenched the bulbous bow of the skyscraper-sized Ever Given from the canal’s sandy bank, where it had been firmly lodged since March 23.

Experts boarded the massive container ship Tuesday that had blocked Egypt’s vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could have billions of dollars in legal repercussions: What went wrong?

In a signal that the Biden administration is growing concerned about the strength of jihadist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, the United States recently designated The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Mozambique (ISIS-Mozambique) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The State Department also designated ISIS-Mozambique as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Executive Order 13224 and labeled the organization’s leader Abu Yasir Hassan as an SDGT. Similar treatment was given to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC) as both a FTO and SDGT, and to its leader Seka Musa Baluku as a SDGT. While these groups are distinct entities, they operate under the banner of the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP). Locally, the Mozambican group is known as Al Sunnah wa Jama’ah, while the DRC affiliate is comprised of factions that were formerly part of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), but now generally present themselves as ISCAP.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has been sworn as Libya’s Prime Minister until elections later this year, following years-long violence and division in the North African country.

Dbeibah took the oath of office in front of members of parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk on Monday, after lawmakers voted in support of a unity government and approved his cabinet last week.

Kibrom Hailu n’était pas très inquiet lorsqu’en février son fils de 15 ans a quitté, pour un match de volley, le domicile familial de Wukro, dans l’Est de la région éthiopienne du Tigré.

Des manifestations avaient bien agité cette localité quelques jours plus tôt – des jeunes avaient brûlé des pneus, en protestation contre le Premier ministre Abiy Ahmed qui a lancé une opération militaire contre les autorités de la région début novembre -, mais son fils, Henok, ne s’en était pas mêlé. Il avait aussi promis de ne pas s’éloigner.

Depuis ce lundi 15 mars, le Kenya et la Somalie sont en procès devant la Cour internationale de justice de La Haye. En cause, un litige sur le tracé de leurs frontières maritimes. Une affaire qui mêle nationalisme, intérêts économiques et soupçons d’ingérence.

L’Egypte, le Soudan et l’Ethiopie sont en négociation depuis des années au sujet de la gestion et du remplissage du réservoir de l’édifice construit sur le Nil Bleu.

Le Soudan a demandé officiellement lundi 15 mars à l’ONU et aux Etats-Unis de jouer les médiateurs dans les négociations que mènent Khartoum et Le Caire avec l’Ethiopie concernant la gestion et le remplissage du réservoir du grand barrage de la Renaissance sur le Nil Bleu.

Les intérêts des citoyens africains peuvent être davantage pris en compte dans les accords d’investissements conclus avec la Chine : il s’agit de veiller à la transparence des accords, de faire appel à des experts et de ne pas négliger la population locale.