Africa: Press review of Francophone Africa on September 7, 2023

Kenya: Global Carbon Tax Established at Africa Climate Summit 2023

A global carbon tax and reform of international financial institutions to fund climate action in Africa have been recommended in the “Nairobi Declaration” adopted on Wednesday, September 6, in Kenya, at the conclusion of the first African Climate Summit, the Africa Climate Summit 2023. This declaration aims to enable the continent to speak with one voice in future climate discussions. However, negotiations between African states to reach this agreement have been challenging. Following the Africa Climate Summit and the speeches delivered in Nairobi, Kenya, the final declaration highlights Africa’s potential to be part of the solutions in the fight against climate change. According to Rfi, African heads of state and government are committed to developing renewable energy, agriculture, and promoting green industries.

Gabon: Political Relaxation – Ali Bongo is “Free to Move” and Can Leave the Country, Announces General Oligui

This was announced in a statement by the transitional president read on Wednesday evening on television. The ousted president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, is “free to move” and “can travel abroad, if he wishes,” announced Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi, reading a statement “signed” by General Oligui, who now leads the transition. Ali Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years, had been under house arrest since the military coup on August 30, carried out less than an hour after his camp declared his reelection in a fraudulent election, according to the coup leaders. The statement further states, “Given his health condition, former President Ali Bongo Ondimba is free to move. He can, if he wishes, travel abroad for medical check-ups.”

Côte d’Ivoire: Lessons from Municipal Elections – Ministerial Harvest

With the exception of a few prominent figures who experienced the discomfort of failure, all the strong men of the government successfully participated in the September 2nd electoral race. They secured control over a dozen regional seats and almost as many municipalities. As the captain of the ship, Prime Minister Jérôme Patrick Achi showed the way to victory in La Mé. And just like the government’s leading figure, around ten ministers who headed the lists emerged victorious. This is the case in Worodougou, with the Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation and Cleanliness, Bouaké Fofana, and in Haut-Sassandra with the Minister of Youth Promotion, Vocational Training, and Civic Service, Deputy Government Spokesperson, Mamadou Touré. Marahoué, Cavally, and Bagoué remained under the control of the respective ministers for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Promotion, Épiphane Zoro Bi Ballo, Public Service, Anne Désirée Ouloto, and Construction, Housing and Urbanism, Bruno Nabagné Koné. Lôh-Djiboua was won by the Minister of Equipment and Road Maintenance, Amedé Koffi Kouakou; Tchologo, by the Minister of State, Minister of Defense, Téné Birahima Ouattara, and Gontougo, by the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani. Agnéby-Tiassa chose the Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Pierre Dimba. On the municipal front, the government also had a successful harvest. However, ministers Laurent Tchagba of Water and Forests and Diarrassouba Souleymane of Commerce, Industry, and SME Promotion respectively lost in Marcory and Yamoussoukro. Luck was not on their side, and they lost the bet.

Senegal: Football/Can 2023 – Senegal’s National A’ Team to Join Rwanda This Afternoon

Senegal’s national A’ team will leave Dakar at 4:30 pm to travel to Kigali, where they will play the sixth round of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2023 qualifiers, against Rwanda next Saturday at 7:00 pm GMT, according to the Senegalese Football Federation. For the final round of qualifiers for the next CAN, scheduled for 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal has called upon 31 players who have never played for the senior national team. This reduced squad of 24 players will face the Rwandan team in Huye, in southern Rwanda. The Senegal team will be led by coaches Malick Daff and Pape Bouna Thiaw. It consists of players from the under-20 national team and local footballers. The use of new players to form Senegal’s A national team squad against Rwanda is described as a “technical choice” and an “opportunity” for local football, according to Mayacine Mar, the national technical director of football.

Egypt: Governance – Sissi Weakened by the “Zambia Scandal”

A few months before the presidential election scheduled for early 2024, and despite the opposition’s struggles to organize, President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi is weakened by the severe economic crisis facing the country, as well as several highly publicized corruption scandals. The incident erupted on August 13, and since then, controversy has been raging. On that day, a private jet from Egypt was searched in Lusaka by Zambian authorities, who found several weapons and a significant amount of ammunition on board, as well as nearly 6 million dollars in cash and bars of metal resembling gold (which Zambian experts have since denied) weighing a total of 127 kg. As for the passengers of the plane, known to be used by officials, there were ten of them: six Egyptians (including former military personnel and a businessman), one Zambian, one Dutch, one Latvian, and one Spanish.

Central African Republic: Governance – Curtains Close on the 1st Ordinary Session of the National Assembly

On August 4, 2023, the proceedings of the 1st extraordinary session of the National Assembly devoted to the examination and adoption of the budget adjustment came to an end. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Simplice Mathieu Sarandji, presided over the closing ceremony of the extraordinary session. The sessions took place from August 21 to September 4, at the invitation of the President of the Republic, Faustin Archange Touadéra. At the end of the sessions, the Speaker of the National Assembly urged the members to approach the voters and present the newly promulgated Constitution on August 30, 2023. He expressed the wish to see the successful review of the program with the IMF in order to access funds under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). Simplice Mathieu Sarandji called on the government to make every effort to fill the deficit of the budget adjustment, which stands at 42 billion CFA francs in revenue and 297 billion in expenditure.

Mali: Closure of the Norwegian Embassy – Norwegian Humanitarian Organizations Regret

With the ongoing withdrawal of MINUSMA, which is expected to end no later than December 31, as per United Nations Security Council Resolution 2690 adopted on June 30, the Norwegian authorities have announced their withdrawal from Mali as well. While they recognize the great need for stabilization, conflict resolution, and development in the Sahel region, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anniken Huitfeldt