Eye on Africa

Two benchmarks indicate a decline in democracy around the world by 2020. In Africa, the 10 most democratic countries no longer include Benin, but include Malawi. "A struggle without leaders for democracy," is the unpleasant headline in Freedom House's latest annual report. This American and independent think tank measures the…

Officials and religious leaders are mobilizing to encourage the population to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The most populous country in Africa received nearly 4 million doses of this vaccine as part of the Covax unit in early March. Many vaccination centers have opened their doors in major cities across the country for people over the age of 70 and particularly vulnerable occupations. Despite a few disagreements, Nigerian politicians continue to promote vaccination against Covid-19, and religious authorities have an…

March 22 is World Water Day. Some experts predicted that the wars of the future would be wars over water. In the Horn of Africa, we are not yet talking about armed conflict, but the tone continues to rise between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. The waters of the Nile are at stake, which is at the center of an intense diplomatic struggle as Ethiopia completes the construction of its renaissance dam, the largest of its future in Africa. And she is determined not to be intimidated by Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopia will complete the…

Ocean Viking, the boat from the SOS Mediterranean organization, is conducting a new rescue campaign in the central Mediterranean. At sea, the ship rescued 796 people from Libya to Europe in January and February. RFI embarks on this mission. Every day we receive the logbook from our special correspondent. "Please play a game with me," Amias asks me. The 9-year-old boy points to two painted boards on the floor. Wooden puck acts as pawns. Amias has been aboard the Ocean Viking for three days: he has already had the…

It is again authorized to make music, songs and dances in the liquor companies under a decree of the Governor of Dakar from 20 March. Activities that had been suspended for several months to combat the spread of coronavirus. The state of health disaster in Dakar and Thiès had already ended on Friday 19 March at midnight, with the majority of Covid-19 cases concentrated. Senegal has passed the 1,000-related death mark and 37,833 positive cases of the coronavirus pandemic. The tables at this Corniche des Almadies…

The civilian authorities is making an attempt to regain management. Sudan is in the process of reforming its defense industry. At the very least, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, who has announced that the government will take back control of a group of companies owned by the army, hopes so. The Société de l'Industrie Militaire, one of the largest companies in the defense sector, will be separated into two units, a military and a civilian, where the Ministry of Economy and Finance will regain control through a private…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United States has moved from soft language to threatening in statements to the leaders of the war-torn Horn of Africa. Since the country entered the election period, the United States has stepped up pressure on the leaders of federal states in Somalia amid a growing electoral path in the country. On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu posted a statement on its Twitter handle that gave the deadlines after ordering federal leaders to stay in the city until the dispute is resolved. "Mistakes…

The counting of the results of the presidential election organized on Sunday 21 March in Congo-Brazzaville began immediately after the closing of the polling stations; an organized voting without internet that makes the task difficult even for observers. Overall, the ballot paper did not experience any major incidents and did not mobilize massively. It was in a sufficiently bright room in the town hall of Poto-Poto that the officials from the four polling stations installed at this location conducted the counting.…

Honoré Ngbanda, former head of intelligence for Mobutu Sese Seko, died in Morocco (as Mobutu). He was 74 years old. The former special adviser to the president had left the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997 a few days before the fall of Marshal Mobutu, who at the time had ruled with the iron fist of the DRC, aka Zaire from 1965 to 1997. He was former president Mobutu Sese Seko's master spy. Honoré Ngbanda has been a staunch supporter of the former Congolese head of state until the end. Born in Lisala, like Mobutu, in…

Salaam Somali Bank helps small businesses expand with free microfinance funds As COVID-19 continues to impact the global economy, a private bank in Somalia is supporting small business owners to thrive through the second phase of 2021 free microfinance funds. Salaam Somali Bank launched the annual investment program under the Qardu Hassan theme last year to develop small businesses…