Eye on Africa

In Madagascar, we are seeing an increase in the prices of basic necessities. During two weeks, in the markets of the capital, but also in the provinces, the kilo of different rice varieties, a commodity that forms the basis of the Malagasy diet, has increased from 200 to 400 ariary. Oil and sugar prices are also rising. An increase that worries Malagasy households, which have already been hit hard by the economic and social crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. At the Analakely market in the center of the Malagasy…

Since the beginning of the conflict in Tigray, the possible involvement of Eritrea, the country bordering the Ethiopian province, has often been mentioned. But what do we know about the situation on the Eritrean front? The Ethiopian army operates freely from Eritrean territory with the support of the authorities in Asmara. If…

Burkinabé voters will be called to Sunday's by-elections, presidential and legislative elections. The campaign ended on Friday night. According to CENI, 10,660 national and international observers will be deployed in the field, including 3,800 code observers. The Convention on Civil Liberties Organizations for Domestic Election Observation brings together 19 Burkinabè civil society organizations. "When you arrive at your polling station, the voter list should appear in front of the station. If it is not, send a message to…

Two Sukhoi, Russian-made fighter jets belonging to the Angolan army, were at an air show in the sky over Kinshasa on Friday. These military maneuvers took place four days after Félix Tshisekedi's stay in Angola. The Congolese head of state spoke for a few hours on Monday, November 16, with his Angolan counterpart. The military exercise on Friday was intended to "enlarge the perfect understanding between the two air forces", the Congolese army explains. According to the cabinet of Félix Tshisekedi, this air meeting is "the…

In a decree dated 18 November, Cameroon's territorial administration ministers banned the movement of "10 million northerners" by journalist Guibai Gatama, head of the publication "l'Oeil du Sahel". This ban comes a few months after the association Survie Cameroun by the opponent Maurice Kamto. The authorities consider that this movement "undermines national unity and the principle of peaceful coexistence between the sociological components of the nation". For the Minister of Territorial Administration, the movement "10…

The three-day national and multisectoral strike, at the request of the country's first union group, UNTM, paralyzed many sectors in Mali between Wednesday and Friday. Negotiations can be resumed quickly between UNTM and the government, but the deviation continues. For Yacouba Katilé, president of the National Union of Workers of Mali, the strike was a success.The call to stop working for three days was well attended, especially in the banking sector, the mines or the public services for customs, finance and health. The…

In Uganda, opponent Bobi Wine was released on Friday, November 20, after two days in police custody. He was arrested on Wednesday while fighting for the presidential election in January 2021. The announcement of his arrest sparked protests on Wednesday which were violently suppressed by the security forces. According to a recent police report, there are 37 dead and more than 45 seriously injured. Violence is condemned by civil society organizations. The campaign for the presidential election has just begun and several…

Last Tuesday, the UN sounded the alarm by calling the crisis in Tigray a great tragedy. Since that conversation, nothing has really changed. Conflicts have continued for 18 days in Ethiopia's Tigray region between the federal army and troops from Tigray's dissident party, the TPLF. A conflict without independent witnesses. On Friday, the Ethiopian government said its troops had advanced in the direction of the provincial capital Mekelle, while the Tigray party claimed to have recaptured a city from the troops in Addis…

Burkina Faso will vote this Sunday, November 22, for presidential and legislative elections. The campaign ends Friday night at midnight. And in the end, the 13 candidates for the highest office hit the sidewalk with especially the recent big meetings, one last chance to convince. If the majority of the candidates were in the provinces for this last day of the campaign, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who is seeking a second term, was in Ouagadougou. And it's a real show of strength that got his party, the MPP, in a…

In Côte d'Ivoire, the Bishops' Conference is outraged and condemns all violence "from all political camps". In Côte d'Ivoire, the Bishops' Conference calls on political leaders to continue the dialogue. The Catholic bishops, who condemn all violence "from all political camps", want "an independent commission of inquiry" because "the authors of these crimes must be sought so that they are accountable for their actions in the face of impartial justice". "We encourage the two main leaders in the current political life of…