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…

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…

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.…

The Nigerian Constitutional Court declares Mohamed Bazoum, from the ruling PNDS party, the winner of the second round of the presidential election on 21 February with 55.66% of the vote. RDR-Tchanji's opponent Mahamane Ousmane won 44.34% of the vote. Turnout was 62.81% according to the final election results. With our Special…

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…

Despite a dying book and publishing sector in the country, "the literary re-entry of Mali" has tried every year for thirteen years to stimulate and question the industry. Literary cafes, debates and conferences were at the heart of the meetings this week. An exchange week that ended on Saturday, March 20 with an evening of prize giving.…

Nearly 2.5 million Congolese voters timidly began casting their ballots in the ballot box this Sunday, March 21, in more than 5,700 polling stations to elect the head of state. A total of seven opponents are present, including outgoing President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who has spent 36 years at the helm of the country. The election campaign took place without major incidents. One notable element,…