🇰🇪🇷🇼 Kenyan minister called Rwanda an "autocracy" sparking controversy

A Kenyan minister has stirred controversy after saying that Rwanda was an "autocracy" where "whatever the president says is the law".

Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said Kenya, unlike Rwanda, was a democracy with legal processes.

He was responding to criticism that unfavourably compared Kenya's transport system to that of its near neighbour.

Rwanda, which has in the past enjoyed good relations with Kenya, is yet to respond to the minister's comments.

Kenyans urged Murkomen to retract the remarks fearing that they would unnecessarily provoke Rwanda.

#Kenyna #Rwanda

@africaintel

🇸🇴 Commercial ship still hijacked off Somali coast

A commercial vessel hijacked by unknown assailants remains off the coast of Somalia raising fears of further instability for global shipping as attacks escalate in the Red Sea, maritime security sources said.

A Spanish navy ship was dispatched at full speed on Friday towards the Maltese-flagged Ruen vessel, which sources said had been hijacked.

British maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel had reached nine miles offshore from Bander Murcaayo in Puntland, Somalia on December 17.

"This was assessed likely to be the first hijacking of a merchant vessel by Somali pirates since the ARIS 13 in 2017. Ambrey assessed the event was likely partly a consequence of political instability in Puntland," Ambrey said.

#Somalia

@africaintel

🇸🇩 At least 250,000 flee fighting in Sudan's El Gezira state

At least 250,000 to 300,000 people have fled Sudan's El Gezira state since December 15 as a result of clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and Sudan's army, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.

The RSF, at war with the army for the past eight months, has been advancing on El Gezira's state capital, Wad Madani, and its fighters entered the city earlier on Monday, witnesses said.

#Sudan

@africaintel

🇿🇦🇵🇸🇮🇱 South African president condemns Gaza crisis as genocidal, calls for ceasefire

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has strongly condemned the ongoing crisis in Gaza, describing it as a "genocidal onslaught and slaughter of the people of Palestine."

In a press statement, he drew parallels between the struggles faced by Palestinians and those experienced by South Africans during their own tumultuous history.

"As we have looked at the sufferings of the Palestinians, we have seen similar features of what the Palestinians are going through as what we, as South Africans, went through," Ramaphosa said.

"What is unfolding now, in Gaza, is beyond being unjust. It is genocidal, and that is why we are dubbing it as a genocide against a people and a collective punishment against innocent people," he declared.

President Ramaphosa called for an immediate ceasefire and emphasized the urgency of halting what he perceives as a genocidal onslaught.

#SouthAfrica #Palestine #Israel

@africaintel

🛢🇫🇷🇳🇬 TotalEnergies pledges $6 billion in Nigeria oil, gas investments

TotalEnergies reaffirmed its commitment to business interests in Nigeria, the French company said, adding that its head Patrick Pouyanne had met Nigeria President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

TotalEnergies said it had signed a co-operation agreement with Nigeria's state oil firm NNPC Ltd to carry out methane detection and measurement campaigns using its advanced drone-based AUSEA technology on oil and gas facilities in Nigeria.

TotalEnergies pledged to "invest $6 billion in the coming years," with focus on offshore oil projects and gas production across all terrain, Tinubu's office said.

Tinubu's meeting with Pouyanne follows similar talks with oil majors Shell and Exxon Mobil as part of moves to attract capital to Nigeria.

#France #Nigeria

@africaintel

🇲🇦 Morocco to hit record tourism arrivals despite headwinds

Morocco's tourism industry looks set to have had a record year despite September's earthquake and what sector professionals see as some disruption to winter bookings due to the war in Gaza.

Tourism accounts for 7% of gross domestic product and is a key source of foreign currency. The Tourism Ministry expects 2023 arrivals to reach 14 million by year end, with 13.2 million visitors by the end of November.

In 2022, 11 million tourists visited Morocco and in 2019, the last year before the COVID pandemic hit foreign travel, there were 13 million arrivals.

"All signs point towards hitting the 14 million milestone by December," said Tourism Minister.

Morocco aims to reach 17.5 million visitors by 2026 with the launch of new airline routes, and 26 million by 2030, when it will co-host the World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

#Morocco

@africaintel

🇲🇦 Moroccan central bank keeps benchmark interest rate at 3%

Morocco's central bank said it left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3% on Tuesday to keep prices stable.

Inflation, driven by food prices, would stand on average at 6.1% this year, down from 6.6% last year, the bank said.

In 2024, inflation would further drop to 2.4%, on the back of an expected fall in prices of imported goods and stability of food prices.

Assuming an average cereals harvest, growth would improve to 3.4% next year, after 2.1% expected this year.

An increase in car exports, tourism receipts and remittances of Moroccans abroad would keep foreign exchange reserves at $35.8 bln in 2024 and $36.8 bln in 2025, enough to cover five months of import needs.

#Morocco

@africaintel

🇿🇦🇮🇱 Pretoria warns South African citizens that they risk punishment for joining Israeli forces

"Such action can potentially contribute to the violation of international law and the commission of further international crimes, thus making them liable for prosecution in South Africa," the South African Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Naturalized citizens are at further risk of being stripped of their South African nationality for engaging in a war that the country "does not support or agree with," the ministry added.

In a separate statement, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the events in Gaza a "genocide and slaughter" of the Palestinian people and reiterated his call for a ceasefire.

💰🇪🇹 African Development Bank to withdraw international staff from Ethiopia

The African Development Bank (AfDB) will withdraw its international employees from Ethiopia following what it said was an assault on its staff members by government security forces.

The AfDB lodged a formal complaint with Ethiopian authorities last month, calling the physical assault and hours-long detention of two of its employees on October 31 a "very serious diplomatic incident".

Reuters sources were not aware of a timetable for the withdrawal of the Ethiopia-based employees, nor did they provide details on how the decision might affect the AfDB's operations in Ethiopia.

#ADB #Ethiopia

@africaintel

🇸🇩 Sudan's army announces withdrawal from key city as civilians flee

Sudan's army said on Tuesday that its forces had withdrawn from positions in Wad Madani after the advance of its paramilitary rivals on the city triggered a mass exodus of civilians.

Wad Madani is a major city about 170 km southeast of the capital Khartoum that has served as an aid hub and refuge for internally displaced people. It is the capital of El Gezira state, an important farming region in a country facing worsening hunger.

The RSF's entry into the city has caused up to 300,000 people to flee the area, the International Organization for Migration said.

#Sudan

@africaintel

🇺🇳🇨🇩 UN security council agrees to gradual withdrawal of Congo force

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution starting to wind down its peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi said in September at the U.N. General Assembly that he had asked his government to fast-track the withdrawal of the peacekeeping mission to ensure it begins at the end of the year.

The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday laying out MONUSCO's "responsible and sustainable" withdrawal in three phases over the course of 2024.

#UN #DRC

@africaintel

🇪🇬🇪🇹 Egypt says talks over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have failed

Egypt said on Tuesday that the latest talks over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have failed, but it will closely monitor the process of filling and operating the dam and reserve the right to defend its water.

"Egypt reserves its right, in accordance with international charters and accords, to defend its water and national security in case of any harm," Egypt's ministry of water resources and irrigation said. "The meeting was unsuccessful due to Ethiopia's persistent refusal to accept any of the technical or legal compromise solutions that would safeguard the interests of all three countries," the Egyptian statement said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in July that they would aim to finalise a deal over the disputed dam within four months. Africa Intel made a material regarding the dam and the fuss around it. Well, as it seems even with all talks and even some hope of problem resolution since summer, the issue is still there and both sides do not want to back down.

However, with the threat of looming default in Ethiopia, maybe Egypt will try to use it as a trump card and somehow come out on top during further negotiations. We'll see.

#Egypt #Ethiopia

@africaintel

🇱🇷🇵🇸🇮🇱🇺🇳 President Weah pushes Liberia to reverse U.N. vote against Gaza ceasefire

Liberian President George Weah has intervened to reverse his country's vote against a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Liberia was the only African state and one of only ten countries of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly to reject the United Nation's December 12 call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants that was backed by 153 countries.

The diplomats who voted against the ceasefire lacked President Weah's approval, the information ministry said. Weah "has always stood on the side of peace across the world," it added in a statement.

The Liberian foreign ministry has requested the U.N. General Assembly reverse its 'NO' vote and register a new vote in favour of the Gaza ceasefire.

#Liberia #Palestine #Israel #UN

@africaintel

🇳🇬 Gunmen kidnap Nigerian judge and kill her guard

Gunmen have kidnapped a Nigerian high court judge and killed her guard in southern Akwa Ibom state, police say.

Justice Joy Uwanna is said to have been abducted on her way back from a court sitting on Monday night, along Uyo-Okoboin in Oron town.

The gunmen reportedly opened fire and shot a policeman protecting the judge before whisking Justice Uwanna and her driver away.

A police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom state Odiko Macdon said the incident was "unfortunate", adding that security forces were now investigating the matter.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but abductions for ransom by criminal gangs are frequent in some parts of Nigeria.

#Nigeria

@africaintel