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☆ Top U.S., Chinese and Russian officials tour Africa as global charm offensive gathers pace
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Janet Yellen, US Treasury secretary, during a news conference with Enoch Godongwana, South Africa's finance minister, at the National Treasury in Pretoria, South Africa, on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. Yellen met with South African officials including President Cyril Ramaphosa last week, just days after the country's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor stood alongside Lavrov and vowed to strengthen bilateral relations between Pretoria and Moscow. South Africa was one of 17 African nations to abstain from the U.N. vote in March to condemn Russia's war of aggression. As such, many African nations desire a strong relationship with both the U.S. and China, and U.S. diplomacy will be more effective when not framed as an "us-or-them" proposition. What's more, the BRI projects were "largely uncoordinated and unplanned," he said, with competing Chinese lenders offering credit to African nations, challenging the notion of a coherent centralized "debt trap" policy from Beijing.

☆ Dortmund make it three out of three this year with 2-0 win over Leverkusen
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LEVERKUSEN, Germany, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund cruised past hosts Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Sunday for their third win in three league matches since the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break, climbing to within three points of the top spot. Goals from Karim Adeyemi and a second half own goal from Edmond Tapsoba gave Dortmund a comfortable victory and snapped Leverkusen's five-game winning run in the Bundesliga, dropping them to ninth place. "Today it was not only an important win but also a deserved one and this is something we liked. "This win won't mean much if we don't keep at it and keep delivering the same performances," Terzic said. Germany international Adeyemi rifled in his first Bundesliga goal after a good passing move from Dortmund in the 33rd minute with Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby having earlier forced a superb save from Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel.

☆ Russia, South Africa and a 'redesigned global order': The Kremlin's hearts and minds machine is steaming ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pretoria as part of an African tour, his second since the invasion, which will also reportedly take him to Botswana, Angola and Eswatini. On Feb. 24 2022, shortly after the Ukraine invasion, South Africa urged Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine. South Africa was one of 15 African nations to abstain from the subsequent U.N. vote in March to condemn Russia's war of aggression. watch nowShe emphasized the multilateral responsibilities of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) bloc of leading emerging economies in a changing global landscape. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that "the United States has concerns about any country … exercising with Russia as Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine."

☆ France to withdraw troops from Burkina Faso within a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Vincent Bado/File PhotoPARIS, Jan 25 (Reuters) - France will withdraw its troops from Burkina Faso in the next month after the military junta asked it to leave, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, in a move that will further reduce its presence in a region facing a growing Islamist insurgency. Protests by opponents of the French military presence have surged in Burkina, partly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to tackle the Islamist militancy that has spread in recent years from neighbouring Mali. France retains some 200-400 special forces in Burkina. Burkina's national television reported on Saturday that the government had suspended a 2018 military accord with Paris on Jan. 18, giving France one month to pull its troops out. Paris also has a large military presence in Chad.

French troops who have been fighting Islamist militants in Burkina Faso will have to leave the West African nation, the country’s communications minister said Monday, dealing another blow to Europe’s presence in a region where Russia’s influence is growing. The decision by the government in Ouagadougou to abandon its military alliance with its former colonial power comes five months after France completed its withdrawal from neighboring Mali, which in 2021 hired the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group to support its war against jihadists affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State.

☆ France's Macron says he is awaiting clarifications from Burkina president on troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he was awaiting clarifications from Burkina Faso's transitional President Ibrahim Traore about reported demands for the departure of French troops from the country. Reporting by Michel Rose and Leigh Thomas Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Prominent Cameroon journalist found dead after abduction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

YAOUNDE, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The mutilated body of a prominent Cameroonian journalist was found on Sunday near the capital Yaounde five days after he was abducted by unidentified assailants, the press union and a colleague said on Sunday. Media advocates described Martinez Zogo's disappearance and death as a further sign of the perils of reporting in the African country. "Cameroonian media has just lost one of its members, a victim of hatred and barbarism," Cameroon's journalists' trade union said in a statement. "Where is the freedom of the press, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression in Cameroon when working in the media now entails a mortal risk?" Outspoken reporter Paul Chouta, who worked for private news website Cameroon Web, was beaten and stabbed by unknown attackers in 2019.

☆ Over 60 women, children freed in Burkina Faso after kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Thiam Ndiaga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Sixty-six women and children kidnapped by armed assailants in northern Burkina Faso last week have been freed, national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTP) said on Friday. The mass kidnapping was unprecedented in Burkina Faso, which is facing a violent Islamist insurgency that spread from neighbouring Mali in 2015. Security forces staged a rescue operation and found 27 adult women and 39 babies, children and young girls in the adjacent Centre-North province. Burkina Faso is one of several countries in West Africa battling a rampant insurgency with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State. Frustration over the authorities' failure to restore security and protect civilians were contributing factors to military coups in Burkina Faso and Mali.

☆ Vietnam's market risks missing a 2025 deadline for an upgrade to emerging economy status
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Maika Elan | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesVietnam risks missing a self-established 2025 deadline to complete reforms that would enable it to upgrade its stock market to emerging economy status and attract billions of dollars in investments, three officials told Reuters. The government in July committed to aiming for an upgrade to emerging market status in at least one major index by 2025. But infighting is delaying much-needed market reforms, three officials familiar with the discussions said. Additional liquidity is seen as crucial for Vietnamese banks, which account for about a third of the stock market capitalization, to raise their comparatively low capital buffers, thus boosting financial stability. Index provider MSCI published in June a long list of reforms Vietnam needed to apply before an upgrade could be considered.

The government in July committed to aiming for an upgrade to emerging market status in at least one major index by 2025. But infighting is delaying much-needed market reforms, three officials familiar with the discussions said. Trinh Nguyen from Natixis, an investment bank, said Vietnam's market regulations were holding back the upgrade, limiting access to more liquidity. Index provider MSCI published in June a long list of reforms Vietnam needed to apply before an upgrade could be considered. Both the FTSE and MSCI have publicly said that Vietnam's prefunding requirement and strict limits on foreign ownership of shares are among the main hurdles to an emerging market status upgrade.

☆ French minister says France still committed to Burkina Faso despite tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierOUAGADOUGOU, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A French minister said on Tuesday her government would not stop supporting Burkina Faso in its fight against Islamist militants and wished to remain involved despite growing anti-French sentiment and diplomatic tensions. Relations between France and Burkina Faso, a former French colony, have deteriorated following two military coups this year that were partly spurred by local authorities' failure to protect civilians from jihadist attacks. Tensions flared last month, when the Burkina Faso government requested the replacement of France's ambassador. Protests by opponents of the French military presence surged this year, partly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to improve security. Zacharopoulou said French troops would remain in Burkina Faso "as long as their presence is desired".

☆ U.S. cuts off Burkina Faso from Africa duty-free trade program
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 1 (Reuters) - The United States has dropped Burkina Faso from the AGOA trade preference program for failing to meet the requirements of the AGOA statute, the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office said in a statement on Sunday. The Biden administration is "deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change" in government in Burkina Faso, according to the statement. Burkina Faso will be given "clear benchmarks" for a pathway toward reinstatement to the trade program, USTR's office said, adding that the Biden administration would work with the Burkinabe government. Frustrations over growing insecurity spurred two coups in Burkina Faso in 2022. Nearly two million people have been displaced and reside in makeshift camps, many run by the United Nations, that dot the arid countryside.

☆ Ten killed after Burkina Faso bus hits landmine on Christmas Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, Dec 26 (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed and five others injured when a passenger bus triggered a landmine in eastern Burkina Faso on Christmas Day, the government said in a statement on Monday. The bus was travelling from the market town of Fada N'Gourma around 220 km (136 miles) from the capital Ouagadougou, to the border town of Kantchari near neighbouring Niger. The insurgents control swathes of territory in Burkina Faso. Since 2015 they have carried out raids and blockades of several towns in the north and eastern regions of the country, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing nearly 2 million. Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Hugh Lawson and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.N. says Burkina Faso has no grounds to expel senior official
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Saturday said Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior U.N. official Barbara Manzi to leave the country and that the doctrine of "persona non grata" could not be applied to her. "Only the Secretary-General... has the authority to decide, after careful investigation, with respect to the withdrawal of any United Nations official." Reuters was not immediately able to verify whether Manzi, an Italian national, was still in Burkina Faso in Saturday. The U.N. provides some essential services in Burkina Faso, including supplying food to thousands of malnourished children as insecurity has crippled local economies, caused mass hunger, and restricted access for aid organisations. The Secretary-General reiterated the U.N.'s commitment to continue engaging with Burkina Faso's transitional authorities and support the country.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

☆ Burkina Faso summons Ghanaian ambassador over Wagner allegations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso summoned the Ghanaian ambassador on Friday morning for "explanations" after Ghana's president alleged that Burkina Faso had hired the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Burkina Faso's foreign ministry said. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there," Akufo-Addo said, adding that it was a distressing development for Ghana. Akufo-Addo also alleged that Burkina Faso had offered Wagner a mine as payment. In a statement issued after the meeting with the ambassador, Burkina Faso's foreign ministry said it had "expressed disapproval" about the statements made by the Ghanaian president. Burkina Faso also recalled its ambassador from Ghana for a meeting, the spokesperson said.

☆ Burkina Faso aware of the dangers of Wagner force -France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Speaking to reporters alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo alleged that Burkina Faso had hired the mercenaries. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there," he said. Prime minister of Burkina Faso in the last 10 days has been in Moscow. Officials from Burkina Faso did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Burkina Faso has not said publicly that it would consider hiring Wagner mercenaries.

☆ West African leaders plan peacekeeping force to counter 'coup belt' reputation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Afolabi SotundeABUJA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - West African leaders said on Sunday they would establish a regional peacekeeping force to intervene in member states to help restore security and constitutional order in a region that has witnessed several coups in the past two years. West and Central Africa has made strides in the past decade to shed its reputation as a "coup belt", but the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS) wants to do more to boost constitutional government in its member states. The ECOWAS leaders also expressed concern over the continued detention of 46 Ivorian soldiers in Mali. They asked Malian authorities to release the soldiers by the end of this month. Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ I traveled to every country in the world, including North Korea, in 558 days. These are my top 10 travel tips.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Cassie De Pecol has traveled to all 193 sovereign nations in addition to Taiwan, Kosovo, and Palestine. These are some of her top travel tips — from her favorite airlines to how to stay safe as a solo traveler. So I decided to go after the Guinness World Record for traveling to every country in the fastest amount of time. How I traveled to 193 countries in just over 18 monthsCassie De Pecol in North Korea. If you can, pack lightFor my trip around the world, I traveled with just a backpack.

[1/3] An excavator clears out rocks into a dumper at the gold mine, operated by Endeavour Mining Corporation in Hounde, Burkina Faso February 11, 2020. Acquired by Burkina-based firm Néré Mining from Endeavour Mining (EDV.L) in March, Karma is one of at least four gold mines that halted production this year because of security risks. Gold is Burkina Faso's main export, accounting for 37% of total exports in 2020, and mining is a leading source of jobs. At current rates, Burkina Faso is set to produce 13% less gold this year than in 2021, in part because of mine closures, government statistics show. The Burkina Faso mines ministry did not respond to Reuters' questions.

☆ Cotton exporter Benin developing home-grown textile industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Pulcherie Adjoha | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Benin has in the last few years become Africa's leading cotton producer, with annual production of 728,000 tonnes in 2020/21, according to government figures. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We have decided that in this country, we are no longer going to sell this cotton raw. We are going to transform this cotton, in particular by installing integrated textile factories," said Letondji Beheton, managing director of the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ), about 45 km from Cotonou. 1/6 People work at a shirt-making factory in the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in Abomey-Calavi, Benin October 13, 2022. Although the systems are not yet in place to get cotton from field to factory, GDIZ has started training about 1,000 garment workers using imported materials for now.

☆ Opinion | Abortion Is Legal in Ethiopia. But Half of These Clinics Won’t Provide Them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Anu Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

When Congress passed the Helms Amendment, only six of those countries allowed abortion in circumstances beyond saving a woman’s life. And every year, more than 16,000 of the women and girls who have received these unsafe abortions die from more serious complications. President Biden also has the power to mitigate some of the harms of the Helms Amendment. His administration could also ensure that clinics in countries where abortion is legal understand that U.S. rules allow them to offer abortion information and counseling. The Helms Amendment is an act of international interference and overreach, and it has to end.

☆ Burkina Faso coup: ECOWAS mediator 'satisfied' after meeting new military leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The mediator sent to Burkina Faso by West Africa’s main political and economic bloc ECOWAS, Mahamadou Issoufou, on Tuesday said he was satisfied by a meeting with the country’s new military leader Ibrahim Traore. Issoufou added that the 15-member bloc would continue accompanying Burkina Faso’s transition to constitutional rule after the country was hit by its second military takeover this year. “I can assure you that ECOWAS will remain with the people of Burkina Faso … and the difficult challenge they face,” he added. Burkina Faso’s government released a statement saying the meeting took place but provided no further comments. ECOWAS is struggling to facilitate a return to constitutional order in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, and Mali, all of which have seen coups since 2020.

☆ Ibrahim Traore: Who is the soldier behind Burkina Faso's latest coup?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters —As a heavily armed convoy drove through a cheering crowd in Burkina Faso’s capital on Sunday morning, the boyish face of the country’s latest military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, emerged from the turret of an armored personnel carrier. Little is known about Traore and his colleagues, who since Friday have delivered statements on national television brandishing guns, ammunition belts, and masks. Army officers initially supported Damiba when he took power in his own coup in January, promising to defeat the Islamists. Growing Russian tiesMeanwhile, Russia has expressed support for the coup just as regional neighbors and western powers condemned it. “I salute and support Captain Ibrahim Traore,” read a statement from Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of private military company Wagner Group, which has operations across Africa, including in Burkina Faso’s neighbor Mali.

A new military takeover has been declared in Burkina Faso, after a day marked by gunfire and confusion in the capital city of Ouagadougou. In an announcement on state television late Friday, a Burkina Faso military official announced the dissolution of the current government and the dismissal of the junta leader, President Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. With the suspension of the constitution and government, this is Burkina Faso’s second military takeover in a year. “People of Burkina Faso, faced with the degradation of the security situation, we have attempted several times to refocus the transition on the issue of security,” Sorgho said. This week, unknown assailants killed eleven soldiers during an attack on a 150-vehicle convoy taking supplies to a town in northern Burkina Faso.

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