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[1/3] The border fence between Morocco and Spain's north African enclave Melilla is seen along a road, December 11, 2014. Bilateral trade rose to 17 billion euros in 2022, making Spain Morocco's biggest trade partner. The disputes underscore Spain's dependence on Morocco to control migration by Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans seeking to cross the European Union's southernmost border. Some observers say the drop in migration could prove temporary and that Spain remains too dependent on Morocco. For a sustained fall in migration, Spain needs more cooperation with Morocco when it comes to repatriating illegal Moroccan migrants, said Blanca Garces, senior researcher in migration at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs.

☆ 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.

South Africa has been struggling for years to overhaul its state-power company which is plagued by corruption and mismanagement and reeling under a 400 billion rand ($23.3 billion) debt pile. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana told Reuters last week he was "sharpening his pencil" to provide details, so far scarce, for taking on between one- and two-thirds of Eskom's debt in his Feb. 22 budget presentation. Eskom's debt pile is not just big, it is also complex. Another 15% is international bonds, held by global asset managers such as PIMCO, BlackRock and Fidelity, according to recent filings. Eskom's international bonds could rally if the government takes on two-thirds of the debt, Wolman said, while limiting that to one third or carrying out the debt transfer over a long period of time could be negative.

☆ Egypt's Sisi heads to India amid investment push
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi begins a visit to India on Wednesday where he will meet business leaders and be a guest of honour at India's Jan. 26 Republic Day. The trip will include discussions on strengthening economic relations between the two countries and reviewing opportunities for Indian investment in Egypt, a statement from the Egyptian presidency said. Egypt is trying to drum up foreign investment as it tries to manage a dollar shortage that has led to a sharp depreciation of the Egyptian pound. Last year it sought help from energy-rich Gulf allies and the International Monetary Fund after the economic fallout from the war in Ukraine exacerbated its underlying challenges. Reporting by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Treasury's Yellen breaks ground on rural electrification project in Senegal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KEUR BABACAR MBAYE, Senegal, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Saturday helped kick off a new rural electrification project in Senegal that will bring reliable power to 350,000 people, while supporting some 500 jobs in 14 U.S. states. Senegal has among the highest rates of electrification across Sub-Saharan Africa - between 70% and 80% - but access to electricity remains far more limited in rural areas. It will also help Senegal get one step closer to its goal of universal electricity access by 2025," she said. She said the U.S. Power Africa project has helped connect 165 million people to reliable electricity across Africa. Its goal is to add at least 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner and more reliable electricity generation capacity and 60 million new home and business connections by 2030.

The only HIV vaccine in a late-stage trial has failed, researchers announced Wednesday, dealing a significant blow to the effort to control the global HIV epidemic and adding to a decadeslong roster of failed attempts. “I don’t think that people should give up on the field of the HIV vaccine,” Fauci said. Fauci said that a critical limitation of the Mosaico vaccine was that it elicited what are known as non-neutralizing — as opposed to neutralizing — antibodies against HIV. As with the Thai trial, the hope is to channel research findings into future HIV vaccine development. To prove a vaccine works, researchers must recruit participants who remain at substantial risk of HIV over time.

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects a record loss in 2022, primarily due to losses from its portfolio holdings in Russia and Belarus, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said on Wednesday. The bank earlier reported record investments in 2022 of about 13.1 billion euros ($14.1 billion), and expects to continue investments targeted around food and energy security, Renaud-Basso said. It may make record investments in Tunisia. Renaud-Basso reiterated the bank's commitment to send 3 billion euros to Ukraine by the end of this year, particularly to help rebuild infrastructure. That would mean an expected deployment of around 1.3 billion euros in 2023, following last year's disbursement of 1.7 billion euros.

☆ Journalists arrested for sharing video of an African president urinating on himself during the national anthem
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Six journalists were arrested after a video of South Sudan's president peeing himself went viral. When President Kiir looked down and saw what was happening, cameras turned away. Tweeting in support of the South Sudanese president, the Nigerian senator Shehu Sani said: "This may be a urinary sickness or an extreme act of patriotism; refusal to excuse himself while the national anthem was being played." For example, Esther Ang'awa, a Kenyan lawyer, said, "I expected President Kiir to have honorably retired on health grounds by now." Kiir has been the president of South Sudan since its independence in 2011.

☆ Yellen leads new U.S.-Africa policy with trip to Senegal, Zambia, South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We believe that Africa's growth will be a key driver of global growth over the coming decades," a senior Treasury official told reporters. But some African countries, including Zambia, have soured on Chinese lending and are looking for alternatives, experts say. Yellen has criticized Beijing - now the world's largest creditor - for not moving quickly to restructure the debt of poor countries in Africa. The topic will be a key issue when she visits Zambia, the Treasury official said. Biden in December proposed that the African Union be included in the Group of 20 major economies to give African countries a bigger seat at the table.

☆ Analysis: Investors snap up record $39 bln emerging market sovereign bond splurge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The scale of borrowing dwarfs the previous record of $26 billion raised in the same period in 2018, data from Morgan Stanley shows. ROARING STARTWhile emerging bond markets are off to a roaring start, that might not translate into a bumper year overall. That is well above last year's multi-year low of $95 billion, but well short of 2020's record $233 billion. "The blessing for 2023 is that we haven't got a huge spike in Eurobonds maturities for the frontier," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at M&G Investments, referring to what are perceived as the riskiest of emerging markets. "Kenya and Angola will need to tap the market, while South Africa is staying away completely this year," she said.

☆ Journalists detained over footage appearing to show South Sudan president wet himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Jan 7 - Six journalists in South Sudan have been detained over the circulation of footage showing President Salva Kiir appearing to wet himself at an official event, the national journalists union said on Saturday. The journalists, who work with the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, were detained on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Patrick Oyet, president of the South Sudan Union of Journalists. South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei and National Security Service spokesperson David Kumuri did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kiir has been president since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. The detained journalists are camera operators Joseph Oliver and Mustafa Osman; video editor Victor Lado; contributor Jacob Benjamin; and Cherbek Ruben and Joval Toombe from the control room, Oyet said.

☆ 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.

☆ West backs Nigeria's war on extremists, and backs off on human rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +21 min

“While respect for human rights is unquestionably a high priority, we have many other equities at stake,” McCulley wrote. He said the focus on human rights had sent relations between the two countries into the “lowest ebb” in his three years there. Nigeria’s human rights record wasn’t only a moral issue – it was a legal one. Working under these laws provided “openings to incentivise and institutionalise” human rights protections within the Nigerian military, the State Department said. The pact also noted that London and Abuja had agreed on an “enhanced human rights dialogue” to ensure compliance with international rights standards.

☆ Biden says he’ll travel to Africa soon as he announces billions in new commitments
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“I’m eager to visit your continent,” Biden said to the nearly 50 leaders attending the conference. “The United States is all in on Africa and all in with Africa,” Biden said Thursday. He said “African voices, African leadership, African innovation” were all necessary to addressing a host of global challenges. It’s not the first time African leaders have heard a similar message from an American president. China has worked to grow trade relations with African nations and has developed major infrastructure projects there.

☆ Biden welcomes African leaders for summit as China and Russia expand influence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden welcomes nearly 50 leaders from Africa on Wednesday for a summit intended to reset Washington’s commitment to a region where China and Russia are also working to expand their influence. Four nations’ leaders were excluded from the summit invite list following recent coups. It’s not the first time African leaders have heard a similar message from an American president. President Barack Obama held his own US-Africa Leaders Summit in 2014, complete with gala dinner under a tent on the White House South Lawn. China has worked to grow trade relations with African nations and has developed major infrastructure projects there.

☆ U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit kicks off under China's long shadow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Trade between Africa and China last year surged to $254 billion last year, up about 35% as Chinese exports increased on the continent. “We are not interested in the views of any other countries on China’s role in Africa,” Qin said at the Semafor forum. Asked whether Biden administration officials would directly approach U.S. concerns about Chinese involvement in Africa during this week’s meetings, officials bristled. Those include Africa, South America and the Middle East, where China is eyeing military and economic expansion. U.S. officials have also expressed concerns that China is looking to establish a military base on the western coast of Africa.

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden next week will announce U.S. support for the African Union's admission to the G20 group of the world's largest economies as a permanent member, a White House official said on Friday. Biden will make the announcement during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington next week, White House adviser Judd Devermont said, when Biden will meet presidents of African countries. Devermont said the move, first reported by the Washington Post, comes after requests from African Union Chair and Senegalese President Macky Sall and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. South Africa is the only G20 member from Africa. But Biden has struck a different tone from former President Donald Trump, who disparaged some African nations and barred travel from six of them.

It could also negatively impact African nations that produce battery materials. The United States has a Free Trade Agreement in place with only one African country, Morocco. Battery materials and trade are set to be a focus at next week's U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington where President Joe Biden will meet presidents of African countries including Congo. Under IRA, U.S. carmakers will get tax credits if they source at least 40% of battery materials domestically or from American free-trade partners. His is one of many projects across sub-Saharan Africa aiming to produce battery materials like lithium, nickel and graphite.

☆ Fed hikes and a stronger dollar are fueling risks of political instability in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

ACCRA, GHANA - NOVEMBER 05: Ghanaians march during the 'Ku Me Preko' demonstration on November 5, 2022, in Accra, Ghana. "Exposure to international interest rate changes is exacerbated by the large proportion of African public debt that is held in dollars." watch now"High public debt levels and elevated borrowing costs will constrain public spending, which will likely result in a deteriorating ESG and political risk landscape across the continent," Hunter added. Spotlight on Ghana Hunter pointed to Ghana as among the most affected by this negative feedback loop between a deepening public debt burden, a constrained fiscal position and a deteriorating ESG and political landscape. ACCRA, GHANA - NOVEMBER 05: Ghanaians march during the 'Ku Me Preko' demonstration on November 5, 2022, in Accra, Ghana.

☆ Exclusive: Exxon to exit Equatorial Guinea amid wider Africa crude phaseout
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The company last year pumped about 45,000 bpd in Equatorial Guinea, out of the country's total production of 93,000 bpd. For Middle East and African oil producers, cash has dwindled to 30% of global flows in the last two years, from 50% between 2010 and 2020. Much of the increase comes from the United States, Canada, Guyana and Brazil, some of the places where Exxon has increased spending on oil output. NAMIBIA AND NATURAL GASWhile crude oil production wanes in West Africa, the continent's liquefied natural gas (LNG) future is on the rise and fossil fuel output could grow elsewhere in Africa. Rising demand globally could result in a 30% rise in gas production in Africa by the end of the decade, Deloitte said.

☆ Measles is now an imminent global threat, WHO and CDC say in a new report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Dana Varinsky | Dana Varinsky Is The Breaking Health News Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses and is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. A record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021 due to hurdles created by the Covid pandemic, the WHO and the CDC said in a joint report. While measles cases have not yet gone up dramatically compared to previous years, now is the time to act, the WHO’s measles lead, Dr. Patrick O’Connor, told Reuters. Last week, the public health department in Columbus, Ohio, reported a measles outbreak with 24 active cases, according to the NBC News affiliate WCMH. The new report estimates that in 2021, around 128,000 people died of measles worldwide.

☆ Measles now an imminent global threat due to pandemic, say WHO and CDC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jennifer Rigby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A vial of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is pictured at the International Community Health Services clinic in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 20, 2019. Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses and is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. However, it requires 95% vaccine coverage to prevent outbreaks among populations. A record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021 due to hurdles created by the COVID pandemic, the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a joint report. While measles cases have not yet gone up dramatically compared to previous years, now is the time to act, the WHO's measles lead, Patrick O'Connor, told Reuters.

☆ New Climate Early Warning System Aims to Plug Weather Blind Spots Around the World
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Eric Niiler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt—The United Nations and the U.S. are working to expand the network of weather stations across sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia and the Caribbean and Pacific island regions to create a climate early-warning system that can better anticipate severe droughts, heat waves, tropical storms and floods. Less than half of the U.N.’s 193 member countries are covered by early-warning systems, and less-developed and island nations are contributing only 10% of the weather data that the World Meteorological Organization requires under international agreements.

☆ New Climate Early-Warning System Aims to Plug Weather Blind Spots Around the World
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Eric Niiler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Climate justice gets harder as world population passes 8 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

These are also among the countries most vulnerable to climate impacts, and most in need of climate finance. "A SIGN OF HUMAN SUCCESS"Globally, the 8 billion population milestone represents 1 billion people added to the planet in just the last 11 years. Even while the global population reaches ever-new highs, demographers note that the growth rate has fallen steadily to less than 1% per year. "A big part of this story is that this era of rapid population growth that the world has known for centuries is coming to an end," Wilmoth said. Rapid population growth combined with climate change is likely to cause mass migration and conflict in coming decades, experts said.

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