News - Afrikan Heroes

CYBER1 Appoints Ethel Nyembe as Executive Director in Africa

January 10, 2024

Leading end-to-end security solutions provider CYBER1 has announced the appointment of Ethel Nyembe as an executive director for Africa. As an integral part of the executive committee, Nyembe will work across all businesses in South Africa.

Group president and executive director of CYBER1 Robert Brown said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ethel on board. She brings a wealth of expertise, a visionary approach and a proven ability to navigate the complexities of our industry. I am confident that she will lead CYBER1’s business in South Africa to new heights of success.”

He said in her new role, Ethel will be an instrumental voice in the organisation as she adds her flair to the business and culture, which will enable her to seamlessly transition into the organisation and quickly start working with the team to scale the company’s business operations and go-to-market strategies.

“We’re looking to grow our footprint by further investing in our cybersecurity capabilities

“As I embark on this exciting journey, my first few months will be dedicated to building meaningful relations. I believe in the power of collaboration and understanding. That begins with spending valuable time with our valued customers, forging strong partnerships with vendors and fostering a deep sense of camaraderie within our exceptional internal team,” Nyembe said.

“By immersing myself in these interactions, I aim to gain valuable insights, listen intently to the needs and aspirations of our stakeholders, and cultivate an environment of shared success. Together with the collective wisdom of our customers, the trust of our vendors and the dedication of our internal team, we will chart a course for innovation, growth and lasting impact at CYBER1.”

She says it’s a great time to join the CYBER1 team. “We’re looking to grow our footprint by further investing in our cybersecurity capabilities. The technical knowledge and expertise across the company, along with the total professionalism and relentless focus on quality, puts us in a unique position to build upon our existing service portfolio and address the full cybersecurity lifecycle for our clients. Our aim is to remain their trusted advisor of choice and continue to help them build true resilience into their businesses.”

Nyembe joins the company after a long and successful career in banking. She spent the last 13 years at the Standard Bank Group, where she held several senior positions in retail banking, leaving as head: Group card and payments.

She participates on several boards, including sporting, commercial and advisory boards. Attributing her success to her core strengths in leadership, agility and adaptability, Nyembe has acquired her higher education in South Africa culminating with a master’s degree from the Gordon Institute of Business Science with a globally published dissertation.

“I am very excited to join CYBER1. The company’s core values and focus on people really set them apart in the market. My aim is to leverage my skills and experience in finance and customer services to enhance our customers relationships and operational efficiency,” she said.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Elon Musk’s ‘Drug Use’ Puts Tesla Board in a Bind

Elon Musk’s reported drug use has Tesla board members facing a familiar quandary: having to decide what, if anything, to do about the CEO subjecting directors and shareholders alike to great financial and legal risk.

The Wall Street Journal’s article describing Musk’s history of recreational drug use and ongoing consumption of ketamine is the latest in a long line of tests for a board packed with the CEO’s acolytes — several of whom agreed less than six months ago to return US$735 million to settle a lawsuit alleging they had excessively compensated themselves.

Shareholders voiced dissatisfaction with the board last year over Tesla’s succession planning and accused Musk of being distracted by his commitments to other companies. His chaotic 2022 takeover of Twitter, the social media company he’s renamed as X, contributed to Tesla losing $672 billion in market capitalisation that year.

Before that, directors rode out litigation related to Musk’s doomed effort to take Tesla private in 2018, and his calling a cave explorer involved in the rescue of a youth soccer team in Thailand that year a pedophile. They also testified in proceedings related to the $55-billion compensation package they arranged for Musk in 2018, and in a trial challenging Tesla’s $2.6-billion acquisition of SolarCity, the struggling power provider run by Musk’s cousins.

The report by the Journal — which said Musk has used LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms, often at private parties — isn’t even the Tesla board’s first brush with drug-related issues. Weeks after the New York Times reported in August 2018 that directors had expressed concern about Musk’s use of Ambien, he puffed a blunt containing marijuana on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast.

Tesla’s board took minimal action in the wake of those episodes. It replaced Musk as chairman and named two new independent directors as required by the settlement of fraud charges brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It could face more litigation over its handling of Musk’s drug use, said Stephen Diamond, who teaches courses on corporate governance at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.

“This will give ammunition to class-action lawyers on behalf of disgruntled shareholders at Tesla, if they can tie evidence of drug use to his actual role as an executive,” Diamond said. “The Tesla board has an obligation to discern what’s going on here.”

While Musk’s drug use has the potential to harm his other enterprises — particularly SpaceX, a US government contractor — he derives more of his fortune from Tesla than any other company. His shares and exercisable stock options are worth $97.6-billion, or about 44% of his $219.4-billion net worth.

“Whatever I’m doing, I should obviously keep doing it!” Musk posted on X, citing Tesla and SpaceX being the world’s most valuable car and space companies. “If drugs actually helped improve my net productivity over time, I would definitely take them!”

Tesla’s longest-serving directors are Musk, 52, and his younger brother, Kimbal — both have been on the board since 2004. Kimbal’s reelection to the board has received pushback in recent years from an investor critical of his lack of relevant industry experience and a proxy adviser concerned about objectivity.

Proxy advisers also opposed the 2022 reelection of Ira Ehrenpreis, a venture capitalist who has been on the board since 2007. They cited concern about the amount of borrowing against Tesla stock by Musk and other directors, and a half measure the board took in response a shareholder proposal for annual director elections that got majority support in 2021.

The only other relatively long-tenured director on the board is Robyn Denholm, who joined in 2014 and became chair in 2018. Months after her elevation to the position, which was linked to the SEC suing Musk and Tesla over his take-private tweeting, she praised Musk’s use of the social media platform.

“Twitter is part of everyday business for many executives today,” Denholm said in a March 2019 interview. “From my perspective, he uses it wisely.”

Tesla’s four other directors are James Murdoch, the former 21st Century Fox CEO appointed in 2017; Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, the former human resources chief of Walgreens Boots Alliance who joined in 2018; and Joe Gebbia and JB Straubel, who were elected to the board last year. Gebbia co-founded Airbnb and Straubel is a co-founder of Tesla.

While Tesla’s directors have been well compensated, being a board member has at times been risky. Musk has close relationships with Murdoch, Gebbia and Straubel. During testimony in Delaware Chancery Court over his Tesla compensation package in 2022, the CEO fielded questions from a plaintiff’s lawyer about vacationing with Murdoch on several occasions. After Musk tweeted about trying to take Tesla private, Gebbia texted his praise, calling it a “baller move”. Musk and Straubel’s ties date back to Tesla’s founding in 2003.

While Tesla’s directors have been well compensated, being a board member has at times been risky. In April 2020, the company disclosed that it had decided not to renew its directors’ and officers’ liability policy, due to high premiums quoted by insurers. Musk agreed to personally provide coverage, which the board determined wouldn’t impair directors’ independent judgment.

After catching flak for the arrangement, which initially was planned to last a year, Tesla disclosed in October 2020 that it had lined up a customary insurance policy for its directors and officers. It paid Musk $3-million for 90 days’ worth of interim coverage that he provided.

Musk’s reported drug use may temporarily hit Tesla’s shares, said Gene Munster, a managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management. But those who’ve held on through the CEO’s antics have been rewarded — the stock has soared 1 168% since Musk’s marijuana toke in September 2018.

“A small percentage of investors will sell their stock over the next week and put some pressure on shares,” Munster said Sunday. “Most investors won’t care, because it falls into the category that if you want to profit from Elon, you have to put up with his controversies.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

South Africa’s Reserve Bank Says Firms Under no Obligation to Collect Cash

January 9, 2024

South Africa’s Reserve Bank South Africa’s Reserve Bank

The South African Reserve Bank has clarified that companies, including retailers, are not obliged to accept cash as a means of payment, even though it is defined as legal tender. The clarification comes as more and more consumer-facing companies, such as coffee shops and restaurants, in South African stop accepting cash from their customers for security reasons. This has led to confusion about whether companies, including retailers, are permitted under South African law not to accept legal tender in the form of banknotes and coins.

But the Reserve Bank has firmly rebuffed the idea that cash, or any other form of legal tender, must be accepted as a form of payment by retailers and other businesses.

“Banknotes and coins are legal tender as issued by the South African Reserve Bank. And while the Bank promotes and encourages the use of cash in a safe and efficient manner, businesses, based on risk management principles and other considerations, can exercise their discretion on whether to accept cash or not,” it said in e-mailed response to questions.

The trend towards cashless retail outlets is gaining momentum in South Africa. Last year, Shoprite Group launched nine cashless clothing outlets, called Uniq, as well as an OK Urban outlet which is also cashless.

‘Substantial benefits’

Indeed, the increasing cost of handling cash, along with the associated safety risks are a strong incentive for retailers to remove the physical medium from their payment ecosystems in favour of digital methods such as cards and banking apps. “There are substantial benefits to moving to a cashless society, with security being top of mind,” Deven Moodley, Pick n Pay executive head for financial services and mobile.

Despite these benefits, there are those who see the removal of cash from retail as classist and exclusionary. A screenshot of a Woolworths Café poster alerting customers that the store would from 16 January no longer accept cash set social media ablaze at the weekend, with many users incorrectly assuming that the announcement applied to all Woolworths Food stores and not just W Café coffee shops.

“It leaves some people outside [the system]. Not everyone has a bank account. Even people with bank accounts are still underbanked, for various reasons. Also, our payment tech doesn’t always work. And not everyone knows how to use the payment tech or use it comfortably,” @__Shezi said in response to the X post.

While it is true that many in South Africa’s lower segments of the economy remain unbanked, informal economy expert GG Alcock recently said that township and rural economies are also trending towards cashless in-store transactions since customers feel safer using their bank cards to pay and retailers reduce risk by carrying less cash.

The transition of a significant number of Sassa social grant payments from cash to card has also driven an uptick in digitisation and card usage in the informal economy.

“Three years ago, all grants were paid in cash. They then moved to the Post Office, and today the majority (58%) of grant recipients is paid through [digital] financial services,” said Lesaka Technologies South Africa CEO Lincoln Mali in November 2023.

According to the Reserve Bank, parties to a transaction “can agree on any form of payment”, and trends in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy suggest that both retailers and customers generally agree with the idea of using safer digital payment methods instead of cash.

“People are annoyed with Woolworths, but I haven’t seen outrage over car licence centres that take cards only, etc. Also, they are apparently doing it for safety. People forget that crime is rife in SA. Maybe the staff and customers at Woolies don’t matter,” said @SydanhamStekkie.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

China Aids Developing Countries With Agricultural Science

Felix Dapare Dakora, former president of the African Academy of Sciences

A renowned African plant scientist has praised China for sharing germ plasm, or seed matter, of crops species with developing countries where agricultural research is lagging. Germ plasm is genetic resources such as seeds or animal tissue that can be used to aid the breeding of crops or farm animals.

There have been growing calls among researchers for world governments to allow for unimpeded flows of such knowledge to stem the decline in crop biodiversity.

Felix Dapare Dakora, former president of the African Academy of Sciences, said that the increase of extreme weather events — with unusual temperatures, wildfires, flooding and drought sweeping many parts of the world over the past year — is straining the preservation of crop biodiversity.

The loss will diminish the toolbox that researchers can tap as they mine the plant gene pool and use it to enhance crop varieties against adverse factors such as heat waves, plant diseases and pests, he said.

Dakora, now a foreign academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that the free exchange of germ plasm can mitigate climate change’s impact on the food sector.

“If it’s lost in one region completely, you can replenish it by importing from, literally taking germ plasm, in another part of the world such as Sanya,” the South African plant scientist said, referring to the tropical city in Hainan province that is home to a new national germ plasm bank where plant scientists from across the globe can conduct research.

“If we work together, we will not destroy. If we don’t work together, we will destroy the planet,” he added.

China over the past few years has ramped up a technology-driven effort to boost national food security in the face of trade disputes with the United States, more extreme weather events and conflict-induced supply chain disruptions, which has threatened food access in nations reliant on food imports and pushed up global food prices.

As part of the drive, authorities have highlighted the role of cutting-edge breeding know-how in bolstering food yield.

Officials have raised the importance of mastering next-generation bio techniques such as gene-editing on a par with the traditionally crucial mission of farmland preservation.

A crucial asset for genetic research, the cross-regional swapping of germ plasm resources has gained momentum.

In May, the State-owned building contractor, China Railway 16th Bureau Group, said it had completed final projects such as irrigation and drainage systems at the National Wild Rice Germ Plasm Resources Garden, which the company called “the world’s largest repository for gene resources of wild rice varieties”.

Experts said that the favorable policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port, such as the visa-free policy, will promote the sharing and use of germ plasm across the borders.

Three months later, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and authorities in Beijing and Hainan province launched the genome-to-phenome program. The aim was also to bolster the sharing of such knowledge with global partners.

In a previous interview with China Daily, Bram Govaerts, director-general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, said that China was a flag-bearer in the global sharing of germ plasm resources.

“China is really getting together all the international actors,” he said.

The stepped-up sharing of germ plasm came on the back of a yearslong effort by the Chinese government to rescue vanishing crop species.

In 2015, the agricultural ministry started the third national census of crop germ plasm, which involved more than 30,000 grassroots officials who over the course of about three years collected about 12,000 germ plasm samples.

The protection and sharing of germ plasm is an example of China’s shift to a knowledge-intensive approach to bolstering food yield, instead of just expanding growing areas or stepping up the use of fertilizers.

Dakora said China has emerged as a major food producer over the past decade through a huge investment in agricultural technologies.

“Since then, China has moved in and it’s investing a lot of money in agriculture, developing agriculture technologies, be it through bio technology, through gene-editing, you name it.”

He expressed confidence that Africa, working closely with China, can soon emulate that prowess in food production and achieve self-sufficiency.

“Africa is where China was, but China has gone past that and this is the way today, with abundant food everywhere for people to eat and making new products out of the food that China produces,” Dakora said.

“I remain optimistic that, Africa working closely with China, in fact you should be able to achieve that within a shorter period of time.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Ousman Sonko must face justice for crimes against humanity

Ahead of the trial of Ousman Sonko, former Interior Minister of Gambia, before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, for crimes against humanity allegedly committed between 2000 and 2016 under former President Yahya Jammeh, Michèle Eken, Amnesty International’s researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa office, said:

“Sonko served as Interior Minister for Gambia at a time when atrocious crimes, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and sexual violence were committed. Survivors and relatives of victims who suffered brutal crimes under Jammeh’s regime are fighting for accountability. Sonko must face justice.

“Universal jurisdiction is an essential tool for fighting impunity. States should prosecute or extradite perpetrators of crimes under international law — they should have nowhere to hide. Amnesty International welcomes Switzerland’s efforts in prosecuting Sonko and encourages the Federal Criminal Court to strengthen the ability of victims to follow the proceedings and, where relevant, participate in the trial.

“The Gambian government must also speed up the process of investigating and prosecuting those identified as potential perpetrators of human rights violations by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Victims and their relatives have a right to justice, truth, and reparations.”

Ousman Sonko was Gambia’s Interior Minister from 2006 to 2016. On 26 January 2017, he was arrested in Switzerland under the principle of universal jurisdiction and stands accused of committing crimes against humanity. The first day of trial is on 8 January 2023.

In November 2021, the TRRC issued recommendations to the Gambian government, such as the prosecution of 70 officials, including Sonko. In May 2023, the government published an implementation plan, which includes the creation of a hybrid court.

Sonko fled the country in 2016, shortly before former President Jammeh lost power. He was arrested after non-governmental organisations presented evidence of his alleged involvement in killings, rape and torture.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Tamwilcom’s Innov Invest Program: 12 Incubators Secure Funding to Empower Moroccan Startups

Twelve partnering support structures have been selected for the implementation of the financing offering in the 3rd edition of the Innov Invest program.

Tamwilcom revealed on Monday the twelve Partnering Support Structures (PSS) that will play a key role in the implementation of the new generation of financing dedicated to innovative startups within the framework of the 3rd edition of the Innov Invest program initiated by the Innov Invest Fund with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the World Bank.

This selection follows a call for expressions of interest launched on June 28, 2023, and the selected PSS were designated by an independent commission composed of national and international experts. These partners will be actively involved in the early stages of the startup lifecycle, namely ideation, incubation, and pre-acceleration.

For the “Ideation” segment, Tamwilcom has selected the following structures: Enactus, Incubooster, Univers Startup & Entrepreneur, and Euromed Innovation Center (EIC). In the “Incubation” segment, the selected PSS are Cluster CE3M, Cluster EnR, Emerging Business Factory (EBF), R&D Maroc, Réseau Entreprendre Maroc (REM), and Startup Maroc. Finally, in the “Pre-acceleration” segment, Impact Lab and SB3S have been chosen.

These structures, engaged in a contractual process with Tamwilcom, will be responsible for deploying a financing offering comprising two flagship products: “Tech Start” and “Tech Boost.” “Tech Start,” designed for the “Incubation” segment, supports startups that have surpassed the Proof of Concept (POC) stage by providing a contribution of up to 400,000 DH (USD40,000), covering up to 80% of expenses related to the development of prototypes or products at the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) stage.

Regarding the “Pre-acceleration” segment, “Tech Boost” offers an honorary loan of up to 750,000 DH (USD75,000) for startups that have surpassed the MVP stage and are seeking to introduce their products to the market. This financing can cover up to 80% of the project cost, particularly for breakthrough innovations (Deep Tech).

The PSS involved in the deployment of these instruments, as well as those involved in the “Ideation” segment, will benefit from technical assistance, the extent of which will depend on their performance and achievements.

It is worth noting that the Innov Invest Fund (IIF), created by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in collaboration with Tamwilcom and with the support of the World Bank, aims to promote access to financing for startups and innovative project leaders in Morocco.

Kenyan Climate Tech Startup Octavia Carbon Secures Funding for Carbon Capture Technology

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard.

President Ramkalawan of Seychelles Speaks on the Occasion of Orthodox Christmas

January 6, 2024

The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr Wavel Ramkalawan has sent a message to the Orthodox community on the occasion of their Christmas celebration.

“On behalf of the country and on my personal behalf I wish to convey our good wishes to the Orthodox Christian congregation in Seychelles on the celebration of Christmas.

Christmas reminds us of how Jesus brought light that always outshines the darkness and how good always prevails over evil. The recent tragic events in our country has saddened all of us, but has also brought our people together in solidarity, compassion and unity. May the spirit of giving to others in need, similar to the birth of Christ in a manger be the one that reigns in your community at this time.

I wish everyone a blessed Christmas as we continue to pray for more blessings, unity, love and peace for our beautiful islands and its people.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Redefining Africa-Europe Relations: How Academic Institutions are Powering Innovation

January 5, 2024

Namibia’s Minister of Energy and Mines Tom Alweendo

With substantial resources, attractive regulations and growing demand on a regional level, Africa is on the precipice of transformation within the field of energy. Investment is increasing across the value chain following new hydrocarbon discoveries and project launches and as African governments are prioritizing local content and the inclusion of the domestic workforce.

While this opens up new opportunities for skills and technology transfer from global partners, it has also brought into question the role that academic institutions and governments play in supporting capacity building in Africa’s energy sector.

Redefining the Africa-EU Partnership

To unlock the full potential of the sector, capacity building deserves a newfound focus in Africa. Despite being home to both the youngest and fastest-growing population globally, the continent faces education gaps and low participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), leading to an overreliance on foreign personnel in energy projects. Brookings Institute estimates that less than 25% of students in sub-Saharan Africa pursue STEM-related career fields. To support national local content agendas, therefore, Africa’s relations with global partners needs to move beyond project development to incorporate collaboration, skills transfer and partnerships within STEM education.

Historically, relations between Africa and Europe have largely centered on development, aid and economic interests, with little to no focus placed on research, innovation or the strengthening of institutional foundations. As relations evolve, a window of opportunity has emerged for both African and European academic institutions to bolster capacity building from the ground-up. From partnering on curriculum development, to promoting training programs, workshops and exchanges, to advocating for mentorships, industry partnerships and inclusion, academic institutions can lay the foundation for a strong and capable workforce.

More than supporting local content in Africa, partnerships with Europe will be integral for the modernization of Africa’s energy industry. The energy transition, rising demand and industry fluctuations require increased research and innovation to ensure that the world is equipped to provide the “energy of the future.” Africa is not exempt in this regard, and research and development will form the basis of the continent’s energy transformation.

Supporting Capacity Building on a National Level

The European Union (EU) has demonstrated its commitment to supporting education in Africa. Under the EU-Africa Strategy – initially launched in 2007 and revised in 2022 – the bloc is promoting partnerships in education, skills, research and innovation across the continent, specifically within emerging fields such as digitalization and green energy.

Through the support of the EU and this strategy, several collaborations have taken effect. Following a series of meetings in 2022, the African Research Universities Alliance and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities launched 20 joint Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) initiated with the support of the African Union and EU. The CoRE aims to enhance research and higher education, serving as catalysts for innovation in African energy.

African nations are also eager to capitalize on foreign expertise. On the sidelines of the Invest in African Energy (IAE) forum in Paris in 2023, the foundations were laid for increased collaboration between Namibia and French tertiary institutions Sciences Po. Namibia’s Minister of Energy and Mines Tom Alweendo held a meeting with representatives from the institutions to advance academic cooperation across the energy sector. Parties agreed to explore new avenues for capacity building by signing a formal partnership on student exchange and training.

Cross-Institutional Support

More and more, African and European academic institutions are collaborating to support skills and technology development within energy-related fields. The German Academic Exchange Service offers scholarships and funding for African students pursuing energy-related studies, partnering with South Africa’s University of Cape Town – among other African institutions – to support STEM-related education. The United Kingdom’s Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan; the French Development Agency; Erasmus & Horizon Europe, and many more, also offer funding and academic support for students in energy.

Platforms such as the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2024 forum aim to further promote collaboration in education. Beyond connecting project developers and investors, the forum serves as a unique platform for both African and European academic institutions to engage on both a bilateral and multilateral level. The forum delves into the opportunities and challenges across Africa’s evolving energy sector, examining the strategic role of Europe in new project development and shifting supply-demand dynamics. Building on discussions held and agreements signed at the 2023 forum, the 2024 edition, WHICH IS ORGANIZED BY Energy Capital & Power, offers newfound opportunities for Africa and Europe to both examine and redefine their global partnership.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Ethiopia Signs Access Deal With Somaliland

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat

Ethiopia’s landmark deal with Somaliland to provide Addis Ababa with access to the Red Sea has provoked furious reactions from both African Union and Somali. This follows the signing of an MoU to gain access to port facilities in Somaliland, as part of a process that could lead to Addis Ababa providing diplomatic recognition to Somaliland. But it provoked a furious response from Somalia, which insists that Somaliland is part of its sovereign territory.

H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission

African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat stressed “the imperative to respect the unity, territorial integrity and full sovereignty of all African Union member states.” There are already signs that the deal will be watered down. On Wednesday, Ethiopia said it would “make an in-depth assessment towards taking a position regarding the efforts of Somaliland to gain recognition” – a step some way short of immediate recognition. But it is likely to take an act of sustained diplomatic initiative by all parties – Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland – to find a mutually acceptable agreement in a difficult region.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Evaluating the US-Africa Leaders Summit, a Year After

January 4, 2024

One year after the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington DC from December 13-15,2022, the strengthened partnership between the United States and African nations has made significant strides.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to evolving engagement with Africa has borne fruit, with collaborative efforts addressing shared challenges and seizing opportunities.

The announced initiatives have empowered African institutions and citizens, fostered innovation, and enhanced health systems. Progress has been made in tackling climate crises and advancing peace.

The administration remains steadfast in its commitment, having invested over $55 billion in Africa over the past year, in close cooperation with Congress. The Special Presidential Representative, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, continues to coordinate these efforts, ensuring the sustained momentum of the U.S.-Africa partnership

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry