Central African Republic, France
Russia's presence further widens wedge in Paris-Bangui axis

Central African Republic
How the €10m in budgetary aid from Paris is being used

Of the €10m in budgetary aid granted to the CAR by France for 2025, €5m are still in an escrow account and will be used for the finance ministry's digitisation project, supported by Expertise France.

Central African Republic
Paris mulls resuming financial aid to Bangui

France may restore financial aid to the Central African Republic, four years after freezing it because of the influence of the Russian paramilitary firm Wagner in Bangui. An agreement due to be signed by the two states later this year would release €10m.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Patrice Talon and Faustin-Archange Touadera

Intrigues big and small: every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Ivory Coast IMF wraps up Ouattara's 2023 budget

Benin Ex-foreign minister Agbenonci's costly ambitions

CAR Opposition leader Dologuele's discreet campaign

Central African Republic
Cargo airline Astral Aviation makes beeline for Bangui

Its rivals having set their sights elsewhere, Astral Aviation now has a near-monopoly over air cargo in CAR. The timing is right, as many private firms and public authorities are avoiding the road corridor between Douala, Garoua-Boulay and Bangui.

Central African Republic
A discreet Chinese firm investigates the killing of nine miners working for Royal Cost Gold

Last week's unclaimed deadly attack on a mining site run by Chinese citizens in Chimbolo has sent shockwaves through the Chinese community, which is very active in this sector. An economic intelligence firm is looking into the activities of armed groups in the area.

Central African Republic
Funding shortfall could scupper local elections

After numerous postponements, Central African Republic is to hold its first elections in 40 years this July. But the financing is far from secure, and international backers are proving reluctant to fork out for the process.

Gabon, Ukraine
After Gabon dead-end, French armoured vehicles now bound for Kyiv

France plans to send Ukrainian forces 6-12 Caesar canons and 20 Bastion armoured personnel carriers. Of these, 15 were initially intended to equip the Gabonese troops deployed in MINUSCA. Negotiations are still stalling over the financing of the operation, which should be backed by a new €100m fund announced by President Emmanuel Macron.

Central African Republic
Opposition lobbies Antonio Guterres over constitutional reform

A coalition of opposition parties, the BRDC, is hoping to spur UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres into action following the ousting of judge Daniele Darlan from the country's constitutional court, which she also presided.

Morocco, Tunisia
Moscow looms large in North African agenda of AFRICOM's new head

When US General Michael Langley visited Tunisia and Morocco recently amid the raging war in Ukraine, top of his agenda was strengthening ties with its traditional allies in the region.

Palace Intrigues
Mohammed VI, Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte Touadéra, Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah

Intrigues big and small. Every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

MoroccoMohammed VI's Parisian residence keeps its Alberto Pinto décor.

CARFirst lady Brigitte Touadéra pays Moscow a low-key visit.

LiberiaForeign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, persona non grata in Washington.

Central African Republic
The battle of Touadéra's true and false bitcoin advisers

The CAR's bitcoin policy is drawing attention, as proved by several businessmen in recent weeks.

Central African Republic
Touadéra sets ambitious goals to revamp university sector

The Central African Republic president, an academic himself, has secured Saudi funding to renovate the University of Bangui and has formed a partnership with a Turkish university. This is all part of plans to build a new and improved tertiary education sector in the country.

Central African Republic
Wagner's phantom reinforcements

It was supposed to have been one of the outcomes of the United Nations (UN) Security Council's easing of its arms embargo on the Central African Republic (CAR) on 30 July.

Palace Intrigues
Emmanuel Macron, George Weah, François Hollande, DSK and Antoine Cesareo

Intrigues big and small... Every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

France/Niger Macron's discreet dinner with Bazoum

Liberia/USA Weah seeks face-to-face with Harris

France/DRC Hollande on billionaire-sponsored PR trip to see Mukwege

Togo DSK home from home in Lomé

Ivory Coast Cesareo, Houphouët-Boigny-era master builder, passes away

Central African Republic
CAR Constitutional Court faces increasing pressure

The Constitutional Court, headed by Daniele Darlan, is due to rule by the end of the month on the legality of the drafting committee for a new constitution, set up on 26 August by Faustin-Archange Touadéra.

Africa
Félix Tshisekedi, Faustin Archange Touadéra, Kais Saied, Adama Sangaré

Intrigues big and small... every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Central African Republic, France
Hindered by Russian influence, France closes its last army base in Bangui

After pulling French troops out of Mali, President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce the closure ofa logistics base at Bangui airport next week. The departure of the last 130 French troops is scheduled for the end of the year.

Burkina Faso
Canada aid cut riles Burkinabe government but indirect funding continues

Some officials in Burkina Faso have expressed dismay at Ottawa's suspension of its direct budgetary support in the wake of the coup d'état. But Canada, the country's leading foreign investor through its mining companies, is maintaining the bulk of its aid.

Central African Republic, Niger
World Bank names new country managers

Han Fraeters, the World Bank's representative in Central African Republic, is leaving his current role for a new posting in Niamey in Niger. He will replace Joelle Dehasse there, who left for Panama in March.

Central African Republic
Constitutional reform bill on course to let Touadera seek third term

The Central African head of state wants a constitutional reform bill to go through parliament in July. Despite misgivings, national assembly speaker Simplice Mathieu Sarandji cannot oppose the text that should open the way to a third mandate for Touadera.

Madagascar
Private sector hopes for OHADA membership for sunnier business climate

As a World Bank report published on 1 June expresses concerns about the business climate in Madagascar, the country's private sector is still hopeful Madagascar will join OHADA, an organisation of 17 Africa states bound by a system of business laws.

Central African Republic
EU considers resumption of financial aid to Bangui

The European Union has not ruled out resuming financial support for Central African Republic. An EU delegation was in Bangui last week to discuss how it might resume the payment of budgetary support, estimated at €30m.

Central African Republic
Central African consul in Belgium benefits from Bangui's anti-Covid fight

At the end of December the CAR Finance Ministry published a list of the various contracts that Bangui has signed as a result of the fight against Covid-19. The main beneficiary in 2021 was the company Facility+, owned by Dimitri Mozer, who is also Honorary Consul General of CAR in Liege, Belgium.

Central African Republic
Security Council's tense talks on renewing MINUSCA mandate

The UN Security Council is renewing MINSUCA's mandate on Friday. The discussions began in October and have been strained, as Moscow has sought to ease the arms embargo on the Central African Republic. Relations between Bangui and the UN mission remain tense.

Sahel, Spain
Madrid continues to equip Malian gendarmes despite tensions over Wagner

Although EU relations with Mali have been strained by the junta's decision to cosy up to Moscow, Madrid is going ahead with its programme to equip gendarmes in Mali and elsewhere in the Sahel.

Cameroon
Army receives C-Astral Slovenian drones as war escalates in Anglophone regions

Amid escalating tensions in the Anglophone regions, the Cameroonian army has quietly received its first batch of Bramor observation drones from Slovenian manufacturer C-Astral to boost its ISR capacities.

Central African Republic
Paris takes stock of EU military training mission

France has taken advantage of its turn to command the European Union Training Mission to order a wide-ranging audit of its performance. This is expected to result in the mission being completely reorganised or perhaps even being called off altogether.

Central African Republic
Internal war at Croisement SA, MINUSCA's guardian angel

Frenchman Christian Perrière, dismissed from his position as managing director for the private security company Croisement SA, has been reinstated after a decision by the Central African courts. Arouna Nikiema and a host of figures hostile to MINUSCA were behind the attempted removal.

Central African Republic
Paris makes life uncomfortable for CAR officials

Since September, France has refused to grant visas to a dozen Central African Republic officials in a sign of the tense relations between the two countries. The situation is unlikely to improve with several investigations on the horizon.

Tanzania
Dar es-Salaam rail freight project still waiting for rolling stock

The planned start this year of a block train service between Dar-es-Salaam and Isaka 970 km to the west, where there is a dry port serving neighbouring countries, looks likely to be delayed.

France
The five themes of the Africa-France summit

The New Africa-France Summit will be held on 8 October at the Sud de France Arena in Pérols, near the southern French city of Montpellier, in the presence of Emmanuel Macron

Djibouti, France
MEDEF to finally visit Djibouti next year

Attending a meeting in Paris of Francophone entrepreneurs, Djibouti Chamber of Commerce president Youssouf Moussa Dawaleh won an assurance from the head of French employers' group MEDEF about a visit to Djibouti before the end of the first quarter of 2022

Cape Verde
Cape Verde gets World Bank help to privatise its electricity company

The World Bank is to assist the government of Cape Verde to privatise national electricity company Electra by footing a $2m bill for consultancy services.

Central African Republic
RA International bags contract to upgrade Bangui airport for MINUSCA

RA International, which specialises in conflict zone logistics, is boosting its presence in the Central African Republic.

Central African Republic
Weapons embargo sparks tension within UN Security Council

The UN Security Council intends to extend the weapons embargo against the CAR at the end of this month. While France, the UK,and the US are in favour of extending, Russia is threatening to use its veto power.

France, North Africa
Macron puts finishing touches on Mediterranean summit

In November, the French city of Marseille will host the next edition of the Sommet des deux rives summit, which brings together ten states from the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean.

Central African Republic
As Russian influence grows, EU mulls aid suspension, following Paris's lead

As Russian paramilitary group Wagner continues to extend its influence in the Central African Republic, the European Union is considering suspending payment of an upcoming €30m tranche of budget aid to the government.

Central African Republic
New PM Dondra squeezed between donors and Russia

Appointed prime minister on 11 June, Henri-Marie Dondra has the difficult task of reassuring the cash-strapped country's financial backers while dealing with heightened tensions over the December elections and growing Russian influence. The appointment of his cabinet will be a baptism of fire.

Central African Republic
How many Russians does it take to back up an army?

Officially, there are around 800 Russian officers and troops in the Central African Republic. That doesn't include "civilians" under contract to Russia's defence ministry or operators of the command systems imported from Moscow.

Sudan
Islamic finance set to lose its monopoly

As part of its economic reform programme, Sudan is putting in place a two-track system where Islamic and conventional finance will operate side by side.

Central African Republic, Russia
Russian ambassador to Bangui to return to Moscow this summer

Breaking news published on 14/05/21, 1:50 p.m., updated on 16/05/21 - As tensions between Paris and Moscow over their battle for influence reach new highs, Russia's CAR ambassador Vladimir Titorenko, who has held this post since January 2019, will head home this summer.

Central African Republic
Dyck Advisory Group bids for UN mine clearance contract

The private South African operator Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) is angling for a piece of a UN mine clearance contract now that its military operations have been suspended in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

Guinea
Under IMF's watchful eye, Conakry cracks down on money-laundering

At the end of April, Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana had to give the International Monetary Fund proof of progress in the fight against financial crime. The National Assembly passed a law on the subject the same month.

Burkina Faso
Transparency may shed harsh light on Burkina Faso's politicians

Ouagadougou is determined to disclose the identities of minor shareholders in Burkina Faso's mining companies, much to the dismay of the political class.

Central African Republic
Comigem state counter still desperately awaiting privatisation

In March 2020, a decision was made to privatise the Central African Republic public gem buying office Comigem declared bankrupt years ago. A buyer was found but since then everything has gone quiet.

Central African Republic, Chad
Touadéra in a state of paranoia after Idriss Déby's death

Under Idriss Déby, Chad became a major influence in the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR), where it has close links with rebel groups. President Touadéra, who is concerned about the connections of new Chadian strongman "Kaka" in his country, is closely monitoring Déby's son and would-be heir.

Central African Republic, Russia
Wagner sets up air bridge as armed groups threaten Touadéra ahead of poll

Russian private security firm Wagner has stepped up equipment deliveries to CAR's armed forces over recent days, using a range of large cargo plane brokers. The logistics escalation comes as rebels threaten the 27 December presidential poll.