United

Senegal, Switzerland
Switzerland opts to hold violent extremism prevention conference in Dakar

The Swiss foreign affairs department is currently preparing a regional conference on dialogue and security in Africa, which will be held in Dakar in February 2023.

Morocco
House of Artificial Intelligence lays foundations for major AI development programme

With the inauguration of a House of Artificial Intelligence in Oujda this year, Morocco has confirmed its determination to take part in the fourth industrial revolution. Since it launched the Al Khawarizmi programme with funding of €4.

South Sudan
South Sudan on borrowed time with AU Peace and Security Council

The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) is due to meet tomorrow morning, 30 November, to discuss the elections in South Sudan.

France
Cameroon and Senegal are the main beneficiaries of Macron's FARM initiative

Backed by the European Union, France's FARM initiative has resulted in the creation of a system of concertation among public and private parties in the cereals sector. Egypt and Algeria have decided not to take part but Senegal and Cameroon have seized the opportunity.

Niger, United States
Washington boosts Niger's army with new armoured vehicles

The US administration is getting ready to provide the Nigerien army with some forty mine-resistant vehicles via the contractor Amentum, thus underlining Niamey's leading role in the fight against armed groups in the Sahel.

Djibouti
Sakom sets sights on Chabelley US airbase

The US Air Force has decided to renovate its airbase near the international airport, where the living conditions are rather spartan, and to this end has retained the services of private service providers such as Sakom Services.

DRC
Gulf Catering wins $63m MONUSCO contract

UAE-based Gulf Catering Co. (GCC Services) is about to begin servicing the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo for $63m.

South Africa
Washington hot on trail of Islamic State's financial networks

US security services are concerned that South Africa is becoming a financial hub for the various groups linked to Islamic State. Pretoria is particularly concerned about the flow of money to Kenya and Mozambique.

West Africa
Jessica Davis Ba's posting to Abidjan as US ambassador delayed

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Senate is not expected to convene before January at the earliest to approve the posting to Ivory Coast of Jessica Davis Ba, a former adviser to Kamala Harris.

Egypt
Cairo returns to Arab media arena with Al-Qahera News

United Media Services, owned by Egypt's intelligence services, has launched an Arabic-language rolling news channel. President Sisi and his Saudi ally intend to use the channel to influence Arab public opinion.

France, Germany
French-German parliamentary diplomacy ramps up over the Sahel

A group of French and German MPs and diplomats are heading to Berlin in early December to discuss the outlines of their military partnership in the Sahel region, as well as the impact that the war in Ukraine is having on the African continent.

Ethiopia, Horn of Africa
Gulf and Asian countries keep a close eye on African and Western mediation in the Horn

With or without special envoys, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China and Japan have ordered their diplomats to monitor the conflict and peace talks in Tigray closely.

Algeria
Cevital's plans to establish itself in Mauritania

The Algerian agri-food firm Cevital already has European outlets and now plans to expand in Africa. The Mauritanian government is pulling out all the stops to help it set up in the free zone of Nouadhibou.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Aristides Gomès, Omar Denis Bongo Junior

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

Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso Ouattara wary of the Burkinabe PM

Congo Arlette Soudan-Nonault still enjoying the limelight

Guinea-Bissau Former PM Gomès calls on France and the UN to help

Equatorial Guinea Omar Denis Bongo Junior supports Obiang in Malabo