Recent news
Latest items of recent news relevant to Africa as reported in our fortnightly newswire ‘Dernières nouvelles’.
São Tomé and Príncipe: Lusophone compact
The government of this Atlantic equatorial island nation has signed an agreement (known as the Lusophone Compact) with the African Development Bank and Portugal …
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Côte d’Ivoire: Rwanda waives visa requirements for Cote d’Ivoire citizens
Cote d’Ivoire citizens may now visit Rwanda without a visa …
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Burkina Faso: First banking sector collective agreement was signed
After more than 20 years of negotiations, the first banking sector collective agreement was signed on the 6th of May 2019. This not only seeks to regulate working conditions across the sector, but establishes a 3-year review process for salary and indemnity tables set out in the agreement.
Togo: National cybersecurity agency established
The small west African state of Togo has just established a cybersecurity agency – the ANCY …
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Sub-Saharan Africa: Death penalty remains
29 countries in this region continue to apply the death penalty in cases of murder without extenuating circumstances, and more than 4,200 people sit on death row. The number of state executions, however, are low, with just 28 last year in four countries: Botswana, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Although there is a move to abolish this sentence, the number of highly violent crimes involving two or more people has been on the increase, often for a purely economic motive. However, the proportion of reported crimes are low and in many countries over half of all cases are withdrawn at the level of the Magistrates Court. Thus, in Botswana, for instance, the incidence of homicide is officially greater than for burglary, drug offences, or fraud.
St Helena: Average gross annual pay for financial year 2017/18
The average gross annual pay from full-time employment on this tiny British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic in the financial year 2017/18 was £8,500 (US$11,157) …
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Africa: Abolition of Angola’s anti-gay laws may pave way for regional reform
Although the recent news of Angola’s de-criminalisation of homosexual activity – following Mozambique and the Seychelles – is a great leap towards social progress in Africa, there remain laws in more than half of the continent’s countries that still criminalise homosexuality …
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Libya: UN adds sexual violence as reason for sanctions in Libya
The United Nations Security Council has renewed its sanctions against Libya and extended its scope to include gender-based violence …
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Lesotho: Garment factory workers receive increased minimum wages
The government has agreed to a 62% increase in minimum wages paid to garment factory workers …
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Djibouti: Africa’s largest free trade zone has launched in Djibouti
The largest free trade zone in Africa has just been opened following a US$15bn, largely Chinese-sourced, investment in new port facilities …
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Africa: 44 countries signed the African Union’s Continental Free Trade Agreement
Although 44 countries have signed the African Union’s Continental Free Trade Agreement only 30 have signed the protocol on the free movement of persons …
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Africa: Five new countries join the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement
The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) has 5 new signatories – Namibia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Burundi – bringing the total free trade area countries to 49 …
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Africa: The safest countries in Africa – Egypt, Rwanda and Mauritius top the list
The 2018 Gallup Law and order survey has ranked Egypt, Rwanda and Mauritius as the three safest countries in Africa …
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Africa: 44 countries sign historic free trade deal
A total of 44 countries have signed up to the new pan-African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) …
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Swaziland: King’s birthday declared public holiday
The public holiday on April 25th this year has been switched to April 20th to honour the birthday of the King …
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