Page 2 - Africa

PM Modi wraps up five-nation trip after concluding visit to Namibia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for home after wrapping up his visit to Namibia, during which he addressed a Joint Session of the Namibian parliament. Namibia was the final stop of his five-nation visit. "A highly productive & successful 5-nation tour to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia concludes," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X. PM Modi has emplaned for New Delhi, it said. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held talks with Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah that focused on imparting a new momentum to the bilateral ties. Following the talks between the two leaders, India and Namibia inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on setting up an Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Namibia and another pact on cooperation in the field of health and medicine. Namibia has also joined the India-backed CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure) and the Global Biofuels Alliance. Later, addressing a ...

Madhvani Group to invest ₹10,000 crore in India over the next 5 years

Uganda-based Madhvani Group plans to invest ₹10,000 crore in India and has submitted a ₹2,752 crore resolution plan to acquire Hindustan National Glass & Industries Ltd

Russia skirts Western sanctions to ramp up its military footprint in Africa

Even as it pounds Ukraine, Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa, delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, The Associated Press has found. Relying on satellite imagery and radio signals, AP tracked a convoy of Russian-flagged cargo ships as they made a nearly one-month journey from the Baltic Sea. The ships carried howitzers, radio jamming equipment and other military hardware, according to military officials in Europe who closely monitored them. The deliveries could strengthen Russia's fledgling Africa Corps as Moscow competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across the continent. The two-year-old Africa Corps, which has links to a covert branch of Russia's army, is ascendant at a time when US and

Darkness to Disruption: This CEO is Lighting Up Rural India and Africa

In this episode of Manager’s Mantra, Manoj Sinha, CEO of Husk Power Systems and TIME100 Climate Leader, shares how renewable energy and AI are lighting up rural India.

New gas project off Senegal sparks fears among local fishing communities

It's impossible to miss the gas platform off the coast of northern Senegal. Its flare stack burns day and night above the rolling breakers. The natural gas project, a joint venture between British energy giant BP and US-based Kosmos Energy, started operations on the final day of 2024. It is meant to bring jobs to the densely populated fishing community of Guet Ndar, just outside the old colonial capital of Saint Louis. The gas extraction plant, the deepest in Africa, is aimed at helping to transform Senegal's stagnant economy after the discovery just over a decade ago of oil and gas off the country's coast. The first offshore oil project also began last year. Fishermen say the project is killing their livelihoods Mariam Sow, one of the few remaining sellers in the once-thriving fish market, said the decline began in 2020 when the platform started rising from the sea. This market used to be full every day, Sow said, gesturing at the barren lot. The nearby beach is now occupied by .

'India, Africa have strong relationship', says Mozambique envoy to India

he said, "We are really very happy that Dr S Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs of the government of India, came and graced the occasion. It's a big honour for us

India, Africa share deep solidarity and unshakeable friendship: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said India and Africa have a "deep solidarity" and an "unshakeable friendship", and asserted that New Delhi stands fully committed to Africa's development, prosperity and progress. In his address at the Africa Day celebrations here, he also said that as Global South partners, India "strongly advocates a greater voice for Africa" in global institutions and discourse. "Delighted to attend #AfricaDay2025 Celebrations today in Delhi. India and Africa have a deep solidarity and an unshakeable friendship. India stands fully committed to Africa's development, prosperity and progress," he said in a post on X. In his post, Jaishankar also shared some photos of the celebrations and spoke of further boosting India-Africa partnership. "Our partnership continues to strengthen in trade, development cooperation, capacity building and security. And as Global South partners, India strongly advocates a greater voice for Africa in global institution

Trump alleges 'genocide' in South Africa, even Afrikaner farmers scoff

Days before South Africa's president meets with U.S President Donald Trump at the White House this week, Afrikaner farmers at the center of an extraordinary new U.S refugee policy roamed a memorial to farm attacks in their country's agricultural heartland, some touching the names of the dead both Black and white. Here in Bothaville, where thousands of farmers gathered for a lively agricultural fair with everything from grains to guns on display, even some conservative white Afrikaner groups debunked the Trump administration's genocide and land seizure claims that led it to cut all financial aid to South Africa. The bustling scene was business as usual, with milkshakes and burgers and tow-headed children pulled in wagons. The late President Nelson Mandela South Africa's first Black leader stood in Bothaville over a quarter-century ago and acknowledged the increasing violent attacks on farmers in the first years following the decades-long racial system of apartheid. But the complex

India focuses on its strengths in Africa, not competition with China: MEA

The remarks come at a time when India is seeking to expand its presence in Africa through capacity building, infrastructure partnerships

Beijing increases diplomatic pressure on Africa as US influence wanes

Chinese diplomats threatened to cancel a summit and called top officials in two African countries to pressure lawmakers to quit an international parliamentary group critical of China, officials from the group told The Associated Press. It's an example of how far China will go to influence politicians overseas, and how that pressure can succeed behind closed doors. In the past year, lawmakers from Malawi and Gambia withdrew from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, or IPAC, a group of hundreds of lawmakers from 38 countries concerned about how democracies approach Beijing, according to letters, messages and voice recordings obtained by The Associated Press. Founded in 2020, the group has coordinated sanctions on China over rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and rallied support for Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island Beijing claims as its territory. African politicians and experts say it's an escalation of Chinese diplomatic pressure in Africa, where Beijing's influence

Reliance Consumer Products takes its confectionaries to African market

Campa and Independence brands cross the Rs 1,000 crore mark each

Prince Harry quits Sentebale, the charity he founded for Diana in 2006

The charity faced internal conflicts as board chair Sophie Chandauka was accused of harassment and misogyny, that prompted all trustees to resign unanimously

India to carry out mega naval exercise with African nations next month

The Indian Navy will carry out a mega wargame with several African nations next month to expand its overall defence cooperation with the continent, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new vision for engagement with the Global South. Modi announced the vision MAHASAGAR or "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions" for India's engagement with the Global South during his recent visit to Mauritius. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti said the Indian Navy and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Force will co-host the exercise, titled "AIKEYME" or Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement, off Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania in mid-April and it is set to be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. India and Africa have been cooperating in tackling maritime security threats, such as piracy, illegal activities including trafficking, unregulated and unreported fishing, through sharing of information and surveillance. However, the "AIKEYME" exercise

US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians uprooted from Gaza

The US and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for resettling Palestinians uprooted from the Gaza Strip under President Donald Trump's proposed postwar plan, American and Israeli officials say. The contacts with Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland reflect the determination by the US and Israel to press ahead with a plan that has been widely condemned and raised serious legal and moral issues. Because all three places are poor, and in some cases wracked by violence, the proposal also casts doubt on Trump's stated goal of resettling Gaza's Palestinians in a beautiful area. Officials from Sudan said they have rejected overtures from the US, while officials from Somalia and Somaliland told The Associated Press that they were not aware of any contacts. Under Trump's plan, Gaza's more than 2 million people would be permanently sent elsewhere. He has proposed t

Indian refiners turn to Latam, Africa to replace Russian oil in Feb: Data

The South Asian nation became the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne oil sold at a discount after Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow

Malaria remains Africa's deadliest disease as US aid cuts hurt fight

Malaria season begins this month in a large part of Africa. No disease is deadlier on the continent, especially for children. But the Trump administration's decision to terminate 90 per cent of USAID's foreign aid contracts has local health officials warning of catastrophe in some of the world's poorest communities. Dr. Jimmy Opigo, who runs Uganda's malaria control programme, told The Associated Press that USAID stop-work orders issued in late January left him and others focusing on disaster preparedness. The US is the top bilateral funder of anti-malaria efforts in Africa. Anti-malarial medicines and insecticide-treated bed nets to help control the mosquito-borne disease are like our groceries, Opigo said. There's got to be continuous supply. As those dwindle with the US-terminated contracts, he expects a rise in cases later this year of severe malaria, which includes problems like organ failure. There is no cure. Vaccines being rolled out in parts of Africa are imperfect but are

Judge stops immediate shutdown of small US agency for African development

A judge barred the Trump administration on Thursday from immediately moving to shut down a small federal agency that supports investment in African countries on Thursday. US District Judge Richard J Leon in Washington issued the order hours after the filing of a lawsuit by the president and CEO of the US African Development Foundation. Ward Brehm said in a complaint that he directed his staff on Wednesday to deny building entry to staffers from billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and Pete Marocco, the deputy administrator for the US Agency for International Development. DOGE and Trump do not have the authority to shut down the agency, which was created by Congress, Brehm said in the complaint. The order from Leon, who was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, bars Brehm from being removed or DOGE from adding members to the board over the next few days. Brehm also said that days after President Donald Trump targeted the agency in a Feb. 19 execut

As Musk eyes Lesotho for business, Trump says no one has heard of it

US President Donald Trump says no one has ever heard of Lesotho. The foreign minister of the small African kingdom tells The Associated Press that Trump should speak for himself. It is surprising and disappointing that he claimed no one knows Lesotho, especially given that the US has an embassy here, minster Lejone Mpotjoane said, a day after Trump's dismissive comment in a speech to Congress caused some laughter. He should speak for himself and not generalise. Mpotjoane said Trump appeared to pick on Lesotho because it isn't a rich country but warned: One day America may need Lesotho's support. In fact, Trump's key adviser Elon Musk has already sought it. Trump mocked Lesotho while criticising some US foreign aid contracts as a waste of money in his 99-minute speech on Tuesday. Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of, Trump said, struggling to pronounce the name correctly as Vice President JD Vance and House Speake

Sudan war at critical juncture as military advances in key regions

The war in Sudan appears to be reaching a critical juncture after nearly two years of fighting that has killed tens of thousands, driven millions from their homes and seen bloody atrocities. For the first time, the military has been making steady advances against its rival, the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and it could soon wrest back control of the capital, Khartoum. The RSF responded by announcing at a gathering in Kenya that it and its allies will establish a parallel government. What's happening on the ground? The war erupted in April 2023 between the military and the RSF with battles in Khartoum and around the country. The leaders of the two forces had been allies who were meant to have overseen the democratic transition after a popular uprising in 2019, but instead worked together to thwart a return to civilian rule. However, tensions exploded into a bloody fight for power. Since then, at least 20,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far

Govt's Africa approach based on mutual benefits, not extractive: Jaishankar

India's approach towards Africa has been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to build mutually-beneficial partnerships, unlike "extractive" models of engagement, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, amid China's relentless attempts to expand influence in the continent. India and Japan, with their complementary strengths, are well-positioned to support Africa's development in a sustainable and inclusive manner, he said. The external affairs minister was delivering a lecture at the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum. "India's approach to Africa has always been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to building long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships," he said. "Unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in capacity-building, skill development and technology transfer, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems," he added. India is Africa's fourth-largest trading partner, with ...