AFRICA

  The 2023 World Bank Remittance Prices report indicates that sending money across African borders incurs on average 7-8% of the total value sent Nairobi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Pesalink, Kenya’s de facto instant payment network, has partnered with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to ease cross-border …

The new constitution extends the presidential term from the current four years to five years. It also stipulates that the president will be elected by parliament, while members of parliament will be chosen directly by citizens. MOGADISHU, SOMALIA | Xinhua | Somalia’s bicameral parliament on Wednesday approved the country’s new …

KINSHASA, DRC | Xinhua | More than 200 people were killed on Tuesday in a mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the DRC government said Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Rubaya mining sites, known for the coltan resources, in North Kivu province following “exceptionally heavy …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) are convening in Arusha this week for the 25th Ordinary Summit at a defining moment for one of Africa’s most ambitious regional blocs,  a moment that will test whether rapid expansion can translate into deeper, …

More than half of intra-African travel still requires visas before departure – slowing intra-continental trade Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | THE INDEPENDENT | African policymakers, business leaders, and development institutions have renewed calls for visa-free travel across the continent, describing the free movement of people as essential to unlocking Africa’s economic transformation …

  Analysts say Museveni-Dagalo meeting has created ‘political normalisation of RSF’ Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Uganda’s mediation role on Sudan, which has been locked in a civil war for almost three years, has caused consternation among those watching the conflict and hoping for a peaceful resolution. Last November, President …

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA | Xinhua | The heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) will hold their 25th ordinary summit on March 7 in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha, the bloc announced Monday. The summit, themed “Deepening Integration for Improved Livelihoods of EAC Citizens,” will bring …

KIGALI, RWANDA | Xinhua | The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four of its senior officials, citing alleged support for the March 23 Movement (M23) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of …

Participation is secured, but profitability and prudence remain under scrutiny Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | For more than 50 years, Uganda depended on its eastern neighbour, Kenya, to transport the fuel that powers its economy, but had little influence over the infrastructure and pricing decisions shaping that supply. That dynamic …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s lucrative export corridor to South Sudan is facing fresh turbulence after some 1,000 trucks were stranded at Nimule border, following the introduction of a new electronic permit levy by the Government of South Sudan. Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, …