Vol 61 No 12 | CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Elections or bust 11th June 2020 The president failed in a bid to change the constitution. Now he will have to contest the elections due by December, Covid-19 permitting President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has failed in his effort to change the constitution so that he could stay in office should this year's planned elections fail to take place...
Vol 61 No 12 | CONGO-KINSHASA Damning the parks 11th June 2020 Although the government plans to increase the area of Congo-Kinshasa's national parks from about one-tenth to one-fifth of the vast nation, threats against those that already exist are...
Vol 61 No 10 | CONGO-KINSHASA Gertler tries to dodge sanctions 14th May 2020 By setting up new secret companies and hiring legal advisors close to Donald Trump, the Israeli billionaire plans to counter US penalties Israeli mining tycoon Dan Gertler's latest plan to sidestep sanctions on his companies in Congo-Kinshasa will test the seriousness of Washington's efforts to crack down on corruption.
Vol 61 No 10 | CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Ministers and militias 14th May 2020 Far from restoring sanity, the February 2019 Khartoum peace agreement between 14 armed groups has created a new space for bloody competition; they now have access to state...
Vol 61 No 9 | GABON Bongo returns 30th April 2020 President Ali Bongo Ondimba is trying to reassert his authority after months of recuperation following a stroke in November 2018. The chief of staff at the Presidency, Brice...
Vol 61 No 8 | CHADSAHEL No more heavy lifting 16th April 2020 A disastrous attack on Chadian forces almost succeeded in breaking up the regional alliance against the jihadists Chad was brought to the brink of giving up its regional role in fighting the Sahel jihadists after its armed forces fought battles with Boko Haram on a...
Vol 61 No 8 | CONGO-KINSHASA Prosecutors arrest bigwigs 16th April 2020 Vital Kamerhe, President Félix Tshisekedi's chief of staff, spent Easter in Kinshasa's notorious Makala prison following his arrest and detention without bail last week. Kamerhe, who heads...
Vol 61 No 7 | CONGO-KINSHASACOVID-19 The Kabila Strain 2nd April 2020 The health damage is not yet clear, but the economic consequences of the virus are grave, as the previous and current presidents squabble The Covid-19 pandemic took until the middle of March, when the first domestic cases were reported, to rouse the government. Then, on 18 March, President Félix Tshisekedi announced...
Vol 61 No 5 | SOUTH AFRICACONGO-KINSHASACLIMATE CHANGE Why Africa is key to Green Economics 5th March 2020 Strategic minerals on the continent will power the electric vehicle revolution and a restructured energy industry More than any other continent, Africa has copious reserves of the vital minerals central to the transition to sustainable energy in the leading industrial economies. READ FOR FREE
Vol 61 No 5 | CONGO-KINSHASA Clash of the kings 5th March 2020 Fighting for control over revenues and security, President Tshisekedi is in a standoff with supporters of his predecessor Joseph Kabila Senior officials in the two coalitions which run the country – the Front commun pour le Congo (FCC) and the Cap pour le changement (CACH) – are at...