Author: The Editorial Staff

Former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry officially took the reins of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday, June 23 in Lausanne, becoming the first woman to lead the world’s most influential sports organization. At 41, she begins an eight-year term at the head of the institution, which she knows well having climbed the various ranks...

Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema officially announced, in a video statement broadcast on Sunday, June 22, the imminent launch of his own political party. The event is scheduled for June 28 during a gathering at the Palais des Sports in Libreville. This initiative comes a little over two months after his victory in the presidential...

Beltone Leasing & Factoring, an Egyptian subsidiary of Beltone Holding, has secured a financing of 20 million USD from two impact funds managed by the German investor Finance in Motion: the SANAD Fund for MSMEs and the Green Growth Fund (GGF). The financing is evenly split between the two funds, each providing 10 million USD...

In Tunisia, former President Moncef Marzouki has been sentenced in absentia to 22 years in prison, announced the specialized criminal chamber for terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance on Friday, June 20. This sentence, with immediate effect, also targets his former advisor Imed Daïmi and the former head of the bar association, Abderrazak Kilani. All three are accused of allegedly endangering state security. This judicial decision marks Marzouki’s third conviction. The former president had already been sentenced to eight years in prison in 2023, and an additional four years in previous cases. Since his exile in Paris,…

The Democratic Republic of Congo has opened a new era in its cooperation with international development partners. This Saturday, June 21 in Kinshasa, the Congolese Minister of Finance, Doudou Fwamba Likunde Li-Botayi, signed a series of financing agreements with Albert Zeufack, World Bank Director of Operations for the DRC. These new financial commitments, totaling nearly 2 billion US dollars, aim to strengthen the country’s capacities in key sectors such as energy, governance, infrastructure, digitalization, and resilience to growing urban challenges. Among the projects involved is the development of the Inga 3 hydroelectric site, a large-scale continental project set to transform…

Australian company West Wits Mining has raised approximately $9.6 million to finance the launch of its gold project Qala Shallows, located in the Witwatersrand Basin, one of the most prolific gold deposits in the world. The Qala Shallows project, the first phase of the Witwatersrand Basin Project (WBP), located in northeastern South Africa near Johannesburg,...

The board of the Regulatory and Control Authority for the Markets of Strategic Mineral Substances (ARECOMS) announced on June 21, 2025, the extension of the temporary suspension of cobalt exports in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This measure applies to all forms of exploitation, whether industrial, semi-industrial, or small-scale or artisanal. This is an...

Kenya has become the fourth largest beneficiary of project financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) in a single year. Nairobi has surpassed five countries to reach this rank in terms of development financing in 2024. William Ruto’s country is behind South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria in terms of funding granted by the AfDB in...

The energy transition in Zambia takes a major step forward with the signing of a $26.5 million financing agreement for the development of the 32 MWc Ilute solar project in the west of the country. This project will be implemented by an Independent Power Producer (IPP) under an innovative model that aims to mobilize private...

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda have signed a new memorandum of understanding to continue and strengthen their military cooperation against armed groups active in eastern DRC. The agreement, signed on Friday, June 20, aims to intensify the joint operation “Shujaa,” launched in November 2021 to combat rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces...

According to an exclusive report from The Research Insights, a platform for research and data information and analysis, the global market for humanoid robots is expected to experience unprecedented growth, increasing from $1.81 billion in 2025 to $4.04 billion in 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5%. This rapid progression will be supported by increasing demand for intelligent automation, advancements in artificial intelligence technologies, and a shortage of skilled labor in several key sectors, as stated in the 210-page document. A market driven by AI, cloud, and security needs The market growth is attributed to a series…

A shockwave is hitting the global aviation industry. Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates simultaneously announced on Monday, June 23, the temporary closure of their airspace to all civilian traffic. This unprecedented measure plunges the international air transport into a crisis situation unprecedented since the Covid-19 pandemic. At the origin of this chain reaction, an attack of Iranian missiles targeting the American airbase of Al Udeid in Qatar – the largest US military installation in the Middle East. Six projectiles were fired in the night, in retaliation for American strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz,…

Kenya is in advanced negotiations with China to raise 358 billion shillings (approximately $2.77 billion) on the Chinese financial markets to finance the resumption of the standard gauge railway (SGR) project between Naivasha and Malaba, at the Ugandan border. The financing would involve the issuance of a Panda Bond, a yuan-denominated bond issued by a foreign country and sold on the Chinese market. China, already the main financial partner for the first two phases of the SGR (Mombasa-Nairobi and Nairobi-Naivasha), would once again play a key role through this new bond issuance structure. Two Kenyan Treasury officials are currently in…

d of the 2024 fiscal year, the consolidated profit of the Crédit Immobilier et Hôtelier (CIH Bank) group, which has several subsidiaries including the most well-known CIH Bank SA, recorded a 23.29% increase compared to 2023, announced the leaders of this company based in Casablanca. This profit amounted to 875.9 million dirhams (96.349 million dollars)...

For the 2024 fiscal year, shareholders of TotalEnergies Marketing Senegal, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, will receive a total net dividend of 7.245 billion CFA francs, announced the leaders of this company based in Dakar. Based on the 32,577,700 shares that make up the company’s capital, the net dividend per share amounts to 222.40 CFA francs...

Cotonou, June 18, 2025 – The pan-African group Coris Holding is reaching a strategic milestone in Benin with the official launch of Coris Méso Finance Benin (CMF-Benin), an institution dedicated to financing small and medium-sized enterprises. Accredited as a Decentralized Financial System (SFD) by the Beninese Ministry of Finance, this new entity aims to fill a structural gap between microfinance and traditional banking. A targeted response to the needs of intermediate enterprises CMF-Benin positions itself as the “meso” financing solution, designed for entities too large for traditional microfinance, but not yet structured enough to access traditional banking services. Its ambition:…

At the Paris Air Show, the rating agency Skytrax revealed the highly anticipated results of its global airline ranking. For the seventh consecutive year, Ethiopian Airlines is crowned the best African airline, consolidating its position as a regional leader. However, it ranks 38th globally, far behind the major Asian and Gulf carriers. This performance is largely based on the efficiency of its Addis Ababa-Bole hub, a true intercontinental platform between Africa and Asia. The terminal is interconnected with a developed hotel offering, with transit facilities, including simplified visa issuance via “vouchers” for connecting passengers. Behind Ethiopian Airlines, the African ranking…

The conflict between Iran and Israel reached a critical threshold on Sunday, June 22, 2025, with the official entry of the United States into the conflict alongside Israel. President Donald Trump ordered a series of targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, stating his intention to neutralize the Islamic Republic’s nuclear enrichment capacity. In response, Tehran launched its first counter-attacks and now threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global hydrocarbon exports. In an extraordinary session, the Iranian Parliament unanimously voted to close the strait. However, this measure will need to be…

Meeting in Abuja on Sunday, June 22, 2025 for their 67th ordinary summit, the heads of state and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) designated Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio as the rotating president of the organization. He succeeds Nigerian Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who held this position in a context marked by persistent regional instability. Thus, Julius Maada Bio inherits a bloc facing a structural crisis, notably with the withdrawal of three member countries – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – grouped within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). A handover in a climate of…

Banjul, June 19, 2025 – Gambian President Adama Barrow revealed to the National Assembly that two oil wells drilled during his term cost $100 million without resulting in a commercially viable discovery. During his annual state of the nation address, the Head of State specified that the Samo-1 (drilled in 2018) and Bambo-1 (in 2021) wells were explored in partnership with the companies FAR and Petronas. “The results were promising, but no commercially exploitable discovery of oil or gas was made,” he said. Costly exploration, uncertain results These two wells bring the total number of explorations conducted in Gambian waters…

The designation of Alassane Ouattara on June 22, 2025 for a fourth presidential term is part of a political continuity strategy of the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), but also raises questions about democratic alternation in Ivory Coast. At 83 years old, the outgoing president seems to rely on his aura as the “father of stability” in a West African sub-region undergoing political and security reconfiguration. Facing institutional reconfigurations in the Sahelian region, the Ivorian case appears as an exception of relative stability. While the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES) – including Mali, Burkina Faso, and…

Through a dedicated day held in Dakar on June 18, 2025, the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE) confirmed its strategic positioning in supporting local companies active in the extractive sector. This initiative is part of the concrete implementation of the agreement signed with the National Monitoring Committee for Local Content (CNSCL) in August 2024. At the intersection of financial, industrial, and strategic issues, BNDE aims to become the reference bank for Senegalese SMEs in mining, gas, and oil. In front of a gathering of public and private actors, Dr. Mor Bakhoum, technical secretary of the CNSCL and representative of…

Abuja, June 20, 2025 – The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will hold its 32nd Annual Meetings (AAM2025) from June 25 to 27, 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together an impressive panel of heads of state, ministers, central bankers, investors, and business leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. This strategic meeting will place trade, investment, and innovation at the heart of priorities for the continent. Expected personalities include H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Ambassador Albert Muchanga, Commissioner of the African Union in charge of economic development, trade, tourism,…

In finance, is perception more important than reality? The second day of the 2025 General Assemblies of the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATIDI), held in Luanda, was marked on Friday, June 20th, by a high-intensity intellectual roundtable on the perception of African risk and capital mobilization. In front of an audience composed of financiers, institutional investors, rating agencies, and representatives of multilateral organizations, experts confronted African realities with persistent representations of a high-risk continent. 88 billion USD covered by ATIDI In his introduction, Manuel Moses, CEO of ATIDI, highlighted the agency’s growing role in supporting investments in Africa: “ATIDI currently…

Abidjan, June 20, 2025 – The Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM) continues its remarkable ascent. As of June 20, 2025, the market capitalization of the stock market reached a historic peak of 12,070 billion CFA francs, or more than 21 billion dollars. This performance represents an increase of nearly 2,000 billion CFA francs in just six months, a rise of +19.76% since December 31, 2024. Over a five-year period, the BRVM has recorded a cumulative growth of +176%, supported by a series of strong annual performances: +39.33% in 2021, +24.23% in 2022, +5.38% in 2023, and +26.51% in 2024. Including the…

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Water Distribution Authority (Regideso) produced a total volume of 336,284,849 cubic meters of water in 2024, generating revenues of 464.8 billion Congolese francs (approximately 163 million US dollars). The announcement was made by the general director of the public company, David Tshilumba, during the official presentation of the financial statements held on Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Kinshasa. This initiative is part of a stated commitment to transparency and accountability in a vital sector where the needs of the population remain largely unmet. Since 2020, Regideso has shown a progressive growth in its…

The court of first instance in Ariana, Tunisia, has sentenced Sahbi Atig, a high-ranking official of the opposition party Ennahda and former deputy, to 15 years in prison for money laundering, his lawyer announced on Friday, June 20th. According to the court’s decision, Sahbi Atig is found guilty of forming an agreement for money laundering,...

On June 14th, the U.S. Department of State announced that the United States could include Tanzania and 24 other African countries on the initial list of 19 countries banned, totally or partially, from entering the United States. Following this declaration, Tanzania has started negotiations with Washington to try to overturn the latest restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on Africans traveling abroad. This Wednesday, June 18th, the spokesperson for the Tanzanian government, Gerson Msigwa, stated in a press release that discussions had begun with the Donald Trump administration to change its position on a potential restriction on Tanzanians entering the…

Inflation is slowing down in Morocco. According to the latest data published by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the consumer price index (CPI) recorded a monthly decrease of 0.4% in May 2025, after an annual increase of 0.7% observed in April. On an annual basis, inflation now stands at 0.4%, down from 0.7% the...

Investors operating in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) financial market showed strong interest in Benin’s treasury bills and bonds during a simultaneous auction of these public securities with maturities of 182 days and 3, 5, and 7 years held on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Seeking 25 billion CFA francs, the State of...