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Yemen’s PLC chief calls for Ramadan ceasefire

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognised government and its allies…reports Asian Lite News

Chief of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad Al-Alimi, has renewed his calls for a comprehensive ceasefire during Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In a speech marking the start of Ramadan, Al-Alimi on Wednesday said his government and regional allies have made numerous concessions and initiated various efforts to restore peace and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

However, he noted that the Houthi fighters continued in undermining the peace efforts as they are still rejecting offers suggesting humanitarian ceasefire in the war-ravaged Arab country, Xinhua news agency reported.

He expressed his government’s hope that “the joy of families would be expanded during the holy month with the release of all detainees, in accordance with the principle of all for all”.

The Yemeni leader assured that the Saudi-backed Yemeni presidential council and the government would spare no effort to secure the release of all detainees, including those covered by the UN Security Council resolution.

Yemeni government forces prepare for a fight against the Houthi militia in Haradh District, Hajjah Province, northern Yemen, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua/IANS)



In recent years, there have been several attempts by the United Nations backed by regional and international powers to broker a peace deal between the warring parties, but all have failed to bring about lasting peace.

The recent call for a comprehensive ceasefire during Ramadan by the Chief of Yemen’s PLC is the latest effort to end the conflict and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

The Yemeni leader’s hope for the release of all war prisoners, in accordance with the principle of all for all, indicates a willingness to make concessions and prioritise the well-being of the Yemeni people over political gains, according to local observers.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognised government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.

The UN has been pushing for a ceasefire and peace talks in Yemen, which has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The conflict brought the Arab world’s poorest country to the brink of collapse causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country’s food supply chain, leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition.

ALSO READ: 887 detainees to be freed in Yemen prisoner exchange

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Africa-India joint exercise begins in Pune

The joint exercise is in keeping with India’s outreach to Africa, which commenced in 2008 through the India-Africa Summit and has been thereafter held in 2015 and 2019…reports Asian Lite News

The second edition of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX- 2023) between India and 23 nations of the African continent commenced at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune on Tuesday.

According to the official statement, 100 Participants from Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, are attending this unique field training exercise. The participants were addressed by Lt Gen Rakesh Kapoor, Corps Commander, Desert Corps.

The joint exercise is in keeping with India’s outreach to Africa, which commenced in 2008 through the India-Africa Summit and has been thereafter held in 2015 and 2019. The theme of the exercise is focused on Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations, the official statement read.

The improvement of interoperability and operational readiness for UN peacekeeping missions depends on military engagement and cooperation among the participating member countries.

The objectives of the exercise are to continue to build upon the initiatives taken to strengthen India – Africa relations, with a focus on enhancing peace and security, to create opportunities to exchange ideas & perspectives, learn from the African experience in cooperative security and management of security crisis situations as well as to promote a collaborative approach in capacity enhancement of African armies, the press release read.

Notably, the Exercise is categorically divided into four phases. Initially, the trainers are trained. This is further followed by a Humanitarian Mine Action and a Peace Keeping Operations Phase; finally, culminating in a validation exercise to assess the results of the training conducted, the release added.

The primary focus of the joint exercise will remain on tactical drills, procedures and the ability to operate jointly with seamless interoperability. The joint exercise will bring out practical aspects of the theme-based training and aim to enable the participants to comprehend and put into practice the validated drills and procedures through situational-based discussions and tactical exercises.

India would also be conducting the Defence Chief’s conclave on the sidelines from March 28-30 during which the visiting Chiefs will witness the proceedings of the validation exercise. Maximum use of indigenous equipment is being made during the exercise. New generation equipment manufactured in India would be on display during the exercise to demonstrate its effectiveness to the participating nations’ soldiers.

The exercise anticipates regional unification between Africa and India for everyone in the region’s growth and security (SAGAR). (ANI)

ALSO READ: 25 Armies from Africa to attend India-Africa Conclave

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887 detainees to be freed in Yemen prisoner exchange

The UN envoy welcomed the agreement and commended the Yemeni parties for their compromises…reports Asian Lite News

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg confirmed that the country’s warring sides have agreed to release 887 conflict-related detainees as they concluded a 10-day negotiation in Switzerland.

In a joint statement with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Grundberg said on Monday that the Yemeni parties also agreed to meet again in May to discuss future releases and to conduct joint visits to each other’s detention facilities, reportsXinhua news agency.

The UN envoy welcomed the agreement and commended the Yemeni parties for their compromises, expressing his hope for an end to the suffering of all Yemenis who are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.

He also encouraged the parties to release additional detainees on a unilateral and ongoing basis.

Daphnee Maret, ICRC head of delegation in Yemen, called the agreement a “crucial step” to end the suffering of separated families and build confidence between the parties.

She confirmed that ICRC stands ready to continue its role as a neutral intermediary in facilitating humanitarian visits, contributing to the re-establishment of family links, and supporting the release, transfer, and repatriation of conflict-related detainees.

Earlier in the day, officials from Yemen’s internationally-recognized government and the Houthi group said the two sides reached an agreement to release over 880 prisoners.

“We have now concluded the round of negotiations on the issue of prisoners and abductees in Berne, Switzerland. The deal includes more than 880 prisoners and abductees,” Majid Fadail, a member of the government’s negotiation team, said in a statement posted Monday on Twitter.

The official stated the deal included the release of four journalists sentenced to death by the Houthis, several prisoners of war from the Saudi-led coalition engaged in the ongoing civil war, and relatives of some senior Yemeni officials.

Nasser Mansour, the brother of former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, was also on the swap list, Fadail said.

Abdulkadir al-Murtada, head of the Houthi prisoner committee, said the swap agreement comprises 706 Houthi members and 181 prisoners from the opposing side.

The 181 detainees include 15 Saudi citizens and three Sudanese nationals from the Saudi-led coalition, according to the report.

“The deal was agreed to be implemented within the next three weeks,” al-Murtada said, adding that the deal was the first step towards an all-for-all exchange agreement.

If implemented, the swap deal would be the largest of its kind in more than two years after the warring sides made a successful swap in October 2020 of more than 1,000 prisoners.

The negotiations in Switzerland, which began last week, aimed to facilitate the exchange of prisoners and political detainees between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia under the auspices of the UN.

The UN-sponsored agreement was seen as a positive step toward a broader peace agreement, though it remained unclear whether it would lead to a wider ceasefire or lead to new negotiations to put an end to the years-long military conflict.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government out of the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million and pushed Yemen to the brink of starvation.

ALSO READ: UK announces new food security support for Yemen

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Chinese Debt Trap Hurdles Zambia’s Progress

Zambia like other indebted and capital deficient countries of Africa needs desperately funds to develop its infrastructure to connect its mineral rich areas to the big cities and ports … writes Kaliph Anaz. Zambia owes over $6 billion to China now. The Communist country , under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is helping many countries like Zambia to build infrastructure in Africa, the final result nevertheless, is eventually creating a debt burden on these countries and compelling them to sell their natural resources at cheaper prices to mobilize funds for debt repayment.

Zambia is facing an unsustainable debt burden and debt servicing is leaving little for capital formation, especially funds required for infrastructure development. While the country is struggling to carry out World bank suggested reforms measures, including restoring fiscal and long-term debt sustainability, increasing farmer productivity and access to agricultural markets, ensuring access to energy and access to finance and private sector development, it is facing a paucity of resources and it makes the country dependent on and vulnerable to external debt.

In view of this, the Zambian government is actively seeking further infrastructure development through Public-private Partnership (PPP) projects. Zambia like other indebted and capital-deficient countries of Africa needs desperately funds to develop its infrastructure to connect its mineral-rich areas to the big cities and ports.

Zambia is under a heavy debt burden and the post-Covid economic recovery is sluggish. In such a situation it could not upgrade the dilapidated road from its mining sites to the export destinations due to a lack of funds to build infrastructure. China, which has a keen interest in African countries’ natural resources, takes such desperation among the African countries as an opportunity to create dependence on these countries on China and have control of their natural resources. Although China, under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is helping many countries to build infrastructure in Africa, the final result nevertheless, is eventually creating a debt burden on these countries and compelling them to sell their natural resources at cheaper prices to mobilize funds for debt repayment.

Zambia Marks Women’s Day

Recently, a consortium of Chinese companies has won a bid to finance the upgrading of a 327 km road linking the Zambian capital Lusaka to Ndola, in the country’s Copperbelt province. The Consortium Macro Ocean Investment won the bid which consists of three Chinese companies, viz., AVIC International Project Engineering, Zhenjiang Communications Construction Group and China Railway Seventh Group. The consortium won the USD 650 million deal to build the dual carriageway road under the public–private partnership (PPP) model. The agreement signed by the Chinese companies last month gave them a 25-year concession period, split into three years for construction and 22 years of operation and maintenance rights.

The road awarded to the Macro Ocean Investment consortium links the Zambian capital to the mineral-rich Copperbelt province and the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and carries almost all the road-bound mineral exports from the region along the southern corridor towards Tanzania.

However, there is a murmur among the critics of the Zambian government for its dependence on China for building infrastructure. The concern expressed by them pertains to the fact that China is the single biggest lender to Zambia and now as a country is facing an unsustainable debt burden, additional Chinese loans at almost commercial rates would further aggravate the problem. Its loan accounted for more than USD 6 billion of the country’s total USD 16.8 billion as of December 2021.

The debt burden and macro-economic situation of Zambia deteriorated rapidly in the post Covid-19 period. It was compelled to seek support from the World Bank. On December 20, 2022, the multilateral financial institution announced the release of the second tranche of its support for the Zambia Macroeconomic Stability, Growth and Competitiveness Programme- a USD 100 million concessional credit as part of USD 275 million concessional development policy financing for Zambia in October 2022 in support of Zambia’s reforms to restore fiscal and debt sustainability and promote private sector-led growth.

Although the Zambian economy rebounded in 2021, with GDP growing at 4.6%, from a contraction of 2.8% during the pandemic in 2020 the projection for next two years declined. In 2022-24 Zambia’s GDP is projected by the World Bank to grow by an average rate of 3.8%, but the projection is anchored in the government’s implementation of macroeconomic reforms.

The economic reforms could make things difficult at least in the short- term due to belt-tightening and austerity policy to contain fiscal deficit as well as rising inflation. Zambia’s economic performance has stalled in recent years due to declining copper prices, significant fiscal deficits, and energy shortage. Rising inflation is pushing people into poverty and making life difficult. Inflation rose to 17.4% in 2020 and is hovering in the range of 6-8% since then, according to the African Development Bank Group (ADBG). The group in its assessment has also pointed towards increasing fiscal deficit which has fluctuated in the range of 8-11% of GDP due to expansionary fiscal policy, mainly financed by external and local borrowings. This pushed up the publicly guaranteed debt of Zambia to 91.6% of GDP in 2019 and 105% in 2020. It also forecasts that the debt-GDP ratio would remain elevated in the medium term.

ADBG is not upbeat like the World Bank about the growth prospects of Zambia. The ADBG in its African Economic Outlook 2022 projected a very modest growth rate for Zambia – 1.0% in 2021 and 2% in 2022. It also forecasted job losses in the services sector (on average 30.6%), manufacturing (39%), personal services (39%) and tourism (70%). The projected picture of growth is not so heartening. However, people voted for a new government in the hope that economic reforms and debt management would be carried out better by the new leadership.

The new President of Zambia Hakaind Hichilkma came to power in 2021 by promising a higher growth rate of around 10% and bringing the country out of its USD 12.8 billion debt mess (estimated then) within five years. Youth who were a major component of his landslide victory against the incumbent Edgar Lungu was driven by unemployment, political disenchantment and economic hardship. But it was neither an easy task in the past nor is it today.

Dealing with larger economic issues would require austerity measures that will further put an additional economic burden on already suffering people due to unemployment and inflation. The IMF conditionality, which Zambia is committed to implementing for the support it is getting from the multilateral institution, would be politically unpopular. These measures would include rolling back subsidies in electricity and petrol prices as well as reconfiguring the civil services wage bill.

In the present situation seeking additional funds for infrastructure development from foreign countries and especially China is being seen by many observers as a sure recipe for peril as the latter provides funding at higher and commercial rates. Many of them are afraid of a repeat of what happened in Sri Lanka last year and now happening in Pakistan this yer due to reliance on foreign debt. Zambia may be pushed into a default-like situation and saturating economic crisis if does not maintain balance and caution in infrastructure development.

Zambia has understood that infrastructure development is very important for development. It’s implementing the Link Zambia project, which seeks to transform the country from land-locked to land-licked. The project involves paving 8,201 km of the road at an estimated cost of USD 5.6 billion. The country is also expanding the collection of road tolls on major roads to fund road maintenance and broaden financing options for road infrastructure development, such as the Pave Zambia 2000 program, which is aimed at the rehabilitation of 2000 km of urban roads; and the L400 project, which is constructing or rehabilitating 400 km of Lusaka urban roads at a cost of USD 348 million.

Infrastructure development and industrialization is no doubt very important for Zambia for self-reliant and sustainable growth. But in this bid, there is a danger of Zambia falling into a vicious cycle of debt and its repayment, especially since the Chinese debts are accumulating and posing servicing burdens on the financially weak country.

According to a Press release at the time of its offer of the second tranche of the World Bank’s support for the Macroeconomic stability, Growth and Competitiveness Programme, Zambia is in debt distress and urgently needs deep and comprehensive debt treatment in line with the Joint WB- IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) that called for USD 8.4 billion in debt relief in 2022-25 period and additional relief through 2031.

In such a situation Zambia needs to be cautious about any new external borrowing. Rather it should seek relief from its largest creditor, i.e. China. Besides, bargaining external funds in lieu of its natural resources is not good for the future development of the country. It would always be better for Zambia to develop and diversify its own industries and gradually try to be self-reliant. It is believed that if Zambia carries out economic reforms as suggested by the multilateral financial institutions, it would have more access to concessional funds from them and it would draw more investment.

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IOM says climate change fueling displacement in Horn of Africa

McDermott called for policy coherence and speedy implementation of local, national and regional interventions to tackle climate emergencies and their spillovers, including forced mobility…reports Asian Lite News

The climate emergencies, including droughts, floods and wildfires that have escalated in the Horn of Africa region are to blame for the forced migration of civilians, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a specialised UN agency said.

More than two million people have been internally displaced in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia amid a prolonged dry spell, IOM said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya on Wednesday, citing statistics from humanitarian agencies.

Justin McDermott, IOM’s Deputy Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa, said that tackling the climate crisis will aid efforts to stabilise human mobility, peace and green growth, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to McDermott, a cross-border response was imperative in order to arrest the growing crisis of forced migration and ethnic tensions fuelled by climate-induced calamities like droughts in the region.

More than 20 million people are grappling with acute food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia amid the worst drought that has hit the Horn of Africa region in the last four decades, according to relief agencies.

McDermott called for policy coherence and speedy implementation of local, national and regional interventions to tackle climate emergencies and their spillovers, including forced mobility.

He said that a two-day workshop convened by IOM and partners in Nairobi on Wednesday will explore innovative ways to address climate change as a means to spur green economic development and safe mobility in the region.

McDermott added that taming the climate crisis in the Horn of Africa region is key to facilitating safe, orderly and humane migration, besides hastening the realisation of the UN 2030 Agenda.

The Horn of Africa region is often described as a climate hotspot, with regular occurrences of droughts, floods, landslides and wildfires triggering large-scale displacement of civilians, including nomads and subsistence farmers.

ALSO READ-IOM warns of drought-induced impact in Horn of Africa

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Cyclone Freddy affects over 500,000 in Malawi

Cholera is also spreading in Mozambique. But, there are not enough water disinfection supplies to support containment activities to control the outbreak, OCHA said…reports Asian Lite News

Malawi authorities assessing the rising devastation of cyclone Freddy report more than 500,000 people affected, including at least 326 people killed, UN Humanitarians said.

The government reports 442 people rescued during search and rescue operations on Thursday alone, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. More than 180,000 people are homeless.

The government-led relief efforts expand as flood waters recede, and the focus is on reaching displaced people, the office said.

“However, some areas remain cut off due to the extremely challenging conditions on the ground,” OCHA said. “Aid workers are mobilising air transport and boats to transport supplies and search and rescue efforts in locations that can’t be accessed by road.”

The office said that humanitarian partners are concerned about the risk of cholera spreading in flood-affected areas, especially in crowded displacement sites.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are working to clean latrines in schools serving as shelters in Blantyre and will also install water storage bladders to provide safe drinking water.

The OCHA said that in Chikwawa, one of the districts with the highest number of displaced people, the World Food Programme and its partners distributed super cereal, a blend of corn and soy, to all displacement sites. Similar efforts are underway in other districts.

In neighboring Mozambique, the number of people affected by Freddy’s second landfall also continues to rise, reaching 340,000, UN humanitarians said. With the cumulative impact of floods and two landfalls of Freddy, more than 510,000 people were affected across Mozambique.

Cholera is also spreading in Mozambique. But, there are not enough water disinfection supplies to support containment activities to control the outbreak, OCHA said.

The UN team has a presence in each of the cyclone-affected provinces in Mozambique, the office said. “We are working closely with the authorities to provide aid to over 49,000 people displaced and to access areas isolated by floods.”

The office said that humanitarian partners are finalising a flash appeal – as an addition to this year’s overall appeal – to address the most urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the convergence of Freddy, floods and cholera.

On Thursday, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund released $10-million to help address some relief gaps. Still, OCHA said more funds are urgently needed.

ALSO READ-Tropical Cyclone Freddy hammers Mozambique for second time

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25 Armies from Africa to attend India-Africa Conclave

Along with the India-Africa chiefs’ conclave, the second iteration of Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) will also be held from March 21…reports Asian Lite News

Armies of 25 African countries will attend the India-Africa Chiefs Conclave in Pune on March 28, a senior Indian Army official said.

In the two sessions from the Indian side, the participants, including senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs and the Services, as well as ex-Servicemen, will also attend the conclave. “The first session will explore the key pillars of India Africa Defence Partnership. The second session will focus on Indian Defence Industry’s Outreach to Africa. Eminent speakers from Africa will form part of the panel discussion,” the Army offical said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to attend the conclave and deliver an address.

African army chiefs from the Republic of Congo, Niger, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Uganda, Seychelles, Gambia, Tanzania and Kenya have confirmed their participation at the event.

Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Eswatini (Swaziland), Morocco, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Lesotho and Senegal will also send representatives of their army chiefs at the conclave.

Along with the India-Africa chiefs’ conclave, the second iteration of Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) will also be held from March 21.

A senior Indian Army offical said, “Objective of the exercise is to continue building upon the initiatives taken to strengthen India-Africa relations, with a focus on enhancing peace and security, creating opportunities to exchange ideas and perspectives.”

The offical also stressed that this exercise will help to learn from the African experience in cooperative security and management of security crisis situations, while also promoting a collaborative approach to capacity enhancement of African armies.

AFINDEX exercise will commence on March 21 in Pune and culminate on March 30. The exercise will be divided into four phases.

Initially, the trainers, themselves will be administered training and the same would be followed by a Humanitarian Mine Action and a Peace Keeping Operations Phase.

Finally, a validation exercise will be conducted to assess the results of the training conducted. The validation exercise will be conducted on March 29, with the chiefs of the African armies in attendance.

Senior Army officials stressed that the exercise will involve large-scale use of indigenously-made defence equipment. New generation equipment manufactured in India will be showcased during the exercise in a bid to demonstrate their efficacy to the troops of the participating nations.

For AFINDEX, 9 contingents, with 78 personnel each, will participate in the exercise. These contingents will arrive from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Another 11 countries — Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Eswatini / Swaziland, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Morocco — will send 21 Observers for AFINDEX.

A defence equipment display will also be organised by the Indian defence manufacturing industry on March 29 in a bid to showcase the defence manufacturing capabilities of the country.

The first Africa-India Field Training Exercise was held in Pune in March 2019. It saw participation from 20 African nations.

The first India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave was held on the sidelines of the DEFEXPO, 2020 in Lucknow.

The Lucknow Declaration, which was adopted at the conclave, laid down the future path of cooperation between India and African nations in the defence space.

The event is important from the perspective of India-Africa relations wherein Army Chief’s and representatives of Chief’s from 21 African countries will be attending the event.

The chief aim of the exercise is to enable the participating contingents to hone their tactical skills, drills and procedures in joint operations for peacekeeping under UN mandate, create synergy and better understanding with armies of African nations and promote Indian defence Industries.

The 10-day long exercise will commence with an opening ceremony at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune. A comprehensive validation exercise on the theme “Humanitarian Mine Actions and Peace Keeping Operations” under the UN mandate is also scheduled.

The Joint exercise will promote the idea of “Africa-India Militaries for Regional Unity (AMRUT)” and will focus on incorporating the current dynamics of UN peacekeeping operations (UNPKF) through practical and comprehensive discussions and tactical exercise.

The first AFINDEX was held in Pune in March 2019 which saw the participation of 20 African nations. In 2020, the India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave was held on the sidelines of the DEFEXPO in Lucknow.  (ANI)

ALSO READ-Delhi hosts 5-day NCB training for Colombo Security Conclave countries

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China’s Arms Exports to Africa Reaches All-Time High

China exported almost three times more arms to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) than the United States. It is interesting to note that China’s arms exports to SSA reached an all-time high of US$423 million in 2013, which coincides with the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative

China’s arms exports to sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries reached an all-time high as Beijing sold more arms than its rival, the US, over the past decade, according to a new study. The Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank report said that between 2010 and 2021, China accounted for 22 per cent of the US$9.32 billion in total arms exports to the SSA countries south of the Sahara.

Chinese sales were second only to Russia, at US$2.04 billion, and almost three times the amount exported to the region by the US, according to the study based on data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Russian arms exports comprised 24 per cent of the total, at US$2.24 billion. US sales over the decade came to just 5 per cent, with US$473 million, according to the Atlantic Council Geo Economics Centre report.

China exported almost three times more arms to SSA than the United States. “It is interesting to note that China’s arms exports to SSA reached an all-time high of US$423 million in 2013, which coincides with the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative,” the report said.

Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 20th CPC National Congress on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng/IANS)

The Atlantic Council Geo Economics Centre report said that more than 60 per cent of Chinese arms exports to the region went to five countries, with Tanzania taking the most at 19.6 per cent. Nigeria was second, with 13.5 per cent, and Sudan third, with 12.6 per cent. Cameroon took 11.2 per cent of the total, and Zambia accounted for 6.22 per cent of arms purchases from China, they found. “These countries also are home to some of China’s largest investment and construction projects in SSA, pointing to a growing linkage between Beijing’s economic interests and security concerns in the region,” their report said.

To illustrate the overlap between China’s security and economic interests in Africa, the study focused on Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with vast energy resources and several seaports on the Atlantic coast. The report said that between 2006 and 2020, Nigeria attracted more than 13 per cent of all Chinese investment and construction in sub-Saharan Africa, making it the region’s largest recipient of Chinese capital and projects.

In 2021 alone, China accounted for 34.4 per cent of Nigeria’s arms imports, compared to the US and Russia at 2.67 per cent and 6.49 per cent, respectively. In the same year, Nigerian military spending reached US$4.5 billion, a 56 per cent increase in 2020, the study said. While China has long been known to export mostly light arms to Africa, the report said Beijing had started selling more advanced weaponry to Nigeria, highlighting the country’s centrality to China’s geopolitical calculations in the region.

The report said Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine could have opened up new opportunities for Chinese military influence in Nigeria. “International sanctions in the wake of that invasion may limit the benefits of Nigeria’s 2021 agreement with Moscow for military equipment and training and could mean an increase in Nigeria’s arms imports from China,” according to the report.

The researchers said US sanctions on many Russian defence contractors force Nigeria to consider alternatives. “China is clearly the default option as the growing relationship between China and Nigeria in the past few years has also made China the top arms exporter to Nigeria, surpassing Russia in arms exports for two consecutive years,” they said.

The report covered sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the far larger North African market, comprised of countries like Egypt, Morocco and Algeria that import many more weapons than most SSA countries.

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Tropical Cyclone Freddy hammers Mozambique for second time

In a statement released Saturday, Malawi Red Cross said it had activated its early response teams in southern Malawi to prepare for the cyclone…reports Asian Lite News

Record-breaking Cyclone Freddy made its second landfall in Mozambique Saturday night, pounding the southern African nation with heavy rains and disrupting transport and telecommunications services.

French weather agency Météo-France warned of “destructive and devastating” winds and “dangerous seas and heavy rains” that could lead to landslides. It said Freddy will go further inland through the weekend, generating heavy rains in Mozambique and southern Malawi, with rain also likely in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Its the second time Freddy has hit the country, with the cyclone originally making landfall late last month.

Météo-France also raised concerns that Freddy is unlikely to weaken over land in the coming week and has a high probability of exiting back into the sea. Freddy made landfall with maximum wind speeds at sea measuring 155 kilometers (around 100 miles) an hour and sea gusts averaging 220 kilometers (around 140 miles) an hour, the agency said.

Freddy was initially on course to make landfall in the country Friday night but stalled over the Mozambique channel. The cyclone then intensified on Saturday and regained strength as it barrelled toward land, Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology said.

The cyclone’s second punch is showering a low-lying, vast land teeming with rivers and “almost all of them have no dam” to ease flooding, said Salomao Bandeira, a scientist at Mozambique’s Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. Flooding in the country earlier this year slammed regions where major rivers are controlled by dams, allowing some degree of control, Bandeira said, raising fears this hit could lead to more destruction.

The projected deluge is already worrying health and disaster agencies in both Mozambique and Malawi, who have recently been battling cholera cases and other water-borne ailments. The U.N. and EU-led disaster alert system has already issued a red alert projecting that some 2.3 million people will be impacted. Mozambique’s disaster institute has moved thousands of people to storm shelters in anticipation.

“More lives are being saved in Mozambique today” due to early preparedness, Bandeira said.

In a statement released Saturday, Malawi Red Cross said it had activated its early response teams in southern Malawi to prepare for the cyclone.

Earlier in the week, Freddy’s longevity and baffling trajectories caused the U.N. weather agency to set up a committee to determine whether it has broken the record as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in recorded history after traversing more than 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) in the southern Indian Ocean.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Freddy has already catapulted into the record books for the second-ever highest accumulated cyclone energy, or ACE, a measurement of a cyclone’s energy over time.

Freddy is also the third storm on record to last more than 22 days, said NOAA’s Carl Schreck. Hurricane John in 1994 and an unnamed Atlantic hurricane in 1899 are the other two. The natural weather event La Nina and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole, or a change of temperatures over the ocean, “may have produced ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulations that made an event like this more likely,” Schreck added.

Any storm that can remain at such a “strong intensity for so long and make two landfalls is important in terms of human impacts and in terms of science,” said Kristen Corbosiero, professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University of Albany.

ALSO READ-5 SL fishermen missing after cyclone Mandous

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Senegal’s ex-PM in custody after criticism

In an open letter published in local media last week, Soumare, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2009, accused Sall of giving 12 million euro from a “poor country” to a French politician…reports Asian Lite News

Senegal’s former prime minister has been taken into custody after he publicly suggested that the country’s president had funded a French politician during a recent visit.

Cheikh Haguibou Soumare was detained Thursday but he has not been told the charges against him, his lawyer Adama Gueye told a press conference Thursday.

The government is accusing the ex-prime minister of trying to discredit President Macky Sall by publishing an open letter that suggested Sall gave money to French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen. Le Pen, a member of France’s National Rally party, ran for the French presidency and lost last year and visited the West African country in January.

In an open letter published in local media last week, Soumare, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2009, accused Sall of giving 12 million euro from a “poor country” to a French politician. “If by any chance all of this were true, please enlighten the Senegalese people as to whether you acted as president of the Republic of Senegal or as a leader of a political party and with what money,” said the letter.

Sall’s government strongly criticized the letter.

“The (Senegal) government firmly rejects and condemns such cowardly and baseless insinuations, which clearly demonstrate an evil desire to discredit the person of the president of the republic, to undermine the institution that he embodies and to harm relations between Senegal and a foreign power,” said Abdou Karim Fofana the government spokesman in a statement this week.

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