AFRICA UPDATE WITH SIPHO MANTULA
Description
The Morning Brief
Afrika Update Report
08 January 2025
1. Ghana – Accra
Ghana’s John Mahama returns as President of Ghana.
John Mahama has been sworn in on Tuesday, January 7 as Ghana’s president for the second time, as the country faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.
Mahama, who started his political career as the communications minister, won the presidential election late last year after pledging to tackle the economic crisis, corruption and unemployment.
2. France – Chad – Senegal
Chad and Senegal rebuke Macron’s remarks on military agreements
Chad and Senegal have sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments about the withdrawal of French troops from Africa, where he accused some African leaders of “ingratitude” and claimed their sovereignty depended on French military presence.
3. Guinea – Conakry
Conakry at a standstill amidst opposition protests
The opposition frequently organizes these protests, which are consistently prohibited by the junta, causing significant disruption in the Guinean capital and often resulting in violent clashes.
The Guinean capital Conakry experienced a day of high tension this week.
4. Mozambique - Maputo
SADC Panel of Elders dispatched to Mozambique
In the wake of violent protests and unrest in Mozambique post the October general election, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is to send its Panel of Elders to the east African country for a hands-on visit.
An indication of the seriousness the regional bloc attaches to member state Mozambique comes with a communique issued after a virtual weekend summit of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation which has it the Panel of Elders to report back in eight days – 15 January.
5. In our historical archives, it was on this day 8 January 1806 when the Battle of Blaauwberg, which occurred, it was a significant military engagement that led to the second British occupation of the Cape. The outcome of this battle had lasting implications for the colonial history of South Africa.
United States
