News from Africa

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has officially unveiled the 4th World Customs Organisation (WCO) Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) Global Conference. Scheduled for March 14th-16, 2018, it will be held at Kampala Serena Conference Center Themed ‘ Promotion of Mutual Recognition of AEOs to strengthen and Secure Global Trade ’ the conference is expected draw over 1000 delegates from over 169 countries. The trade facilitation meeting follows similar conferences held in 2012, 2014 and 2016 in Seoul, Korea, Madrid-Spain and Cancun, Mexico respectively. It will put emphasis on AEO, a trade facilitation initiative that offers compliant importers preferential treatment. Also on the line-up will be mutual recognition agreements. At a press launch in Kampala recently, Acting Commissioner General, Patrick Mukiibi said hosting such a big delegation would be a privilege and an honour.      Stressing the importance of accreditation to AEO, he stated, “…many benefits that accr...

Former football star George Weah has been elected as Liberia's president. With nearly all ballots from Tuesday's run-off vote counted, Mr Weah is well ahead of opponent Joseph Boakai with more than 60% of the vote. As news of Mr Weah's victory emerged, his supporters began celebrating in the capital Monrovia. He will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president, in Liberia's first democratic handover in decades. "My fellow Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of all the nation," Mr Weah wrote on Twitter after the results were announced. "I measure the importance and the responsibility of the immense task which I embrace today. Change is on." Who is George Weah? Mr Weah, who was raised in a slum in Liberia's capital Monrovia, starred at top-flight European football clubs Paris St-Germain (PSG) and AC Milan, before ending his career in England with brief stays at Chelsea and Manchester City. He is ...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu oversaw a signed agreement on Monday with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), opening the way for Israeli companies to access lucrative contracts in its Power Africa program. Meeting at the posh King David Hotel in Jerusalem, Netanyahu sat down with Power Africa Coordinator, Andrew Herscowitz, along with the US Ambassador David Friedman and multiple African ambassadors, to join the multi-billion-dollar electrification aid project. I believe in Africa,” Netanyahu said at the press conference. “I believe in the partnership with Africa. And what better partnership we have, than having USAID, the US government, Israel, and African countries working together to secure a better future.” The agreement opens the door to dozens of Israeli clean-energy firms and seeking contracts facilitated by Power Africa. The aid program seeks to provide electricity – via private companies – to some 60 million Africans by 2030. For Netanyahu, the...

Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital   The move makes the United States the first country to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinians called a general strike as world leaders from across the Arab world and some from Europe denounced the move. US President Donald Trump called for 'new approach' to Israel-Palestinian conflict. December 6, 2017 ( AFP ) President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday, an historic decision that overturns decades of US policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East. "I have determined that it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," the US leader said in a speech from ...

Access to electricity is only 20 percent in Zambia, less than half of what is found among the relevant African peer groups. Power access lags behind in both urban and rural areas, but the gap for rural electrification is particularly large — more than 3 percent in Zambia versus 30 percent in the peer groups. Not only is access low, but it has also been stagnant over time. Only 0.5 percent of the Zambian population is newly electrified each year, compared with 2 percent in the peer groups. While power is relatively abundant in Zambia, much of that power is going to the mining sector, leaving relatively little for domestic consumption. Low power tariffs undermine the sustainability of the power sector. At $0.03 – $0.04 per kWh, Zambia has some of the lowest power tariffs in Africa (figure 8). Looking across the developing world, Zambia’s power tariffs fall below the typical price range of $0.05 –$0.10 per kWh. While Zambia’s power production costs are low, tariffs are lower. Both histori...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on African leaders to reinstate Israel’s observer status in the African Union (AU). Israel lost its observer status in 2002 when the Organisation of African Union was dissolved and replaced by the AU. “Israel should once again be an observer state of the African Union … I fervently believe that it’s in your interest too, in the interest of Africa. And I hope all of you will support that goal,” Netanyahu told West African leaders at the 51st ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State in Liberia’s capital Monrovia on Sunday. “I ask for your support in rejecting anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, and in bodies such as the General Assembly, UNESCO and the Human Rights Council,” he appealed. Israel should once again be an observer state of the African Union ... I fervently believe that it’s in your interest too, in the interest of Africa. And I hope all of you will support that goal. He likened Israel to Africa and ...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed the desire for Israel to become a member of the African Union, in a renewed bid to increase cooperation with the continent, according to Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation. On a trip to several African nations, Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasised the importance of increased ties between Israel and African governments. During a speech in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, with 11 other heads of state present, Netanyahu pledged to deepen trade, security and agricultural relations with neighbouring countries. “This is my third visit to Africa and second to Kenya, we believe in the future of Africa, we love Africa and I would like very much not only to cooperate on an individual basis with each of your countries but also with the African Union.” “I hope that we all find a way to have Israel become an observer status in the African Union because we can help, we cannot only observe but we can help build together a better future for Africa,”...