Browsing: Diplomacy

Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya and newly appointed African Union’s (AU) Special Envoy for Infrastructure Development, has confirmed that his recent AU role will not interfere with his ongoing political activities in Kenya. 

The United States Congress is reportedly considering legislation to include the Middle East and North African (MENA) communities in formal federal data collection. This is a significant move that could bring issues of underrepresentation and invisibility of individuals of MENA origin to the fore.

South Africa has pledged to dispatch an additional 2,900 troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to aid the United Nations’s peacekeeping forces operating in the volatile region.

ECOWAS, the 15-nation bloc of the Economic Community of West African States, is sounding an appeal for unity and regional stability amidst escalating political upheaval across its member states. The regional body is confronted with a series of political crises, including a surge in anti-government protests in Senegal, the region’s historically most stable democracy.

Ethiopia’s national election has been dominated by the ruling Prosperity Party via sweeping success, as confirmed by the country’s electoral body. The party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has secured 410 out of the available 547 seats in the parliamentary polls, attributing him another five-year tenure.

The governments of Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, all currently ruled through recent military coups, may potentially withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), according to a CNBC report. This move could unbalance the region, giving rise to significant economic ramifications as well as instability.

Facing a sustained threat to national security, the government of Mali has reportedly contracted the services of the Russian private security firm, Wagner, instead of extending its almost decade-long reliance on French troops, causing ripples in the international diplomatic sphere.

The United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations was recently in the Central African Republic on an emergency visit amid palpable tension. The visit by such a high-ranking official underscored the UN’s commitment to supporting the people of the Central African Republic during this period of instability.

Italian far-right leader, Giorgia Meloni, on Saturday, 29 January, convened an Africa Summit in Rome, a move that many are interpreting as setting a new tone in Italy’s relations with the African continent. Meloni, the head of the Fratelli d’Italia party, has recently gained traction in opinion polls against the current Prime Minister, Mario Draghi.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three West African countries, have decided to withdraw their membership from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) amidst escalating disagreements over the proposed single currency amendment. The proposed amendment seems to insinuate the preservation of the Francophone currency, a decision that the three nations disagree with.