Author: Rodrigue Fénélon Massala

By Rodrigue Fénelon Massala, grand reporter. Mandela’s party loses the majority. The end of the “30 glorious years.” For the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, the African National Congress (ANC) has lost its absolute majority in Parliament during historic elections on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, ushering in a new political...

By Rodrigue Fénelon Massala Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – In a path-breaking development, Africa India Economic Foundation (AIEF) and African Union (AU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 17th March, 2023 to collaborate on promoting business and trade relations between the MSMEs, private and public sectors of African countries and India. The MOU was signed at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by Mr. G. Rathinavelu, Chairman & Co-Founder of AIEF, and H E Amb. Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) Department, on behalf of the African Union. Representatives of…

By Rodrigue Fénelon Massala The Management of Solway Investment Group, a private mining and metals group headquartered in Switzerland with global operations, through Maxime Senecaut, Official Representative of the group in Liberia, has distanced Solway from Russia, saying the company does not have any business with Russia. There were several reports by Liberian media institutions in recent times that that Solway was a Russian Company. Mr. Senecaut, responding to media inquiries regarding the media reports when he addressed the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) Edward Wilmot Blyden Forum on Thursday, September 29, 2022 in Sanniquellie City, Nimba, categorically rubbished the…

By Rodrigue Fenelon Massala, senior reporter. The president of the Transitional Military Council spoke on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, a first since coming to power seven days earlier. His speech comes following the crackdown on a series of protests launched by civil society and the Chadian opposition. Explaining the circumstances which led the Military Council of the Transition (CMT) to take power, General Mahamat Deby believes that this was done following the renunciation of the “President of the National Assembly to assume his charge in his capacity as constitutional dolphin in the face of this imminent peril ”. General Mahat…

By Rodrigue Fenelon Massala, senior reporter. The brutal death of Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno, shot in the forehead according to the army’s version, automatically recorded a pronuciamentos. Indeed, the Chadian army, which suspended the constitution and dissolved the national assembly, carried out a coup. In the present case, the African Union, in accordance with its charter and statutes, announces the suspension of the country which has installed an unconstitutional decision-making body. At the time of going to press, the chairman of the African Union Commission, apart from his compassionate message posted on his Twitter account, had not yet issued…

It is a historic moment, a transfer of the torch between the old and the new generation. Raul Castro kept his word and made a point of translating into action the last will of Fidel Castro, who had indicated at a congress his wish to hand over to the new generation. It is in this context that Raul Castro confirmed that he was ceding the leadership of the Cuban Communist Party to the younger generation at the congress that opened on Friday, April 16, ending six decades of reign of himself and of his older brother Fidel. In a speech…

Rama Yade was promoted this Monday, March 29, director of the Africa pole of the prestigious American Think Thank called “The Atlantic Council”. Rama Yade, who had dropped off her suitcases in the United States, has just landed a job that will put her into orbit. After having completely disappeared from the French political landscape since the fall of her mentor Nicolas Sarkozy, the former secretary of state had turned the page by settling in the United States. And now, it is from Uncle Sam’s country that she will be able to reconnect with her origins because her new position…

Israeli businessman Dan Gertler nicknamed the King of the Diamond, practicing in the DRC for almost 20 years, has just been re-authorized to transact in dollars and to collaborate, in business, with American citizens . According to a Fed notification released on Sunday January 24 and sent to Congolese banking institutions, Dan Getler is authorized to transact in US dollars. He is also authorized to collaborate with American citizens in business. Suspected of inconvenient practices and corruption, it was banned by the US Treasury. But since the end of 2020, the businessman has excelled at communication to improve his image.…

Huawei Northern Africa confidently kicks off 2021 with a quality standard. The company Huawei, its parent company, one of the main world leaders in the supply of equipment, information and communications technology infrastructure, has just won the “Top Employer” certification which rewards its management policy human resources focused on the provision of quality services in the perspective and prospective of a living environment and decent work to its operational staff. The Top Employers program assesses companies based on their performance in the “HR Best Practices Survey”. This covers 6 criteria for managing human resources in companies, divided into 20 themes…

The Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Kenyan Mukhisa Kituyi will leave office early to run for president in Kenya in 2022. The information is official, “Mukhisa Kituyi has informed (UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres) that he will step down on February 15,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said. Mukhisa Kituyi’s second term, in office since 2013, was expected to end on August 31, 2021. His deputy, the Belgian Isabelle Durant, will act until the appointment of a new secretary general for a four-year term, the UN spokesperson said. Asked about the reason for this…

The South African presidency announced in a statement, obtaining 270 million vaccines in order to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who holds the rotating presidency of the AU on Wednesday convened the bureau of the conference of heads of state and government of the union by videoconference to examine the funding arrangements and deployment of the vaccine against Covid-19 as part of the global collaboration called “Access to Covid19 Tools accelerator” Indeed, according to the information in our possession, the vaccines, of which at least 50 million will be available between…

After ten years of exclusion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has just been re-registered on the list of countries that will be able to benefit from the trade preferences offered by AGOA, the American law on Growth and Development Opportunities. in Africa. This decision was taken by Donald Trump, at a time when, moreover, the United States is emerging as one of President Tshisekedi’s strategic partners. Indeed, on May 19, 2020, according to our sources, Constance Hamilton, deputy representative of the United States for foreign trade for Africa, had officially entered by correspondence the Congolese government to discuss…

London-based Zimbabwean Business Chairman Strive Masiyiwa, considered Zimbabwe’s first billionaire, was appointed Netflix’s new director last week. This is the first time that an African has joined the board of directors of the video-on-demand platform with 190 million subscribers. The designation of the Zimbabwean billionaire should allow the platform to strengthen its position on the continent. Netflix on demand has indeed developed in recent years a communication strategy vis-à-vis new markets, particularly the African market, where the platform currently only has a few million users. Indeed the choice of Strive Masiyiwa, founder of Econet, a globally successful telecommunications group, could…

The imminent loss of Françafrique’s nebulous influence is at stake in the Central African Republic. Indeed, since the beginning of its military cooperation with the Central African government of Faustin-Archange Touadéra three years ago, Russia has been increasingly present in the country, from military training to the protection of mines and presidency. The Central African Republic has become in a few months a strong symbol of the Russian presence on the continent. Six days before the presidential election, we are witnessing a resurgence of tension in the country with, in a spectacular way, the merger of 3 armed groups formerly…

Cameroonian Calvin Mebenga had succeeded in record time in subscribing nearly 10,000 people in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala in investments in exchange for high returns. At the head of the company Mekit Invest, the Bernard Madoff of the tropics offered his clients to invest sums of money in terms of investment that he remunerated at rates of up to 15% per week over a period of 21 month. The first phase of operations seemed to attract a lot of clients until the promoter was no longer able to pay the interest promised to its subscribers. Thus, on September…

Thunderclap. Ghana Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu forwarded his resignation letter to the President of Ghana on Monday, November 16, 2020 Indeed, the anti-corruption prosecutor openly accuses the Ghanaian head of state Nana Akufo-Addo of “political interference” in the smooth running of his work by infringing on his prerogatives of independence vested in law. This resignation also comes three weeks before the presidential election. The resigning prosecutor asserted with pomposity that he remained convinced “that he was no longer able to carry out in all independence” his work, in a letter of resignation addressed to the president and…

In a previous article published last Saturday, we revealed the recall of the French Ambassador to the Ivory Coast, Gilles Huberson, who is currently the subject of an internal investigation for morality. According to our sources, the replacement of this last ambassador recently stationed in Abidjan has been recorded on the banks of the Seine. Indeed, the recall of the French ambassador stationed in Abidjan in a particular context had given rise to many questions and speculations. Very quickly, certain diplomatic circles mentioned the name of his successor. Thus, the name of Brice Hortefeux, former Minister of the Interior of…

The American policeman’s knee on poor George Floyd’s neck is the symbol of an era. As if awakened from his voluntary blindness, the whole world discovers the ordeal of men of colour, African-Americans or, to depart from politically correct language, “negroes”. Let’s face it, American police officers do not have a monopoly or trademark of discrimination. International institutions in general and the UN in particular are not exempt from it. Within the UN system, discrimination is resisting the passage of time and is even experiencing a second youth in an agency like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a freewheeling…

Brice Laccruche Alihanga, former director of cabinet Ali Bongo, was arrested by the General Directorate of Information (DGE) this morning. Quoted in a case of embezzlement of public funds, Brice Lacruche had been dismissed from the government less than 24 hours after an interview between President Ali Bongo and his prime minister. In recent days, several relatives of Lacruche have been apprehended. At the time of writing this information, Brice La Cruche was still on the premises of the RDG.

Always in the process of privatization, never ceded, the Versus Bank becomes a chestnut of the financial press. Behind this strategic operation announced regularly, hide the drama of a minority shareholder theoretically protected by the OHADA. It is Jean-Claude N’da Ametchi, one of the founding members of the bank created in 2003, with 30% of the capital. Things are proceeding almost without problems until January 7, 2009, when Mr. Ametchi sells his shares to the State for an amount of 554 million CFA francs to honor later on March 31 of the same year. According to the protocol then signed,…

Received at the Elysee Palace on September 3rd, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 76 years old, including 35 years in power, well briefed by his longtime “friend”, Jean Yves le Drian, met with French President Emmanuel Macron for a 45 minute time. But at each of these two interviews, both with the boss of the Quai d’Orsay and with the tenant of the Elysée, a name came back: Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko. This is the General incarcerated since mid-2016 and sentenced to 20 years in prison by Congolese justice. Questioned by the Association of the Diplomatic Press, Le Drian replied in…

By Rodrigue Fenelon Massala, Grand Reporter. African politics has been discussed these days in the provinces where French President Emmanuel Macron invited his Ivorian and Guinean peers, Alassane Ouattara and Alpha Condé to take part in the commemoration of the landing of August 15, 1944. lunch held on the sidelines of this event between the three heads of state, French has, according to our sources, expressed its concerns about the political environment in the West African region. The 77-year-old Ivorian and his Guinean counterpart, who has turned 80, have been encouraged to work alternately. The question of after Ouattara and…

By Rodrigue Fenelon Massala                        Great Reporter          Special Envoy to Niamey The member countries of the African Union (AU) have gathered since Sunday, July 7, 2019 in Niamey as part of the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (Zlec). “This is the biggest historical event for the African continent since the creation of the OAU (Organization of African Unity) in 1963”, argues President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, one of the strong links in the promotion of the area free exchange. The 32 heads of state and more than 100 ministers attending the summit will launch the free trade area,…

Concluded in Addis Ababa under the umbrella of the African Union and the UN on 24 February 2013, the Framework Agreement for Peace and Security in Eastern DR Congo was signed by nine countries share natural and artificial boundaries with DR Congo, including the Republic of South Africa. In order to boost in its own way the progress made in the national implementation of this mechanism, President Félix Tshisekedi has appointed Claude Ibalanky as head of the national mechanism for monitoring the framework agreement for peace known as the international term “Addis Ababa Agreement”. Appointed by the President of the…

By Rodrigue Fénélon Massala, great reporter Côte d’Ivoire hosted the “Ibrahim Governance Weekend” (Ibrahim Week on Governance), the annual event of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, from 05 to 07 April 2019 in Abidjan. During the meetings, participants from Africa and around the world had to discuss the issue of migration of young Africans. A theme considered by the Foundation as a priority in terms of governance and leadership for the continent. According to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the issue of migration must be placed at the heart of the governance agenda of African states. Discussions focused, among other things, on…

The Economic Commission of the African Union, in partnership with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), held in Yaoundé, capital of Cameroon, from 4 to 8 March 2019, the third session of the specialized technical committee (CTS) on finance , monetary affairs, economic planning and integration. For 4 days, African experts and ministers in charge of finance and planning laid the groundwork for the transformation of African economies in the context of integration, strengthening trade through the implementation of financial instruments continent and the continental free trade zone. According to the final report that sanctioned this third session of the…

Forbidden to leave the Cameroonian territory since January 31, 2019, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o, former Minister of Defense, was finally placed in custody for suspicion of malpractices in military equipment purchases. Who would have believed it ? The ex-powerful Minister of Defense of Paul Biya was arrested and detained. The Golden Boy Alain Mebe Ngo’o is suspected of embezzling billions of CFA francs in purchases of military equipment. The search of his luxurious residence in Yaoundé has not yet revealed all its secrets. However, according to several concordant sources, the gendarmerie’s search brigade discovered a real treasure. Alain Mebe Ngo’o…

Placed under arrest by the prosecutor since January 15, 2019 and sentenced for a year despite his parliamentary immunity, MP Alain Lobognon is free again. The lawyers of this close Guillaume Soro have won a first battle on appeal where they raised exceptions of nullity. After deliberation, the public prosecutor requested 6 months suspended against the deputy Alain Lobognon and ordered his immediate release … Sentenced after a tweet announcing a warrant for the arrest of the prosecutor against the deputy and elected mayor of the Plateau, the former Minister of Sports had obtained the support of several parliamentary organizations.…