Jan 30 (Reuters) – The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Thursday.

EVENTS:

Democratic Republic of Congo’s central bank is expected to hold its first monetary policy committee meeting for the year.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian share markets rose in thin trading on Thursday as much of the region was on holiday for the Lunar New Year, while the U.S. dollar held its ground after the Federal Reserve signaled a pause in policy easing.

WORLD OIL PRICES

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as markets braced for threatened tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump on Mexico and Canada, the two largest suppliers of crude oil to United States, and awaited a meeting of OPEC+ producers.

SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS

South Africa’s rand was unchanged on Wednesday ahead of an interest rate decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

KENYA MARKETS

The Kenyan shilling was unchanged against the dollar on Wednesday, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group.

CONGO SECURITY

As an East African bloc urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels who seized the city of Goma extended their advance on Wednesday, and Congo said it planned a campaign to recover lost territory.

SOUTH SUDAN CRASH

A small aircraft carrying oil workers in South Sudan’s Unity State crashed on takeoff from its oilfield airport on Wednesday, killing 20 people, the region’s information minister said.

((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))