<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418734" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1242090694-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>CAIRO, EGYPT &#8211; JULY 24: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Hassan Shoukry (not seen) hold joint press conference after their meeting in Cairo, Egypt on June 24, 2022. (Photo by Mohamed Abdel Hamid/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



ENTEBBE, Uganda, July 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said on Tuesday he saw no reason to criticise Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, extolling Russian-African friendship in remarks that will have delighted his visitor, Russia&#8217;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.



Speaking alongside Lavrov, who is on a four-nation African tour seeking support for Moscow at a time of confrontation with Western powers, Museveni praised Russia as a partner in the struggle against colonialism going back a century.



&#8220;If Russia makes mistakes then we tell them,&#8221; Museveni said, citing his participation in student demonstrations against the crushing of the Prague Spring by the Soviet Union in 1968.



&#8220;But when they have not made a mistake we cannot be against them,&#8221; he said.



Many African countries, which import Russian grain and energy while also buying Ukrainian grain and benefitting from Western aid flows and trade ties, have avoided taking sides over the war in Ukraine.



Uganda was among 17 African nations that abstained in a March vote on a United Nations resolution condemning the Russian invasion, which was supported by 141 countries out of 193.



Lavrov praised what he described as &#8220;the responsible and balanced position taken by Uganda and other African states&#8221;, accusing the West of displaying a colonial mindset by demanding that Africa adopt an anti-Russian stance.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-russia-s-lavrov-courts-africa-in-quest-for-more-non-western-friends">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/russias-lavrov-courts-africa-in-quest-for-more-non-western-friends/">Russia’s Lavrov courts Africa in quest for more non-Western friends</a></h3>



This chimed with Museveni&#8217;s remarks, in which he drew heavily on historical events to explain his preference for staying on good terms with both Russia and the West.



&#8220;Whenever issues come up and some people want us to take positions against Russia, we say &#8216;but you people, these people have been with us for the last 100 years, how can we be automatically against them?'&#8221; Museveni said.



&#8220;We have even forgiven our former enemies, the colonialists, the ones who have colonised us, the ones who had actually taken slaves from here and who did bad things. We have forgiven them and we are working them,&#8221; he said.



Harking back to the Cold War, Museveni, who has been in power for 36 years, said that when asked if he was pro-West or pro-East he rejected the question as idiotic.



&#8220;I am pro-myself. And I deal with other people according to how they relate with my own interest,&#8221; he said.



Lavrov has already visited Egypt and Congo Republic.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Z50EY&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a><a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Z616B&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



From Uganda, he will head to Ethiopia, which has long been a stalwart ally of the West but has recently rowed with the United States over its conduct of a conflict in its northern region of Tigray.



(Reporting by Isaac Kasamani in Entebbe and Alexander Winning in Johannesburg; Writing by Estelle Shirbon)

Russian FM Lavrov – Egyptian FM Shoukry

Ugandan leader extols Africa-Russia friendship during visit by Lavrov

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="527" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4-820x527.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418672" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4-820x527.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Turkana tribe women carry jerrycans as they search of water at the Lorengo village of Turkana North in Turkana county Kenya, July 19 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, July 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The U.S. development agency USAID&nbsp;on Friday said it would&nbsp;give Kenya $255 million in emergency assistance to tackle severe drought.



Some 4.1 million people in the East African nation&nbsp;are facing acute food shortages,&nbsp;the government says,while&nbsp;the number of cases of child malnutrition has surged by half in parts of the country to 942,000 in the last three months.



The funding commitmentcomes&nbsp;in addition to $65 million that USAID had already provided this year,&nbsp;USAID administrator Samantha Power said.



&#8220;We need other countries to step up and join us,&#8221; she said, warning that the food crisis could spill over into other areas like education since hungry children can&#8217;t go to school.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-approves-235-6-million-disbursement-to-kenya-on-loan-review">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/imf-approves-235-6-million-disbursement-to-kenya-on-loan-review/">IMF approves $235.6 million disbursement to Kenya on loan review</a></h3>



The government&nbsp;has so far spent 12.6 billion shillings ($106.28 million) to help people affected by drought but&nbsp;it has&nbsp;a shortfall of&nbsp;more than&nbsp;15 billion shillings,&nbsp;said Margaret Kobia, the minister responsible for special programmes.



Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the global food supply chain, was increasing drought-related suffering in Kenya and the rest of the region, Power said.



More than 50 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity this year in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, the World Food Programme said in a joint statement with other agencies on Friday.



The catastrophe has been caused by the failure of rainfall in most parts of the region, and compounded by the crisis in Ukraine, which has sent prices of wheat and maize higher.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Nick Macfie)

BTQI2SSX6ZIXZJ2J2MGDY565F4

USAID pledges Kenya $255 mln to fight drought, appeals to rich countries to help

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="543" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-820x543.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418602" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-820x543.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition speaks at an interview with Reuters ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections, at his Karen residence in Nairobi, Kenya, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, July 20 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s deputy president and presidential aspirant William Ruto said he will publish government contracts with China and deport Chinese nationals working illegally if he is elected on August 9, promises likely to resonate with citizens pummeled by mounting debt and the skyrocketing cost of living.



Kenya, whose 2022/23 budget of 3.3 trillion shillings ($27.86 billion) has a deficit of 6.2% of gross domestic product, owes China about $8 billion.



Ruto has promised to slash the government borrowing that has funded President Uhuru Kenyatta&#8217;s infrastructure building spree.



The contracts are not public and some Kenyan organisations have lodged court cases to try to force full disclosure of the deals.



Ethiopia has restructured its Chinese debt and Zambia is seeking to do &#8211; something Ruto said he would not do.



&#8220;Kenya has the capacity to handle its debt situation,&#8221; he told Reuters in an interview, explaining his intent not to re-organise debt if he wins.



Ruto, 55, paints the election as a clash between &#8220;hustlers and dynasties&#8221; &#8211; a jab at Raila Odinga and Kenyatta, son of the nation&#8217;s first vice president and president respectively.



Ruto says he once hawked chickens by the roadside.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/u-s-kenya-launch-non-tariff-trade-and-investment-partnership-talks/">U.S., Kenya launch non-tariff trade and investment partnership talks</a></h3>



Instead of planning mammoth expressways or new railways, Ruto&#8217;s campaign is touting a plan to dish out loans to &#8220;hustlers&#8221; or small businessmen and women, symbolised by his campaign symbol of a wheelbarrow.



Ruto spoke to Reuters in his office in a compound in one of Nairobi&#8217;s wealthiest suburbs, where several armed policemen stood guard.



The compound is neatly maintained, with well-manicured lawns. A helicopter and convoy of luxury vehicles were parked there. Outside, a few supporters waited with banners proclaiming RUTO FOR PRESIDENT hung around a battered handcart.



Ruto was wearing a yellow shirt with green trim, his party&#8217;s colours, and sat in a room bedecked with several flags, including the national flag.



He sipped on tea as he dismissed comments by his chief economic adviser, David Ndii, that Ruto&#8217;s party was &#8220;not the place to look for anti-corruption champions.&#8221;



&#8220;Someone quoted him out of context,&#8221; Ruto said.



He listed the ways he would tackle graft &#8211; more money to overcome shortages of judges and magistrates, independent budgets for investigating bodies, and making sure parliament has an active opposition.



&#8220;The challenge we have at the moment is the weaponization and the politicisation of corruption.&#8221;



All sides in the campaign have accused each other of corruption and they all deny the allegations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-political-expediency">POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY</h2>



Kenyatta has backed Odinga, a veteran opposition leader, for president in a bid to sideline Ruto, whom he describes as unfit for office.



The incumbent&#8217;s embrace of his old rival and his rejection of his deputy is not unusual for Kenyan politics, which is driven more by personality, ethnic alliances and backroom deals than ideology.



Ruto and Odinga were political allies during the disastrous 2007 elections. A dispute over the result left 1,200 Kenyans dead and Ruto and five others facing charges of at the Hague-based International Criminal Court. The case later collapsed.



He brushed off questions about whether he should have resigned if the government he served in was not serious about tackling corruption, saying he&#8217;d raised the issue repeatedly and had been able to deliver other benefits to Kenyans.



&#8220;I am not a quitter,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Instead of walking away from the people who elected me, I could still do many things.&#8221;



($1 = 118.4500 Kenyan shillings)



(Editing by Angus MacSwan, William Maclean)

Kenyan Deputy President Ruto speaks in Nairobi

Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418561" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth.jpg 910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Photo: via pxfuel</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, July 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;More than 200 people have died from hunger this month in&nbsp;northeastern&nbsp;Uganda, where a prolonged drought and rampant insecurity have left more than half a million facing starvation, a local official and a charity worker said.



Inhabited by nomadic pastoralists, the semi-arid and remote Karamoja region on the border with Kenya has long lagged behind the rest of Uganda in terms of development.&nbsp;A surge of cattle raids by armed groups this year has worsened the situation.



&#8220;People like the elderly, lactating mothers and children, they are dying silently in their homes. They just succumb to hunger,&#8221; Jino Bornd Meri, the head of local government for Kaabong district, in Karamoja region, told Reuters.



In one county the district has recorded at least 184 deaths from hunger this month alone, he said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-uganda-reach-agreement-on-three-year-1-bln-program">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-uganda-reach-agreement-on-three-year-1-bln-program-2/">IMF, Uganda reach agreement on three-year, $1 bln program</a></h3>



Moses Okori, leader of the local charity Integrated Community Agriculture and Nutrition (ICAN), said he knew of at least 22 people who had died of hunger this month in Kotido, another district in the region.



The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) last month said at least 518,000 people, or 40% of the region&#8217;s population, were facing high levels of food insecurity.



Local legislator Faith Nakut estimated that at least 600 people had died of hunger in the region since early June.



A spokesman for the Prime Minister&#8217;s office, Julius Mucunguzi, said he had received reports of hunger-related deaths but was unable to give an exact toll.



The government dispatched trucks of food to the region last week, he said.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Angus MacSwan)

dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth

More than 200 people die as drought ravages northeast Uganda

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414305" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The International Monetary Fund said its executive board approved a $235.6 million disbursement to Kenya on Monday as it approved a third review of the country&#8217;s Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility arrangements.



The disbursement is usable for budget support and brings such payouts to $1.208 billion under the 38-month arrangements, which were worth $2.34 billion when they were approved in April 2021, the IMF said.



&#8220;Kenya’s economy has rebounded strongly in a challenging environment and is projected to grow 5.7% in 2022,&#8221; the IMF said in a statement, adding that inflation, which hit 7.5% in June, was likely to peak this year before easing back to the Central Bank of Kenya&#8217;s 2.5% target by early 2023.



&#8220;Downside risks predominate in the near-term. Uncertainties stem from the war in Ukraine, continuing drought in the semi-arid regions, unsettled global financial market conditions and the political calendar,&#8221; the IMF said. &#8220;But Kenya’s medium-term outlook remains favorable.&#8221;



The IMF said that Kenya showed &#8220;very strong&#8221; performance in tax collections during the 2021/22 fiscal year, which has created fiscal space to temporarily cushion part of the higher fuel and food costs that have hit households while still meeting the program&#8217;s fiscal targets.



&#8220;The approved fiscal year 2022/23 budget broadens tax collection and maintains careful expenditure control while protecting social spending,&#8221; the IMF said.



(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Sandra Maler and Sam Holmes)

BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4

IMF approves $235.6 million disbursement to Kenya on loan review

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418482" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on President Biden&#8217;s trade policy agenda on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 31, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The United States and Kenya on Thursday launched a strategic trade and investment partnership&nbsp;to&nbsp;pursue commitments&nbsp;to boost&nbsp;economic growth, support African regional economic integration and deepen trade cooperation.



The U.S. and Kenyan governments will start work within three months to develop a road map for engagement in areas including agriculture safety and digital trade standards, climate change, regulatory practices, and customs procedures the&nbsp;U.S. Trade Representative&#8217;s office&nbsp;said in a statement.



Kenya has long sought a full free trade agreement with the United States, and negotiations for such a deal to lower bilateral tariffs were launched by the Trump administration with the east African country in 2020. But the Biden administration, which has shunned traditional trade deals, did not resume&nbsp;those&nbsp;talks.



Kenya&nbsp;enjoys substantial duty-free access to the U.S. market through the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade preference program for sub-Saharan African countries, but it expires in September 2025.



Kenya exported $685.1 million worth of goods to the United States in 2021, of which more than 75% entered duty free under AGOA, according to the Congressional Research Service &#8212; chiefly apparel, macadamia nuts, coffee, tea and titanium ores. The U.S. exported $561.6 million in goods to Kenya in 2021, with aircraft, plastics, machinery and wheat among the biggest categories.



The partnership announced by the two countries on Thursday&nbsp;made no mention of reducing tariffs or enhancing market access, in line with&nbsp;other recently&nbsp;launched U.S. trade dialogues with Britain, the European Union and Indo-Pacific nations.



The Kenya dialogue will include efforts to develop micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises and discussions on enforcement of labor laws and promoting workers&#8217; rights &#8211; central components of the Biden administration&#8217;s other trade initiatives.



U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who launched the partnership with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina during a virtual meeting on Thursday, said in a statement that she wants the partnership to &#8220;grow our trade and investment relationship in a way that promotes resilience and facilitates sustainable and inclusive economic growth.&#8221;



&#8220;We also hope that this initiative can serve as a model for trade policy engagement in Africa, one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing regions in the world,&#8221; Tai added.



U.S. Representative Richard Neal, who chairs the trade and tax-focused House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, held out hope that the U.S.-Kenya talks could develop into a full trade deal. &#8220;This initiative will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive free trade agreement that includes market access, builds off AGOA, and complements both regional and continental integration,&#8221; he said in a statement.



Neal said the United States should &#8220;embrace&#8221; Kenya&#8217;s willingness to deepen its economic ties with the United States.



(Reporting by David Lawder and Chris Gallagher; editing by Kanishka Singh, Marguerita Choy and Leslie Adler)

NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I

U.S., Kenya launch non-tariff trade and investment partnership talks

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-416649" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1236313690-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a panel discussion at the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow on November 3, 2021. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Creditor committees for the debt restructurings of Chad, Ethiopia and Zambia are expected to meet within the next 10 days, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Tuesday.



Georgieva, speaking to a forum sponsored by the Devex development media group, said the risks of a debt crisis among developing countries were rising because of interest rate hikes in advanced countries to control inflation.



She said a positive outcome from the negotiations was crucial for Chad, Ethiopia and Zambia &#8220;and to energize other countries to step forward&#8221; to seek restructurings.



She also said she would make clear the need for more cooperation on debt relief at a G20 finance leaders&#8217; meeting later this week in Bali, Indonesia.



&#8220;There is a growing risk of a debt crisis. I want to spell it out as clearly as I can and I will do that in the next days over there&#8221; in Indonesia, she said. &#8220;Why? Because the level of debt has gone up during the pandemic, financial conditions are tightening &#8211; more expensive to service it.&#8221;



She said that 30% of the developing and emerging markets are at or near debt distress levels, while that rate doubles to 60% for low-income counties.



&#8220;So if we don&#8217;t act, guess what is going to happen? Not good for these countries and certainly not good for financial stability,&#8221; Georgieva said.



(Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Barbara Lewis)

BRITAIN-UN-CLIMATE-COP26

IMF’s Georgieva says Chad, Ethiopia, Zambia creditor committees to meet soon

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417818" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240479080-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Situmbeko Musokotwane, Zambia&#8217;s finance minister, during an interview at his office in Lusaka, Zambia, on Thursday, May 5, 2022. China should head the creditors committee being formed to renegotiate Zambias $17.3 billion of foreign debt because that will help accelerate the resolution process, Musokotwane said. Photographer: Zinyange Auntony/Bloomberg via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zambia&#8217;s official creditors are expected to offer it financial assurances by the end of July, paving the way for the first debt restructuring under a G20 framework set up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, two sources briefed on the matter said.



Zambia would be the first of three countries that have requested debt relief under the Common Framework agreed by the Group of 20 major economies and the Paris Club of official creditors to move forward in what has been a very slow process.



The creditor committees of Zambia, Chad and Ethiopia are all due to meet this month amid growing pressure to accelerate the debt restructuring process.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YO5J2&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



No firm date has been set for a meeting of Zambia&#8217;s creditor committee, but sources briefed on the matter said they expected the African country to secure financial assurances by the end of the month, and said private sector creditors were cooperating.



Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine has sent food and energy prices surging higher, exacerbating debt problems already plaguing 60% of low-income countries and now threatening a growing number of middle-income countries.



The Common Framework was set up in October 2020 to head off another major debt crisis, but progress has been slowed by the reluctance of China &#8211; now the world&#8217;s biggest sovereign creditor &#8211; and private sector creditors to participate, which has dissuaded other countries from seeking debt relief.



Experts say movement on Zambia could help spur more interest among heavily indebted countries, especially given the growing risk of a global recession, higher interest rates and continued outflows of capital from emerging market economies.



Improvements to the Common Framework will be a key topic at next week&#8217;s meeting of G20 finance officials in Indonesia, but Zambia&#8217;s case is unlikely to be resolved before that meeting, the sources said.



IMF and World Bank officials have been blunt about the failings of the Common Framework. They are pushing for finance officials of the G20 major economies to apply more pressure on China and private sector creditors to participate.



Zambian Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said last week the country&#8217;s economy would be highly compromised without external support.



A Paris Club source said earlier this week that the group of wealthy creditor nations was working on providing financing assurances to the IMF that could unlock funds for Zambia.



&#8220;We hope that that can be done before the end of July,&#8221; the source added.



(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Zambian Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane Interview

Zambia’s creditors seen offering financial assurances by end-July -source

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="528" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-820x528.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418309" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-820x528.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-768x495.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-1536x990.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NWUKRFCQGZISRFNU5CO24TD4HI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Rwanda&#8217;s President Paul Kagame delivers a speech in front of so-called &#8220;BioNTainer&#8221;, a system to produce vaccines in Africa, during a presentation in Marburg, Germany, February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer</figcaption></figure>



KINSHASA, July 6 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Democratic Republic of Congo&#8217;s President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame have agreed at a summit in Angola to de-escalate tensions from a rebel insurgency,&nbsp;the Congolese presidency said on Wednesday.



Diplomatic tensions have risen sharply between the neighbours since&nbsp;the M23 rebel group began a major offensive in Congo&#8217;s eastern borderlands at the end of March.



Congo&nbsp;has accused&nbsp;Rwanda of backing the group. Kigali denies this, and in turn&nbsp;has accused&nbsp;Kinshasa of fighting alongside another armed group intent on seizing power in Kigali.



Angolan President Joao Lourenco&nbsp;was appointed&nbsp;by the African Union to mediate talks, and hosted a mini tripartite summit in Angola&#8217;s capital, Luanda, on Wednesday.



&#8220;The tripartite decided on a process of de-escalation between Congo and Rwanda,&#8221; the Congolese presidency said in a statement posted on Twitter after the summit concluded.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-congo-and-rwanda-to-begin-talks-amid-tensions-over-insurgency">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/congo-and-rwanda-to-begin-talks-amid-tensions-over-insurgency/">Congo and Rwanda to begin talks amid tensions over insurgency</a></h3>



It said the agreement included an immediate cessation of hostilities and the retreat of M23 fighters from Congo. A Rwanda-Congo commission that had previously been dormant will meet again in Luanda on July 12, it said.



Angola&#8217;s presidency issued a similar statement to the Congolese one.



Among the agreements was a commitment to defeat the rebel group the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu militia that Kigali has accused of fighting alongside Congo&#8217;s army, a spokeswoman for Rwanda&#8217;s presidency said late on Wednesday.



The M23&nbsp;last month&nbsp;seized an important border post in their most sustained offensive since capturing swathes of territory in 2012-2013.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Y00IC&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Congo has accepted a proposal for an East African regional force to be deployed in its east to help control the violence, but only if Rwanda does not take part.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Y40MB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The fighting has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes in an area that has had little respite from conflict since Rwanda and neighbouring Uganda invaded in 1996, citing threats from local militia groups.



(Reporting by Stanis Bujakera and Fiston Mahamba; Additional reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana in Kigali; Writing by Sofia Christensen and Nellie Peyton; Editing by Hereward Holland, Alison Williams, Estelle Shirbon, David Gregorio and Kim Coghill)

FILE PHOTO: BioNTech’s vaccine manufacturing plans for Africa presented in Marburg

Congo, Rwanda agree at Angola summit to reduce tension

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418296" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1336718221-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>BERLIN, GERMANY &#8211; AUGUST 27: Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo speaks at a press conference after the G20 Compact with Africa conference at the Chancellery in Berlin on August 27, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



KINSHASA, July 6 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Democratic Republic of Congo&#8217;s President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame are due to begin talks in the Angolan capital Luanda on Wednesday amid tensions over a surge of rebel attacks in eastern Congo.



The two neighbours have been locking horns since the M23 rebel group began a major offensive in Congo&#8217;s eastern borderlands at the end of March.



Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the group. Kigali denies this, and in turn accuses Kinshasa of fighting alongside another armed group intent on seizing power in Kigali.



Tshisekedi arrived in Luanda on Tuesday for a &#8220;mini tripartite summit&#8221; on peace in the Congo on Wednesday, the presidency said in a statement, describing the meeting as a moment &#8220;of truth&#8221;.



Rwanda&#8217;s ambassador in Congo Vincent Karega told Reuters Kagame had also arrived.



The M23 have seized an important border post in their most sustained offensive since capturing swathes of territory in 2012-2013.



Congo&#8217;s army is battling to push them out of newly gained positions close to eastern Congo&#8217;s main city of Goma.



The fighting has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes in an area that has had little respite from conflict since Rwanda and neighbouring Uganda invaded in 1996, citing threats from local militia groups.



Despite billions of dollars spent on one of the United Nations&#8217; largest peacekeeping forces, more than 120 rebel groups continue to operate across east Congo almost two decades after the official end of the central African country&#8217;s civil wars.



Angolan President Joao Lourenco has been appointed by the African Union to mediate the talks and restore dialogue between the two parties.



(Reporting by Stanis Bujakera; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Hereward Holland and Alison Williams)

Chancellery Holds Compact With Africa Summit

Congo and Rwanda to begin talks amid tensions over insurgency

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="549" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-820x549.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414936" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-820x549.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/U5DUPVTNRFIELG6KDS4EHR4OCM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Rwandan president Paul Kagame addresses delegates at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, July 4 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on Monday his country has no problem being excluded from a regional military force to be deployed to end decades of bloodshed caused by militant activity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.



In April the seven countries of the East African Community&nbsp;(EAC)&nbsp;which Congo joined this year, agreed to set up a joint force but Congo&#8217;s President had objected to the Rwandan army taking part.<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y72OF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;I have no problem with that,&#8221; he told the country&#8217;s state broadcaster. &#8220;We are not begging anyone that we participate in the force.&#8221;



Despite billions of dollars spent on one of the United Nation&#8217;s largest peacekeeping forces, more than 120 rebel groups continue to operate across large swathes of east Congo almost two decades after the official end of the central African country&#8217;s civil wars.



The EAC has called on local armed groups to join a political process to resolve their grievances or &#8220;be handled militarily&#8221;, the office of Kenya&#8217;s president said in April.



Recent attempts to stop the violence militarily have proven unsuccessful, and in some cases backfired, security analysts and human rights groups say.



(Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Writing by Hereward HollandEditing by James Macharia Chege)

Rwandan president Paul Kagame addresses delegates at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali

Rwanda’s Kagame has no problem being excluded from Congo regional military force

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-401486" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Ghana President, Nana Akufo-Addo attends the fifty-sixth ordinary session of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja on December 21, 2019. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP) (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



ACCRA, July 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ghana, one of West Africa&#8217;s largest economies, will hold formal talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a support package, the government said on Friday, after hundreds took to the streets protesting mounting hardship.



The cabinet gave its support for the decision at a meeting on Thursday, following a phone conversation between President Nana Akufo-Addo and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.



Ghana, the gold,&nbsp;cocoa and oil&nbsp;producer, has until now refused to seek IMF support to rescue an economy crippled by the pandemic, rampant inflation and a depreciating currency, despite analysts warning it is close to a debt crisis.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y85AF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>.



The IMF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Central bank governor Ernest Addison said in May that Ghana faced an overall balance of payments deficit of $934.5 million in the first quarter of 2022, compared with $429.9 million in the same period last year.



Analysts said the decision should help Ghana deal with its challenges.



&#8220;We have long waited for this to happen because we could tell it wasn&#8217;t going to get better anytime soon,&#8221; said William Duncan, founder of the Ghana-based Spear Capital &amp; Advisory.



&#8220;Now that the IMF has been engaged, it will be interesting to see how government spends on their flagship programmes and social interventions.&#8221;



Ghana&#8217;s dollar-denominated sovereign bonds rallied sharply with issues up maturing in 2026 and 2027 jumping nearly 5 cents in the dollar to trade at their highest level since May.&nbsp;US374422AC70=TE,&nbsp;XS2115122538=TE



&#8220;The first gain for Ghana will be improved international confidence in the country&#8217;s capacity and efforts to weather the crisis,&#8221; said Leslie Dwight Mensah, Economist and Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies in Accra.



Hundreds took to the streets in Accra this week to protest against spiraling inflation and other woes. Growth slowed to 3.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022 and inflation hit a record of 27.6% in May.



The central bank raised its main interest rate by 200 basis points to 19% last month, the second hike this year to buttress macroeconomic stability.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2XF33D&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Christian Akorlie in Accra; Additional reporting by Bate Felix in Dakar, Cooper Inveen in Accra and Karin Strohecker and Rachel Savage in London; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Nick Macfie)

NIGERIA-SECURITY-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-ECONOMY

Crisis-hit Ghana changes its mind and turns to IMF for help

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="427" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/640px-Flag_of_Ghana.svg_.png" alt="" class="wp-image-380479" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/640px-Flag_of_Ghana.svg_.png 640w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/640px-Flag_of_Ghana.svg_-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/640px-Flag_of_Ghana.svg_-600x400.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure>



ACCRA, June 28 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Police clashed with hundreds of demonstrators in Ghana&#8217;s capital Accra on Tuesday protesting against fuel price hikes, a tax on electronic payments and other levies as the country grapples with spiralling inflation and an economic downturn.



Ghanaians in recent months have been feeling the pinch of record inflation and the fallout of the Ukraine war amid cuts in government spending to avoid a full-blown debt crisis.



Hundreds on Tuesday joined an authorised two-day protest led by local lobby group &#8220;Arise Ghana&#8221; to denounce economic hardships, social media and Ghana News Agency footage showed.



Police responded with teargas, rubber bullets and hot water when the crowd veered off the proposed route, senior Arise Ghana member Sammy Gyamfi told Reuters by telephone, saying it was different to a previously agreed route.



The police said they were forced to use teargas and water cannons to restore order after demonstrators threw stones and burnt tires on the road.



Twelve officers were injured and some police vehicles damaged, they said in a statement, adding that protesters failed to follow &#8220;court-approved routes&#8221;.



The demonstration had dispersed by evening and streets in the city centre were lined with policemen, a Reuters reporter said.



Ghana&#8217;s economic growth slowed to 3.3% year-on-year in the first quarter and inflation hit a new record of 27.6% in May despite sweeping spending cuts and other measures to redress the financial situation.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y92X4&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a><a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2XV2IG&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The West African gold, oil and cocoa producer is also grappling with high debt and a depreciating local currency.



A controversial tax on electronic payments approved in April and presented as a solution for Ghana&#8217;s financial woes has raised the opposition&#8217;s ire, with critics saying it will unfairly affect low-income people and small businesses.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2VW4N9&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The government has consistently ruled out asking the International Monetary Fund for assistance despite analysts warning it is close to a debt crisis.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y85AF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Christian Akorlie and Cooper Inveen; Writing by Sofia ChristensenEditing by Gareth Jones)

640px-Flag_of_Ghana.svg

Police disperse protest over economic hardship in Ghana

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="536" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4-820x536.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418153" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4-820x536.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4-138x90.jpg 138w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Civil society members hold banners during an anti-Rwanda protest, amid tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali over Rwanda&#8217;s suspected backing of the M23 rebel group, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo June 25, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer.</figcaption></figure>



KINSHASA, June 29 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Life in Kinshasa was going well for Zawadi, a mother of two from Rwanda, until faraway fighting stoked Congolese anger against her country and videos of men with machetes prowling the city streets in search of Rwandans surfaced on social media.



The trouble started in May, when the M23 rebel group resumed heavy fighting against the military in the eastern reaches of Democratic Republic of Congo after years of relative quiet. Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, which Rwanda denies.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y72OF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Hundreds of kilometres to the west, in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, Zawadi watched in horror as videos of anti-Rwandan demonstrations circulated on social media and people she knew started posting anti-Rwandan images and slogans.



&#8220;I can&#8217;t take my children to school. I can&#8217;t go to the market. I have to stay at home,&#8221; said Zawadi, who declined to give her family name because of safety concerns.



Zawadi is no longer even able to work.



&#8220;Even my business partners, when they see me, they hurl hateful words,&#8221; said Zawadi, speaking in her home where she spends hours every day with her two young children, following the latest developments on her phone.



In early June, a video that circulated widely showed some men, armed with machetes and faces wrapped in Congolese flags, loitering on a Kinshasa street in front of a Rwandan-owned shop.



Another video, shot during a protest in the city on May 30, showed a crowd cheering as a picture of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, defaced with a Hitler-like moustache and swastika, was torched.



Protesters, including some well-known political figures, have demanded the closure of the Rwandan embassy.



The provincial commissioner of police, General Sylvano Kasongo, said officers were under orders to arrest anyone dressed in paramilitary outfits and adopting a threatening attitude, and some arrests had already taken place.



&#8220;The people of Kinshasa are hospitable,&#8221; he said, condemning the anti-Rwandan protests and attributing them to a minority.



Kinshasa Governor Gentiny Ngobila urged residents not to take out their anger on Rwandan citizens.



&#8220;We should not slip into that xenophobic rhetoric because it would give ammunition to those who would use the excuse that Rwandans are persecuted in Congo, therefore it is necessary to go to their rescue,&#8221; Ngobila said.



He was alluding to a justification given by Rwanda for invading Congo in 1996 and 1998. But the calls for restraint have done little to ease Zawadi&#8217;s fears.



&#8220;Everywhere you go, you think people could kill you, people could harm you,&#8221; she said.



EXPLAINER-The Congo rebellion inflaming regional tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y72OF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Benoit Nyemba; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Lisa Shumaker)

O6APFGYKWVIBDJYVV244R5HGQ4

Rwandans fear leaving their homes in Congo as anger grows over rebel attacks

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414305" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, June 29 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The board of the International Monetary Fund will meet next month to consider the latest review of Kenya&#8217;s performance in its current lending programme, a senior fund official said, potentially unlocking a $239 million tranche.



The East African nation struck a $2.34 billion extended fund facility and extended credit facility deal with the IMF in April last year, and it has already undergone other successful reviews.



The current review was &#8220;progressing well&#8221;, Tobias Rasmussen, the IMF&#8217;s resident representative in Kenya told Reuters, adding that the board is expected to meet in &#8220;mid-July&#8221; to complete the assessment.



&#8220;Kenya is on track to meet its fiscal objective under the programme, and strong tax performance this year is supporting resilience in the face of global shocks,&#8221; he said.



Ukur Yatani, Kenya&#8217;s finance minister, said the timing of the completion of the review was not crucial, as long as the government could access the $239 million at some point.



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&#8220;As long as the funding comes in, it doesn&#8217;t matter whether it comes in June or July,&#8221; he told Reuters.



The government usually makes adjustments if the cash it has planned to get in the course of a given financial year does not materialise, he said, without specifying if the government was counting on the $239 million in its current fiscal year to June 30.



&#8220;We are fully in control. We knew that there could be some slight delays,&#8221; he said.



Earlier this month, Kenya was forced to cancel the planned issuance of a second Eurobond this financial year, due to surging bond yields.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2XX1EX&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The Kenyan dollar bonds are some of the worst performers among African issuers this year.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Alison Williams)

IMF’s board to review Kenya’s performance in mid-July, $239 mln at stake

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418113" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attends his last campaign event ahead of Ethiopia&#8217;s parliamentary and regional elections scheduled for June 21, in Jimma, Ethiopia, June 16, 2021. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



ADDIS ABABA, June 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The African Union should facilitate peace talks between Ethiopia&#8217;s government and rebellious forces from the Tigray region in the north, the country&#8217;s ruling party told state media on Monday.



The conflict in Ethiopia, Africa&#8217;s second-most populous nation, has displaced millions of people, plunged parts of Tigray into famine conditions and killed thousands of civilians, since it erupted in November 2020.



Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said two weeks ago that the federal government had formed a committee to study how they will negotiate with the&nbsp;Tigrayan&nbsp;forces.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Y10K8&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



After discussing the committee&#8217;s report, Abiy&#8217;s ruling Prosperity Party wants the African Union to oversee a peaceful resolution of the conflict, Gedion Timothewos, the justice minister, told the state news agency.



The government, however, stood ready to take action if violence continued, Gideon was quoted as saying by the Ethiopian Press Agency.



He did not provide more details on the report from the committee, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen.



It had been given 10-15 days to hammer out details of negotiations and government officials told Reuters last week that its report would be made public.



The Tigray People&#8217;s Liberation Front (TPLF), a former rebel army turned political party, said it was prepared to participate in a &#8220;credible, impartial and principled&#8221; peace process, after Abiy announced the formation of the committee.



TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Prosperity Party&#8217;s position.



In his role as the AU&#8217;s Horn of Africa envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has been conducting shuttle diplomacy between the two sides.



The federal government later announced a seven-member negotiating committee led by deputy prime minister Demeke Mekonnen.



It includes a security adviser to Abiy, justice minister Timothewos, the head of the national intelligence service and the head of military intelligence.



Two top officials from the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, which were heavily affected by the fighting, are also on the committee.



(Reporting by Addis Ababa Newsroom; writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Duncan Miriri and Alistair Bell)<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?categories=BUS_SPO_NEWS&amp;id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2022%3Anewsml_L1N2YE1RO%3A1294005430&amp;languages=ENG&amp;media-types=T&amp;regions=AFR&amp;sources=RTRS#"></a><a href="mailto:?body=Janet.Maloka%40abn360.com%20shared%20a%20story%20with%20you%20on%20Reuters%20Connect.%0A%0A%0AUPDATE%201-African%20Union%20should%20lead%20Tigray%20peace%20talks%2C%20Ethiopia%27s%20ruling%20party%20says%0A%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reutersconnect.com%2Fall%3Fid%3Dtag%253Areuters.com%252C2022%253Anewsml_L1N2YE1RO%26share%3Dtrue%0A%0A-----------------%0A%0AIf%20you%20are%20unable%20to%20see%20the%20news%20item%20or%20receive%20an%20error%2C%20be%20sure%20that%20the%20appropriate%20feeds%20are%20selected%20in%20your%20account%20settings%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reutersconnect.com%2Fsettings%0A&amp;subject=Reuters%20Story%3A%20UPDATE%201-African%20Union%20should%20lead%20Tigray%20peace%20talks%2C%20Ethiopia%27s%20ruling%20party%20says"></a><a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?categories=BUS_SPO_NEWS&amp;id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2022%3Anewsml_L1N2YE1RO%3A1294005430&amp;languages=ENG&amp;media-types=T&amp;regions=AFR&amp;sources=RTRS#"></a>

Z2WISOQK7FJZXDVL2B2TAZ4MKQ

African Union should lead Tigray peace talks, Ethiopia’s ruling party says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="536" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-820x536.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418055" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-820x536.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-138x90.jpg 138w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Britain&#8217;s Prince Charles gets briefed by an aide before attending the Heads of Government and CEOs roundtable during Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the Intare conference arena on the outskirts Kigali, Rwanda June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Ayenat Mersie</figcaption></figure>



KIGALI, June 24 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Commonwealth leaders meet in Kigali on Friday to discuss cooperation on topics from trade to health to climate, against a backdrop of criticism of the host Rwanda&#8217;s human rights record and of a British policy to deport asylum seekers there.



The Commonwealth, a club of 54 countries most of which are former British colonies, encompasses about a third of humanity and presents itself as a network of equal partners with shared goals such as democracy, peace and prosperity.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y8519&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Britain&#8217;s Prince Charles and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will attend an opening ceremony along with heads of state and government from most member countries, before the leaders hold two days of talks behind closed doors.



One item on the agenda will be applications by former French colonies Togo and Gabon to join the Commonwealth, a sign of disenchantment within France&#8217;s sphere of influence in Africa and of the attractions of an English-speaking club.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YA249&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The theme of the summit, &#8220;Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming&#8221;, offered few clues as to what outcomes were expected.



At previous summits, leaders have agreed on declarations and targets on specific challenges such as malaria, and some of the richer members have pledged funding for specific initiatives.



Some prominent countries, including South Africa, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand sent more junior delegations led by ministers to Kigali.



Earlier this month, 24 civil society groups including Human Rights Watch said the Commonwealth&#8217;s human rights mandate would be undermined if leaders failed to challenge Rwanda on its record.



They said the Rwandan government was responsible for abusive prosecutions, harassment and torture of dissidents, which Rwanda denies.



The hosting of the summit by Rwanda has also kept the spotlight on Britain&#8217;s controversial policy to deport asylum seekers to the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Y10B6&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Prince Charles was reported by British media to have described it as &#8220;appalling&#8221;, an uneasy backdrop to his interactions with both Johnson and Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the summit. However, any tensions were unlikely to be aired in public.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YA3Q3&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Johnson, asked by Reuters on Thursday if he would visit detention centres prepared by the Rwandan authorities to receive asylum seekers from Britain, said he was &#8220;flat out&#8221; and would not be able to.



(Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Writing by Estelle Shirbon, Editing by William Maclean)

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East Africa

Ugandan leader extols Africa-Russia friendship during visit by Lavrov

USAID pledges Kenya $255 mln to fight drought, appeals to rich countries to help

Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China

More than 200 people die as drought ravages northeast Uganda

IMF approves $235.6 million disbursement to Kenya on loan review

U.S., Kenya launch non-tariff trade and investment partnership talks

IMF’s Georgieva says Chad, Ethiopia, Zambia creditor committees to meet soon

Zambia’s creditors seen offering financial assurances by end-July -source

Congo, Rwanda agree at Angola summit to reduce tension

Congo and Rwanda to begin talks amid tensions over insurgency

Rwanda’s Kagame has no problem being excluded from Congo regional military force

Crisis-hit Ghana changes its mind and turns to IMF for help

Police disperse protest over economic hardship in Ghana

Rwandans fear leaving their homes in Congo as anger grows over rebel attacks

IMF’s board to review Kenya’s performance in mid-July, $239 mln at stake

African Union should lead Tigray peace talks, Ethiopia’s ruling party says

Commonwealth leaders meet in Rwanda amid criticism of host’s rights record

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