<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="590" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-820x590.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-429138" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-820x590.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-300x216.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-125x90.jpg 125w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-1536x1106.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JHXDMXCSE5LZJG7LNLI4TT4SNI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Felix Tshisekedi, leader of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) walks with his wife Denise Nyekeru Tshisekedi as he arrives during the launch of the first official day of the campaign for the presidential election of December 20, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Nyemba</figcaption></figure>



KINSHASA, Nov 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi launched his re-election bid on Sunday in a packed-to-capacity stadium in the capital Kinshasa, urging voters to give him another mandate to consolidate his achievements.



More than 43 million registered voters are eligible to take part in the general election and presidential polls on Dec. 20.



Tshisekedi, 60, who came to power in 2018 following a disputed election in the world&#8217;s largest producer of battery material cobalt and a major copper producer, is seeking another term following a turbulent five years in office.



Speaking at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa Martyrs Stadium, packed with his coalition supporters decked in party colours and carrying effigies of its leaders, Tshisekedi told the cheering crowd he had delivered free basic education and planned to soon introduce universal healthcare.



&#8220;In just two years we have been able to do all of these actions that you have seen, but we can do better. Vote for me to consolidate the gains we already have,&#8221; Tshisekedi said, adding that his first two years in office were constrained by a power-sharing agreement with former president Joseph Kabila.



&#8220;The others will come and start from scratch, it is better to consolidate what we have started,&#8221; he said.



Tshisekedi will face 25 other candidates in the presidential race, including old rival Martin Fayulu, a 66-year-old former Exxon Mobil executive who came second in the 2018 election.



Other challengers include Nobel Peace Prize-winning gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, who is running for the first time, Moise Katumbi, a millionaire businessman and former governor of the copper-rich Katanga region, and former prime minister Augustin Matata Ponyo.



Tshisekedi, son of long-term opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, had on taking office promised to root out corruption and authoritarian rule, rebuild the economy, tackle inequalities and deal with Congo&#8217;s prolonged security crisis, but critics say he has fallen short on these issues.



His first term has been mired by economic hardship, the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola outbreaks and persistent insecurity, particularly in the east where the resurgent M23 rebel group seized swathes of territory displacing over 1 million.



&#8220;I&#8217;m backing Tshisekedi because he is the ideal choice for Congo given what he has done already. He has proven that if we give him another mandate, he&#8217;ll do even better,&#8221; said Alidor Ilunga, a 35-year-old supporter.



Rival Fayulu launched his campaign in Bandundu, around 400km (249 miles) northeast of the capital, also on Sunday, while other candidates including Katumbi are expected to launch theirs from Monday.



(Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by David Holmes)

Congolese President Tshisekedi launches electoral campaign with Kinshasa rally

Congo’s Tshisekedi kicks off re-election bid with vow to consolidate achievements

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427633" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PICJOSJU3ZIDPGUR5CMU73CAGM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Gabon coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema is sworn in as interim president during his swearing-in ceremony, in Libreville, Gabon, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) &#8211; When Gabon&#8217;s General Brice Oligui Nguema ousted his distant cousin last month, he became the eighth military leader who has taken power by force in Africa since 2020. But one aspect about the country was different: it had sold a sizeable amount of bonds on international capital markets, and had just weeks prior sealed continental Africa&#8217;s first debt-for-nature swap.



The putsch not only sent Gabon&#8217;s bonds tumbling 10%, but also hit those issued by a number of other countries including neighbouring Cameroon, as jittery investors scanned for who might be next.



The apparent coup trend is adding to other major concerns deterring many investors from&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;&#8211; a wave of debt crises, tense geopolitics and an extreme vulnerability to climate change.



&#8220;Nearly all markets in that region are paying some price in terms of rising cost of debt,&#8221; said Sergey Dergachev, portfolio manager at Union Investment.



A UNDP study dated July shows how the costs add up. It estimated Guinea&#8217;s 2008 coup and one in Mali in 2012 wiped a combined $12-$13.5 billion off the two countries&#8217; economies over a 5-year period. This represented 76% of Guinea&#8217;s 2008 gross domestic product and almost half of Mali&#8217;s 2012 GDP, the study calculated.



There have been scores of coups and attempted coups in recent decades including in Thailand, Ecuador, Egypt and Turkey.



Investors in those markets reacted reflexively &#8211; sell first, think later.



Gabon&#8217;s coup not only hurt its bonds, it also ratcheted up the interest rate premium, or &#8216;spread&#8217;, investors demand to hold bonds in JPMorgan&#8217;s multi-country &#8220;Nexgem&#8221;&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;index, a move that has still not fully retraced.



Cameroon has been particularly sensitive. Its bonds have lost more ground than Gabon&#8217;s since the coup. The country&#8217;s President Paul Biya has ruled for over 40 years through crackdowns and contested elections and wants his son to take over.



In focus too is Senegal, whose President Macky Sall recently ruled out running for a third term after violent unrest, and Congo Republic which had to quash weekend rumours of an overthrow while President Denis Sassou Nguesso &#8211; in power for 38 years &#8211; was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unequal-coups">UNEQUAL COUPS</h2>



&#8220;Certainly there&#8217;s a lot of eyeballs on this (coup) theme right now,&#8221; said Eamon Aghdasi, a sovereign analyst at investment firm GMO, who co-authored a recent paper on whether democracy matters to debt investors.



&#8220;As a bondholder, the worst-case scenario is that a new government comes in and repudiates the previous government&#8217;s debt&#8221;.



There is no sign of Gabon&#8217;s new leaders repudiating debt, though payments on bonds have run into trouble elsewhere, such as Niger.



Credit ratings usually suffer too. Fitch and Moody&#8217;s have put Gabon on a downgrade warning since the Aug. 30 overthrow. Agencies slashed ratings for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, although further afield, Thailand&#8217;s never budged despite two coups in the last two decades.



&#8220;Coups, in general, in&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;or anywhere else, can cause problems for debt repayment partly because of the potential for sanctions,&#8221; S&amp;P Global analyst Ravi Bhatia said, adding that vital international support can also get shelved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-costs">RISING COSTS</h2>



Gabon, where the Bongo family had ruled for nearly 60 years amid stark inequality, has yet to face the kinds of sanctions imposed on Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger &#8211; although its International Monetary Fund programme was already off track.



Moody&#8217;s cited the rise in oil prices in its decision to hold off on a full downgrade, as well as Gabon&#8217;s membership of the Central&nbsp;African monetary union (CFA franc), which shields it from currency volatility.



The country&#8217;s bond spreads have eased somewhat since investors&#8217; initial panic and could recover entirely, some analysts say, if it makes its first post-coup bond payment on time next month.



&#8220;You may get a situation where bondholders might say, if it&#8217;s a change away from long-term single leaderships, then it may well be a turn for the better,&#8221; said Simon Quijano-Evans, chief economist with Gemcorp. &#8220;As long as elections and democracy come back&#8221;.



Broadly though, concerns about sovereign stability across&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;loom large. This year&#8217;s &#8220;Fragile States Index&#8221; published by non-profit The Fund for Peace rated 46&nbsp;African countries as at least somewhat unstable.



Even in Kenya, a solid democracy on the other side of the continent, investors warn that general risk aversion could push up the cost of issuing a new bond.



(Reporting By Libby George and Marc Jones, additional reporting by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

FILE PHOTO: Gabon coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema is sworn in as interim president in Libreville

Counting the cost of contagion fears from Africa coups

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="461" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-820x461.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427215" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-820x461.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HIA46EEL7ZJN3JVG6KDGWO25D4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A military vehicle passes by people celebrating after military officers announced they had taken power, after the state election body announced President Ali Bongo had won a third term, in Port Gentil, Gabon August 30, 2023 in this still image obtained from social media video. Gaetan M-Antchouwet via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



LIBREVILLE, Sept 4 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The leader of a coup that ousted Gabon&#8217;s President Ali Bongo was sworn in&nbsp;as interim president&nbsp;and cheered by jubilant supporters on Monday in a televised&nbsp;ceremony&nbsp;designed to cast the military as liberators of an oppressed society.



In West and Central Africa&#8217;s eighth coup in three years, army officers led by General Brice Oligui Nguema seized power on Aug. 30, minutes after an announcement that Bongo had won an election they annulled and said was not credible.



Nguema&nbsp;was given a standing ovation by military officers and officials as he arrived for the ceremony, and again just after he was sworn in by a panel of constitutional court judges.



State TV showed images of a cheering crowd and armoured personnel carriers firing into the sea to mark the moment.



In a speech, Nguema proposed reforms including a new constitution to be adopted by referendum, new electoral and penal codes, and measures to prioritise local banks and companies for economic development. He also said political exiles would be welcomed back and political prisoners freed.



Repeatedly interrupted by cheers, he described the coup, which&nbsp;ended the Bongo family&#8217;s 56-year&nbsp;hold on power in the oil-producing country,&nbsp;as a moment of national liberation and a manifestation of God&#8217;s will.



&#8220;When the people are crushed by their leaders &#8230; it&#8217;s the army that gives them back their dignity,&#8221; he said. &#8220;People of Gabon, today the times of happiness that our ancestors dreamt of are finally coming.&#8221;



Several figures from Bongo&#8217;s government, including the vice president and prime minister, attended the ceremony.



Bongo himself remains under house arrest. He was elected in 2009, taking over from his late father who came to power in 1967. Opponents say the family did too little to share Gabon&#8217;s oil and mining wealth with the country&#8217;s 2.3 million people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pledge-to-return-power-to-civilians">PLEDGE TO RETURN POWER TO CIVILIANS</h2>



Nguema reiterated that his administration would organise free and fair elections, though he gave no timetable.



&#8220;After this transition &#8230; we intend to return power to civilians by organising new elections that will be free, transparent, credible and peaceful,&#8221; he said.



Previously, Nguema had said the junta would proceed &#8220;quickly but surely,&#8221; but cautioned that too much haste could lead to elections that lack credibility.



The coup had drawn&nbsp;cheering crowds onto the streets of the capital Libreville but condemnation from abroad.



Leaders of the Central African regional bloc ECCAS are due to meet in person on Monday to discuss their response. Last week they urged partners led by the United Nations and the African Union to support a rapid return to constitutional order.



Gabon&#8217;s main opposition group, Alternance 2023, which says it is the rightful winner of the Aug. 26 election, has called on the international community to encourage the junta to hand power back to civilians.



Members of Alternance 2023 met Nguema on Sunday for talks, a source in the alliance told Reuters, without sharing further details.



Gabon&#8217;s international bonds continued to claw back ground after their sharp tumble last Wednesday. The 2025 bond recorded the biggest gains, up 1.8 cents in the dollar according to Tradeweb data.



However, the bonds which are trading between 91.3 cents from 2024 maturities and 74 cents for issues coming due in 2031, are still down around 5 cents from their pre-coup levels. US362420AB78=TE, XS1245960684=TE, US362420AD35=TE, US362420AD35=TE



(Additional reporting by Nellie Peyton and Karin Strohecker; Writing by Alessandra Prentice and Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Peter Graff and Christina Fincher)

Military vehicle passes by people celebrating in Port Gentil

Gabon coup leader sworn in as interim president in scene of jubilation

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427174" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Z4DVFX4YZBISTIKKKGFNVAHVZY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trucks carrying industrial equipments wait because of the closure of the border after the coup in Gabon, in the border town of Kye-Ossi, Cameroon August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Desire Danga Essigue/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LIBREVILLE, Sept 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Gabon&#8217;s main opposition group, Alternance 2023, called on the international community on Friday to encourage the junta that overthrew President Ali Bongo to hand power back to civilians.



Military officers seized power in a coup on Wednesday minutes after an announcement that Bongo had secured a third term in an election. They placed him under house arrest and picked General Brice Oligui Nguema as transitional leader.



The junta has said little about its immediate plans after ending the Bongo family&#8217;s almost six decades in power, a move that drew cheering crowds onto the streets of Libreville.



Bongo had ruled since 2009, taking over from his father when he died after he had been president since 1967. Opponents say the family did little to share Gabon&#8217;s oil and mining wealth with its 2.3 million people, almost a third of whom live in poverty.



&#8220;We were happy that Ali Bongo was overthrown but &#8230; we hope that the international community will stand up in favour of the Republic and the democratic order in Gabon by asking the military to give back the power to the civilians,&#8221; Alexandra Pangha, spokesperson for Alternance 2023 leader Albert Ondo Ossa, told the BBC.



Alternance 2023 has said it wanted a full vote count from Tuesday&#8217;s election which it said would show Ondo Ossa had won. Gabon&#8217;s election commission said Bongo had been re-elected with 64% of the vote, while Ondo Ossa secured almost 31%.



Pangha said the opposition hoped to get an invitation from the junta to discuss the Central African country&#8217;s transition plan and return to the republican order but said it had not received anything yet.



Nguema, leader of the officers behind the coup, is expected to be sworn in as transitional president on Monday, the junta has said. He will also give his first presidential address.



&#8220;We think it&#8217;s absurd for the putschists to swear in on Monday,&#8221; Pangha said.



The African Union&#8217;s Peace and Security Council demanded on Thursday that the military refrain from any interference in the political process and called for fair and transparent elections.



France, Gabon&#8217;s former colonial ruler, and other Western powers have condemned the military takeover.



(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice and Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Edmund Blair)

Gabon shutdown leaves truck drivers stranded at border crossing

Gabon opposition calls for pressure on junta to hand power to civilians

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="541" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-820x541.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426985" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-820x541.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-137x90.jpg 137w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-768x506.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-1536x1013.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HC4HTARYCNKDXDWVB6A4ZKHGDU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session of the BRICS summit via a video link in Moscow, Russia, August 23, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



Aug 28 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed bilateral ties including&nbsp;trade, energy and space&nbsp;cooperation&nbsp;with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by phone, the Kremlin said on Monday.



The two leaders also discussed the planned expansion of the BRICS group of emerging economies &#8211; comprising India, Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa &#8211; as well as a summit of the G20 club of major economies that New Delhi will host next month.



Russia has sought to further strengthen already warm ties with India after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered sweeping Western sanctions on Moscow. India is a major buyer of Russian oil.



&#8220;Topical issues of Russian-Indian relations, which are progressively developing in the spirit of a particularly privileged strategic partnership, were considered (in the call),&#8221; the Kremlin said in a statement.



&#8220;The positive dynamics of trade and economic cooperation was affirmed,&#8221; it added.



Last week Modi and Putin both took part in the BRICS summit in South Africa, though the Russian leader attended only via video link because of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.



The Kremlin, which strongly denies the ICC allegations, has said Putin will also not attend the G20 gathering in India.



Both Russia and India launched lunar probes this month, but only the Indian one landed successfully on the moon while the Russian craft crashed.



(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Russian President Putin attends BRICS summit via video link from Moscow

Russia’s Putin discusses bilateral ties, BRICS with India’s Modi in phone call

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="549" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-820x549.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426612" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-820x549.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IN26AN3IDNPIRJS6GP7UAQAIYE-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council, via video link in Moscow, Russia July 14, 2023. Sputnik/Alexey Babushkin/Kremlin via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin has a reputation for keeping other national leaders waiting. But Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appeared to turn the tables at last week&#8217;s Russia-Africa summit, leaving the Russian leader in front of the cameras for almost half a minute before entering the room.



The St Petersburg summit appeared intended to showcase strong mutual relations despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Instead, it was overshadowed by Russia’s withdrawal from a UN-brokered deal on Black Sea grain, and Putin&#8217;s decision not to attend a summit of the BRICS developing nations in South Africa.



Attempts by African nations to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine also appear to have made little headway.



Russian officials may view the attendance of 17 African leaders as a positive, with the conference statement repeating multiple Kremlin talking points. But it represented a significant slump since 2019, when leaders from 45 of Africa&#8217;s 54 nations attended the Kremlin&#8217;s inaugural Africa summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.



Putin vowed in Sochi to double Russian trade with Africa from around $20 billion a year within five years. Instead, first the pandemic and then the Ukraine war battered that target, with only $14 billion in trade in 2020 recovering to what Putin says was $18 billion in 2022.



Russian officials say there was a further 35% increase on that in the first six months of this year despite international sanctions. Traditionally, about 70% of Russia&#8217;s Africa trade has been with just four countries &#8211; Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa.



While Africa’s more established powerbrokers still seem keen to retain contact with the Kremlin, they also appear to see growing limits to the relationship.



In what appeared to be the view of multiple nations, African Union chairman Azali Assoumani publicly told Putin countries would &#8220;not close our eyes to the issue between Russia and Ukraine, because these are two countries with which we have partnerships, and we can see the negative consequences around the world, especially in Africa&#8221;.



That development, like the summit itself, appears to point to a larger trend. The Kremlin is keen to maintain its links with larger African states like Egypt and South Africa, but it is finding it can win much greater influence in more marginalised, conflict-ridden nations where it can help local military elites grab and maintain power.



Following last week&#8217;s coup in Niger, pro-Russian and anti-French demonstrations have become an increasing feature of life in the capital Niamey, suggesting it might be the next country to move from Paris’s sphere of influence to that of Moscow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WAGNER FOUNDER RESURFACES</h2>



Ukrainian officials – engaged in their own aggressive outreach across Africa – were particularly quick to blame the Kremlin for the coup, describing it as a “standard Russian tactic”.



One apparent winner at last week’s summit appeared to be founder of Russia’s Wagner Group of mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, pictured at the summit in the company of a senior official from the Central African Republic, one of the first countries in which it operated.



Having attempted to march on Moscow in what looked like his own attempted coup in June, the Wagner leader had largely vanished from public view as his fighters relocated to Belarus in a deal with Putin.



His presence at the summit suggests the group will continue to remain heavily involved in Africa, where the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace describes it as operating like an imperial-era military trading company.



The U.S.-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies this month accused Russian actors of running disinformation campaigns in at least 17 African nations, with wider efforts to undermine democracy under way in at least 23. Almost half of those nations were already in conflict, it said, representing 75% of the wars on the continent.



For more established, powerful African governments, the relationship with Russia appears something they wish to leverage in a more complex way – although the display of Russian weaponry to leaders during the summit suggests the Kremlin still sees the continent as a significant purchaser of its arms. Food, however, remains more important to governments and ordinary Africans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-savage-food-diplomacy">SAVAGE FOOD DIPLOMACY</h2>



Russia’s decision to cancel the UN grain deal shortly before the summit might have damaged it diplomatically, but the Kremlin appears to hope it will achieve more by hurting Ukraine and boosting global prices – or by forcing the international community to offer Russia&#8217;s own food and fertiliser products better market access by renegotiating the agreement.



Since withdrawing from the deal, Russian forces have stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s export infrastructure, including port facilities in Odesa and on the Danube near Romania.



At the Africa summit, Putin appeared to make it clear Russia had no intention of prioritising African countries above its own commercial interests – he described the rising global grain prices that had followed Russia&#8217;s withdrawal from the grain deal as good for Russian firms.



But he also added that Moscow would share some of those revenues with the &#8220;poorest nations&#8221;, pledging to send free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and the Central African Republic.



Kenyan officials described Russia’s moves on grain as “a stab in the back” – but no other African nation appeared willing to offer quite such strident criticism. South African officials say they are working to persuade Moscow to re-allow shipments from Ukraine, but with no visible success yet.



Few of Moscow’s African partners may be happy with Russia at the moment, but the Kremlin appears to be gambling that they will not abandon it entirely.



* Peter Apps is a Reuters columnist writing on defence and security issues. He joined Reuters in 2003, reporting from southern Africa and Sri Lanka and on global defence issues. He has been a columnist since 2016. He is also the founder of a think tank, the Project for Study of the 21st Century, and, since 2016, has been a Labour Party activist and British Army reservist.



(Editing by Nick Macfie)

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council in Moscow

What next for Russia-Africa relations after awkward summit?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="562" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-820x562.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426528" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-820x562.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-1536x1053.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2SHV6YPT6BOFRGYGFF6R2HXINY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks during the annual end-of-year news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2019. Picture taken December 19, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



MOSCOW, Aug 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Kremlin said on Tuesday that other countries&#8217; interest in joining the BRICS group of nations was proof of the bloc&#8217;s growing authority on the world stage, but hinted at disagreements over its possible expansion ahead of a summit.



BRICS&#8217; current five members &#8211; Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa &#8211; are due to convene in Johannesburg on Aug. 22-24 and a potential expansion will be high on the agenda, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.



&#8220;This is a very important topic because we see that more and more countries are making statements about their intention of joining BRICS,&#8221; Peskov told reporters.



&#8220;In general, such interest in the BRICS group shows the great potential of the association, its growing authority and, most importantly, the practical importance of this association.&#8221;



South Africa said last month that more than 40 other nations had expressed interest in joining the organisation, which aims to offset the perceived hegemony of the U.S.-led West in global affairs. Of those, 22 had formally asked to join, it said.



While not publicly revealing its stance on expansion, Russia has not opposed the idea publicly. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in June that the group&#8217;s growing attractiveness to other countries was testimony to the fact that it symbolised what he called &#8220;the evolution of the multipolar world&#8221;.



Pavel Knyazev, a Russian diplomat who represents Moscow&#8217;s interests in BRICS, has said the criteria and methodology for admitting new members is still being discussed and consensus around the issue is needed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nuances">&#8216;NUANCES&#8217;</h2>



Under Western sanctions because of the war in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation, Russia has boosted economic, military and other ties with China, India and various African and Latin American states to try to stave off what it calls Western attempts to isolate it.



Peskov said there what he called &#8220;nuances&#8221; within the current five-nation group about expanding its membership.



&#8220;All these nuances will of course be discussed during the upcoming summit&#8230;and the heads of state will speak about their position,&#8221; he said.



Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira struck the most cautious note on the idea of admitting new members during a news conference in June after the minister&#8217;s meeting.



He spoke of the need to &#8220;take care of&#8221; what he called &#8220;a brand and an asset&#8221; which he said was responsible for 31.5% of the world&#8217;s gross domestic product and 40% of its population and said discussions about its expansion were &#8220;a work in progress&#8221;.



Lavrov will represent Russia at the Johannesburg summit, President Vladimir Putin will dial in by video call.



Putin decided not to attend in person due to a warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes by Russia in Ukraine, something Moscow rejects and denies. South Africa is an ICC member.



(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn/Gareth Jones; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Alex Richardson and Angus MacSwan)

Kremlin spokesman Peskov speaks during a news conference in Moscow

Kremlin says BRICS is growing in stature, hints at disagreements over expansion plans

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="517" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-820x517.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426478" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-820x517.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-300x189.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-143x90.jpg 143w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-768x484.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-1536x969.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/3GJLBGWDDRJX5H7W5QPOQLPJ4Y-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 27, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



July 28 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders on Friday Moscow respected their peace proposal on Ukraine and was carefully studying it.



Putin&nbsp;also told&nbsp;a Russia-Africa summit that Russia was increasing food supplies to Africa, including some free grain shipments which he announced a day earlier, and was interested in developing military cooperation with the continent.



African leaders presented their peace initiative last month to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy but it has failed to gain traction with either side.



Putin initially greeted it by reciting a list of Russian grievances against Ukraine and the West, while Zelenskiy has rejected the idea of a ceasefire that would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of Ukraine and give Russian forces time to regroup.



On day two of the summit, Putin said Russia was prepared to supply some weapons to Africa for free to enhance security on the continent, and to work more closely with African law enforcement and intelligence services.



He said it was increasing agricultural exports and would remain a reliable supplier of food. Moscow had written off $23 billion of debt, he said, without saying over what time period or naming the countries involved.



(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg

Putin tells African leaders Moscow is studying their Ukraine peace plan

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426474" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ONOSZGGUPNP5HM22PF7QSZKW3Y-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A signage at an entrance to the African Union (AU) Mission is pictured in Washington, D.C., U.S. December 15, 2020. Picture taken with a long exposure. REUTERS/Raphael Satter</figcaption></figure>



July 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Representatives from various African and Caribbean entities joined forces at a historic event this week in the capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, to demand reparations for slavery and its legacy in today&#8217;s society.



The University of the West Indies (UWI), the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (AU), Barbados&#8217; government, grant-making network Open Society Foundations and the Caribbean Pan African Network teamed up to &#8220;call for reparations for historical crimes&#8221;.



The meeting in Bridgetown, from Monday to Thursday, included strategy sessions and plenaries and marked the beginning of an &#8220;intercontinental campaign&#8221;, the UWI said in a statement, describing it as &#8220;ground-breaking&#8221;.



Attendees included ambassadors and representatives from AU member states and the Caribbean Community political and economic union (CARICOM).



&#8220;This is a historic moment&#8230; humanity cannot go forward with all the toxic interferences of colonisation,&#8221; Hilary Beckles, head of the CARICOM reparations commission, told a news conference on Thursday. &#8220;We have to clean up this mess to allow humanity to function.&#8221;



The CARICOM reparations commission, which was set up to seek reparations from former colonial powers such as the United Kingdom, France and Portugal, &#8220;sees the persistent racial victimisation of the descendants of slavery and genocide as the root cause of their suffering today&#8221;, it said in its 10-point reparation plan.



Outcomes of the meeting include a proposal for a roadmap for cooperation between the AU and CARICOM, the UWI statement said.



&#8220;It is crucial to recognise how slavery, colonialism and racism intersect and impact the lives of Black people around the world,&#8221; said AU official Youssouf Mandoha.



From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported by European ships and merchants and sold into slavery. Those who survived the brutal voyage ended up toiling on plantations under inhumane conditions in the Americas, mostly in Brazil and the Caribbean, while others profited from their labor.



Barbados, where the meeting took place, received 600,000 enslaved Africans between 1627 and 1833, who were put to work in sugar plantations, earning fortunes for the English owners.



The Caribbean island ditched Britain&#8217;s late Queen Elizabeth as head of state in 2021 and renewed its campaign for reparations.



The idea of paying reparations or making other amends for slavery has a long history but the movement is gaining momentum worldwide.



The EU said earlier this month that Europe&#8217;s slave-trading past inflicted &#8220;untold suffering&#8221; on millions of people and hinted at the need for reparations for what it described as a &#8220;crime against humanity&#8221;.



(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

A signage at an entrance to the African Union (AU) Mission in Washington

African, Caribbean nations join forces to call for reparations for slavery

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426119" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Gabon-President-Bongo-to-run-for-re-election-in-Augus-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, April 19, 2023. Ken Ishii/Pool via REUTERS/File photo</figcaption></figure>



LIBREVILLE, July 9 (Reuters) &#8211; Gabon President Ali Bongo will run for re-election in August, he said on Sunday, in a bid to extend his family&#8217;s 56-year grip on power in the Central African country.



&#8220;Because nothing matters more than your success, I am announcing today that I am a candidate&#8221;, Bongo told a small crowd of cheering supporters.



Elections are scheduled for Aug. 26.



Bongo, 64, has been president of the oil-producing nation for two seven-year terms since succeeding his father Omar, who died in 2009 after ruling since 1967. Gabon has no constitutional term limits.



Both of Bongo&#8217;s election wins were disputed by the opposition, who said he won fraudulently. His 2016 victory triggered deadly clashes between police and protesters during which the parliament building was gutted by fire.



Bongo&#8217;s re-election bid was thrown into doubt when he suffered a stroke in October 2018 and was flown to Morocco for medical treatment. He spent three months abroad but returned shortly after a coup attempt was thwarted in his absence. (Reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Gabonese President Ondimba and Chinese President Xi meet in Beijing

Gabon President Bongo to run for re-election in August

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="504" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/R5PDAQY7GFKIPDZUWR3J54RCKM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425858" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/R5PDAQY7GFKIPDZUWR3J54RCKM.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/R5PDAQY7GFKIPDZUWR3J54RCKM-300x208.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/R5PDAQY7GFKIPDZUWR3J54RCKM-130x90.jpg 130w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO; Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during a press conference as he gives an update on the progress made in the six months since he introduced the Illegal Migration Bill under his plans to &#8220;stop the boats&#8221;, at Western Jet Foil in Dover, Britain. Picture date: Monday June 5, 2023. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, June 29 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government would appeal to the UK&#8217;s top court after its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda was deemed unlawful in a major blow to his pledge to stop asylum seekers arriving in small boats.



Under an initial 140 million pound ($177 million) deal struck last year, Britain planned to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrive on its shores a distance of more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to the East African country.



The government argues the plan would smash the business model of human traffickers but critics say the policy is inhumane and will not work. On Thursday the Court of Appeal concluded by a majority of two to one that Rwanda could not be treated as a safe third country.



&#8220;While I respect the court I fundamentally disagree with their conclusions,&#8221; Sunak said in a statement, adding the government would seek to overturn the decision in the UK Supreme Court.



&#8220;The policy of this government is very simple, it is this country – and your government – who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And I will do whatever is necessary to make that happen.&#8221;



The ruling comes as a huge blow for Sunak, grappling with high inflation, rising interest rates and declining public support amid growing pressure from his party and the public to tackle rising numbers of asylum seekers costing 3 billion pounds a year to accommodate.



Sunak has made &#8220;stop the boats&#8221; one of his five top priorities, and hopes a fall in arrivals might help his Conservative Party, trailing by about 20 points in opinion polls, pull off an unexpected win at the next national election.



The first planned Rwanda deportation flight was blocked a year ago in a last-minute ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which imposed an injunction preventing any deportations until the conclusion of legal action in Britain.



In December, the High Court ruled the policy was lawful, but that decision was challenged by asylum seekers from several countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran, along with human rights organisations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inhumane-treatment">&#8216;INHUMANE TREATMENT&#8217;</h2>



The appeal court ruled deficiencies in Rwanda&#8217;s asylum system meant there were substantial grounds for believing that those sent there would be returned to their home nations where they face &#8220;persecution or other inhumane treatment&#8221;.



&#8220;The result is that the High&nbsp;Court&#8217;s&nbsp;decision that Rwanda was a safe third country is reversed and that unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum processes are corrected removal of asylum-seekers to Rwanda will be unlawful,&#8221; Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett said.



Burnett himself disagreed with the other two judges, a fact highlighted by Sunak.&nbsp;However, even if the government&nbsp;were to be&nbsp;successful with an appeal to the UK&#8217;s top court, deportation flights are very unlikely to begin this year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&#8216;UNWORKABLE, UNETHICAL&#8217;</h2>



Political opponents said the government had no plan on how to deal with the migrant issue, saying Sunak should now scrap the policy which they dismissed as a gimmick.



&#8220;The Rwanda scheme is unworkable, unethical and extortionate,&#8221; said Yvette Cooper, the home affairs spokesperson for the main opposition Labour Party.



Sending each asylum seeker to Rwanda would cost on average 169,000 pounds ($213,450), the government said this week.



Opponents also say the&nbsp;government&#8217;s&nbsp;policies were about driving political support and would not solve underlying issues.



They argue there are currently no legal routes for most asylum seekers fleeing war or persecution to apply for refugee status to enter Britain, so many see the dangerous small boat crossings as their only option.



Last year, a record 45,755 people came to Britain in small boats across the Channel, mainly from France. More than 11,000 have arrived this year, a rate similar to the first half of 2022.



Meanwhile, the Rwandan government said that while the matter was one for the British courts, it took exception to the judges&#8217; conclusions.



&#8220;Rwanda is one of the safest countries in the world and we have been recognised by the UNHCR and other international institutions for our exemplary treatment of refugees,&#8221; said government spokesperson Yolande Makolo.



($1=0.7903 pounds)



(Additional reporintg by Philbert Girinema in Kigali; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Christina Fincher, Clarence Fernandez, Alexandra Hudson)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during a press conference at Western Jet Foil in Dover

UK PM Sunak dealt blow as court rules Rwanda deportation plan unlawful

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="554" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-820x554.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425561" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-820x554.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-300x203.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-133x90.jpg 133w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-768x519.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-1536x1038.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2023. Ramil Sitdikov/Host photo agency RIA Novosti via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



MOSCOW, June 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Kremlin said on Monday&nbsp;that Russia&nbsp;would continue to talk to a group of African countries seeking to mediate in the conflict with Ukraine, notably at a Russia-Africa summit next month, and that some of their ideas were workable.



President Vladimir Putin on Saturday gave the seven-country African delegation that had come to see him in St Petersburg a list of reasons why he believed many of their proposals were misguided, pouring cold water on a plan already largely dismissed by Kyiv.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that talks with the delegation would continue nonetheless as some of its suggestions could in theory be implemented. He did not say which proposals he was referring to.



&#8220;In general, the dialogue with the Africans will continue,&#8221; said Peskov.



&#8220;There are certain themes in the ideas outlined during the talks by members of the delegation which could be implemented, as President Putin said.



This work will continue, including at the Russia-Africa summit to be held in a month in St. Petersburg,&#8221; Peskov added.



(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

GK2G6FDD6VKWDBK4W6YVBGIDOM-1

Russia to stay in touch with African peace mission, some ideas workable – Kremlin

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425227" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FNDGQ6HNRRP55OC3M6VZGVKRCA-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Russia&#8217;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with the United Arab Emirates&#8217; Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers meeting in Cape Town, South Africa June 2, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, June 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Senior officials from over a dozen countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran were&nbsp;in talks on closer links with the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies on Friday&nbsp;as it met to deepen ties and position itself as a counterweight to the West.



BRICS, which now consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is considering expanding its membership, and a growing number of countries, mostly from the global South, have expressed interest in joining.



Once viewed as a loose association of disparate emerging economies, BRICS has in recent years taken more concrete shape, driven initially by China and, since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, with added impetus from Russia.



In remarks opening Friday&#8217;s discussions, host South Africa&#8217;s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor spoke of the bloc as a champion of the developing world, which she said was abandoned by wealthy states and global institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.



&#8220;The world has faltered in cooperation. Developed countries have never met their commitments to the developing world and are trying to shift all responsibility to the global South,&#8221; Pandor said.



Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan all sent representatives to Cape Town for so-called &#8220;Friends of BRICS&#8221; talks, an official programme showed.



Egypt, Argentina, Bangladesh, Guinea-Bissau and Indonesia were participating virtually.



BRICS heavyweight China said last year it wanted the bloc to launch a process to admit new members. And other members have pointed to countries they would like to see join the club.



However, officials said on Thursday there was still work to be done and appeared mindful of the need to proceed carefully.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-brics-ministers-meet-in-push-to-establish-group-as-counterweight-to-west">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2023/brics-ministers-meet-in-push-to-establish-group-as-counterweight-to-west/">BRICS ministers meet in push to establish group as counterweight to West</a></h3>



&#8220;BRICS is a history of success,&#8221; Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said. &#8220;The group is also a brand and an asset, so we have to take care of it.&#8221;



Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Thursday&#8217;s talks had included deliberations on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of what an expanded BRICS bloc would look like.



&#8220;This is still work in progress,&#8221; he added.



India&#8217;s foreign ministry has previously emphasised the need for a common policy for such an expansion, rather than the consideration of candidacies on an individual basis.



South Africa&#8217;s Pandor said the foreign ministers were aiming to complete work on a framework for admitting new members before BRICS leaders meet at a summit in Johannesburg in August.



Preparations for that summit are going forward under a cloud of controversy due to the possible attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the target of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).



As an ICC member, South Africa would face pressure to arrest Putin were he to travel to the summit.



Pretoria has said it is still considering its legal options for hosting the Russian president.



(Additional reporting by Carien du Plessis in Johannesburg and Krishn Kaushik;Editing by Joe Bavier and Mark Heinrich)

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan meet in Cape Town

BRICS meet with ‘friends’ seeking closer ties amid push to expand bloc

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425194" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/5OKBEVP6EFKETLPBJ6VKFBFY4U-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: A sign of the New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS countries is pictured at its headquarters in Shanghai, China, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, June 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Foreign ministers from the BRICS countries are meeting in South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;from Thursday as the five-nation bloc seeks to forge itself into a counterweight to Western geopolitical dominance in the wake of Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine.



The talks are a prelude to an August summit in Johannesburg that has already created controversy because of the possible attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the target of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.



It accused him in March of the war crime of forcibly deporting children from Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegations. South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;had already invited Putin in January.



South&nbsp;African authorities confirmed that foreign ministers from Brazil, Russia, India, and South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;are attending Thursday&#8217;s meeting in Cape Town. A deputy minister is representing China.



No agenda has been made public, but analysts said discussions would aim to deepen ties among existing members and consider an expansion of the group.



&#8220;BRICS is positioning itself as an alternative to the West and as a way to make space for emerging powers,&#8221; said Cobus van Staden of the South&nbsp;African Institute of International Affairs.



Once viewed as a loose, largely symbolic association of disparate emerging economies, BRICS has in recent years taken more concrete shape, driven initially by Beijing and, since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, with added impetus from Moscow.



Discussions of BRICS&#8217; New Development Bank, which stopped funding projects in Russia to comply with sanctions, were expected on Thursday, a South&nbsp;African foreign ministry source said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-oil-producers-join">COULD OIL PRODUCERS JOIN?</h2>



Amid the growing geopolitical polarisation resulting from the war in Ukraine, BRICS leaders have said they are open to admitting new members, including oil producing countries.



Venezuela, Argentina, Iran, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are on a list of those who have either formally applied to join or expressed interest, officials said.



&#8220;If they can bring in the oil producer countries that will be key, given the petrodollar system,&#8221; said William Gumede, a South&nbsp;African political analyst who has written extensively on BRICS.



South&nbsp;Africa, though the bloc&#8217;s smallest member, is among its biggest champions.



Its preparations for the Aug. 22-24 summit, however, have been complicated by the ICC announcement on Putin.



As an ICC member South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;would face pressure to arrest Putin, were he to attend the meeting in Johannesburg.



Putin has not confirmed his plans, with the Kremlin only saying Russia would take part at the &#8220;proper level&#8221;.



South Africa&#8217;s position is unclear. Pretoria has said it will honour its obligations under its ICC membership, but the government is still weighing the possibility of hosting Putin or even moving the summit to China.



Independent political analyst Nic Borain said the government was caught between its support for BRICS and friendship with Russia on one side and the looming backlash from vital Western economic partners on the other.



&#8220;Obviously, the best solution for South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;is if Putin decided not to come.&#8221;



(Reporting by Wendell Roelf in Cape Town; Additional reporting by Carien du Plessis in Johannesburg Editing by Joe Bavier and Grant McCool)

FILE PHOTO: A sign of the New Development Bank (NDB) is pictured at its headquarters in Shanghai

BRICS ministers meet in push to establish group as counterweight to West

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424972" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SQIYISEN6VIOVHDEH5LIWCZ53U-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Ukraine&#8217;s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (not pictured), in Berlin, Germany, June 9, 2021. John Macdougall/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



KYIV, May 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ukraine&#8217;s foreign minister began a tour of African countries this week, stepping up wartime Kyiv&#8217;s diplomatic push to challenge Russian influence in the &#8220;Global South&#8221; and cement the vision laid out by Ukraine as the only path to peace.



Top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba said his main priority was to get African countries to endorse President Volodymyr Zelenskiy&#8217;s peace plan as he travelled to Morocco on his second tour of Africa since Russia invaded in February last year.



&#8220;Important negotiations lie ahead with African leaders and business,&#8221; he wrote on Instagram, saying he aimed to win support for the uninterrupted flow of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea and secure new openings for Ukrainian business.



The tour follows three days of diplomacy by Zelenskiy at the Arab League of Nations on Friday and then at a Group of Seven summit in Japan. As well as G7 leaders, he met those of India, Indonesia, Iraq and the Saudi crown prince during his travels.



Political analysts say Ukraine is accelerating its push to court the Global South &#8211; a term meaning Latin America, Africa and much of Asia &#8211; and that the effort has taken on greater importance as rival peace proposals to end the war in Ukraine have popped up in other capitals.



China, which has touted its own peace plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N37C076&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sent a top envoy to Kyiv</a>, Moscow and European capitals to discuss a &#8220;political settlement&#8221; this month. South Africa&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N37D3DO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said last week</a>&nbsp;Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to discuss a peace plan with African leaders. The Vatican also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N37H0EB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fleshed out</a>&nbsp;a peace mission this month.



&#8220;The urgency is because of these peace plans which are popping up,&#8221; said Alyona Getmanchuk, a political expert who heads the New Europe Center, a think-tank in Kyiv.



&#8220;At some point, Ukraine realised that it had under-performed in the Global South for many, many years,&#8221; said Getmanchuk.



JULY PEACE SUMMIT?



Ukraine says Zelenskiy&#8217;s 10-point &#8220;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N33I08O&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">peace formula</a>&#8220;, which envisages the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian land, must be the basis for any settlement of the war launched by Russia.



Speaking at the G7 over the weekend, Zelenskiy proposed holding a global peace summit in July to promote the formula. Denmark&#8217;s foreign minister&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N37J0M2&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said on Monday</a>&nbsp;that Copenhagen would be prepared to host it.



The minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said it would be &#8220;necessary to build interest and involvement from countries like India, Brazil and China.&#8221;



While the West has poured military, financial and humanitarian aid into Ukraine, Russia has bolstered its relations with Global South powers during the war, including by selling more of its energy to India and China.



Russia has been nurturing ties in Africa for years and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N367285&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plans to hold</a>&nbsp;an Africa-Russia summit in St Petersburg in July. Moscow&#8217;s veteran foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, toured the continent last year and visited at least twice this year.



&#8220;There&#8217;s a growing realisation in Europe and Ukraine that there&#8217;s a risk that this war will come to be seen as essentially a European conflict that other countries don&#8217;t need to be concerned about and don&#8217;t need to condemn,&#8221; said Nigel Gould-Davies, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.



&#8220;What we have here is Europe and Ukraine responding to Russia&#8217;s concerted efforts to create a narrative in the world about the war that does not condemn the war and seeks to maintain a relationship with Russia,&#8221; he added.



Kuleba did not say which countries he would visit on his latest tour of Africa.



His first tour last October took him to Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Kenya before it was cut short when Russia launched a campaign of missile and drone strikes targeting critical infrastructure in the run-up to winter.



(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; editing by Christina Fincher)

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas meets his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Berlin

Ukraine courts Africa and ‘Global South’ as peace plans proliferate

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="525" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-820x525.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424887" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-820x525.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-300x192.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-768x492.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-1536x984.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov waits before a signing ceremony following talks of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023. Sputnik/Vladimir Astapkovich/Kremlin via</figcaption></figure>



MOSCOW, May 18 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Kremlin said on Thursday that a delegation from&nbsp;African countries hoping to present&nbsp;an&nbsp;initiative to end the conflict in Ukraine would visit Moscow.



Several countries have offered to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, including China, whose special envoy began touring Europe this week in a bid to promote Beijing&#8217;s plan.



Details of the&nbsp;African plan have not been publicly revealed, but South&nbsp;African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russia&#8217;s Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N37D3DO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">African leaders</a>.



&#8220;A group of countries will indeed send a delegation, which will also be in Moscow,&#8221; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding the exact dates were yet to be agreed.



&#8220;We have already said that we are ready to listen with great attention to any proposals that will contribute to resolving the situation in Ukraine,&#8221; he said.



(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Caleb Davis, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

C7VY35TG3ZP2NLGYS37QAH2E2E-1

Kremlin says African Ukraine peace delegation will visit Moscow

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424855" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HPBGECXM2RM4DJT5RIFPZCG5KU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The United Nations headquarters building is pictured with a UN logo in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA, May 17 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The United Nations humanitarian response plan is seeking $2.56 billion to help people affected by the crisis in Sudan, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday, while the U.N. refugee agency is also seeking more funding to assist those forced to flee.



&#8220;Today, 25 million people, more than half the population of Sudan, need humanitarian aid and protection. This is the highest number we have ever seen in the country,&#8221; said Ramesh Rajasingham, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva and director of the Coordination Division.



&#8220;The funding requirements of nearly $2.6 billion is also the highest for any humanitarian appeal for Sudan.&#8221;



The plan, a revised version of the annual humanitarian plan for 2023, is designed to target 18 million people in need.



The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused a humanitarian crisis that threatens to destabilise the region, displacing more than 700,000 people inside Sudan and forcing about 200,000 to flee into neighbouring countries.



The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), making a joint appeal with the aid agency on Wednesday, said it was seeking $472 million to assist more than 1 million people over the next six months.



&#8220;Sadly, we need once again to call on countries and individuals with the means to step up for innocent people who have lost everything through no fault of their own,&#8221; said Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR.



(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Christina Fincher)

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