Africa Confidential

The @WorldBank reduced its 2019 growth projections for sub-Saharan Africa to 2.8%, down from 3.3% in October and 3.4% in January. https://bit.ly/2WpnsJe

Critics of the @eu_eeas are saying that its desire to move beyond the status of a mere giver of funds to that of a major political player, especially in Africa, is being compromised by its approach to appointing ambassadors. https://bit.ly/2Y1PieQ

The British government has launched ‘English Connect’, a £4m programme to boost the English language in sub- Saharan Africa, including in countries within the French sphere of influence. It’s part of a drive to establish new, post- #Brexit trading links. https://bit.ly/2Y1O1V6

Some in #Sudan's junta calculate that dragging out negotiations over control of an interim regime could tire demonstrators and get them off the streets. https://bit.ly/2Y1XBHw

Critics continue to bemoan the failure of Africa’s policymakers to achieve, or set the stage for, sufficient per-capita growth to reduce inequality, and significantly boost job creation. https://bit.ly/2WpnsJe

With a compliant new assembly and curbed media, there is now speculation that #Benin's President Patrice #Talon will prepare the ground for further steps to entrench his position and prepare to seek a second term in the 2021 presidential polls. https://bit.ly/2Y89GLv

EU ambassadors to #Tanzania, #Eritrea and #Somalia have had to leave their posts in what many feel were avoidable circumstances. https://bit.ly/2Y1PieQ

The #Sudan protest movement’s refusal to push forward a leadership structure in public was deliberate policy – both to evade arrest and detention by security agents and to unify the disparate strands of opposition activism in the country. https://bit.ly/2Y1XBHw

#Malawi's security services are pulling out all the stops to find evidence against opposition activists they suspect of being involved in vote-rigging efforts ahead of #MalawiElections2019, an intelligence source told #AfricaConfidential. https://bit.ly/2Y1bDsX

Despite debt reductions in some oil exporters, debt service and debt sustainability remains a concern in a number of economies. Sixteen African economies are still at high risk of debt distress, or currently in debt distress, according to the #IMF. https://bit.ly/2WpnsJe

#Raila and #Uhuru wanted the railway to go to Kisumu so Raila could get a win he could claim credit for. #China said the extension made no economic sense. #BeltandRoad #BRI #SilkRoad https://bit.ly/2WeKfqV

#Algeria’s Deputy Defence Minister Lt Gen Ahmed Gaïd Salah is continuing a purge of the country's elite to try to persuade demonstrators that the military and courts can continue to clean up a rancid system following the Bouteflika clan’s demise https://bit.ly/2WiRxtT

Some saw @AlsisiOfficial's victory in the referendum on extending his presidential term as evidence that #Egypt is unlikely to follow the insurgent path of #Algeria and #Sudan. Others wonder if he forced through his referendum out of fear for his future. https://bit.ly/2VFNrPi

Last year’s rapprochement between #Ethiopia and #Eritrea was supposed to be about breaking down barriers, but a stuttering process has seen them rise again after an initial thaw. Asmara has shut key border crossings without explanation. https://bit.ly/2Y1OcQg

At the heart of #Sudan's contest is the fight for control of the interim regime: whether ultimate power should rest with the military or the proposed civilian council. https://bit.ly/2Y1XBHw

#Zambia’s government had to raid the state pension fund, the National Pension Scheme Authority, to pay overdue February salaries for public service employees, Africa Confidential has learned. https://bit.ly/2VIJqcR

The @WorldBank reduced its 2019 growth projections for sub-Saharan Africa to 2.8%, down from 3.3% in October and 3.4% in January. https://bit.ly/2WpnsJe

The British government has launched ‘English Connect’, a £4m programme to boost the English language in sub- Saharan Africa, including in countries within the French sphere of influence. It’s part of a drive to establish new, post- #Brexit trading links. https://bit.ly/2Y1O1V6

Some in #Sudan's junta calculate that dragging out negotiations over control of an interim regime could tire demonstrators and get them off the streets. https://bit.ly/2Y1XBHw

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