IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Second survey on COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on African countries - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and International Economics Consulting Ltd teamed up in April 2020, in order to carry out the first survey and provide insights into the economic effects of the pandemic on economic activity and trade for businesses across Africa. The analysis and full report has been published and can be accessed here.

Based on the positive responses of the April Survey, and with a view to shedding light on the policy responses and understanding how businesses are progressing during the pandemic, the team is proposing a second round of the survey. Please also note that the scope of the questionnaire has been slightly expanded (compared to the first round) to account for issues that are gaining even more importance in the context of the pandemic and relating to supply chains, technology, competition and gender.

This survey should take 15 minutes to complete, and please rest assured all responses will remain strictly confidential. Please click on the link below to begin the survey, the deadline for completing the survey is Sunday 28 June.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Covid-19-Africa-Impact

Thank you very much for giving your time to help us with our research. If you have any queries or comments about the survey or the research study, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail eca-atpc@un.org.  

INTERNATIONAL

Global foreign direct investment projected to plunge 40% in 2020  - Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are forecast to decrease by up to 40% in 2020, from their 2019 value of $1.54 trillion, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2020. This would bring FDI below $1 trillion for the first time since 2005. In addition, FDI is projected to decrease by a further 5% to 10% in 2021 and to initiate a recovery in 2022, the report says. “The outlook is highly uncertain. Prospects depend on the duration of the health crisis and on the effectiveness of policies mitigating the pandemic’s economic effects,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi. The pandemic is a supply, demand and policy shock for FDI. The lockdown measures are slowing down existing investment projects. The prospect of a deep recession will lead multinational enterprises (MNEs) to reassess new projects. Policy measures taken by governments during the crisis include new investment restrictions. Investment flows are expected to slowly recover starting 2022, led by global value chains (GVCs) restructuring for resilience, replenishment of capital stock and recovery of the global economy. Early warning sign - MNE profit alerts are an early warning sign. The top 5,000 MNEs worldwide, which account for most of global FDI, have seen expected earnings for the year revised down by 40% on average, with some industries plunging into losses. Lower profits will hurt reinvested earnings, which on average account for more than 50% of FDI. Early indicators confirm the immediacy of the impact. Both new greenfield investment project announcements and cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) dropped by more than 50% in the first months of 2020 compared with last year.

In global project finance, an important source of investment in infrastructure projects, new deals fell by more than 40%. “The impact, although severe everywhere, varies by region. Developing economies are expected to see the biggest fall in FDI because they rely more on investment in GVC-intensive and extractive industries, which have been severely hit, and because they are not able to put in place the same economic support measures as developed economies,” said James Zhan, UNCTAD’s director of investment and enterprise. “Despite the drastic decline in global FDI flows during the crisis, the international production system will continue to play an important role in economic recovery and development. Global FDI flows will continue to add to the existing FDI stock, which stood at $37 trillion at the end of 2019,” Mr. Zhan added.

Global FDI flows rose modestly in 2019, following the sizable declines registered in 2017 and 2018. At $1.54 trillion, inflows were 3% up. The rise in FDI was mainly the result of higher flows to developed economies, as the impact of the 2017 tax reforms in the United States waned. Flows to transition economies also increased, while those to developing economies declined marginally. FDI flows to structurally weak, vulnerable and small economies remained stable overall, declining by only 1%.  Global FDI flows rose modestly in 2019, following the sizable declines registered in 2017 and 2018. At $1.54 trillion, inflows were 3% up. The rise in FDI was mainly the result of higher flows to developed economies, as the impact of the 2017 tax reforms in the United States waned. Flows to transition economies also increased, while those to developing economies declined marginally. FDI flows to structurally weak, vulnerable and small economies remained stable overall, declining by only 1%. (UNCTAD)

Key Words: FDI, UNCTAD, COVID-19

The Great Lockdown through a Global Lens– The Great Lockdown is expected to play out in three phases, first as countries enter the lockdown, then as they exit, and finally as they escape the lockdown when there is a medical solution to the pandemic. Many countries are now in the second phase, as they reopen, with early signs of recovery, but with risks of second waves of infections and re-imposition of lockdowns. Surveying the economic landscape, the sheer scale and severity of the Global Lockdown are striking. Most tragically, this pandemic has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. The resulting economic crisis is unlike anything the world has seen before. This is a truly global crisis. Past crises, as deep and severe as they were, remained confined to smaller segments of the world, from Latin America during the 1980s to Asia in the 1990s. Even the global financial crisis 10 years ago had more modest effects on global output.

For the first time since the Great Depression, both advanced and emerging market economies will be in recession in 2020. The forthcoming June World Economic Outlook Update is likely to show negative growth rates even worse than previously estimated. This crisis will have devastating consequences for the world’s poor. Aside from its unprecedented scale, the Global Lockdown is playing out in ways that are very different from past crises. These unusual characteristics are emerging all over the world, irrespective of the size, geographic region, or production structure of economies.

First, this crisis has dealt a uniquely large blow to the services sector. In typical crises, the brunt is borne by manufacturing, reflecting a decline in investment, while the effect on services is generally muted as consumption demand is less affected. This time is different. In the peak months of the lockdown the contraction in services has been even larger than in manufacturing, and it is seen in advanced and emerging market economies alike. There are exceptions—like Sweden and Taiwan Province of China, which adopted a different approach to the health crisis, with limited government containment measures and a consequently proportionately smaller hit to services vis-à-vis manufacturing. It is possible that with pent-up consumer demand there will be a quicker rebound, unlike after previous crises. However, this is not guaranteed in a health crisis as consumers may change spending behavior to minimize social interaction, and uncertainty can lead households to save more. In the case of China, one of the early exiters from lockdown, the recovery of the services sector lags manufacturing as such services as hospitality and travel struggle to regain demand. Of particular concern is the long-term impact on economies that rely significantly on such services—for example, tourism-dependent economies.

Second, despite the large supply shocks unique to this crisis, except for food inflation, we have thus far seen, if anything, a decline in inflation and inflation expectations pretty much across the board in both advanced and emerging market economies. Despite the considerable conventional and unconventional monetary and fiscal support across the globe, aggregate demand remains subdued and is weighing on inflation, alongside lower commodity prices. With high unemployment projected to stay for a while, countries with monetary policy credibility will likely see small risks of spiraling inflation. (IMFBlog)

Key Words: Investment, IMF, COVID-19

PAN AFRICA

Investment flows in Africa set to drop 25% to 40% in 2020 – The trend of declining foreign direct investment (FDI) to Africa is set to exacerbate significantly in 2020 amid the dual shock of the coronavirus pandemic and low prices of commodities, especially oil. FDI flows to the continent are forecast to contract between 25% and 40% based on gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections as well as a range of investment specific factors, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2020. “Although all industries are set to be affected, several services industries including aviation, hospitality, tourism and leisure are hit hard, a trend likely to persist for some time in the future,” said UNCTAD’s director of investment and enterprise, James Zhan. Manufacturing industries intensive in global value chains are also strongly affected, a sign of concern for efforts to promote economic diversification and industrialization in Africa. Overall, there is a strong downward trend in the first quarter of 2020 for announced greenfield investment projects, although the value of projects (-58%) has dropped more severely than their number (-23%). Similarly, as of April 2020, the number of cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) projects targeting Africa had declined 72% from the monthly average of 2019.

Hope for recovery - However, two distinct factors offer hope for the recovery of investment flows to the continent in the medium to long run. The first is the higher value being assigned to ties to the continent by major global economies, promoting investment in infrastructure, resources, but also industrial development. Investments from these countries, which have varying degrees of political backing, despite being affected by the joint impact of COVID-19 and low commodity prices to some degree, could be relatively more resilient. The second is deepening regional integration due to the commencement of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) after years of deliberation and the expected finalization of its investment protocol. In the short term, curtailing the extent of the investment downturn and limiting the economic and human costs of the pandemic is of paramount importance. Longer term, diversifying investment flows to Africa and harnessing them for structural transformation remains a key objective. Both of these objectives will require a prudent, coordinated and timely response from countries on the continent.

FDI was already on the decline before the crisis - The COVID-19 crisis has arrived at a time when FDI was already in decline, with the continent having experienced a 10% drop in inflows in 2019 to $45 billion. The negative effects of tepid global and regional GDP growth and dampened demand for commodities inhibited flows to countries with both diversified and natural resource-oriented investment profiles alike, although a few countries received higher inflows from large new projects.

North Africa - FDI inflows to North Africa decreased by 11% to $14 billion, with reduced inflows in all countries except Egypt, which remained the largest FDI recipient in Africa in 2019, with inflows increasing by 11% to $9 billion.

Sub-Saharan and Southern Africa - After a significant increase in 2018, FDI flows to Sub-Saharan Africa decreased by 10% in 2019 to $32 billion. Southern Africa was the only sub-region to have received higher inflows in 2019 (22% increase to $4.4 billion) but only due to the slowdown in net divestment from Angola. FDI inflows to South Africa decreased by 15% to $4.6 billion in 2019, despite key investments in mining, manufacturing (automobiles, consumer goods) and services (finance and banking).  (UNCTAD)

Key Words: AfCFTA, FDI, COVID-19

Digitalizing Sub-Saharan Africa: Hopes and Hurdles – This article for IMF Country Focus was prepared by Félix Simione and Martha Tesfaye Woldemichael, both economists in the African Department and members of the team who prepared the digitalization chapter. In the latest analytical chapter for the Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa,the IMF’s African department* examines how digitalization can transform economies and people’s lives. The COVID‑19 pandemic has amplified those hopes. The pandemic illustrates the value of digitalization, but is also a stark reminder of the remaining digital divide.

Harnessing digital tools to fight COVID-19 - In many sub-Saharan African countries, digital tools are supporting efforts to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In Rwanda, for example, anti-epidemic robots are monitoring patients, delivering food and medication, while free e-consultation tools are helping Nigerians to self-assess infection risk and get tested based on symptoms.  While telework arrangements have allowed businesses to continue partial operations in many countries, the switch to telework has been less pronounced in sub‑Saharan Africa.  The region’s less reliable internet connectivity and electricity supply have been limiting factors.  An IMF survey of policy responses to the pandemic suggests that countries in the region that were able to switch to partial telework arrangements by mid-May 2020 had greater access to internet (28 percent of the population) compared to non‑telework countries (17 percent).

A narrowing digital divide - Sub-Saharan Africa’s race to digitalize faces other hurdles. Mobile download speeds in the region are, on average, more than 3 times slower than in the rest of the world. Affordability remains a lingering obstacle to adoption as the cost of accessing digital technologies remains high relative to incomes.  But the gaps between the region and the rest of the world are narrowing fast. Internet penetration in sub-Saharan Africa has grown tenfold since the early 2000s, compared with a threefold increase in the rest of the world.  Digitalization is advancing fast in the financial sector, where some regional countries are global leaders in mobile money transactions—money transactions as a share of GDP average close to 25 percent, against just 5 percent in the rest of the world.

Reshaping the post-COVID-19 recovery - These advances mean that digitalization can play a vital role in supporting the region’s post‑pandemic recovery. According to IMF research, expanding internet access in sub-Saharan Africa by an extra 10 percent of the population could increase real per capita GDP growth by 1 to 4 percentage points.  There are also benefits for businesses and workers. Firms using email for business record annual sales that are 2.6 times higher. On average, digitally‑connected firms employ eight times more workers, and create higher skilled, full-time jobs.  This is not to discount concerns about automation and potential job losses, but smart policies can help reap the benefits of digitalization. And, where digitalization supports better policy design and better economic outcomes, it can be a win‑win.  Countries in the region have embraced digital platforms—from Côte d’Ivoire’s new ePassport agency, to Kenya’s eCitizen portal—to continue delivering government services during the current health crisis.

Governments are also taking advantage of the region’s leadership in mobile money to provide immediate support to households and businesses impacted by the pandemic, while promoting social distancing. For instance, Togo’s “NOVISSI” social protection program uses mobile money and electronic cash transfers to support vulnerable households and informal sector workers. Some central banks in the region have relaxed mobile money regulations to encourage greater use digital payments rather than risk the spread of the virus through bank notes.

Investing in a digital Africa  - While the pandemic seems set to accelerate sub-Saharan Africa’s digital transformation, digitalization does not happen by itself, nor is it a cure‑all.  Emerging from the pandemic will depend on integrating digital strategies within each country’s broader development agenda. As countries move in this direction, four broad pillars can help guide pro‑digital policies:

• Investing in infrastructure —both traditional digital‑friendly infrastructure (including more reliable electricity) and digital‑ready IT infrastructure;
• Investing in policy frameworks by fostering a digital-friendly business and regulatory environment, and championing the use of digital policies;
• Investing in skills by improving core education as a basis for continued learning alongside focused investments in digital skills; and
• Investing in risk management frameworks to address cybersecurity threats.

Investing in a digital Africa today, paves the way for more resilient economies tomorrow.  (IMF)

Key Words: IMF, Africa, Digital Economy

New report, COVID-19 in African Cities: Impacts, Responses and Policies, launched by ECA & partners –  With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic crippling economies the world over and set to trigger into motion Africa’s first recession in 25 years, the Economic Commission for Africa and its partners teamed-up to produce a new report which proposes several interventions to promptly and effectively address COVID-19 challenges on the continent at the urban level. The report titled; COVID-19 in African Cities: Impacts, Responses and Policies, analyses the current situation within the African continent and efforts channeled at mitigating the global pandemic within the context of cities in the region.

Produced by the ECA, UN Habitat, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Shelter Afrique, the report, which was virtually launched Tuesday, proposes responses for short, medium and long-term interventions to be led by national and local governments with the support of international and regional development Institutions. To adequately address the challenges of COVID-19, five key recommendations have been identified in the report.

• Applying local communication and community engagement strategies
• Supporting SMEs and the informal economy
• Deepening decentralized responses to COVID-19 through strengthened local government capacities
• Targeting informal settlements through tailored measures
• Establishing mechanisms to promote rapid access to housing and prevent forced evictions
• Integrating urban planning and management as key priorities for recovery and rebuilding strategies towards long-term resilience

In their remarks during the virtual launch, officials from the partner organisations agreed COVID-19 has revealed the high vulnerability of African cities to the effects of shocks, and their limited capacity to mitigate and recover from the associated impacts. All this as Africa’s cities continue to grow rapidly under conditions of severe infrastructure and service deficits, absence of adequate productive jobs, weak planning and management capacities and institutions, among others.  Informality, poverty and inequality persist as a manifestation of the underlying structural constraints of Africa’s urbanization. Under these conditions, and without deliberate policy responses and adequate investments, cities may well become liabilities for inclusive and resilient future growth and transformation, the report notes. It also notes that considering the economic and fiscal impacts of COVID-19 on national economies and the need to ensure that people have access to adequate food, housing, safe water and sanitation and reliable information, it was fast becoming clear that there is a need to increase and specify the role of local governments.

“These authorities are important in advancing community engagement, supporting risk communication and awareness building and facilitating adaptation measures,” reads the report.  COVID-19 has shown that it is important to rehabilitate the function of stabilization and redistribution of financial transfers from national to local and regional governments.  Strengthening local economies is one of the most effective responses to reducing the sensitivity of national economies to pandemics like COVID-19 and to the cycles of the global economy, notes the report. (UNECA)

Key Words: Africa, COVID-19, Business
 

NORTH AFRICA

World Bank approves US$48m loan to help Morocco manage effects of COVID-19  The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved today a US$48-million loan to help Morocco manage the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic as the Kingdom is exiting strict lockdown measures. The loan is part of an ongoing Program for Results project, approved in 2015, and aiming to support primary health care services. Through a project restructuring, a total US$13.01 million of undisbursed funds under the Program, and an additional US$35 million from the WBG Fast Track COVID-19 Facility (FTCF), will support the government's COVID-19 health sector response by strengthening prevention, detection, surveillance, and case management.

"The government has already taken significant steps to contain the outbreak and lessen the impact on vulnerable sectors and households," said Jesko Hentschel, World Bank Maghreb Country Director. "The critical phase of the country is entering will require continued strong efforts to contain the pandemic and mobilize resources to finance the sanitary response. Through the current support, we intend to provide Morocco with additional resources to enhance its testing capacity and develop preventive solutions against virus spread." Under the current restructuring, the scope of the initial Primary Health Program is expanded to include a COVID-19 response component. The PforR will increase the Ministry of Health's budget prioritization effort during this crisis and strengthen hospital readiness for this emergency. The allocated budget finances the procurement of drugs, equipment, and medical supplies. In addition, it will help finance technical and medical equipment for laboratories and hospitals accredited to manage COVID-19 cases and scale-up testing capacity and case management. In this critical phase, mass COVID-19 testing will be needed to ensure that the pandemic curve rapidly flattens, enabling the economy to reopen.

"Through the allocated envelope, our support will help finance about a quarter of the government program to manage pandemic effects. By enhancing disease surveillance systems, the program intends to combine detection of new cases with active contact tracing, which is priority measures in this post-containment phase," said Fatima El Kadiri, Health specialist and co-Task team leader.  Besides, The World Bank loan will also provide additional resources for equipment and training of health workers. "Health personnel have been in at the frontline in the management of the COVID19 crisis. Minimizing risks for them and equipping them with hygiene and protective materials is a critical aspect that the World Bank's support will help address," said Aissatou Diack, Senior Health specialist and co-Task team leader.  (Devdiscourse)

Key Words: North Africa, Trade and Investment, COVID-19

EAST AFRICA

Ethiopia Eyes SGR Route to Port of Sudan – Ethiopia unveiled plans last week to carry out a $3.4 million feasibility study for a new standard gauge railway project that would link Addis Ababa with Khartoum, Sudan. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is providing a $1.2 million grant for the study, while the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility will provide the remaining funds in the form of a $2 million grant and a $200,000 contribution from Ethiopia and Sudan. Despite struggling to repay Chinese loans for the $4.5 billion Ethiopia-Djibouti railway — which is currently hit by recurring power outages and technical problems — the country’s new rail project is intended to open a new trade route through the Port of Sudan. The study to be undertaken in 24 months, is designed to assess the technical, economic, environmental and social viability of the proposed project and will also explore financing options such as a public-private partnership (PPP).

"The proposed Ethiopia-Sudan SGR aims to deepen regional integration through improved transport infrastructure that will increase trade through efficient transport between the two countries," said an AfDB statement. It added that the project will improve the transport system serving Sudan and Ethiopia and other countries in the Horn of Africa region, including Kenya and South Sudan. ccording to the AfDB statement, the SGR project will run along the Addis Ababa, Awash-Kombolcha-Weldiya, Wereta-Gonder-Metema-Galabat-Gadarif-Kassala-Haiya route to Port of Sudan, a distance of 1,522 kilometres.

The proposed project is linked to the planned development of special economic zones in the border regions of the two countries. The zones are intended to enhance production of local goods, industrialisation and agro-processing thereby increasing existing trade between the two neighbours. "Development of this railway line is fundamental to enhancing trade and regional connectivity not only within the north-eastern part of the continent but also to the central African states of Chad and the Central Africa Republic," said AfDB. Ethiopia, which ranks among the fastest growing economies, currently relies on the Djibouti port for about 98 per cent of its international trade. (The EastAfrican)

Key Words: East Africa, Regional Integration, Trade

Tanzania Government to spend about 610 billion on development programs – Tanzania Government has unveiled its 2020/21 development plan, which seeks to spend about 610 billion on the implementation of 24 development programs and 53 projects, according to a news report by Tanzania Daily News. Minister for Finance and Planning, Mohamed Ramia Abdiwawa told the House of Representatives on Monday that the government envisioned investing 609.99 billion in the next fiscal year, a 5.7 percent increase from the current year's 577.02billion. Moving the 2020 Economic Outlook and Development Plan for the 2020/21 fiscal year, Abdiwawa said the Revolutionary Government would cover 32.35 percent of the development budget and development partners the remaining 67.65 percent. He said 197.33bnillion would come from the government's own sources, while the development partners would inject 412.66 billion (72.16 billion and 340.5 billion as grants and loans respectively).

The minister said Zanzibar's economy grew by seven percent last year, far better than the global and East African economies' rates of 2.9 and five percent, respectively, in 2019. He said the GDP grew to a 3,078 billion last year from 2,874 billion in 2018. The minister attributed the impressive economic growth to a 3.4 percent increase in tourists from 520,809 in 2018 to 538,264 last year, reduced donor dependency from 7.3 percent in 2017/18 to 5.7 percent in the 2018/19 fiscal year and a 77.4 percent rise in rice production under irrigation programs from 3,049 tonnes in 2018 to 5,409 tonnes last year. Abdiwawa further informed the House that more Zanzibaris were connected to the national grid electricity, adding that electrified households had increased by 15.6 percent from 14,940 in 2018 to 17,275 last year.

Other factors, which augmented the economy, according to the minister, are the impressive performance of the industrial sector, increased jobs in the private sector, and prevailing peace and tranquillity in the country. He said private investments offered 24,009 jobs last year, an increase of 12.6 percent from 21,319 jobs in 2018. The industrial sector grew by 10.6 percent in 2019 as compared to the previous year's 3.8 percent growth rate. Mahonda-based Zanzibar Sugar Factory Ltd, Azam Diary, Mtoni-based Zanzibar Milling Corporation, and Turkish Mifuko Limited are among the industries that boosted industrial production in the country, according to the minister. The industrial sector's contribution to GDP rose to 18.3 percent in 2019 from 17.8 percent in 2018, with the service sector remaining the major contributor to the national economy although its contribution dropped slightly to 50.6 51.3 percent over the period under review. The agricultural sector became second after service, contributing 21.2 percent to the GDP in 2019, a slight decrease from 21.3 percent in 2018. (Devdiscourse)

WEST AFRICA

How illegal mining is driving local conflicts in Nigeria — Africa’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector has development potential. At their peak in 2017 these mines in Niger employed as many as 600 000 people and created opportunities for local infrastructural development. But these prospects are undermined by criminals who profiteer from the sector at the expense of vulnerable populations. Collaboration between politically connected Nigerians and Chinese corporations in illegal gold mining drives rural banditry and violent local conflicts in some parts of Nigeria. This includes the North West, North Central and to some extent South West regions. An estimated 80% of mining in the North West region is carried out illegally and on an artisanal basis by local populations. The mining of large untapped mineral deposits in the area, especially gold which has strategic importance and economic value, is at the root of community violence.

The conflict has been on the increase since 2014, spreading across Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau and Zamfara states. Over 5 000 people have been killed in Zamfara State in the past five years. In February 2020, soldiers killed 13 bandits during clashes in Zamfara and Kebbi states. In April, four soldiers were killed by robbers in Zamfara State, and police arrested two Chinese nationals for illegal mining. Illegal mining leads to violent local conflicts in two ways in the North West. First, those funding the mining fight over control of the mine fields. These ‘sponsors’ are protected by some state governments, and act as if they’re above the law, Dr Chris Kwaja, a Senior Researcher at Modibbo Adama University of Technology in Yola, Nigeria told the ENACT organised crime project. Even when the governors of Katsina, Niger and Zamfara states led negotiations with the sponsors of illegal mining, this was under conditions determined by the sponsors – showing the level of political connectedness and state protection they enjoy. The government’s ban of artisanal gold mining in Zamfara State and across the region, and the deployment of soldiers to enforce the ban since April 2019, have yielded few results. Illegal mining and its associated conflicts continue regardless.

Second, those who sponsor illegal mining also fund banditry and cattle rustling in mining communities in order to incite violence among cattle breeders and rearers. Locals from Zamfara State told ENACT, on condition of anonymity, that such conflicts displace people and create opportunities for illegal miners to operate. Many media reports blame the conflicts in the region on rural banditry, without addressing its links to illegal mining. The rise in illegal mining highlights fundamental social, institutional and structural problems in Nigeria’s governance system. It reveals the prevailing socio-economic problems in the region, especially the inadequate responses to poverty and poor service delivery by the state. The youth in particular have limited income-generating opportunities, and this is where the sponsors of illegal mining recruit their labour force.  (ISS)

Key Words: West Africa, Mining Industry, Illegal Trade

SOUTH AFRICA

President Ramaphosa to attend China-Africa solidarity summit against COVID-19 - resident Cyril Ramaphosa will today, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the African Union (AU), participate in a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Solidarity Summit against COVID-19. The summit is co-hosted by the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the AU. The aim of the summit is to explore opportunities for African States to leverage multilateral cooperation through the FOCAC mechanism so that resources and knowledge can be mobilised in efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. FOCAC is an official forum that coordinates cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the African States. Due to technical constraints, not all FOCAC Member States have been invited.

Participants will include the Extended AU Bureau, which includes the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of Rwanda and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.  Other participants will include Chairpersons of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), with the Republic of Madagascar representing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Chad for the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD) and the Republic of Rwanda for the East African Community (EAC). The Republic of Gabon will represent the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Republic of Niger will represent the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Republic of Sudan will represent the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Libya will represent the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), while the Democratic People's Republic of Algeria and the Federal Republic of Nigeria will participate as initiating members of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).   (Devdiscourse)

Key Words: Africa, Trade and Investment, COVID-19