Author: Ousmane Tandja

Côte d’Ivoire now boasts over 400,000 mobile money service points, according to the Financial Inclusion Promotion Agency – that is 300 times the total number of ATMs in the country. Ivorians rely on these kiosks daily to deposit wages and withdraw cash, yet agents often face cash shortages that hurt their business. Late afternoon in the Angré Château neighbourhood. Time for shopping or commuting, but at this busy junction the mobile money kiosk has run out of cash. Rosette shrugs – she came to withdraw 10,000 CFA francs (about 15…

The African Union’s Commissioner for Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry, and Mines, Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, has publicly commended the Kingdom of Morocco for its remarkable economic advancements under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Speaking to journalists following her meeting with Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Commissioner Belobe highlighted the Kingdom’s significant progress in the industrial sector over recent years. She noted that Morocco has emerged as a continental leader in key industries, particularly automotive and aerospace manufacturing. The Commissioner…

Mbombela, South Africa – 8 June 2026 – Police in Mpumalanga province have arrested a man suspected of violently assaulting his grandmother in the Nkomazi municipality. The arrest took place on Sunday, 7 June 2026, after a video of the attack was widely shared on social media. The incident occurred at a tavern in eMagogeni. The footage shows the suspect punching and kicking the victim repeatedly, and later hitting her with a beer crate. On the recording, a bystander can be heard laughing while the elderly woman lies on the…

The 16th general assembly of the Association de soutien au village de Forgho in northern Mali was held recently. At the opening, president Marie-Jo Mennelet emotionally shared the worrying situation in Mali: “I do not have very good news from the country, which is going through even harder days than before.” Indeed, jihadist attacks, shortages, water and electricity cuts, rising prices, and extreme heat make daily life very difficult for the population. Despite this difficult context, the association maintains a strong bond with its friends in Forgho and Bamako and…

With the groundbreaking of the Kobé-Kobé deep-water port, Gabon has launched one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in its recent history. Linked to the Belinga iron ore deposit, a new railway, and the future Booué hydroelectric dam, this industrial and logistics complex reflects the government’s push to build an economy less dependent on oil and more focused on local processing of natural resources. Long reliant on oil revenues, Gabon is now seeking to diversify its growth drivers. In this strategy, the Kobé-Kobé project stands as a cornerstone of the…

L’armée nigériane a transféré lundi aux autorités locales plus de 400 femmes et enfants qui avaient été enlevés plus tôt cette année par le groupe jihadiste Boko Haram dans l’État de Borno, dans le nord-est du pays. Depuis 2009, l’insurrection jihadiste menée par Boko Haram, puis par son rival l’État islamique en Afrique de l’Ouest (Iswap), a causé des dizaines de milliers de morts et des millions de déplacés dans cette région du Nigeria, le pays le plus peuplé d’Afrique. Les enlèvements de masse, souvent suivis de libérations contre rançon,…

In a significant humanitarian operation, Nigerian military forces have transferred over 400 women and children to local authorities after their liberation from captivity. These individuals had been abducted earlier this year by the extremist group Boko Haram in Nigeria’s volatile Borno State, located in the country’s northeast. Northeastern Nigeria has endured a decade of devastating violence, initiated by Boko Haram in 2009 and later intensified by the emergence of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). The insurgency has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, leaving communities…

Invited to present his 100-day progress report on national television, the minister of youth, sports, cultural outreach, and arts, Paul Kessany, calmly faced the democratic accountability exercise. Appointed on 2 January 2026, the official unveiled a highly dynamic sector dashboard: out of 53 initiated projects, 62.3 percent have been completed, while 24.5 percent show an execution rate above 50 percent. As Gabon’s Fifth Republic boasts of having sparked a fresh momentum, several actors can claim to have fully contributed. Among them is Paul Ulrich Kessany Zategwa. Indeed, the minister of…

The Local Development Committee (CLD) convened in Lomé on June 5, 2026, to assess the Togo-France partnership in sustainable and inclusive investment while charting a collaborative roadmap for 2026-2028. Serving as a coordination platform between French development actors and Togolese partners, the CLD aligns its initiatives with the country’s national priorities to maximize impact. Breakthroughs in education, skills development and social cohesion Significant progress has been made across education, vocational training, territorial development, entrepreneurship and social cohesion in recent years. Key milestones include the establishment of the Polytechnic School of…

Senegalese football welcomes back one of its brightest young talents. After an extended recovery period, Amara Diouf has resumed training with Génération Foot, and his transfer to Fenerbahçe is drawing near. The young striker made a lasting impression during the 2023 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria, where Senegal claimed the title. Named the tournament’s best player, he was immediately tipped as a future cornerstone of African football. Badara Sarr believes the injury has not lessened the player’s potential. “He is a boy with immense qualities. He can make…