Africa File, October 10, 2024: AUSSOM Challenges; Fano Counteroffensive; DRC Attacks FDLR; Mali’s Northern Challenges; Togo Border PressureAuthors: Liam Karr, Kathryn Tyson, and Yale FordData Cutoff: October 10, 2024, at 10 a.m.Editor's Note: The Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute publishes these updates with support from the Institute for the Study of War. Fano attacks have remained at consistent levels since the ENDF launched its campaign on October 1. Fano conducted 16 attacks targeting the ENDF from September 20 to 26, compared with 21 attacks from September 27 to October 3. Fano Attacks Targeting the ENDF in the Amhara RegionSource: Kathryn Tyson; Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The main Jama’at Nusrat al Islam (JNIM) attack targeted the military base in Ber, beginning with three suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs) followed by additional militants.

The UK Foreign Office subsequently deemed the whole country off-limits; the Tunis office closed and Uncle Tigs never saw Tunisia again. Although Tunisian wine is exported in great quantities to mainland Europe, it rarely reaches British shores, which is a terrible shame. Uncle Tigs never told me whether he came here but I am in no doubt that he did. Hammamet beach breakThe sandy beach in Hammamet GETTY IMAGESTunisia excels at spring and autumn sunshine, so look into a last-minute or early-bird booking in October or April. Details Three nights’ full board from £1,340pp, including transfers, guide and excursions including wine tastings (sawataste.com).

Votes are counted first at each polling station and district results expected by Saturday could give an early indication of who is leading. Official results normally take around two weeks to be announced by the electoral commission. The winner will inherit an Islamist insurgency in the north that has halted multi-billion dollar gas projects and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Other challenges include high debt levels and the economic impact of worsening cyclones.

The databook is designed to serve as a comprehensive guide to navigating this sector. The databook focuses on market statistics denoted in the form of revenue and y-o-y growth and CAGR across the globe and regions. A detailed competitive and opportunity analyses related to golf bag market will help companies and investors design strategic landscapes. Stand/carry bag was the largest segment with a revenue share of 47.64% in 2023. Horizon Databook has segmented the Middle East & Africa golf bag market based on cart/trolley bag, stand/carry bag, tour bag, travel bag, pencil bag covering the revenue growth of each sub-segment from 2018 to 2030.

The JETP — a partnership between South Africa and Germany, France, the US, UK, European Union, Netherlands and Denmark — is being emulated by Vietnam and Indonesia. South Africa currently relies on coal for about four-fifths of its electricity. Denmark is looking for projects to invest in, Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone, Denmark’s ambassador to South Africa, said in an interview. It could be a hydro project, it could be investing in the grid if that’s feasible, depending on which models South Africa will use,” she said. “Its a difficult conversation,” David Martinon, France’s ambassador to South Africa, said of the energy transition.

Fitch agency has maintained Morocco ‘BB+’ rating with a stable outlook thanks to the country’s sound macroeconomic policies, strong official creditor support, favorable debt profile and comfortable liquidity buffers. “We expect growth to average 3.5% over 2025-2026 on the back of normalizing agricultural output and sustained non-agricultural sector performance”, said Fitch in its latest report on Morocco. In 2023, Morocco’s deficit narrowed to 4.3% of GDP (5.4% recorded in 2022) owing to a decline in subsidy spending as a result of lower international gas prices. The rating agency expects net FDI to rebound to 0.8% in 2024 due strong investment inflow in the automotive sector. Fitch says Morocco enjoys political stability contrary to the recurring bouts of unrest rocking the Middle East and North Africa region, making the Kingdom an attractive destination for global investors.

According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Egypt’s general consumer price index reached 236.5 points in September 2024, reflecting a monthly increase of 2.3 percent compared to August 2024. Notably, the cereals and bread category saw a 0.7 percent increase, while meat and poultry prices also rose by 0.7 percent. Other notable increases included fish and seafood prices, up by 1.7 percent; dairy, cheese, and eggs, which rose by 2.8 percent; and fruits, which increased by 1.7 percent. On an annual basis, Egypt’s inflation rate was recorded at 26.0 percent in September 2024, a notable decrease from 40.3 percent in the same month last year. The report also indicated significant sectoral changes, including a 16.3 percent increase in outpatient services and a 21.4 percent rise in hospital services.

With more than a decade of onshore wind projects proving the technology’s viability, one has to wonder why South Africa would consider starting an offshore wind programme. Panelist Chris Lloyd, Offshore Wind Advisor at the World Bank, said preliminary findings of a study into building wind farms at sea suggest that South Africa has an ”excellent opportunity to deploy offshore wind at scale.”Once the report is released, a stakeholder engagement period will commence to socialise the study findings and key aspects of the next steps. The geographic spatial analysis identified opportunities to create around 95GW of offshore wind projects. South Africa and Morocco have greatest offshore wind energy potential in AfricaIf a low-growth scenario of setting up a few projects with no government planning is followed, that could eventually result in around 5GW of offshore wind energy projects by 2050. Andretta Tsebe, PetroSA’s General Manager responsible for gas-to-power and green energy projects, explained that offshore wind and offshore gas projects tend to require the same infrastructure at sea.

The destructive power of Hurricane Milton in 3 imagesNasa Hurricane Milton was the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record by central pressure (Credit: Nasa)These images show where Hurricane Milton's power came from, and some of the risks faced by those in its path. Nasa Earth Observatory Between 6 and 7 October, Hurricane Milton gained strength from hot ocean waters below (Credit: Nasa Earth Observatory)A hurricane forms when a weather disturbance, like a thunderstorm, pulls in warm surface air from all directions. Hurricane Leslie, in the bottom-right hand corner of the image above, and Hurricane Kirk, towards the top-right, formed a trio of storms on 6 October as Hurricane Milton was gaining strength. "We started out with the earliest category five hurricane on record, Beryl, but then had an extremely quiet climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season." Florida is currently undertaking its largest evacuation effort in years, while still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

ST Engineering Antycip has delivered the first VR CAVE in North Africa – and only the second in Africa. The CAVE will also be accessible to educational institutions across Tunisia, providing students with hands-on, technology-driven learning opportunities that foster practical skills and innovation. Chaouki Friaa, president and chief executive of Zarzis Business Park, said: "This VR CAVE will provide a unique immersive space that will attract residents of all ages, strengthening social bonds within the community. "It will also serve as a powerful tool for education, offering immersive simulations for practical learning across a wide range of fields. "By introducing this advanced technology, we aim to inspire innovation and encourage younger generations to engage with careers in technology and creativity."

Morocco’s autonomy plan is an opportunity to leave behind the painful past and open a new page, he said, adding that it grants the local Sahrawi inhabitants important privileges enabling them to manage their own affairs. Mrs. Vivian Eads of NGO Capitol Hill Prayer Partners also commended Morocco’s autonomy plan, deploring the lamentable situation of youth in the polisario-controlled Tindouf camps and the lack of options for their future. Several other speakers sounded the alarm bell over the education of children in Tindouf camps, among them Michelle Mason, who said the UN must “defend the children” there. Underscoring the need to focus on a political solution through compromise, he voiced full support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, which is in line with the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions as well as international law. The initiative “provides the inhabitants of the Moroccan Sahara with major political, economic and social prospects”, he said, voicing concern about the human rights situation in the Tindouf camps.

Music streaming service Spotify has launched a 'Lite' version for emerging markets around the world, which is now available in South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Spotify Lite is "a small, fast, and simplified version" that works much like the main Spotify app but with a few extra features that ensure it uses less storage, data and battery to optimize performance. Lite can be downloaded by both free and Spotify Premium users and used either alongside or independently from the main Spotify app on all Android phones running version 4.3 or higher. Spotify Lite is now available for Android devices in 36 markets across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, with more markets and features to follow. So far in Sub-Saharan Africa it is only available in South Africa but in North Africa you can get access to it in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Payments giant Visa has announced the startups from sub-Saharan Africa that were shortlisted for the second cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator program. The selected startups offer a range of solutions, including neo-banking, merchant payments, credit scoring, risk and identity management, embedded finance, social commerce and escrow services. The second cohort comes from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa – with operations across 28 African countries – and 65% of the startups are female led. Visa said that the first cohort of startups have reported positive outcomes from the program, such as increased user growth, product enhancements, funding opportunities and strategic partnerships with Visa and other industry players. In addition to the 18 startups from sub-Saharan Africa that have been announced, North African startups will also be unveiled next week on the sidelines of GITEX Africa in Morocco.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has granted Misr Digital Innovation (MDI) preliminary approval to launch the country's first digital bank. Called Onebank, the digital bank will launch in the fourth quarter of 2024 after completing the second phase of its licensing. Egypt's journey to establish digital banksThe CBE's regulations allowed for the establishment and operation of digital banks, aligning Egypt with global trends in the financial technological market. However, the company will not be the only digital bank in Egypt for long. Digital banking evolution in AfricaEgypt launching its first digital bank comes at a time when the World Economic Forum has called Africa the world leader in digital banking, with the region boasting the highest number of services, account holders and transactions.

Benjamin Fox is a seasoned reporter and editor, previously working for fellow Brussels publication Euractiv. His reporting has also been published in the Guardian, the East African, Euractiv, Private Eye and Africa Confidential, among others. He heads up the AU-EU section at EUobserver, based in Nairobi, Kenya.