Niger and China seal $400 mln crude oil deal.

Niger has signed a $400 million memorandum of understanding with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), a state-owned oil behemoth, tied to the sale of crude oil from its Agadem oilfield. Niger state television RTN announced this development, however, it didn’t provide detailed information about the specifics of the deal. “China is a great friend to Niger;…

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Inflation in Nigeria hits  the highest rate in nearly 30 years.

                                 By ronald sserwadda Nigeria’s annual inflation rate has reached its highest level in nearly three decades. The rate jumped to 33.2% in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS). This is up 1.5% from February. Food remains the main driver of inflation, owing to the rising cost of commodities including bread, grains,…

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Standoff continues as MPs prepare to vote on Rwanda bill.

Parliament will resume voting on the government’s controversial Rwanda bill on Monday as MPs return to the Commons. It comes as reports suggest the UK held talks with other countries, including Armenia, about replicating the scheme. The plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda has faced setbacks since it was first announced in April…

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Somali pirates free Bangladesh-flagged vessel, MV Abdullah.

Somali pirates have released a Bangladesh-flagged vessel and its 23-member crew after a ransom was reportedly paid. The MV Abdullah was carrying coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when it was hijacked off Somalia’s coast about a month ago. The pirates alleged that they received $5m (£4m), but there is no independent…

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Sirens, explosions heard over Israel as Iran launches retaliatory air attacks.

Iran has launched a massive aerial attack on Israel, two weeks after a deadly strike on its consulate in Syria. Iran unleashed a barrage of missilesand drones  on Saturday and during the early hours of Sunday, targeting Israel in retaliation for last week’s suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed 13 people. Booms and…

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Hundreds protest in Niger demanding departure of US troops.

In March, Niger suspended its military cooperation with the US after military government leaders severed ties with France last year. Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Niger’s capital to demand the departure of United States troops, after the military government further shifted its strategy by ending a military accord with the US…

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Kagame has expressed his displeasure with SADC’s diplomatic blunder.

                                           by ronald sserwadda The SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) is tasked with targeting armed groups in eastern DRC who refuse to lay down arms. M23 has been identified as one of the biggest threats. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, again, expressed his frustration about how Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states deployed troops…

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