Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About

[Yehuda]

African payments system PAPSS plans to launch FX market platform this year​

By Duncan Miriri and Karin Strohecker
March 12, 2025, 8:51 AM GMT-3 | Updated 9 days ago

Nigerian naira banknotes are seen in this picture illustration, September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/Illustration/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

NAIROBI, March 12 (Reuters) - A pan-African payments infrastructure provider designed to facilitate trade on the continent is piloting an African currency market platform to boost commerce across borders in the region, its chief executive said.

The Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS), backed by 15 central banks on the continent, expects to add the platform later this year to complement its payments infrastructure that it says is currently integrated with 150 commercial banks.

"The rates will be market driven, and our system is able to do a matching based on the rates offered by the different participants in our ecosystem," Mike Ogbalu, the CEO of PAPSS, told Reuters in an interview from Cairo.

Africa's foreign exchange markets are often shallow and liquidity is limited, with South Africa and Nigeria dominating geographically and much of the wider trading centred around local and hard currency pairs. Those seeking other African currencies must typically secure dollars first.

However, the region has also seen some major currency reforms with countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia pushing ahead with efforts to move to more market-based regimes.

The Africa Currency Marketplace, as the platform will be known, will allow parties to exchange local currencies directly, Ogbalu said.

He cited the example of an Ethiopian airline selling naira-denominated tickets in Nigeria, which could then exchange its naira revenue with a Nigerian company trading in Ethiopia using the birr.

"Our system will intelligently match them and then party A will get Naira in Nigeria and party B will get birr in Ethiopia. The transaction just completes without any third-party currency being involved at all," Ogbalu said.

There have been frequent case of companies not being able to repatriate their revenue from other countries in the region, whenever violence or economic problems cause dollar shortages in markets like South Sudan or the Central African Republic.

Companies operating in the region have been forced to take a writedown every financial year to account for currency revaluations in markets with volatile currencies, Ogbalu said.

Others have invested in assets like real estate to try to preserve the value of their assets in such markets.

There have been attempts to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to get around that problem but their usage is still low, partly due to lack of legal frameworks to support their use in markets like Kenya.

"Those are some of the things we think that this African currency marketplace will unlock," he said, saying it would be "transformational" without giving details on expected size or trading volumes.

African payments system PAPSS plans to launch FX market platform this year

 

[Ish Gibor]

Gew

African payments system PAPSS plans to launch FX market platform this year​

By Duncan Miriri and Karin Strohecker
March 12, 2025, 8:51 AM GMT-3 | Updated 9 days ago

Nigerian naira banknotes are seen in this picture illustration, September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/Illustration/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

NAIROBI, March 12 (Reuters) - A pan-African payments infrastructure provider designed to facilitate trade on the continent is piloting an African currency market platform to boost commerce across borders in the region, its chief executive said.

The Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS), backed by 15 central banks on the continent, expects to add the platform later this year to complement its payments infrastructure that it says is currently integrated with 150 commercial banks.

"The rates will be market driven, and our system is able to do a matching based on the rates offered by the different participants in our ecosystem," Mike Ogbalu, the CEO of PAPSS, told Reuters in an interview from Cairo.

Africa's foreign exchange markets are often shallow and liquidity is limited, with South Africa and Nigeria dominating geographically and much of the wider trading centred around local and hard currency pairs. Those seeking other African currencies must typically secure dollars first.

However, the region has also seen some major currency reforms with countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia pushing ahead with efforts to move to more market-based regimes.

The Africa Currency Marketplace, as the platform will be known, will allow parties to exchange local currencies directly, Ogbalu said.

He cited the example of an Ethiopian airline selling naira-denominated tickets in Nigeria, which could then exchange its naira revenue with a Nigerian company trading in Ethiopia using the birr.

"Our system will intelligently match them and then party A will get Naira in Nigeria and party B will get birr in Ethiopia. The transaction just completes without any third-party currency being involved at all," Ogbalu said.

There have been frequent case of companies not being able to repatriate their revenue from other countries in the region, whenever violence or economic problems cause dollar shortages in markets like South Sudan or the Central African Republic.

Companies operating in the region have been forced to take a writedown every financial year to account for currency revaluations in markets with volatile currencies, Ogbalu said.

Others have invested in assets like real estate to try to preserve the value of their assets in such markets.

There have been attempts to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to get around that problem but their usage is still low, partly due to lack of legal frameworks to support their use in markets like Kenya.

"Those are some of the things we think that this African currency marketplace will unlock," he said, saying it would be "transformational" without giving details on expected size or trading volumes.

African payments system PAPSS plans to launch FX market platform this year

Great development.

 

[Yehuda]

DP World selects Mota-Engil to build DRC’s first deep-water port​

Banana Port construction in , the Democratic Republic of Congo - Copyright © africanews cleared

By Rédaction Africanews
Last updated: 21/03 - 12:29

DP World has appointed Portugese construction firm Mota-Engil to lead the development of the Banana Port, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) first deep-water maritime gateway.

Located in a coastal town in Kongo Central province, the port is expected to strengthen regional trade networks and reduce the DRC’s dependence on foreign ports for global commerce.

As one of Africa’s largest infrastructure projects, the Banana Port will facilitate trade across the continent. Many African economies rely on efficient transport corridors, and the port will provide a direct maritime route for goods, lowering business costs and boosting intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).



The project, funded by DP World with support from British International Investment (BII), will be developed in phases. The first phase includes a 600-meter quay, a 30-hectare storage area, and an annual handling capacity of 450,000 TEUs. A planned second phase will extend the quay wall by more than two kilometers, increasing capacity for larger vessels.

Once completed, the Banana Port will streamline trade operations, cut transport costs, and centralize customs and administrative processes.

It is also expected to create thousands of jobs, benefit local industries such as agriculture and manufacturing, and integrate the DRC into Africa’s broader supply chain network.

Mota-Engil, a multinational construction company with extensive experience in large-scale projects across Africa, will oversee the port’s construction.

DP World, a Dubai-based global logistics and port management company, is leading the investment. DP World Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem described the port as a “transformative” project that will reshape the DRC’s trade landscape and strengthen Africa’s position in global markets.

DP World selects Mota-Engil to build DRC’s first deep-water port

 

[Ish Gibor]

DP World selects Mota-Engil to build DRC’s first deep-water port​

Banana Port construction in , the Democratic Republic of Congo - Copyright © africanews cleared

By Rédaction Africanews
Last updated: 21/03 - 12:29

DP World has appointed Portugese construction firm Mota-Engil to lead the development of the Banana Port, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) first deep-water maritime gateway.

Located in a coastal town in Kongo Central province, the port is expected to strengthen regional trade networks and reduce the DRC’s dependence on foreign ports for global commerce.

As one of Africa’s largest infrastructure projects, the Banana Port will facilitate trade across the continent. Many African economies rely on efficient transport corridors, and the port will provide a direct maritime route for goods, lowering business costs and boosting intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).



The project, funded by DP World with support from British International Investment (BII), will be developed in phases. The first phase includes a 600-meter quay, a 30-hectare storage area, and an annual handling capacity of 450,000 TEUs. A planned second phase will extend the quay wall by more than two kilometers, increasing capacity for larger vessels.

Once completed, the Banana Port will streamline trade operations, cut transport costs, and centralize customs and administrative processes.

It is also expected to create thousands of jobs, benefit local industries such as agriculture and manufacturing, and integrate the DRC into Africa’s broader supply chain network.

Mota-Engil, a multinational construction company with extensive experience in large-scale projects across Africa, will oversee the port’s construction.

DP World, a Dubai-based global logistics and port management company, is leading the investment. DP World Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem described the port as a “transformative” project that will reshape the DRC’s trade landscape and strengthen Africa’s position in global markets.

DP World selects Mota-Engil to build DRC’s first deep-water port

This is not a good development, because outside sources take the upper hand. The DRC never learns from past mistakes.

 

[Yehuda]

Ghana and Morocco initiate move towards visa-free travel​

Kweku Zurek
Mar - 24 - 2025 , 11:26
2 minutes read

Ghana and Morocco initiate move towards visa-free travel

Ghana and Morocco have reached an agreement to initiate moves toward waiving visa requirements for all categories of travellers between the two countries, a move aimed at fostering closer diplomatic and economic ties.

Announcing the development, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that the agreement would be presented to both nations’ parliaments for ratification in the coming weeks.

“We have both additionally pledged to deepen collaboration in agribusiness, tourism, and security,” he said after holding discussions with the Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Imane Ouaadil.



Mr Ablakwa described the meeting as “fruitful and assuring” and used the opportunity to address concerns over recent social media reports alleging violence against Africans in Morocco.

According to him, the Moroccan Ambassador firmly refuted claims that some 700 Africans had been killed in Morocco, clarifying that the widely circulated video in question was an old recording of a tragic border incident that occurred on 24th June 2022.

“Apparently, the footage in issue is an old 24th June 2022 border incident which led to the tragic, unfortunate, and condemnable loss of 23 lives. That deplorable incident has since been investigated by Moroccan and Spanish authorities,” Mr Ablakwa stated.

He further assured that “it is worth noting that no Ghanaian casualty was recorded.”

Beyond diplomatic and security matters, the minister revealed that Morocco had doubled its annual scholarships for Ghanaian students, increasing the number from 90 to 180, starting this year.

Prior to his engagement with the Moroccan Ambassador, Mr Ablakwa also met with the Russian Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Sergei Berdnikov, where they discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation.

“Ghana will continue to pursue our longstanding foreign policy of positive neutrality and serve as a credible voice for global peace,” the Minister reiterated.

Ghana and Morocco initiate move towards visa-free travel

 

[Ish Gibor]

Ghana and Morocco initiate move towards visa-free travel​

Kweku Zurek
Mar - 24 - 2025 , 11:26
2 minutes read

Ghana and Morocco initiate move towards visa-free travel

Ghana and Morocco have reached an agreement to initiate moves toward waiving visa requirements for all categories of travellers between the two countries, a move aimed at fostering closer diplomatic and economic ties.

Announcing the development, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that the agreement would be presented to both nations’ parliaments for ratification in the coming weeks.

“We have both additionally pledged to deepen collaboration in agribusiness, tourism, and security,” he said after holding discussions with the Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Imane Ouaadil.



Mr Ablakwa described the meeting as “fruitful and assuring” and used the opportunity to address concerns over recent social media reports alleging violence against Africans in Morocco.

According to him, the Moroccan Ambassador firmly refuted claims that some 700 Africans had been killed in Morocco, clarifying that the widely circulated video in question was an old recording of a tragic border incident that occurred on 24th June 2022.

“Apparently, the footage in issue is an old 24th June 2022 border incident which led to the tragic, unfortunate, and condemnable loss of 23 lives. That deplorable incident has since been investigated by Moroccan and Spanish authorities,” Mr Ablakwa stated.

He further assured that “it is worth noting that no Ghanaian casualty was recorded.”

Beyond diplomatic and security matters, the minister revealed that Morocco had doubled its annual scholarships for Ghanaian students, increasing the number from 90 to 180, starting this year.

Prior to his engagement with the Moroccan Ambassador, Mr Ablakwa also met with the Russian Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Sergei Berdnikov, where they discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation.

“Ghana will continue to pursue our longstanding foreign policy of positive neutrality and serve as a credible voice for global peace,” the Minister reiterated.

Ghana and Morocco initiate move towards visa-free travel

It has pros and cons. Not everyone in Morocco is native African (by that I’m not referring to the Berbers, but to other groups who came into that region relatively recently). Some of them will try the leach their way into Ghana to scrap wealth and set up dominance.


A lot of Berbers are not Afrocentric, but seem commonality with the invaders.

 

[Yehuda]

Progress in solar power expansion in Mali amidst significant challenges​

By Dominic Wabwireh with AP
Last updated: 19 minutes ago

A man displays solar panels for sale outside a shop in Abuja, Nigeria, June 17, 2023 - Copyright © africanews
AP Photo

At his phone repair station in Bamako's Grand Marché, Bourama Doumbia anxiously awaits customers.

Just a year ago, his shop buzzed with activity throughout the day, but frequent power outages in the Malian capital have brought his business to a halt.

“Last year, we could endure up to 38 hours without electricity, but now we only have power for limited periods. I have to plan my work around these outages,” he explained. “Currently, the frequency of power cuts is less than it was last year, but the number of customers has significantly dropped.”


Despite the reduction in power outages, Mali's energy crisis remains severe, further straining an economy already battered by two coups since 2020 and ongoing violence from armed separatist groups and jihadists linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

“Demand from the population has surged by 4 to 10%, yet the current energy provider, EDM (Malian electricity company), has failed to bridge that gap,” noted Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks.

In response to the persistent outages from EDM, which primarily relies on generators and diesel, innovative ideas for mini solar power plants are starting to take root in Mali's more isolated villages, which are largely untouched by the armed groups opposing the military government.

According to the Malian agency for the development of domestic energy and rural electrification, known as AMADER, the rural electrification rate in Mali stands at a mere 25 percent.

Since 2021, the small village of Karan, located near the Mali-Guinea border and home to 3,000 residents, has benefited from an 18 KW mini solar power plant.

This facility, equipped with 114 solar panels and 72 energy storage batteries, distributes electricity throughout the village via cables mounted on wooden poles.

The energy generated by this solar facility has positively influenced various businesses, including a local bakery.

Samba Diakité, the baker at Karan, noted that the mini power plant has significantly benefited his operations.

"The costs for diesel and maintenance were quite high, and whenever the engine malfunctioned, I had to halt production for several days while waiting for mechanics from Bamako, which is 100 km away, to fix it," Mr. Diakité shared.

Thanks to the solar power plant in the village, he has been able to cut down on expenses.

In Mali, research indicates that achieving universal electrification will require an investment of approximately $1.3 billion, with 42% allocated for expanding existing networks and 52% for developing mini-grids.

Although solar energy is gradually making its way into the country through small solar stations, Mali, along with other Sahel nations like Niger and Burkina Faso—currently under military rule—may continue to rely on established non-renewable energy sources, which are often unreliable.

Analysts predict that a shift to clean energy will only become truly effective in the next 10 to 15 years.

Progress in solar power expansion in Mali amidst significant challenges

 

[Yehuda]

First of 10 public EV charging stations launched in Uganda

The government said it is working with the private sector to build a network of at least 3,500 public EV charging stations by 2040

Yunus Kemp
14 March 2025

Image: Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, tests out the EV charging equipment at the station launched at Amber House this week. Source: NankabirwaRS/X

Uganda has launched one of its first public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as part of a pilot programme in Kampala and plans on setting up at least nine more in the capital city.

This week, the country’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, unveiled the EV charging station at Amber House, which serves as the offices of the country’s Electricity Board as well as other large enterprises.

Ssentamu emphasised the need for accessible and affordable EV charging infrastructure to promote electric mobility.

Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, launches the EV charging station at Amber House this week. Source: NankabirwaRS/X

The government plans to pilot at least 10 EV charging stations within Kampala Metropolitan, she said.

Ssentamu also acknowledged the role of private sector players in the sector – Zembo Electric, Gogo and Kiira Motors.

The newly unveiled station has a power output ranging from 30kW to 360kW, allowing vehicles to recharge between 15 minutes to 1.5 hours.

EV landscape in Uganda​

A baseline report on gender and e-mobility published last August – authored by the Africa E-mobility Alliance (Afema) – noted that the e-mobility sector in Uganda remains nascent, with just more than 3,000 EVs on the road in a country with around 1.8 million registered vehicles as of August 2024.

The country’s e-mobility ecosystem includes 11 e-mobility startups operating across the two-wheeler, car and bus sectors.

The report said there are 3,077 EVs of which at least 3,000 are e-motorcycles as of March 2024.

“While publicly known total investments in e-mobility companies operating in Uganda are over $165 million, over 95% of this has gone to two companies – Spiro and Kiira Motors – while other companies have not released information on their raises.

“E-mobility in Uganda is powered primarily by grid electricity, which is primarily from renewable sources and costs approximately 700 UGX ($0.19) per kWh, compared to petrol which is approximately 5,500 UGX ($1.50) per litre.”

Riders aboard Spiro electric motorcycles also attended the launch in Kampala. Source: NankabirwaRS/X

The report said the e-mobility ecosystem in Uganda includes EV assemblers, EV retailers, battery providers, charging infrastructure operators, electricity generators, electricity distributors and asset financiers.

Additional key stakeholders include educators, trainers, researchers, policy makers and umbrella organisations such as the Uganda E-Mobility Association.

​

Plan to roll out thousands of EV charging stations across Uganda​

At the launch in Kampala this week, Minister Ssentamu said that with the installation of “this EV charging station, we are indeed cognisant of the fact that access to electricity, and affordability of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure are the two major barriers for EV adoption.”

“I take note that the adoption of of EVs cannot be separated from the development of EV charging infrastructure, not withstanding the challenges in the initial phase of EVs development, wherein the low uptake of EVs often hinders the investment enthusiasm of investors for EV charging infrastructure and vice versa.”

The development of EV charging infrastructure has been highlighted as part of government’s commitments under the National Development Plan IV as a strategy to enhance efficiency in the transport sector.

The Ugandan government said previously that it is working with the private sector to build a network of at least 3,500 public EV charging stations by 2040.

It also plans to install over 10,000 fast chargers in Uganda to make one available in every 50km radius by 2040.

“EV charging infrastructure in Uganda is categorised into two main categories: swapping stations and Level 3 fast charging stations.

“Today we are launching an EV charging station that has both swapping and Level 3 fast charging. My Ministry has planned to pilot EV charging infrastructure development with 10 EV charging stations within Kampala Metropolitan,” said Ssentamu.

Uganda’s transport sector accounts for 8% of total energy consumed, the Minister said.

Globally, the transport sector is responsible for close to a quarter of global energy-related CO2 emissions due to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

“With the global demand for transport services expected to increase in future years, it is crucial to sustainably transform the sector and advance towards a zero-carbon sector with electric mobility,” she said.

First of 10 public EV charging stations launched in Uganda

 

[Yehuda]

Scientists hope hungry weevils from Louisiana can tackle South Africa’s invasive water plants​

By MICHELLE GUMEDE
Updated 10:26 PM BRT, March 30, 2025

HARTBEESPOORT, South Africa (AP) — Dozens of tiny black weevils cling onto a fern plant as it is tossed onto a leafy green mat coating the surface of South Africa’s Crocodile River.

Those weevils aren’t tossed into the river by accident: scientists hope that the insects and their larvae will munch their way through the green mat, which is made up of an unwanted, invasive South American aquatic plant called Salvinia minima.

The plant is steadily taking over freshwater bodies in the northern region of South Africa, suffocating aquatic life, including on the Crocodile River and the Hartbeespoort Dam it flows into.

The weevils, which have been used effectively elsewhere in the world to fight water weeds, are now leading South Africa’s charge against the life-sucking plants threatening ecosystems in at least three northern provinces and creeping into neighboring countries.

After the weevils helped control the spread of salvinia in parts of the United States, scientists from both countries worked together on a project to gather a starter population in South Africa.

The 1-millimeter-long (0.03 inches) insects were brought over 8,700 miles from Louisiana. Rearing stations are being set up near several dams to grow the weevil population.

Dozens of tiny black weevils cling onto Salvinia minima ferns held in a container at the Hartbeespoort Dam in South Africa, on March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Once released at an infested site, the beetles make themselves at home on the salvinia, the only thing they eat, without damaging the local ecosystem, scientists say.

“They lay eggs on this plant, feed on this plant and die on this plant. If this plant dies, they will die as well,” said professor Julie Coetzee, the principal scientist at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. “They damage certain tissues, those tissues become waterlogged and then those plants sink to the bottom.”

A floating menace​

Hartbeespoort Dam north of Johannesburg, the location for the pilot project, is an important source of irrigation for nearby farms and a popular recreation site.

“When we bought the property there was this beautiful little floating plant on the dam and I thought well that’s quite nice,” said 53-year-old resident and business operator Max Moller. “Little did I realize this little floating fern was an absolute menace.”

Moller, the owner of Mogi’s hiking trail, said the salvinia have clogged up and damaged boat engines and also hurt fishing communities over the nine years that he has lived in the area.

Hyacinth grows at the Hartbeespoort Dam in South Africa, on March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa’s already vulnerable freshwater systems face a significant threat from salvinia, scientists say. The plants have had two major growth spurts in 2021 and 2022, surviving on the high nitrate contents in the water.

The plant initially surfaced more than a decade ago at the dam, which has also long been battling with a water hyacinth invasion, another problematic species.

“If you pull the hyacinth away, this plant is lurking,” said Coetzee. The invasive plants block out the sunlight, which means no oxygen in the water, she said.

“If there is no oxygen, there’s no fish, there’s no crab, there’s no insects and so you completely destroy or alter the aquatic ecosystem,” she said.

Salvinia has a rapid growth rate and its spread has been most notable across Gauteng province, where South Africa’s biggest city of Johannesburg and its capital, Pretoria, are located. The plant is compounding existing water supply problems by depleting the oxygen and sapping the supply in a country that’s already struggling with increasing demand and deteriorating water infrastructure.

Concerns over the weevils’ impact​

While releasing the weevils will help combat salvinia, experts warn that there could be unintended side-effects.

Anthony Turton, a water expert and researcher at South Africa’s University of the Free State, cautioned that their introduction could turn rivers and dams into more suitable homes for bacteria and dangerous organisms.

A community member fishing along the Hartbeespoort Dam in South Africa, on March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

That includes poisonous blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria, which flourish in nutrient-rich, contaminated waterways and already affect almost 60% of the nation’s dams.

“With more light and less competition for nutrients, those cyanobacteria will go into a condition known as a bloom,” he said. “This is exponential population growth that radically populates the entire water column.”

Turnton said simultaneous action to repair damaged sewage systems and limit agriculture fertilizer runoff are essential for a lasting solution.

“Unless there are efforts to reduce the inflow of nutrients from sewage flows, then we are only creating space for cyanobacteria to grow without competition from floating weeds,” he said.

Threat of spreading to other countries​

The weevils aren’t the first insects to be introduced to curb an invasive threat in South Africa. The country brought in a bug in the 1930s to control the spread of a hardy cactus native to Mexico that was hurting ecosystems. That project was viewed as a success.

The speedy growth of the salvinia has put pressure on the government to act, particularly as researchers warn that neighboring countries also now face an invasion.

Coetzee said that salvinia was popping up on the confluence of the Crocodile and Limpopo rivers in the far north of South Africa.

“That now poses a huge threat to our neighbors because this plant has been transported by our rivers onto our borders,” she said. “It is likely to go all the way along the Limpopo, along Botswana and Zimbabwe’s borders and into Mozambique.”

“We really have a responsibility to control this plant,” she added.

Scientists hope hungry weevils from Louisiana can tackle South Africa’s invasive water plants

 

[Yehuda]

Congo commutes death sentences of 3 Americans convicted in failed coup​

April 2, 2025
By Rédaction Africanews

Tyler Thompson Jr., Marcel Malanga and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, all American citizens, face the court in Kinshasa, Congo, with 52 other defendants, June 7, 2024 - Copyright © africanews AP Photo

Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has commuted the death sentences of three Americans convicted on charges of participating in a botched coup attempt in the country’s capital Kinshasa last year, an official said Wednesday.

A presidential order commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment, Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said, more than six months after a military court sentenced the three and more than 30 others to death for the failed coup.

The pardon came amid efforts by Congolese authorities to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. in exchange for security support that will help Kinshasa fight rebels in the conflict-hit eastern region.

Six people were killed during last year's botched coup attempt, led by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga, that targeted the presidential palace in Kinshasa as well as a close ally of Tshisekedi. Malanga was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said.

Malanga’s 21-year-old son Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, was among the Americans convicted for participating in the coup plot. The other Americans are Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, a high school friend of the younger Malanga who flew to Africa from Utah for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, who is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company.

Marcel Malanga told the court that his father had forced him and Thompson to take part in the attack.



“Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,” he said previously during hearings.

Most of the defendants were Congolese but also included a Briton, Belgian and Canadian. Their charges included attempted coup, terrorism and criminal association. Fourteen people were acquitted in the trial.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State announced late Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s new senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, will travel to Congo and three other African countries — Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda — starting April 3.

Boulos will advance efforts for sustainable peace in eastern Congo and promote U.S. private sector investment in the region, the State Department said in a statement.

Congo commutes death sentences of 3 Americans convicted in failed coup

 

[Secure Da Bag]

The inventions Africa have created in or by 2025