Zimbabwe’s ex-President Robert Mugabe may have had financial ties with Jeffrey Epstein, according to the latest batch of files related to the convicted US sex offender. In an email exchange from 2015 with Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito, the disgraced financier suggested they approach then-President Mugabe to provide Zimbabwe with a new currency after the local dollar collapsed because of hyperinflation. FBI documents from 2017 also released had unverified testimony from a “human confidential source”, who claimed Epstein was a wealth manager for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and provided the same service for Mugabe. Being named among the Epstein files is…
Author: Montage Africa
“When I heard the town crier announce that health workers were coming for free screening, I felt afraid: if they told me I had the disease, how would I get treated? But I thought of my children and decided to go,” says Awa, 48, a mother of six living in Ipendo, in Burkina Faso’s Centre-West region. Like Awa, thousands of women in the country have long lived with this concern, given the challenges in accessing health services. Their situation illustrates a major issue: cervical cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers among women in the country. Before the implementation of…
By Rédaction Africanews Ghana and Zambia have agreed to abolish visa requirements for each other’s citizens, marking a major step toward closer regional integration and easier cross-border movement. The deal was confirmed by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during President John Dramani Mahama’s official visit to Zambia. The three-day trip is focused on expanding diplomatic engagement, strengthening economic partnerships, and fostering stronger ties between the populations of both countries. President Mahama arrived in Lusaka on Wednesday, February 4, and was received at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Officials say the agreement was one of…
By Africanews with AP Acting Undersecretary-General of the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism Alexandre Zouev told the Security Council on Wednesday that the threat posed by the Islamic State group has increased steadily and remains multipolar and increasingly complex, with the situation in West Africa and the Sahel especially urgent. “The group and its affiliates continued to adapt and demonstrate resilience despite sustained counter‑terrorism pressure,” said Zouev. “The group continued to recruit foreign terrorist fighters, and to enhance their use of new and emerging technologies.” The group has also been able to maintain access to funding streams through opportunistic fund‑raising, unlawful…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies The appeal trial of an accused Franco-Rwandan genocidaire opened at the Paris Court of Assize on Tuesday. Claude Muhayimana was convicted of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity at his first trial in 2021. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The former driver is accused of transporting Hutu militiamen to massacre sites where thousands of Tutsis were killed. The 1994 genocide claimed the lives of at least 800,000 people, mostly from the Tutsi community, who were massacred by the Hutu militia. Some witnesses have come from Kigali, but others have cancelled their…
Parts of northern Morocco, especially the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, are grappling with severe flooding after sustained rainfall topping 600 mm since September 2025, reversing years of drought. Authorities say more than 50,000 people have been displaced across the north, nearly half of Ksar El Kebir’s population. Access to the city is limited to outbound traffic, power cuts have hit several neighbourhoods and schools remain closed. The situation worsened after controlled releases from the Oued Makhazine dam, which has reached full capacity. The army has deployed rescue teams, helicopters and medical units to support evacuations and reinforce flood barriers. Further evacuations…
African startups are increasingly turning to debt as a mainstream funding option, marking a shift in how the continent’s tech ecosystem finances growth. In 2025, startups raised a record $1.64 billion in debt, pushing debt’s share of total venture funding to 40% for the first time, according to Partech Africa. This rise reflects a maturing market, where more companies can demonstrate predictable revenues and steady cash flow. While equity funding is slowly recovering after a sharp post-pandemic correction, debt offers founders a way to fund operations without heavy dilution. Development finance institutions remain key lenders, but commercial banks are also stepping…
Madagascar has moved to reboot its mining sector by lifting a freeze on issuing mining permits that has been in place since 2010. The long freeze, initially imposed during a political transition to curb speculation, had left over 1,650 applications in limbo. The government’s decision to resume issuing permits signals a fresh attempt to bring order and confidence to a sector long hampered by inactivity and speculation. This reopening follows the adoption of a new mining code in 2023, designed to tighten oversight, reduce dormant permits, and accelerate exploration. While officials have not set a timeline for clearing the backlog, the shift…
Nigeria is reshaping its oil licensing strategy to lure fresh investment and revive production after years of decline. Notably, the country’s regulator has slashed the mandatory “signature bonus” fee to between $3 and $7 million, a sharp reduction from the $10 million it charged in 2024 and the approximately $200 million that was required several years ago. Officials say the shift prioritizes technical expertise, financial strength, and credible development plans over high upfront fees. The process will also be fully digital and independently monitored to boost transparency and investor confidence. With majors like Chevron and TotalEnergies showing interest, Abuja hopes the reforms…
Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s top cocoa producer, has rolled out an emergency cocoa buyback scheme as falling global prices and port bottlenecks threaten the country’s cocoa farmers. With beans piling up in cooperatives and exporters pulling back, the government has stepped in to keep the supply chain moving and farmers paid. Officials say shipping delays at Abidjan’s port and liquidity shortages have stalled payments across the market, threatening livelihoods in a sector that millions depend on. Under the plan, the Coffee and Cocoa Council will spend about $510 million to purchase up to 100,000 tons of cocoa by the end of March.…