When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Category: Africa
Why the U.S.-DRC Mining Deal is Bad News For China
The U.S. and the DR Congo signed a landmark deal on critical minerals during President Félix Tshisekedi's visit to the White House this week. The pact provides the U.S. with extraordinary access to the Congolese mining sector and is widely expected ...
Kenya Sees a Third Wave of Chinese Investment, Led This Time by Shandong
Over more than a decade in Kenya, the popular WeChat commentator Xiao Nie “小聂说事儿,” witnessed three waves of Chinese investment. The first came from Guangdong and Fujian, who are small-scale commodity traders. The second was led by Zhejiang entrepreneurs in manufacturing, wholesale, and e-commerce, followed by a ...
In Congo’s Cobalt Belt, a Chinese Miner’s Waste Leaves Villages Poisoned and Furious
By Camille Lafont Carrying her sore-pocked daughter across her decaying field, Helene Mvubu says she is one of thousands to have fallen victim to the toxic waste defiling the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining capital. ...
Kenya Launches $1.5 Billion Road Project With Chinese Firms
Kenya on Friday launched a $1.5 billion road expansion project financed by Chinese firms, including a state-owned company. Beijing is among Kenya's top five development lenders, with Nairobi owing China some $4.7 billion, according to official 2025 data. ...
East Africa Court Dismisses Activists’ Case Over Massive Franco-Chinese Oil Project
The East African Court of Justice has dismissed a case challenging TotalEnergies' massive oil project in Uganda and Tanzania, after civil society groups sought a full trial over the controversial development. Four civil society groups first filed a petition in 2020 ...
As Conflict Escalates in Eastern Congo, China’s Mining Giants Confront New Risks Far From the Front Lines
In late November, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a stark warning about the Democratic Republic of Congo: the security situation in the east has deteriorated sharply, with armed clashes, extremist activity and attacks against foreign workers rising again. Congo sits at the ...
A Chinese Upstart Takes On Big Tobacco in Kenya — by Playing It Straight
In a sector long dominated by counterfeit trade and British American Tobacco's (BAT) near-monopoly of the Kenyan cigarette market, a Chinese distributor did something no one expected: it played by the book. The popular Kenya-based Chinese online commentator Xiao Nie “小聂说事儿,” ...
South Africa and China Launch Joint African Modernization Initiative
South Africa and China announced a new joint initiative aimed at boosting African modernization. The initiative was announced on Sunday during the closing of the G20 summit in Johannesburg. The text of the announcement emphasizes that the initiative will harmonize with ...
How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa
China has funded, designed, and built more than 200 government buildings across Africa, including the headquarters of the African Union and Ecowas, foreign ministry annexes in Ghana and Kenya, and at least 15 national parliaments. ...
“Mining Slave” Warning in the Central African Republic Sparks Fierce Debate Among Chinese Netizens
The Chinese embassy in the Central African Republic issued one of its strongest warnings to date last week about the extreme dangers facing Chinese nationals involved in gold mining in the Central African Republic (CAR). The warning circulated widely on Chinese news platforms, prompting reactions that expose ...
As China Expands Its Presence in Africa, Smaller EU States Rush to Catch Up
By Umberto Bacchi From Finland opening diplomatic outposts in Senegal to Czech instructors training Mauritanian security forces, a group of smaller European nations has joined a global scramble for influence in Africa. Estonia, Romania and ...
Africa’s Embrace of Chinese Drones Signals New Economic Opportunities
African countries are increasingly adopting Chinese drone technology, a move that highlights both the potential of drones as a future economic growth driver and China's expanding role in the sector. Rwanda and Senegal, for example, recently signed an air transport agreement to expand cross-border routes and strengthen ...
Chinese Nationals’ Role in Africa’s Illicit Weapons, Mining, and Money Flows
There's mounting evidence from the United Nations and others that Chinese organized crime syndicates are moving more of their operations from countries in Southeast Asia to Africa. These groups are contributing to a surge in illicit crypto mining, scam centers, illegal wildlife trafficking, ...