The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday. – – – – – GLOBAL MARKETS Asian equities are set for a choppy trading session on Friday after technology stocks lifted the S&P 500 to a new record even as investors weighed an unexpected rise in the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits. WORLD OIL PRICES Oil prices were little changed on Friday as investors weighed rising supplies from major producers and the impact on fuel demand from the COVID-19 pandemic. EMERGING MARKETS For the top emerging markets news, double click on AFRICA STOCKS For the latest news on African stocks, click on SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS South Africa’s rand rallied to its best level in six-weeks on Thursday, shaking off sluggish manufacturing data as global demand for high-yielding currencies was lifted by growing bets that lending rates in the United States will remain low. NIGERIA SECURITY One army officer and 10 soldiers were killed in Nigeria’s Benue state in what a spokesman said was an unprovoked attack on Thursday. KENYA MARKETS The Kenyan shilling strengthened against the dollar on Thursday as the market basked in healthy inflows via sale of government debt and new financing from the International Monetary Fund. KENYA REFUGEES A Kenyan judge ruled on Thursday against the closure of two refugee camps hosting hundreds of thousands of people mainly from neighbouring Somalia, according to a copy of the court order seen by Reuters. DJIBOUTI ELECTION Voters head to the polls on Friday in the tiny but strategically important Horn of Africa nation Djibouti, with President Ismael Omar Guelleh widely expected to win a fifth term and extend his 21-year-long rule. UGANDA MARKETS The Ugandan shilling traded steady on Thursday, drawing support from inflows from offshore investors who participated in this week’s Treasury auction. UGANDA EGYPT Uganda and Egypt have signed a military intelligence sharing agreement, the east African country said late on Wednesday, against a backdrop of rising tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over a hydropower dam on a tributary of the Nile river. ETHIOPIA CONFLICT/USA White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed U.S. concerns over the crisis in the Tigray region in a call with Ethopia’s deputy prime minister, Demeke Mekonnen, the White House said on Thursday. MOZAMBIQUE INSURGENCY Twelve people, possibly foreigners, were found beheaded following an attack claimed by Islamic State on the northern Mozambique town of Palma, a local police commander told the state broadcaster. CONGO SECURITY Congolese police detained scores of protesters and fired live rounds on Thursday to disperse crowds demanding the departure of the United Nations peacekeeping mission from the city of Beni, local authorities and witnesses said. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC POLITICS A judge in Central African Republic has asked parliament to lift the immunity of four opposition lawmakers as part of an investigation into ex-president Francois Bozize, the interim justice minister said on Thursday. ANGOLA GASOLINE Angola’s state oil firm Sonangol has launched a tender for gasoline and diesel imports for one year starting July 1, the company said in a statement. IVORY COAST RUBBER Ivory Coast’s natural rubber output is expected to reach 1.1 million tonnes in 2021, up almost 16% from about 950,000 tonnes the previous year, a senior industry figure said on Thursday. For the latest precious metals report click on For the latest base metals report click on For the latest crude oil report click on

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