<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="536" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-820x536.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418055" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-820x536.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-138x90.jpg 138w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Britain&#8217;s Prince Charles gets briefed by an aide before attending the Heads of Government and CEOs roundtable during Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the Intare conference arena on the outskirts Kigali, Rwanda June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Ayenat Mersie</figcaption></figure>



KIGALI, June 24 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Commonwealth leaders meet in Kigali on Friday to discuss cooperation on topics from trade to health to climate, against a backdrop of criticism of the host Rwanda&#8217;s human rights record and of a British policy to deport asylum seekers there.



The Commonwealth, a club of 54 countries most of which are former British colonies, encompasses about a third of humanity and presents itself as a network of equal partners with shared goals such as democracy, peace and prosperity.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y8519&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Britain&#8217;s Prince Charles and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will attend an opening ceremony along with heads of state and government from most member countries, before the leaders hold two days of talks behind closed doors.



One item on the agenda will be applications by former French colonies Togo and Gabon to join the Commonwealth, a sign of disenchantment within France&#8217;s sphere of influence in Africa and of the attractions of an English-speaking club.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YA249&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The theme of the summit, &#8220;Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming&#8221;, offered few clues as to what outcomes were expected.



At previous summits, leaders have agreed on declarations and targets on specific challenges such as malaria, and some of the richer members have pledged funding for specific initiatives.



Some prominent countries, including South Africa, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand sent more junior delegations led by ministers to Kigali.



Earlier this month, 24 civil society groups including Human Rights Watch said the Commonwealth&#8217;s human rights mandate would be undermined if leaders failed to challenge Rwanda on its record.



They said the Rwandan government was responsible for abusive prosecutions, harassment and torture of dissidents, which Rwanda denies.



The hosting of the summit by Rwanda has also kept the spotlight on Britain&#8217;s controversial policy to deport asylum seekers to the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Y10B6&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Prince Charles was reported by British media to have described it as &#8220;appalling&#8221;, an uneasy backdrop to his interactions with both Johnson and Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the summit. However, any tensions were unlikely to be aired in public.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YA3Q3&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Johnson, asked by Reuters on Thursday if he would visit detention centres prepared by the Rwandan authorities to receive asylum seekers from Britain, said he was &#8220;flat out&#8221; and would not be able to.



(Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Writing by Estelle Shirbon, Editing by William Maclean)

VXZEGV7ZCJKWNPRBU4RHXUNWUE

Commonwealth leaders meet in Rwanda amid criticism of host’s rights record

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-410942" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-140x80.jpeg 140w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>In this Photo illustration a World Health Organization(WHO) logo seen displayed on an Android phone.
Avishek Das | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The World Health Organization will decide on Thursday whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency, stirring criticism from leading African scientists who say it has been a crisis in their region for years.



The deliberations and scrutiny of the WHO&#8217;s response to the outbreak follows concerns over how the United Nations&nbsp;agency and governments worldwide handled COVID-19 in early 2020.



A&nbsp;&#8220;public health emergency of international concern&#8221; is WHO&#8217;s highest level of alert. The agency does not declare pandemics, but it did start using the term to describe COVID-19 in March 2020.



For many governments, that &#8211; rather than WHO&#8217;s earlier declaration of an emergency in January &#8211; was the moment they began to take real action to try to contain COVID, which proved to be too late to make a difference.



Monkeypox does not spread nearly as easily as COVID and there are vaccines and treatments available, unlike for the coronavirus when it emerged. But it has still raised alarm.



The case count from the current outbreak outside of Africa has topped 3,000 in more than 40 countries, according to a Reuters tally &#8211; largely among men who have sex with men &#8211; since it was first reported in May.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2XF1XF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>&nbsp;There have been no reports of deaths.



The viral disease,&nbsp;which&nbsp;causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, is endemic in parts of Africa. The continent has registered just over 1,500 suspected cases since the start of 2022, of which 66 have been fatal, according to official data.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y32HZ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;When a disease affects developing countries, it is (apparently) not an emergency. It only becomes an emergency when developed countries are affected,&#8221; said Professor Emmanuel Nakoune, acting director of the Institut Pasteur in Bangui, Central African Republic, who is running a trial of a monkeypox treatment.



Still, Nakoune said that if the WHO declares an emergency in the case of monkeypox, it would still be an important step.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-africa-confirms-first-monkeypox-case-not-linked-to-travel">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/south-africa-confirms-first-monkeypox-case-not-linked-to-travel/">South Africa confirms first monkeypox case, not linked to travel</a></h3>



&#8220;If there is the political will to share equitably the means of response between developed and developing countries&#8230;, each country will be able to benefit,&#8221; he said.



At an online briefing with reporters on Thursday, the acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, said monkeypox case and death numbers were already at &#8220;emergency levels&#8221; on the continent.



The WHO will convene a closed meeting of experts at 12 p.m. (1000 GMT) in Geneva. It remains unclear when the decision will be announced.



The emergency committee meeting on Thursday includes experts from the most affected regions, who have also consulted with scientists including Nakoune. They will make a recommendation to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who makes the ultimate decision&nbsp;on&nbsp;whether to call the emergency.



The step mainly functions to sound the alarm, and can prompt further guidance from the&nbsp;WHO, as well as focus attention among member states.&nbsp;The WHO has already provided detailed guidance on the outbreak and said it is working on a mechanism for sharing treatments and vaccines.



Most experts agree monkeypox technically meets the criteria for the WHO definition of an emergency. It is a sudden and unusual event spreading internationally, and requires cross-country cooperation.



But the WHO is in a precarious position after COVID,&nbsp;according to&nbsp;Clare Wenham, a global health assistant professor at the London School of Economics.



If the WHO declares an emergency and countries do not act, it could undermine the agency&#8217;s role in controlling global disease, she said.



&#8220;They&#8217;re damned if they do, and damned if they don&#8217;t,&#8221; she added.



FACTBOX-Monkeypox cases around the world<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2XF1XF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



EXPLAINER-What vaccines, treatments do we have to combat monkeypox?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2XG5MK&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



FOCUS-Test makers target monkeypox market as cases surge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2XN537&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Disease experts call on WHO, governments for more action on monkeypox<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N2XI0SC&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby, additional reporting by Emma Farge and James Macharia Chege in JohannesburgEditing by Mark Heinrich and Bernadette Baum)

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WHO eyes decision on monkeypox ’emergency’, Africa says it’s long overdue

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="410" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2-820x410.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-399687" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2-820x410.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2-300x150.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2-768x384.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



BRUSSELS, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;African nations rich in energy but otherwise underdeveloped must secure a right to growth and power at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt in November, senior officials from across the continent said this week.



Rich nations must not let concerns over emissions causing climate change hinder energy projects, including fossil fuels, energy leaders told the African Energy Forum in Brussels.



For many, the sanctions and reduced flows from Russia that have sent European countries scrambling to shore up their energy supplies from elsewhere is a boon, as the energy crunch drives up inflation and stokes recession fears. {nL1N2Y90HK]



&#8220;All the arguments we heard at COP26 are not the same anymore,&#8221; Cheikh Niane, vice petroleum minister of emerging gas power Senegal told Reuters.



&#8220;At COP27 we are expecting the G7 and all developed countries to consider in the energy transition letting African countries develop gas which finances electricity for our citizens and helps industrialize our countries&#8221;.



Nearly 200 countries at last year&#8217;s summit in Glasgow, Scotland, agreed to strengthen climate pledges.



But for Osvaldo Abreu, minister of infrastructure and Natural Resources of Sao Tome and Principe, his attendance left him dreading his poor island nation would never see revenues from untapped oil and gas prospects.



&#8220;What we&#8217;re asking from the big economies is to look at our conditions: we would be prepared in the final case to stop exploration if we got the minimum financial support we need,&#8221; Abreu told Reuters.



Wealthy nations disappointed many in Glasgow by saying they would not deliver the $100 billion per year promised from 2020 until 2023 to help developing countries with their energy transition and with adapting to a warming world.



&#8220;We need this oil &#8230; and what we need is for them to keep their promises, because we have seen nothing so far,&#8221; he added.



Egypt, a natural gas exporter, takes over the presidency of the U.N. climate talks from Britain and hosts the COP27 summit Nov. 7-18 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.



&#8220;The COP27 session is going to be a different flavour,&#8221; said Ayman Soliman, CEO of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, adding the conference will focus on agreements to finance fuel and power projects especially climate-friendly ones like its plan to ramp up green ammonia for shipping in the Suez Canal.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AC6N2W4002&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;We want to do projects and to unlock financing &#8230; we&#8217;ve been trying to speak the language of the rest of the world but now the world needs to look at us and speak our language.&#8221;



(Reporting By Noah Browning; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

Oped-Yelland-EnergyTW-option-2

COP27 conference must advance African energy, development – officials

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418036" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KEKA74YMHFOEDBZ3MHHKA3PX2E-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Test tubes labelled &#8220;Monkeypox virus positive&#8221; are seen in this illustration taken May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Thursday that he had been notified by the country&#8217;s laboratory services that they had confirmed the first monkeypox case in South Africa.



The patient was a 30-year-old male from Johannesburg who had no travel history, &#8220;meaning that this cannot be attributed to having been acquired outside South Africa,&#8221; Phaahla told a news conference.



A process of contact tracing was under way, he added.



Monkeypox is a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. It is endemic in parts of Africa, but not South Africa.



The World Health Organization will decide on Thursday whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency. That has stirred criticism from some leading African scientists who say it has been a crisis for some African countries for years.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2YA0FN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Estelle Shirbon)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows test tubes labelled “Monkeypox virus positive\

South Africa confirms first monkeypox case, not linked to travel

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="604" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-820x604.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413245" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-820x604.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-300x221.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-122x90.jpg 122w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-768x566.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-1536x1131.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/26878923862_63c80afa84_o-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina, President, African Development Bank (AfDB)
World Economic Forum | Kigali, 12 May 2016
Photo: via Flickr</figcaption></figure>



KIGALI, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Africa must wean itself off dependence on food and medicine imports, the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said, as the institution approved creation of a pharmaceutical tech foundation and began processing requests for food relief.



Africa was hit hard by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Now, as many countries are still struggling to rebound, they are facing rising inflation and food shortages aggravated by the war in Ukraine.



&#8220;Africa should not allow itself to be vulnerable in excessively depending on others, whether it is for vaccines or whether it is for food,&#8221; AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina told Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Kigali.



&#8220;The fact is that when you are dependent on others, you are also very highly vulnerable to any shock of any kind.&#8221;



The bank last month approved a $1.5 billion financing facility for emergency food production, with the aim of averting a looming food crisis. The funds are meant to help 20 million farmers produce 38 million tonnes of food. <a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2XC3W4&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-world-bank-approves-2-3-billion-plan-for-eastern-and-southern-africa-to-tackle-food-insecurity"> Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/world-bank-approves-2-3-billion-plan-for-eastern-and-southern-africa-to-tackle-food-insecurity/">World Bank approves $2.3 billion plan for Eastern and Southern Africa to tackle food insecurity</a></h3>



Adesina said the bank had already received requests from countries to draw on the fund.



&#8220;Once those things come to our board, they are swiftly reviewed and approved, and the money is out at the door,&#8221; he said.



Meanwhile, the AfDB&#8217;s board this week approved the creation of a new Africa Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation.



Adesina said the foundation would allow Africa to leverage intellectual property rights, protected technologies and innovations to expand Africa&#8217;s pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing sectors.



&#8220;Africa imports 80% to 90% of all its medicines for a population of 1.3 billion people. We cannot and we must not outsource the health security of Africa to the benevolence of others,&#8221; he said.



The World Trade Organization last week agreed on a partial waiver of intellectual property rights to allow developing countries to produce and export COVID-19 vaccines.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Y400M&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Editing by Joe Bavier and Bradley Perrett)

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Africa must end food, pharma import dependence, AfDB president says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418026" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241448826-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs &amp; Foreign Trade and Candidate for Commonwealth Secretary-General 2022, Kamina Johnson Smith (R) talks with Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Philip Edward Davis, as they attend breakfast meeting on the climate change and commonwealth, at the Kigali Conference Center in Rwanda on 22 June 2022. &#8211; Rwanda hosts the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) from the 20 of june until the 25 june 2022. (Photo by Simon MAINA / AFP) (Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Heads of government from Commonwealth nations will meet in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Friday and Saturday to discuss cooperation on topics ranging from green energy to rising food prices to the war in Ukraine, among others.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Y937V&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Here are some key facts about the Commonwealth and the Kigali summit, which was supposed to be held in 2020 but was twice delayed because of the COVID pandemic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-the-commonwealth">* What is the Commonwealth?</h2>



It is a voluntary association of 54 countries that evolved gradually from the British Empire and has existed in its modern form since 1949.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">* Who are its members?</h2>



The Commonwealth includes 13 countries in the Caribbean and the Americas, 19 countries in Africa, three in Europe, eight in Asia and 11 in the Pacific, with a combined population of 2.5 billion.



India accounts for 1.4 billion of its citizens, while 32 members have populations of 1.5 million or less, the smallest being Nauru, which has 10,000 inhabitants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">* Are they all former British colonies?</h2>



Most of them are, but that is not a condition for membership. The last two countries to join, Rwanda and Mozambique, have no historical ties to the British Empire.



Gabon and Togo, both former French colonies, are expected to apply to join at the Kigali summit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">* What does the Commonwealth do?</h2>



It presents itself as a network for cooperation on common goals such as protecting the environment, boosting trade, supporting democracy, promoting education and gender equality, and giving small states a louder voice on the world stage.



Although it is not a free trade zone, it calculates that its members find it 21% cheaper to trade with other members than with non-Commonwealth countries which are a similar distance away, based on an analysis of World Bank data. Factors include a common language and similar legal and commercial frameworks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">* Who heads it?</h2>



Queen Elizabeth has been head of the Commonwealth, a largely symbolic role, since her reign began in 1952. The organisation says the British monarch is not automatically its head, but its members nevertheless agreed at a meeting in London in 2018 that Elizabeth&#8217;s son Prince Charles would succeed her in the role.



Charles is attending the Kigali summit, representing his mother.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">* Who runs it?</h2>



It has a secretariat based in London and a secretary-general, currently Dominica&#8217;s Patricia Scotland.



Commonwealth leaders will decide in Kigali whether to re-appoint her for a second term or replace her with Kamina Johnson Smith, the Jamaican foreign minister. Britain has criticised Scotland&#8217;s leadership and is backing Johnson Smith, as are India and Belize.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">* Who is attending the Kigali summit?</h2>



Most heads of government of Commonwealth countries are coming, including Nigeria&#8217;s Muhammadu Buhari, Britain&#8217;s Boris Johnson and Canada&#8217;s Justin Trudeau.



But South Africa&#8217;s Cyril Ramaphosa, India&#8217;s Narendra Modi, Pakistan&#8217;s Shehbaz Sharif, Australia&#8217;s Anthony Albanese and New Zealand&#8217;s Jacinda Ardern are not expected, raising questions about the relevance of the organisation for those countries.



(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Alison Williams)

RWANDA-CHOGAM-JAMAICA

FACTBOX-Commonwealth nations meet in Rwanda – what you need to know

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="456" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI-820x456.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418013" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI-820x456.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI-300x167.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI-768x427.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A man rides his bike past a mural by Senzart911 that shows people wearing facemasks, as South Africa scraps isolation for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive people with no symptoms, at Soweto&#8217;s Kliptown, South Africa, February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa has repealed COVID-19 rules that made masks mandatory in indoor public spaces, limited the size of gatherings and imposed entry requirements at its borders, the health minister said on Thursday.



South Africa has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, with over 3.9 million confirmed infections and more than 101,000 deaths.



Minister Joe Phaahla said authorities had noted a decline in cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths and concluded that a limited fifth wave was dissipating.



&#8220;The COVID-19 virus is not yet gone, &#8230; we are just stronger than before especially with vaccination,&#8221; he told a news conference, urging those eligible for boosters and not yet vaccinated to come forward.



South Africa&#8217;s vaccination campaign initially struggled because of limited supplies and protracted negotiations with manufacturers but more recently it has been dogged by hesitancy.



Around half of the country&#8217;s 40 million adults have received at least one vaccine dose, with 46% fully vaccinated.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-african-president-cyril-ramaphosa-should-have-known-more-about-corruption-under-zuma-inquiry">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/south-african-president-cyril-ramaphosa-should-have-known-more-about-corruption-under-zuma-inquiry/">South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should have known more about corruption under Zuma – inquiry</a></h3>



Phaahla said managers of places,&nbsp;such as&nbsp;restaurants, hotels and schools could still require masks on their premises but it was no longer government policy.



If vaccine uptake did not increase significantly by November, up to 8 million doses of Pfizer&#8217;s&nbsp;PFE.N&nbsp;COVID vaccine could be wasted, he said, adding the government was negotiating with Johnson &amp; Johnson&nbsp;JNJ.N&nbsp;to try to waive future vaccine deliveries.



Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said scrapping the requirement for travellers to show a vaccination certificate or negative COVID test would help make South Africa more accessible and&nbsp;help&nbsp;the hospitality industry.



Asked about&nbsp;the country&#8217;s&nbsp;latest&nbsp;steps, Africa&#8217;s top public health agency said countries were at different stages of coping with COVID-19&nbsp;and&nbsp;advised the use of data-driven strategies.



&#8220;We also expect that the protocols will not all be the same during this stage of the pandemic,&#8221; the acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Ahmed Ogwell Ouma told a briefing.



&#8220;We have encouraged them (countries) to use their own data, the evolving situation on the ground and their capacity for surveillance &#8230; to provide any adjustments.&#8221;



(Additional reporting by James Macharia Chege; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Tomasz Janowski)

MAKNWAUU6ROEDAOTDQKRBGVSSI

South Africa repeals COVID rules on mask-wearing, gatherings, entry

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="540" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/53RUUT6WG5KP5OOXCLPUCDC5DI.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418009" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/53RUUT6WG5KP5OOXCLPUCDC5DI.jpg 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/53RUUT6WG5KP5OOXCLPUCDC5DI-300x203.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/53RUUT6WG5KP5OOXCLPUCDC5DI-133x90.jpg 133w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/53RUUT6WG5KP5OOXCLPUCDC5DI-768x518.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to testify before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/ Sumaya Hisham</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, June 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South&nbsp;African President Cyril Ramaphosa told an inquiry into corruption under his predecessor Jacob Zuma that he had no first-hand knowledge of any wrongdoing, only media reports, the final part of the inquiry published on Wednesday showed.



But the report also said that, as deputy president at the time, he should have done more towards making his own enquiries, given the responsibilities of his position.



The final instalment of the inquiry chaired by senior judge Raymond Zondo, which examined&nbsp;claims of corruption and fraud under Zuma, is a product of three years of hearings involving some 300 witnesses, including Ramaphosa himself.



It comes at an awkward time for Ramaphosa, as the police are investigating money-laundering accusations against him after millions of dollars were allegedly stolen from his farm, an investigation which he has welcomed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N2XV2TO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Ramaphosa also faces a divided party ahead of this year&#8217;s African National Congress (ANC) elective conference that will decide whether to give him a second run at president on the party&#8217;s ticket in elections expected in 2024.



The&nbsp;Zondo commission&nbsp;was formed in 2018 to examine allegations of high-level graft during Zuma&#8217;s nine-year tenure from 2009, in which he is suspected of colluding with businessmen close to him &#8211; brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta &#8211; to plunder state resources.&nbsp;They deny all wrongdoing.



&#8220;Ought he to have known?,&#8221; the report asked of Ramaphosa, who was deputy president under Zuma between 2014 and 2018, when he ousted Zuma over the allegations.



&#8220;The wealth of evidence before this commission suggests the answer is yes. There was surely enough credible information in the public domain to at least prompt him to inquire and perhaps act on a number of serious allegations.&#8221;



Ramaphosa&#8217;s office was not immediately available for comment,&nbsp;but&nbsp;on receiving the report, Ramaphosa said&nbsp;the government would come up with an implementation plan for the commission’s proposals within four months.



&#8220;The report is &#8230;&nbsp;an instrument through which the country can &#8230; ensure that such events are never allowed to happen again,&#8221;&nbsp;Ramaphosa said.



This month the United Arab Emirates arrested Rajesh and Atul Gupta, where they had fled to after the so-called &#8220;state capture&#8221; scandal erupted, and South Africa is in the process of trying to get them extradited.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2XT1M2&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The report also found that the ANC, the legacy party of Nelson Mandela, prioritised &#8220;its own survival and strength over the Constitutional obligations of its members&#8221;.



The ANC said it would &#8220;honestly engage with whatever criticism may be levelled against it&#8221;.



(Editing by Ed Osmond)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to testify before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in Johannesburg

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should have known more about corruption under Zuma – inquiry

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418006" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2WFDELJDUNIXZOSCLCQNTQHK5I-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Model of petrol pump is seen in front of EU and Russian flag colors in this illustration taken March 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



MOSCOW, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Russia is increasing gasoline and naphtha supplies to Africa and the Middle East as it struggles to sell fuel in Europe, while Asia is already taking bigger volumes of Russian crude, Refinitiv Eikon data showed and sources said.



The development is likely to increase competition for Asian customers between Russia and other big fuel exporters – Saudi Arabia and the United States – which are the top three suppliers to Asia.



The European Union has slowly reduced imports of Russian crude and fuel since March and agreed a full embargo that will take effect by end-2022.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2XN1YN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Asian buyers have stepped in to rapidly increase purchases of Russian crude, even though Asia is not a natural market for Russian fuel because Asia refines more oil than it needs and is a net fuel exporter.



That makes finding new outlets such as Africa and the Middle East paramount for Russia to protect its global market share and avert a deeper decline in oil exports and output.



“Africa and the Middle East seem to be main options for Russian oil product suppliers, so we expect more shipments there in the second half of the year as EU embargo gets closer”, a trader involved in Russian oil product trading told Reuters.



Russia exported more than 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude and some 2 million bpd of fuel to Europe before sanctions on the Russian financial sector, which has made trade much more difficult.



Russian oil companies have recently increased supplies of gasoline and naphtha to Africa and the Middle East from the Baltics, traders said. Before sanctions, most Russian supply to the regions came from the Black Sea ports.



At least five cargoes carrying about 230,000 tonnes of gasoline and naphtha were supplied in May-June from the Baltic port of Ust-Luga to Oman and to the UAE oil hub of Fujairah, based on Refinitiv data.



In total, naphtha and gasoline supplies from Russian ports to Oman and UAE have totalled nearly 550,000 tonnes this year compared with zero in the whole 2021, data showed.



Nigeria and Morocco have been major destinations in Africa for Russian gasoline and naphtha in recent months, Refinitiv Eikon data showed and traders said, while several cargoes also were supplied to Senegal, Sudan, Ivory Coast and Togo.



Overall monthly supply of Russian gasoline and naphtha to the region was at about 200,000 tonnes during recent months, including volumes shipped from storage in Latvian and Estonian ports, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.



Russian diesel shipments to African countries have reached 1 million tonnes since the beginning of the year, up from 0.8 million tonnes in January-June 2021, with Senegal and Togo as top destinations, Refinitiv data and Reuters calculations showed.



In May, Russian fuel oil arrivals in the UAE oil hub of Fujairah also jumped sharply.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2X48FB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Despite higher shipping costs, supplying Russian oil products to Africa and the Middle East helps trading firms to preserve margins as options to resell oil products in Europe have been limited due to sanctions, traders said.



&#8220;Sohar (in Oman) and Fujairah (in UAE) could offer storage and blending capacities for all these barrels, while European ports have started to refuse Russian oil products&#8221;, a market source involved in Russian oil product trading said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-domestic-market-upheaval">DOMESTIC MARKET UPHEAVAL</h2>



The change in Russia&#8217;s export markets has resulted in an unprecedented disparity in Russia&#8217;s domestic market. Summer grade diesel is currently traded at prices 30-40% higher than gasoline, based on Reuters data. Gasoline is normally at a premium to diesel.



Previously Russia exported gasoline and naphtha to European trading hubs, but has had to look to Africa and the Middle East amid weak demand in Europe, traders said.



As a result, domestic prices for these products in Russia have collapsed because of plentiful supply.



Russian gasoline traded $250-300 per tonne below non-sanctioned European product, which was most recently assessed at around $1,330 per tonne on FOB basis.&nbsp;EUROBOB-ARA



Diesel cargoes were discounted much less &#8211; about $40-50 per tonne below non-sanctioned European product &#8211; because there is still strong demand, traders said.



(Reporting by Reuters. Editing by Jane Merriman)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows model of petrol pump, EU and Russian flag colors

Russia seeks new fuel markets in Africa, Middle East as Europe turns away

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6844b013dd3c6cefd6a3bb3b80edf1fc.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418003" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6844b013dd3c6cefd6a3bb3b80edf1fc.jpg 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6844b013dd3c6cefd6a3bb3b80edf1fc-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6844b013dd3c6cefd6a3bb3b80edf1fc-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6844b013dd3c6cefd6a3bb3b80edf1fc-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: A pipe yard servicing government-owned oil pipeline operator Trans Mountain is seen in Kamloops</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The UK government&#8217;s development finance institution British International Investment (BII) plans to invest $200 million in a joint project with Norway&#8217;s Norfund to construct at least three hydroelectric power projects in Africa, BII said on Thursday.



The two institutions will equally split a 49% shareholding in a joint venture with Norway&#8217;s Scatec ASA&nbsp;SCATC.OL&nbsp;for the projects, BII said in a emailed statement.



These will include the planned 205 megawatt (MW) Ruzizi III hydroelectric plant to supply electricity to Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo, the 120 MW Volobe hydropower plant in Madagascar, and Malawi&#8217;s 350 MW Mpatamanga project, BII said.



(Reporting by Rachel Savage; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Jan Harvey)

6844b013dd3c6cefd6a3bb3b80edf1fc

British International Investment plans $200 mln investment in Africa hydropower

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417697" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1237649604-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The seal for the International Monetary Fund is seen near the World Bank headquarters (R) in Washington, DC on January 10, 2022. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, June 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;World Bank has approved a $2.3 billion programme for Eastern and Southern African countries to help them tackle food insecurity, the bank said in a statement.



The bank said an estimated 66.4 million people in the region were forecast to experience food stress or a food crisis, emergency, or famine by July.



This is a developing story&#8230;



(Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alex Richardson)

US-ECONOMY-FINANCE-IMF-WORLD BANK

World Bank approves $2.3 billion plan for Eastern and Southern Africa to tackle food insecurity

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="546" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-820x546.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-412999" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-820x546.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GettyImages-462743612-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A general view of the headquarter of the embattled South African main electricity provider ESKOM is pictured on February 4, 2015 in Johannesburg. South Africa power supply was under &#8220;extreme&#8221; pressure on February 2, 2015 and likely to remain so until end of the week after a technical fault at the country&#8217;s sole nuclear plant, electricity utility Eskom said. AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA (Photo by Gianluigi GUERCIA / AFP) (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



June 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s state-owned utility Eskom said it would extend rotational power cuts until Sunday night, after four more of its generation units broke down.



The company&#8217;s coal-fired power station fleet is highly prone to faults, and government plans to add additional capacity to the national grid have been sluggish.



Eskom said in a statement that &#8220;Stage 2&#8221; power cuts were now planned between 1000 and midnight local time (0800 and 2200 GMT) on Wednesday, whereas previously they were only due to start at 1700 local time.



Stage 2 outages will resume from Thursday at 0500 until midnight local time every day until Sunday night.



Eskom&#8217;s chief operating officer, Jan Oberholzer, said in a call with reporters that power cuts could escalate to &#8220;Stage 3&#8221; or higher if more breakdowns occurred.



&#8220;We need additional capacity in the country,&#8221; Oberholzer said, adding that the power system remained unreliable and unpredictable.



He said South Africa needed 4,000-6,000 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity as soon as possible. Eskom&#8217;s total nominal capacity is around 46,000 MW.



&#8220;Stage 2&#8221; outages require up to 2,000 MW to be shed from the national grid, with each higher stage requiring an additional 1,000 MW to be shed.



(Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Alexander Winning and Louise Heavens)

SAFRICA-ELECTRICITY-NUCLEAR-ECONOMY-ENERGY

South Africa’s Eskom extends power cuts until Sunday night

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="561" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-820x561.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417985" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-820x561.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-132x90.jpg 132w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-768x525.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1240577113-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Paul Kabuswe, Zambia&#8217;s mining minister, speaks on day two of the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Mining executives, investors and government ministers are meeting in Cape Town for the African Mining Indaba, the continents biggest gathering of one of its most vital industries. Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



LUSAKA, June 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zambia needs to hold a bigger stake in new mines and local communities should benefit more from the mineral values chain, mines minister Paul Kabuswe said on Wednesday.



&#8220;This government is saying Zambians must be an integral part of whatever investment. We can no longer sit in the terraces and watch,&#8221; Kabuswe said at a conference.



The minister said later in response to questions that the government was planning to increase the state&#8217;s shareholding in new mines to ensure that Zambia maximises its benefits from the sector.



&#8220;Going forward, I don&#8217;t think there will be a mine where Zambia will own less than 20% (of shares). Those days of 10% shareholdings are gone,&#8221; Kabuswe said.



Kabuswe said the government needed to have a golden share in new mines, which would give it controlling voting rights.



Zambia&#8217;s mining investment arm ZCCM-IH holds less than 50% shares in key mining operations and a 20% stake in Kansanshi mine which is majority owned by Canada&#8217;s First Quantum Minerals&nbsp;FM.TO.



(Reporting by Chris Mfula; editing by Alexander Winning and Jason Neely)

Key Speakers on Day Two of Investing in African Mining Indaba

Zambians must benefit more from mining, minister says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="506" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-820x506.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417973" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-820x506.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-300x185.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-146x90.jpg 146w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-768x474.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-1536x947.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BEGFD2QKPJMXDEQKX5E4LNLTLI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Martha Karua, the running mate to Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader and presidential candidate Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja&#8217; (Declaration of Unity), attends an interview with Reuters in Nairobi, Kenya, June 14, 2022. Picture taken June 14, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, June 21 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The alliance led by Kenyan presidential candidate Raila Odinga will come down hard on corruption if it wins in August, his running mate Martha Karua said, but dismissed her nickname &#8220;Iron Lady&#8221; as a sexist trope directed at tough women leaders.



&#8220;Strong leadership in women is seen as an exception and not the norm because I haven&#8217;t heard of an &#8216;iron man&#8217;,&#8221; the 64-year-old former justice minister told Reuters in an interview.



Karua and veteran opposition leader Odinga, who heads the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance coalition, are facing off with Deputy President William Ruto and first time lawmaker Rigathi Gachagua, in an election on Aug. 9.



The election is seen as a key test for stability for East Africa&#8217;s biggest economy. Two of its three last elections were marred by violence, amid disputes over alleged rigging.



Since Karua&#8217;s selection as his running mate, Odinga has overtaken Ruto in opinion polls. A Radio Africa poll, published on June 13, put Odinga ahead with 44.6% of voters favouring him against 38.9% for Ruto.



In his campaign Ruto has largely focused on economic inequality, pledging to lift up Kenya&#8217;s poorest whom he calls &#8220;hustlers&#8221;.



Karua, who would be Kenya&#8217;s first female deputy president if elected, said Azimio&#8217;s priority once in power would be to stamp out corruption, which is estimated to cost the government a third of its budget every year, about 800 billion shillings ($6.83 billion).



She said the funds lost each year would be enough to fund her coalition&#8217;s plan to offer direct monthly support to 2 million of Kenya&#8217;s poorest people.



&#8220;Corruption is strangling or choking the nation,&#8221; she said at her NARC-Kenya party office.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tough">TOUGH</h2>



A former political prisoner, Odinga, 77, ran his previous four races as an anti-establishment candidate, but now he has teamed up with outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta whose ruling Jubilee Party is also part of his alliance.



Kenyatta, who must stand down after serving the maximum of two five-year terms, opted to back Odinga against his deputy Ruto, with whom he had a falling out.



In Odinga&#8217;s last three campaigns for office in 2007, 2013, and 2017, he challenged the outcomes, saying his victories were stolen. Deadly clashes followed the 2007 and 2017 votes.



Kenya is East Africa&#8217;s most well-off and stable nation and a close Western ally that hosts the regional headquarters of international firms like Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O).



But public debt has more than tripled by 7 trillion shillings ($61.32 billion) since Kenyatta assumed office in 2013, pushing against the nation&#8217;s debt ceiling.



&#8220;Our intention is to renegotiate the debt and make them long term so that we are able to meet our obligations,&#8221; Karua said.



She said Azimio also wants closer scrutiny of private wealth of public sector workers and political leaders, adding that tackling corruption was the only way to fix the country.



&#8220;It is governance, stupid!&#8221; she said, adapting a well-known line from an advisor of former U.S. president Bill Clinton.



Odinga has already designated Karua as his justice minister if they win. Over the years she has earned the nickname Kenyan &#8220;Iron Lady&#8221; for her determination, starting with her victory over a powerful former civil service head during her first parliamentary election in 1992.



In 2001, she defiantly walked out of a rally by former authoritarian president Daniel arap Moi, after she was denied a chance to speak.



She also left the cabinet after six years in 2009 because of differences with the then government of President Mwai Kibaki on human rights, tackling corruption and judicial appointments.



Among her achievements Karua said she counted her role in helping to lay the ground for Kenya&#8217;s constitutional charter and fighting for multi-party democracy as a lawyer in the early 1990s.



Karua said she learnt early lessons on taking responsibility from her paternal grandmother in a rural county near Mt. Kenya where she grew up on a farm and took care of her younger siblings while also attending school.



&#8220;I&#8217;m grateful for that sort of upbringing. I&#8217;m not able not to give a 100 or 102%. Work is in me,&#8221; she said.



($1 = 117.1000 Kenyan shillings)



(Reporting by Duncan MiririEditing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Interview with Martha Karua, Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga’s running mate, in Nairobi

Odinga’s running mate in Kenyan election promises corruption crackdown if elected

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417965" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/56N7KIQEIZK3ROTABJW5ITT7ZE-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Ukraine&#8217;s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits a training base of the National Guard, as Russia&#8217;s attack on Ukraine continues, in Odesa region, Ukraine June 18, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, June 20 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ukraine&#8217;s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Africa was a &#8220;hostage&#8221; in the war with Russia, which had contributed to rising food prices on the continent.



African countries are acutely affected by the growing crisis, which has sent prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertiliser soaring.



Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a key global fertiliser exporter and Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.



In a speech to African Union leaders, Zelenskiy said the continent had been caught up in a situation not of its making.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-why-african-nations-support-for-un-action-on-russia-ukraine-is-so-mixed">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/why-african-nations-support-for-un-action-on-russia-ukraine-is-so-mixed/">Why African nations’ support for UN action on Russia/Ukraine is so mixed</a></h3>



&#8220;(I) address you in a state of emergency, when we have a war. In an emergency for the whole world, when Africa is actually taken hostage. Hostage of those who started the war against our state,&#8221; Zelenskiy said in a video speech to the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union.



&#8220;This war may seem very distant to you and your countries. But catastrophically rising food prices have already brought it home to millions of African families.&#8221;



Moscow rejects accusations it is deliberately blocking grain exports from Ukraine and says global food and fuel price hikes are due to Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the Feb. 24 invasion, which it calls a &#8220;special military operation&#8221;.



In early June, Senegal&#8217;s President Macky Sall said Russia&#8217;s Vladimir Putin had told him he was ready to enable the export of Ukrainian grain to ease a global food crisis that was hitting Africa especially hard.<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2XQ11H&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



On Monday, Sall, who is also the chairman of the African Union, said on Twitter after Zelenskiy&#8217;s speech the continent remained committed to respecting international law, peacefully resolving conflicts and free trade.



(Reporting by George Obulutsa; editing by James Macharia Chege and Philippa Fletcher)

Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy visits Odesa region

Ukraine president says Africa “hostage” in war with Russia

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3W3NQO7HEBLCXOZY6HABXMJ5MI-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417961" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3W3NQO7HEBLCXOZY6HABXMJ5MI-1.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3W3NQO7HEBLCXOZY6HABXMJ5MI-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3W3NQO7HEBLCXOZY6HABXMJ5MI-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>Guinea-Bissau&#8217;s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/Pool/File Photo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



BISSAU, June 20 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;West Africa&#8217;s regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed troops to Guinea-Bissau on Monday to help stabilize the country after a failed coup earlier this year.



The 15-nation bloc announced in February that it would deploy the force, a few days after President Umaru Sissoco Embalo survived what he called an assassination attempt by drug traffickers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2UE34I&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a><a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2UL2MI&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;We thank ECOWAS heads of state for their&#8230; solidarity at a time when Bissau was grappling with upheavals linked to several attempts to subvert constitutional and democratic order,&#8221; Defence Minister Marciano Silva Barbeiro said at an inauguration ceremony in the capital Bissau.



The 631 troops will help local forces protect public officials, institutions and civilians.



Guinea-Bissau has seen 10 coups or attempted coups since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974.



The tiny former Portuguese colony on the coast of West Africa is known as a major transit point for Latin American cocaine headed for Europe.



ECOWAS deployed a similar mission from 2012 to 2020 after another coup, to help deter the military from intervening in politics and protect political leaders.



(Reporting by Alberto Dabo; writing by Nellie Peyton; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

3W3NQO7HEBLCXOZY6HABXMJ5MI-1

West Africa bloc deploys stabilizing force to Guinea-Bissau

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="546" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k-820x546.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-412243" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k-820x546.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20351421759_9900ccaad9_k.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Farm, Vioolsdrift, Northern Cape, South Africa
Photo: via Flickr</figcaption></figure>



June 20 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Fertilizer manufacturer Omnia Holdings&nbsp;OMNJ.J&nbsp;says African governments are increasing support for smallholder farmers amid fears that input costs, driven higher after Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine, could cut crop production and worsen food insecurity.



Omnia supplies fertilizer to both commercial and smallholder farmers in several sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania.



The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, major fertilizer exporters, has accelerated price increases first triggered by COVID-19-induced supply chain disruptions. According to Omnia, prices of fertilizer input materials have gone up by between 200% and 400% since January 2021.



Aid agencies have warned that rising input prices could force Africa&#8217;s smallholder farmers to reduce plantings of staple grains such as maize, worsening a food crisis in a region where millions have already been plunged into extreme poverty by COVID-19, armed conflicts and climate shocks.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2WV5UH&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Omnia Holdings chief executive officer Seelan Gobalsamy told Reuters in an interview that fears of fertilizer shortages as a result of the conflict were driving demand ahead of the planting season.



&#8220;We see governments, countries across the world being concerned about food security. Everybody wants security of supply of fertilizer and that drives up prices, it also raises concerns about food security in the coming period,&#8221; Gobalsamy said.



&#8220;What we’re seeing is a lot more support from governments for the smaller farmers, to aid those farmers because they have two roles &#8211; a subsistence role and a commercial role,&#8221; he added, referring to African governments.



On Monday, Omnia reported 21.437 billion rand ($1.34 billion) revenues in the full year to March 31, a 30% increase compared to the same period last year, driven by higher commodity prices and sales. Headline earnings per share &#8211; the main profit measure in South Africa &#8211; were 86% up at 6.72 rand compared to last year.



($1 = 16.0023 rand)



(Reporting by Nelson Banya, Editing by William Maclean)

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Reuters

Commonwealth leaders meet in Rwanda amid criticism of host’s rights record

WHO eyes decision on monkeypox ’emergency’, Africa says it’s long overdue

COP27 conference must advance African energy, development – officials

South Africa confirms first monkeypox case, not linked to travel

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Russia seeks new fuel markets in Africa, Middle East as Europe turns away

British International Investment plans $200 mln investment in Africa hydropower

World Bank approves $2.3 billion plan for Eastern and Southern Africa to tackle food insecurity

South Africa’s Eskom extends power cuts until Sunday night

Zambians must benefit more from mining, minister says

Odinga’s running mate in Kenyan election promises corruption crackdown if elected

Ukraine president says Africa “hostage” in war with Russia

West Africa bloc deploys stabilizing force to Guinea-Bissau

Omnia sees Africa increasing farm input support amid food security fears

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