Spotlight | Benin, Rwanda, Sahel
Rwanda readies to deploy troops to northern Benin

Spotlight | Africa
Estonia's Africa ambitions stretch from Cotonou to Nairobi

Tallinn has made its expertise in digital technology the spearhead of its African diplomacy. After an initial presence in French-speaking West African countries, it is now focusing on English-speaking states.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Patrice Talon and Faustin-Archange Touadera

Intrigues big and small: every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Ivory Coast IMF wraps up Ouattara's 2023 budget

Benin Ex-foreign minister Agbenonci's costly ambitions

CAR Opposition leader Dologuele's discreet campaign

Mali
German ambassador Dietrich Pohl set to leave Bamako

En poste depuis août 2019, l'ambassadeur allemand au Mali Dietrich Pohl devrait quitter Bamako. Son successeur est en cours de désignation.

Benin
Cotonou looks to both Paris and Moscow for army helicopters

Although the Beninese army recently acquired two French-made H 125 helicopters, it has also been negotiating the purchase of transport aircraft from Russian Helicopters in a drive to beef up its operations against armed groups in the north.

Eritrea
Asmara to build its first solar farm

Eritrea is planning to make up for its low national electrification rate by turning to renewable energy.

France, Rwanda
French military intelligence chief set for Kigali visit

Head of the French Military Intelligence Directorate (DRM) Jacques Langlade de Montgros is due to visit Kigali in late November.

DRC
EU works on plan to support Congolese army

Brussels has been working for several months on a support plan for the army in DR Congo. A €20m package allocated via the European Peace Facility is in the pipeline to supply the Congolese military with non-lethal equipment.

Benin, Rwanda
Rwanda firms up its plans for military support

Revealed by Africa Intelligence, the new military accord between Kigali and Cotonou that is in the process of being finalised should see Rwandan soldiers being deployed to Benin in the near future, with a particular focus on supporting Benin's special forces in the north of the country.

Benin, France
Benin's security chiefs negotiate military support plan in Paris

Bertin Bada, President Patrice Talon's chief of military staff, met senior colleagues of French army chief General Thierry Burkhard in Paris in mid-September. Talks are in progress on military equipment purchases and a plan to set up a Beninese government arms procurement service.

Mozambique, Rwanda
EU to send €20m to support Rwandan war effort in Cabo Delgado

The European Union (EU) has just approved a €20m support plan for Kigali.

Central Africa
Great Lakes verification mechanism sees final days as DRC-M23 conflict drags on

The Joint Expanded Verification Mechanism, a little-known military cooperation body headed by an Angolan general, was supposed to investigate security incidents in the eastern DRC on behalf of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

DRC, Rwanda
Kagame dispatches his spy masters to Kinshasa

Breaking news published on 15/07/22, 18:45 - According to Africa Intelligence, a delegation of senior Rwandan intelligence officials travelled to Kinshasa on 12 July for a secret meeting with the Congolese services.

Spotlight | DRC, Rwanda
Diplomatic cat and mouse from New York to Paris over Rwanda's alleged support for M23 rebels

Western capitals and the United Nations remain wary of dealing with the evidence that they say they have concerning Rwanda's support for the rebel M23 movement, much to the displeasure of Kinshasa.