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Paris Has ‘Rebalanced’ Its Partnership With Africa, Macron Claims—So Why is France Getting Kicked Out?
Macron, bemoaning France’s waning grip on Africa in his January 8 address, called for “hungry” French firms to return—claiming that Paris “rebalanced” its partnership with Africa into one “of equals.”
France “rightly” shut down its bases, he spun, framing a continent-wide eviction as a strategic choice. But his boasts ignore the reality: African nations didn’t ask for review—they demanded France leave.
Now, his bid for a comeback crashes against Africa’s rising emancipation and outright rejection of Françafrique—and here are recent examples:
🏦 Banking sector: Société Générale sold off subsidiaries; Crédit Agricole and BNP Paribas have fully exited or divested nearly all their African operations.
🇳🇪 Niger: French nuclear firm Orano lost operational control of its uranium mines after nationalization in 2024.
🇲🇱🇧🇫🇳🇪 Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger: French troops expelled (2022–2023), military agreements terminated, and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) formed to assert sovereignty.
🇩🇿 Algeria: In December 2025, adopted a law defining French colonial rule (1830–1962) as a “state crime,” demanding official apologies, reparations, and the return of archives—a major symbolic blow to Paris.
🇹🇩 Chad: France fully withdrew its forces in January 2025, handing back its last military bases.
🇸🇳 Senegal: President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected in 2024, secured the closure of French military bases and is renegotiating partnerships to strengthen national sovereignty.
▪️Additionally, Mali’s 2023 constitution stripped French of its official language status, reclassifying it as merely a working language.
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Sierra Leone Reclaims Control of Its Mineral Wealth for a Transparent, People-Centered Future: Ministry
🇸🇱 President Bio has directed a major overhaul of how Sierra Leone manages its mineral riches, ordering the wind-up of the existing Mineral Wealth Fund, the Ministry of Information announced.
Key details about the strategic reset for national benefit:
🟠 Replaces the current fund with a Sierra Leone Sovereign Wealth Fund as the apex investment vehicle;
🟠 Aligns management with international best practices;
🟠 Ensures coordination with existing state mining institutions—no change in state ownership of mineral assets;
🟠 Aims to convert finite resources into sustainable, transparent, and intergenerational wealth.
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Ghana Reportedly Plans First Domestic Infrastructure Bond to Raise Funds for Roads
🇬🇭 The Ghanaian government is aiming to raise 10 billion cedis (approximately $935 million) to finance road and interchange projects, US media reported, citing sources.
🟠Bond Structure: The sale is expected in two tranches of 5 billion cedis each during the first and second halves of 2026, featuring longer-dated tenures, according to the report.
🟠Financing Model: A key feature is the plan for projects to be self-financed, primarily through electronic road tolls, aiming to avoid adding to the national debt burden, the report said.
🟠Economic Context: The move capitalizes on improved economic conditions, with inflation falling sharply and the cedi strengthening.
This bond is reportedly part of President Mahama's broader "Big Push" initiative to mobilize infrastructure investment and stimulate economic growth.
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#viral | 16-Year Wait Ends: Libyan Merchant Finally Gets Nokia Phones Ordered in 2010
🇱🇾📱 A video of a Libyan merchant in Tripoli receiving a shipment of Nokia phones he ordered back in 2010 has gone viral on social media.
After a 16-year delay, the package finally arrived in 2026.
"Are these phones or archaeological artifacts?!" he said upon opening the box.
Moscow Demands US Halt Unlawful Seizure of Marinera & Other Lawful Vessels on High Seas: Russian MFA
“We consider entirely invalid Washington’s references to its national ‘sanctions legislation.’ Unilateral restrictive measures imposed by the US and other Western countries are illegitimate and cannot justify attempts to assert jurisdiction—or, even less, to seize vessels on the high seas,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Russian Assault Groups Hone Urban Combat Skills: MoD
🏠 Assault groups from Russian motorized units are conducting training to enhance precision shooting and coordination during assaults on enemy positions located in buildings and dense urban areas, the Defense Ministry said.
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🇺🇸 US refuses to sign Ukraine security guarantees declaration – report
📄 While initially the hope was that the US would commit to a joint statement on the security guarantees for Ukraine, the final declaration was ultimately only signed by the EU’s “Coalition of the Willing,” US media reports.
Details of US participation in the multinational force for Ukraine were reportedly removed from an earlier draft, which was based on NATO’s notorious Article 5 "attack against all" clause.
🗣Russian FM Sergey Lavrov earlier stressed that Ukraine’s security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis, with the involvement of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and several other countries. He added that the process should be based on the Istanbul peace agreements, which stipulate Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership and confirmation of its neutral and non-nuclear status.
👉 President Vladimir Putin, for his part, underscored that Ukraine’s security guarantees cannot be ensured by putting Russia’s own security at risk.
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⚔️ US aggression against Venezuela leaves about 75 dead — reports
The United States assesses that around 75 people were killed during the attack on Caracas and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, The Washington Post reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
🇻🇪🇨🇺 According to the report, the death toll includes Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel as well as civilians caught in the fighting, with most fatalities linked to a gun battle at Maduro’s compound in Caracas.
🇺🇸 The report also said about half a dozen US troops were injured during the operation, some by gunfire. The Pentagon said two US service members are still recovering, while five others have returned to duty.
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Thousands Gather in Addis Ababa for Ethiopia's Unique Christmas Eve Tradition: Correspondent
🌟 On the eve of Ethiopian Christmas—celebrated on January 7 according to the ancient Julian calendar—Meskel Square in the heart of Addis Ababa hosted the spectacular A'elaft Hymn Program, a Sputnik Africa correspondent reported.
This grand event draws hundreds of thousands of devoted members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, coming together for a night of powerful communal hymn singing.
☦️ Prominent church leaders attended, including the general secretary of the Holy Synod, the archbishop of the Addis Ababa Diocese, and numerous other religious figures were present at the gathering, which is increasingly earning international acclaim.
What makes A'elaft truly breathtaking is the sight and sound of tens of thousands of singers performing in unison—a mesmerizing tradition now in its third year.
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Historic Record for Moroccan Tourism: Nearly 20 Million Visitors in 2025, Minister Says
"The Moroccan tourism sector continues its transformation," stated Moroccan Minister of Tourism Fatima-Zahra Ammor, announcing the annual tourism results.
#viral | Arctic Ice 'Breathes' in Stunning Footage From Russian Nuclear Icebreaker
The mesmerizing Arctic spectacle was captured by the captain of a Russian nuclear icebreaker.
📍The Kara Sea, Russia
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Major World Events by Morning of January 6
🟠The President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, won a third term with 76.15% of the vote, according to provisional results released by the National Elections Authority;
🟠The African Union Commission called for the lifting of sanctions on Guinea following the “smooth conduct” of the presidential election;
🟠Morocco saw a record-breaking year for tourism in 2025, with nearly 20 million visitors and over $13 billion in revenue, the Ministry of Tourism announced, calling it a “historic performance;”
🟠Kenya’s private sector economy continued its strong growth in December, fueled by robust customer demand and heightened business activity, according to the Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers' Index;
🟠Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Karim Badawi held a meeting with a high-ranking Syrian delegation, during which they agreed to export gas and oil products to Syria, the Egyptian ministry said;
🟠Venezuela achieved a victory at the UNSC meeting, with the international community recognizing that the US attack violates international law, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said;
🟠“Greenland should be part of the United States,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claimed, challenging Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland.
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Touadera Declared Winner of Central African Republic Presidential Election
Faustin-Archange Touadera was re-elected with 76.15% of the vote in the December 28 elections, announced the National Elections Authority (ANE).
▪️His main opponent, Anicet-Georges Dologuele, came in second with 14.66% of the vote. Henri-Marie Dondra received 3.19%.
▪️Voter turnout for the four simultaneous elections—presidential, legislative, regional, and municipal—was 52.43%.
▪️The ANE figures remain provisional. Final results will be announced by the Constitutional Council in mid-January.
Faustin-Archange Touadera was first elected president in 2016 and re-elected in 2020.
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🚨 International law was not respected during the US military operation in Venezuela - UN Under Secretary General
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Ethiopia to Build University of Artificial Intelligence: PM Abiy Ahmed
The preparatory work for the project will be completed within the next six months, the prime minister said during a keynote speech at the university on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Addis Ababa University.
The prime minister described the new institution as the second of its kind.
More statements made by Abiy:
🟠The university is designed to give priority to highly talented students;
🟠The goal is to produce one thousand highly qualified graduates;
🟠100 students will be awarded scholarships;
🟠For the sake of continental integration, there will be a quota of two students from each African country;
🟠Strict selection criteria will ensure only 2 percent of Ethiopian applicants gain admission.
The project aims to cultivate a workforce with cutting-edge skills, elevating Ethiopia's standing in the global tech landscape, the prime minister stated.
AI-generated image
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Party of CAR's President Appears to Be Winning First Round of Legislative Elections, Says Election Authority
"Fifty (50) candidates from the Movement of United Hearts (MCU) have been declared elected already in the first round," the CAR National Elections Authority announced in a statement.
#viral | Uganda Flexes Military Might: UPDF Showcases Combat Readiness
“When we talk about securing our borders, our property, and our people—this is what we mean,” the government declared in a recent post on social media, spotlighting a professional and battle-ready Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF).
Ethiopian PM Abiy Receives Chinese Foreign Minister at the National Palace, Says Office
🇨🇳🇪🇹 Wang Yi's two-day official visit is expected to include discussions on areas of mutual interest in bilateral relations and regional issues, as announced by the Ethiopian prime minister's office.
The Chinese top diplomat commenced his New Year diplomatic visit to Africa on Wednesday, with scheduled stops in Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Africa has remained the destination for the Chinese FM's first overseas trip of the year for 36 consecutive years.
👉 Wang will attend the launching ceremony for the China-Africa "year of people-to-people exchanges" at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
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Burkina Faso Sets Historic Export Record of $6.6 Billion in 2024
🇧🇫 The country’s exports grew by 15.6% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the annual report on the balance of payments and the overall external position by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).
The top five exported products include:
🔹 Non-monetary gold accounts for 78.6% of total export value, amounting to 2,914 billion CFA francs ($5.19 billion). Revenue from the precious metal grew by 32.1% in one year.
🔹 Cotton fiber represents 5.5%, or 203.4 billion CFA francs ($362.17 million), an increase of 32.2%.
🔹 Live animals (on the hoof) account for 2.1% of exports, or 79.2 billion CFA francs ($141 million).
🔹 Cashew nuts represent 1.8%, or 67.6 billion CFA francs ($120.35 million).
🔹 Sesame seeds account for 1.2%, or 43.1 billion CFA francs ($76.73 million).
Top 5 Export Markets: Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Ghana.
➡️ Regarding imports, Burkina Faso purchases hydrocarbons, mechanical and electrical machinery, cars, tractors, and pharmaceutical products. Its main suppliers are China, Côte d'Ivoire, Russia, Ghana, and France.
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West’s Plan to Further Militarize Ukraine is Aimed at Escalation—Not Peace, Russian MFA Spox Says
Deployment of “multinational forces” and military facilities in Ukraine constitutes intervention, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.
Military units and facilities of the “coalition of the willing” will be regarded as legitimate targets for the Russian army, Zakharova noted.
A peaceful resolution is possible only if Ukraine returns to a non-bloc status, undergoes demilitarization and denazification, and recognizes current territorial realities, she emphasized.
“All these objectives will inevitably be achieved—either through political and diplomatic means or within the framework of the special military operation.”
South Africa Recalls Nestle Infant Formula Over Cereulide Toxin Contamination Risk, Says Watchdog
🇿🇦🍼 The formula was recalled due to potential contamination by cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) said.
The affected product is the NAN Special Pro HA Infant Formula, manufactured in June 2025 and intended for children under 12 months.
The formula had been available in all major retail chains across South Africa since September 2025 and was also exported to Namibia and Eswatini, the NCC added.
🤮 Consuming products with high levels of cereulide can cause symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea within six hours, which are similar to those of food poisoning or cow's milk protein allergy, the NCC noted.
🇷🇺 On Tuesday, Russia's consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, also announced a temporary import ban on several Nestle dry infant formulas, citing the same potential contamination risk.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Begins Annual Africa Tour With Visits to Four Nations: Ministry
🇨🇳🌍 Wang Yi has commenced his New Year diplomatic visit to Africa on Wednesday, with scheduled stops in Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.
🇪🇹 The itinerary includes a stop in Ethiopia, where Wang will attend the launching ceremony for the China-Africa "year of people-to-people exchanges" at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
🇸🇴 His visit to Somalia marks the first by a Chinese foreign minister since the 1980s, coming shortly after Israel's controversial recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland. Beijing recently reiterated its support for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
🇹🇿 In Tanzania, engagement is expected to focus on bilateral cooperation, including infrastructure projects such as the refurbishment of the Tazara Railway that runs through the country into neighboring Zambia.
🇱🇸 The tour will conclude in Lesotho, where discussions will reportedly address economic partnership and trade relations, following China's recent policy to extend tariff-free market access to least-developed nations.
🤝 The trip continues a 36-year tradition where Africa is the destination for the Chinese foreign minister's first overseas journey of the year.
China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching $282.1 billion in 2023.
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Major World Events by Morning of January 7
🟠Orthodox Christmas is a source of “light, kindness and love” tied to ancestral spiritual traditions, Vladimir Putin said in his Christmas message to Orthodox believers;
🟠Ethiopia’s “era of reconstruction has arrived,” PM Abiy Ahmed stated in his Christmas address asserting that hope has been fulfilled and change is underway;
🟠Somaliland’s leader accepted Netanyahu’s invitation to visit Israel, FM Gideon Sa’ar said after his unauthorized Hargeisa trip, condemned by Somalia;
🟠South Africa’s stock market surpassed $500 billion in early January—the highest since 2019—outpacing Norway, Malaysia, and Turkey, driven by a stronger rand and rising metal prices, according to JSE trading data;
🟠Burkina Faso foiled a coup plot to assassinate President Traoré and launch a foreign-backed invasion, Burkinabé Security Minister said;
🟠Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho from January 7–12, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced;
🟠A US military operation in Venezuela on January 3 killed more than 70 people, a US newspaper reported, citing unnamed officials;
🟠The US aims to buy Greenland from Denmark, not invade it, Secretary of State Rubio said, an American newspaper reported, citing officials;
🟠The US declined to sign the Paris summit declaration on Ukraine security guarantees; only a “coalition of the willing” endorsed it, reports said.
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Nowhere to Hide From Russia’s Drone Units – MoD Shows Skill of Russian UAV Operators
00:00 — FPV drone crews of the “West” group destroyed a Ukrainian R-18 heavy combat quadcopter via air ram in the Kupyansk area of Kharkov region. They also struck a ground robotic system and Ukrainian military vehicles with personnel.
00:23 — “North” battlegroup drone operators eliminated an enemy sabotage unit in Kharkov region.
00:43 — “East” battlegroup strike drones disrupted a Ukrainian rotation in Zaporozhye region, destroying vehicles and personnel.
01:19 — “South” battlegroup drone crews foiled two Ukrainian rotations and destroyed enemy UAV command posts in the DPR.
01:49 — “Dnepr” battlegroup operators shot down enemy drones in mid-air and hit armored vehicles and personnel on the ground.
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Protest Held Outside British Council in SA Demanding UK to Release Hunger-Striking Pro-Palestinian Prisoners, Sputnik Africa Correspondent Reports
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US Intervention in Venezuela is Imperial Aggression—Global Workers Must Unite to Resist: SA Trade Unions Federation
🇺🇸🇻🇪 The US operation—which involved extensive air power and resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro—is part of a long historical pattern, according to Newton Masuku, spokesperson for the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU).
"The US has a long history of invading countries, setting up regimes more to their liking... it was only a matter of time before Venezuela [became] a victim," Masuku told Sputnik Africa, calling for a unified global worker response to isolate the US.
African Football ‘Moving in the Right Direction,’ Says Cameroonian Sports Analyst
⚽️ The favorites are living up to their billing in this 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, while the overall level is higher than in the past, Ivan Kamwa told Sputnik Africa.
"We are witnessing a great AFCON. There haven't been any lopsided scorelines in the group stage, which means the gap has tightened compared to what we used to see between the powerhouses and smaller nations," he stated.
Russian Box Office Leader Cheburashka 2 Ranks Third in International Box Office Chart: Reports
🟠Cheburashka 2, directed by Dmitry Dyachenko and released on January 1, surpassed $12,8 million in box office receipts by its second day.
🟠The film earned a record $30.95 million over its opening weekend, securing third place in international box office rankings, behind James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash and the animated film Zootopia 2.
🟠In December, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova called "Cheburashka 2" one of the key premieres of the New Year's film season. At the film's premiere, director Dmitry Dyachenko urged viewers to remember what's most precious in life: family and relationships with children and parents.
🟠Dyachenko also directed the first Cheburashka film about the famous literary and animated character, which premiered on January 1, 2023. Within two weeks, it became the highest-grossing film in the history of the domestic box office, earning over $89 million in Russia and other CIS countries.
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Russian Msta-S Self-Propelled Guns Razing Camouflaged Enemy Positions to Clear Kharkov Region
Footage provided by the Russian Defense Ministry
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Russia & Sudan Celebrate 70 Years of Diplomatic Partnership: Full Article by Sudanese Ambassador
"The two countries enjoy strong historical ties of friendship, grounded in a clear vision and firm political will, and reinforced by their substantial economic potential. On this basis, they look forward to a promising future of continued development, growth, and prosperity within a multipolar world," Mohammed Sirrag wrote.