Category: Africa

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English

, the country continues to recover from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with economic growth increasing from 2.4% in 2021 to 5.2% in 2022.

However, Mauritania still faces multiple challenges and is vulnerable to various shocks, including security risks in the Sahel region, the prolonged conflict in Ukraine and climate risks stemming from recurrent droughts and floods that could cause a slowdown in economic activity and deepen poverty and inequality.

According to the report, the country’s reliance on the extractive sector is a constraint that will hinder the achievement of inclusive growth and poverty reduction. In addition, sharp fluctuations in commodity prices reduce the outlook for stable economic growth, while the high concentration of economic activity in the mining sector hinders inclusion. Furthermore, the human impact from floods and the damage to infrastructure during the last rainy season cost the country’s economy 3% of its GDP.

Against this background, the sixth edition underlines the importance of identifying the main drivers of flooding and outlines a range of solutions considered and proposed. Rapid urbanization caused by population growth and rural exodus is one of the main factors behind the expansion of impervious surface areas and a major cause of the increasing socioeconomic vulnerability of urban areas to floods.

“In order to meet the new challenges of climate change, adaptation measures will need to be implemented and human capital will have to be developed in keeping with efforts to promote resilience and inclusion. As such, the challenges currently facing Mauritania may be seen as key opportunities to be seized,” notes Cristina Isabel Panasco Santos, World Bank Country Manager for Mauritania.

The report also proposes a number of priority reform options designed to mitigate the economic and social impact of climate shocks by strengthening macroeconomic stability and enhancing climate resilience.

Other solutions and reforms proposed in the report include taming inflation and reducing its impact on the most vulnerable, the development of an emergency preparedness and response framework and the preservation of the fiscal space needed for pro-growth investments.

Lastly, one of the priority opportunities put forward in the report involves the adoption of a new town planning and building law as a strategy to promote more resilient urban development.

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English

On July 28, on the margins of the second Russia-Africa summit, a meeting of the expert panel of antimonopoly agencies “Combating Anticompetitive Practices of Large Transnational Corporations, Suppressing Cross-border Cartels and International Cooperation” was held. The panel participants, including heads of antitrust agencies of African countries, discussed a number of important topics related to antitrust regulation. Key issues included the challenge of regulating global digital monopolies, the role of antitrust in ensuring global food and human security, and equitable participation of all countries in the global economy and access to technology transfer tools.

In his foreword Alexey Ivanov, Director of BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre highlighted that “Antitrust law originally originated under conditions of uncertainty. In post-war Europe, in Russia during the transition to a market economy, in China with the beginning of the policy of reform and opening up, in South Africa after the fall of the apartheid regime and in Brazil with the end of the dictatorship, the adoption of antitrust laws helped the economic system to reach a new level of development. Now, in the context of global uncertainty, the question of the role of antitrust law arises again. Modern global monopolies can only be countered by the same global antitrust initiatives, which can only be realized in the interstate format, which is currently represented by BRICS+, to which the new members from African countries are also gravitating.”

The initiative to establish a Commission on Competition and Consumer Welfare in Africa was further developed. It is the second attempt for regulators from Kenya, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Gambia, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia and the Commission (COMESA), which includes 21 other African countries, to agree to proceed with the establishment of a working group for cooperation. The working group will focus on the sectors of e-commerce, aggregation services (online travel agencies and online classifieds), matchmaking services (search services and social platforms – Google and Meta, as well as e-call and delivery services such as Uber and Glovo), digital advertising (search and social media), fintech and cybersecurity.

“To date, we have been working in a coordinated manner to harmonize antitrust regulation through bilateral, regional and international cooperation among 29 African states. Normally, it takes decades from the negotiation of agreements to the adoption of laws and the formation of regulatory institutions to control competition in the market, but we have managed to achieve significant results in just a few years. Today, it is important to continue developing this area, given the global nature of the challenges and the need to further deepen cooperation between competition authorities”, – Hardin Ratshisusu, Deputy Commissioner, Competition Commission of the Republic of South Africa has stated.

Another hot topic of discussion was the merger deal between Bunge and Viterra, an agribusiness giants with a strong presence in the markets of Brazil, South Africa and Egypt. The merger of the two companies may lead to imbalances in the international food market, including due to the establishment, if the deal is approved, of control over logistics in this area by the new player. This case made even more urgent the problem of developing infrastructure to detect and monitor cross-border cartel activity, which threatens not only direct economic costs, but also social and humanitarian risks.

“Bunge and Viterra, Bayer and Mansanta. We know what steps should be taken to consider such transactions that do not contradict the antitrust laws of different jurisdictions. But there are certain obstacles on our way to control the cross-border cartels. Their emergence threatens to significantly disrupt the normal operation of international trade. Cases of cross-border cartels and cartel collusions are difficult to both detect and investigate. This is due to the inconsistency and lack of universal norms on anti-corruption actions. One of the important principles of control over cross-border cartels should be the principle of extraterritoriality, allowing claims to be brought against the entire business structure of the offending company, not only against legal entities in a particular country. This will require a higher level of cooperation and trust between the antitrust services of individual countries,” – said Mahmoud Momtaz, Chairman of the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA).

“Today, market power is determined by control over big data. That is, companies are accumulating information, and a network effect is occurring. And today antitrust regulators can no longer ignore these facts and should actively conduct coordinated work in relation to global digital monopolies, including more active application of the network effect criterion,” – Ivanov added.

According to the expert panel discussion participants, one of the main problems of antitrust compliance control, as well as tools for investigations in this area, is the lack of technology and cooperation based on data exchange. Often such data can be sensitive to the domestic interests of individual countries. Exchanges between members of the global antitrust network can therefore only take place if there is trust. The development of joint initiatives and platforms for meeting and discussing such issues face-to-face should therefore lay the foundations for overcoming this problem.

At this point, the UN’s support for African and Russian antitrust initiatives has been an important factor. Teresa Moreira – Head, Competition and Consumer Policy Unit, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated that UNCTAD supports initiatives at the regional and international levels that can further strengthen anti-competitive enforcement tools.

Ms. Moreira made a special mention of Russia’s role in this process. “The foundations of mechanisms and tools for cross-border cartel control and, more broadly, for compliance with international competition law of UNCTAD’s Section “F” were laid back in the 1980s, but for a long time remained recommendatory. Only recently, thanks to the proactive actions of the Russian antimonopoly authorities and the BRICS International Centre, it has been possible to re-launch this discussion and work on transferring these recommendations into the sphere of mandatory norms”.

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English

The second coordination office for UAE foreign aid was inaugurated in the Chadian city of Amdjarass, as part of the UAE’s continuous efforts to provide assistance to the Chadian people and support endeavors to provide humanitarian and relief aid through the UAE’s humanitarian institutions to Sudanese refugees in Chad.

His Excellency Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister for Development and International Organizations Affairs, said: The establishment of the office is a continuation of the successful efforts to facilitate effective relief operations and strengthen the governance of foreign aid. The UAE has implemented Cabinet Resolution No. 5/4 of 2022 to enhance coordination between the UAE’s foreign aid donors, as well as to establish coordination offices in the UAE’s missions abroad to collaborate with foreign aid affairs in countries receiving UAE assistance.”

Furthermore, His Excellency Al Shamsi highlighted the important roles of the coordination offices to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of aid in accordance with best international standards, such as supervising the UAE’s foreign aid file in beneficiary countries and coordination of UAE donors to ensure effective coordination and continuous follow-up on aid projects and programs.

His Excellency and the accompanying delegation visited the UAE field hospital in Amdjarass for an overview of the health services provided there. Since opening, the hospital has received 2,841 cases.

The opening ceremony of the office was attended by Isaac Maloua Gamous, Governor of Ennedi State in eastern Chad, and Ali Mohamed Al-Breiki, Director of the UAE Aid Coordination Office in Chad, along with representatives from UAE humanitarian institutions and agencies.

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão concluded yesterday a two-day visit to Ghana. This visit was part of his regional familiarization tour, following his appointment as Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.   

During his visit, Mr. Simão was received in audience by the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with whom he discussed the strengthening of sub-regional cooperation to address emerging security challenges, especially the fight against terrorism. 

Mr. Simão also met with the Special Adviser to the President on the Accra Initiative, Major General (Rtd) Francis Adu-Amanfoh, and the Executive Secretariat of the Accra Initiative, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps and the United Nations country team.

The Special Representative commended the important role of Ghana in the sub-region and reaffirmed the continued commitment of the United Nations to support Ghana’s efforts towards consolidating democracy and achieving sustainable development.  

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English

A Qatari airplane carrying 14 tons of food and medical supplies, provided by Qatar Fund for Development and Qatar Red Crescent Society, arrived at Port Sudan Airport, bringing the total Qatari aid via the air bridge to Sudan to 371 tons.

This aid comes within the framework of the State of Qatar’s support for the Sudanese people, and its full support for their steadfastness in the face of the difficult conditions they are currently living through due to the continuation of the fighting.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar’s keenness to establish security and stability in the Republic of Sudan.