INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Africa stands at critical crossroads today as peace initiatives and economic partnerships emerge against a backdrop of deepening security
Angola has set March 18 for direct DRC-M23 peace talks while SADC forces prepare to withdraw from eastern Congo.Simultaneously, the Horn of
direct peace negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo government and M23 rebels will commence on March 18 in Luanda.Africa
Daily Brief: Continental News Roundup for March 14, 2025
(Photo Internet reproduction)This diplomatic breakthrough comes as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced a phased
federally-backed Tigray Interim Administration.According to reports, TPLF-aligned forces have seized control of several towns, detained
administration officials, and taken over the main radio station in Mekelle
This has prompted fears of a return to civil war, with potential to draw neighboring Eritrea into the conflict.Simultaneously, South Sudan
faces imminent risk of renewed civil war as tensions rise between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar
Reports indicate Machar is under de facto house arrest with many allies in custody following clashes between rival forces in Nasir, Upper
Nile state.The United States has ordered non-emergency staff departures while Uganda has deployed troops to Juba to support President Kiir,
signaling growing international concern.Economy and FinanceSouth Africa Budget Faces Political HeadwindsFitch ratings agency expressed
significant political resistance, with most major parties openly opposing it despite a modification to reduce a controversial VAT increase
from 2% to two staged 0.5% increases over two years.This political standoff occurs as a Reuters poll indicates the South African Reserve
Bank will likely maintain interest rates at 7.50% during its March 20 meeting, with economists citing budget uncertainty and global trade
risks as factors necessitating caution.African Economic Growth ProjectionsAccording to a report from the UN Economic Commission for Africa
Finance and Governance Division Zuzana Schwidrowski noted that growth remains below levels needed to advance social development across the
Major risks identified include global economic uncertainty, fragmentation, declining aid, and geopolitical tensions.EU-South Africa Trade
focused on green energy and vaccine production.The announcement came during the first EU-South Africa bilateral summit in seven years, where
both parties agreed to begin negotiations on a new generation of trade agreements.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
South Africa.Defense and SecurityIndia-South Africa Defense CooperationThe India-South Africa Business Conclave 2025 in Pretoria marked a
significant advancement in defense cooperation between the two nations.Key defense companies including Rheinmetall Denel Munition, SAAB
Grintek Defence, and Denel expressed eagerness to deepen partnerships with India, building on their two-decade relationship that began with
a Memorandum of Understanding in 2000.SAAB Grintek Defence has been particularly active, supplying its Integrated Defensive Aids Suite for
Indian helicopters and recently signing an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for local production of laser warning systems for
ground vehicles.A new SAAB factory in India is expected to commence operations within a year, significantly expanding joint ventures across
according to an announcement from the Finance Ministry on March 14
Officials cited election security needs and concerns about U.S
trade policies under the Trump administration as factors necessitating the increase.Meanwhile, Military Africa reports that Morocco has
received Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, while Ethiopia has commissioned a new ammunition factory to ease supply chain
constraints.The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is considering integrating AI systems to improve regional security
operations, particularly for border surveillance and threat detection.Continental Integration InitiativesAfrican Free Trade
ImplementationThe 57th session of the UN Economic Commission for Africa is underway in Addis Ababa (March 12-18), focusing on implementing
the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).The meeting brings together finance ministers from across the continent to address regional
integration, with particular emphasis on digital transformation, energy transition, food security, and new technologies to enhance trade.ECA
standing globally.The Commission projects that intra-African trade could grow from its current 14.4% to 45% by 2045 if tariff and non-tariff
addressing immediate security threats
As the continent navigates multiple conflict zones in the DRC, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, diplomatic initiatives and peacekeeping strategies
face critical tests.Meanwhile, economic partnerships like the EU-South Africa deal offer pathways to sustainable development, though
implementation remains a potential bright spot, with projections showing intra-African trade could more than triple by 2045 if structural
