World
G5 Sahel West African Countries Bartering Mines for Russia’s Military Equipment
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In his series of end-year review reports, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, told local Russian media that Russia would continue its interaction with G5 Sahel West African countries to fight terrorism as a terrorist threat in the region had not subsided and the West’s military presence was “not so effective” in Africa.
“Moscow will continue its interaction with the G5 Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Mauritania) on arms supplies to fight terrorism. Naturally, there will be contacts with the G5 Sahel,” Bogdanov told the Russian media and noted that the group was undergoing “some internal structural changes” currently because problems had arisen over Mali’s participation.
“We have bilateral communication with all the countries of the five. We will see what format will be optimal for our partners. Interaction here is largely focused on the fight against terrorism and extremism because this Sahara-Sahel zone has become a hotbed of international terrorism and, of course, because of the collapse of Libya’s statehood and the spread of these processes to the south,” he said.
Over the past several years, the Russian Foreign Ministry has strengthened military-technical cooperation, a key part of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation with Africa. It has oftentimes explained in statements released on its website that Russia’s military-technical cooperation with African countries is primarily directed at settling regional conflicts and preventing the spread of terrorist threats, and fighting the growing terrorism in the continent.
It is broadening its geography of military diplomacy covering poor African countries and especially fragile States that need Russia’s military assistance. It has signed bilateral military-technical cooperation agreements with more than 20 African countries, according to several reports.
Some policy experts have said that African society is suffering through weak institutions and terrorism challenges due to alienation from political governance and lack of equal opportunity in community affairs. For instance, countries such as Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, the Central African Republic and many others have loose holds of the government and have deliberately created the political environment for terrorist organizations to flourish in Africa.
The basic polity of many African countries is not up to the mark. There are state institutions, departments and agencies like law enforcement bodies, regulatory agencies and judiciary suffering from the chronic dysfunctional mechanism which needs immediate focus to address challenges of terrorism and terror funding. Therefore, fighting terrorism should be analyzed and raising the functioning levels of institutions as well as the development of society.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has reiterated the necessity of creating regional forces for fighting terrorist groups but added that the African armies are still under-equipped. “It is important that external partners listen to the cries of Africa and operate within the framework of the organization when it comes to the extension support in dealing with this scourge,” he stressed.
Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, also spoke about how the terrorist group, al-Shabaab, controlled large portions of Somalia’s rural areas. “Shabaab, or terrorists anywhere they are, cannot be defeated militarily only,” he said.
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi was very outspoken and shared valuable experiences about the use of well-constituted regional military forces for enforcing peace and security in Mozambique. Creating regional military forces to fight threats of terrorism will absolutely not require bartering entire gold or diamond mines for the purchase of military equipment from external countries.
Now, Mozambique has relative peace and stability after the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) finally approved the deployment of a joint military force with the primary responsibility of ensuring peace and stability and for restoring normalcy in the Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique.
It involves troops from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community Military Mission (SAMIM). Rwanda offered 1,000 in July 2021. South Africa has the largest contingent of around 1,500 troops. External countries are, of course, enormously helping to stabilize the situation in Mozambique.
The Joint Forces of the Southern African Development Community are keeping peace in northern Mozambique. The rules, standards and policies, provision of assistance, as well as the legal instruments and practices, are based on the protocols of building security stipulated by the African Union. It, therefore, falls within the framework of peace and security requirements of the African Union.
Ahead of the next Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg in July 2023, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has published a special report on Russia-Africa. The report titled – Russia’s Private Military Diplomacy in Africa: High Risk, Low Reward, Limited Impact – says that Russia’s renewed interest in Africa is driven by its quest for global power status. Few expect Russia’s security engagement to bring peace and development to countries with which it has security partnerships.
While Moscow’s opportunistic use of private military diplomacy has allowed it to gain a strategic foothold in partner countries successfully, the lack of transparency in interactions, the limited scope of impact and the high financial and diplomatic costs expose the limitations of the partnership in addressing the peace and development challenges of African host countries, the report says.
The report authored by Ovigwe Eguegu, a Beijing-based Nigerian Researcher on Politics and International Affairs, focused on the use of private military companies to carry out ‘military diplomacy’ in African states, and the main research questions were: What impact is Russia’s private military diplomacy in Africa having on host countries’ peace and development? Why has Russia chosen military diplomacy as the preferred means to gain a foothold on the continent?
His report was based on more than 80 media publications dealing with Russia’s military-technical cooperation in Africa. He interrogates whether fragile African states advance their security, diplomatic and economic interests through a relationship with Russia.
Overcoming the multidimensional problems facing Libya, Sudan, Somali, Mali, and the Central African Republic will require comprehensive peace and development strategies that include conflict resolution and peacebuilding, state-building, security sector reform, and profound political reforms to improve governance and the rule of law – not to mention sound economic planning critical for attracting foreign direct investment needed to spur economic growth.
The United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the entire international community have expressed collective concerns about any use of private mercenary forces, instead strongly suggested the use of well-constituted regional forces approved by regional blocs, as a means of addressing conflicts in Africa. The G5 Sahel are Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Arab Emirates-based multi-billion-dollar tech powerhouse, Phoenix Group, has announced a major strategic expansion into the African market with the acquisition of an 80-megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia to boost its Bitcoin mining capacity.
The deal forged in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based cybersecurity firm, Data7, marks a significant step in Phoenix Group’s global diversification strategy and secures a reliable and sustainable energy source to fuel its long-term growth and underscores a commitment to responsible digital asset infrastructure development.
The new Ethiopian site, slated for energization in Q2 2025, will dramatically enhance Phoenix Group’s operational capacity, significantly increasing the exahash rate of its rapidly expanding mining portfolio.
“This move solidifies Phoenix Group’s position as one of the world’s largest Bitcoin miners and reinforces its commitment to scaling operations and delivering cutting-edge, globally distributed digital asset infrastructure. Phoenix Group is poised to build on this momentum, with further announcements of new sites and increased capacity in 2025, including continued expansion in Ethiopia and a strategic entry into the South American market,” the statement shared with Business Post said.
Speaking on the development, Mr Munaf Ali, CEO of Phoenix Group said- “This 80MW expansion in Ethiopia, on the heels of our North Dakota site announcement, is a powerful testament to Phoenix Group’s accelerating global momentum.
“We are aggressively building out our mining capabilities, and this added capacity further solidifies our position as one of the world’s largest Bitcoin miners, fueling our growth trajectory as we prepare for our listing on Nasdaq. We’re not just expanding our operations; we’re strategically positioning ourselves at the forefront of a financial revolution where cryptocurrencies will play a central role in creating a more inclusive and dynamic global economy.”
Mr Reza Nejatian, CEO of Global Mining Operations at Phoenix Group, added: “This project in Ethiopia, significantly increasing our exahash rate, is a clear signal of our ambition to not just participate in, but to lead, the global Bitcoin mining landscape. Ethiopia’s emergence as a key crypto-mining hub provides the perfect platform for our continued expansion, and this is just the first phase of our growth in the country.
“Our strategic partnership with Data7, enabling the deployment of the latest S21 Hydros, underscores our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to maximize efficiency and solidify our competitive advantage”, adding that, “Our ambitions extend beyond Africa; we’re actively preparing to launch operations in South America in 2025, further diversifying our global footprint. This is how we execute on a global scale, and this is how we build the future of decentralized finance.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support sustainable food production at a range of scales towards climate adaptation while protecting and preserving soil health, biodiversity, and water resources has been sealed between Olam Agri and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The deal provides a framework that will facilitate collaboration between the two organisations across staple agriculture supply chains that include rice, cotton, and rubber in developing markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The aim is to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, provide them with access to key services and inclusive opportunities; and establish sustainability and traceability across agriculture supply chains, aligning with Olam Agri’s purpose to transform food and agriculture for a more sustainable and food-secure future.
For joint projects, GIZ and Olam Agri have identified six priority intervention areas: nutrition-sensitive regenerative agriculture; harvest and post-harvest loss reduction; access to finance for smallholders; economic inclusion and rights; management of crop residues and reuse; and ecosystem services, including protection and restoration of ecosystems and carbon initiatives.
Both partners will continue to identify topics relevant across value chains and regions to drive innovation and scaling, with possible cross-sectoral issues including climate and carbon credits, landscape-scale approaches, and digitisation.
“We’ve shared a strong and fruitful relationship with GIZ over the years during which we’ve made significant inroads in transforming smallholder farming in several supply chains across many geographies to be more productive, profitable, and sustainable.
“I am thrilled to be signing this MoU with such a valuable partner that is GIZ and commit to collaborate even further to scale up our sustainability programmes in developing and emerging agriculture economies,” the co-founder of Olam Agri, Mr Sunny Verghese, said.
Also commenting, the Managing Director of GIZ, Anna Sophie Herken, said, “The signing of this MoU with Olam Agri marks a pivotal step forward in our collaborative efforts towards sustainable food production.
“I am very happy and grateful that we can deepen and broaden our cooperation efforts simultaneously. We look forward to enhancing the scope and impact of our successful projects in climate-smart farming.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s best-known digital currency, reached a fresh record high of $108,943 on Monday morning as Mr Donald Trump prepared to return to the White House.
The support from Mr Trump has boosted the crypto industry and after mentioning the asset’s record performance in a Sunday speech alongside gains in the broader US stock market, the prices have been heading north.
“Since the election, the stock market has surged and small business optimism has soared a record 41 points to a 39-year high. Bitcoin has shattered one record high after another,” Mr Trump said.
Business Post reports that some other tokens making gains include Ethereum (ETH), the second most valued coin which has gained 5.9 per cent to $3,349.93, Ripple (XPR) added 6.2 per cent to sell at $3.31, and Cardano (ADA) added 3.3 per cent to $1.07.
Mr Trump, who over the weekend launched a coin, has been vocal about his support for cryptocurrencies during his campaign and promised to make the US the crypto capital of the planet and create a strategic national bitcoin reserve, moves that have fueled investor optimism.
There are hopes that new policies and regulators will send the price of BTC and by extension, other coins much further this year as the US economy continues to show strength in the long term.
BTC reversed losses from earlier in the day when it fell to nearly $100,000 from a high over $102,000 on Sunday as incoming first lady Melania Trump issued a memecoin, drawing liquidity away from major assets.
Mrs Trump followed her husband’s lead by launching a multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency meme coin – briefly tanking the price of $TRUMP coin in the process.
A meme coin is a type of cryptocurrency inspired by trends such as internet memes with no inherent utility, and are often susceptible to price swings and crashes. Meme coins have been described by traders as a pure form of gambling and akin to buying a lottery ticket.
However, some crypto enthusiasts hailed the Trump meme coin’s release, saying it was symbolic of the incoming president’s support for an industry that felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration.
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