Africa: The Year of Elections

December 19, 2023 | The VaultNewsletter

Welcome back to ‘The Vault’, where we bring you the latest updates across Africa covering everything from public policy to the latest economic trends. This week, we look at recent developments regarding the UK-Rwanda immigration deal, as well as upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal .

back in november the supreme court of the united kingdom ruled against the government's plan to send illegal immigrants to rwanda the court faulted the deal as illegalaccording to the european convention on human rightsbecause it puts asylum seekers at risk of deportation in rwanda
sonko isn't going away
what policy and insight do you seek
what we are tracking
somalia somalia to benefit from 45bn debt relief
somalia somalia signs treaty to formally join east african community
rwanda rwanda eases nightlife restrictions for festive season
kenya kenya has signed a key trade deal with the european union

Feel free to share your thoughts with us and If you need insight into any key legislation, please tell us.

back in november the supreme court of the united kingdom ruled against the government's plan to send illegal immigrants to rwanda the court faulted the deal as illegalaccording to the european convention on human rightsbecause it puts asylum seekers at risk of deportation in rwanda

Despite this failure, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has been under immense public and political pressure to restrict immigration has continued to push for support for the Rwanda deal. This past week, Sunak announced an emergency bill declaring Rwanda a safe country under UK law. The government also signed a new treaty with Rwanda so that immigrants expelled to Rwanda would not face the danger of deportation.

sonko isn't going away

Yes, more on Elections. A court in Dakar, Senegal last week ruled that Ousmane Sonko be reinstated in the electoral register ahead of the presidential elections early next year, which won’t feature two-term President Macky Sall after he announced he wouldn’t seek a contentious third term.

what policy and insight do you seek

Whether you are a government official, civil society organization, or researcher, our repository provides comprehensive access to public policies, regulations, and guidelines across Africa. We provide insights and intelligence on these regional policies and regulations for research, advocacy, policymaking, and investing.

what we are tracking

We’re also tracking the latest current events in the news, and how they may affect the decisions of policymakers. Below are some of the latest developments.

somalia somalia to benefit from 45bn debt relief

Somalia will benefit from a $4.5 billion debt reduction plan with international creditors to service its debt. The debt relief was approved by the executive boards of the International Monetary Fund. The debt service reduction was provided by the IMF ($343.2 million), the International Development Association ($448.5 million), and the African Development Fund ($131 million). Other multilateral creditors contributed $573.1 million and bilateral creditors and agencies such as members of the Paris Club contributed $3 billion.

somalia somalia signs treaty to formally join east african community

Last Friday, Somalia was admitted as the 8th member state of the East African Community. (President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed the Treaty of Accession at a ceremony held in Entebbe, Uganda with regional leaders in attendance.

rwanda rwanda eases nightlife restrictions for festive season

Rwanda’s government has eased operating restrictions for bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues which was implemented in September to address concerns about noise pollution and public disturbance. This is effective between December 15 and January 17 with permission to extend operational hours until pm with the benefit of lifted restriction on Fridays, weekends and public holidays.

kenya kenya has signed a key trade deal with the european union

Kenya and the European Union signed a major economic partnership agreement (EPA) that will provide the East African country exports with duty-free and unlimited access to the European market. As Kenya’s second-largest trade partner, the bilateral trade between the two countries stood at a total of 3.3 billion euros in 2022.

Before you go…

What policy and insight do you seek?

Get in touch with us via email to: team@policyvault.africa