Good morning.

Two stories to help you stay up on top of things.

🇺🇦 US negotiator Steve Witkoff met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine peace deal last night to discuss the proposed ceasefire deal. Putin reportedly "expressed solidarity" with President Trump’s position but had "voiced a number of questions that need to be answered together… There’s still a lot ahead to be done". [BBC Live Coverage]

🇺🇸 Sufficient Democrats in the US Senate will vote for the proposed Government funding bill to avoid a shutdown, many seeing the current CR as the lesser of two evils. [More - Politico]

Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇧🇯 Benin, 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso, 🇧🇮 Burundi, 🇨🇲 Cameroon, 🇨🇫 Central African Republic, 🇹🇩 Chad, 🇰🇲 Comoros, 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic Of The Congo, 🇩🇯 Djibouti, 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea, 🇪🇷 Eritrea, 🇸🇿 Eswatini, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇬🇦 Gabon, 🇬🇳 Guinea, 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau, 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇸 Lesotho, 🇱🇷 Liberia, 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇱 Mali, 🇲🇷 Mauritania, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇪 Niger, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇬🇲 The Gambia, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇪🇭 Western Sahara, 🇿🇲 Zambia, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

More Stable

No countries were more stable over this period

Unchanged

🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇼 Botswana, 🇨🇻 Cape Verde, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, 🇳🇦 Namibia, 🇸🇳 Senegal, 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe, 🇹🇿 Tanzania

Regional News Summary

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), tensions have escalated as Islamic State-linked rebels launched a fresh attack in the eastern region, resulting in the deaths of nine villagers. This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges that plague the area, further exacerbated by the seizure of the town of Nyabiondo by M23 rebel forces. [SOURCE - Winnipeg Free Press] [SOURCE - TASS].

Amid these conflicts, the DRC's mineral wealth continues to attract global interest. The United States has expressed openness to partnering with the DRC on mineral extraction projects, which could provide a much-needed economic boost [SOURCE - SABC News]. Similarly, India is in discussions with the DRC to secure a deal for sourcing cobalt and copper, further emphasizing the country's strategic importance in the global mineral market [SOURCE - The Economic Times].

In light of the ongoing unrest, Angola has stepped in to mediate peace talks between the DRC government and the M23 rebel group, aiming to address the humanitarian crisis and stabilize the region [SOURCE - Timeslive]. This diplomatic initiative comes amidst accusations against Rwanda for allegedly supporting the M23, complicating the regional dynamics [SOURCE - Al Jazeera].

Meanwhile, in South Sudan, the situation remains precarious as clashes disrupt UN evacuation efforts, leading to casualties and prompting the U.S. to withdraw non-emergency staff from the country. Uganda has responded by deploying special forces to Juba to protect the government amid fears of civil war [More - AlJazeera].

In Nigeria, the economic landscape is marked by both challenges and opportunities. The country has secured a shipment of leprosy drugs after a year-long delay, highlighting the need for improved healthcare infrastructure [SOURCE - Times Live]. Additionally, Nigeria's National Petroleum Corporation has signed a 20-year contract to supply gas to the Ssonic LNG Plant, reflecting growing interest in the energy sector [SOURCE - Rigzone].

In contrast, Zambia faces economic decline despite its rich copper resources, with calls for greater accountability in the mining sector amid concerns over China's influence in the country [SOURCE - Diggers].

Weekend Diversions

🏥 There’s a depressing long read in Bloomberg on how US healthcare billing practices and price inflation drive up costs. Bloomberg

🤫 Wired has a good piece on the debate on end-to-end encryption and steps being taken by governments to try to remove this. Wired

Have a great weekend.

Carpe tomorrow!