Good morning.

Two quick headlines before you head into the weekend.

🇵🇸 Israel Expands Gaza Buffer Zones

Israel will expand its "security zones" in Gaza to include Rafah and surrounding areas, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz during a visit to troops deployed between Rafah and Khan Younis. Katz stated the military is deliberately leaving Gaza "smaller" and "more isolated" to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages, adding that "all of Rafah will be evacuated and turned into a security area." The UN reports that approximately two-thirds of Gaza is now designated as "no-go" zones or under evacuation orders since Israel resumed its offensive in March, with 390,000 Palestinians displaced once again and humanitarian aid deliveries blocked since March 2. More - BBC

🇺🇸 Thursday Markets Continue Losses Despite Trade Pause

US stocks reversed Wednesday's record-breaking rally despite Trump's attempt to calm investors, with the S&P 500 falling 3.5% as investors reassessed the impact of escalating US-China trade tensions. Economic concerns intensified after the White House confirmed US tariffs on China had increased to 145%, negating optimism from Trump's previous 90-day tariff pause for other nations. Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio expressed that recent market turmoil left investors with "an element of trauma or shock or fear," noting the situation "dramatically affected psychology and attitude about the United States' reliability." More - Bloomberg

Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇯 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, 🇸🇱 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

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

Regional News Summary

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), diplomatic efforts are underway to address ongoing conflicts. The DRC government has engaged in talks with M23 rebels in Qatar, aiming to find a resolution to the violence that has plagued the region. Concurrently, a US envoy has been collaborating with former President Donald Trump to establish a mineral deal with the DRC, which could bolster the country's economy [SOURCE - BBC News]. However, the situation remains precarious, as heavy floods in Kinshasa have resulted in at least 33 deaths and widespread destruction, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis [SOURCE - The Washington Post].

In Nigeria, intercommunal violence has surged, leading to dozens of fatalities as clashes between farmers and herders escalate. This violence is part of a broader pattern of insecurity affecting the region, with police reporting additional deaths in battles between villagers and militants [SOURCE - IBT Times]. Economically, Nigeria is grappling with the fallout from US tariffs, which have prompted the government to sell dollars to support its currency amidst a global economic downturn [SOURCE - Times Live].

In South Sudan, a political crisis is unfolding as Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attempts to mediate between President Salva Kiir and former deputy Riek Machar. This diplomatic effort comes amid the US revoking all visas for South Sudanese citizens due to the country's failure to accept the repatriation of its nationals, further straining relations [SOURCE - Times Live].

Meanwhile, in Mali, the passing of cultural icon Amadou Bagayoko has left a void in the nation's music scene. Bagayoko, known for his collaboration with Mariam Doumbia as the duo Amadou & Mariam, was celebrated for blending traditional Malian music with international styles, earning global recognition [SOURCE - ABC News].

In the realm of economic development, Kenya is positioning itself to benefit from the ongoing global trade tensions. Despite the looming risk of a recession, the country is optimistic about capitalizing on the situation, particularly as it seeks to diversify its trade relationships [SOURCE - TimesLive]. However, the situation is complicated by the recent ruling in Kenya that allows Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to be sued for its role in ethnic violence in Ethiopia, setting a precedent for accountability in social media [SOURCE - India Today].

In Algeria, the energy sector is undergoing significant changes, with Viridien awarded a seismic data reimaging project amidst OPEC+'s push to accelerate oil production despite declining prices [SOURCE - Manila Times]. However, regional tensions are rising as Mali accuses Algeria of sponsoring terrorism, further complicating diplomatic relations [SOURCE - BBC].

Weekend Diversions

🙀 Bloomberg has a handy glossary of ‘Terms for Navigating a Market Meltdown’. Now the challenge is to find synonyms for each of these to avoid repetition.

🐺 The MIT Technology Review discusses whether the recently cloned dire wolves are, in fact, dire. Game of clones: Colossal’s new wolves are cute, but are they dire?

🏔️ I will never climb Mount Everest but thanks to Outside, I don’t have to. Outside Is Headed to Mount Everest this Year. Here Are the Stories We’re Following

Have a great weekend.

Carpe tomorrow!