• New investment in Tanzania’s railways sector is expected to directly benefit nearly 900,000 people and indirectly impact an estimated 3.5 million.
• Tanzania operates two railway systems, totaling 3,682 km in length.

Tanzania railway sector is poised for immense growth as the World Bank poured significant funding by approving $200 million in financing from the International Development Association (IDA) which is a part of the bank.

According to available information from the World Bank statement made on Friday, the bank said the financing for the second phase of the Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development Project (TIRP-2) will improve safety, climate resilience, and operational efficiency along this railway segment.

Read also: AfDB approves $696.4M financing for Tanzania-Burundi-DRC railway project

Tanzania railway plan anchored on Dar- Morogoro SGR

The funding comes a few weeks after Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) began its inaugural trial journey of the electric Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train …

• The IMF has approved an expansion of the original economic rescue program for Egypt by $5 billion.
• Spillovers from the recent conflict in Gaza and Israel aggravated the shaky economic situation in Egypt.
• Egypt has recently taken difficult but necessary reforms to correct the country’s microeconomic imbalance.

IMF’s Economic Rescue Program for Egypt

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the first and second reviews of Egypt’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF)arrangement, approving an expansion of the original economic rescue program by $5 billion.

The IMF had initially approved a $3 billion loan in December 2022 but has …

• The civil society has opposed Somalia plan to reduce Adult Age to 15 
• Under Somalia’s provisional constitution, a child is defined as a person under the age of 18.
• he proposed amendments also include physical development as the determining factor in a person’s majority.

Somalia’s parliament should reject any proposed constitutional amendments that would weaken rights protections for children, Human Rights Watch has said.

On March 30, 2024, both houses of parliament are expected to vote on the proposed amendments, which would reduce the age of majority – increasing the risk of child marriage and lowered juvenile justice standards – and possibly permit certain forms of female genital mutilation.…

• As millions of people in Africa go to bed hungry today, tonnes of food will end up in landfills, too.
• A UN report identifies gaps in Africa’s retail and food service sectors, presenting a significant hurdle in fully understanding the scope of food wastage.
• The UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024 identifies critical areas where action is needed to address the challenge in Africa.

An estimated one billion meals go to waste every day in Africa and across the world, the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024 reveals. The report, which shows food waste continues to hurt the global economy, adds that 783 million people were affected by hunger. In contrast, a third of the worldwide population suffered food insecurity in 2022.

• Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a former tax collector, is Senegal’s president-elect.
• Faye has promised to embark on a fresh chapter in Senegal’s leadership following months of political violence and arrests of opposition leaders.
• Outgoing President Macky Sall has termed the outcome of Sunday’s vote, which saw his preferred candidate Amadou Ba defeated, a victory for Senegal.

Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a former tax collector, has promised a new chapter in Senegal’s future following his victory in the bitterly contested presidential election in Senegal held on Sunday.

Bassirou Faye, 44, was declared winner having rode on a wave of frustration among the young voters, who are grappling with a high rate of joblessness as well as deep concerns about the current state of governance in the West African country of 18 million people.

Speaking to the nation as president-elect on Monday, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, promised to embark on a fresh chapter in Senegal’s …

• Tanzania has offered the Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc) to use the Dar es Salaam port for oil importation.
• This presents a strategic alternative amid the ongoing importation stalemate between Uganda and Kenya.
• The legal dispute between Uganda and Kenya over oil importation policies is pending before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), with indications that Uganda may withdraw the case.

Tanzania has stepped forward with an enticing proposition that Kampala finds hard to ignore, especially regarding the ongoing deadlock in Nairobi-Kampala oil imports.

Tanzania has extended an offer to the Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc) to utilise the Dar es Salaam port for its fuel importation needs. This development comes as Uganda explores alternatives in response to Kenya’s steadfast position on Kampala’s oil importation demands.

Uganda’s grievance at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) remains pending amid these unfolding events, casting a shadow of uncertainty over …