Angolan GDP grew 5.5% in the third quarter of 2024
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Angola’s Gross Domestic Product recorded a quarterly increase of 2.94%. Oil extraction and refining, trade and fishing are the main factors causing this growth.
The Angolan Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 5.5% in the third quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2023, and registered a quarterly growth of 2.94%, announced the National Statistics Institute (INE) of Angola on December 19.
According to the Quick Information Sheet (FIR) referring to the National Accounts for the third quarter of 2024, the value relating to the evolution in the third quarter compared to the second quarter of 2024 (2.94%) takes into account the seasonally adjusted series.
The main activities that contributed positively to the variation in GDP in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the second quarter were oil extraction and refining (0.43 percentage points), trade (0.4 percentage points), fishing (0.3 percentage points), diamond extraction and other minerals (0.24 percentage points) and postal and telecommunications (0.12 percentage points).
INE data indicate that the positive accumulated variation throughout the year, compared to the same period in 2023, is mainly attributed to the activities of diamond extraction, metallic minerals and others (36.8%), transport and storage (14.1%), fishing (11.6%), electricity and water (7.0%), trade (4.9%), other services (4.6%), agriculture (4.1%) and oil extraction and refining (4.1%).
The activities that contributed the most, in terms of participation, and constituted important factors for the performance of the activity in the GDP in the third quarter of 2024 were extraction and refining of crude oil and natural gas with a weight of 29.3%, trade with 22.5%, agriculture and forestry (11.4%), other services (7.2%), products and manufacturing industry (8.6%) and fishing with 5.8%.
Source: https://www.forbesafricalusofona.com/pib-angolano-cresce-55-no-terceiro-trimestre-de-2024/

Cape Verde and Portugal celebrate 50 years of Independence
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The Lisbon Agreement, signed on December 19, 1974, marked a pivotal legal step toward Cape Verde’s independence, noted Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. On Thursday, December 19, the Presidents of Portugal and Cape Verde commemorated its 50th anniversary, celebrating the agreement that transitioned Cape Verde from a Portuguese territory to an independent State.
During a ceremony in Praia honoring the agreement’s signatories, President Rebelo de Sousa emphasized the importance of acknowledging history and praised the shared significance of the event for Cape Verde and Portugal. He expressed gratitude for the presence of Cape Verdean leaders and reflected on the historic journey since 1974.
Cape Verdean President José Maria Neves highlighted the enduring bond between the two nations, describing the Lisbon Agreement as a milestone in Cape Verde’s path to independence, achieved on July 5, 1975. He honored Cape Verdean signatories, including Pedro Pires, Amaro da Luz, and José Luís Fernandes of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), and Portuguese delegates like Melo Antunes, Mário Soares, and Almeida Santos, who facilitated the sovereignty transition.
Neves underscored the need to value Cape Verde’s history critically and independently, free from partisan influence. He called for reflection on the paths to independence and democracy, urging unity around shared goals rather than political division.
The Lisbon Agreement, signed by Portugal and PAIGC, outlined the decolonization process for Cape Verde, establishing the framework for its eventual sovereignty.
Source: https://expressodasilhas.cv/pais/2024/12/19/cabo-verde-celebra-50-anos-do-acordo-de-lisboa-com-homenagem-aos-protagonistas-da-independencia/94781

Guinea-Bissau Government orders power cuts to those who do not pay for their supply
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On December 19, the Guinean Government directed the Electricity and Water Company of Guinea-Bissau (EAGB) to suspend energy services for individuals, entities, or companies refusing to pay for the service, starting Friday, December 20.
The decision, announced in a communiqué following the Council of Ministers meeting in Bissau, emphasizes the urgent need for compliance with payment obligations.
The Council of Ministers called on all citizens—national and foreign—living in Guinea-Bissau to fulfill their civic duty by formalizing energy and water contracts with EAGB. This directive also applies to the company’s own employees. The statement highlighted EAGB’s dire financial state, describing the company as being in “technical bankruptcy.”
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Rui Duarte de Barros, focused on the challenges faced by EAGB, including widespread non-payment for services. Persistent exemptions and fraudulent practices have exacerbated the company’s financial difficulties. Vasco Rodrigues, EAGB’s general director, noted in an interview last October that many customers benefit from energy services without payment due to exemptions or illicit schemes, further straining the company’s operations.
In addition to addressing non-payment issues, the Council of Ministers discussed the Government’s recent decision to terminate its contract with the Turkish company Karpower. The company had been supplying energy to Bissau from a power-generating ship until its operations ceased in August 2024. Despite the suspension, Karpower continued to demand monthly payments under the terms of the contract.
V. Rodrigues revealed that EAGB remains obligated to pay Karpower approximately €1.4 million per month, a financial burden that prevents the company from reducing energy tariffs for its customers. This contractual dispute has added to EAGB’s challenges, intensifying the need for reforms to stabilize the country’s energy sector.
Source: https://faladepapagaio.blogspot.com/2024/12/o-governo-guineense-ordenou-hoje.html

Mysterious disease plaguing DRC could be malaria
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The mysterious disease that has claimed at least 37 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is most likely malaria, exacerbated by the extreme vulnerability of the affected population, according to the African Union’s Health Agency, Africa CDC.

Speaking on Thursday, December 19, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff of Africa CDC, stated during a videoconference briefing that malaria is the “most likely hypothesis” due to the endemic nature of the disease in the region, especially during the rainy season, combined with widespread malnutrition.
While the agency awaits the results of an ongoing investigation, Dr. Ngongo noted that a potential “viral hemorrhagic disease” occurring alongside malaria has not been ruled out. The outbreak has been reported in the Panzi region in the southwest of the DRC, an area plagued by poor road access, inadequate health infrastructure, and a lack of clean water and medicines.
The region is already burdened by severe malnutrition, with a reported rate of 61%, and previously faced a significant typhoid fever outbreak two years ago. Health centers have recorded 37 deaths linked to the disease out of 592 reported cases, while an additional 44 deaths at the community level remain under investigation, according to Africa CDC.
The outbreak, described as an “unknown public health event,” has been under scrutiny since October 24. Earlier this month, the DRC’s National Institute of Public Health reported that the disease had caused 27 deaths out of 382 cases. Preliminary data indicates that children under five years old are the most affected, accounting for 40% of cases. Symptoms resemble those of the flu, including fever, cough, and headache.
This alarming situation highlights the urgent need for better healthcare access, infrastructure development, and efforts to address malnutrition in the affected regions to mitigate the devastating impact of such outbreaks.
Source:https://www.europe1.fr/international/la-maladie-mysterieuse-qui-sevit-en-rdc-est-probablement-le-paludisme-selon-lafrica-cdc-236043