Key Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nation of South Africa was in the news last week as it hosted largest ever gathering of leaders during BRICS Summit. The Summit created history as it admitted six new members after intense deliberations. On the sidelines of the Summit Indian PM met certain leaders and one among them was Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi as India sought to enhance security partnership with Mozambique situated along the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile Mozambique’s armed forces have killed the alleged leader of an Islamic State-linked insurgency concentrated in the gas-rich northern Cabo Delgado province. In an interesting development a new island that had emerged in IOR off the coast of Seychelles is getting bigger. UAE and Tanzania have entered into negotiations regarding the implementation contracts for the port project.
BRICS set to add six new members from North Africa, Gulf and Latin America
The Economic Times | 25th August 2023
Brics is set to add heft to the grouping of emerging economies as it announced on Thursday the inclusion of six new members, including India’s key partners in the Gulf and North Africa, a development that Prime Minister Narendra Modi described as a message that “all global institutions need to transform considering the changing times”. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement at a joint press conference of the leaders of the current members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — on the concluding day of the 15th Brics summit in Johannesburg. “We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of Brics from 1 January 2024,” said the joint declaration issued at the end of the 15th Brics summit.
PM Modi, Mozambique president Filipe Nyusi discuss bilateral cooperation
The Times of India | 25th August 2023
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday discussed bilateral cooperation across various sectors with Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi. “Met President Filipe Nyusi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. We discussed ways to diversify India-Mozambique cooperation across various sectors for the benefit of the people of our nations,” PM Modi wrote on ‘X’ on Thursday.
New island next to Seychelles’ Farquhar Atoll is getting larger
Seychelles News Agency | 27th August 2023
A new island formed around the Farquhar Atoll, which emerged after tropical cyclone Fantala hit the island in mid-April 2016, is getting bigger according to the Island Conservation Society (ICS). The new island has been named Derrick’s Sandbank by the Islands Development Company (IDC), a state-owned company, after the carcass of a cargo crane, referred to as a “derrick”, that came from a wrecked ship nearby.
Government says Dubai-Tanzania port deal enters next stage
The Citizen | 27th August 2023
The Chief Government Spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa announced that following the ratification of the Inter-governmental Agreement (IGA) between Tanzania and Dubai, both parties have now entered into negotiations regarding the implementation contracts for the port project.
Mozambique insurgency leader Omar killed by armed forces, ministry says
Reuters | 25th August 2023
Mozambique’s armed forces have killed the alleged leader of an Islamic State-linked insurgency concentrated in the gas-rich northern Cabo Delgado province, the defence ministry said on Friday. Bonomade Machude Omar, also known as Abu Sulayfa Muhammad and Ibn Omar, who “has led operations since the outbreak of terrorism in Mozambique,” was killed along with two associates, a ministry statement said.