Category: Economy

** Goma on the edge of the abyss: the liquidity crisis and its repercussions on the daily lives of the inhabitants **

Since the occupation of Goma by the M23 in January 2025, the city has been plunged into a deep economic crisis, exacerbated by the closure of the banks. The inhabitants, deprived of access to liquidity, face colossal challenges to meet their essential needs. Wealth solutions, such as withdrawing funds from neighboring countries, are not only expensive, but also not very viable. With the imminent expiration of bank cards, the climate of uncertainty is strengthening, leaving the population in a dead end. However, microfinance initiatives and the use of mobile banking could offer a glimmer of hope. Goma’s future is based on the ability of local and international actors to innovate and collaborate to respond to this crisis, thus allowing residents to not only survive, but also to flourish despite adversity.

### Mali: a new breath for the mining sector

From March 2025, Mali started a partial relaxation of the suspension of mining permits, a crucial decision to revitalize its flagship economic sector. After a gel period aimed at maximizing income, the country seeks to attract new investments while affirming its sovereignty to its natural resources.

The Malian government has promulgated a new mining code which imposes strict criteria, such as a minimum participation of 30 % of the State and 5 % for local businesses. However, the challenge remains: how to reconcile the increase in fees with an attractive investment climate, faced with competition from other countries in West Africa like Ghana?

The stake exceeds the simple economic question. By integrating a strong local component and ensuring environmental sustainability, Mali aspires to transform its mining potential into an inclusive development engine. This transition, scrutinized by investors, could redefine the country’s economic landscape, provided that the profits are shared fairly and guaranteed transparency. Mali is preparing to write a new chapter in its mining history, determined to make its resources a lever for sustainable growth.

### Dance of the giants: Thailand, India and Vietnam in front of the storm of rice prices

The global rice market, pillar of food in Asia, has a crucial period. While prices collapse, the three largest exporters – Thailand, India and Vietnam – envisage a strategic alliance to stabilize this sector in crisis. This cooperation could draw inspiration from the OPEC model to regulate prices, but faces complex geopolitical and economic challenges. The fluctuations due to climatic vagaries and consumption changes still complicate the situation, pushing these giants to diversify their offers to capture new markets. At the crossroads, this alliance could redefine the commercial landscape of rice, while emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in an increasingly uncertain environment. While the world observes, the way these nations will sail this storm could shape the future of world food.

** Tomorrow Africa: a balance between innovation and economic resilience **

Africa is at the crossroads, as the last report of the African Development Bank points out. With a growth forecast of 4.1 % in 2025, the continent faces a delicate mixture of challenges and opportunities. The ongoing political reforms, accompanied by massive investments in key sectors, open the way to a significant economic transformation.

The real engine of this development is the private sector, catalyzed by the African continental free trade agreement (AFCFTA), which aspires to bring together a billion Africans around a dynamic common market. However, disparities persist: East Africa shows signs of vitality with sustained growth thanks to innovations like Agritech, while West Africa reinvents its energy landscape with ambitious projects in the petroleum industry.

However, caution is in the face of economic dependencies and the lessons of the past. To aspire to an autonomous and sustainable future, Africa must combine innovation, diversification of economies and intersectoral cooperation. The challenges remain numerous, but the resilience of the continent could result in a new prosperity provided they remain strategic and united in its quest for development.

### Mali: a crucial turning point for artisanal mining

Faced with a series of tragic accidents in the mining sector, Mali has decided to suspend operating licenses for foreign artisanal mining companies, an emergency measure signed by the president of the transition, General Assimi Goita. This initiative aims to guarantee workers’ safety and respond to the dangers of an anarchic industry. With 6 % of the national gold production at stake and more than 2 million Malians depending on this activity, the situation calls for urgent improvements.

The Minister of Security, Gen. Daoud Ali Mohammedine, promised that these changes would strengthen state authority and better integrate this wealth into the national heritage. However, strict regulation raises questions about long -term economic impact in a country facing the instability and interests of insurgents funded by deregulated exploitation.

This reform opens a crucial debate on mining governance in Mali: how to protect resources and workers while attracting a responsible foreign investment? By learning experiences from other countries, Mali has the opportunity to transform tragic potential into a lasting, vital prosperity for future generations.

### Taximen-wordos of Masisi-Walikale: Resilience in front of oppression

In the tumultuous region of Masisi-Walikale, taximen -ixs strive to maintain the link between communities despite an increasing climate of insecurity. Northernly accused by the complicity security forces with armed groups, these drivers represent not only a pillar of the informal economy, but also a symbol of resistance to oppression. While half of the Congolese population lives below the poverty line, the abuses of which they are victims, such as arbitrary detentions and extortion, highlight the absence of justice and fundamental rights. However, this struggle for dignity and security is transformed into a powerful citizen movement. Taximen -ixties are demanding not only the end of abuses, but also draw the contours of a future where the voice of the people could ultimately prevail over the noise of weapons.

### Fuel crisis in Comoros: towards an energy renewal?

The fuel crisis in the Comoros, exacerbated by vehicle breakdowns, highlights questions of quality and transparency within the Comorian Hydrocarbons Society. Transport unions and the Comorian consumer federation call for a rigorous investigation to restore confidence, while the economy of the country, already fragile, is threatened.

This situation has repercussions on all sectors, from transport to agriculture, stressing the importance of a stable and reliable supply. The key players plead for enhanced cooperation, with the creation of a “mixed brigade” to monitor the supply.

In parallel, the Comoros can consider this crisis as an opportunity to rethink their energy policy, by integrating renewable solutions and more strict quality standards. An open dialogue and the implementation of transparent controls could thus lead to a more lasting energy future for the archipelago, transforming a challenge into a change engine.

### Mali: A new taxation at the service of development or burden for citizens?

On March 5, 2024, Mali introduced new taxes on telephone credit and mobile Money transactions, aimed at finance a support fund for infrastructure, especially in the energy sector. This measure, although presented as necessary, raises concerns about its transparency and its cost for a population already experienced by the economic crisis. With an increase of 10% on credit purchase and 1% on transactions, vulnerable households may see their purchasing power started even more, making communication services that are difficult to access.

Criticized for its opacity, the management of this fund, which does not include citizen representation, also poses a governance problem. The absence of clear criteria for the financing of projects feeds fears of abuse and waste. Voices rise to request a reduction in public spending and better control of the use of tax resources, calling for increased accountability of state officials.

In this context, collective vigilance is essential to ensure that the funds collected really benefit the development of the country and improve the quality of life of Malians. A call for citizen mobilization is heard, stressing the importance of a culture of transparency and tax responsibility for the future of Mali.

** Digital inclusion in the DRC: a lever for the future with Vodacom and Kadea Académie **

On March 5, 2025, in Kinshasa, Vodacom Congo and Kadea Académie launched the “Future Skills” program, an ambitious project aimed at providing the Congolese with essential digital skills. In full digital transformation, the Democratic Republic of Congo faces an urgent need to fill the digital gap to fully integrate its population into the world economy. With 1,028 participants already trained since the launch of this program, including 30 % of women, this initiative is not limited to instructing, but also seeks to empower young talents. While the unemployment rate reaches 51 % among young people, the “future skills” may well be the springboard to innovative solutions in the face of local economic challenges. By adopting a sustainable approach, Vodacom also shows that a digital and environmentally friendly future is possible for the DRC. Thus, investing in digital education is to invest in the potential of a nation ready to reinvent itself and to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

### Mbuji-Mayi: the anger of the workers of Sacim in the face of a salary crisis

On March 3, 2023, the streets of Mbuji-Mayi were the scene of a significant demonstration of SACIM employees, denouncing an alarming salary crisis with 13 months of payment arrears. While the company continues to extract 300,000 carats of diamonds per year, government decisions weaken their situation. The restrictions imposed on the sale of diamonds and the fall in prices exacerbate economic tensions, jeopardizing not only the viability of workers but also that of families which depend on this industry. This movement, beyond wage claims, calls for recognition of workers’ rights and a profound change in the management of natural resources in the DRC. Events in Mbuji-Mayi may well announce a turning point in the way workers are taken into account in an essential sector for the country.