China's New Gold Strategy Runs Through Africa

 TrendsNAfrica published on 1 July 2026 an article titled "China's New Gold Strategy Runs Through Africa:  How Beijing Is Rewriting the Global Bullion Market."

Beijing is quietly reshaping the mechanics of the international gold trade.  Its strategy involves dismantling speculative domestic paper-gold trading while building an international ecosystem centered on physical bullion, yuan-based settlements, and African mineral wealth.

About 40 percent of the world's remaining underground gold reserves are located in Africa.  China is reducing its holdings of US Treasury securities and replacing them with gold purchases, especially in Africa.  

Additional Sanctions on Sudanese Companies and Individuals

 Foreign Policy posted on 15 July 2026 an article titled "Sudan Faces New Sanctions as Evidence of Atrocities Mounts" by Nosmot Gbadamosi.

The EU and the US have expanded sanctions on individuals and companies that have aided the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and/or the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).  In the meantime, global efforts to end the war have largely stalled.

Comment:  Numerous sanctions in recent years on the RSF and the SAF have had no impact on bringing this civil war to an end.  

Video Critical of Russia's Engagement in Mali

 Warfronts posted on 6 July 2026 a 14-minute video titled "This Country Trusted Russia--Then It All Fell Apart" with Simon Whistler.

This is a highly critical account of Russia's Wagner Group and Africa Corps engagement with the Mali military in an effort to prop up the military government.  

Chinese Finance and Critical Mineral Access in Africa

 Boston University's Global Development Policy Center published in June 2026 a paper titled "Development Quid Pro Quo: Chinese Finance and Critical Mineral Access in Africa" by Congyi Dai.

The paper explores whether China's development finance agenda is motivated by its global quest for natural resources, facilitating mine acquisitions in Africa.  It uses four data sources to examine whether Chinese development finance is tied to the pursuit of critical minerals.

The paper concludes that minerals needed for clean energy technologies such as copper, cobalt, nickel, and platinum group metals are associated with Chinese loan commitments to recipient countries.  Specifically, uranium is the mineral most strongly linked to Chinese development projects, particularly those including a substantial grant component and highly concessional repayment terms.

Sudan: A Resource War Fought by Proxy?

The New York Times published on 15 April 2026 a guest essay titled "I have Watched the Catastrophe of My Country Be Reduced to Nothing" by Mohammed Ahmed. 

The author takes issue with those who call what is happening in Sudan a "civil war."  He argues it is "a resource war fought by proxy, playing out against the world's indifference."  About the only thing sustaining Sudan today is communal mobilization or self-help by ordinary Sudanese.  

Partition Is Not the Answer to the Sudan Conflict

 Foreign Affairs published on 8 April 2026 an article titled "Don't Partition Sudan Again: Splitting It Didn't Work in the Past and Won't Work Now" by Francis M. Deng and Ahmed Kodouda.

Both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) insist they are fighting to preserve a unified Sudan, but the longer the current geographical division persists, the harder it will be to put the country together again.  

The 2011 independence of South Sudan offers a cautionary tale.  Any effort to formalize the split between the SAF and RSF-controlled parts of Sudan would not resolve the conflict's root causes.  Another partition of Sudan would also destabilize its neighbors.    

Can Ethiopia's Strong Growth Rate Continue?

 Foreign Policy published on 18 February 2026 an article titled "What's Behind Ethiopia's Double Digit Growth: And Can Addis Ababa's Boon Last?" by Nosmot Gdabamosi. 

Ethiopia's impressive growth rate is being driven by floating the exchange rate for its currency, the birr, and strong exports of coffee and gold.  But high debt and involvement in Sudan's civil war could reverse the current positive numbers.   

Illegal Chinese Mining in Nigeria Results in Dustup with US

 China-Africa Security Radar published on 16 February 2026 an analysis titled "Beijing Rejects U.S. Allegations of Financing Terror in Nigeria's Illegal Mining Sector--The Reality Is More Complex."

Prominent Republican members of the US Congress have sponsored a bill that alleges Chinese individuals and companies involved in illegal mining pay "protection money" to Fulani militias and other armed groups to secure access to lithium and gold deposits.  The bill links these militias to terrorist violence that has impacted Nigerian Christian communities.

The Chinese embassy in Abuja issued a strongly worded statement refuting allegations that Chinese nationals are funding militant groups to gain access to minerals in Nigeria's Middle Belt and northwestern region.  

China-Africa Security Radar concludes that it is generally agreed there is illegal Chinese mining in Nigeria, but the culprits are pragmatically paying "rent" to armed groups to access the minerals.

Major Study of Africa's Strategic Minerals

 The Lagos-based African Finance Corporation recently posted its "Compendium of Africa's Strategic Minerals 2026."

This is a major study of Africa's critical minerals, industrial minerals, uranium, and rare earths.  It also noted that China controls about 90 percent of global manganese refining, approximately 90 percent of rare earth separation and refining, and dominates battery-grade graphite processing.    

African Countries Have More Policy Options: West, China, Russia, Gulf States

 Politics Today published on 23 January 2026 an article titled "Africa's Quiet Power Shift: From Russian Gold Deals to China's Training Push" by Goktug Caliskan, International University of Rabat.  

The author concluded the question among African governments is no longer whether Russia's Africa Corps, China's training offensive, Trump's transactional policy or Europe's climate money is most attractive.  The question is how African governments use these choices to maneuver and quietly rewrite the rules.  Africa is learning to say yes, no, or not yet--and to make everyone wait.  

US-China Competition for Africa's Critical Minerals

 Business Insider Africa posted on 26 January 2026 an article titled "US-China Mineral Race Heats Up as Africa's Top Mining Nations Head to Washington" by Solomon Ekanem.

US officials are accelerating direct engagement in the mining sector of African governments and promoting investment-led partnerships with American companies.  

Waging Peace in Ethiopia's Tigray Region

 Ethiopia Insight published on 19 November 2025 a commentary titled "Waging Peace in Tigray, a Land Haunted by War" by Mohammedawel Hagos, Worabe University.

As the Pretoria Agreement unravels, the path forward in Tigray Region is threatened not just by the tension but by a political culture still in the grip of a stifling party-state and collective trauma.  The author calls for internal Tigrayan reconciliation as the only route to a peaceful future.  

The West Just Watches Genocide in Sudan's Darfur Region

 Newsweek published on 18 November 2025 a commentary titled "Sudan's Genocide Is Happening in Plain Sight--and the West Is Enabling It" by Faisal Kutty, Canadian journalist.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are openly committing genocide in Sudan's Darfur Region.  Western governments denounce the killings but support the UAE, which is assisting the RSF.

Pressure Mounts on UAE to End Support for Sudan's RSF

 The Washington Post published on 15 November 2025 an article titled "UAE Faces Growing Outrage over Support for Paramilitary in Sudan" by Tobi Raji.

Advocacy groups, members of the US Congress, and regional experts are stepping up their criticism of the UAE for supporting the genocidal activities of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.  The UAE continues to deny its support for the RSF as evidence to the contrary mounts.  

Russia's Growing Influence in Africa

 The International Crisis Group posted on 2 October 2025 a 7-minute video titled "Russia's Growing Influence in Africa."

This is a brief survey of African countries where the Wagner Group was engaged, and its activities increasingly are being taken over by the Africa Corps. The video ties Russia's interests to the extraction of natural resources such as gold and strategic access in eastern Libya. 

Chinese Companies Face Brunt of Jihadi Attacks in Mali

 Agence France Presse published on 5 September 2025 an article titled "Chinese Firms Pay Price of Jihadist Strikes against Mali Junta."

Jihadis linked to al-Qaeda have targeted all foreign companies in Mali in an effort to force the military junta to accept sharia law.  Chinese operated gold and lithium operations have experienced the brunt of these attacks.  Jihadis have kidnapped at least 11 Chinese nationals.  

Engaging for Peace in Sudan

 Foreign Policy published on 15 July 2025 a commentary titled "Washington Can Keep Sudan's Civil War from Getting Worse" by Cameron Hudson.  

The current level of fighting in Sudan could continue for years with only more death and destruction to show for it.  The State Department senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, said his next priority is seeking an end to the power struggle in Sudan.  While the Trump administration removed much of the previous expertise on Sudan from the State Department, Boulos has access to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.  As fraught as the endeavor will be, it is better than doing nothing.

Eritrean President Emerges as Winner of Ethiopia's Civil War

 The Sentry published in June 2025 an extensive report titled "Power and Plunder: The Eritrean Defense Forces Intervention in Tigray."

This account documents Eritrean Defense Force support for the Ethiopian National Defense Force in their joint war to topple the Tigrayan Defense Force in Tigray Region from late 2020 until the signing of the Pretoria Agreement in 2022.  The study concludes that Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has emerged as the clear winner of the post-conflict status quo.  

A Podcast on Sudan's Intractable War

 Foreign Affairs posted on 29 May 2025 a 48-minute podcast titled "Sudan's Intractable War," a conversation with Mai Hassan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Ahmed  Kodouda, humanitarian policy expert, interviewed by Eve Fairbanks.

They argue that as Sudan's civil war continues, and a growing number of outside powers look for advantage in the carnage, the consequences are likely to get much worse.   

Sudan Conflict Increasingly Becomes a Drone War

 Aljazeera published on 13 May 2025 an article titled "Drones, Gold, and Threats: Sudan's War Raises Regional Tensions" by Mat Nashed.

As Sudan's civil war enters its third year, drones are playing a larger role in the conflict.  The Sudan Armed Forces relies on the relatively affordable Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones.  The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces uses Chinese-made drones purchased and supplied by the UAE.