Afrique

The majority of the people displaced by the armed conflict in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province live in host communities. Our research shows that many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) live with family/friends. Less than half live in displacement camps. As in many other internal displacement contexts, the government of Mozambique, develop­ment partners and humanitarian organisations use the terms IDPs and host communities to distinguish between the people who fled the conflict and those who welcomed them, respectively. This is a necessary distinction because IDPs are in a particularly precarious situation, having lost homes, family members and means of livelihoods, which renders material and psychosocial support to them indispensable. However, this policy brief identifies two issues that are pertinent to this distinction and the provision of material support to IDPs. First, while the categories of IDPs and host communities may provide clarity for interventions, they do not always reflect the broader history of local communities and how people identify and relate to each other. Second, in contexts where economically vulnerable host communities share their meagre resources with IDPs prior to the arrival of external humanitarian support, humanitarian organisations need to be sensitive to the material circumstances of host communities so that these do not see such support as discriminatory, leading to conflict. When the material support that humanitarian organisations provide to IDPs is beyond the means of their hosts, the latter can become resentful and withdraw their own support from the IDPs. This is a common problem, and the policy brief shows some ways to address it. Governments, development partners, and humanitarian organisations that adopt simplistic distinctions between IDPs and host communities without locating them in the specific socio-economic context risk missing local acts of solidarity and mutual identification as channels of inclusion that are central to maintaining social cohesion. 

Key policy messages:

• Contextualise displacement. In contexts where displacement occurs within a broader history of regional migration, IDPs are not always seen as outsiders in their host communities because many have prior personal connections to host com­munities. The government of Mozambique, develop­ment partners and humanitarian actors need to embed and understand the current displacement within the long history of migration, ethnolinguistic identification and displacement which shapes relations and contributes to social cohesion. 
• Integrate local ethos of solidarity. In the absence of external humanitarian support or prior to the arrival of emergency aid, host communities mobilise themselves through an ethos of solidarity, care and hospitality to help displaced people. External interventions coming into such situations need to be sensitive to this ethos and build on existing inclusive social support mechanisms and locally led initiatives so that they do not disrupt positive relations.
• Build on locally led integration. Locally led efforts are integral to local ownership of the integration of IDPs and its sustainability. When external support builds on local initiatives, this reduces unintended consequences such as resentment and conflicts between IDPs and host communities.

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Climate mitigation and adaptation require substantial investment to advance sustainable development. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), mobilising such finance is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to persistent market failures, including limited financial disclosure and weak credit-risk information. High upfront costs, uncertain returns and weak regulatory frameworks further constrain adoption of low-carbon technologies. While fiscal constraints and the capital-intensive trans­ition underscore the need for private capital, traditional bank financing is restricted by long project horizons, high risk and macroeconomic instability. Blended finance and guarantees are key instruments for mobilising private investment in LMICs. Blended finance combines concessional public resources with private or additional public capital to mitigate profitability risks, while guarantees reduce perceived risk by covering partial losses, particularly for non-commercial risks. This policy brief assesses their role in scaling SME climate finance, alongside their limitations and context-specific applicability. Evidence suggests that leverage effects, especially for blended finance, are more modest than often assumed and are context dependent; nonetheless, these instruments remain relevant for de-risking SME finance, contingent on improved design and implementation. The policy brief advances the following recommendations:

- Financial intermediaries should prioritise SMEs facing binding financing constraints that prevent projects with clear socio-economic and environ­mental benefits. Project selection should integrate financial and climate vulnerability, though assess­ment remains difficult in low-income countries (LICs). De-risking instruments should target specific constraints, with guarantees mitigating risks and blended finance supporting projects with insufficient risk-adjusted returns to attract private capital. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) should ensure additionality, minimise concessionality and strengthen monitoring and transparency.
- MDBs and DFIs should better align donor incen­tives with effective risk-sharing and flexible finan­cing structures. Concessional senior loans dominate blended finance but have limited loss absorption, reducing effectiveness in high-risk environments. A more balanced mix, including subordinated debt, equity and guarantees, can improve risk allocation and crowd in private investors. Greater use of special purpose vehicles and off-balance-sheet structures can further expand financing capacity in fragile contexts.
- MDBs and DFIs should strengthen coordination, standardisation and local engagement. Frag­menta­tion in blended finance and guarantees increases complexity and transaction costs and deters institutional investors. Greater harmoni­sation across MDBs, DFIs and private investors would improve capital allocation and comple­mentarity, while standardised procedures and contracts would streamline project preparation and scaling in LMICs.
 Governments in LMICs should address structural constraints, with MDBs and DFIs providing com­plementary de-risking and capacity-building support. Weak investment climates, shallow finan­cial markets, poor project pipelines and weak credit information systems reduce the effective­ness of blended finance and guarantees, particu­larly in LICs. Governments should strengthen investment climates, deepen financial markets and improve SME capabilities, while MDBs and DFIs support local intermediaries and broader reforms.

Climate mitigation and adaptation require substantial investment to advance sustainable development. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), mobilising such finance is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to persistent market failures, including limited financial disclosure and weak credit-risk information. High upfront costs, uncertain returns and weak regulatory frameworks further constrain adoption of low-carbon technologies. While fiscal constraints and the capital-intensive trans­ition underscore the need for private capital, traditional bank financing is restricted by long project horizons, high risk and macroeconomic instability. Blended finance and guarantees are key instruments for mobilising private investment in LMICs. Blended finance combines concessional public resources with private or additional public capital to mitigate profitability risks, while guarantees reduce perceived risk by covering partial losses, particularly for non-commercial risks. This policy brief assesses their role in scaling SME climate finance, alongside their limitations and context-specific applicability. Evidence suggests that leverage effects, especially for blended finance, are more modest than often assumed and are context dependent; nonetheless, these instruments remain relevant for de-risking SME finance, contingent on improved design and implementation. The policy brief advances the following recommendations:

- Financial intermediaries should prioritise SMEs facing binding financing constraints that prevent projects with clear socio-economic and environ­mental benefits. Project selection should integrate financial and climate vulnerability, though assess­ment remains difficult in low-income countries (LICs). De-risking instruments should target specific constraints, with guarantees mitigating risks and blended finance supporting projects with insufficient risk-adjusted returns to attract private capital. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) should ensure additionality, minimise concessionality and strengthen monitoring and transparency.
- MDBs and DFIs should better align donor incen­tives with effective risk-sharing and flexible finan­cing structures. Concessional senior loans dominate blended finance but have limited loss absorption, reducing effectiveness in high-risk environments. A more balanced mix, including subordinated debt, equity and guarantees, can improve risk allocation and crowd in private investors. Greater use of special purpose vehicles and off-balance-sheet structures can further expand financing capacity in fragile contexts.
- MDBs and DFIs should strengthen coordination, standardisation and local engagement. Frag­menta­tion in blended finance and guarantees increases complexity and transaction costs and deters institutional investors. Greater harmoni­sation across MDBs, DFIs and private investors would improve capital allocation and comple­mentarity, while standardised procedures and contracts would streamline project preparation and scaling in LMICs.
 Governments in LMICs should address structural constraints, with MDBs and DFIs providing com­plementary de-risking and capacity-building support. Weak investment climates, shallow finan­cial markets, poor project pipelines and weak credit information systems reduce the effective­ness of blended finance and guarantees, particu­larly in LICs. Governments should strengthen investment climates, deepen financial markets and improve SME capabilities, while MDBs and DFIs support local intermediaries and broader reforms.

Climate mitigation and adaptation require substantial investment to advance sustainable development. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), mobilising such finance is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to persistent market failures, including limited financial disclosure and weak credit-risk information. High upfront costs, uncertain returns and weak regulatory frameworks further constrain adoption of low-carbon technologies. While fiscal constraints and the capital-intensive trans­ition underscore the need for private capital, traditional bank financing is restricted by long project horizons, high risk and macroeconomic instability. Blended finance and guarantees are key instruments for mobilising private investment in LMICs. Blended finance combines concessional public resources with private or additional public capital to mitigate profitability risks, while guarantees reduce perceived risk by covering partial losses, particularly for non-commercial risks. This policy brief assesses their role in scaling SME climate finance, alongside their limitations and context-specific applicability. Evidence suggests that leverage effects, especially for blended finance, are more modest than often assumed and are context dependent; nonetheless, these instruments remain relevant for de-risking SME finance, contingent on improved design and implementation. The policy brief advances the following recommendations:

- Financial intermediaries should prioritise SMEs facing binding financing constraints that prevent projects with clear socio-economic and environ­mental benefits. Project selection should integrate financial and climate vulnerability, though assess­ment remains difficult in low-income countries (LICs). De-risking instruments should target specific constraints, with guarantees mitigating risks and blended finance supporting projects with insufficient risk-adjusted returns to attract private capital. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) should ensure additionality, minimise concessionality and strengthen monitoring and transparency.
- MDBs and DFIs should better align donor incen­tives with effective risk-sharing and flexible finan­cing structures. Concessional senior loans dominate blended finance but have limited loss absorption, reducing effectiveness in high-risk environments. A more balanced mix, including subordinated debt, equity and guarantees, can improve risk allocation and crowd in private investors. Greater use of special purpose vehicles and off-balance-sheet structures can further expand financing capacity in fragile contexts.
- MDBs and DFIs should strengthen coordination, standardisation and local engagement. Frag­menta­tion in blended finance and guarantees increases complexity and transaction costs and deters institutional investors. Greater harmoni­sation across MDBs, DFIs and private investors would improve capital allocation and comple­mentarity, while standardised procedures and contracts would streamline project preparation and scaling in LMICs.
 Governments in LMICs should address structural constraints, with MDBs and DFIs providing com­plementary de-risking and capacity-building support. Weak investment climates, shallow finan­cial markets, poor project pipelines and weak credit information systems reduce the effective­ness of blended finance and guarantees, particu­larly in LICs. Governments should strengthen investment climates, deepen financial markets and improve SME capabilities, while MDBs and DFIs support local intermediaries and broader reforms.

Découvrez les favorites, le format et les horaires de coup d'envoi de la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations féminine 2026, reportée au Maroc et qui débutera le 26 juillet.

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Der Rat hat restriktive Maßnahmen gegen eine Person und fünf Organisationen verhängt, die Teil des russischen militärisch-industriellen Komplexes und an der Herstellung von Drohnen beteiligt sind.

Die Hohe Vertreterin hat eine Erklärung im Namen der Europäischen Union zum zwölften Jahrestag des Abschusses von Flug MH17 der Malaysia Airlines abgegeben.

L'avant-centre des Amazones du Bénin, Aude Gbedjissi s'engage désormais avec le club turc de Galatasaray, marquant ainsi un nouveau chapitre de sa carrière footballistique. Ce tournant décisif de l'Amazone intervient après trois belles saisons sous les couleurs du Rc Lens Féminin en France.

L'Amazone Aude Gbedjissi quitte la France et la D2 Féminine pour rejoindre la Turkcell women's football super league en Turquie. Elle vient de signer un contrat avec le club d'Istanbul, Galatasaray SK.
Ce transfert de la footballeuse fait suite à une saison remarquée sous les couleurs du Rc Lens Féminin où elle s'est imposée comme l'une des pièces maitresses de l'attaque artésienne, avec un total de 43 réalisations inscrites, toutes compétitions confondues, sous le maillot lensois. Sur les réseaux, Aude Gbedjissi n'a pas caché sa joie. « Heureuse et fière de rejoindre officiellement le Galatasaray Spor Kulübü », a-t-elle écrit, sûre de pouvoir travailler et de donner le meilleur d'elle-même pour de meilleurs résultats.
Mesurant le chemin parcouru jusque-là, la footballeuse a exprimé sa reconnaissance aux personnes ayant contribué à faire d'elle, « la joueuse et la femme » qu'elle est devenue. « Aujourd'hui, une nouvelle page s'ouvre. Prête à écrire la suite de l'histoire », a-t-elle conclu.
F. A. A.

Les registres d'inscription à la formation professionnelle à titre payant dans les Lycées techniques professionnels (LTP), les Lycées techniques agricoles (LTA) ainsi qu'à l'École de formation médico-sociale (EFMS) de Parakou et son annexe de Djougou sont ouverts depuis le 20 juillet et le resteront jusqu'au 4 septembre 2026.

Le ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique invite les candidats remplissant les conditions requises à déposer leurs dossiers pour les rentrées scolaires 2026-2027, avec un large éventail de filières techniques, agricoles, numériques et médico-sociales. Lire le communiqué...

Le ministre de l'Economie et des Finances, Aristide Medenou, s'est entretenu, mardi 21 juillet 2026, à Cotonou avec une délégation de la Banque Européenne pour la Reconstruction et le Développement (BERD), conduite par sa directrice générale pour l'Afrique subsaharienne, Heike Harmgart.

Le Bénin et la Banque Européenne pour la Reconstruction et le Développement (BERD) ont examiné, mardi 21 juillet 2026 à Cotonou, les perspectives de renforcement de leur coopération, dans un contexte marqué par la poursuite des réformes économiques et des investissements structurants engagés par le Bénin.

C'est lors d'une audience entre le ministre de l'Economie et des Finances, Aristide Medenou et la délégation de la BERD conduite par sa directrice générale pour l'Afrique subsaharienne, Heike Harmgart.

Les discussions ont notamment porté sur les possibilités d'accroître l'appui de la BERD aux priorités nationales de développement, ainsi que sur les mécanismes susceptibles de renforcer l'efficacité et l'impact des financements destinés aux projets économiques.

Premier pays d'Afrique subsaharienne à avoir bénéficié de projets financés par la BERD, le Bénin entend poursuivre le développement de ce partenariat. L'audience a ainsi illustré la volonté commune des deux parties de consolider leur collaboration afin de soutenir une croissance durable, de favoriser les investissements et d'accompagner les réformes économiques en cours.
M. M.

Das WM-Endspiel hat gemässt Blick-Umfrage die wenigstens überzeugt. Lediglich 15 Prozent haben schon schlechtere Partien erlebt.

En visite officielle à Cotonou dans le cadre de la 7e session de la Commission mixte Bénin-Maroc, le ministre marocain des Affaires étrangères, Nasser Bourita, a été reçu mardi 21 juillet 2026, par le président Romuald Wadagni.

Le président béninois Romuald Wadagni a reçu, mardi 21 juillet 2026, au Palais de la Marina, le ministre marocain des Affaires étrangères de la coopération et des Marocains résidant à l'étranger 'étranger, Nasser Bourita, en visite officielle au Bénin à l'occasion de la septième session de la Commission mixte de coopération entre les deux pays.

A l'issue de l'audience, le chef de la diplomatie marocaine a déclaré avoir transmis au président de la République les salutations de SM le Roi Mohammed VI ainsi que la volonté de Rabat de poursuivre le renforcement des relations bilatérales.

L'émissaire de Sa Majesté le Roi a également salué le déroulement des dernières élections au Bénin et les performances économiques du pays, qu'il a présentées comme un facteur de stabilité dans la sous-région.

Les discussions ont porté aussi sur les moyens d'intensifier la coopération économique entre le Bénin et le Maroc. Les deux parties souhaitent favoriser une implication accrue du secteur privé, renforcer l'action des ministères concernés et développer des projets communs destinés à soutenir les échanges et les investissements.

Les questions de sécurité régionale ont également figuré parmi les principaux sujets abordés. Face aux défis posés par l'instabilité au Sahel et la menace terroriste, Cotonou et Rabat entendent renforcer leur concertation et promouvoir une coopération africaine plus étroite en matière de paix et de sécurité.
M. M.