Africans League

The Henri Konan Bedie Bridge is a US$365 million public private partnership (PPP) project in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and consists of a 6.4km highway and 1.9km bridge with three lanes in each direction across the Ebrié lagoon, connecting Abidjan’s residential Riviera district directly with the commercial district of Marcory. The new bridge eliminates the need to use the heavily congested 9km route via existing bridges and includes a toll station on the north side of the lagoon and footbridges for pedestrians. The project involves the design, construction, financing, commissioning and operation of the bridge. Bouygues Group is the main project sponsor and has a 30 year concession with the Ivorian Government to design, construct, develop and operate the new bridge. The bridge was opened to the public in December 2014. Financing AFC was the mandated lead arranger of the mezzanine tranche of the financing and provided an aggregate commitment of US$55 million comprising commitments to...

About the project Ethiopian Airlines is the flag carrier of Ethiopia. The company was founded in December 1945 and started operations in April 1946. During the past sixty plus years, Ethiopian Airlines has become one of the continent’s leading carriers. Ethiopian Airlines aims to ensure that its fleet continues to reflect latest developments in passenger aircraft technology and the airline decided to acquire five Boeing 777-200 LR, for a total cost of US$668 million. Financing The overall financing comprises of senior debt capital of US$568 million, subordinated debt of US$85 million and an equity investment of US$15 million. AFC(Africa Financial Corporation)invested US$23 million alongside Citibank Limited, African Development Bank and PTA Bank.

Photography is a powerful medium for the telling of untold stories – such as that of the Saharawi women of Western Sahara. While the influx of refugees into Europe has been making the headlines, the Sahawari have been living as refugees for more than four decades. Photographer Raffaele Petralla has documented the harsh reality of their daily lives in a striking series of images. This is Africa’s Jorrit Dijsktra takes a closer look. It might be the refugee crisis across Europe making news, but the people of Western Sahara have been experiencing a refugee crisis for over 40 years. Last November was the 40th anniversary of Morocco’s invasion of Western Sahara, which forced thousands of refugees into the Algerian desert. They are still there today, living in refugee camps, dependent on international aid. There it is the Saharawi women who play a fundamental role in a matriarchal society. During the war against Morocco (1975-1991), they were forced to take shelter in the most hostile par...