BA have been completely squelched by a range of carriers to Africa - not just the ME3, it's Turkish and Ethiopian as well. The nationalities of the passengers in the Ethiopian 737Max accident shows how things have gone - hardly any Ethiopians on board; fairly full flight, just 9 of the pax were Ethiopians.
For points previously served by BA just a few times a week, the prospect of daily operation, albeit by connections, is inviting. Fares are generally significantly less, and it's a pretty price-sensitive market, not just for personal but also business travel - many welfare agencies, charities, etc.