News That Matters To Africa©️
Quote of the Day:
Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping it will kill your enemies.
Highlights:
Kenya’s Haiti mission plan faces significant hurdles
Senegal sets March 24 as presidential election date
Chad’s opposition under siege
US mercenary calls for Africa’s recolonization.
Top News:
Eastern Africa
Farmers “chased” from Virunga accuse “ruthless” rangers of abuses
Tech giants “have no case to answer” in cobalt child labour case
Kenya’s Haiti mission plan faces significant hurdles
SGR builders to get another Kenya mega project
Top U.S. South Sudan activist arrested for gun running
Senior UN official calls for greater political investment as Sudan polls loom
UN Security Council considering call for Ramadan truce in Sudan
West Africa
Military led Sahel states to form joint force to fight insurgents
Despite ban, China bankrolls Rosewood logging in Ghana
Liberia’s lower house backs creation of war crimes court
Nigeria battles to halt spiraling currency crisis and rising food insecurity
Suspected Islamist militants abduct dozens in northern Nigeria
Senegal’s government sets March 24 as the new date for the delayed presidential election
Who are the main candidates in Senegal’s presidential election?
Southern Africa
Namibia communities affected by German genocide demand return of land
South Africa says use force to break Israel blockade on Gaza aid
How this Zambian writer makes her choices on languages, culture, and place
Zimbabwe condemns fresh ‘illegal and coercive’ US sanctions
North Africa
Explainer: How big are Egypt’s economic challenges?
Central Africa
Chad’s opposition under siege before elections
Africa-General
African airlines mark fourth safe year in 2023
US mercenary Erik Prince calls for colonizing Africa and Latin America
U.S. Investments Fuel African Music’s Dominance
Africa Elections 2024: All the upcoming votes
Good News Africa
(10) Articles & (7) Short Videos
Video of the Day
Erik Prince: From Blackwater Mercenary to Imperialist Podcaster
Surrounded: When colonialism is all around us
Africa News Podcast
South Africa asks ICJ for more measures against Israel
Africa Related Books/Publications
The US Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa
Heavy metal cowboys and Congolese dandies: Africa’s alternative style icons – in pictures
(35) Articles on Analysis, Editorial & Opinion
Eastern Africa
DR CONGO
Farmers “chased” from Virunga accuse “ruthless” rangers of abuses
Over 4 million people live within a day’s walk from Virunga National Park, home to 500,000 hectares of extremely fertile land, according to a 2018 paper in the Journal of Peasant Studies. The ballooning of the rural population in North Kivu province – which has grown almost sixfold since 1960 – has made the fertile lands in the national park a coveted resource. Some small-scale farmers grow food within the park to sustain their livelihoods. Vwiravwameso, 39, is one of them. She used to farm on three hectares in an area of Ndwali called Marestaurant, which she says shouldn’t belong to the park. Like farmers from neighbouring villages, Vwiravwameso would camp there in a temporary shelter until what she’d planted was ready for harvest. In September 2021, however, park rangers from the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the state agency responsible for overseeing DRC’s national parks, found her working in her field, just when her crops were in the nascent stages. “They chased me and the other people, scattering us with bullets,” she says. An ICCN report from that month said the agency had reclaimed Ndwali from some of the many armed groups that live and operate in Virunga National Park. Two months later, a ranger outpost replaced Vwiravwameso’s former village. Like Vwiravwameso, many in Kamandi and neighbouring villages have faced recurring evictions, a situation they say has denied them access to their ancestral land, affected food production in the region, and been a catalyst for numerous human rights abuses. Their plea to the ICCN is twofold: allow them to farm on their ancestral land and address the rangers’ alleged violations. Rangers claim that locals have been carrying out illegal activities such as farming on land that is protected and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Tech giants have no case to answer in cobalt child labour case
A US court on Tuesday absolved five major technology companies accused of aiding the use of child labour in cobalt mines in the DRCongo. In the case filed by former child miners and their representatives, Google parent company Alphabet, Apple, Dell Technologies, Microsoft and Tesla stood accused of facilitating child labour in their supply chains for cobalt. The metal is used to make lithium-ion batteries that are widely used in electronics. But in a 3-0 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia sided with the tech giants, arguing that the companies only maintained a commercial relationship with their suppliers and that they had no power to stop the use of child labour. The plaintiffs said that the companies were aware of the use of child labour in cobalt mines but did not act for fear of disrupting the supply of the metal. Congo is the world’s biggest producer of cobalt. A lot of the metal is extracted by artisanal miners who employ child labour and where safety is not observed. More than 40 000 children are working in hazardous conditions in cobalt mines in the Katanga province alone, according to the UN.
KENYA
Haiti mission plan faces significant hurdles
A planned U.N.-backed security mission in Haiti led by Kenya is in jeopardy due to a new legal effort in the East African country to stop the deployment of 1,000 police officers to the Caribbean island.
Haiti has seen an escalation of gang violence in recent days. Multiple criminal organizations in Haiti last week unveiled a new coalition and declared plans to overthrow the government. They led a mass jailbreak that saw thousands of inmates freed. They also launched attacks on the country’s biggest airport, causing a state of emergency to be declared. The deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti was declared illegal by the High Court in January. Ekuru Aukot, the politician and lawyer who led that case is working on a fresh challenge against a bilateral agreement signed by Kenyan President William Ruto and Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry last week. He questioned its legality and demanded that it be made public. President Ruto said last week Kenya was ‘ready to deploy’ its officers following the signing of the agreement, which was seen as a move to sidestep the court ruling blocking the deployment. Observers are increasingly concerned that it might be time for the mission’s backers to consider a change of tack. The U.S. in particular has been rallying support for the mission, and disclosed on Monday that the White House was working to “expedite” the deployment of the Kenya-led force. The U.S. is providing $200 million to support the mission. Critics of the planned mission say it is this financial incentive that has Ruto determined to push the deployment through despite a court ruling blocking it.
SGR builders to get another Kenya mega project
Kenya has commissioned a Chinese state-owned company—the one behind the construction of the controversial nearly $5 billion railway from Nairobi to Mombasa—for another megaproject. China Road and Bridge is set to build a 60,000-seat stadium for Kenya’s hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament. The stadium in the capital, Nairobi, will be known as Talanta Sports City when it is completed in December 2025. Talanta translates as “talent” in Swahili. In 2021, Kenya ended its contract with Afristar, which is owned by China Road and Bridge, to run the railway five years earlier than initially planned over ballooning costs. The move was expected to save the country more than $120 million in annual fees for a railway project that was mired in lawsuits, criminal investigations, and accusations that the deal unfairly increased Kenya’s debt burden since it was paid for through secretive Chinese loans. Chinese companies have built or renovated almost half of the stadiums hosting AFCON matches over the past 15 years, including the $260 million 60,000-seat Ouattara stadium used at this year’s tournament in Ivory Coast.
SOUTH SUDAN
Top U.S. South Sudan activist arrested for gun running
A high-profile advocate for South Sudan was arrested by federal agents in Arizona for trying to illegally smuggle weapons worth millions of dollars to his home country. Peter Biar Ajak was charged with conspiring to purchase and illegally export fully automatic rifles, grenade launchers, Stinger missile systems, hand grenades, and sniper rifles. South Sudan is subject to an UN arms embargo due to violence between armed groups. He was arrested alongside a fellow activist, Abraham Chol Keech. The charges against Keech and Ajak include fraud by ordering up to $4 million worth of weapons and creating a “fake contract” in the same amount for “consulting services.” These services related to “human rights, humanitarian, and civil engagement inside South Sudan refugee camps.” Ajak, a 44 year-old, is well known in Africa circles in Washington D.C. as an exiled South Sudanese opposition leader and purported peace activist. A former World Bank economist and fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, he was granted refugee status in the United States last year. According to charges filed Feb. 29 by the Justice Department, Keech began shopping for weapons to bolster the South Sudanese opposition in September of 2021, and he and Ajak began talks in earnest in February of 2023 with arms dealers who turned out to be federal agents.
Top UN official calls for greater political investment as polls loom
With only nine months remaining before the polls in December, South Sudan is not ready to hold elections and a lot more needs to be done, the head of UN peace operations said on Tuesday. Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council, Jean-Pierre Lacroix said that if the parties display greater political will and invest adequate resources, credible elections can still take place before the end of the transition period…During his briefing, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix highlighted that the peace agreement remains the “only viable framework” to achieve peace and stability in South Sudan. In that context, he stressed the that was “imperative” to harmonize the UN position on key political issues with those of the east African regional development bloc IGAD and the African Union (AU).
SUDAN
UN Security Council considering call for Ramadan truce in Sudan
The United Nations Security Council is considering calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities ahead of Ramadan in the nearly year-long war between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, diplomats said. The 15-member council is negotiating a British-drafted resolution that diplomats said could be put to a vote on Friday. The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins early next week. The draft resolution also “calls for all parties to ensure the removal of any obstructions and enable full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access, including cross-border and crossline, and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” according to the text seen by media.
Western Africa
SAHEL REGION
Military-led Sahel states to form joint force to fight insurgents
Military-led Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have agreed to set up a joint force to tackle security threats across their territories, Niger’s armed forces chief Moussa Salaou Barmou said on Wednesday after a meeting with his counterparts…In a televised statement, Barmou said the new task force would be “operational as soon as possible to meet the security challenges,” but did not give further details on the size or remit of the force. Violence in the region fuelled by the decade-long fight with Islamist groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State has worsened since the three countries’ militaries seized power in a series of coups from 2020 to 2023. It hit a high in 2023, with conflict fatalities in the central Sahel rising by 38% compared with the previous year, according to U.S.-based crisis-monitoring group ACLED, citing reports of over 8,000 people killed in Burkina Faso alone last year.
GHANA
Despite ban, China bankrolls Rosewood logging in Northern Ghana
Ghana banned rosewood logging in 2019. Despite that, logging continues, driven by China’s insatiable appetite for the lumber and the substantial amounts of money Chinese logging companies spread around in some of Ghana’s poorest communities. As recently as 2021, Ghana exported more than $2 million worth of endangered rosewood logs to China. A Chinese logging interest in Ghana’s Yipala community operated until late 2021, according to experts who visited the site. In April 2023, investigators with GH Environment found illegal rosewood logging underway in Damongo, the capital of Ghana’s Savannah region. By some estimates, more than 6 million rosewood trees have been logged in Ghana since 2012, despite various bans that have been imposed since then. Rosewood grows in some of the country’s poorest areas, where more than two-thirds of the population live in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1 per day. Chinese logging companies pay local loggers up to $32 for every cubic meter of rosewood they harvest. Further along the supply chain, local merchants can earn up to $130 per cubic meter.
LIBERIA
Liberia’s lower house backs creation of war crimes court
Liberia’s lower house on Tuesday voted to establish a war crimes court, moving a step closer to bringing overdue justice for the victims of serious abuses committed during the West African country’s two civil wars. The two conflicts between 1989 and 2003 saw widespread atrocities including massacres, rape, and the use of child soldiers. A Truth and Reconciliation Committee later called for a special court to be set up to try those allegedly responsible, but no concrete action was taken. The latest resolution was proposed by newly inaugurated President Joseph Boakai and backed by 42 of 72 lawmakers. It now passes to the senate for a second vote at an unknown date. Once up and running, the court would operate in Liberia in line with international standards, with back-up from international institutions including the United Nations. It will also handle economic crimes. So far, the only significant convictions linked to the civil wars have been cases prosecuted abroad. These include the 2022 trial in France of former Liberian rebel commander Kunti Kamara and the 2021 Swiss trial of rebel commander Alieu Kosiah, who was found guilty of rape, killings and an act of cannibalism. Some in Liberia oppose the creation of the court, saying that it risks reopening old wounds and could undermine an existing amnesty law that helped end the fighting.
NIGERIA
The battle to halt spiraling currency crisis and rising food insecurity
Nigeria is battling to contain a historic currency crisis and soaring inflation, with the International Monetary Fund on Monday warning that almost one in 10 people are facing food insecurity. Inflation hit an annual 29.9% in January, driven by soaring food prices that have triggered a cost-of-living crisis in Africa’s largest economy. The naira currency, meanwhile, plunged to an all-time low of around 1,600 against the U.S. dollar in late February. The IMF noted in its report on the country that “With about 8 percent of Nigerians deemed food insecure, addressing rising food insecurity is the immediate policy priority.” However, it also welcomed Nigeria’s approval of an “effective and well-targeted social protection system” along with the government’s release of grains, seeds and fertilizers and introduction of dry-season farming. Mission staff noted recent improvements in government revenue collection and oil production as “encouraging,” along with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent decision to hike interest rates by 400 basis points to 22.75%, in a bid to contain inflation and ease pressure on the naira. This has triggered a slight strengthening of the currency in recent days.
Suspected Islamist militants abduct dozens in northern Nigeria
Dozens of people are feared to have been abducted by suspected Islamist insurgents in northeastern Nigeria this week, in one of the worst mass abductions to have taken place in the country since 2014, when the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls shocked the world. The abduction took place on Monday in the remote Gamboru area in the state of Borno, which borders Chad and Cameroon. One local official told the news agency that gunmen kidnapped at least 50 people at a camp for the internally displaced, ambushing victims as they collected firewood to cook or sell. Some local media outlets reported that as many as 300 people may have been taken hostage. While both Boko Haram and its rival, the ISIS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), are known to operate in the region, neither militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The insurgents’ more than decade-long war with Nigeria’s secular state has killed at least 35,000 people and displaced more than two million, while the United Nations says as many as 350,000 deaths have been directly or indirectly caused by the conflict.
Fighting among Boko Haram Splinters Rages On
Two years after the suicide of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, jihadist factions continue a battle for control of Nigeria’s north east. In this Q&A, Crisis Group assesses the situation and lays out what authorities should do in response.
SENEGAL
Government sets March 24 as the new date for the delayed presidential election
The Senegalese government has set March 24 as the new date for the country’s delayed presidential electio no n, its spokesperson said Wednesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, also announcing the dissolution of the government and appointment of a new prime minister…Prime Minister Amadou Ba, an election frontrunner who has been endorsed by the outgoing president, was replaced by Sidiki Kaba who was the interior minister. Wednesday’s announcement came as news broke that the Constitutional Council had rejected a proposal by civil, political and religious leaders that the election be held on June 2. Senegal’s election authority, which now has less than three weeks to prepare for the crucial vote, did not immediately issue any public statement on the new date. Sall already said he will step down by April 2 when his tenure is due to end but there had been concerns over who would take over from him if elections were not hold before then.
Who are the main candidates in Senegal’s presidential election?
For the first time in Senegal’s history, the incumbent president is not on the ballot. His hand-picked successor, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, who was relieved of his duties on Wednesday ahead of the campaigning, is among 19 candidates cleared by Senegal’s constitutional council to run. To avoid a runoff, a candidate must secure over 50% of the vote. Campaigning is likely to start in the coming days.
Southern Africa
NAMIBIA
Namibian communities affected by German genocide demand return of land
Namibian communities whose ancestors were massacred by German colonial forces and had their property seized more than a century ago are calling for fresh talks with Berlin to negotiate the return of ancestral land. Germany agreed in May 2021 to fund projects worth $1.2 billion over 30 years to make up for the property seizures and killings of thousands of Herero and Nama people by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908, after the tribes rebelled against German rule. Germany also apologised for its role in the slaughter, officially describing the massacre of some 65,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama people as genocide for the first time. But critics have said Germany should not have directed its apology to the Namibian state, which did not exist at the time of the genocide and had no mandate to speak to Berlin on behalf of traditional Herero and Nama authorities. The communities also argue that the issue of land ownership was not addressed in the 2021 joint declaration after German colonial forces took over ancestral land, which has not been returned. “Germany must come to the table, discuss with us, negotiate with Hereros and Namas, and together we agree on what is appropriate to repair the damage (caused),” Katjiua said. The joint declaration was subject to ratification by the Namibian parliament but the process that has been put on hold as the two governments discuss amending the joint declaration, according to Harald Hecht, chairman of the Forum of German-speaking Namibians.
SOUTH AFRICA
FM Pandor says use force to break Israel blockade on Gaza aid
Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor on Tuesday said that countries should use force to break Israel’s blockade on aid getting into Gaza. “Those powerful armed forces of the world should be instructed by their presidents or prime ministers that they will go to the Rafah border and their soldiers will escort all those trucks into Gaza and the West Bank. And since these are very close friends of Israel, surely they will be allowed safe passage. I can’t imagine them being fired upon by the Israeli forces,” said Pandor. In a case where South Africa accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a series of provisional orders on civilian protection and deliveries of humanitarian assistance which have been ignored by TelAviv. More than 576,000 people in Gaza – a quarter of the population – are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N. Israel has been accused of targeting aid deliveries in recent days, killing hundreds of desperate Palestinians.
ZAMBIA
How this Zambian writer makes her choices on languages, culture, and place
Zambian writer Mubanga Kalimamukwento was named this year’s winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize for her forthcoming debut collection of stories, Obligations to the Wounded, the first African to scoop the award…Semafor: How relevant was it to anchor the anthology on Zambian languages, culture, and place? Mubanga Kalimamukwento: Nothing prepared me for how much I would re-fall in love with my languages when I left Zambia a few years ago. It wasn’t a conscious decision; it’s just that when I am writing Zambian women, I think a lot about how they would talk depending on where they are. There are things I don’t ever say in English. They are only their true selves in their mother tongue. As for place and culture, well, I was born and raised in Zambia–the places and culture I write about are the ones I observed around me.
ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe condemns fresh ‘illegal and coercive’ US sanctions
Zimbabwe’s government has condemned fresh sanctions that the US imposed against the country’s president and senior officials on Monday. The US accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the others on its list of corruption and human rights abuses. A spokesperson for President Mnangagwa on Wednesday said the accusations were “defamatory” and a “gratuitous slander” against Zimbabwe’s leaders and people. The new sanctions replaced a broader programme introduced two decades ago. The deputy chief secretary in President Mnangagwa’s communications team George Charamba demanded that the US promptly lift the “illegal coercive measures. We condemn these malicious statements as completely uncalled for, defamatory, provocative, and a continuation of wanton hostilities against Zimbabwe by the US government,” he said in a statement. The fresh measures block assets held by President Mnangagwa and the sanctioned officials in the US and further bar them from unofficial travel there. Those on the list include First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri, senior security officials and businesspeople found to have facilitated state corruption.
North Africa
EGYPT
Explainer: How big are Egypt’s economic challenges?
Egypt has agreed an expanded $8 billion support programme with the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday, letting its currency depreciate sharply and announcing that it would allow the exchange rate to be determined by market forces in a bid for economic stability. Ahead of the move, Egypt secured a $35 billion investment deal with Emirati sovereign fund ADQ for the development of a peninsula on its Mediterranean coast and other projects, easing a long-running foreign currency crunch. What caused Egypt’s economic woes? Some causes date back decades, such as failed industrial development due to poor planning and heavy bureaucracy, and export policies that created a persistent trade deficit. An over-valued currency, weak property rights and institutions, and an overbearing state and military have deterred investment and competition. A borrowing spree under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has left Egypt with heavy foreign debt. Foreign creditors have been shying away, pushing the Cairo government to borrow domestically even as interest rates surge, spawning bigger deficits.
Central Africa
CHAD
Chad’s opposition under siege before elections
A crackdown on opposition leaders and activists in Chad is intensifying, casting a shadow over the country’s upcoming elections. President Mahamat Deby’s political opponents have been targeted by security forces. The killing of Chad’s opposition presidential candidate Yaya Dillo, came as a shock to rights activists and critics of interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. Dillo — a cousin of Mahamat Deby — was killed under circumstances not fully disclosed when security forces attacked the headquarters of his Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF) in Chad’s capital city of N’djamena last Wednesday. “I’m devastated,” Max Loalngar, exiled leader of the Chadian Human Rights League LTDH, said the following day. “This death is the death of all of us democrats, all of us who fight for human rights, Loalngar said. “They’re sounding the death knell for Yaya Dillo today. It could be mine or someone else’s under these circumstances in this country.” A statement on the website of the presidency purports that Dillo and his entourage, termed “assailants,” used “heavy artillery” inside the party premises, allegedly forcing the security forces that came to apprehend them to defend themselves. The escalation comes as Chadians prepare to vote on May 6 to end three years of transition following the death of former President Idriss Deby in April 2021. Yaya Dillo was expected to run for president against interim President Mahamat Deby, son of the late president. “Quite clearly, this was a political assassination,” said Chadian lawyer and political scientist Baidessou Soukolgue. It happened exactly three years after Dillo’s home was attacked and his mother killed.
AFRICA – GENERAL NEWS
African airlines mark fourth safe year in 2023
African airlines recorded one of their safest years during 2023, registering no fatal accident for the fourth year in a row. According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata) aviation safety review for 2023, which was released this week, African airlines have not suffered a single passenger jet aircraft losses or fatal accidents since 2020. Last year was also the fifth instance of Africa reporting zero fatal accidents involving turboprop aircraft in the past nine years. Aviation places its highest priority on safety and that shows in the 2023 performance. Jet operations saw no hull losses or fatalities. Last year also saw the lowest fatality risk and ‘all accident’ rate on record.
Erik Prince Calls for U.S. to Colonize Africa and Latin America
Last November, Erik Prince, the founder of the US mercenary group, Blackwater, started a podcast called “Off Leash,” which in its promotional copy says he “brings a unique and invaluable perspective to today’s increasingly volatile world.” On an episode last Tuesday, his unique and invaluable perspective turned out to be that the U.S. should “put the imperial hat back on” and take over and directly run huge swaths of the globe. Here’s are Prince’s exact words: “If so many of these countries around the world are incapable of governing themselves, it’s time for us to just put the imperial hat back on, to say, we’re going to govern those countries … ’cause enough is enough, we’re done being invaded. …You can say that about pretty much all of Africa, they’re incapable of governing themselves.” This was the rationale for Britain’s white man’s burden, France’s mission civilisatrice, Spain’s misión civilizadora, Portugal’s missão civilizadora, and even imperial Japan’s Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which aimed to conquer every nearby country for the benefit of all. Imperialists have always told themselves that they are subduing other lands to help their benighted inhabitants. This beneficence somehow always leads to mass death.
U.S. Investments Fuel African Music’s Dominance
Universal Music Group announced last week that it would purchase a majority stake in Mavin Global, the record label behind the viral hit “Calm Down” by Nigerian artist Rema. The track is the most successful song of all time by an African artist both in numbers of plays and views, having racked up more than 1 billion streams on Spotify, becoming the most watched music video by an African artist on YouTube, and reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 100 last year for a record 57 weeks. Afrobeats songs were streamed more than 13 billion times on Spotify in 2022, a nearly 500 percent increase from 2017. Africa has the world’s fastest-growing music market, but the potential of the continent’s creative export is still hugely undervalued. A lack of internet connection has impeded the growth of the creative economy. About 600 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa alone, or 4 in 10, lack electricity. Although slow to acknowledge the rise of African music, the support of U.S. firms could cement the African music industry’s global dominance for years to come. Sony and Warner Music have set up shop in Nigeria and South Africa—signing up Tyla, Burna Boy, and fellow Nigerian star Davido. Warner Music in 2022 acquired Africori, one of Africa’s leading digital music distributors, whose clients include South Africa’s Master KG, the artist behind 2020 global hit “Jerusalema.” In August 2023, Gamma, a music label partly backed by Apple, opened its African office in Lagos. “We’re going straight to the source,” Sipho Dlamini, a Gamma executive told the New York Times. Dlamini previously headed Universal’s South African subsidiary.
Africa Elections 2024: All the upcoming votes
A regularly updated list and interactive map of the upcoming elections in Africa in 2024
GOOD NEWS AFRICA
How Burkina Faso builds schools that stay cool in 40C heat
If architects are people who like to think their way around challenges, building schools in Burkina Faso must be the dream job. The challenges, after all, are legion: scorching temperatures in the high seasons, limited funds, materials, electricity and water, and clients who are vulnerable and young. How do you keep a building cool under a baking sun when there is no air conditioning? Architect Diébédo Francis Kéré grew up in the small village of Gando and knows the challenges well. He and other architects such as Albert Faus are finding ingenious ways to use cheap materials to make sure that the schools and orphanages that they have built around Burkina Faso are cool, welcoming places. Kéré, who won the Pritzker prize in 2022, has spoken movingly about the support he was given as a child by the whole community, with everyone giving money towards his education as he left the village and eventually gained a scholarship and studied in Germany. “The reason I do what I do is my community,” he said. Gando primary school, built in 2001, was Kéré’s first construction…the Noomdo orphanage was another of his projects. Nearby, the Bangre Veenem school complex designed by Faus in the village of Youlou uses similarly ingenious ways to cool the building. Only 22.5% of Burkina’s population had access to electricity, according to data from the African Development Bank. Students can come at night to study and charge their phones because there is light thanks to solar panels.
The architects who got Ghana back in the groove
When the African country gained independence, its architecture exploded as the race to create a new identity began. Kwame Nkrumah, who became the first prime minister of Ghana in 1957, saw architecture as a way to forge the identity of his fledgling nation, as well as the wider continent, which he imagined would one day become a United States of Africa (with himself as president). As his minister of works put it, the new architecture would “serve as a beacon of hope for the oppressed peoples of Africa, and symbolise their faith in the ultimate achievement of their dreams”. Nkrumah summoned a number of Ghanaian architects back from America. He commissioned Victor Adegbite to design Black Star Square, a parade ground built in Accra on former colonial playing fields, all pomp and grandiosity. At one end, framing the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Guinea, stands the Independence Arch… The arch symbolised the opposite of a “door of no return”, the castle gateways through which slaves were forced to leave the country. This, instead, would be a “door of return”, designed to encourage the black diaspora, uprooted by the transatlantic slave trade, to return and help liberate and rebuild Africa.
After 40 years, development finally starts on West Africa oilfield
Perenco Rio del Rey, one of Perenco’s Cameroon subsidiaries, has started a five well development drilling campaign on the Kita Eden field, in the northern section of the Rio del Rey Basin, offshore Cameroon. As a result of its challenging shallow waters, 4 meters deep, and strong currents, no drilling has taken place in this field since 1984. However, Perenco and its services subsidiary, Dixstone, have successfully designed and built a shallow water barge specifically for the campaign. The barge will complement Dixstone’s LUG platform, which over the past five years has delivered in excess of 16 million barrels of oil in Cameroon.
Generosity of strangers stuns struggling mother
Shamsiyya Abubakar had begun to lose hope – Nigeria’s grave economic downturn meant she was scrambling each day to feed her family of nine. The 32-year-old had resorted to cooking afafata – the rice grain millers normally throw away at the end of the sorting process because it is too tough. Ms Abubakar, mother to a newborn baby, said that her struggles had taken her mind to dark places. “Sometimes I say to myself: ‘Instead of living like this, wouldn’t it be better to be dead?’” she said in the Hausa language interview, which was widely shared in Nigeria. But since it was published on Tuesday, strangers have been filing in and out of her house with offers of food and money. This unexpected response has “changed her life”, she said, adding “I have never seen such huge amounts of money in my life… I am really grateful. Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, which has led to widespread hardship and anger. Ms Abubakar feels that thanks to the kindness of strangers, she can now look forward to the future. She wants to start a business with some of the food she has received.
How luxury African fashion has wowed Europe’s catwalks
Having personally witnessed the lack of Xhosa-inspired high-end clothing companies, Laduma Ngxokolo began to develop MaXhosa Africa – a designer brand dominated by knitwear and colourful Xhosa patterns. Since then, MaXhosa has been endorsed by Beyoncé, worn by US musician Alicia Keys, featured in Vogue and will be presenting a new collection at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday. And Ngxokolo’s not alone – in recent years several African luxury designers have burst onto the global fashion scene. 3 South Africans – Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Sindiso Khumalo – have bagged the prestigious LVMH Prize for emerging talent. Alongside MaXhosa, brands from Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon have been launching new collections at the industry’s “big four” fashion weeks – Paris, Milan, London and New York. After his show in Paris, ballet dancer-turned-designer Imane Ayissi said “there’s been a “noticeable increase” in African showing at Europe’s fashion weeks. “Six years ago, there were no designers from Africa in official Western fashion weeks,” he says.
African animated sci-fi series honoured with multiple awards
The South Africa/ Ireland-based animation studio, Triggerfish, which produced Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, a Disney+ Original ten-part sci-fi collection of premium original films, has bagged a number of honours, marking a significant triumph for African animation in the highly competitive motion picture industry. The ground-breaking sci-fi series clinched the prestigious Annie Award for Best Limited Series (TV/Media) at the ceremony in Los Angeles, US on February 17, 2024. It also scooped the Kidscreen Award for Best Animated Series (Tweens/Teens) in San Diego, earlier this month. These accolades recognise the creativity and storytelling expertise at Triggerfish. The action-packed animated sci-fi series presents futuristic visions from Africa inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures and has been enchanting audiences worldwide with its compelling narrative, vibrant imagery, and original characters since its release in July 2023. Helmed by a group of 14 directors from across the continent — including Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe — the series was brought to life with authenticity and passion. The star-studded voice cast delivered captivating performances, breathing life into the characters and enhancing the storytelling experience.The winning series episode Enkai, directed by Kenyan Ng’endo Mukii and produced by Blink Industries, is a striking cosmic, end-of-the-world, high-stakes fantasy. It was also selected as a finalist for Prix Jeunesse International in the 7-10 Years Fiction category.
African airlines mark fourth safe year in 2023
African airlines recorded one of their safest years during 2023, registering no fatal accident for the fourth year in a row.
According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata) aviation safety review for 2023, which was released this week, African airlines have not suffered a single passenger jet aircraft losses or fatal accidents since 2020. Last year was also the fifth instance of Africa reporting zero fatal accidents involving turboprop aircraft in the past nine years. Aviation places its highest priority on safety and that shows in the 2023 performance. Jet operations saw no hull losses or fatalities. Last year also saw the lowest fatality risk and ‘all accident’ rate on record.
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr – the tree-planting mayor of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has made a name for herself as a tree-planting mayor of a West African city on the brink of a climate emergency. The 56-year-old is also the first directly elected female mayor of Freetown – and the first person to be re-elected since it became a position voted for by the residents of Sierra Leone’s capital city two decades ago…After several decades working in finance in London, what has shocked her more than anything about her return home has been the obsession about her capabilities as a woman. “There was no interview I had when I wasn’t asked: ‘So do you think you can do this job as a woman?’” says Ms Aki-Sawyerr. When the Ebola outbreak reached Sierra Leone in 2014, Ms Aki-Sawyerr decided to travel back for a three-month stint as a volunteer – for which she was appointed an OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Ten years later she is still there. Ms Aki-Sawyerr decided to make the environment her focus after her election in 2018. Like many cities along the West African coast, Freetown is vulnerable to flooding, coastal erosion and extreme heat. Funded by tokens sold on private and carbon markets, city residents are paid to plant and monitor trees and mangroves. The project was a finalist for last year’s Earthshot Prize, which is backed by Prince William to support those working to provide innovative solutions for environmental issues. Ms Aki-Sawyerr has won plenty of international plaudits for her climate work. In 2021, she was named in Time magazine’s TIME100 Next list of “emerging leaders who are shaping the future” for her efforts to clean up Freetown’s streets, fix its drainage systems and plant trees.
A Kenyan start-up turns plastic waste into solar-powered freezers
A Kenyan company is proving the saying: “one person’s waste is another person’s treasure,” still rings true. On a February morning, a group of women on a Mombasa beach pick up plastic waste that will serve to build freezers. The waste is sold to company Kuza Freezer where employees first break it down into pellets before moulding it into cold storage units. Each freezer comes with a battery that can be charged using a solar panel. A two-hour charge means up to 7 hours of operating time. “Kuza Freezer is a youth-led company based in Mombasa, Kenya. And we are focused on providing cold storage solutions to small-scale businesses in the fish value chain and enabling them to sustainably improve their income and reduce post-harvest losses,” says Purity Gakuo, CEO Kuza Freezer. Kuza Freezers has been running for three years and has delivered more than 350 machines to customers, including fish traders, poultry and milk vendors and ice salespeople. Gakuo explains there are a variety of products being produced, from static freezers onboard fishing boats to ones that can be installed on a premises. The team also produces a freezer that can be mounted to the back of a motorbike with a 70-litre capacity. It’s especially helpful for the smooth delivery of fish.The company offers free installation and training to customers.
Zimbabwe is set to host the 15th meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention
#COP15 in Victoria Falls from 23 to 31 July 2025. This marks the second time the COP will be hosted in Africa, the last being COP9 that took place in Kampala, Uganda in 2005.” @RamsarConv
Planned Transnational Highway would Connect 5 African nations
West African nations are pushing for the construction of a major highway network connecting five countries from the Ivory Coast to Nigeria. The African Development Bank says the project will be an economic engine for all the countries involved.
Algeria: Africa’s biggest mosque
Algeria has built one of the largest mosques the world has ever seen. It can accommodate a staggering 120,000 people inside and its minaret is nearly twice the height of the Pyramid of Giza. The mega-project also has a library, a university, and a training centre.
South Africa: Killer whale vs shark
A solo orca attacked and ate a great white shark. Scientists said it was “unprecedented”…
Neil deGrasse Tyson: How Africa will run the world (& best the USA).
In this video American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Mr. Neil deGrasse Tyson makes his revelations about the future of Africa.
In Ghana, Photojournalist Inspires Deaf Students to Explore Visual Storytelling
For students with a disability, career options can appear limited. But in Ghana, one journalist is using photojournalism to encourage students at a deaf school to broaden their horizons.
Nairobi has just been voted the best city to visit in Africa by Lonely Planet
How to make a living with the dead?
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The US Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa
US Christian right has taken aim at LGBTIQ+ rights, sex education and abortion in Africa according to a new book by Haley McEwen
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AFRICA – ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL/OPINION
AFRICA
Russia’s Africa Corps – more than old wine in a new bottle
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The Remarkable Decline in the Global North’s Leadership
I was the first African to receive the Goethe Medal. I just gave it back
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Drones are not a panacea for Africa’s healthcare problems, but offer great opportunities
Francophone Africa can benefit from geopolitical competition
*Why Aren’t Africans Dying?*
CAMEROON
Organised criminals make Douala their gateway to global markets
*Northern Cameroon is losing the battle against arms trafficking*
DRCONGO
How two dictators shaped the DRC’s art, architecture and monuments
What’s needed to prevent a regional war
ETHOPIA/SOMALILAND
The Stakes in the Ethiopia-Somaliland Deal: Q&A with The Crisis Group
ETHOPIA
Ethiopia’s draft transitional justice policy: 10 key observations
Go to the Gulf: Is Ethiopia “sacrificing its youth” to balance the economy?
GHANA
Ghana’s new anti-homosexuality bill violates everyone’s rights, not just LGBTIQ+ people
African Games 2024: is it really worth it for Ghana to host the mega sport event?
KENYA
Examining the Complexities: Kenya, Israel, and the Gaza Genocide
Article One Movement: Kenyans Uniting for Land, Freedom, and Justice
Kenya’s Tax Incentives: For Whom and at What Cost?
MAYOTTE
France plans to terminate Mayotte’s ‘droit du sol’
MAURITANIA
A Journey with Cheddad into Mauritanian Revolutionary Activism
NIGERIA/CAMEROON
Nigeria’s security problems deepen as Anglophone insurgency in Cameroon spills across border
NIGERIA
Nigeria and Gandhi’s Seven Sins
Currency devaluation: Nigeria’s experience and lessons for Africa’s economic emancipation
Tinubu has rare chance to break Nigeria’s corruption ring but is he ready to pay the price?
RWANDA
Taking stock of the legacy of ICTR
SOMALIA
Somalia-Türkiye maritime security partnership faces stormy waters
SOUTH AFRICA
Report lays bare shame of all that is dysfunctional at Eskom
Big companies, like Nestlé, are funding health research in South Africa – why this is wrong
South Africa may have to choose between African solidarity and support for Western Sahara
Business students want their own industry superheroes and success stories in the syllabus
SOUTH SUDAN
Crisis in Abyei: South Sudan must act and stop violence between Dinka groups
SUDAN
Will the historical allies of Sudan’s Islamist regime rescue Burhan’s army?
TANZANIA
Serengeti migration: fire and rain affect how zebras, wildebeest and gazelles make the journey
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