AfricaFocus Bulletin

January 13, 2020  Russia/Africa: Upping Its Stake in Multi-Player Field
    The Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, Russia in late October 2019 prompted a flurry of news coverage, highlighting such headline figures as sales agreements amounting to more than $12 billion. But it was not clear how much this was a real sign of significant expansion of Russian influence or primarily a public relations gloss on more limited involvement. Among the more analytical articles covering the summit was a well-informed article by Joe Penney in Passblue on October 28, which noted that ”While many memorandums were signed, actual contracts were few and far between, inviting speculation as to whether the summit was more about power projection than real business.”

December 16, 2019  Africa/Global: Editor´s Commentaries, 2019
    Just before this year’s global climate summit opened in Madrid recently, researchers announced that emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels will hit a record high in 2019. Deeper and faster cuts are needed, beginning immediately and continuing over the next 10 years. The primary responsibility for cutting fossil fuel emissions falls to the developed countries that are historically the greatest contributors to the problem, as well as to countries with large populations such as China and India that are also now among the top in global emissions. Africa is the continent most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change, which are already being felt. But with a thriving off-grid solar market and hundreds of millions of people waiting for electricity, Africa also offers huge potential for contributing to solutions.

December 9, 2019  Africa: Continental Unity and Industrialization?
    “If it unfolds appropriately, the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) could facilitate the emergence of regional value chains that allow the continent as a whole to move to a higher level of value-added production. These would arise if its preferences facilitate the emergence of higher value-added productive activities in a number of countries producing components for an increasing range of “products of the African continent” supplied to consumers on the continent, as well as eventually also exported. ... This would of course depend not just on a tariff regime but on programmes addressing the other barriers identified in the development integration paradigm – inadequate infrastructure and more effective cooperation to promote industrial development.” – Rob Davies, former South African Minister of Trade and Industry, 2009-2019

November 25, 2019  USA/Africa: At Home in Maine
    “Safiya overcame so many obstacles, I can’t find the words to describe how much we’re proud of her. Internet trolls could not stop her, threats could not stop her. She’s the perspective the city needs. It’s a really big deal, a tremendous transformation for this city.” - Mo Khalid, speaking of his sister Safiya Khalid on her election to the Lewiston, Maine City Council on November 6, 2019

November 11, 2019  Tanzania: Human Rights Restrictions Mounting
    In a joint press release in late October, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch announced two separately researched reports concluding that “Tanzania’s repression of the media, human rights defenders, and opposition parties has intensified since 2015. … Both reports found that President John Magufuli’s government has adopted or enforced a raft of repressive laws that stifle independent journalism and severely restrict the activities of nongovernmental organizations and the political opposition.”

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AfricaFocus Archive: by date | by place | by topic

October 28, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Untapped Potential for Africa Climate Actions
October 9, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Targeting Corporate Shell Games
September 18, 2019  
    Horn of Africa: Interview with Kassahun Checole
September 12, 2019  
    South Africa: Xenophobia, Deep Roots, Today´s Crisis
September 12, 2019  
    South Africa: Spotlight on Gender-based Violence
August 12, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Tax Avoidance 101
August 12, 2019  
    Africa/Global: #MauritiusLeaks Reveals Tax Dodges
July 29, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Agribusiness vs. Agroecology
July 15, 2019  
    Africa/Global: New Horizon for Off-Grid Solar
July 2, 2019  
    Kenya/Global: Big Victory for #SaveLamu/#deCOALonize
June 19, 2019  
    AfricaFocus Updates: Sudan, Ebola, Mozambique
May 27, 2019  
    Africa/Global: World Bank Ramps Up Attack on Small Farmers
May 13, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Cutting the Costs on Remittances
April 30, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Fighting Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance
April 15, 2019  
    Africa/Global: Ebola Resurgence Tests Global Response
April 9, 2019  
    South Africa: Politicians Scapegoating Immigrants
April 9, 2019  
    Africa: Migration within the Continent
March 22, 2019  
    Southern Africa/Global: Cyclone Idai and Climate Justice
March 11, 2019  
    Sudan: Just Fall, That is All!
February 26, 2019  
    USA/Africa: From Wakanda to Reparations, Part 2
February 26, 2019  
    USA/Africa: From Wakanda to Reparations, Part 1
February 11, 2019  
    Nigeria: Many Candidates, Few Alternatives