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.”
More on:
politics&human rights|peace&security|health|economy|ict
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
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