insert_link Africa IOC Young Leaders: Ouname Mhotsha is inspiring the next generation of sportswomen in Africa As one of the few girls growing up in the world of African golf, Ouname Mhotsha would have liked to have female peers and mentors through her early career. Now, thanks to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Young Leaders programme, Ouname is launching the Thanya Monana Projects, aiming to give young girls the opportunity and support needed to flourish in golf. Ouname grew up in Botswana in a sports-loving family who were […] today18 March, 2024
insert_link Africa 2024 Senegal election crisis points to deeper issues with Macky Sall and his preferred successor By Amy Niang, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa The botched attempt by Senegalese president Macky Sall to postpone the presidential election has stirred unnecessary tension in an already strained electoral process. The move reflected deeper governance problems in the country. Sall’s decree, subsequently annulled by the Constitutional Council, was the latest in a range of government interventions that exceeded the scope of […] today18 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Cameroon’s rebels may not achieve their goal of creating the Ambazonian state – but they’re still a threat to stability By Manu Lekunze, University of Aberdeen Cameroon’s separatist insurgency is an armed conflict in the country’s North West (NW) and South West (SW) regions that began in 2017. It pits government forces against several non-state armed groups, locally known as “Amba rebels”. The rebels seek to create a state called Ambazonia out of Cameroon’s English-speaking regions. The conflict has killed over 6,000 people and displaced 765,000. Over […] today18 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Undersea cables for Africa’s internet retrace history and leave digital gaps as they connect continents By Jess Auerbach Jahajeeah, University of Cape Town Large parts of west and central Africa, as well as some countries in the south of the continent, were left without internet services on 14 March because of failures on four of the fibre optic cables that run below the world’s oceans. Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Ghana, Burkina Faso and South Africa were among the worst affected. By midday […] today18 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Niger’s Junta Revokes Military Accord with US, Bans Presence of US Defense Personnel Niger's ruling junta, as announced by spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane, has revoked a military accord allowing military personnel and civilian staff from the U.S. Department of Defense on its soil with immediate effect. According to Reuters, this decision comes after a visit by U.S. officials, led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee and including General Michael Langley, commander of the U.S. Africa Command, earlier in the […] today18 March, 2024
insert_link Africa UN Aid Chief Warns of Catastrophic Hunger in Sudan United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths has cautioned the Security Council about the potential for nearly five million people in Sudan to face catastrophic hunger in the upcoming months. In a note seen by Reuters, Griffiths highlighted that acute levels of hunger are being fueled by various factors, including the severe impact of conflict on agricultural production, damage to infrastructure and livelihoods, disruptions to trade flows, significant price increases, obstacles […] today18 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger hint at a new west African currency: what it’ll take for it to succeed By Thierno Thioune, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar On 11 February 2024, the head of Niger’s ruling military junta, General Abdourahmane Tiani, spoke of the possible creation of a common currency with Burkina Faso and Mali. “The currency is a first step toward breaking free from the legacy of colonisation,” he said on national TV, referring to the CFA franc inherited from French colonisation. Burkina Faso, […] today15 March, 2024
insert_link Africa El Niño threatens Zimbabwe’s corn production Zimbabwe has warned that farmland planted with corn has shrunk by 12% because of scorching El Niño weather patterns, threatening the nation’s food staple and potentially triggering surging prices and social unrest. We contacted Eddie Cross an economist from Zimbabwe for his comment. today14 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Zimbabwe police rescue children from alleged cult farm Police in Zimbabwe say they have arrested the suspected leader of a religious cult in a village in northern Mashonaland West province and rescued dozens of women and children. The BBC reports that Ishmael Chokurongerwa, who leads the Gore Jena Penyeranyika sect was arrested alongside seven other senior members of the cult on Tuesday. Police said most of the 251 children found at farm in Nyabira, about 34km north-west of […] today14 March, 2024
