insert_link Africa Niger’s Junta Agrees to Talks with Benin to Restore Relations Post-Coup Niger's junta has agreed to discussions with Benin's government, facilitated by former Benin presidents Thomas Boni Yayi and Nicephore Soglo, to restore relations following last year's coup. The coup had led to the closure of the border and the shutdown of a China-backed oil pipeline. This decision came after a meeting between Niger's military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani and the former presidents on June 24, as announced by Niger's government […] todayJuly 4, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Kenyan Activists Rethink Strategy Amid Violence in Anti-Government Protests Activists leading Kenya's anti-government protests are re-evaluating their approach after Tuesday's demonstrations were disrupted by violence and looting, which they fear could undermine their efforts to push President William Ruto to resign as reported by Reuters. The activists attribute the violence to "goons" allegedly hired by politicians to discredit the protests or pursue personal agendas. Some activists have called on social media to cancel the next planned demonstration on Thursday. todayJuly 4, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Sierra Leone bans child marriage with new law Sierra Leone has brought in a new law banning child marriage with much fanfare at a ceremony organised by First Lady Fatima Bio in the capital, Freetown. The BBC reports that invited guests, including first ladies from Namibia and Cape Verde, watched as her husband President Julius Maada Bio signed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act into law. Anybody now involved in the marriage of a girl aged under the […] todayJuly 3, 2024 10
insert_link Africa Tunisia sets date for Presidential election Tunisia is set to hold presidential elections on Oct. 6, a vote that may prove a litmus test for democracy in the North African country whose populist leader has seized sweeping powers and cracked down on dissent. The state-run TAP news agency reports that President Kais Saied issued an order Tuesday setting the date, with the election commission due to convene later this week to approve a calendar and rules for candidates. […] todayJuly 3, 2024 9
insert_link Africa Kenya police say over 270 arrested for criminal acts during Tuesday protests Kenyan police said they have arrested more than 270 people masquerading as protesters who are suspected of going on a criminal rampage during anti-government rallies on Tuesday. Widespread looting and property damage was reported during the youth-led demonstrations in various cities across the country, which some protesters said had been infiltrated by "goons". "Security forces across the country singled out suspects found engaging in criminal activities in […] todayJuly 3, 2024 30
insert_link Africa South Africa’s new agricultural leadership should focus on getting things done, not designing new policies By Wandile Sihlobo, Stellenbosch University South Africa’s primary agriculture sector accounts for nearly 3% of GDP and about 8% when considering the value of agro-processing. But it can contribute even more to economic growth that delivers benefits fairly across society and creates jobs. This can’t happen, however, if new policies and plans keep getting introduced. Fortunately, the views of the new agricultural minister, John Steenhuisen, may […] todayJuly 3, 2024 29
insert_link Africa The Road to the Country: novelist Chigozie Obioma on Nigeria’s brutal civil war, love and redemption By Chigozie Obioma, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chigozie Obioma is the Nigerian author of the novels The Fishermen (2015) and An Orchestra of Minorities (2019), both shortlisted for the Booker Prize for their unique, folkloric tales of Nigerian life in decades past. Like them, his 2024 novel The Road to the Country is “tinged with fable and prophecy”. It’s set in the brutal Nigerian Civil […] todayJuly 3, 2024 21
insert_link Africa The IMF is failing countries like Kenya: why, and what can be done about it By Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria The recent Kenyan protests are a warning that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is failing. The public does not think it is helping its member countries manage their economic and financial problems, which are being exacerbated by a rapidly changing global political economy. To be sure, the IMF is not the only cause of Kenya’s problems with raising […] todayJuly 3, 2024 9
insert_link Africa Riot Police Clash with Protesters in Widespread Unrest Across Kenya Reuters reports that riot police fired tear gas and charged at stone-throwing protesters in downtown Nairobi and across Kenya on Tuesday, marking the most widespread unrest since at least two dozen protesters were killed in clashes a week ago. The nationwide demonstrations indicate that President William Ruto has failed to quell a spontaneous youth protest movement, despite abandoning plans for tax increases that triggered last week's unrest. todayJuly 3, 2024 10