insert_link Africa Africa’s off-grid solar sector is electrifying global investors By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Africa’s off-grid solar sector continues to be a magnet for investment, with recent analysis from Africa: the Big Deal emphasizing its growing appeal to investors. Despite a general decline in start-up funding across the continent over the last two years, the industry remains a clear priority for both the social impact and regular investment community. According to Laura Fortes, the senior […] today22 August, 2024
insert_link Africa TikTok Announces Industry-First Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council TikTok is taking major steps to boost safety on its platform across Sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of its inaugural Safety Advisory Council and the expansion of its #SaferTogether community education campaign. By partnering with key stakeholders, including policymakers, members from academia, NGOs, and community leaders, TikTok aims to foster a collaborative approach to ensuring a secure and positive platform environment. This announcement was made at TikTok's Safety Summit […] today22 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Niger Resumes Oil Exports via Benin After Dispute Niger has restarted crude oil exports through Benin following a dispute that previously halted the flow via a Chinese-funded pipeline according to Reuters. The conflict arose from Niger's refusal to lift a ban on imports from Benin, leading to a block on exports through the PetroChina-backed pipeline in May. Niger had subsequently shut off the pipeline flow in June. today22 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Sahel Juntas Accuse Ukraine of Supporting Rebel Groups, Denounce Actions to UN Security Council The military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have lodged a complaint with the U.N. Security Council, accusing Ukraine of supporting rebel groups in the Sahel region, reports Reuters. This follows Mali's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine in early August, after comments from a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson about recent fighting in Mali's north, which resulted in the deaths of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner mercenaries. Niger's […] today22 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Sierra Leone’s women farmers use a custom called bora to access land – but it’s making them more vulnerable By Bankolay Theodore Turay, University of Lagos Bora – a type of thank you gift – is a Sierra Leonean custom of respect that is often used in relation to land. For instance, informal farmers pay bora to landowners to be able to farm on their land. But bora has changed over the years and is having a negative impact on women, who are responsible for much of […] today21 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Africa CDC Prepares for Mpox Vaccinations Across DRC and Other Nations The Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries could begin vaccinating against mpox within days, Africa's top public health agency announced on Tuesday to Reuters. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has been coordinating with affected countries on logistics and communication strategies to facilitate the rollout of vaccine doses, which are expected to arrive soon following pledges from the European Union, Bavarian Nordic, the United States, and […] today21 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Kenya’s Top Court Suspends Ruling on 2023 Finance Law Kenya's top court has suspended a lower court's ruling that declared the 2023 finance law unconstitutional. Reuters says, the court emphasized the need to maintain budgetary stability until the government's appeal is heard next month. The finance law is crucial for outlining the government's revenue-raising measures, including tax increases. today21 August, 2024
insert_link Africa How do people choose what food to buy? Answers depend on what you ask – so we built a research tool for African countries People buying and selling food at a farmers’ market in Chad’s capital city, N'Djamena. Issouf Sanogo/AFP By Nomzamo N. Dlamini, University of Pretoria You’re in a shop or market and you’re buying food for the next day. How do you choose what to buy? Does it depend on how much you can spend, on what’s the healthiest, the most attractively packaged? Understanding this is an important part of […] today20 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Uganda and the DRC conflict: the interests driving Kampala’s involvement By Kristof Titeca, University of Antwerp The ambiguous and often tumultuous relations between Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have made headlines in recent months. In a July 2024 report, the UN Group of Experts on the DRC stated that Ugandan army and intelligence officials were providing active support to the M23 rebel group. The group, which is active in eastern DRC, was first defeated in […] today20 August, 2024
