This Week in Africa
October 28, 2022
We are having a great time at the “Urban Politics in the Global South” virtual conference. Join our GLD roundtable on Youth Engagement in the MENA. Apply to this postdoctoral fellowship at GLD for a project that combines satellite images and AI to measure poverty. Here is the week in Africa:
Quote of the week
“Growing evidence shows that gas exploitation in Africa will not bring long-term economic benefits to the continent. The only short-term winners will be European countries looking for alternative Russian gas supplies, as well as oil and gas transnational corporations looking to make huge profits.” – African People’s Climate Justice Declaration to African Governments
Ethiopia’s civil war
While the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, significant violence is escalating again in Ethiopia. Dehumanising hate speech is contributing to the violence. Ethiopia and Eritrean forces are advancing through the region. Eritrean forces extrajudicially killed at least 40 people in Sheraro. The AU has failed in its efforts to keep the peace. A South African delegation is now on its way for peace talks. The US has a role to play as well. Experts worry of Genocide. The UN issued this statement on the Prevention of Genocide. This podcast breaks down the challenges in the Horn.
Governing DR Congo
In the DR Congo, a Chinese mine dredges with impunity. The country is a battleground of a proxy war over precious resources. There is now renewed fighting between M23 and Congolese troops.
Struggle for rights and freedom
Senegal has a history of protests that is now reaching a turning point. Security forces kill at least 50 pro-democracy protesters in Chad. South Africa’s struggle songs against apartheid come from a long tradition of resistance. There is a crisis inside the NRM in Uganda. South African leader unveils anticorruption plan, but doubts follow. Sudan’s coup, one year on. Somalia ramps up attacks against Al Shabaab and asks the US for assistance.
What happened to two Indians who disappeared in Kenya? I am very excited about Kwesi Aning’s talk “The Resurgence of Coups d’état in West Africa.”
Economic challenges in Ghana
Ghana faces a tough austerity road ahead. A coalition of governing NPP MPs want the president to sack Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Africa’s rapid urbanization
Learn more about land-use in peri-urban Tamale, a secondary city in northern Ghana. Kampala could become the financial hub in east Africa. This looks great: “Just City in Africa: The Transformative Value of Urbanisation.” Check out the Sinking Cities project. Lagos confronts sea level rise. Make sure to read Howard French’s article about how coastal West Africa will shape the coming century.
RIP Mike Davis, a radical reporter with a novelist’s eye and historian’s memory. He chronicled the forces that shaped modern cities.
Research corner
Make sure to pick up a copy of Marie-Eve Desrosiers and Yolande Bouka’s Contestation en Afrique. This article examines racial capitalism and energy finance in Senegal. Digital technology played an interesting role in fighting COVID across the continent. Dominika Koter surveys the literature on Africa and ethnic politics. Check out this special issue “Policies for Inclusive Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Some great articles in the Ghana Journal of Development Studies. This is a cool article about German colonial road building in East Africa. Anja Osei and Daniel Wigmore-Shepherd examine personal power in Ghana, Togo, and Gabon.
And check out Democracy in Africa’s “Decolonizing the Academy Reading List.”
The week in development
Does Africa really need a Marshall Plan like Ilhan Omar says? Ndongo Sylla explains what a politics and economics of transformation would look like. COVID disrupted measles vaccinations in Africa and now cases are surging. WhatsApp is changing the lives of West Africans. Are borders the worst thing that’s happened to Africa?
The Penn Development Research Initiative (PDRI)/DevLab@Penn Visiting Fellowship for African Scholars is an excellent opportunity.
Africa and the environment
Gabon plans $700 million debt swap to fund marine conservation. African civil society activists prepare this statement about climate justice. Africa is central to the climate change conundrum. Nigeria is demanding wealthy nations pay up after record-breaking floods. Europe turns to Africa for natural gas.
There is no credible path to 1.5 degrees c. Global climate pledges are falling short. This is how nature can help Africa adapt to the climate crisis. Refugees flee conflict sparked by climate change in central Africa. Uganda-Tanzania oil pipeline sparks climate row. East Africa’s drought threatens millions with starvation. What is the UN Climate conference in Egypt and why is it important?
Daily life
Delicious Mombasa. I want this Gambian food in DC. Maafé from Yewande Komolafe. These are six of the best African films in 2022. Cycling through Kigali!
All the best,
Jeff and Phil