This Week in Africa
January 10, 2025
Check out our 18 books to read from 2024, as well as 11 books about urban Africa. Here is the week in Africa:
Quote of the week
“The R.S.F. and allied militias have systematically murdered men and boys — even infants — on an ethnic basis, and deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of brutal sexual violence.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Mozambique’s political crisis
Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane returned from exile this week, as security forces fired tear gas at his supporters. The situation remains tense. The fifth opposition leader was killed last week. USIP outlines what the US can do to help end Mozambique’s political crisis.
Sudan’s civil war
The US accuses the RSF of Genocide and sanctions its leader. Will Joe Biden’s last push to end the Sudan war be enough?
The civil war has contributed to the largest displacement crisis in the world. The country faces erasure, again. The war fuels a new regional conflict economy.
DR Congo’s violence
Peace in the eastern DR Congo remains as elusive as ever. Medical facilities are overstretched. Paul Kagame urges DR Congo to negotiate with M23 rebels. The UN warns that M23 plans to occupy the mineral-rich region of the country.
Ghana’s new government
John Mahama was inaugurated this week. He faces severe economic challenges, but claims that he will be able to overcome them. The new Finance Minister seeks more funding from the IMF. Albert Bagbin returns to his post as Speaker of Parliament. Lloyd Adu Amoah outlines the challenges ahead. Will Mahama meet voters’ high expectations? Here’s a look at how prominent figures dressed for his inauguration.
Governing Kenya
Kenya released five missing youths and promised to end abductions. But even the cartoonists aren’t safe.
Africa in 2025
Geopolitics, climate change, and the energy transition will shape Africa in 2025. Moody’s says that African economies are well-placed for a strong 2025. This is what to expect at the UN in 2025. The Africa Brief provides these trends to watch this year.
Make sure you are reading Ken Opalo’s Substack. In his 2025 projections, he emphasizes Post-COVID growth, conflict in the Horn, the unwinding of Françafrique, and the importance of elections in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire.
Trump 2.0
Trump is expected to tap Joe Foltz to lead the Africa desk at the National Security Council. Somalia hires lobbyists to prepare for a more combative Trump era.
Struggle for rights and freedom
Cote d’Ivoire’s Alassane Ouattara is mulling a fourth term. Guinea’s junta faces protests after missing a deadline to return to democracy. Macron accuses African countries of not being grateful for military support to fight Jihadism, and Senegal and Chad are outraged. Migrants from Zimbabwe jump the border into South Africa with ease. Isaac Samuel on the pre-Islamic civilizations of west Africa.
Watch: “Disciples: The cult of TB Joshua.”
Africa’s rapid urbanization
A note on road safety in Kampala. Electricity tariffs are pushing a Lagos community to the brink. A fire destroyed Accra’s second-hand clothes market. This is how the fire could impact sustainable fashion. Authorities are now rebuilding Kantamanto Market.
Nanjala Nyabola explains “how to economy in Nairobi.” Submit to the new journal Urban Political Ecology. On the unending corridor. Benjamin Bradlow discusses how to build an African city on the Our Long Walk podcast. This is a great article on reframing development politics. What’s next for cities? What is the outlook for smart cities? And decoding demographics.
Research corner
This article calls for a more inclusive diaspora policy orientation in Africa. Check out this cool handbook on Malawi’s economy. This article outlines the changing fortunes of legitimacy in Angola. Read it: Michael Albertus’ Land Power: Who has it, Who doesn’t, and How that determines the fate of societies.
The week in development
The economic gap between Africa and the rest of the world is growing. The continent is undergoing social change without economic transformation. Industrialization remains a pressing developmental challenge.
BRICS has growing clout in the world. The increase in the price of gold has contributed to the rise of artisanal mining in Ghana. The world’s number one cobalt miner notched a production record in 2024. African migrants are thriving in the US. This is cool: Unraveling West African livestock trader networks.
Ethiopia’s economic prospects
Ethiopia is flexing its economic muscles. It gets a new stock market as it tries to woo investors. It launches ambitious irrigation projects to transform lowlands and strengthen food security, and is building Africa’s largest airport. Blen Telayneh examines the lived experiences of women workers at an apparel export factory. Ken Opalo urges us to pay attention to economic developments, but also political tensions outside Addis Ababa. Learn more about Ethiopia’s strategic role in the Horn.
Africa and the environment
Rose Mutiso asks: Should poor countries quit the COP process? Illegal gold mining forces Ghana to close a water treatment plant. The FAO delivers training to strengthen climate monitoring. Botswana prioritizes adaptation in new climate plan. South Africa maps an ambitious G20 agenda. This article examines climate change impacts in ten African mountain regions. And this is why coffee prices are soaring.
Daily life
Uganda’s rolex is a national treasure. Lagos has become the continent’s hottest winter party destinations. Christmas Eve in Ethiopia. Thandiswa Mazwai is the voice of South Africa’s post-Apartheid generation. Beware, venomous snakes. The most anticipated books of 2025. The Benin National Parliament is on the list of architecture projects to look for in 2025.
And Angola, Benin City, and Kilifi make NY Times’ 52 places to visit in 2025.
All the best,
Jeff and Phil