This Week in Africa

May 24, 2024

I had a great time at GLD’s annual conference. Here is the week in Africa:

Quote of the week

“In Joe Biden, Kenya and Africa have a strong friend.” – Kenya’s William Ruto

Kenya’s state visit

The US welcomed Kenyan president William Ruto for a state visit this week. Both countries need to confront mutual challenges. While Ruto faces disillusionment at home, the visit can reignite US-Africa relations. Ruto secured some key investments during his visit, including a $3.6 billion highway deal. Barack Obama was a surprise guest at the dinner. Watch the press conference with Biden and Ruto here.

Zuma banned from running in election

South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that Jacob Zuma is ineligible to run in this year’s election. Zuma lashed out at the court’s decision. Benjamin Fogel explains how South Africa is a useful case to understand how strong political systems can fail. Meanwhile, one third of South African voters are still undecided as the election nears.

Born of struggle.

Sudan’s civil war

Justice is key to sustainable peace in Darfur. Human Rights Watch documents the increasing atrocities in the region. Pay attention.

Attempted coup in the DR Congo

Authorities averted an attempted coup in the DR Congo this week. They arrested more than 50 people, including three Americans and a British citizen. Read this thread for helpful analysis, and listen to this podcast for more.

Violence in DR Congo

Violence threatens everyday peace in Goma. This piece analyzes the potential withdrawal of UN troops from eastern DR Congo. M.W. Muiru outlines some legitimate ways to help the country.

Recognizing Somaliland

Somaliland eyes Ethiopia’s recognition. Scott Pegg explains the Somaliland-Ethiopia Memorandum of Understanding that could reshape geopolitics in the region.

Migration and displacement

This is a must-read investigation into how Europe supports North African governments in pushing migrants to disastrous conditions in the desert. What’s next for EU policy on migration and development?

And read this: When a tale of migration is not just fiction.

Struggle for rights and freedom

This looks like a great event on intermediaries and governance in Africa. Malawi’s president drops charges against his deputy. Sanusi II is reinstated as Kano Emir. Can Southern African energy cooperation overcome its challenges? Has Tanzania become more democratic?

Joseph Asunka and Landry Signé’s report on measuring African perspectives on democracy and governance is great.

African international relations

Judd Devermont explains the profiling of African leaders’ meetings with US presidents. It is important to realize that African international relations is more than a US-China binary.

Africa’s rapid urbanization

The Charter Cities Institute and UN-Habitat will collaborate on the establishment of the Africa Urban Lab at the African School of Economics new Zanzibar Campus. Accra floods. Smith Ouma argues that Kenya’s flood evictions might violate the law. Nigerian president taps a key ally to build a $13 billion highway. Maya Misikir argues that authorities are erasing the complex history of Addis Ababa’s Piassa. This is a good discussion that compares flooding in Karachi and Nairobi informal settlements.

I am looking forward to this: Benjamin Bradlow’s Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg. This book explains how to harness urban innovation to unlock the sustainable development goals. Loren Landau examines governing diversity beyond city and state. Check out this critical analysis of the urban legend that is Africa’s largest e-waste site.

And this is cool: The Atlas of Sustainable City Transport.

Research corner

Check out the new Handbook of African Economic Development, which has a helpful chapter on informality. This book examines military coups and democratic relapse on the continent.

Learn more about the truth commissions in Tunisia, Kenya and Sierra Leone and how they are relevant sites for International Relations research. This is how the politics of peace operations shape military organizations. This is an interesting article on land tenure formalization in Ghana. This article examines herder-farmer conflicts in Nigeria and Sudan. Jeremy Speight analyzes elite coalitions and rebel control in northern Cote d’Ivoire.

The week in development

South Africa confronts its post-mining future. Ghana is back on track to seek approval from the IMF on Eurobond restructuring. Cote d’Ivoire edges past South Africa on African Ratings Scorecard. Learn more about the challenges of developing beach properties in Nigeria. Ghana plans to become Africa’s first blockchain-powered government. Google is building an undersea cable that connects Africa to Australia.

Mark Leon Goldberg explains why human development is flatlining. And watch this: Unlocking Africa’s Development Potential.

Africa and the environment

A new study predicts where malaria will breed in the future. Protecting Africa’s wetlands is key to combating biodiversity loss. These are five things to know about catastrophic flooding that hit East and the Horn of Africa. The “silent demise” of vast rangelands threatens climate, food, and well-being of billions. This is how an El Niño driven drought brought hunger to southern Africa.

Read this: government responses to climate change.

Daily life

RIP Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui, a mountaineer who died after attempting to climb Mount Everest without extra oxygen. Dutch and Cape-Verdean singer Nelson Freitas discusses the growth and popularity of African culture across the world.

All the best,

Jeff and Phil