This Week in Africa
January 17, 2025
Quote of the week
“I am sure that the reason for abduction was to get access to my social media and [because of] the whistleblowing job that I do.” – Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai after being kidnapped in Kenya
Ghana’s new administration
Ghana will investigate the $400 million National Cathedral project amid its economic crisis. Its new finance minister said it must do more to cut spending. John Mahama reduced the number of ministries from 30 to 23. He is well-placed to tackle regional security problems.
Inauguration in Mozambique
Daniel Chapo was sworn in during a low-key ceremony this week. Mozambique’s inauguration brought more tension to the country. Maputo was quiet. The new government might include members of the opposition.
Somali politics
For an excellent primer on Somali politics, read Alex Thurston’s conversation with Abdi Guled. Here’s what to expect from the new AU mission in Somalia. Ken Opalo argues that international recognition for Somaliland should be conditioned on concrete economic and political reforms.
Opposition in Tanzania
Prominent Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai was abducted in Kenya by armed men but has since been freed. Tanzanian rapper Nay Wa Mitego continues to critique the government despite being banned, jailed, and threatened. Will this behaviour continue in the lead up to Tanzania’s elections?
Sudan’s civil war
US sanctions Sudan army chief Burhan over civilian deaths. Sudan’s security forces recaptured key city Wad Madani from the RSF. What lies ahead for Sudan’s war?
Land and politics
These are the tactics the Tanzanian government uses to displace the Maasai from their ancestral land. Land Power argues that land is at the heart of societal progress and inequality. Thelma Arko examines carbon markets and the new scramble for African land. Read Michael Albertus and Kathleen Klaus’ Annual Review essay “Land and Politics.”
Challenges of democratization
Can autocracy handle climate change? Can deliberation have lasting effects? Alexander Noyes outlines the pitfalls of power sharing. Africa holds several important elections in 2025, including in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire.
Trump 2.0
Experts outline the challenges and opportunities for the Trump administration in Africa. Learn more about Trump’s pick to lead Africa policy.
Struggle for rights and freedom
Cameroon’s Anglophone leaders seek revolution from behind bars. Sahel’s juntas seek control of its critical minerals. This piece examines women’s leadership and think tanks in central Africa. Justine Davis and Megan Turnbull explain how young people continue to participate in politics despite election violence. This piece examines the high number of abductions in Kenya.
More on the Franc Zone.
Africa’s rapid urbanization
Kampala’s garbage dump. A fire in an Accra market devastates garment traders. This project offers nature-based solutions to build sustainable cities. Towards a sustainable Algiers. Ethiopia is installing charging stations across the country. Maya Misikir asks: Where are they taking the homeless of Addis?
Research corner
Check out this great volume: Governance and Local Development in the MENA. Richard Clark examines global economic governance in Cooperative Complexity. Read it: Lesley Nicole Braun’s Congo’s Dancers: Women and Work in Kinshasa. Dineo Skosana’s No Last Place to Rest: Coal Mining and Dispossession in South Africa looks great. Mohamed Kheir Omer’s Eritrea’s Liberation Journey: 1969 To 1981 and Beyond is out.
Tim Glawion’s article examines intervention in the Central African Republic—and beyond. Learn more about stool land privatization in Ghana. Derefe Kimarley Chevannes offers Africana political theory as decolonial critique.
These are ten African scholars to watch in 2025.
The week in development
This is how Rwanda accelerated its electricity access. Jakkie Cilliers argues that Africa must tackle inequality, governance gaps and environmental challenges to unlock its potential (as does every country in the world). This map visualizes the connections and infrastructures of Africa.
W. Gyude Moore warns of outsourcing Africa’s ambitions. Kwame Asamoah Kwarteng explains the hidden competition between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa sectors. African elites should align themselves with their countries’ needs. This piece examines the IMF’s legacy of structural violence in the global south. The Grand Renaissance Dam will be one of the ten largest dams in the world. Chris Ogunmodede offers ten trends to look out for in 2025.
Can Africans do economics? Does Africa need a capitalist revolution? How can Kenya achieve inclusive development? How much should we trust developing country GDP?
Africa and the environment
Heavy rainfall surges across Africa. The World Bank is now backing mega dams. African ministers meet in Uganda to shape 10-year food security and sustainability plan. The impact of illegal mining in Western Africa. A new study shows that Madagascar supports more unique plant life than any other island in the world.
Daily life
Ghana’s remarkable “Little Doctor.” RIP journalist Rasnah Warah. I loved this profile of the great Nnedi Okorafor.
All the best,
Jeff and Phil