This Week in Africa

October 11, 2024

Quote of the week

“In war, to dream of and yearn for a previous life is far beyond nostalgia. It is to long for a semblance of normalcy, safety, and community without the constant threat of violent disruption. This form of longing is not akin to reminiscing; it is instead an inherently coercive reminder of what has been irreparably altered or lost.” – Nibras Suliman reflects on Sudan’s war

Mozambique’s election

Mozambique’s ruling party is likely to win the presidential election despite deep disappointment. Mozambicans see government as failing on key economic issues.

Paul Biya’s health

Rumors swirl that Paul Biya is very sick, or has even died. Cameroonians are “formally prohibited” from discussing the president’s health. What happens if Paul Biya dies?

Political conflict in the Horn

Eritrea, Egypt and Somalia form an axis against Ethiopia. This report examines grassroots peacebuilding efforts that could create peace between Ethiopians and Somalis. Does this signal escalating tensions in the region?

Struggle for rights and freedom

Many African footballers dreamed of making it big in football, but they were trafficked instead. This piece examines the mental health of Nigerian workers. This is why Kenya’s deputy president is being impeached. Ethiopia replaces first female president after her resignation. Kenyan police are not making much progress fighting the gangs of Port-au-Prince. Learn more about the geopolitical history of Uganda and Tanzania. Protesters take to the streets of Ghana to push for the implementation of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

Intissar Kherigi explains the mirage of direct democracy in Tunisia. Tanzania’s ruling party is targeting the opposition leader. Daniel Eizenga explains the Burkina Faso’s junta’s turn to repression. Protest leader Oliver Barker-Vormawor explains activism in Ghana. Nibras Amin Suliman writes: “War in Sudan: Displacement and the Loss of What Came Before.” Learn more about the EU-Africa research agenda. Get your Sahel news here.

Is “African stream” spreading anti-West propaganda?

Africa’s rapid urbanization

A notorious Johannesburg building is now student housing. A river in N’djamena hits record levels. This piece explains how a Sahel security strategy can focus on secondary cities. Caroline Wanjiku Kihato and Loren Landau examine the performance and the politics of localizing (forced) migration governance in the Horn of Africa’s secondary cities. Urban heat stress is another disparity in the world’s most unequal nation.

Check out the new Africa Urban Lab in Zanzibar (summary thread here).

Research corner

Learn about the history of Congolese and Rwandese immigrants in Harare’s urban transport sector. Check out the Global Legislators Database (GLD), a new cross-national dataset on the characteristics — party affiliation, gender, age, education, and occupational background — of nearly 20,000 national parliamentarians in the world’s democracies (and the article here). This is awesome: Łukasz Stanek’s “Hegemony by Adaptation: Decolonizing Ghana’s Construction Industry.” Kjetil Tronvoll examines the weaponization of the Tigray 2020 election in Ethiopia.

Su Lin Lewis and Nana Osei-Opare edit the excellent volume: Socialism, Internationalism, and Development in the Third World: Envisioning Modernity in the Era of Decolonization.

The week in development

Lee Crawfurd and Theodore Mitchell call for lenders to publish what you lend. Ghana and Nigeria’s currencies are projected to fall. Learn about the new economics of industrial policy. Nigeria’s Borno state hit by cholera amid floods. Karthik Tadepalli argues: Want growth? Kill small businesses. The Marburg virus hits Rwanda hard.

Extractive minerals

Judd Devermont argues that framing the Lobito corridor railroads as a race for Africa’s minerals is all wrong. But is it? This article finds that community participation in mining areas can improve public goods and extend the reach of the state. What does Galamsey look like?

Africa and the environment

What is the environmental cost of gold mining? An unprecedented flood in Niger displaces 1.1 million people. Ocean warming is a livelihood threat to Ghana’s coastal fishers. Tanzanian communities search for answers to deepening drought.

Daily life

South Africa pitches for the return of Formula 1. Where is the best jollof in London?

All the best,

Jeff and Phil