This Week in Africa

August 30, 2024

Quote of the week

“A wave of destabilizing debt defaults will end up severely undermining progress on the green transition, with catastrophic implications for the entire world.” – A policy report from the Finance for Development Lab at the Paris School for Economics and Columbia University’s Initiative for Policy Dialogue, reported on in the NYTimes.

Sudan’s war

Sudan is on the cover of The Economist. Its war is the world’s problem. Egypt’s intelligence chief visits the country. Yaw Asamoah explains how a barely literate camel trader from Chad committed a genocide, amassed wealth, and waged a civil war to become Sudan’s head of state.

Mpox epidemic

Congolese are in the midst of a serious battle against Mpox. This is why it is taking so long to get the Mpox vaccine to Africa. The Mpox declaration marks a key shift in global health.

Governing Nigeria

Nigeria’s #EndBadGovernance protest was the first big wake-up call of Tinubu’s presidency. Ken Opalo argues that President Tinubu’s lack of a focused agenda blunts the impact of some of his bold reforms. Inflationary pressures continue to affect businesses. This piece examines whether Nigeria can stop the spread of ISIS. Meanwhile, the countries’ oil exports accelerate.

Protests in Kenya

Alex Tamei reflects on narratives and the construction of violence in Kenya. Learn more about the mysterious leaders of Kenya’s leaderless protests. Angela Pashayan explains how debt and taxes conspired to rob Nairobi’s slum-dwelling youth of the promise of a better life. Henrik Maihack examines whether the protests signal greater change across the continent. Africa’s citizens must demand and protect democracy.

Struggle for rights and freedom

Nigerian students avoid the UK after a shift in their migrant policy. African nations want a seat at the UN Security Council. Kenyan police deployed to Haiti haven’t received full promised salary in two months. The burst of a dam kills 60 people in Sudan. Awa Gai provides a feminist analysis of gender-based violence in the Gambia’s transitional justice journey. Ghanaian presidential hopeful Bawumia says he will sign the restrictive anti-LGBTQ bill if he wins the presidency in December.

These are good reports on Africa’s shadow states and democracy capture.

Africa’s rapid urbanization

This looks good: Everyday Urban Practices in Africa: Disrupting Global Norms. I can’t wait to read Claire Mercer’s The Suburban Frontier: Middle-Class Construction in Dar es Salaam. Check out the chapter on urbanization through movement in the book Extended Urbanisation: Tracing Planetary Struggles.

Research corner

This chapter examines China-Africa relations in a changing world. This article analyzes UN Peace Operations beyond the security dilemma. Leonard Wantchekon and Jenny Guardado’s new article is out: “Deliberation and Ethical Voting Behavior: Evidence from a Campaign Experiment in Benin.” Check out Nicolai Goritz’ “Prompting Peasant Protest: Cashews, Coalitions, and Collective Action in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.”

Make sure to read Michaela Collord’s Wealth, Power, and Authoritarian Institutions: Comparing Dominant Parties in and Parliaments in Tanzania and Uganda. Aditi Malik’s Playing with Fire: Parties and Political Violence in Kenya and India is out soon. Congrats to Noah Nathan whose book The Scarce State: Inequality and Political Power in the Hinterland is co-winner of the 2024 William Riker Award for Best Book in Political Economy. Aili Tripp and Scott Straus edit the important volume The State, Ethnicity, and Gender in Africa: Intellectual Legacies of Crawford Young.

The week in development

Africa’s debt crisis has devastating consequences for the world. A new report finds that Africa needs more investment. BCG admits it paid bribes to win consulting business in Angola. Ghana bans corn and rice exports to stave off food shortage. This is how Africa fleeces African countries. Learn more about Africa’s mental health crisis. Would Africa benefit from an adaptive political economy?

Africa and the environment

How do Kenyans view climate change? This is what the new climate change act means for children. Check out the journey to empowering women in Africa’s energy sector. Cows obstruct Nigeria’s capital as climate change and development leave herders with nowhere to go. Spain's Sanchez visits West Africa aiming to stem migration surge. Africa’s baobab trees defy climate challenges. Kenya to build first nuclear power plant amid local opposition. Climate change activists and deniers fight for hearts and minds in Kenya. Half the world’s countries have degraded freshwater systems. Will AI ruin or save the planet?

Daily life

The ruins of Kliptown. The hunt for the best harissa. These are the five best surf spots in Africa. Join a hiking club if you want to explore Kenya.

All the best,

Jeff and Phil