This Week in Africa

September 6, 2024

Thank you APSA, I had a lot of fun. Here is the week in Africa:

Quote of the week

“I have a lot of grief because I’ve lost my daughter. I seek your help so that this person who has killed my daughter can be prosecuted.” Joseph Cheptegei, the father of Rebecca Cheptegei

Attack on Bobi Wine

Ugandan police shot opposition candidate Bobi Wine this week. The opposition leader recovered, but the attack signals the shrinking of political space in the country.

RIP Rebecca Cheptegie

Ugandan runner Rebecca Cheptegie died this week after a horrific attack by her old boyfriend. Kenya has a serious femicide problem.

Protests in Nigeria

Ayodeji Rotinwa argues that Nigeria’s anti-inflation protests are unlikely to lead any real change. Nigeria: #TheBudgetisaMess.

Struggle for rights and freedom

I can’t wait to read about the many faces of Abiy Ahmed. Learn more about the law of unequal exchange in colonial DR Congo. The race to succeed Cameroon’s Paul Biya is on. Ubba Kodero discusses the missing black voices and the pan-African ideal. Beijing hosted 50 African leaders this week in its continued pursuit of influence. Isaac Samuel provides a brief history of gold in Africa and the emporium of Sofala. This is the interesting history of the killing of an Egyptian diplomat in Mogadishu in 1975.

As always, GLD is on it.

The week in development

Learn more about the panic behind Botswana’s big, splashy diamond show. Zimbabwe’s Urban Informality Forum provides a nice template for urban reformers. This is why it’s taking so long to get the Mpox vaccine to Africa. The US taps Tanzania for infrastructure plan in battle with China for minerals. Is economics in need of trustbusting?

The Continent takes on “Farmer Bill [Gates].” Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed hosted Gates this week. Does Gates approach agriculture the wrong way?

Africa and the environment

Kasia Paprocki and James McCarthy examine the agrarian question of climate change. This article looks good: Decarbonization and social justice. More on sustainability governance. This study examines groundwater resources in Kenya’s drylands.

Zimbabwe digs riverbeds in desperate search for water. Cameroon attempts to combat extremism, hardships, and climate change. This is how China and Africa can better collaborate to close Africa’s energy access gap. Urgent action in innovative climate change financing is needed. Zambia’s crippling drought creates chance for solar power to shine. Africa faces disproportionate burden from climate change and adaptation costs. African governments divert nearly 10% of their budgets to responding to climate extremes. African nations are losing up to 5% of their GDP per year with climate change. Climate change can cause bridges to “fall apart like Tinkertoys.”

Daily life

This is how Nigerian online skitmakers avoided stand-up comedy’s high barrier to entry. Gabon’s funk history and a secret society.

All the best,

Jeff and Phil