Africa has not been left behind in the over-arching implications of Donald Trump’s presidency. Much of the analyses on Africa’s interests in the Trump era have invariably painted a pessimistic picture. The pessimism rides on the conclusion that Africa will be off the radar in President Trump’s White House. But how can African countries individually and collectively navigate the… Read more »
The fluctuations in successfully addressing this issue were particularly apparent in Libya. The Islamic State (ISIS) seized control of Sirte in May 2015, incorporating the coastal city as a key area of its global caliphate. Nonetheless, a campaign initiated by militias from the nearby city of Misrata in May 2016 – supported by United States air power – culminated in… Read more »
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Monday that the country’s counter-terrorism strategy was paying off with reduced number of terror incidents being recorded in 2016. Kenyatta said only 16 people died last year as a result of the terror incidents staged by Somalia Islamist militants, Al-Shabaab, as compared to the 202 who died in 2015. “There has been significant progress… Read more »
(France24) A French court agreed on Wednesday to adjourn the corruption trial of the playboy son of Equatorial Guinea’s leader at the request of his defence team. Dates for the resumption of the trial, which opened on Monday, were being discussed, with the presiding judge in favour of June 19. Teodorin Obiang, his country’s vice-president, is suspected of using more… Read more »
(France24) A Somali police officer says a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint near Mogadishu’s international airport, killing at least three people. Capt. Mohamed Hussein says the bomb detonated Monday as security forces were searching cars at the checkpoint, a few hundred meters (yards) from the main base of the African Union peacekeeping mission. The checkpoint… Read more »
(Al Jazeera) Lawyers for Chad’s former ruler Hissene Habre argue trial by special court in Senegal was marred by procedural errors. Lawyers for former Chadian president Hissene Habre have filed an appeal against his conviction for crimes against humanity, marking the final stage in a case pursued by victims for more than 15 years. In May, the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC)… Read more »
(Al Jazeera) Office of new president apologises for lifting passages from speeches by ex-US leaders during his inaugural address. Akufo-Addo, 72, was sworn-in in the capital Accra on Saturday [Luc Gnago/Reuters] The office of Nana Akufo-Addo issued an apology on Sunday after the new Ghanaian president was accused of lifting passages from speeches by Bill Clinton and George W Bush… Read more »
I found the video about South Sudan over winter break and it was extremely helpful in explaining the conflict. Vox does a great job explaining world wide conflicts in a simple matter. I like how they compare it to the Rwanda genocide. It is very similar with the two large ethnic groups and the thousands of people dying due to… Read more »
While there have recently been many bad developments in Africa, one that may hold some promise is the continuing growth of development between the People’s Republic of China and Sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, China has become Africa’s largest trading partner, and the Chinese government has offered many loans and aid programs to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, culminating in a… Read more »
These past two weeks have been very interesting to follow and see what was going on in Africa. Gambia is still having issues with their election and the president is still not stepping down. They had a meeting set but no judges showed up to the hearing because they don’t want to be accidently charging themselves with crimes they have… Read more »