In my last analysis post I argued that the United States should increase its involvement in Africa both to fight terrorism and for economic gain by both our nation and African nations. However, I first wish to qualify that statement with this: The U.S. should be militarily involved in the fight against terror in Africa, but it is critical that… Read more »
German firms have had low interests in Africa. But that’s about to change with a business forum in Nairobi where over 400 representatives backed by top politicians are attending the German-African Business Summit (GABS). The German delegation is led by economic minister, Brigitte Zypries, and development minister, Gerd Mueller. Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel is also lined up as a… Read more »
Sub-Saharan Africa is fast becoming a hotbed of unemployment, vulnerable jobs and poor workers, a reality that is making the aspiration of most countries to transform into middle-level economies a mirage. Despite massive investment in infrastructure to drive economic growth, research has shown that sub-Saharan Africa is not only grappling with run-away unemployment but the majority of the jobs are… Read more »
In the midst of a worsening global terrorism epidemic, dozens of government, military, intelligence, nongovernmental officials and experts gathered in Morocco to discuss how to stop terrorist expansion in Africa that may spill over to other continents. One by one, representatives from Africa, Europe and the Middle East stepped up to the podium at the Marrakech Security Forum and expressed… Read more »
In January 2013, Hamadou Kouffa led Islamist forces from northern Mali south toward Konna and Diabaly, an act that precipitated an African and French intervention eventually driving the militants out of entrenched positions. Two years later, Kouffa reemerged on the international scene at the head of the newly founded Macina Liberation Front (Front de Libération du Macina, FLM). Since January… Read more »
As important as the Middle East has been to the U.S., there is another, far larger area that will continue to grow in importance — Africa. The continent is rich in physical resources: oil, diamonds, gold, silver, and uranium to name a few, and maintains a 54-nation membership in the United Nations. The global say and economic potential of Africa… Read more »
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s move not to assent to the 2015 Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill, due to contentious issues on revenue sharing between the national and county governments and the communities, should be of concern in the policy discourse for the extractives industry. Kenya has ambitious plans to begin commercial production of oil and gas by June 2017 even… Read more »
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 »