Africa News and Discussions

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caltrek
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Kenya Declares William Ruto as Its New President in an Election Drama That’s Far From Over
by Justin Willis and Emma Elfversson
August 15, 2022

Introduction:
(The Conversation) Kenya’s William Ruto was declared the winner of the August 9 election in the midst of chaotic scenes last witnessed on the eve of the infamous 2007-2008 post-election violence. Ruto, running under the Kenya Kwanza coalition, defeated Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja coalition by polling 50.49% of the vote against Odinga’s 48.85%. The announcement followed days of confusion over the likely winner. We asked Justin Willis and Emma Elfversson to provide a quick assessment of the outcome.
________________________________________
What are your views about the electoral process?

Justin Willis: The days prior to the declaration of the presidential result were full of suspense. The decision of the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission to make polling station results forms available on a portal but not to offer its own tally based on these created a sort of national maths puzzle – anyone with the necessary resources could work out the overall result for themselves.

The problem was that most of us (that includes me) don’t have those resources – 46,000 forms is a lot of data entry. So rival tallies circulated for several days. Then, as it seemed that the tallies were pointing to a narrow victory for Ruto, supporters of his rival Odinga began to allege that forms had been faked or altered.

Just before the chair of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission finally announced a Ruto victory, more than half of the members of the commission held an extraordinary press conference in which they spoke of their pride in having raised the standard of elections. But in somewhat contradiction to that, they expressed their unwillingness to endorse the results. They effectively urged Odinga to challenge the outcome in court.
Read more here: https://theconversation.com/kenya-decl ... er-188758
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U.S. Bombs Somalia and Indicates 13 al-Shabaab Fighters Were Killed
by David DeCamp
August 17, 2022

Introduction:
(Antiwar.com) The US launched an airstrike in Somalia on August 14, the second bombing within a week, signaling that the Biden administration is escalating the US war against al-Shabaab.

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced the airstrike on Wednesday and claimed it killed 13 al-Shabaab fighters. The command said the strike was launched against al-Shabaab members that were attacking Somali government forces in a remote location near Teedaan, Somalia.

AFRICOM said its “initial assessment” found that “no civilians were injured or killed,” but the Pentagon is known for severely undercounting civilian casualties in Somalia.

The last US airstrike AFRICOM announced in Somalia took place on August 9, and before that was July 17. The escalation comes after President Biden ordered up to 500 troops to be sent to the East African nation, reversing a Trump-era drawdown.

The Trump administration’s drawdown from Somalia repositioned troops in neighboring Djibouti and Kenya, allowing the drone war to continue. But Biden has launched significantly fewer strikes in Somalia compared to his predecessor.
Read more here: https://news.antiwar.com/2022/08/17/us ... -killed/

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High-Speed Internet On Kilimanjaro Lets Climbers Access Instagram (And, You Know, Life-Saving Aid)
by Dr. Katie Spalding
August 19, 2022

Introduction:
(IFL Science) On October 6, 1889, a German geology professor named Hans Meyer, an Austrian mountaineer called Ludwig Purtscheller, and a group of local guides from the nearby Moshi province all made history. As they climbed the final steps to the highest peak of Kilimanjaro, a mountain never known to have been scaled before, they must have felt a sense of wonder and satisfaction that few of us will ever know. We know what you’re thinking. If only they could have tweeted it.

Well, that historical injustice has finally been righted. High-speed internet service is now available on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain, allowing would-be trekkers to Insta their way to the summit – or, you know, call for help before they join the ten or so people per year who die on the slopes.
Kilimanjaro was hooked up on Tuesday thanks to the state-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation, with the country’s information minister Nape Nnauye calling the event “historic.”

“Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet,” Nnauye said in a press event at the launch of the service. Now, though, visitors to the mountain can stay connected to the world below them up as far as the Horombo huts, at around 3,720 meters (12,205 feet) above sea level – although they’ll have to wait a little longer before they can tweet at the top, since internet access isn’t expected for the full 5,895-meter (19,341-foot) height until the end of the year.

Internet access has become a mainstay of mountaineering in recent years – for better or for worse. While over-reliance on smartphones has seen some would-be explorers guided up perilous and potentially fatal routes, even expert mountaineers say connectivity is crucial when things go awry.
Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/high-speed- ... aid-64972

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Tanzania.

(Kilimanjaro is located near the northern border.)
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Japan to Invest $30 billion in Africa to Develop Human Resources
by Susumu Imaizumi in Tunis and Akiyoshi Abe in Tokyo.
August 28 , 2022

Introduction:
(The Asahi Shimbun) TUNIS--Japan pledged to invest $30 billion (4 trillion yen) in Africa over the next three years to spur development with a focus on human resources to shore up startups as well as industries ranging from heath care to agriculture.

The announcement, made online by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Aug. 27, came at the business forum of the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development that opened here that day.

“Japan and Africa are ‘partners who grow together’ and who also work together to tackle the various social challenges faced in Africa,” Kishida said of the investment package to be financed by the Japanese government and private sector.

Conclusion:
China, the United States and Europe are raising their profiles in Africa as they have economic ties with African nations.

Japanese officials are hoping that the TICAD conference in Africa, its second following the 2016 session, will help revive African nations’ ties with Tokyo.

Read more here: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14705153
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Shell Ruling in South Africa a 'Victory Against Capitalist Extraction and Destruction of Our Future'
by Jessica Corbett
September 1, 2022

Introduction:
( Common Dreams) Climate campaigners across South Africa and beyond celebrated a Thursday court ruling against Shell seismic blasting in search of fossil fuels along the country's Wild Coast, which opponents warned threatened both the local marine life and fishing industry.

Like its interim decision last December, the new ruling by the Makhanda-based court is a win "for the people and planet," and "sets an important precedent during this climate emergency," said Pooven Moodley, director of the group Natural Justice.

The judgment set aside the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's 2014 decision giving Shell the right to explore local waters, concluding that it was not lawfully granted.

"The court was clear that communities need to be properly consulted and that environmental impact assessments are critical. The cultural and spiritual connection to the land and ocean featured strongly in the judgment," Moodley noted, adding that the decision "provides hope and momentum" for those standing up against other planet-wrecking projects.

Greenpeace Africa interim program director Melita Steele similarly called the ruling "proof that the world is moving into an era of social and environmental justice, where the voices of people are put before the profits of toxic fossil fuel companies."

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... ction-our
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How America Can Make the Most Out Of Its New Africa Strategy
by Komlan Avoulete
September 19, 2022

Introduction:
(Foreign Policy Research Institute via Eurasia Review) — The United States can mobilize tremendous resources for issues it cares about. This year, the Biden administration has given Ukraine more than US $54 billion in aid to resist Russia’s brutal invasion. These tremendous sums demonstrate America’s sincere commitment to Ukraine and its democracy.

America has long contended that Africa is important to US national security. But when it comes time for Washington to put its money where its mouth is, America often comes up short. The US-African Leaders Summit, scheduled for December 2022, will provide the Biden administration with an opportunity to demonstrate that the United States is ready to make concrete investments in its relations with African countries. Africans have attended many such summits hosted by the United States, France, and other countries. But with few exceptions, these summits have largely gone bust. Lofty rhetoric is rarely followed up with concrete action, and nothing changes.

If the summit—and America’s new sub-Saharan Africa strategy—are to be successful, the Biden administration will have to take full advantage of its expertise in technological innovation, cybersecurity, and health care to materially improve the lives of Africans. While US concerns about the rise of China and the activities of Russia in Africa are understandable, the focus of US policy on the continent must not be framed in terms of geopolitics, but on Africa’s development needs.

Real Change or More of the Same?

The US-Africa Leaders Summit appears set to break new ground. But unless it’s followed with concrete actions on the ground there’s a danger that it will be seen as just another meeting convoked by a great power that does nothing to address Africa’s needs.
Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/19092022 ... analysis/
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‘Situation Under Control’ According to Burkina Faso Coup Leader
October 2, 2022

Introduction:
(Al Jazeera) Burkina Faso’s new military leadership said the situation in the country was under control and urged people to refrain from acts of vandalism targeting the French embassy.

The comments came on Sunday after security forces fired tear gas at dozens of rock-throwing protesters outside France’s embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital, as unrest simmers in the West African nation following its second coup this year.

Supporters of the coup leader gathered outside the building in Ouagadougou a day after he accused the deposed military chief Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba of hiding out at a French base to plot a “counteroffensive”.

“We want to inform the population that the situation is under control and order is being restored,” military spokesman Captain Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho said on national television. He was flanked by coup leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and other armed and masked soldiers.

Sorgho called on people to “desist from any act of violence and vandalism … especially those that could be perpetrated against the French embassy or the French military base”.
Read more here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10 ... h-embassy
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Rwandan Genocide Suspect Rebuffs International Court Trying Hate Speech Crimes
by Lisa Vives
October 4, 2022

Introduction:
(Eurasia Review) A Rwandan businessman and alleged genocidaire failed to appear in court, where he is being tried on charges of masterminding and financing the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Felicien Kabuga, 87, is accused of aiding and abetting hit squads who slaughtered ethnic Tutsis and with using a radio station known as Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines to incite hatred, according to the charges filed before a UN tribunal at The Hague.

Some 800,000 people, mostly of the Tutsi minority, were murdered during the genocide of 1994.

At the trial’s opening, the presiding judge said Mr Kabuga had decided not to appear in court or to follow proceedings via video link from his detention centre.

Mr Kabuga issued a statement, saying the court had refused to let him choose his own lawyer and he had “no confidence” in his current legal representative.
Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/04102022 ... analysis/
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Nigeria boat accident kills at least 76 fleeing floodwater
Source: BBC News
At least 76 people have been reported dead after a boat accident in Nigeria's south-eastern state of Anambra.

The boat, which was carrying at least 80 people, capsized on Friday in the Ogbaru area in Anambra state.

Local media reports say those aboard the boat were heading to the Nkwo market in Ogbakuba before it capsized.

Boat accidents are relatively common in Nigeria, although most are blamed on overloading or poor safety measures.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-6 ... gn=KARANGA
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WHO Director Says Tigray Conflict Is Health Crisis For 6 Million People And ‘World Is Not Paying Attention’
October 20, 2022

Introduction:
(UN News via Eurasia Review) The Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the international community and the media on Wednesday to give the crisis in Ethiopia “the attention it deserves”.

Highlighting that there is no other situation globally in which six million had been kept under siege for almost two years, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that there is a very narrow window to prevent genocide in Tigray.

“Yes, I’m from Tigray, and yes, this affects me personally. I don’t pretend it doesn’t. Most of my relatives are in the most affected areas, more than 90 per cent of them”, he acknowledged during his regular press conference in Geneva.

“But my job is to draw the world’s attention to crises that threaten the health of people wherever they are. This is a health crisis for six million people, and the world is not paying enough attention”, he underscored.

Hostilities must end

The WHO chief echoed the words used by the UN Secretary-General earlier this week, in which he said that the situation in Ethiopia is “spiralling out of control”.
Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/20102022 ... ttention/
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