Africa Update Vol. 7
Welcome to this week's edition of Africa Update! We've got Ethiopian millionaires, Congolese jailbreaks, the continent's longest suspension bridge, the end of all-male panels in Kenya, and more.
West Africa: Guinea-Bissau's has been politically deadlocked for more than two years after the prime minister failed to appoint a consensus government. Read this account of the bureaucratic saga of getting a national identity card in Cameroon. The CitizenGhana movement is keeping their country's government accountable about transport spending and patronage-driven ministerial appointments. This video offers background on Nigeria's annulled election of 12 June 1993, which was supposed to end years of military rule.
Central Africa: Domestic tourism is slowly but steadily increasing in Rwanda. A new paper suggests that poverty rates may also be increasing in Rwanda, contrary to government proclamations, although there are disputes over how to interpret the data. In eastern DRC, conflict in the countryside is driving up the price of food in cities like Goma. Last year, more people fled conflict in the DRC than in either Syria or Iraq. This was a great portrait of Lucha, the unofficial voice of the Congolese opposition. Nearly 5000 Congolese prisoners have escaped in a series of jailbreaks this year. Lake Kivu may be rich in oil, but exploration could kill many residents of the surrounding areas if it releases deadly methane gas at the bottom of the lake.
East Africa: Here are four ways the Kenyan election might be rigged, and how to stop them. Kenyans of Asian descent are seeking recognition as the country's 44th tribe. GeoGecko has produced an interactive map of the spread of refugee settlements in Uganda. Paramilitary janjaweed groups have begun a new round of attacks on civilians in Sudan after local militias clashed with the national army. This is an insightful piece on the politics of famine in South Sudan and Somalia. Read up on Eritrea's reclusive leader Isaias Afwerki, who seems skilled at playing his opponents off each other in order to stay in power. Somalia has a long history of efforts to mitigate climate change, but state collapse has significantly worsened the country's ecological crisis.
Covfefe lives on in this Kenyan matatu (via Kenyan Traffic)
Education: At the undergraduate level, new research from Ghana suggests that only 10% of university grads find work after one year. A new school in Sierra Leone is educating teenage mothers who are forced out of state schools by discriminatory policies.
Research: Keguro Macharia has written the minimum set of standards for foreign researchers working in Africa. Why are so many research centers on African politics built outside of Africa? Don't miss Yolande Bouka's Twitter thread on the many African research centers which are already doing great work on the continent. If you're looking for public opinion data, check out AidData's new geocoded dataset covering 37 countries.
Urbanization: Over 77% of Uganda's tax base is found in Kampala. The Zambian city of Kabwe has one of the world's worst problems with lead poisoning. South Africa has ruled that judges can no longer order evictions that would leave residents homeless. This is an interesting piece on the pre-colonial history of Lagos. Colonial-era investments in railways continue to shape African urbanization decades later.
Map via Africa Visual Data
Infrastructure: Chinese firms are seeking new deals in the power sector in Madagascar, where the the public works minister speaks fluent Mandarin. Upgrading Africa's cross-border power grids could save up to US$40 billion in capital spending. This was an interesting piece on the ethics of stealing electricity (but not too much) in Tanzania. Africa's longest suspension bridge is currently being build in Mozambique. Plans for a new port on Lake Victoria have stalled after the Ugandan government refused to compensate more than 100,000 local landowners.
Women's Empowerment: Here are twelve women who are changing Africa for the better. Read this inspiring portrait of Dr. Juliette Faye, one of Senegal's few female OB-GYNs and head of the country's first free women's health clinic. This looks like a very interesting film on Honorine Munyole, who runs a special police unit for the protection of women and children in Kisangani, DRC. Catherine Amayi is out to eliminate all-male panels in Kenya with a list of hundreds of qualified female speakers. Ghana is set to have its second female Chief Justice in a row.
The first crew of drivers for Kenya's Madaraka Express are all women (via Francis Waithaka)
Art and Culture: There's a different side to Juba, involving bookstores, fashion, and riverside dining. Meet the 10 African trailblazers on the TEDGlobal 2017 list. « 99 % des œuvres d’art classique africain sont aujourd’hui hors d’Afrique ». Example A: this new exhibit of contemporary African art in Paris. What are your favorite children's books by African authors? OkayAfrica's new apparel collection is fantastic. My favorite Sierra Leonean / Ghanaian / American group Kondi Band just dropped the video for "Titi Dem Too Service" and it's great.
Rich People: Les (multi)millionnaires en Afrique: qui sont-ils, où sont-ils et qu’achètent-ils ? A South Sudanese general may have made US$3 million over the last few years by investing in mining and arms dealing. Here are five Ethiopian millionaires you should know. Nigeria's richest man made a good deal of his money thanks to import substitution policies. Zimbabwean philanthropist Tsitsi Masiyiwa has received an award for sending 250,000 children to school on scholarships. Interesting insights from Rebecca Enonchong: "Richest Africans do philanthropy, not investment. Grants not risk. This needs to change if they really believe in entrepreneurship."
Newsletters: INNE Other Stories is a great resource on all things Nigerian. The Messenger has an excellent newsletter on East Africa. Empower46 offers weekly updates on women's rights across Africa.
Twitter: Interesting people I followed recently include Lolan Sagoe-Moses (Ghana), Soraya (Ghana), Joseph Asunka (Ghana), Yassin Brunger (Gambia), Aisha Dabo (West Africa), Kamau Nyokabi (Sahel), Mwende Ngao (Kenya), Mark Keith Muhumuza (Uganda), Michael O'Hagan (Uganda), Happy Kayuni (Malawi), and Zoé Samudzi (Zimbabwe).
Cheers,
Rachel