Africa Update Vol. 9
Welcome to the latest edition of Africa Update! I'm back from some whirlwind travel, and have got all the news on Joseph Kabila's thriving investments, Barack Obama's long-lost snapshots, the crocodiles of Abidjan, the female boxers of Kinshasa, and more.
West Africa: Members of the Gambia's brutal former ruling party are calling for better protection of civil liberties now that they're in the opposition. The lead of this story about increasing demand for crocodile removal in Abidjan is the best thing I've read all week. Here are some great profiles of innovative agricultural start-ups in Ghana. Nigeria is cracking down on domestic trade in an effort to deprive Boko Haram of resources, but their efforts seem to mostly be harming civilians.
Via Bolouere on Twitter, who notes that 'even the symbol of justice in Nigeria is tired'
Central Africa: The Congo Research Group has done some outstanding investigative work to trace the millions of dollars of business investments linked to Joseph Kabila's family. A little-reported conflict between the Luba and the Twa in eastern DRC has displaced more than half a million people over five years. In the Republic of Congo, the Parliamentary elections in July had unprecedentedly low turnout rates of only 3 - 4% of registered voters. Meanwhile, Paul Kagame won re-election in Rwanda with 98% of votes cast and 97% voter turnout. Rwanda is also being accused of executing 37 of its citizens who committed petty crimes, such as stealing bananas.
East Africa: This detailed piece on the war in Equatoria, South Sudan is essential reading. The proposed Chinese-funded railroad in Uganda is even more expensive per kilometer than Kenya's was. Uganda is also tackling legislator absenteeism with a new electronic check-in system for MPs. Learn how to use GIS to estimate the solar power potential of Kampala. Here's a short history of failed efforts to gentrify the Kibera neighbourhood in Nairobi. More than half of Kenyan households are food insecure, and 75% of households in all income quintiles say they don't have money to meet their basic needs. Relatedly, the richest 1% of the population in East Africa owns as much wealth as the poorest 91% combined.
Sometimes Twitter produces real gems, like the time ZHA's grandfather snapped an early photo of Barack Obama visiting family in Kenya
Horn of Africa: These snapshots of daily life in Eritrea paint a dire picture of limited rations, enforced nightly guard duties by all citizens, and university closures. In Asmara, 'where you don’t need to tell the barman what kind of beer you want because there’s only one brand, you can still pick up the best bicycle technology the world has to offer.' Ethiopians are having a tense debate over whether multi-ethnic Addis Ababa belongs to the Oromo citizens on whose land it stands. It's unclear if this will affect the pirated movie kiosks of Addis -- so don't forget to bring your own USB for downloads. In Somaliland, members of the diaspora are using WhatsApp to support their relatives affected by drought at home.
Southern Africa: Here's a sobering reflection on how Zambia has gone from a democracy to a dictatorship in the space of two years. Zambia also allows imprisoned mothers to care for small children in jail, but, in a critical oversight, doesn't provide any food for them. In Zimbabwe, even Robert Mugabe's wife Grace Mugabe has joined the chorus of voices calling for him to name a successor. South Sudan's Riek Machar is under de facto house arrest in South Africa, and effectively stateless as Juba has stripped him of his passport.
Trade: Negotiations for a massive Continental Free Trade Area across Africa are slowly proceeding. In a prohibitively expensive policy, foreigners who'd like to open retail shops in Uganda are expected to deposit US$100K with the central bank. Kenya and Tanzania are also cutting into regional trade with a series of reciprocal export restrictions. Calestous Juma argues that African countries are mistaken to try to leapfrog their way past industrialisation.
Data visualisation via Africa Visual Data
Academia: A London private equity firm is launching a network of private universities across nine African countries. This is an essential reading list on indigenous research methods. The Canon Collins Scholarships for postgraduate study in South Africa are open until 21 August. If you'd like updates on research by African scholars, fellowship opportunities, and more, do sign up for my new monthly newsletter for the Mawazo Institute.
Women's Empowerment: Follow these seven female entrepeneurs shaping technology, fashion and dining in Kenya. A new NGO is supporting women's right to inherit land in the DRC. Fatou Sylla is challenging stereotypes about female car mechanics in Sénégal. If you're looking for a good cause, donate to this new legal advice service supporting women affected by domestic violence in South Africa. This is a great photo essay on the women training for boxing championships in Kinshasa.
Safi Nadege Lukambo is one of the boxers profiled in this article
Literature: It's the season for book fairs in Somalia and Somaliland. These nine fantasy and sci-fi novels by black authors that will take you out of this world. Congrats to Sudan's Bushra al-Fadil for winning the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing.
Twitter: Interesting people I followed recently include Ndongo Samba Sylla [Sénégal], Muki [Kenya], Samantha Spooner [Kenya], Mwangi Chege [Kenya], and the Kenyan Griot. And in related news, I'm moving to Nairobi at the end of the month! Do say hello if you're around.
Cheers,
Rachel