A blog of the Africa Program
Daily News on Issues Affecting Africa for July 15th
Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are: Ineffective Aid in Africa, Malala Yousafzai visits Nigerian president, assessing MONUSCO in the DRC, and Nigeria's growing economy.
Who Aids Whom? Exposing the True Story of Africa's $192 Billion Losses
Research released by a coalition of African and UK partners reveals that Africa loses almost six and a half times the amount of money that it receives in aid. As exhibited by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, governments of wealthy countries like to tell tales of generous aid spending and a common responsibility to help those less fortunate in the world. But there is another story to tell. And it is not a story of what is given to continents such as Africa, but of what is taken away.
To Read More from Think Africa Press Click Here
Malala meets Nigeria's leader Goodluck Jonathan over abducted girls
Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousafzai has met Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan to press for more action to free at least 200 girls held by Boko Haram Islamist militants. The militants' leader has reiterated in a new video message that he is prepared to negotiate a prisoner swap for them. He also expressed support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared caliph of a new Middle Eastern state. Boko Haram sparked a global outcry when it abducted the girls three months ago.
To Read More from BBC Africa Click Here
DRC: Assessing the performance of MONUSCO's Force Intervention Brigade
Roughly 16 months ago (in March 2013), the United Nations strengthened its peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) with a more robust force to "neutralise armed groups". This came as a response to a wave of criticism MONUSCO experienced for its passive stance during the capture of Goma by M23 troops. The so-called 'Force Intervention Brigade' (FIB) was set up with 3,069 troops from South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi – all SADC member states. In a highly robust, mobile, and versatile manner, the FIB would start tackling various armed groups operating in eastern DRC, e.g. M23, FDLR, ADF and APCLS.
To Read More from African Arguments Click Here
United States donates explosive detection kits to Kenyan airports
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated equipment worth Sh60 million to be used for detecting explosives in airports across Kenya. The 20 Desktop Explosive Trace Detection units (ETDs) will be handed over to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) on Tuesday by Mr Isiah Parnell, the chargé d'affaires of the US embassy in Nairobi. "The units can test for traces of common conventional explosives that may be hidden on people and in luggage and carry-on bags," the statement read.
To Read More from the Daily Nation Click Here
Nigeria's GDP: Bigger but slower
Nigeria's real GDP growth strengthened to 5.5% in 2013 (vs 6.9% under the old GDP series), from 4.2% in 2012 (vs 6.6%). The downward growth revision, which we expected, is in part the result of better measurement of previously understated but fast-growing sectors, such as telecoms.
To Read More from How We Made it in Africa Click Here
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Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more