Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for November 19th

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 updates on bomb attack in Somalia, British suspension of aid to Malawi, the relationship between democracy and health on the continent, political scandal in Angola, Kenyan innovation to separate humans from wildlife, microcredit failure in South Africa, the health status of Nelson Mandela, and fracking in Botswana.

Somali African Union Beledweyne base hit by bomb attack
At least 19 people have been killed in a suicide attack on an African Union base in the Somali town of Beledweyne near Ethiopia's border, officials say. A car rammed into the gates, exploded and gunmen then stormed the building. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here

Britain suspends aid to Malawi over corruption claims and attempted murder of whistleblower
Britain has suspended direct aid to Malawi over a multi-million pound corruption scandal which has seen ministers close to President Joyce Banda implicated in fraud and the attempted murder of a whistleblower. – The Telegraph
To read more, please visit the Telegraph site here

In Africa, does democracy improve your health?
Back in the 1990s, the Nobel-prize winning economist Amartya Sen famously wrote that "no famine has ever taken place in a functioning democracy", coining an argument has shaped thinking across countless sectors – and none more so than healthcare. If governments face open criticism and are under pressure to win elections, we assume, they are incentivised to improve the health of their populations. Dictators are not. But does that theory hold water in Africa? – African Arguments
To read more, please visit the African Arguments site here

Angola: President's son dips into sovereign fund for 'trophy' Savile Row office
The son of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos is again at the centre of controversy following reports that the Angolan Sovereign Wealth Fund he effectively controls has invested R3-billion in a ­"trophy" property in London's Mayfair district. Africa Confidential reported that the fund, chaired by the president's son José Filomeno, had spent £220-million on an office complex in the exclusive Savile Row. – Mail and Guardian
To read more, please visit the Mail and Guardian site here

Kenya: Simple intervention brokers peace between humans and wildlife
Five flashlight bulbs, an old car battery and a solar panel were the only tools 11-year-old Richard Turere used to put together a system of lights that keeps his family's cattle safe from lions. His simple invention costs less than $10 and it's easy to install and maintain. It also works to prevent elephants from trampling people's crops. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here

Microcredit has been a disaster for the poorest in South Africa
However, the microcredit medicine applied to post-apartheid South Africa has turned out to be a deadly one. It is now increasingly clear that the much-lauded market-driven microcredit model has inflicted untold damage on the South African economy and society. Concerned investors are rapidly leaving the bloated microcredit sector, with many users arguing that it is on the verge of a self-orchestrated collapse. – The Guardian
To read more, please visit the Guardian site here

L'état de santé de Nelson Mandela est toujours "stable mais critique"
"Stable mais critique". L'État de santé de Nelson Mandela n'évolue guère. Il "reste plus ou moins le même que lorsque le président (Jacob) Zuma lui avait rendu visite la dernière fois", début septembre, a indiqué, lundi 18 novembre, la présidence sud-africaine. – Jeune Afrique
Pour en lire plus, veuillez visiter le site Jeune Afrique ici

Botswana faces questions over licenses for fracking companies in Kalahari
Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, for the production of gas is the subject of fierce debate in the United States, Britain, South Africa and countries around the world, with green activists warning that it degrades land and pollutes air and water. Yet for more than a decade, Botswana, lauded as one of Africa's most stable democracies, has been quietly granting lucrative licenses to international companies to carry out fracking in the fragile Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), one of the world's most precious wildlife reserves. – Mail and Guardian
To read more, please visit the Mail and Guardian site here