Africa in the News 8/17/15

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Inclusive Governance and Leadership

South Sudan: John Garang Remembered 10 Years On - African Arguments (All Africa)

August 17, 2015

On July 30th South Sudan celebrated Martyrs' Day, an official remembrance day for those who died in the national liberation wars. That date was purposely selected because it is the day on which John Garang, South Sudan's most iconic leader, was killed in a mysterious plane crash.

NNPC reform: Nigeria Oil workers prepare for showdown with Buhari – Premium Times

August 14, 2015

Nigeria's oil workers on Friday criticized the on-going reform in the oil and gas industry, and vowed to take steps to protect their members' interest. The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, NUPENGASSAN, described the reform as a cover-up and vindictive actions against their members. They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the newly appointed Group Managing Director, GMD, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Emmanuel Kachikwu, to order by direct him to stop the on-going sack in the Corporation.

Uganda court rules against refund of 'bride price' after divorce – The Guardian

August 17, 2015

The weekend is a good time for those wanting advice on the practicalities of getting married in Uganda. On Saturdays and Sundays, local television stations broadcast special editions, often paid for through advertising, about weddings and kwanjula, a traditional event where a woman introduces her prospective husband to her parents.

Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding

IGAD: No Extra Time for Last-Chance South Sudan Peace Talks – VOA News

August 13, 2015

Addis Ababa - The lead mediator on an international team trying to broker an end to the fighting in South Sudan gave the warring sides an ultimatum Thursday: sign a peace deal by the deadline because there will be no extension.

South Sudan peace deal in balance as leaders gather ahead of deadline – Reuters

August 15, 2015

East African leaders gathered in the Ethiopian capital on Saturday in a last-ditch effort to convince South Sudan's warring sides to sign a peace deal, ramping up pressure before a Monday deadline to end a 20-month civil war.

Libya: Progress but Little Punch in Libya Peace Talks - IRIN (All Africa)

August 17, 2015

Geneva — The almost year-old UN-facilitated dialogue aimed at ending the political power struggle at the heart of Libya's civil war has pitched its tent in several locations inside and outside the country since it began last September. Last week it was again the turn of Geneva's Palais des Nations.

Trade, Investment, and Sustainable Development

Why the Retreat of Foreign Investment From Africa Means Less Looting – Counterpunch

August 17, 2015

"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is always prefaced with the two words 'much needed,'" my colleague Sarah Bracking insisted last week at a Zimbabwe NGO conference. "Have you ever heard FDI referenced without those two words?" We all shook our heads.

Kenya to Get Investment Worth $55.6bn for Infrastructure Development – CIO East Africa (All Africa)

August 10, 2015

An estimated $55.6 billion in investment into infrastructure development for Kenya is planned (as of 2015), the majority of which will focus on telecommunications and power generation infrastructure, a new study reveals. Dubbed as African Infrastructure Tracker: Kenya, the research and analysis was done by Frost & Sullivan. The study also reveals that Kenya is set to become a hub for intra-regional trade in Africa.

Google flies high, but Twitter is in big trouble. Here's why it should call Africa for help – Mail & Guardian Africa

August 11, 2015

Two big announcements came out of Silicon Valley this week. In a surprise blogpost made public Monday, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced a radical restructuring of the tech company, which would see it rebranded as Alphabet - a new holding company whose largest wholly owned subsidiary will be Google. Meanwhile, Twitter co-founder and interim CEO Jack Dorsey edged up his stake in the social media giant by buying up $875,000 worth of shares Monday, in a show of support as it navigates a leadership transition and struggles to grow its user base.

Africa's Strategic Role in the Global Arena

Open seas, broken borders – The Africa Report

August 12, 2015

"Thousands of migrants will die this year en-route to Europe as politicians in Brussels squabble over how to deal with the arrival of people from Africa and the Middle East. It is sundown in New Jungle, the sprawling shanty town that has grown up near the French city of Calais alongside the entrance to the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain. It is home to some 3,500 Eritreans, Sudanese, Somalis, Afghans, Pakistanis and Syrians. And it is as good a place as any to see the contradictions and absurdities of the European Union's (EU) attempts to control migration.

As economic rivals invest in Africa, US should not sit on the sidelines – The Hill

August 17, 2015

One thing is for sure: while American interest in Africa has waxed and waned, Chinese interest in Africa has only grown. American policymakers must face the fact that China supplanted the U.S. as Africa's leading trading partner in 2009 and continues to strengthen its economic, political, and military ties to the continent.

At Security Council, top UN health officials spotlight role of emergency preparedness in Ebola fight – UN News Centre

August 13, 2015

The deadly Ebola outbreak which ravaged West Africa for more than a year has demonstrated the increasing importance of emergency preparedness both in Africa and across the world, said two senior United Nations health officials who noted that if the current intense focus on case detection and contact tracing is maintained, the virus could be "soundly defeated" by year's end.

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