Africa Up Close

The 2019 State of the Nation Address in Cape Town. Photo courtesy of the Government of South Africa via Flickr  Commons. 

South Africans went to the polls on May 8, 2019, for the sixth National and Provincial elections since 1994. The outcome offers an insight into the continued evolution of the 25-year-old democracy. A victory for the governing African National Congress (ANC) was never in doubt. The question was the margin of the victory in light of the party’s shortcomings over the past decade, notably maladministration and corruption as uncovered in the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into State Capture; and the tragedies of the Life Healthcare Esidimeni patients, and Marikana mine protest. In addition, entrenched inequality remains a challenge. The 2018 World Bank report on Overcoming Poverty and Inequality in South Africa (compiled with the Government of South Africa), highlights that while progress has been made since 1994, inequality, poverty, and high unemployment persist, with South Africa being one of the most unequal countries in the world. The inequality remains highly racialized. In the robust campaigning that characterized the elections, opposition parties made sure to highlight these issues and others in vying for an increased share of the votes. With the dust settled, the following four issues are worth highlighting.

The Atlantic Ocean along a shoreline in Ifni, Morrocco. Picture courtesy of mbohl via Flickr Commons. 

African peace and security challenges in relation to the continent’s wider maritime scope and its interplay with external political actors receive little attention. Yet, much of the internal politics that affect peacebuilding in Africa involve interregional actors, such as Europe and the Mideast. This lack of attention is not seen in the South Atlantic where the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic (ZPCSA), operates as a multilateral platform between some African and South American nations. The ZPCSA’s goal is preserving regional peace and a nuclear-free-zone in regions where documented illegal trafficking flows link South America, West Africa, and Europe, and security challenges plague the Gulf of Guinea, a transport nexus in the Afro-Atlantic oil trade.

H.E. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, addresses the General Assembly’s seventy-third session. Photo courtesy of the United Nations. 

South Africa was elected to join the UN Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member on June 8, 2018 for the 2019-2020 term, replacing Ethiopia as the third African Council member and joining Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast. This is the country’s third UNSC membership, following its prior roles in 2007-2008 and 2011-2012.

Children in an IDP Camp in Juba, South Sudan. Photo courtesy of the United Nations via Flickr Commons.

Grievances are often cited as the cause of most civil wars and other forms of conflict. A grievance is a real or a perceived cause for resentment or complaint. It is a feeling of resentment over something wrong or believed to be wrong or unfair. Injustice, marginalization, discrimination, and exclusion are common forms of grievances. Grievances can lead to wars or violent conflicts when left unsettled. Over the last decade, a debate has emerged in development economics and conflict studies linking both greed and grievances to most civil wars.[1]

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and H.E. President Isaias Afwerki signing the joint peace agreement. Photo courtesy via Wikipedia Commons.

Reconciliation and the Way Forward

Following the decision passed by the executive committee of the ruling party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopia’s new reformist Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, announced that Ethiopia would accept the 2002 United Nations backed border demarcation, paving the way for peace between the two nations. Dr. Abiy Ahmed then paid a historic visit in July to Eritrea, during which he and President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea signed a declaration ending 20 years of hostility and restoring diplomatic relations and normal ties between the countries. President Isaias Afwerki reciprocated with a state visit to Ethiopia just days later.

African youth learn how to build a community center in North Darfur. Photo courtesy of UNAMID via Flickr commons. 

Youth, broadly defined as persons between the ages of 15-35 by the African Union, constitute one-third of the population in Africa. Roughly half of the populations of Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Kenya are youth. The ten countries in the world with the biggest youth populations are in Africa. However, a large youth population is a double-edged sword in many ways. One example—if the pipeline into labor force participation includes quality education and good employment prospects, youth are likely to contribute to national and continental development. However, when met with an environment infertile for personal and career development, a youth bulge can quickly become a source of instability.

Former President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, speaks at the United Nations General Assembly. (Photo via Flickr Commons)

Introduction: The Launch of a Campaign

On May 16, 2018, a group of Ghanaian civil society organizations (CSOs)[i] launched a campaign requesting the Government of Ghana to seek the extradition of Yahya Jammeh, the former president of The Gambia, to face justice in Ghana for the 2005 massacre of 44 Ghanaian migrants in The Gambia. The campaign, “Jammeh2JusticeGhana,” has the primary objective of persuading the Government of Ghana to extradite Yahya Jammeh’s from Equatorial Guinea in order to prosecute him in Ghana. This campaign is a part of a larger effort to seek accountability for Jammeh’s alleged crimes and human rights violations. The launch of this campaign, hosted by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), follows a wider campaign effort by The Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations and other local and international human rights organizations[ii] to ensure that Jammeh and members of his regime are brought to trial in a court of competent jurisdiction.

A student working on carpentry at Nyanza Vocational training center in Southern Rwanda. Photo courtesy of Graham Holliday via Flickr Commons. 

Education and training for productive employment is an important tool for economic growth and development. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)—an aspect of the educational process—is viewed as a tool for productivity enhancement towards achieving economic growth. TVET focuses on practical applications of skills learned, and are intended to prepare trainees to become effective professionals in a specific vocation. It also equips trainees with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are indispensable for meaningful participation in work and life.

Orange democratic movement supporters in Kenya. Photo courtesy of DEMOSH via Flickr Commons. 

Politics is indeed a tricky affair judging from the recent “Golden Handshake” between political giants and arch-rivals, with Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga marking the end of the prolonged electoral crisis in the country. The newfound friendship has rebounded the stock exchange, revamped tourism, and excited foreign investors who are now optimistic of rainy days ahead.[1]  However, will the gesture provide an impetus for the much-needed constitutional democracy, and guarantee civil rights and liberties in a way that will lead Kenyans to Canaan?[2]

Youth technology training in South Africa. Photo courtesy of Beyond Access via Flickr Commons.  

Africa, in general, is a very young continent. About 40 percent of the population is below 15 years of age, and an additional 30 percent fall between 15-24 years. This demographic profile presents a unique opportunity to achieve massive socio-economic transformation through harnessing the Demographic Dividend (DD). The Demographic Dividend is the economic benefit that arises following a significant increase in the ratio of the working-age population relative to dependents (children and the elderly), in the workforce.