Africa

Photo: A traditional Dogon village in central Mali. MINUSMA/Sophie Ravier

UN Finds French Military Culpable for Deadly Attack on Mali Civilians

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — Major combat operations by French troops in Mali have drawn fire from local officials who accuse the French military of killing civilians including at a recent wedding. Nineteen wedding guests and three armed men died in the strike in the village of Bounty, central Mali.

Now, a scathing report by the UN’s mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, concurs with Malian authorities and upholds the claim that the victims were protected under international law. The French defence ministry rejects the report’s findings.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 20 April 2021

Photo: Rwanda Genocide suspect Munyenyezi faces seven counts in Rwanda Source: Africa CGTN

Genocide Suspect Back in Rwanda After Losing Appeal to Remain in the U.S.

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — After two unsuccessful appeals in the U.S., a Rwandan woman is back in Kigali where she stands to face prosecution for her active role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

In an application for political asylum, Beatrice Munyenyezi denied that she had been involved in the killing of Tutsis in Rwanda. But witnesses were found and told a court how Munyenyezi had inspected identity cards at a notorious roadblock where ethnic Tutsis were singled out for slaughter.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 19 April 2021

Photo: Nigerian start-up's bus. Source: Plentywaka

Nigerian Start-Up Plans International Debut in Canada

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — You’ve hailed an Uber, waved down a taxi—now a Nigerian start-up will take you to the next level. Their company—Plentywaka—will let you call a bus.

Founder Onyeka Akumah and his team are planning to make their international debut in the Canadian market after recently receiving $120,000 backing from Techstars Toronto.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 19 April 2021

Photo: Prof. Ksenia Tabarintseva-Romanova and Prof Alexei Antoshin

Economic and Social Development of the African Continent — A Russian Perspective

Kester Kenn Klomegah* interviews Prof. Ksenia Tabarintseva-Romanova and Prof Alexei Antoshin

MOSCOW (IDN) — After the Soviet collapse, Russia has maintained strong and time-tested relations with African countries, particularly as the Soviet Union had played an important role during decolonization. The African continent comprises a diverse collection of countries, each with its own set of development setbacks and challenges. The political culture and investment climate are, in fact, diverse but are also important forces in determining the levels of the economy.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Africa; 18 April 2021

Photo: Food crisis in the Sahel and West Africa. Credit: Food Security Net

27 Million in the Sahel and West Africa Facing Unprecedented Food and Nutrition Crisis

By Jaya Ramachandaran

PARIS (IDN) — The Sahel and West Africa are facing a major food and nutrition crisis for the second consecutive year and 27.1 million people will be at risk during the 2021 lean season, according to experts. A swift and co-ordinated response, they say, is needed alongside strengthened political commitment to finding more sustainable ways of addressing recurrent crises and the growing need for food assistance across the region.

: Jaya Ramachandran; SUSTAINABILITY; Food security, nutrition & sustainable agriculture; 15 April 2021

Photo: A monument in memory of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda is unveiled at the United Nations in Geneva (file). UN Photo / Violaine Martin.

UN Chief Calls for Reflecting on Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — In a message marking the grim anniversary of the 1994 genocide of Tutsi in Rwanda, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of the rise of extremist groups and the inflammatory rhetoric that produced horrific consequences.

“Everyone must take a hard look at today’s world and ensure that we heed the lessons of 27 years ago,” the UN chief declared. “While the technology used by extremists is evolving, their vile messages and rhetoric remain the same.”

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 12 April 2021

Photo: Benin's presidential election kicked off on April 11. Credit: Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua

Key Opposition Leaders Disqualified, Exiled or Under Investigation In Benin’s Presidential Poll

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore…and then run?”

Those were the prophetic words of poet Langston Hughes but they could also explain the rising frustration in an African election season where hopes for a democratic change are deferred and the incumbent holds on to power year after year after year.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 12 April 2021

Photo: The new EMOWAA draws inspiration from its historical architectural typologies and establishes its own courtyard in the form of a public garden. Credit: EMOWAA Museum.

Discussion About the Repatriation of Nigeria’s ‘Benin Bronzes’ Looted by British Soldiers

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — The Church of England is joining a handful of museums, universities, and private owners exploring the repatriation to Nigeria of thousands of brass plaques, wooden and ivory sculptures known as the Benin Bronzes looted by British soldiers in the waning days of the colonial era.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 12 April 2021

Photo: Sudanese protestors gather in front of government buildings in Khartoum to celebrate the final signing of the Draft Constitutional Declaration between military and civil representatives in August 2019. VOA-Public Domain.

Two Years On, Sudan's Political Transition Remains Extremely Volatile

By Philipp Jahn and Gerrit Kurtz*

This article was first published in the Journal of the International Politics and Society, issued by the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Brussels office.

KHARTOUM (IDN) — April 11, 2019 was a day of great emotion in Khartoum. At noon, the then-Vice President Ibn Auf announced the arrest of President Omar al-Bashir. The residents of Khartoum celebrated the end of his 30-year rule by holding a sit-in in front of the military headquarters. In the evening, however, the mood shifted when the putschist military council announced two years of military rule.

: Europe Editor; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 10 April 2021

Photo: Dr Wim Naudé, Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics with the Cork University Business School in Ireland with the image of AfCFTA from African Union website.

African Free Trade Area Expected to Lift Millions out of Extreme Poverty and Boost Growth

By Busani Bafana

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (IDN) — The long-awaited African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)—set to be the world’s biggest free trade zone by size—which entered into force on January 1, 2021, promises a new era for African trade.

An Africa-wide free-trade pact could bolster the region’s income by $450 billion and lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035, if accompanied by significant policy reforms and trade-facilitation measures, according to the World Bank. When fully operational, the Free Trade area will create a market of 1.2 billion and drive a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion.