In The News

Africa and Sustainable Prosperity: Mail & Guardian

Joyce Msuya November 24, 2019
Sustainable economic growth in Africa requires a focus on environmental protection, maintaining clean water and fertile soil. “Six of the world’s fastest growing economies are African,” explains Joyce Msuya of the UN Environment Programme. “The continent is urbanising rapidly, and governments are working to provide the infrastructure, skills and policy to drive growth and development. But unless...

Russia Charms First Africa Summit: Financial Times

Henry Foy October 29, 2019
About $12.5 billion worth of deals were struck during the first ever Russia-Africa Summit, though many are memorandums of understanding that may not result in actual investments, writes Henry Foy for the Financial Times. Russia will export nuclear power plants, fighter jets and missile defense systems to African countries, an attempt to regain influence on the continent. Many of agreements focus...

Tunisia’s Saied Projected in Landslide Win: Reuters

Tarek Amara and Angus McDowall October 14, 2019
Exit polls project Kais Saied as the decisive winner of Tunisia’s presidential race by 70 percent. Tunisia triggered a wave of protests in 2011, what became known as the Arab Spring: It was the first country to remove its dictatorial ruler and the only one to sustain the transition to democracy. Saied’s campaign, operating with little funding promised a return to the values of the 2011 Arab...

Africa’s New Trade Zone: African Business

October 2, 2019
Africa offers great potential for growth with immense resources and a young population, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement aims to increase regional trade integration, develop regional supply chains and diversify exports: “the agreement will be fully supported with well-defined rules of origin; schedules of tariff concessions in trade in goods; an online continental non-tariff...

Global Rosewood Crisis: EIA

August 24, 2019
Rosewood, or Hongmu, refers to 29 species that produce durable beautiful wood used for antique furniture reproduction. “The insatiable demand for scarce hongmu resources has caused the expansion of supply chains from Southeast Asia to new frontiers in Africa and Central America,” reports Environmental Investigation Agency. “Prior to the surge in international demand, domestic markets in Africa...

Compromise in Khartoum: Economist

August 22, 2019
Following a coup in Sudan and negotiations, the longtime leader is on trial for corruption. An economist leads the transitional government and elections are scheduled in 2022. Generals “signed the agreement only after coming under intense pressure from foreign powers,” reports the Economist, describing the new government made of five soldiers and six civilians. Many of the generals became wealthy...

Ebola Treatments Show Promise: Popular Science

Nicole Wetsman August 14, 2019
Preliminary data suggest two experimental treatments for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo are improving survival rates. The fatality rate for Ebola is 67 percent, and with the antibody treatments, risk of death fell to 10 percent, reports Nicole Wetsman. She explains how the World Health Organization developed a plan for ethical testing of treatments during such emergencies after the...