In The News

New York Times: US Africa Strategy Counters China

Mark Landler and Edward Wong December 14, 2018
The United States plans to devote more funding and attention on Africa, according to National Security Adviser John Bolton. He suggests the threat for Africa is not poverty or extremism but expanding Chinese influence. “Bolton conceded that the United States had limited resources to compete with the tens of billions of dollars China is pouring into Africa,” report Mark Landler and Edward Wong for...

Mail & Guardian: Western Museums and African Artifacts

Christine Mungai December 5, 2018
Economists and art historians are taking inventory of artwork and cultural artifacts removed from their lands decades or even centuries ago. The British Museum is returning an unknown number of artifacts, and France is returning 25 pieces to Benin. “The decision was made after French President Emmanuel Macron reviewed a report by Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French art historian...

Harvard Business Review: Containing Ebola

Ranu S. Dhillon and Devabhaktuni Srikrishna November 20, 2018
Rebel attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo challenge the public health response to Ebola outbreaks in that country. Outbreaks can flare quickly, even without considering that conflict has contributed to displacement of more than 4.5 million people inside the country and hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries. “With over 10 major episodes of violence since the outbreak was...

Economist: China’s Efforts to Win Over African Audiences

November 5, 2018
Growing ties between Chinese capital and African nations has attracted controversy in recent years. As an article for the Economist notes, “ever since the Kenyan government signed a deal in 2014 for a state-owned Chinese company to build a railway between Nairobi and Kenya’s main port in Mombasa, the project has attracted controversy.” Many Kenyans are suspicious over corruption due to the...

New York Times: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism

Joseph Goldstein October 22, 2018
A 26-year-old Kenyan working for a Chinese motorcycle company in Ruiru recorded a viral video of his Chinese manager airing frustration after a business deal had gone awry, comparing Kenyans to monkies. After the video drew widespread condemnation, Liu was deported back to China. Such incidents are not a rare occurrence. “Today, many younger Kenyans say that racism is a phenomenon they largely...

Washington Post: 380,000 Deaths in South Sudan’s Civil War

Siobhán O'Grady September 26, 2018
A study funded by the US Institute for Peace and the US State Department finds that more than 380,000 people died from civil war in South Sudan. The United Nations put the number at 50,000 in 2016, and South Sudan officials suggest it is even lower. Calculating casualties in a war zone is challenging, and the lead epidemiologist with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests the...

African Business: Integrating Smallholder Farmers Into Supply Chain

Tom Collins September 13, 2018
About 70 percent of Africans rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, and growth in the sector reduces poverty. Some small farmers struggle to find markets and hesitate to expand, and business leaders suggest connections with larger supply chains. “Yet this is easier said than done,” explains Tom Collins for African Business. “Although large producers build smallholder capacity to secure crop,...