Intersect: Africa
Crises in the Sahel Mali coup. A military coup in Mali highlights the multiple challenges facing the governments in Africa’s Sahel region: multiple Islamicist insurgencies, tribal conflicts over water and land, and overall environmental degradation thanks to climate change. Mali’s embattled president, Boubacar Keita, was overthrown on August 18 by military officers who say they will […]
Intersect: Africa
Seven COVID Risk Profiles A detailed study of the Covid-19 pandemic in different African countries showed a distinct set of risk profiles as determined by four factors: international exposure, urban population, age and press freedom. Gateway countries had high levels of international engagement including tourism and trade. This group of countries, which comprise the Democratic Republic […]
Intersect: Africa
African Supply Chains Go Local The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains for foreign goods into Africa and made local entrepreneurs recognize the need to prioritize local manufacturing. Many retailers in Africa had simply imported goods, flying in products from China and India and then reselling them. British property consultancy Knight Frank showed in a […]
Intersect: Africa
Covid Helps Somalia Consolidate The Somali government is using the pandemic to strengthen its legitimacy at a time when its control of the southern part of the country is challenged by Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda affiliate, and the northern areas of Somaliland and Puntland are quasi-independent. One, the Somali authorities, arguing they needed to […]
Intersect: Africa
Africa And COVID-19 First Recession in 25 Years: The Covid-19 pandemic and the commodity and tourism crash it has triggered will push Africa into a recession for the first time in 25 years, said the World Bank. Africa may be the worst-affected continent by the present crisis. The World Bank calculates sub-Saharan Africa will see growth fall […]
Intersect: Africa
Pandemic Arrives in Africa By the end of March, the World Health Organisation had confirmed 4,351 cases of Covid-19 and some 135 deaths across Africa. The continent’s under-resourced health services has made the virus’s spread in the continent of particular concern. WHO says its statistics are “likely to significantly underestimate” the true number of cases. […]
Intersect: Africa
US Visa Blocks Undermine Policy The United States continues to send crossed-signals regarding its policy to Africa. On one hand, the Trump administration controversially issued visa restrictions against citizens of four African countries and is preparing to reduce US involvement in military operations in the Sahel region. On the other, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, […]
Intersect: Africa
China’s Bagamayo Problem Africa is known as a nodal point for China’s Belt Road Initiative, especially the continent’s Indian Ocean littoral. Chinese influence on the continent has grown substantially as a consequence and Africans have expressed strong approval of China in surveys. Lately, however, falling commodity prices and greater scrutiny of Chinese debt requirements have […]
Intersect: Africa
Tech in Africa Naspers is second largest e-investor in India South African fund, Naspers, is the second-largest overseas internet investor in India having put in $ 4 billion over the past five years. In an interview with The Economic Times, the head of Naspers Bob van Dijk, indicated India would remain a key market for […]
Intersect: Africa
India’s Mozambique Gas Investment Cleared A consortium of Indian firms and their partners in late June made the final decision to invest $ 20 billion to build a liquid natural gas terminal in Mozambique for the Rovuma Offshore Area 1 gasfield. Indian firms hold 26% share in the investment. The first gas shipments are expected […]