Intersect: Africa
COVID May Force Zambian Default Zambia may be the first African government to default on its sovereign debt because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Zambian President Edgar Lungu’s government is seeking “the suspension of debt service payments for a period of six months” from private creditors holding around $3 billion in international bonds. Zambia blamed “a […]
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 […]
Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | August 2020
I Overview Pakistan:• Economy• Terrorism• Religious Extremism• Pakistan-India• Pakistan-China• Pakistan-Bangladesh Afghanistan:• Peace and Reconciliation• COVID-19 Pandemic• Afghanistan-Pakistan• Afghanistan-India II Developments in Pakistan Economy According to a report of IMF, Pakistan’s growth during the current financial year (July 2020 to June 2021) is expected to be 1% as against minus 0.4% during the last financial year. In the budget […]
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 […]
Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | July 2020
I Overview Pakistan:• Budget 2020-21• Terrorism and FATF• Pashtun Tahafuz Movement• COVID-19 crisis• Pakistan-India• Pakistan-China Afghanistan:• Peace and Reconciliation• Corruption• COVID-19 crisis• Afghanistan-Pakistan• Afghanistan-Iran II Developments in Pakistan Budget 2020-21 The Pakistan National Assembly approved the budget for 2020-21 in the backdrop of worsening economic situation, particularly because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Economic Survey […]
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 […]
Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | June 2020
I Overview Pakistan:• Economy• Pashtun Tahafuz Movement• COVID-19 crisis• Pakistan-India• Pakistan-China Afghanistan:• Power sharing agreement between President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah• Peace and Reconciliation• COVID-19 crisis• Afghanistan-Pakistan• Afghanistan-Iran II Developments in Pakistan Economy Addressing an online session of the World Economic Forum, PM Imran Khan called upon developed countries to provide debt relief to […]
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 […]
Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | May 2020
I Overview Pakistan:• Economy• COVID-19 crisis• Terrorism• Allegations of wrongdoing against leading PTI members• Army tightens grip on Information Ministry• Pakistan-India Afghanistan:• US-Taliban deal• Controversy surrounding the Presidential election• COVID-19 crisis• Arrest of “Islamic State” terrorist• Continued violence• Afghanistan-Pakistan II Developments in Pakistan Economy According to a World Bank report, Pakistan will suffer a […]
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 […]