18 May 2022
Uganda/Congo-Kinshasa: The Ugandan army has announced its withdrawal from neighbouring Congolese provinces where it has been fighting terrorism (first of all ADF) alongside Congolese forces since end of last year. It said, the intervention had only been meant to last six months, so unless there is an extension…
BBC Africa Live 18 May 2022. 5:52
Heat & Health: Cities – and in them first of all the poor and minorities – are particularly vulnerable to effects of heat on health and Africa is particularly exposed to (climate crisis induced increases of) heat. On the basis of her research in Dar es Salaam, the article’s author’s details reasons and effects and makes recommendations how to act against the “silent killer” heat in informal settlements.
https://theconversation.com/heat-and-health-dar-es-salaams-informal-settlements-need-help-181816
South Africa/Land Reform: Land reform is essential, yet progress has been slow since the demise of the apartheid regime. slow progress of land reform in South Africa. In 1994 77.6 out of a total of 122 million hectares of farmland belonged to white farmers. The ANC first fixed itself a target of redistributing 30% of agricultural land within five years – the same target was later postponed to 2030. The article’s author’s research makes him estimate the overall percentage of formerly white-owned land redistributed at 20% - not that bad after all and better than most think (13.2m ha/17% are estimated to have been transferred to the state (3.1m ha) or black owners (10.1m ha) by restitution, redistribution, private transactions and state procurement transactions; to this need to be added the 2.3m ha identified for restitution for which communities elected to receive financial compensation – this makes a total of 15.56m ha). Apart from this estimate, the article mostly reviews Tembeka Ngcukaitobi’s 2021 book “Land Matters: South Africa’s Failed Land Reforms and the Road Ahead”. The government needs to make greater efforts – not only talk in pre-election times.
https://theconversation.com/land-reform-in-south-africa-what-the-real-debate-should-be-about-182277
Mozambique/Polio: Maputo has declared a wild polio outbreak after a child was diagnosed with polio in Tete province. It is Mozambique’s first case in thirty years – but neighbouring Malawi had discovered another wild polio case in February. The Mozambican health ministry is planning a vaccination campaign.
BBC Africa Live 18 May 2022. 14:36
17 May 2022
Eritrea/Italy/Cycling: Biniam Girmay today won stage 10 of the Giro D'Italia and thus became “the first black African to win a stage on the Grand Tour”. This happened one day before Eritrea’s Independence Day and don’t forget that, a long time ago, Eritrea was an Italian colony.
BBC Africa Live 17 May 2022. 15:29
Food: According to the author’s estimates, the world will miss the objective of ending hunger by 2030. Despite considerable increases in food production, “processing, export and industrial-use crops will likely account for 50% of harvested calories worldwide” in 2030. If you add animal feed to that, just under 30% will be left for feeding people. Sub-Saharan Africa is amongst the first and foremost concerned.
https://theconversation.com/a-shrinking-fraction-of-the-worlds-major-crops-goes-to-feed-the-hungry-with-more-used-for-nonfood-purposes-181819