12 April 2022
Nigeria: Raids by armed gangs on four villages in Kanam area in Plateau state have killed more than 150 on Sunday, most of them young men and children. They were buried in mass graves. Dozens of homes were also burnt and hundreds displaced. According to residents, “it took the security forces nearly 24 hours to arrive in the villages after the attacks”.
BBC Africa Live 12 April 2022. 7:55
Algeria/Italy: The two countries have signed “a major gas deal” which is to reduce Italy’s dependence on Russia for its gas supplies, using the Transmed undersea pipeline which passes through Tunisia.
BBC Africa Live 12 April 2022. 5:26
G5 Sahel/France: Creation of the G5 Sahel “was effectively a snub of the AU and ECOWAS”. The leaders of the 5 countries involved benefitted. G5 Sahel created an institutional overlap and maybe even a “security traffic jam”, with the UN, AU and G5 Sahel having mandates to deal with conflicts in the region. But since France wanted it… “France’s assistance in forming the G5 Sahel is hardly surprising given that the organisation effectively serves its interests and that of its Western partners. It enables Paris to subcontract security and control migration without shouldering too much risk.”
https://theconversation.com/setting-up-the-g5-sahel-why-an-option-that-seemed-unlikely-came-into-being-180422
Zambia: Since the government has had to seriously reduce health, education and social care spending, CSOs have appealed to BlackRock – the giant US investment firm – “to delay or cancel debt interest payments”. BlackRock, will it listen?
BBC Africa Live 12 April 2022. 13:40
11 April 2022
Uganda: In the hybrid or electoral authoritarian regime of Uganda, governance makes use of “institutionalised arbitrariness”. Since the country cannot fully monopolise violence (or provide basic services to its citizens), it outsources violence to non-state actors (e.g., vigilantes, community police or certain community members), encouraging the formation of such groups and giving them the job of using violence to police their communities. The resulting fragmentation of governance makes organised political opposition difficult.
https://theconversation.com/how-the-ugandan-state-outsources-the-use-of-violence-to-stay-in-power-180447
Nigeria: A critical homage to Olusegun Obasanjo who has turned 85 recently.
https://theconversation.com/obasanjo-from-a-nigerian-village-to-the-pinnacle-of-power-on-the-continent-179862
Malaria & Agriculture: The article’s authors’ research has shown that rainfed cropland in rural areas, irrigated cropland in/near urban areas and complete forest cover increase the risk of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand, the presence of natural vegetation within agricultural lands may reduce malaria.
https://theconversation.com/agriculture-is-linked-with-malaria-in-complex-ways-evidence-from-16-african-countries-179881