23 February 2022
Nigeria/Morocco/South Africa: According to a WHO-Unicef study, almost 50% of Nigerian mothers, 40% of Moroccan mothers and more than 20% of South African mothers have been advised to feed their babies formula products. Breastfeeding is clearly best for babies. Protection from unethical marketing practices of the baby formula industry – worth 55bn USD globally – needs to be improved.
BBC Africa Live 23 February 2022. 16:00
Mauritius: The Chagos Islands belong to Mauritius, no doubt about it. And faced with UK non-compliance with international law, the Mauritian government will not “let the dispute of sovereignty disappear any time soon” – the recent “scientific survey of the Blenheim reef” including some Chagossians and planting Mauritian flags on two of the islands is a clear sign of that.
https://theconversation.com/chagos-islands-mauritiuss-latest-challenge-to-uk-shows-row-over-sovereignty-will-not-go-away-177381
Mauritius: Macaque monkeys, primates first introduced to the island as pets in 1602, are nowadays bred to be exported for research. Their wild population, estimated at around 30,000, are a big threat to Mauritian biodiversity – plants and animals. The article makes some suggestions what to do about them.
https://theconversation.com/the-macaque-monkeys-of-mauritius-an-invasive-alien-species-and-a-major-export-for-research-176569
Somalia: If elections are delayed further, the IMF may stop its support programme to the country. In 2020, Somalia’s debt was reduced from 5.2 to 3.7bn USD. It is supposed to be reduced further to 560m USD – but “(t)he debt relief programme needs to be reviewed by 17 May by a new government”.
BBC Africa Live 23 February 2022. 5:53
22 February 2022
Kenya: Over the last three years, the prices of basic commodities have increased a lot, some have doubled, some goods are even three times as expensive nowadays. This has become an issue for the upcoming (in August) general elections.
BBC Africa Live 22 February 2022. 9:07
Somalia: According to the Hirall Institute, a Mogadishu-based research group, al-Shabab in 2021 spent UDS24m on weapons. According to the same source, al-Shabab raises around USD180m every year.
BBC Africa Live 22 February 2022. 17:34