06 September 2021

Libya: Gaddafi’s third son Sa'adi Gaddafi, known for having pursued a career as a football player in Italy, later commander of Libya's Special Forces, had been held since 2014 after having been extradited from Niger. He has been released from prison in Tripoli, having been “found not guilty of a series of crimes including murder”. He left for Turkey upon his release.
BBC Africa Live 06 September 2021. 8:18

Guinea: The coup in Conakry has sent aluminium prices on world markets to their highest level in 10 years. Guinea produces around a quarter of the world’s bauxite
BBC Africa Live 06 September 2021. 19:25

São Tomé and Príncipe: Carlos Vila Nova will be the new president after getting 57.54% of the votes in Sunday’s second round of elections. The former infrastructure minister was backed by the opposition Independent Democratic Action party.
BBC Africa Live 06 September 2021. 11:30

Terrorism: According to the article’s author’s research, “Al-Qaida and its rival (…), the Islamic State group, have long had chronic difficulties replenishing their ranks”. That had an effect on 9/11 – which was originally planned on both the East and the West Coast.
Let us hope this hold for the Sahel and Mozambique and Somalia also…
https://theconversation.com/al-qaida-islamic-state-group-struggle-for-recruits-166808

Ghana: Chieftaincy conflicts are a fairly common occurrence in northern Ghana. The article’s authors have looked into two such conflicts. Surprisingly many actors have been found to be involved in such conflicts.
https://theconversation.com/chieftaincy-conflicts-in-ghana-are-mixed-up-with-politics-whats-at-risk-166602

Nigeria: Omowumi Iledare, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Professorial Chair in Oil and Gas Economics and Management at the University of Cape Coast explains the significance of the Petroleum Industry Bill that was “finally passed by the National Assembly on 1 July 2021 and signed into law by Buhari”. It will, he thinks, make the Nigeria’s “petroleum industry attractive to investors”.
https://theconversation.com/new-law-will-make-nigerias-petroleum-industry-attractive-to-investors-166860




05 September 2021

Kenya/FGC: Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is illegal in Kenya but that does not mean that it does not happen, often on girls between 12 and 17 years old. In the sensitization against the practice, men can be of great help – they are considered the deciders.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58200718

Guinea: After hours of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace in Conakry, it is not clear whether the coup attempt has been successful (like the perpetrators of the coup say) or not (like the defence minister says). President Alpha Condé seems to be in the hands of the soldiers of what is possibly an elite unit headed by a former French legionnaire, Lt Col Mamady Doumbouya.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58453778