26 March 2021
Nawal El Saadawi: “(U)npopular with many in government and in the so-called establishment”, “subversive in life and distinctly political in her writings”, she thought that “(i)f I don’t tell the truth, I don’t deserve to be called a writer.” She was proud never to have compromised. “She never compromised because in many ways the condition of women globally has not much changed and because there is an ethos that persistently governs women, that, she believed, demanded unequivocal attention.” The article presents a short overview of her life and her works – the latter are “weapons in a war that is still to be won”. An homage.
https://theconversation.com/nawal-el-saadawi-egypts-grand-novelist-physician-and-global-activist-157817
Ethiopia/Eritrea: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced that Eritrean troops will withdraw from Tigray. He had for a long time denied/only recently admitted that they had participated in the war.
BBC Africa Live 26 March 2021. 5:40
Mozambique: Fighting in Palma between “al-Shabab” insurgents and the army are continuing. The number of casualties is still unknown, but “eyewitnesses describe dead bodies lying by roadsides and on the beach front”. Local residents are reported to have fled into nearby forests.
BBC Africa Live 26 March 2021. 12:53
25 March 2021
World/Covid: An overview of governments trying to contain the virus.
https://theconversation.com/what-we-learned-from-tracking-every-covid-policy-in-the-world-157721
Chad: Despite “a groundswell of opposition” against his candidature, president Idriss Déby Itno, after 30 years in power, is likely to win the elections. This is amongst other reasons, because he has used Chad’s oil revenues to arm the military and because he uses it to counter attacks on his rule, also to restrict the opposition from campaigning. Internationally, he has the seemingly unconditional support of France, is seen as indispensable in the fight against Boko Haram and has placed key allies in key positions (e.g. president of the African Union commission, UN representative for West Africa), he himself being presently chair of the G5 Sahel.
https://theconversation.com/how-a-popular-movement-could-threaten-idriss-deby-itnos-30-years-in-power-157162
Kenya/Clean Cooking: Using solid fuels (wood, charcoal, dung and straw) for cooking/heating/lighting. generates toxic pollutants, especially “fine Particulate Matter” (PM2.5) and Kenya is trying to get people to change these fuels for cleaner ones. But Covid may have disrupted the process of change: “Of particular concern is our finding that 69% of liquid petroleum gas or electricity users before the Covid-19 pandemic reported a subsequent switch to kerosene. (…) This is worrying as prior to Covid-19 a study found kerosene using households had PM2.5 levels almost equal to those in charcoal or wood-using households
https://theconversation.com/covid-19-a-new-challenge-for-clean-cooking-progress-in-kenya-155900
Kenya: The pronounced shrinking of green spaces in Nairobi increases the likelihood that people will catch zoonotic diseases because species such as rodents proliferate. This particularly concerns the most densely populated, poor areas. The article reports the results of research undertaken in Nairobi and proposes solutions.
https://theconversation.com/nairobi-is-rapidly-losing-its-green-spaces-this-could-open-the-door-to-more-diseases-151871
Mozambique: On Wednesday, terrorists attacked Palma in the country’s Far North, close to the gas project-to-be – hours after resumption of construction work interrupted for more than two months because of terrorist attacks. Banks, shops, a hotel, and the barracks of the riot police were targeted. Government troops regained control of the town early Thursday morning. The number of casualties is not yet known.
BBC Africa Live 25 March 2021. 11:22
Cameroon: The Anglophone crisis is by no means over. The number refugees rose from 20,485 in January 2018 to 63,235 in January 2021. The number of IDPs stood at 705,000 in November 2020 compared to 679,000 a year earlier. Although the military response was prioritized (with its abuses), “Cameroon’s approach to the crisis has always encompassed both political and military dimensions. At stake here is the quality of the political agreement on offer”. The political “solutions” offered (commissions to promote bilingualism and multiculturalism, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, the establishment of a special status for English-speaking regions, etc.) have not been up to the mark. Such solutions were by no means the result of dialogue and discussion, but were unilaterally imposed by the government.
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/no-more-half-measures-in-cameroons-anglophone-crisis?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=ISS_Weekly_FR&utm_medium=email
Nigeria: The closing of land borders with Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger in August 2019 was said to stop smuggling. But it hasn’t. The real reasons for the border closure might have been protectionist, especially regarding rice and maize. A partial reopening of land borders was announced on 16 December 2020 and passage by light vehicles and pedestrians was allowed since January 2021. If smuggling is to be stopped, “(r)ather than closing borders, Nigeria and its neighbours should invest in better border security and surveillance and ensure the development and upliftment of border communities that rely on smuggling as a livelihood source.”
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/nigerias-border-closures-havent-served-their-purpose?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=ISS_Weekly_FR&utm_medium=email
Senegal: Triggered by legal proceedings against Ousmane Sonko and then his arrest, the recent “(c)lashes between civilians and law enforcement lead to the death of at least 11 people and the injury of nearly 590. Scores of protesters were arrested, and the looting and destruction of property, including public buildings, caused significant damage.” The regime is perceived as using the justice system to achieve its political goals and exclude opposition members. The judiciary needs more independence, as recommended by the National Commission for Institutional Reform (CNRI) in 2013.
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/senegals-political-turbulence-reveals-a-justice-system-in-crisis?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=ISS_Weekly_FR&utm_medium=email
Algeria/France: Shortly after Algeria’s issuing international arrest warrants against government critics including journalists, social media users and a former diplomat, an extradition agreement between France and Algeria has come into force. “The Algerian authorities accuse activists based in France of undermining the security of the country and associating with terrorist groups”. On Wednesday, Hirak protesters chanted their support for some of those named on the arrest warrants.
BBC Africa Live 25 March 2021. 16:14