09 January 2023
Somaliland: In Sallahey area of Marodi-Jeh region, an oil well has been discovered – the country’s first. The discovery seems to have happened by chance: The ministry of energy and mineral resources “said it had launched scientific investigations after a black liquid spilled from a waterwell drilling site in the area, and the results had confirmed the oil discovery.”
BBC Africa Live 09 January 2023. 8:35
Congo-Kinshasa: For the pope’s first ever visit to the city at the end of the month, Kinshasa is starting to clean up “with street vendors and abandoned vehicles removed”. In mid-December, heavy rains had caused floods that killed 120 in the fast-growing Congolese capital of at least 14 million inhabitants.
BBC Africa Live 09 January 2023. 7:26
Zimbabwe: Will the 2023 “election (…) see a repeat of some of the violence that has marred previous polls in Zimbabwe”? A widely-shared video shows “what appears to be a gang interrogating and assaulting people holding an opposition meeting”. The police say they are investigating. Is “the governing party (…) using systematic violence as a tool to win elections”, as the opposition alleges?
BBC Africa Live 09 January 2023. 5:58
Nigeria/Biafra: Imo State and Anambra State are the hardest hit: armed men who say they are fighting for Biafra’s independence “have usurped the powers of government officials and traditional rulers” and the violence they employ against members of the security forces but also civilians is sowing terror in concerned villages and towns – even Imo State capital Owerri. The separatists’ “sit-at-home” order in many places shuts down businesses, schools and government offices every Monday and participation in the voting in upcoming elections will be much disturbed as some of the armed groups have called for a boycott. The Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), founded in 2012 as a peaceful movement, in 2020 launched the Eastern Security Network (ESN) as its armed wing – but the ESN has since “split into feuding factions” and there is often an amalgam with criminality. Killings, kidnappings and extortion rackets have by now lost Ipob “the support of many Igbos who had backed it when it was formed”. However, not only the “unknown Gunmen fighting for Biafra”, as they call themselves, commit atrocities; security forces and vigilante groups, formed with government backing, have been known to do so as well.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64110852
Sudan: The deal between the junta and some parts of the opposition signed on 5th of December 2022 was rejected by many, among them important parts of the pro-democracy movement. The UN’s Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (Unitams) has now announced “a four-day conference to consult on five issues in the political framework agreement” starting today Monday.
BBC Africa Live 09 January 2023. 9:30
Copper/Zambia: Copper and cobalt are much used in wind and solar powered technology and electric vehicle production and Zambia has important reserves of both of them. So the country should benefit from the transition to renewable energies. But in the past, “rises in copper prices have not translated into reducing poverty or inequality”. To do better now, going beyond capturing tax benefits (taxes on foreign mining firms) will be necessary, integrating Zambian companies and workers into mining’s value chain, e.g., by pursuing a local content strategy.
https://theconversation.com/climate-change-action-could-set-off-a-copper-mining-boom-how-zambia-can-make-the-most-of-it-195764
Africa/HIV-Aids: 70% of the 38 million in the world living with HIV live in Africa. For new infections, there are two key groups: young men who have sex with men in Eastern Europe and Russia plus young women in Africa. In Africa, “the means we have to slow the rate of new infections in young women is not well suited to the need.” New approaches and new technologies are needed.
https://theconversation.com/hiv-remains-a-leading-killer-in-africa-despite-medical-breakthroughs-how-to-eliminate-it-195997
Cameroon: Anglophone regions apply the common law, Francophone regions the civil law – the two differ substantially. “(T)he common law and the English language have been systemically undermined” and at “the Supreme Court, the predominant application of the civil law often left common law litigants without justice.” To remedy this, a Common Law Division was created in or around 2017 within the Supreme Court where cases are heard by Anglophone judges versed in common law. This has improved matters – but challenges remain. The article makes recommendations how to further improve.
https://theconversation.com/cameroons-anglophone-crisis-how-the-common-law-court-offers-a-ray-of-hope-195679
08 January 2023
Ghana: The weeklong series of events and panels of the Black Star Line Festival on Accra’s Black Star Square of Independence has been attended by about 50,000. It brought together Ghanaians and the diaspora, with international and local stars performing. Erykah Badu, T-Pain, Chance The Rapper, Sarkodie, Manifest and The Asakaa Boys were present. A BBC photo essay.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64200871
Nigeria/Local language teaching: The National Language Policy announced in November 2022 by the education minister wants children to be taught in their mother tongue during their first six years at school. But is this practical in a country of 625 languages? Across Nigeria, a lot of mixing has taken place and many a primary school has pupils who speak several different languages where English or Pidgin is the only common denominator. In others’ families, the local language has been abandoned for English and the children may no longer speak their “mother tongue” at all. Yet it is generally accepted that teaching should at first be conducted in the language the children are familiar with – results improve tremendously in comparison with teaching in an unknown language. Nothing has been said yet as to how the new policy will be rolled out. Many a teacher is not capable of teaching in the local language(s) and teaching materials need to be produced. Lots of challenges.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63971991