19 January 2022
Burkina Faso: The article tries to evaluate the likelihood of a putsch in the country whose people, in 2015, stood up successfully against a coup attempt. The article errs in stating that there has recently been an attempted coup – while in fact, the authorities only say that they have discovered. Burkina Faso’s past was riddled with coup d’états – until Blaise Compaoré’s in 1987 after which he “insulated” himself from coups by eliminating political rivals by all (not only military) means and instituting a special presidential guard (the RSP). After the end of Compaoré’s reign through a popular uprising, the president and government freely elected in 2015, under fire from terrorists, have let the situation deteriorate. Nowadays, “a frustrated military lacking the basics tools to confront the enemy” (see Inata in November 2021) “and growing popular dissatisfaction with the perceived shortcomings of their elected officials” (see Solhan in June 2021) seems to be “a recipe for a coup d’état”. But it was the people who did not let it happen in 2015…
https://theconversation.com/another-coup-has-been-averted-in-burkina-faso-but-for-how-long-175074
Ghana/GB: The Foreign Ministry has denied media reports that it is considering processing British asylum seekers against payment and said it had neither “engaged with the UK on the matter” nor intended to do so in the future.
BBC Africa Live 19 January 2022. 7:31
South Africa: A zoo’s lions and pumas have been infected by Covid, most likely by the asymptomatic handlers. “(S)cientists at the University of Pretoria (…) warn of the risk of new variants emerging if the virus ‘establishes itself in other animal reservoirs’ and is transmitted back to human beings” and recommend handlers to wear masks and other measures when dealing with the captive animals.
BBC Africa Live 19 January 2022. 5:40
“If life gives you pepper, make a bowl of pepper soup”
BBC Africa Live 19 January 2022. 4:30, proverb of the day. An Igbo proverb from Nigeria sent by Jeffery Oduwa Elaiho
18 January 2022
Somaliland: Neither the UN nor the AU recognise Somaliland’s independence – now the British parliament are about to debate recognition of Somaliland.
BBC Africa Live 18 January 2022. 7:29