6 February 2021
Africa 2021: International Crisis Group podcast 36’01’’: ICG’s Africa Programme Director Comfort Eron being interviewed on her views about the main African issues
(https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/africa-2021)
Sahel/G5/Barkhane: International Crisis Group (ICG) report: “A Course Correction for the Sahel Stabilisation Strategy”. “Since 2013, when it sent troops to Mali, France has led international efforts to root out Islamist militancy from the Sahel. Yet the jihadist threat has grown. Paris and its partners should reorient their military-centred approach toward helping improve governance in the region.”
(https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/sahel/299-course-correction-sahel-stabilisation-strategy)
5 February 2021
Nigeria: The former chief of defence staff and heads of the army, navy and air force, who had been replaced on 26th of January because of lack of results (especially against Boko Haram) are to be rewarded by diplomatic posts – president Buhari’s proposals must only be approved by the Senate.
(BBC Africa Live 05 February 2021. 5:16)
Kenya and Madagascar: “Devastating effects” of the Global Gag Rule, aka the Mexico City Policy – introduced by Trump, now repealed by Biden. Researchers’ conclusion: “In both countries, we found that the Global Gag Rule weakened national health systems by disrupting NGO partnerships and fragmenting service delivery. In turn, this created barriers to women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare access.” That seems putting it too mildly, seen that the Global Gag Rule causes deaths and severely hinders family planning.
Ok for the article’s last paragraph: “In addition to permanently repealing the Gag Rule, there needs to be renewed investment in comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services from the US government and national governments in order to rebuild and strengthen national health systems and contraceptive supply chains”
(Sara E Casey, Emily A Maistrellis, Terry McGovern, US anti-abortion “gag rule” hits women hard: what we found in Kenya and Madagascar, The Conversation 4/2/2021, https://theconversation.com/us-anti-abortion-gag-rule-hits-women-hard-what-we-found-in-kenya-and-madagascar-154434)
Female Genital Cutting/FGC: Tomorrow 6th of February is International Day against FGC.
“Local context matters”. Anti-FGC activists worldwide know. Yet this is all that an article has to say, which The Conversation newsletter of 5/2/2021 points to though it is a year old: Tamsin Bradley, Why it’s so difficult to end female genital mutilation, The Conversation 5/2/2020, https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-difficult-to-end-female-genital-mutilation-131162)
The Conversation newsletter also points to an article by the same author that seems more interesting, an article published in August 2020 on the new anti-FGC law in Sudan. “The first law banning it (= FGC) was passed in the state of South Kordofan in 2008. This was followed by Gadaref state in 2009. Both states ratified a Child Act with an article banning female genital mutilation.
The challenge was achieving countrywide ratification, which has now happened through the passing of the law by the sovereign council.
But the law alone won’t reduce female genital mutilation.”
The article also refers to the “Saleema” campaign, considered a success.
“More importantly than anything, change has to be driven by the grassroots. Community activists are key change agents”.
Tamsin Bradley, Sudan’s political change gives hope for young women and girls. Here’s why, The Conversation 12/8/2020, https://theconversation.com/sudans-political-change-gives-hope-for-young-women-and-girls-heres-why-144293)
Ghana/Fast = unhealthy Food: (Internationally branded) fast food in Ghana is a prestige object and rather expensive, so it mostly the richer Ghanaians who consume it. Hypertension is prevalent among higher income groups.
James Boafo, Ghanaians are eating more fast food: the who and the why, The Conversation 4/2/2021, https://theconversation.com/ghanaians-are-eating-more-fast-food-the-who-and-the-why-153810
Africa/Covid vaccine rollout: The World Health Organisation says all African countries should be injecting high priority people by the end of February.
(BBC Africa Live 05 February 2021. 9:37)
TAKUBA/G5 Sahel: After Estonian and Czech forces, 150 Swedish soldiers have joined the Takuba special force that Paris is hoping will take some weight off their respectively Barkhane’s shoulders in combatting terrorists in the Sahel.
(BBC Africa Live 05 February 2021. 16:58)
WTO: Former Nigerian finance minister and former no.2 of the World Bank Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala looks set to become the WTO’s first woman and first African Director-General.
(BBC Africa Live 05 February 2021. 16:07)
Libya: After five days of talks, delegates at a UN-led forum have chosen a three-member presidential council and a prime minister for the transition period until the end of the year. Misrata businessman Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah will be the transitional prime minister – who has to form a government within 21 days – and former ambassador to Greece Mohamed Younes Menfi will be head of the presidency council. None of the politicians chosen will be allowed to take part in the 24 December 2021 election.
(https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55955228)
DRC/Congo Kinshasa: The resignation of the speaker of the senate, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, and Gecamine’s (the state mining company’s) replacing its secretary general and senior officials all go to strengthen the country’s president Tshisekedi (and to weaken his predecessor Kabila son).
(BBC Africa Live 05 February 2021. 17:57)