Latest Stories

Coronavirus: Counting the economic costs on Sub-Saharan Africa

Over the course of the past few months, many of Africa’s key markets responded to the growing threat of COVID-19 by adopting stringent lockdown ... conditions. What’s become increasingly clear since then is the economic costs of the crisis are likely to be particularly severe across the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region.

think again

China-Africa: Its the politics, stupid!

Forget all the talk of economic colonisation: China wants African votes, not African ports. ...

exposed opportunity

Coronavirus: Chance to improve exposed weaknesses of Africa’s banking system

COVID-19 has disrupted the global economy with the uprooting of supply chains. The decades-long, single-minded focus on optimising supply chains ... helped the world minimize costs, reduce inventory, and boost asset utilisation.

investigation drops

Rwanda genocide: Paris drops investigation into attack of plane carrying Habyarimana

The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed the dismissal of the investigation into the attack that brought down the plane carrying Rwandan President ... Juvénal Habyarimana on 6 April 1994. The case has poisoned French-Rwandan relations for more than 20 years now.

no deal

Kenya: Why Equity Bank broke off talks with Atlas Mara

The Kenyan giant is renouncing the acquisition of African subsidiaries of the British headquartered bank Atlas Mara. A decision linked to Covid-19, ... but not entirely ...

general amnesty

Cameroon: Government is secretly negotiating with the Ambazonians

A Cameroonian government delegation began discreet negotiations with Ambazonian separatist leaders on 2 July with the aim of obtaining a ceasefire ... in the English-speaking zone.

historical contradictions

Colonialism: ‘France has to acknowledge the contradictions in its history’, Ayrault

Currently head of France’s Foundation for the Commemoration of Slavery (Fondation pour la mémoire de l'esclavage), the former French foreign ... minister revisits the debate raging over France’s role in the slave trade and the reappraisal of its historical figures.

Talking Africa Podcast

GERD: 1959 Egypt/Sudan treaty -‘The worst agreement Khartoum could have signed’

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, is due to start filling the dam in the coming weeks. ...

Time's Ticking

Now is the time for Africa to implement AfCFTA, not later

African leaders have shot themselves in the foot by postponing the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) until 2021. ... />

MIXED HARVEST     

South Africa VS Coronavirus: Exports keeping agriculture afloat

In the sixth part of our series on the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa, we look at the agriculture sector, where the citrus industry is exporting ... record volumes to Asia, following a surge in demand for lemons.

Article 6/6 of "Can South Africa stay one step ahead of the pandemic?"

FIGHT BACK

‘The Invisibles’: Unseen footage of Italy’s migrant labourers at peak of COVID-19

“Social distancing is a privilege here…people are packed together….there is no access to healthcare from the state.” ...

Debt Distress

Zambia: IMF support needed to avoid Argentina-style default

An International Monetary Fund support program for Zambia is urgently needed as such an agreement would show that the government is serious about ... economic reform, a representative of the country’s creditors tells The Africa Report.

blame game

How the West gets the WHO and Tedros wrong

Western failings and US-China’s tensions led to unfair accusations against the global health body and its Ethiopian boss, Tedros Adhanom ... Ghebreyesus

protest reignite

Ethiopia: Turmoil over Hachalu’s burial reignites mass Oromo protests

The issue of where to bury Hachalu Hundessa , the popular Oromo musician who was shot in Addis Ababa on 29 June, has reignited protests after ... the government sought to have him buried in his birthplace of Ambo, 124 kilometres west of the capital.

greatest heist

When Haiti paid France for freedom: the greatest heist in history

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, there have been calls for defunding police departments and demands for the removal of statues. The issue ... of reparations for slavery has also resurfaced.

(ir)relevance of Africa

Reality check: Making Africa relevant must come from Africans

Since attaining political independence over 50 years ago, Africa has followed a path of decline compared to the rest of the world. ...

new day

Burundi’s President Ndayishimiye: new cabinet, new COVID strategy

Burundi's new president Evariste Ndayishimiye set out on his first week in power with a new, leaner cabinet, and a different approach to the ... COVID-19 pandemic.

art fraud

African art certified by UNESCO: Beware of scam warns UN body

More than 20 victims were scammed out of anywhere between a few thousand to up to 800,000 euros in a scheme that led them to believe they were ... purchasing African works of art whose authenticity or export was fraudulently “certified” by UNESCO.

Red Rubber

DRC: Belgium fails again to face up to colonial crimes in the Congo

Belgium's King Philippe expresses his regrets, but does not apologise for his country’s colonial record in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ...

local roots

Africa’s globalised workforce needs strong local roots

Africa’s population will double by 2050. The continent and its vast pool of exceptionally young human capital – with a median age of 19.7 ... years – is gifted with an historic opportunity for sustained economic development. One of the key factors in realizing this growth is the widening of access to higher education - however, there are legitimate questions to be asked about what kind of education is on offer and who gains access to it.