COVID-19: AfDB Approves $27.33m for AU’s Response Initiative

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved 27.33 million dollars in grants to boost the African Union’s efforts to mobilise a continental response to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a statement from the AfDB, the approval is made by the organisation’s Board of Directors on Wednesday. The approval followed a meeting of the extended Bureau of the Conference of Heads of State and Government with Africa’s private sector on April 22 April. The meeting was...

South Africa’s Ramaphosa Tackles Corruption and Strengthens His Hand

South Africans have long feared that corruption would move from “retail,” small-scale and individualistic, to “structural,” as it is in some other African countries, where corruption infuses the political economy. Those fears accelerated during the 2009-2018 presidency of Jacob Zuma, which was characterized by nepotism, cronyism, and patronage networks, altogether labeled “state capture,” and blatant corruption within some state-owned enterprises fully reported by the media. Corruption also fueled Zuma’s efforts to remain in power and to undermine...

Africans Should Fight for DACA, Too

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) is making the news again as the Trump administration continues its efforts to diminish the program. DACA protects eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children from deportation and allows them to apply for jobs. Recipients of the DACA program are often referred to as “Dreamers.” Since 2017, there has been an ongoing legal battle to save the program, which shields approximately...

AFCON 2021 Qualifiers Resume November, Qatar 2022 May 2021

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Emergency Committee has approved the resumption date for qualifiers for the Total Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 and the group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This was contained in a statement issued on CAF’s website on Wednesday. This means a busy schedule awaits the participating teams with double-headers from November 2020 through to November 2021 in the battle for spots to the final tournament of...

Germany FM Arrives in War-torn Libya, Meeting Set With Serraj

Germany’s top diplomat, Heiko Maas, on Monday arrived Libya for a previously unannounced visit intended to spur international efforts to resolve the country’s long-running conflict. It was Maas’ first visit to Libya following a summit in Berlin in January, when world powers agreed to a peace process for the war-torn country that had largely fallen flat. “We see a deceptive calm in Libya at the moment. Both sides and their international allies are continuing to...

Terrorist Attack on Mogadishu Beach Hotel Leaves 17 Dead

At least 17 people including five attackers were killed when Islamist terrorists stormed a popular beach hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, government and police officials said on Sunday. The siege ended after a three-hour, fierce gun battle between fighters of Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab and security forces which began with a suicide car bombing, government spokesman Ismael Mukhtar Omar told dpa. Among the 12 victims were two government employees, three hotel security guards, four civilians and three unidentified...

U.S. Ambassadors and African Diplomacy

In most African countries, the U.S ambassador plays a crucial role in managing the U.S. bilateral relationship with the host country. Hence, the importance of the arrival in Tanzania of Dr. Donald J. Wright, MD. He presented his ambassadorial credentials to President John P. Magufuli on August 2. Magufuli is increasingly problematic: he is becoming authoritarian in style and he refuses to share with international health agencies information about COVID-19. Worse, he claims the disease is absent from Tanzania because of the...

Angola Maintains Closed Borders to Fend off COVID-19

Angola says it will maintain closed borders to fight and prevent a spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. According to a Presidential Decree, which updates the measures adopted during the prevailing ‘State of Calamity’, only nationals and foreign residents can return to the national territory. The decree also stated that foreign citizens may exit, seeking to return to their respective countries. Official trips are also permitted. The measure, to become effective on Aug. 10...

Ghana Looks to Long Relationship With African Americans for Investment

The year 2019 marked four hundred years since the first enslaved people from West Africa arrived in the United States. The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, declared the anniversary the Year of Return. It celebrated the resilience of African Americans and encouraged them to return to Africa, visit, apply for Ghanaian citizenship, and take advantage of investment opportunities. Festivities included naming and healing ceremonies, trips to heritage sites, musical performances, lectures, investment forums, and relocation conferences. According to...

African Champions League Final to be Played in October

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has abandoned plans to play the semi-final and final matches of the 2019/2020 African Champions League in a single venue. The continental football ruling body has now set a date of Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 for the continental decider. Cameroon had been earmarked to host the final stages of the competition. But, following their withdrawal, CAF confirmed the semi-finals will be played over two legs on a home and away basis, with the final...

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