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This week in Aftershocks, protests break out across Africa, Russia uses fertiliser as a carrot, Uganda is moving backwards on human rights, and more. |
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Top news“P” is for protest: One person was killed, more than 200 people arrested, and 31 police officers injured in “illegal” protests across Kenya on Monday. Kenyans came out to protest high living costs and alleged electoral malpractices. Opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who continues to contest the legitimacy of President William Ruto’s electoral victory last August, called for the demonstrations and pledged they would continue twice weekly beginning next week. Kenyans spend 54% of their income on food, more than triple the global average. More than 4 million Kenyans are suffering from acute malnutrition, as food prices skyrocketed as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. On Monday, Kenya received a donation of 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat from Ukraine to help parts of the country affected by drought. Fed up: More than 550 people were arrested as thousands of South Africans took to the streets on Monday in a “national shutdown” led by the EFF, a major opposition party. Protesters called for the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa, citing power shortages and high unemployment. Keen to avoid a repeat of the deadly July 2021 protests, the government deployed military troops and police officers armed with drones and helicopters.The rare sight of adequately resourced law enforcement came as a slap in the face for the many South Africans who have been let down by “under-resourced” police. Leadership of the ruling ANC was quick to label the protest action “a flop,” betraying an unfortunate inability to read the room. On and off the streets, South Africans are frustrated with the party’s failure to tackle the country’s multiple crises and alarmed at its descent into a mafia state. Election rejection: Protests also broke out across Nigeria this week over the results of the recent presidential and gubernatorial elections. Protesters in Abuja urged President Muhammadu Buhari to annul the results of the 25 February presidential election. Several of the 18 presidential candidates – including the two leading opposition candidates – have filed legal challenges contesting Bola Tinubu’s victory. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Nigeria threatened sanctions against individuals that participated in electoral violence, including voter intimidation and suppression, during last weekend’s gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections. Protests occurred in several states after the results of those elections were announced. Fertiliser diplomacy: Russian fertiliser producer Uralchem-Uralkali sent Malawi 20,000 tonnes of fertiliser, needed relief given the supply chain bottlenecks and soaring fertiliser costs. But there’s a catch: Russia wants Malawi’s support in removing Western sanctions. The Russian ambassador to Malawi wasn’t exactly subtle about the expected tit-for-tat, saying that Russia is “ready to support the developing countries with the agriculture products but we need your voice to support us.” That overture is likely to be played on repeat across Africa: Russia is reportedly distributing 260,000 tonnes of fertiliser across the continent. If only there was something that Russia itself could do to get those sanctions removed. ☮︎🏳️ Human rights wronged: Uganda’s parliament overwhelmingly approved legislation that would outlaw identifying as LGBTQ+ and severely punish those accused of engaging in homosexual activities. If approved, the bill would make “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by death, mandate life in prison for gay sex, and impose a punishment of up to 10 years in prison for identifying as LGBTQ+. The bill now goes to President Yoweri Museveni to be signed into law. There’s little mystery over whether he will do so: he has signed into law previous anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and just last week in a televised address to parliament, Museveni claimed that “homosexuals are deviations from the normal.” We have a film recommendation for him and his colleagues in parliament: Game-changer: The US and Germany are singing from the same song sheet when it comes to World Bank reform: both countries are calling for a “binding schedule for reform” at the World Bank spring meetings in April. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and German Development Minister Svenja Schulze also called for a decision about those reforms this year to avoid losing any (more) time addressing global challenges. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa recently stressed the urgent need to overhaul the international financial architecture, emphasising that increased lending, including low-cost loans, could be “a game-changer for struggling countries.” Also a big deal: the World Bank signalling that all of its projects and activities must align with the goals of the Paris Agreement by July. 🥳 From the ONE Team
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Quote of the week
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What you should read, watch & listen to
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A look ahead27-30 March: Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 30 March: International Day of Zero Waste |
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The ONE Campaign’s data.one.org provides cutting edge data and analysis on the economic, political, and social changes impacting Africa. Check it out HERE. |
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