Russia will be giving US-Africom a real challenge in Africa

Russia will be giving US-Africom a real challenge in Africa – but not by way of exerting any military interference onto the continent, but through win-win trade agreements. Africa is still decades behind much of the rest of the world in terms of industrial development, but Chinese investment has gone a long way to help turn that around. Standing on this shoulders, Russia now looks to pick up where it left off in its Soviet era relations with numerous African nations.

FRN asked George Elombi, Vice President of the African Import and Export Bank (Afreximbank) for his expert opinion. Commenting on the areas with greater perspective of collaboration between Russia and Africa, Elombi said:

People across Africa have to travel far to get to a hospital

People across Africa have to travel far to get to a hospital. We worked out how farPaul Ouma
PhD Fellow, Kenya Medical Research Institute
Emelda Okiro
Head, Population Health Unit, KEMRI, Kenya Medical Research Institute

A small hospital in Wakiso district in the central region of Uganda. Shutterstock

Nearly half of all deaths and about a third of disabilities in low and middle-income countries could be avoided if people had access to emergency care. In Africa the main causes of emergencies are road accidents, obstetric complications, severe illnesses and non-communicable diseases.

Reforming Security Sector Assistance for Africa

Soldiers of the Burkina Faso Army stand at attention at Camp Zagre, Burkina Faso, on February 27, 2017, at the opening of Flintlock 2017. The annual exercise, sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command, aims to strengthen security institutions, promote multilateral information sharing, and develop interoperability among partner nations in the Trans-Sahara region.

AFRICA LAUNDRY

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African cities will double in population by 2050

African cities will double in population by 2050. Here are 4 ways to make sure they thrive

Lagos is predicted to expand by an astonishing 77 people every hour between now and 2030
Image: REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Robert MuggahCo-founder, Igarape Institute and SecDev Group
Katie HillAdvisor, Omidyar Network

Africans are moving to the city. Already home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, the continent is urbanizing more rapidly than any other part of the planet. Africa’s 1.1 billion citizens will likely double in number by 2050, and more than 80% of that increase will occur in cities, especially slums. The implications of this turbo-charged growth are hard to fathom. Consider how Lagos - already Africa’s largest city - is predicted to expand by an astonishing 77 people every hour between now and 2030.

Why foreign investment is no easy fix for Africa’s energy needs

Why foreign investment is no easy fix for Africa’s energy needs
EPA/LEGNAN KOULA
AuthorsPhilipp Trotter Sabah Abdullah

Foreign investment in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector has reached a record-high. Spurred on by the United Nations’ goal to ensure modern energy access for all by 2030, international donors have focused on increasing the region’s electrification access. It currently stands at only 35%, significantly less than any other part of the world.

The focus on electrification is illustrated by the type of foreign aid sub-Saharan Africa currently receives. While overall commitments from Western countries to the area have been largely constant over the last decade, aid to the power sector specifically is six times greater.

African politicians seeking medical help abroad is shameful, and harms health care

African politicians seeking medical help abroad is shameful, and harms health care
Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under Creative Commons licence.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is one of many African leaders to have gone abroad for medical treatment. Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde

There is an African idiom that if a man does not eat at home, he may never give his wife enough money to cook a good pot of soup. This might just be true when applied to politicians on the continent seeking medical help anywhere but home.

Mapping Africa's natural resources

Mapping Africa's natural resources
An overview of the continent's main natural resources.

Africa remains a key territory on the global map. Rich in oil and natural resources, the continent holds a strategic position.
It is the world's fastest-growing region for foreign direct investment, and it has approximately 30 percent of the earth's remaining mineral resources.

It's home to more than 40 different nations, and around 2,000 languages. Sub-Saharan Africa has six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies. North Africa counts with vast oil and natural gas deposits; the Sahara holds the most strategic nuclear ore; and resources such as coltan, gold, and copper, among many others, are abundant on the continent.

ICC ruling on South Africa and al-Bashir: pragmatism wins the day

ICC ruling on South Africa and al-Bashir: pragmatism wins the day
AuthorMatt Killingsworth

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir returned to Khartoum, after evading possible arrest in South Africa in 2015. EPA/Marwan Ali

Σouth Africa’s 2017 budget: tough economic times require tough decisions

Σouth Africa’s 2017 budget: tough economic times require tough decisions
South Africa’s 2017/18 budget will have to be bold to pull the country out of the prevailing economic crisis. Economic growth has stalled and the threat of a credit rating downgrade still looms large. The Conversation Africa’s business and economy editor Sibonelo Radebe asked Jannie Rossouw to tease out critical issues that must be addressed in the upcoming budget.

What should South Africans expect from the 2017 budget speech?

The Minister of Finance made it clear in last year’s medium term budgetthat tax increases will be needed to ensure that government revenue rises by R28 billion for the 2017/18 tax year. As South Africa is currently suffering very low economic growth, this additional income can only be raised by higher taxes and through bracket creep as a result of inflation. Bracket creep happens when taxpayers’ income increases as a result of inflation, but concomitant tax relief isn’t granted. This pushes them into higher tax brackets.

New African rare earth mine to start production by year-end

New African rare earth mine to start production by year-end
Newcomer Rainbow Rare Earths has officially opened its Gakara mine in Burundi.
Cecilia Jamasmie |

The Gakara project covers a combined area of approximately 135km². (Image: Burundi’s typical landscape via Pixabay.)

South Africa’s central bank row points to dangerous levels of intoleranceJ

South Africa’s central bank row points to dangerous levels of intolerance
Steven Friedman
Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago. The role of South Africa’s central bank is at the centre of a heated debate. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko
What kind of financial system is sure to collapse if the central bank cares about people’s well-being?

The recommendation by South Africa’s Public Protector that the Reserve Bank’s mandate change, says much about Busisiwe Mkhwebane, none of it flattering. It says just as much about mainstream economic debate - and none of that is flattering either.

Famine creeps in on Africa

Famine creeps in on Africa while the world’s media looks elsewhere
John R Campbell

A UN helicopter flies over people waiting for food aid in South Sudan. Reuters/Siegfried Modola
Major political events in the US and Europe have preoccupied western media over the past year. Chief among these has been Donald Trump’s rise to US president and his continuing efforts to establish a credible domestic and foreign policy agenda.

Can Water Win Over Gold In Former Gold Coast? The Strange Case Of Galamsey

Can Water Win Over Gold In Former Gold Coast? The Strange Case Of Galamsey

Africanus Owusu - Ansah
“Gold? Yellow, glittering precious gold?… This yellow slave Will knit and break religions, bless th'accursed, make the hoar leprosy adored, place thieves, And give them title, knee and approbation…”

William Shakespeare: Timon of Athens. Act IV Sc III

“When gold argues the cause, eloquence is impotent.” - Publilius Syrus

The Role of the GCC Countries in Ending Piracy in the Horn of Africa

Αrt3270 Τετάρτη 19 Απριλίου 2017
The Role of the GCC Countries in Ending Piracy in the Horn of Africa
Afyare Elmi and Said Mohammed |
​Afyare Elmi and Said Mohammed are colleagues at Qatar University. Elmi, Assistant Professor at Qatar University’s International Affairs Department. He is the author of “Understanding the Somalia conflagration: Identity, political Islam and Peacebuilding", published by Pluto Press. Said is a Research Associate at the Qatar University Research Project on Piracy in the Horn of Africa.

CHINESE MILITARY ENGAGEMENT IN AFRICA

Αrt3263 Τετάρτη 18 Απριλίου 2017
CHINESE MILITARY ENGAGEMENT IN AFRICA
Written by Igor Pejic exclusively for SouthFront; Edited by Desi Tzoneva

The political relationship between China and African states began to develop as African states gained independence during the second half of the 20th century. China saw important partners and untapped markets in many African countries, especially after 1971 when China obtained a permanent seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Chinese economic, military and political interests on the African continent were even evident in the 50s. During the Bandung Conference, which was held in 1955, 29 African and Asian states sought to promote further cooperation in the fields of economy and culture. The main focus of this conference was on Third World countries and Peaceful Coexistence that was formulated by China and India, and which included the following topics:

How the Europeans Divided Africa

Αrt3236 Μ Σαββατο 15 Απριλίου 2017



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"The development of Africa will be done only by Africans

Αrt3233 Μ Σαββατο 15 Απριλίου 2017
"The development of Africa will be done only by Africans," Guinea's president states
In an interview with Euronews in Paris, Guinea’s President Alpha Condé, who is also the current president of the African Union, has called for a new era of self-reliance to drive development and end poverty on the continent.
Islamic extremism and migration

President Condé addressed issues that both Europe and Africa face. “The first battle is the struggle for development, which allows us to fight both terrorism and emigration,” Condé stated.

Τανζανία: Έγινε η θεμελίωση της σιδηροδρομικής γραμμής Νταρ ες Σαλάμ-Μορογκόρο

Αrt3213 Μ Σαββατο 15 Απριλίου 2017
Τανζανία: Έγινε η θεμελίωση της σιδηροδρομικής γραμμής Νταρ ες Σαλάμ-Μορογκόρο.

Το έργο θα κατασκευάσει κοινοπραξία που αποτελείται από την τουρκική Yapı Merkezi και την πορτογαλική Mota-Engil.

Πραγματοποιήθηκε η θεμελίωση του έργου κατασκευής σιδηροδρομικής γραμμής μεταξύ του Νταρ ες Σαλάμ και του Μορογκόρο που θα συνδέσει την Τανζανία με τον Ινδικό Ωκεανό και έχει ανατεθεί σε κοινοπραξία τουρκικής και πορτογαλικής εταιρείας.

NATO’s War Of Resources Is Causing A Humanitarian Crisis In West Africa

Αrt2702 Τριτη 21 Μαρτίου 2017

NATO’s War Of Resources Is Causing A Humanitarian Crisis In West Africa
As millions suffer from hunger, disease, illiteracy and grinding poverty in the Lake Chad region of West Africa, a sinister game of resource extraction and exploitation is playing out, with geopolitics at the heart of it all.
By Eric Draitser |