April 2018 - July 2018 www.un.org/africarenewal

YOUTH DEMAND: A seat at the table

Africa’s young achievers

Bringing rural women to the frontline

Mission accomplished: Peacekeeping success in Liberia CONTENTS April 2018 - June 2018 | Vol. 32 No. 1 4 SPECIAL FEATURE COVER STORY African youth demand a seat at the table 6 The hashtag revolution gaining ground 8 Nurturing young leaders 10 Interview: Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN youth envoy 12 Music: Nigeria’s popular artistic exports chart a new path 14 Profile: Raphael Obonyo Women promote non-violence during the 2011 elec-

tions in Liberia. UNMIL/Emmanuel Tobey 15 Profile: Phumzile Van Damme 16 Profile: William Elong 17 Profile: Eric Kaduru 18 Profile: Gwendolyn Myers 19 Profile: Gogontlejang Phaladi Acting Editor-in-Chief ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Zipporah Musau 20 Interview: Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women executive director Acting Managing Editor 22 The UN’s new era of partnership with Africa Kingsley Ighobor

24 Mission accomplished: 15 years of peacekeeping success in Liberia Staff Writer 26 Interview: Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande, first force commander, UNMIL Franck Kuwonu 28 Women: Liberia’s guardians of peace Research & Media Liaison 29 Africa could be the next frontier for cryptocurrency Pavithra Rao 30 Cape Town water taps running dry Shu Zhang 32 South African tourism holding steady Yinying Lin DEPARTMENTS Design & Production 3 Watch Paddy D. Ilos, II

35 Books Administration 35 Appointments Dona Joseph Cover photo: Tanzanian youth atcivist, Rahma Mwita Abdallah makes a point at an international Distribution youth forum at the UN headquarters in New York. Africa Renewal/Shu Zhang Atar Markman Africa Renewal (ISSN 2517-9829) is published in supporting organizations. Articles from this English and French by the Strategic Communications magazine may be freely reprinted, with attribution to Division of the United Nations Department of Public the author and to “United Nations Africa Renewal,” Africa Renewal is published by the United Information. Its contents do not necessarily reflect and a copy of the reproduced article would be appre- Nations, New York, on recycled paper. the views of the United Nations or the publication’s ciated. Copyrighted photos may not be reproduced.

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2 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 AFRICA WATCH QUOTABLES UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Photo/Eskinder UN Women and youth are the pathbreakers and pillars for the realization of the A farmer harvests wheat in Chichaoua Province, Morocco. Alamy/Jake Lyell African Union’s vision for an ‘integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.’ and Agricultural Organization (FAO) ” Morocco: Bience Gawanas, Under-Secretary- representative in Morocco and the current General of the United Nations and Climate change coordinator of the FAO Subregional Office Special Adviser on Africa for North Africa. “It has played a determi- efforts bear fruit No one loses when women see page 34 and girls experience equality By Yinying Lin and empowerment. Paul Kagame , President of Rwanda orocco’s climate change adaptation Mplan, launched in 2008, is now bear- Migration within Africa ing fruit, says the United Nations. We must rid ourselves of The UN’s special rapporteur on the nternational migration, especially from this colonial mentality that right to food, Hilal Elver, says that the plan I Africa to Europe and elsewhere, usually demands we rely on other Maroc vert (PMV) or the Green Morocco gets negative publicity. Can anything people’s currency. Plan has resulted in an increase in agri- good come out of migration? Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa cultural productivity, although she urged mmYes, according to a new report to the country to provide more widespread be launched in May 2018 by the United support for small-scale farmers. Nations Conference on Trade and Devel- If you don’t have a seat at The PMV focuses on moderniz- opment (UNCTAD). Intra-African migra- the table, you will sit on the ing large-scale farms with high added tion, if properly managed, can contribute floor. value, supporting small-scale farms and greatly to the continent’s development by Gogontlejang Phaladi, Botswanan combating rural poverty. Since 2008, boosting trade, generating jobs, promot- youth activist Morocco has invested about 150 billion ing entrepreneurship and innovation and dirhams ($16.3 billion) in more than 700 reducing poverty. We hope that 2018 will be projects on mechanization, irrigation and The Economic Development in Africa the year when Africa makes soil fertilization, while it is expected to Report 2018, subtitled Migration and history because it signed the invest another 20 billion dirhams (US$2.1 Structural Transformation, focuses on African Continental Free billion) over the coming years in 550 com- how host and home countries on the con- Trade Area. munity projects, according to data from tinent can better harness the economic Vera Songwe, the country’s Ministry of Economy and benefits of intra-African migration. executive secre- tary, Economic Finance. According to the UNCTAD report, Commission “The Plan Maroc Vert has created an most migration in Africa occurs within for Africa irreversible momentum without prece- the continent—and yields significant ben- dent,” says Michael Hage, the former Food efits for the continent and its people.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 3 African youth are relying on technology and improved leadership and organising skills to mobilise for social change and to demand a seat at the table. In this edition, we explore the factors driving the continent’s emerging young leaders and why they are increasingly influential in society.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP

African youth participate at an international youth forum at the UN headquarters in New York. Africa Renewal/Shu Zhang African youth demand a seat at the table Voices of young Africans are becoming difficult to ignore BY BUSANI BAFANA

new wave is sweeping across And here I am, the youngest MP. And I’m Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon, Zambia, Africa. Elections on the conti- so proud of what I am,” Ms. Oromait told Tanzania, Uganda and others. And the nent are increasingly yielding the UK’s Independent newspaper in an August 2018 presidential election could younger leadership than ever interview. give Zimbabwe’s political leadership a Abefore. From presidents to ministers and In South Africa, Lindiwe Mazibuko, youthful makeover. governors, senators to members of parlia- 37, was elected leader of the opposition Forty-year-old Nelson Chamisa, the ment, Africa’s young people are demanding in parliament in 2011, representing the new leader of the opposition Movement a seat at the political table. Democratic Alliance. She became the first for Democratic Change, is angling to be The youth are using their large num- black woman to hold that position. “There Zimbabwe’s new leader. Were Mr. Chamisa bers to vote in younger leaders or leaders is no prosperity for our continent without to win, he would be one of Africa’s youngest they feel will be sympathetic to their plight. a vibrant, diverse and truly competitive democratically elected presidents. In Uganda, Proscovia Oromait was only politics, founded upon excellence, trans- Sixty percent of Zimbabwe’s 5.3 mil- 19 in 2012 when she became the world’s parency and commitment to the public lion registered voters in the watershed youngest MP, representing Usuk County good,” Ms. Mazibuko said in a TEDxEuston elections are under 40, according to the in the Katakwi District. “What I said when talk in January 2016. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. It is a I was younger was that in years to come, I There are more young leaders coming show of commitment by the youth to decid- will become the president. It’s just been up in parliaments in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote ing a new course of governance after the my dream to become a leader of Uganda. d’Ivoire, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, leadership of Robert Mugabe.

4 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 Mr. Mugabe, 94, was Africa’s oldest adds Mr. Dlamini, who is the chair of Times translates to poorer living conditions, fuels leader until he resigned as president in Media Group of South Africa and head migration out of Africa, and contributes November last year, having ruled for 37 of Massmart, a retailer affiliated with to conflict on the continent itself,” notes years. Walmart in the US. the AfDB. “They [youth] are young entrepre- The AfDB adds that “the desired long- A young voice neurs, innovators, scientists, academics, term outcome is expanded economic In a recent interview with the German radio engineers, professionals. They do not want opportunity for both male and female Afri- station Deutsche Welle, Mr. Chamisa said, aid or charity. They want to unleash their can youth, which leads to improvements in “It is young people who are the movers and full potential,” said Mr. Dlamini, who was other aspects of their lives.” shakers. We want to also see that in politics. named “Young Global Leader” in 2008 by The bank therefore aims to create 25 We want our continent to be painted young. the World Economic Forum, a recognition million jobs through its Jobs for Youth in We want our continent to have a young accorded “higher-performing leaders” who Africa Strategy (2016–2025) and spur eco- voice.” mentor other youth. nomic growth by empowering the youth to In a 2015 article for CNN, David E. Africa’s population will be 1.6 billion realize their full potential. Kiwuwa, an associate professor of inter- by 2030, according to the UN Depart- national studies at Princeton University ment of Economic and Social Affairs, and Disrupting the status quo in the US, notes that “the average age of the rapidly growing youth population will African youth are demanding a seat at the the ten oldest leaders [in Africa] is 78.5 political table, but the agribusiness sector, compared to 52 for the world’s ten most- which could be worth $1 trillion by 2030, developed economies.” according to the World Bank, is the low-han- On average, according to Mr. Kiwuwa, ging fruit. “only between 15% and 21% of [these Afri- The African Agribusiness Incubator can countries’] citizens were born when Network (AAIN), a business development these presidents took the reins.” company based in Accra, Ghana, wants Some Africans argue that “with age and youth to innovate and lead the continent’s longevity in office come wisdom, foresight Lindiwe Mazibuko, 37, economic transformation. and experience,” Mr. Kiwuwa writes. He was elected leader of the Democratic Ralph von Kaufmann, an agribusiness further posits that, given opportunities in Alliance in 2011 in South Africa mentor and consultant with AAIN, says politics and other sectors, Africa’s youth that “agribusiness presents opportunities can transform the continent. He regrets for youths and women, but there is a need that the long tenures of older politicians to create the right policies that facilitate continue to stifle the emergence of credible their participation.” youthful successors. Nthabiseng Kgobokoe, a young live- Innocent Batsani Ncube, a 39-year-old stock and horticulture farmer in South Zimbabwean political scholar, echoes Mr. Africa, told Africa Renewal that the first Kiwuwa’s sentiments, stressing that youth step must be to “include the youth in rarely get the attention of Africa’s political policy making. Education alone cannot leaders, who do not believe young people Proscovia Oromait of Uganda was only address all our issues; there is a need to can lead. 19 in 2012 when she became the create conducive political and economic Older political elites believe they have world’s youngest MP conditions for us to be successful young all the solutions to development chal- entrepreneurs.” lenges, Mr. Ncube told Africa Renewal. constitute 42% of that number. The youth Ms. Kaobokoe said young entrepre- “An example is the approach that those in will need opportunities to participate neurs across Africa face similar challenges, leadership use to solve young people’s job in politics, jobs and overall inclusion in including a lack of access to financing and problems. Their solutions mostly suit the development. other resources, red tape and inadequate elites, rather than the young people. There The African Development Bank (AfDB) policies to foster inclusive growth. is limited consultation in ideation between says that one-third of Africa’s 420 million Policy makers forget that youth are the the youth and the older leaders.” youths (those ages 15–35) are unemployed, backbone of any socioeconomic and politi- Youth need a seat on the transforma- another third are vulnerably employed and cal development, stresses Ms. Kgobokoe. tion train because of their energy and only one in six young people is gainfully Talented young people must step for- passion, argues Kuseni Dlamini in a paper employed. ward and be part of decision making, says published in 2013 by Ernst & Young, a UK- “While 10 to 12 million youths enter Ms. Mazibuko. “We [in Africa] are emerg- based professional services firm. the workforce each year [in Africa], only ing from that stereotype of a dark conti- “The single most important factor for 3.1 million jobs are created, leaving vast nent, the hopeless continent.... We must continental growth is the energy and pas- numbers of youth unemployed. The conse- run for office, we must work in the civil sion of young Africans who have a palpable quences of youth unemployment in Africa service and we must disrupt the political sense of positive energy and optimism,” are pervasive and severe: unemployment status quo.”

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 5 YOUTH LEADERSHIP The hashtag revolution gaining ground Africa’s millennials are using technology to drive change

BY ELENI MOURDOUKOUTAS

hen some 276 teenage large numbers of society very quickly and girls were kidnapped differently from what you would do when from their boarding you had to go to the streets or knock on school in northeastern doors or put up flyers.” WNigeria in April 2014, Oby Ezekwesili, a Young people’s political activism prob- civil society activist and former World ably safeguarded the integrity of the 2016 Bank vice president, was disheartened by election in The Gambia. They began using the lacklustre response of her government the hashtag #GambiaHasDecided when and local television stations. former president Yahya Jammeh refused Ms. Ezekwesili and others decided to to vacate his office and hand over power take to social media to demand action from after suffering electoral defeat. In addi- the government. They emphasized their tion to spreading the word over Facebook, point with a march to the national assembly Twitter and Instagram, the anti-Jammeh in the capital, Abuja. campaign also encouraged citizens to wear Within three weeks, the “Bring Back T-shirts bearing the slogan. Our Girls” campaign put the girls’ kidnap- “Social media has forever changed the ping front and centre on the world stage: dynamics of politics in Africa,” Raffie Diab, the Twitter hashtag had been used over one one of the campaign’s founding leaders, told million times, including by notable influ- Africa Renewal. encers former US first lady Michelle Obama In October 2014, young people organ- and girls’ rights activist and Nobel laureate ised over social media against Blaise Malala Yousafzai. The grassroots move- Compaoré, then president of Burkina ment proved instrumental in pressuring the Faso, who was planning to change Nigerian government to acknowledge the the constitution to allow him to kidnapping and to commit more resources run for another two terms, thereby to rescuing the girls. extending his 27-year tenure. The emergence of the movements Technology and young people Ça suffit (That’s Enough) and Le balai Beginning with the Arab Spring in 2011, citoyen (the Citizen’s Broom) marked young Africans have been using techno- the first time since the Arab Spring that logy to mobilise around issues affecting popular movements managed to unseat them. Images of young Africans assembled an African president. in protest, mobilising around hashtags, are now commonplace on Twitter, Facebook Driving transparency and other social media platforms. Likewise, young people in Senegal have Professor Alcinda Honwana, inter- drawn attention to the country’s high regional advisor on social development unemployment rate over social media, and policy at the United Nations Department their protests galvanised the population to for Economic and Social Affairs, cites the vote out President Abdoulaye Wade in the immediacy of social media as a key factor 2012 election. in mobilising large numbers of people and Just as citizens broadcast the abuses of catalysing change. government with video and photographic “Without the internet and social media, evidence during the Arab Spring, Afri- it would be very difficult to organise a huge ca’s younger generation is taking rally in 48 hours,” Prof. Honwana told Africa advantage of tech-based strate- Renewal in an interview. Social media ena- gies to drive accountability and bles organizers to have a major impact on transparency. society, she said, “because you can assemble

6 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 One example of this is Livity Africa, a anyone can get detailed information on the leading pan-African youth development South Africa–based nonprofit organisation record of a public official. network. It adds that, “Instead, increas- whose aim is to amplify authentic youth African leaders themselves are also now ing reports reflect that young people use voices and concerns, in part through its using technology to attract young people to these virtual spaces as platforms for cyber nationwide media channel, “Live Maga- their campaigns. bullying, violence and intimidation.” The zine” SA. Launched in 2011, the chan- Voters under the age of 35 made up 51% association maintains that this is “an age nel highlights issues that are of the entire electorate in the 2017 election of unprecedented access to explicit images overlooked by mainstream in Kenya, and the number of voters in the and videos” that can have a harmful influ- media, and it encourages 26–35 age range had more than doubled ence on the youth. government accounta- since 2013, according to data from the elec- In 2016, the African Development bility via its weekly toral commission. Bank, a multilateral development finance “Live from Parlia- Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta institution, reported that by 2050 Africa ment” segment. maintains active Facebook and Twitter will be home to 38 of the 40 youngest Similarly, accounts, and his supporters say his modern countries in the world, and that all 38 will the Nigeria- communication tactics are “demystifying have median populations under 25 years based SMS and the presidency.” of age. Experts believe that the youth vote web platform In an unprecedented break from his will determine election outcomes in a few “Shine Your Eye” predecessor Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s years. facilitates public new president Emmerson Mnangagwa has Campaigns encouraging young people engagement wasted no time in engaging directly with to vote span the continent. In 2014, South with parliamen- Zimbabweans over social media, regu- Africa’s electoral commission launched tarians and other larly posting comments on Facebook that the “I Voted” campaign, which encouraged elected officials by address concerns raised by his constitu- voters to take a picture of their marked providing access to ents. Mr. Mugabe famously did not own a thumb and post on social media with the their track records. By smartphone. hashtag #IVoted. The hashtag boasted sending a free SMS mes- Mr. Mnangagwa is gaining popularity more than 30,000 uses on Twitter. sage to the platform’s dedi- for posting short videos on his Facebook cated number or visiting its website, and Twitter accounts in which he encour- Not a cure-all ages citizens to message their thoughts as However, Prof. Honwana warns that social part of a “new national dialogue,” main- media is not a cure-all for apathy. In the taining that leadership is a “two-way case of South Africa, the national South street.” The digital approach is exciting African statistical service reported that many Zimbabweans who are eager to get young people accounted for only 18% of the president’s attention. total voters in the 2016 local government While young people in recent years have elections, despite those under the age of become the most politically engaged on 35 making up 66% of the total population. the continent, their involvement has been She asserts that while social media can primarily through protests and activism be a useful tool for conveying the impor- rather than voting. tance of voting, young people will not take up ballots over mobile devices unless they Negative effects believe that their votes will bring about Youth engagement with social media also real change in their lives. has its negative effects. “Sadly, [social] In the 2016 presidential election in the media is Gambia, for instance, young people largely not supported Adama Barrow, who challenged often used Mr. Jammeh, because they thought Mr. wisely by Barrow would bring about a change in youth,” notes governance. “I just know Barrow will be the Africa different. He’s listening to us,” 25-year- Alliance of the old Gambian voter Haddy Ceesay told The Young Men Chris- Guardian, a UK-based newspaper. tian Association, a Still, Prof. Honwana does not see social media as just a trend. “If we are talking about young people, I think everything that will happen from now on is going to Young people are using technology to be through social media. That’s where they

change society. Alamy/Shakirov live,” she said.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 7 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

Students at the African Leadership University in Mauritius. ALU website MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION Nurturing young leaders WINNERS Training young African leaders can take societies to great heights BY FRANCK KUWONU

hanks to a unique fellowship at the United Eddy Oketch, the seventh of eight siblings, who Nations Economic Commission for Africa dropped out of school to provide for his family, parlayed (ECA) as an Ibrahim Leadership Fellow, his intuitive organizing ability into an Ibrahim fellow- Marian Yinusa is making an impact in the lives ship in 2017. Tof school-age girls in her birthplace of northern Nigeria. Carl Manlan, who was a fellow in 2014, remembers, “I Currently a senior financial economist at the Africa shadowed [the work of senior officials] and was in most Development Bank (AfDB), Ms. Yinusa also runs the of the ECA executive secretary’s meetings.” GENN Initiative (Girls Education in Northern Nigeria) Mr. Manlan currently heads the Ecobank Founda- Ellen Sirleaf foundation, which pays for young girls to go to school. tion, the charitable arm of the West African retail and (2018) She would probably say her many accomplishments investment bank with headquarters in Lomé, Togo. After were a surprise—even to her!—yet she was strongly his fellowship, Mr. Manlan served as executive secretary motivated to help girls break the barriers keeping them of the Africa against Ebola Solidarity Trust, a charity from school. “I wanted to do something about it,” she that partnered with the African Union between 2014 told Africa Renewal. and 2015 to mobilise funds to train and deploy African While at the ECA in Addis Ababa, she followed keenly health workers to help fight Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and the day-to-day work of senior officials, which led to more Sierra Leone. responsibility and a promotion at her job. Aside from the Ibrahim leadership fellowship, According to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, sponsor prominent leadership training initiatives for young of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship Africans include the African Leadership Initiative, the Program, the purpose of the program is to mentor future African Leadership Institute, the Young African Lead- African leaders by offering them an opportunity to work ers Initiative, the African Leadership Development at the highest levels of the AfDB, the ECA or the Interna- Program, the Africa Science Leadership Programme tional Trade Centre (ITC). and the African Leadership Academy (ALA). Ms. Yinusa is one of 18 fellows so far to benefit from ALA is a pan-African high school based in Johannes- Hifikepunye the leadership programme. She describes her experience burg, South Africa, where more than 700 students from Pohamba as “learning by observation.” 45 countries have received training in the past 10 years. (2014)

8 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 “Africa does not need lead- problems usually put the spotlight in Kigali and New York. She par- ers who are 75 or 65 years old. on the continent’s inadequate elec- ticipated at the World Economic We need leaders who are young‚ tric power, deep and entrenched Forum in 2011 as a Young Global vibrant‚ innovative and who the poverty, insufficient or underpay- Leader, and now juggles legal prac- continent’s youth can relate to,” ing jobs and slow pace of industri- tice with other jobs. Yet she feels declared Graça Machel, widow of alization—and on ways to mobilize Africa does not provide enough South Africa’s iconic anti-apart- resources to address these chal- leadership development opportu- heid fighter Nelson Mandela, at lenges. There is a need for good nities for young professionals. the celebration of the 10th anni- leadership, said Sam Adeyemi, a versary of ALA in Johannesburg leadership consultant, during an Nudging the elders in February. online debate at the World Eco- In addition to formal leadership The Sudanese billionaire entre- nomic Forum on Africa 2017. training programmes, Africa’s preneur and philanthropist Mo Ibra- current leaders also need to him has decried the entrenchment of Educate, observe and learn contribute to the development of aging African leaders who sideline Contributing to the same debate, the young by demonstrating good younger generations, fighting tooth Mr. Swaniker remarked that “great Pedro Pires leadership skills, analysts say. (2011) and nail to hang on to power when leaders aren’t born—they’re made,” In February former Liberian they’re past their prime. and added that the deliberate train- president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Fred Swaniker, a leadership ing of “leaders who take societies to won the Mo Ibrahim Prize for development expert and cofounder great heights” is what makes most Achievement in African Lead- of ALA, says he established the acad- nations successful. Both speakers ership for leading her country’s emy because his experience growing repeatedly mentioned a need to recovery, through reconciliation up in countries such as his native ramp up leadership training for and nation-building, after years Ghana, the Gambia, Botswana, young Africans. of bloody conflict. South Africa and Zimbabwe made In retrospect, both leadership Launched in 2006, the prize him realize the difference that edu- training beneficiaries, Ms. Yinusa is meant to promote good gov- cated leadership makes in a country. and Mr. Manlan, believe that hands- ernance and peaceful political on experience at multinational transitions by recognizing and Leaders of tomorrow organizations benefited them as celebrating African presidents He chastises post-independence young professionals. Mr. Manlan who, according to the Mo Ibra- leaders who “brought nothing but says the fellowship equipped him him Foundation, “have developed havoc to Africa,” but praises lead- with the requisite knowledge and their countries and strengthened ers such as Paul Kagame of Rwanda experience to shoulder increasing democracy and human rights” and and the late Nelson Mandela of managerial duties at the interna- are “exceptional role models for South Africa who he says have pro- tional level. He would therefore like the continent.” vided purposeful leadership for other institutions to provide more Festus Mogae Ms. Sirleaf handed over power their countries. such programmes. (2008) to 51-year-old George Weah in Mr. Swaniker envisions a gen- Jacqueline Musiitwa, who January. eration of young African leaders who received a fellowship at ITC in 2012, But there appears to be a will be able to create prosperity. now heads the Ugandan branch of dearth of exceptional political The Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Financial Sector Deepening, a UK leadership; over a decade of its Leadership Fellowship and ALA government-funded financing pro- existence, except for Mr. Mandela, address leadership training differ- gramme for reducing poverty in who was given an honorary award, ently. The six-year-old fellowship sub-Saharan Africa. Having previ- only five leaders have met the doesn’t involve academic training ously attended many short leader- prize’s criteria: Ms. Sirleaf (2018), or seminars. ship programmes and seminars, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique With a goal of making the youth she “immediately jumped” at the (2007), Festus Mogae of Botswana of today the leaders of tomor- opportunity to go to ITC. “Of all the (2008), Pedro Pires of Cabo Verde row, ALA is setting up a network training that I attended, this was the (2011) and Hifikepunye Pohamba of leadership colleges across the only one that offered real-life profes- of Namibia (2014). continent, and hopes to train sional experience, and it’s the best so Between academic training three million young African lead- far,” she says. championed by ALA and real- ers over the next 50 years, Mr. Ms. Musiitwa had trained as a life experience advanced by the Swaniker says. The first campus lawyer and in 2007 founded the Hoja Ibrahim leadership fellowship, was opened in Mauritius in 2015 Law Group, a legal consultancy on there appears to be “room for a and the second in Rwanda in 2017. corporate governance, commercial Joaquim Chissano lot more” efforts at training young (2007) Those discussing Africa’s and public law issues that operates leaders, Ms. Musiitwa says.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 9 INTERVIEW Youth can be agents of positive change — Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN youth envoy

ayathma Wickramanayake, 27, from Sri Lanka, is the new UN Secretary-General’s J Envoy on Youth. Her role is to expand the UN’s youth engagement and advocacy efforts. She also serves as an adviser to the Secretary-General. Shortly after her extensive tour of the Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa in February, she sat down with Africa Renewal’s Zipporah Musau to discuss her mission. Excerpts:

Africa Renewal: You have just come back from a mission to five countries in Africa. What did they tell you were their main How was it? concerns? Jayathma: It definitely exceeded my Young people voiced concerns about lack expectation! I did not have much exposure of access to education, unemployment, to Africa before I took up this job, because migration, and young women’s sexual and YOUTH LEADERSHIP my work was mainly in my home country reproductive health. These were the core [Sri Lanka], working with youth. So, I never issues discussed in all five countries I really before now had the opportunity go visited. due to teenage pregnancy. Female genital to Africa and interact with young people, mutilation is another big issue. even though I have friends from the region. Can you expound a bit on these issues? On migration: Due to lack of oppor- On education: the main concern is access tunities for young people, many of them Why did you choose Africa and how did to education, but not just any education, risk their lives crossing the Sahara and it start? but quality education. There is a study that Mediterranean Sea to get to Italy or other UNFPA - the United Nations Population shows that about 30% of the skills acquired countries to look for better opportunities. Fund, approached me with this wonder- in 2015 will not be relevant by 2020. So, in Many die in this process of trying to take ful proposal of a multi-country mission to such a rapidly changing world, what should this extreme path. Africa. Then a few days before I travelled, we teach in our schools? Do we teach the my office sent out a tweet announcing the usual subjects or do we focus more on What is your office doing to help these trip and the response was amazing. Upon skills-development? Young people require young people in Africa? arrival to each country, the welcome, the skills that are adaptable and can be useful In my position, I am tasked with bringing level of energy, and the love extended to me in multiple professions and fields. the UN closer to young people, and young was unbelievable. I may be Sri Lankan by On digital divide: Unlike young people closer to the UN. As a representative birth, but part of me is definitely African people living in the urban areas, those of the Secretary General, I meet top gov- by choice. in rural areas are left behind in terms of ernment officials and other stakeholders information and technology. There are and use such opportunities to raise aware- What were your impressions of the young also girls who do not even have a chance to ness of the issues young people are facing people you met? get basic education, let alone technological and then urge the officials to address them. The amount of resilience the young people education. in the continent have surprised me. You On issues affecting girls: Girls face What would you say you achieved during might have seen pictures of us laughing various barriers as they seek education. this trip? and dancing together, but just before that, Often it becomes an issue when they are The biggest outcome of my mission to we were sitting under a tree talking about on their menstrual cycles because they Africa was being able to act as a bridge to issues and challenges these youth face, even don’t have pads or their schools don’t have bring the young people’s concerns to the to the point of sometimes crying together. adequate sanitary facilities. Some girls’ attention of decisionmakers, urging them I met some who have gone through situa- education is often disrupted to take care to make a difference in young people’s lives tions incomprehensible for us sitting here of their younger siblings, while others are and holding them accountable. Having in New York. married off at a very young age or drop out those one-on-one interactions with the

10 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 young people to run for elected office. We are working with the interparliamentary union, OHCHR, UNDP, and some other partners on scaling it up. During my trip I also called for youth affirmative action within political parties, urging the official to remove existing barriers to youth par- ticipation in decision-making.

What are your views on youth taking seek- ing positions, not just in politics but also in business and other spheres? It’s been amazing! Some of the brightest young minds that I’ve met on this job are from Africa. I say that without any bias. I am very impressed by the work young Africans do, they are so creative. On this trip I met young innovators, for example, one of them has invented a three-wheeler which uses solar power, another one had developed an online platform to help can- didates running for office to design and organize their political campaigns.

What challenges do young people pushing for space, a seat at the political table, face? We have identified several layers of bar- young people I meet, some of whom have Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Youth Envoy. riers that hinder young people from par- gone through really tough situations, ena- Africa Renewal/ Shu Zhang ticipation. The first layer is at the personal bles me to bring their voices to the discus- level - having no confidence or belief in sions here at the UN. I talked to marginal- they can also bring solutions to the table. themselves. The second layer is social - ized young people, as well as innovators, And when talking to decision-makers, I family and friends around a young person, and social entrepreneurs, who inspired me was able to highlight this role of young who may sometimes discourage them from to raise their issues in my meetings with people as agents of positive change, so that venturing into politics. And third is politi- government ministers, parliamentarians, they can treat youth as assets, rather than cal party structures. Young people are UN Country Teams, and the media in every liabilities. under-represented in political parties. The country I visited. same for the women too. How will you amplify this message? Any immediate results? One of the things I am trying to do is to What’s your advice to young people who I saw some remarkable results! For bring some of these young change-makers get into leadership? instance, the UN Country Team in Nige- to the UN Headquarters for the forthcom- When you get to a position of power, always ria will set up an advisory mechanism for ing High-Level Political Forum and UN remember why you are in that position in youth to be consulted on its work on the General Assembly to showcase, not just the first place. Thousands of young people ground. the issues they face, but also the solutions look up to you. Also, don’t forget to create that they bring to the table. I have also tried a space for other young people to come What are the young people themselves to amplify this through the UN country onboard. doing to improve their lot? teams in various countries. The mission offered a great opportunity to What values should they live by? highlight the amazing contributions these Do you have any special programmes They should live up to the values that young people themselves are making to or campaigns targeting young people in we, as young people, have been demand- improve their communities. For example, Africa? ing all along - integrity, transparency, in Nigeria I met this young woman - a sur- Indeed, we do. In fact, one of our big- saying no to corruption and standing up vivor of rape - who has developed a mobile gest campaign is “Not Too Young to Run,” for democracy. This could mean some- phone app that can help other young started in Nigeria and aimed at lowering times doing things in unconventional women to report gender-based violence the legal age required to run for office from ways, maybe changing systems completely to the nearest police station. This shows 40 to 35. We have now made it a global upside down - we need transformational that young people are not just victims, campaign that advocates for the rights of change.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 11 YOUTH LEADERSHIP Music: Nigeria’s new export Naija beats topping international charts, but dividends are “scattered” BY FRANCK KUWONU

t is a cold evening in Antwerp, Bel- African Act award for “If,” one of his hit gium’s second-largest city, famous songs—a love-themed ballad with a blend for diamonds, beer, art and high-end of Nigerian rhythms and R & B. fashion. Inside a small restaurant, Since its release in February 2017, the Ia mix of the latest American pop and official “If” video has racked up more than rap—clearly enjoyed by diners—is playing 60 million views on YouTube, the high- on a radio. est number of YouTube views for any Nigerians Olalekan Adetiran and Nigerian music video and one of the Adaobi Okereke, enjoying a kebab dinner, highest ever recorded for a song by are startled when the radio begins play- an African artist. ing the unmistakable “Ma Lo”—a catchy, Across the African continent, midtempo and bass-laden song by popular other musical groups, such as Nigerian artistes Tiwa Savage and Wizkid. Kenya’s boy band Sauti Sol, Tan- The song, currently a hit in Nigeria and zania’s Diamond Platnumz and across Africa, awakens thoughts of home; South Africa’s Mafikizolo, have they cannot stop smiling at the pleasant collaborated with or featured Nige- surprise. They are visiting Belgium as part rian top stars in attempts to gain of a tour of European countries and their international appeal. Reuters news cultural landmarks. service calls Nigerian music a “cultural A week earlier, barely two months after export.” its release, the eye-popping video of the The Nigerian government is now song had been viewed on YouTube more looking to the creative industries, includ- than 10 million times—and counting. ing performing arts and music, to generate For Mr. Adetiran, hearing “Ma Lo” on a revenues. Belgian radio station not known to cater to African communities confirms that music A billion-dollar industry? from Naija (as Nigerians fondly refer to In rebasing or recalculating its GDP in their country), is going places. It reflects 2013, the Nigerian government included the greater reach of a new generation of formerly neglected sectors, such as Nigerian artists. the entertainment industries led by Just like the country’s movie indus- Nollywood. As a result, the country’s try, Nollywood, Nigerian music is drawing GDP increased sharply, from $270 billion interest from beyond the borders, show- to $510 billion, overtaking South Africa casing the vitality of a creative industry that year as the continent’s biggest that the government is now depending economy, notes the Brookings Institution, on, among other sectors, to diversify the a US-based nonprofit public policy think economy and foster development. tank. Brookings reports, however, that the GDP rise didn’t show an increase in Greater recognition wealth and that a recent crash in the price Last November, Wizkid won the Best of oil, the country’s main export, is slowing International Act category at the 2017 economic growth. MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards held Nigerian music sales revenues were in London, the first for an Africa-based estimated at $56 million in 2014, accord- artist. He beat back competition from more ing to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), established global celebrities such as Jay-Z, an international accounting and auditing Drake, DJ Khaled and Kendrick Lamar. firm. The firm projects sales revenues to At the same MOBO Awards, Davido, reach $88 million by 2019. another Nigerian artist, took home the Best

12 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 Globally, the creative industry is among creative industry—about the films, theatre the most dynamic economic sectors. It and music,” Mr. Mohammed said. “provides new opportunities for developing He was reacting to UNCTAD’s find- countries to leapfrog into emerging high- ings that the creative industry contributed growth areas of the world economy,” the £84.1 (about $115.5) billion to the British United Nations Conference on Trade and economy in 2014 and $698 billion to the US Development (UNCTAD), a UN body that economy that same year. “Nigeria cannot deals with trade, investment and develop- afford to be left behind,” Mr. Mohammed ment issues, said in a 2016 report. declared. Over the last decade, Europe has been The Nigerian government is already the largest exporter of creative prod- providing incentives to investors in the ucts, although exports from developing sector, including a recent $1 million ven- countries are growing fast too, UNCTAD ture capital fund to provide seed money for reported. young and talented Nigerians looking to set According to PwC, lumped together, up business in creative industries. The gov- annual revenues from music, movies, art ernment is also allowing the industry “pio- and fashion in Nigeria will grow from $4.8 neer status,” meaning that those investing billion in 2015 to more than $8 billion in in motion picture, video and television 2019,. production, music production, publishing, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics distribution, exhibition and photography reports that the local music sector grew can enjoy a three- to five-year tax holiday. “in real terms by 8.4% for the first three Other incentives, such as government- months of 2016” and that in the first quar- backed and privately backed investment ter of 2017, the sector grew by 12% com- funds, are also being implemented. pared with the same period one year prior. Yet as hopes of a vibrant industry rise, The growth may be attributed to a pervasive copyright violations could stunt reversal in music consumption patterns, its growth. according to local media reports. Up to the early 2000s, the music in clubs and on the Profits are “scattered” radio in Nigeria was dominated by British In December 2017, the Nigerian police and American hit songs. Not anymore. charged three people in Lagos with copy- Still, online release Reportedly, most Nigerians now prefer right violations. Their arrests had been poses its own challenges. songs by their local artists to those by widely reported in the country months For example, Mr. Adeti- foreigners, even the big ones in the West. earlier. “Piracy: Three suspects arrested ran and Mr. Okereke recall “When I go out, I want to hear songs at Alaba with N50 million [US$139,000] visiting in March 2017 a club by Davido or Whizkid or Tekno; like other worth of materials,” Premium Times, a in Dakar, Senegal, where DJs people, I cannot enjoy myself listening to Lagos-based newspaper, announced in a spun Nigerian beats nonstop. The songs by foreign artistes anymore,” says headline. two realised only much later that Benjamin Gabriel, who lives in Abuja. With Alaba market in Nigeria’s commercial those songs had been down- a population of about 180 million, Nigerian capital, Lagos, is famous for electronics, but loaded from the Internet. artists have a huge market to tap into. The it is also notorious for all things fake and “When you create your big ones like Whizkid and Davido are feel- cheap, attracting customers from across content and put it out, it’s ing the love—maybe the cash too! West Africa to East Africa. scattered,” Harrysong, a Recent efforts by the authorities to Nigerian singer, told the The new oil fight piracy led to police raids of Alaba New York Times in June “We are ready to explore and exploit the and other markets in the country, result- 2017, echoing Mr. Adetiran ‘new oil,’” Nigeria’s minister of information ing in the seizure of pirated items worth and Mr. Okereke’s experi- and culture, Lai Mohammed, commented $40 million. ence. He was expressing ahead of a creative industry financing Despite such raids, the business of performers’ sense of power- conference held in Lagos last July. pirated music and movie CDs continues lessness as they lose control “When we talk about diversifying the unabated, turning enforcement efforts into of sales and distribution of economy it is not just about agriculture a game of Whack-A-Mole. With minimal their music. or solid minerals alone, it is about the returns from CD sales, Nigerian artists The Times summed rely on ringtone sales, corporate sponsor- it up like this: “Nigeria’s ship contracts and paid performances to Afrobeat music scene is Wizkid performs in London, United Kingdom. make ends meet. Most Nigerian artists now booming, but profits go to

Alamy/Michael Tubi prefer online releases of their songs. pirates.”

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 13 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

PROFILE

master’s in public policy at Duke University in Raphael Obonyo the United States. In 2012 I was selected to serve on the United Nations Habitat’s Youth From poverty to the Advisory Board (YAB), and I was later nominated as a special adviser. My profile had been subjected to a global pinnacles of power vote, where it received the highest number of votes. YAB is a board comprising 16 A Kenyan boy’s odyssey young people from across the world. BY RAPHAEL OBONYO The board members are volunteers, and for two years they serve three main roles: represent young people in y name is Raphael Obonyo local and international forums, advise from Kenya. I grew up in the UN on how to engage urban youth Korogocho, the third-largest in sustainable urbanization, and develop slum in the capital, Nairobi, and strengthen youth participation and whereM people live in grinding poverty. advocacy in youth-led initiatives. I was the fourth child in a family of nine, Through this UN role, I traveled to differ- and we all lived in a single room with our ent countries around the world, spoke at many parents. My dad was a cook at the University of forums, and met and shared platforms with presi- Nairobi. He walked 10 km to and from work daily dents and other global leaders. to support our large family. Currently, I sit on the boards of international From an early age, I knew that education would bodies such as the Global Diplomatic Forum and be my only route out of poverty and hence took my the World Bank’s Global Coordination Board on studies seriously. In school I befriended my deputy head Youth and Anti-Corruption. teacher’s son and we became study partners. The I am also giving back to my community. I took teacher, Stephen Kariuki, would buy books and part in initiating various youth and community other school items for me and his son. development projects, including the Youth Con- It was impossible to study or do homework at gress of Kenya and the Kenya Youth Media, which home because there was not enough light from the tin have trained many young people from Koro- lamp we used. Mr. Kariuki opened his home for me to gocho on entrepreneurship, filmmaking and study on weekends. In academic grading, I was always first journalism. After training, we help teach the trainees in class and his son would be second, or vice versa. how to access capital to start small businesses. The I was among the top students in the Kenya Certificate of Pri- initiative is helping to improve living conditions and mary Education exams in 1995. Because my dad couldn’t afford reduce poverty amongst the youth. to send me to high school, my friends from St. John’s Catholic I have always described myself as a restless dreamer. My Church in Korogocho raised money to pay my fees for the first ambition is to one day serve as the Secretary-General of the term at Dagoretti High School. United Nations or the president of my country. But most impor- Many of my classmates were from wealthy and prominent tantly, I want to keep doing my best at every level, to be the best families, unlike me with meager possessions that included that I can be, and to make a difference in the world. donated secondhand uniforms and small change for pocket So this is not all. There is more work to do. I see myself as a money. work in progress. In school I faced hardships. Frequently I was sent home for I always share the story of my life journey to inspire nonpayment of school fees. During visiting days, I watched with young men and women born in disadvantaged places. I often envy as fellow students were visited by relatives clutching big urge the youth to live by the three d’s: dream, discipline and shopping bags filled with food and goodies. determination. During holidays I would walk the 10 km from Korogocho I have faith in the young people of Africa. My passion for the to McMillan Memorial Library in the city and back, to study. youth is founded on our enormous potential to create a better Despite all these hurdles, I performed well and was admitted to future for ourselves and for others. the University of Nairobi. Youth in Africa need opportunities. They represent dyna- After undergraduate education, I did community work in mism, talent and energy that must be harnessed for the conti- Korogocho before clinching a scholarship from the International nent to make real progress. It should go without saying that the Fellowships Program through the Ford Foundation to take a youth are Africa—and we cannot leave Africa behind.

14 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

PROFILE Phumzile Van Damme A young MP with a mission Standing up for women’s rights in South Africa’s parliament BY GAYANE ALIKHANYAN

humzile Van Damme, one of the youngest An opportunity came in 2014 when she was elected members of parliament in South Africa, is also to parliament at the age of 31, helping to break a the shadow minister for communications. gender barrier that once confined women to only She grew up in a family of strong 3% of the lawmaking body. Today 42% of all seats women,P and her gift for leadership was already in the South African parliament are held by apparent when she was a child. In the fifth women. grade, she called a student strike because Last year she further distinguished the teacher would not allow students to herself by bringing a case against the go out for break. For that she earned the British multinational public relations nickname “Big Mouth.” Ms. Van Damme and advertising firm Bell Pottinger became active in national politics after Private for stoking racial tensions to graduation from Rhodes University in keep the ruling ANC in power. The Grahamstown, South Africa, in 2007, firm was subsequently expelled from with a bachelor’s degree in law and politics. She joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) as a staffer. The DA is the official opposition party to If breakdown the governing African National Con- gress (ANC). happens, you must Without the financial backup that never, ever think other politicians had, Ms. Van Damme that it’s a sign of at some point did menial jobs. weakness or it’s As a black woman, people expected her to join the ANC, the party of Nelson a failure. Do not Mandela, but she had other ideas. give up hope. Keep “I joined the DA as a disgruntled ANC trying. Knock on supporter who found the DA’s liberal poli- every door. cies more appealing to me personally. My per- sonal politics are very liberal. I believe in the liberty of the individual, equality, freedom and democracy,” Ms. Van Damme says. Passionate about empowering young South Africa’s public relations and commu- women, Ms. Van Damme is dedicated to making nications association. sure they have the support they need to stand on Nevertheless, it is still a turbulent ride their own feet. “The harder I work, the easier I make for women who choose a public service career. it for young women who climb up the ladder behind me, Phumzile has been disappointed by many devel- so that their struggle will be a bit easier than mine,” she opments in her field, but says, “Each time, I believe says. I learn from that disappointment and I become “It is challenging to be a young woman. You struggle stronger.” to be heard, people don’t take you seriously. You have to Her message to young women is, “If breakdown work twice as hard [as men] to be taken seriously,” Ms. happens, you must never, ever think that it’s a sign of Van Damme told Africa Renewal. Despite such challenges, weakness or it’s a failure. Do not give up hope. Keep she says, she would never give up fighting to bring about trying. Knock on every door. Work hard, have a balance change in South Africa. and take care of yourselves.”

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 15 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

PROFILE Gwendolyn Myers A peace advocate

Mobilising the young for peace and development BY GWENDOLYN MYERS

was born in 1990, a year after the Liberian civil war began, the presenter of a radio programme. My father had taken me and was only 13 years old when the war ended in 2003. to the Talking Drum Studios in Monrovia, managed by the My mother told me that at the time of my birth, she nongovernment organization Search for Common Ground. could not afford even a blanket to wrap the new baby. Following weeks of practice, I was selected from among many AI midwife was kind enough to assist with a cloth. Those were other children to present a programme called Golden Kids trying times for my family. News. Through this programme, I learned how to confidently As a child, I dreamt of seeing an airplane—not even being articulate issues. in it—and regularly begged my father to take me to the airport In high school and during my undergraduate studies, my to see one. These days, I fly to different regions of the world on friends and the school administration often called me to settle speaking engagements as a peace and human rights advocate. disputes between students. It was an indication that I could The countries I have visited include the United States, Turkey, do well in peace efforts. On my graduation, the Catholic Media the Netherlands, Cambodia, South Africa and Rwanda, among Centre hired me to present a programme on Radio Veritas, its others. broadcast channel. I did not initially aspire to a career in peace, human rights A life-defining moment came in 2008 when the United and women and youth empowerment advocacy; I wanted to be Nations Mission in Liberia asked me to help organize a group a doctor and had successfully completed undergraduate stud- of young volunteers to raise awareness among the youth on ies in chemistry and biology at the Mother Patern College of social issues such as HIV and AIDS, anti-rape and so on. We Health Sciences, an affiliate of the Stella Maris Polytechnic, in later named the group Messengers of Peace, and registered it Monrovia, Liberia. as a nongovernmental organization with the goal of engaging Once I began getting involved in peace advocacy, witnessing young people nationwide in volunteerism and peacebuilding. the international community’s peace efforts in my country, I In 2017 I was elected to the World Economic Forum’s realised that disarming the fighters was just an aspect Global Shapers Advisory Council, for governance and of peace; to achieve genuine peace requires reconcili- accountability. The forum also nominated me as an ation among the various groups, between young and expert in human rights, making me one of more than old, the genders, etc. 5,000 leading experts engaged by the forum to shape I decided against going for medical studies, a a global agenda. I am also a member of the Work- move that mystified friends and relatives. In fact, ing Group on Youth for Gender Equality coordi- my pastor urged my parents to “speak sense into” me. nated by the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth A career in medicine, they felt, would be much more Development. rewarding than any advocacy work I might want to The highlight of my career was in 2015 when do. Peace advocacy would be a waste of my intel- I delivered the first-ever official address on lect and talent, they insisted. youth, peace and security on behalf of the I received a Gbowee Peace Foundation schol- United Network of Young Peacebuilders arship funded by the US Agency for Inter- before the UN Peacebuilding Commission in national Development and the International New York. I used the occasion to advocate Research and Exchanges Board, a nonprofit, for the adoption of Resolution 2250, which in 2012. This enabled me to study peace- urges countries to include young people in building and leadership at the Centre for peace processes and conflict resolution. Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Men- I believe that young people need to nonite University, Virginia, US. It was an demonstrate wisdom and ethical conduct opportunity I took delightedly. and must be engaged in community- My passion for peace work began at age and youth-based initiatives that promote 13, when I would engage other children as peaceful coexistence.

16 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

PROFILE Eric Kaduru Agripreneur with a passion

Changing youth mindsets about commercial agriculture

BY SHU ZHANG

ost young people would hesitate before leaving a In rural Uganda, women face economic hardships and many stable job for an entrepreneurial venture. But not young girls are still out of school. for a plucky 34-year-old Ugandan, Eric Kaduru, Mr. Kaduru subsequently thought that commercial agricul- who made a decision to leave his advertising job ture could help “out-of-school girls have a better life.” inM the capital city, Kampala, to become an agripreneur—an KadAfrica provides training and passion fruit vines to girls, entrepreneur in the agriculture business. especially those between the ages of 14 and 20 who have dropped Mr. Kaduru had grown weary of the early-morning traf- out of school, so that they can set up viable agricultural enter- fic and day-to-day struggle in Kampala, and was ready to try prises and earn income. It assists the girls to start their own something new. A magazine article about an agricultural pro- cooperatives and trains them in basic business management ject triggered his interest. He and his wife did some research, skills and agriculture. The company then connects the girls to and that’s how the idea of passion fruit farming was conceived. domestic and international markets. He quit his advertising job in 2011 to found KadAfrica, a com- The company has engaged more than 1,600 girls since it mercial passion fruit farm and outgrower network, which links began operations. farmers with buyers. More than 70% of households in Uganda grow food for sub- KadAfrica, located in Fort Portal, a town in the Western sistence only—meaning little to no income. As a result, farming Region of Uganda, concentrates on commercial production of is not seen as a business, but rather a chore delegated to women export-quality passion fruit. It sells fresh passion fruit and girls. used to produce juice and pulp countrywide to “It was challenging to convince them that it can be a markets as well as to juice companies such as profitable business,” Mr. Kaduru said. Coca-Cola. KadAfrica products can now be found With time, after his work with three farmers in markets in London. proved profitable for them, many more wanted to A desire for positive social change drives the work with KadAfrica. company. On its website it lists early marriage, Young entrepreneurs in Africa usually face chal- high school dropout rates among girls and girls’ lenges in finding capital to start a business and lure lack of economic power as social problems it top-notch employees. hopes to tackle. Its vision statement sums up “Finding access to money is a huge headache for its purpose: “Enable girls to become economic young people, plus getting the best-quality workers drivers of their communities.” also costs a lot of money,” Mr. Kaduru said, adding, Mr. Kaduru told Africa Renewal that at the “Finding good partners really helps.” beginning, most of his employees were women In 2015, at just 31 years, Mr. Kaduru was who needed money for food and for their awarded the Africa Food Prize, becoming children’s school fees. The women also the youngest laureate since the prize was complained that their husbands were established in 2005 to honour achieve- not providing any support. ments in agriculture in Africa. Encouraged by this and other accolades, he gives this The quicker you message to African youth: fail, the faster you “When you have an idea, if learn, the quicker you pursue it, if you persist, you’ll succeed.…The quicker you grow. So you fail, the faster you learn, don’t give up. the quicker you grow. So don’t give up.”

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 17 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

PROFILE William Elong An ICT innovator

Scaling up drone manufacture for a global market BY FRANCK KUWONU

he news wasn’t big enough to excite international lands but often don’t know the borders of their fields. Our ser- media, but it was an exciting development this year vice helps determine that,” he says. In addition, farmers can in Cameroon when Will&Brothers, a local engineer- use their services in field surveys and targeted in-field crop ing and consulting company, unveiled the first-ever management. droneT made in Cameroon. Since its founding three years ago, when it had four employ- “It’s the pride of the country!” exclaimed Ms. Minette Libom ees and 12 drones, the company has been growing at a good Li Likeng, the country’s minister of telecommunications and pace: it now has 12 employees, half of whom work in the Douala postal services, who attended the unveiling. headquarters, while the rest operate from Germany, France and Last year, Forbes magazine named Will&Brothers founder Côte d’Ivoire. William Elong, 25, one of the most promising Africans under 30. Following the unveiling of his locally made drones, Mr. Mr. Elong, who describes himself as a “big dreamer and Elong is looking at expanding into other countries in Africa, overachiever,” at 20 years was the youngest-ever graduate of Asia and Europe, and is in the process of raising $2 million for the Economic Warfare School in Paris. He is better known in that purpose. his country for his Drone Africa venture, a commercial imagery It will not be the first time that Will&Brothers has relied service used by the tourism and agricultural industries in on external and publicly subscribed financing for the drone Cameroon. initiative. Three years ago, the company managed to raise some “Our countries spend huge sums of money on con- $200,000 to advance the drone manufacturing project. tracting satellite imagery companies to address “It is not just about the hardware,” Mr. Elong said. “It is their geographical mapping needs,” Mr. Elong also about software, about coding.” While he is eager to locally told Africa Renewal in a phone conversa- manufacture cheap drones, the real challenge is to provide tion from Douala, Cameroon’s economic tailor-made solutions to socioeconomic development chal- capital. “Using drones is much cheaper, lenges, he said. cost effective and more practical,” he So enters Cyclops, Mr. Elong’s next quest, which aims to added. explore artificial intelligence and with which he wants to equip The company provides services to drones with the ability to “detect people, objects and vehicles the local tourism industry, allowing it and to identify different types of animals at specific sites.” to access a “different vision of the same “Artificial intelligence is the future of humanity,” he says. reality”—aerial images of points of “I wish more people would take an interest in technology.” interest. The company also offers mapping ser- Our countries spend vices to farmers huge sums of money on and others, contracting satellite making it easier for imagery companies them to pin- to address their point the geographical mapping exact dimen- needs. Using drones sions of their arable lands. is much cheaper, cost “In effective and more Cameroon, practical. people have

18 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 YOUTH LEADERSHIP

PROFILE Gogontlejang Phaladi A social change activist

“Stand up, rise up and push forward.… Refuse to be silent” BY SHU ZHANG

t a recent youth forum at the United Nations head- were lost and children orphaned, and I wanted to do quarters in New York, 24-year-old Gogontlejang anything to help.” Phaladi from Botswana was in the spotlight. In 2006 Ms. Phaladi organized seminars, work- The organisers of the event consider her one shops and charitable events in most of Botswana’s 11 Aof the “most innovative young people across the world.” districts. Yarona FM, a radio station popular with young Ms. Phaladi moderated a session on Africa organized people, provided her with a platform to speak to a wider by Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and audience. she urged young people to “stand up, rise up Ms. Phaladi was always considered a preco- and push forward for a better Africa. Nobody cious child, admired by the adults who is going to do this for us. We need to do it supported her work. for ourselves.” Still, she says, being a young woman She further urged young people to fight has its challenges. “In our society, suc- for a place among the decision makers of cess, leadership, achievements are their country: “If you don’t have a seat at the mostly associated with the male gender. table, you will sit on the floor.” Also, communities believe the In Botswana, Ms. Phaladi is a distin- young cannot think constructively, that guished philanthropist and human rights they have no opinion on important com- activist. Her social change activism began munity matters.” at age four. “I have 20 years of experience already,” she joked in an interview with Africa Renewal. At five years of age, with the support of her If you don’t have a parents, Ms. Phaladi started the Gogontle- seat at the table, jang Phaladi Pillar of Hope Organization (GPPHO), a nongovernmental organi- you will sit on the zation that focuses on human rights, floor. gender equality and humanitarian work, among other issues. How could anyone engage in charity work at such an early She’s heard some people say age? Two near-tragic events of her, “‘She is so young, why deeply affected the young is she doing this? She must Phaladi. First she nearly be confused,’” she said. But lost her mother in a seri- Ms. Phaladi is not giving up. ous car accident, and her father predicted “If I don’t speak up, who will she could speed her mother’s recovery if she do that?” dedicated herself to charitable acts. It was a message that Having experienced much more than pricked her conscience, she recalls. most people her age, Ms. Phaladi feels lucky Becoming a witness to the devastating effects of HIV to be able to pursue the life she dreamed and AIDS on families was the other moving experience that about at a very young age. deepened her commitment to charity. “Botswana has one Her message to young Africans is, of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Many lives “Stand up and take action. Refuse to be silent.”

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 19 INTERVIEW Bringing rural women to the frontline — Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women executive director

humzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations PUnder-Secretary-General and executive director of UN Women, recently began a second term in office. In her first term, she drew atten- tion to women’s issues globally, getting some countries to change gender discrimination laws. In this interview with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor, Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka discusses her vision and the hurdles that African women continue to face.

Africa Renewal: What were the key accomplishments has not been great because of weak implementation, and challenges of your first term? and as a result, the norms and traditions that the Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka: In the last four years, we laws address have not changed. In the last two years, focused on encouraging countries to pass legislation we have been working with traditional chiefs and the and adopt norms that enhance gender equality, to the religious community at the grassroots level to change point that annually we helped pass laws that address the norms. We are also working with men and boys as domestic violence or criminalise rape in more than stakeholders and role players in changing discrimi- 60 countries, and where these violations are tolerated natory norms and practices. or not punished, we challenged countries to amend or repeal those laws. We still have about 150 countries What do you mean by discriminatory norms and with legislation that discriminates against women. practices? 150 We have strengthened the trust between govern- For example, people will say, “We believe in human ments and us [UN Women] as an honest broker. Of rights, but we have our traditions.” But commu- countries with course, we could do with more resources. nity leaders are helping to address those issues. In legislation that Zambia, for instance, there is a chief who, after the discriminates Are there African countries that have reduced or government passed a law to raise the age of marriage against women eliminated gender discriminatory laws? to 18, raised the age of marriage to 21 in his district. Yes, we are proud of Malawi for passing legislation He says at 18, a girl is supposed to go to university, not that changed the age of marriage [to at least 18 years], get married. In Uganda, the president emphasized outlawing child marriage. In Kenya there are legal the importance of education for girls in the fight and electoral reforms that enable greater partici- against child marriage. Uganda passed a related law, pation of women in politics. Egypt passed laws to and they are working on community-based initiatives facilitate women’s participation at local government to make the law a success. The country is highligh- levels, and we saw an exponential number of women ting women’s economic empowerment so that standing for and winning elections. poverty is not an accelerator of child marriage.

What are you focusing on next? Are people reluctant to change age-old practices? Implementation of laws. Since Beijing [the World Actually, it’s not been too bad. But we are inves- Conference on Women, 1995], countries are passing ting in local communities so that our organization laws that address gender inequality, but the impact doesn’t have to be there all the time. In Malawi, a

20 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 woman chief, Theresa Kachindamoto, When you negotiate peace and women with whom we had established a really are empowered negotiators, the quality How does poverty in rural areas affect good working relationship, has since of the negotiated peace is better. Women child marriages? 2004 terminated a total of 2,549 child sit at the table not to settle scores, but Because poverty is higher in the rural marriages in a breakthrough that has to seek genuine reconciliation. Women areas, girls in these areas face a higher cost some subchiefs their positions. want reconstruction to be about clinics risk of forced and early marriage. It is The other focus area of our work is that heal, schools that teach, agriculture important for us to break with child women’s empowerment. We formed the that feeds the village, etc. They want marriage in the rural areas, where tradi- African Women Leaders Network, which reparations that benefit the community. tional authority and cultural practices are is establishing leadership that has a con- For peace to be sustainable, it must be still strong. stituency and a leadership that works for inclusive. Women form at least 50% of the needs of that constituency. We want the population in most countries, they Is there hope for young women in terms to see grassroots women in Africa stand- bear the brunt of conflict and they need of economic empowerment and poli- ing up together on issues they care about, to have room to put forward their needs tical participation? such as ending child marriage. and priorities and have them adequately We have a CSW [Commission on the captured and represented when negotia- Status of Women] for youth, which gene- What’s the endgame? ting peace. rates recommendations and insights that The endgame is to have people who In Liberia, women played a major role are taken to the main CSW. We are also can stand on their own with or without in ushering in and sustaining peace, and ensuring that in the CSW we begin to get the UN, so that we are just a support they have never disbanded as peace activ- the young people to address and tackle system. No single country in the world ists. If you look at South Africa, a postcon- the norms that hinder gender equality so has attained gender equality or a flict country, women played a significant that they are not steeped in the traditions robust democracy without the women’s role leading to the end of apartheid, to of the generations before them. movement, without civil society, without the negotiations, to the constitution—and a certain degree of feminist thinking. ticked a lot of the critical boxes to sustain The UN Secretary-General recently democracy. We saw that to some extent in declared gender parity had been How bad is the situation of women in Mozambique and in Namibia. achieved in senior UN leadership. What African conflict zones? can the African Union learn from that? It is bad. In South Sudan, the level of In Rwanda too? Decisiveness and leading from the front. violence against women is heartbrea- Yes, in Rwanda, and, although not a post- The pace at which women have been king. Women in camps are violated by conflict country, Ghana too. recruited into the UN has a lot to do with law enforcers and security personnel the resolve of the secretary-general who who are supposed to protect them, by Apart from Rwanda, where women has used his authority and power to make the men living in the camps and some- constitute 64% of parliamentarians, the appointments. He has had to assert times by their own family. If they move the gender parity goal in political himself, not take no for an answer. outside the camps, they are at risk of representation is far from being abduction and rape. The perpetrators achieved in Africa. Women earn 30% less than men in target women to punish their opponents. Compared with other regions of the Africa. Is that an issue for you? We have the same pattern in Central world, Africa is doing better. South Africa Yes. We are partnering with the ILO African Republic, where, because of is above the global average in the level of [International Labour Organisation] and religious or political conflicts or general women’s political participation. There are civil society to promote equal pay. We lawlessness, women bear the brunt of more countries in Africa with a higher want to see a breakthrough much sooner the humiliation and pain that come representation of women than you will than 2030. It is one of the biggest but with the war. In Sudan, things are not find even in countries without conflict simplest campaigns: everyone unders- perfect. In Burundi, there are problems. and that are much richer. But we should tands the difference between a big pay But it should also be said that women in not be satisfied, because our best is not cheque and a small pay cheque. Political these places are fighting back. Women good enough. leaders and heads of organisations must in South Sudan are standing up. Women speak up and have policies that ensure in Burundi are playing a significant role Why the focus on women living in rural women and men are paid equally. in averting conflict by being community areas lately? mediators. In Somalia, women are orga- If there’s anyone left behind, it is women What is your vision for the African nising themselves to increase their parti- and girls in rural areas. We want to take woman? cipation in parliament. those at the back of the line to the front The African woman is a pillar of the of the line. We are putting their critical family and society. African women have A recent study shows that when women issues high on the agenda, looking at diffe- leadership qualities. They care for their are actively involved in conflict resolu- rent solutions, exchanging and sharing communities. I would like to see more tion, peace is sustainable. best practices. women heads of state in Africa.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 21 SPECIAL FOCUS ON LIBERIA

Liberians wave goodbye to departing Nigerian peacekeepers. UN Photo/Gonzalez Farran Mission accomplished: 15 years of peacekeeping success in Liberia As the last contigents of peacekeepers depart, UN promises to remain engaged

BY KINGSLEY IGHOBOR

n a bright, sunny day in Janu- in Liberia (UNMIL) was deployed in 2003 “Peace is here to stay and our democracy ary this year, Liberian president to help restore peace and security in the is maturing. Now we need jobs,” Marwolo Ellen Johnson Sirleaf turned country. Kpadeh, head of the Liberian Youth Network, over power to George Weah, a After nearly 15 years in Liberia, the UN a leading youth organization, told Africa Odecorated soccer star, following peaceful and peacekeeping mission ended, having dis- Renewal. successful elections. This marked Liberia’s armed more than 100,000 combatants, After the peaceful handover of power, first democratic transfer of power in more secured about 21,000 weapons, enabled Mr. Kpadeh says that Liberia’s key challenge than 70 years. about one million refugees and displaced is now mostly economic. “Limited employ- In his inaugural address, President Weah persons to return home and assisted in the ment continues to undermine the welfare was quick to advise his compatriots to “not holding of three peaceful presidential and of Liberians in both urban and rural areas,” allow political loyalties to prevent us from legislative elections. notes the World Bank. collaborating in national interest.” He vowed The UN’s secretary-general António to tackle inequality because “the absence of Guterres in a statement issued in early April UN’s engagement continues equality and unity led us down the path of expressed his “respect to the memory of 202 While President Weah must deal with eco- destroying our own country.” peacekeepers who lost their lives” in Libe- nomic issues, the withdrawal of UNMIL Mr. Weah was referring to the Libe- ria. Mr. Guterres commended the “excellent peacekeepers will test the government’s ria’s civil war from 1989 to 2003, which leadership” of his Special Representative for readiness to perform public safety and left the country in tatters politically and Liberia, Farid Zarif, UNMIL’s previous lead- security duties, writes FrontPageAfrica, a economically. The United Nations Mission ers and uniformed and civilian personnel. Liberian newspaper.

22 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 The UN has allayed concerns, promising arrangement, the entire country was in to remain engaged even in the absence of a turmoil. People were moving from place to Key Facts About UNMIL peacekeeping force. place, looking for safety or for food. It was The UN family will remain in the coun- very bad.” (See interview on page 26) try “with a view to ensuring that the hard- “When I arrived in Liberia, a thick cloud won peace can be sustained and the country of uncertainty and insecurity hung over the and its people will continue to progress and country,” corroborates Patrick Coker, who thrive,” Mr. Guterres added, in his statement. joined UNMIL as a senior public information The UN Country Team, including its officer in October 2003. “There was no elec- agencies, funds and programmes, such as the tricity, no water, fighters carried weapons UN Development Programme, UNICEF and around, thousands of internally displaced Between 2003 and 2018 the World Food Programme, will remain in persons, hopelessness, poverty, anguish—we over 126,000 military, the country. were on edge.” 16,000 police and 23,000 A “strengthened Resident Coordina- UNMIL and its partners, including civilian staff served in UNMIL tor” will lead the team and help the govern- an interim government headed by Gyude ment achieve targets set in the 2030 Agenda Bryant, attempted but failed to begin dis- Disarmed over 100,000 for Sustainable Development, Ms. Amina armament on December 7, 2003. General combatants and secured Mohammed, the UN’s deputy-secretary- Opande attributed the botched attempt to over 21,000 weapons as general, said in March. UNMIL’s ill-preparedness. There was a mis- well as over 5,000,000 Ms. Mohammed, who visited Liberia in understanding over money to be paid the rounds of ammunition late March as the final batch of peacekeep- fighters, and when they began firing in the ers prepared to leave, praised UNMIL for air, the process ended abruptly. Enabled hundreds of being “at the forefront of establishing the key thousands of refugees foundations for peace in Liberia.” Successful disarmament and displaced persons to The UN’s promise of continuing engage- Fighters of the rebel faction Liberians return home, including over ment should be welcome news to Liberians, United for Reconstruction and Democ- 26,000 to Côte d’Ivoire who have been dealing with the ubiquitous racy (LURD) tested UNMIL’s resolve on peacekeepers over the past 14 years. Christmas Day of 2003 when they pre- Assisted in holding 3 vented the peacekeepers from deploying in peaceful presidential and How it began Tubmanburg, northwest of Monrovia. Two legislative elections in The Liberian civil war began in 1989 when days later, General Opande led heavy rein- 2005, 2011 and 2017 Charles Taylor started a military campaign forcements of troops and weapons back to overthrow President Samuel Doe. to Tubmanburg. This time the fighters Supported the strength- By 2003, with more than 250,000 people capitulated, even danced—and, bizarrely, ening of Liberian security As the last contigents of peacekeepers depart, UN promises to remain engaged killed, the UN Security Council authorized set fire to their checkpoint. forces, including integra- the establishment of a peacekeeping force “The Liberian people are tired of war. We tion of women consisting of up to 15,000 military personnel too are tired,” said LURD’s deputy chief of and over 1,000 police officers, among others. staff, “General” Oforie Diah. UNMIL began operations in October The mission had learned a lesson and so, Before UNMIL’s Arrival 2003, when about 3,500 troops of the Eco- when disarmament restarted in April 2004 nomic Community of West African States after a robust communications campaign to Conflict in Liberia claimed Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), who had educate combatants on the process, there the lives of almost 250,000 arrived in Liberia a few months prior, were were no serious hitches. people, mostly civilians rehatted as UN peacekeepers. Mr. Guterres Mr. Coker recalls that “dealing with the said that ECOMOG troops laid the founda- ex-combatants, who had been in the bushes GDP per capita dropped tion ahead of UN peacekeepers’ deployment. for more than a decade, was no easy task.” by more than 70% due to The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, At the slightest provocation, such as a delay conflict signed by President Taylor and leaders of in payment of disarmament allowance, they all warring factions and political parties on rioted and threatened to torpedo the peace August 18, 2003 in Accra, Ghana, provided process. During such moments, UNMIL and 1/2 of the population was the political cover for UNMIL’s deployment partners often relied on Liberian women to forcibly displaced throughout the country. bring the former fighters under control. UNMIL’s first force commander, now- “If there is a group in Liberia that I, 2/3 of women were subject retired Lieutenant General Daniel Opande, Opande, can give the biggest congratulations to sexual violence during described the situation of the country at the displacement time of deployment: “Nothing functioned, Sources: UN Peacekeeping the government had collapsed, no security see page 29

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 23 SPECIAL FOCUS ON LIBERIA

INTERVIEW How we disarmed Liberian fighters — Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande, first force commander, UN Mission in Liberia BY ZIPPORAH MUSAU and KINGSLEY IGHOBOR

rom 2003 to 2005, retired Lieutenant General Daniel Opande was the force F commander of the peacekeepers of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Tough but diplomatic, the Kenya Defence Forces officer in 2004 got the commanders of Liberia’s warring factions to agree to the disarming of more than 100,000 former combatants. UNMIL also provided security, technical and logistical support for the electoral process that culminated in peaceful democratic elections in 2005. As the mission finally winds down operations in March 2018, Africa Renewal’s Zipporah Musau and Kingsley Ighobor interviewed Lieutenant General Opande on his experience leading a multinational force during a most challenging period in Liberia. These are excerpts.

Africa Renewal: Can you briefly describe I embarked on what we had done in Sierra Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande. Pasfsfans the security situation in Liberia when Leone—reach out to the various warring you first got there? factions and target their leaders. Instead of Lieutenant General (Rtd) Daniel sitting down in Monrovia [the capital city] were determined to make sure that peace Opande: I arrived in Liberia from Sierra and expecting them to come and discuss returned to the country. There are times Leone on 1st October 2003. By then Sierra the way forward in solving the dire security when the peacekeeping commander must Leone had established a UN peacekeeping situation, I went out to meet them in their lead by example, and that was my message mission. The situation in Sierra Leone had strongholds. I was not afraid to go wherever to the rebels. returned to normal: there was a functioning they were; I went to meet the “generals” government and peace had been restored and the local leaders in places like Ganta, Given the unsafe security situation at throughout the country. But Liberia was the Gbarnga, Buchanan and other locations. I the time—with thousands already killed opposite: nothing functioned, the govern- made sure they understood what I expected during the war—were you not taking ment had collapsed, there was no effective of them in order to restore peace and unnecessary risks? security arrangement, the entire country security in the country. No. I had a job to do, it was my duty to was in turmoil and in grave danger of falling fulfil the mandate given by the UN Security apart. People were moving from place to There is a video clip of you in a town Council to UNMIL. We had to engage the place looking for safety and food. It was a (not Monrovia), surrounded by armed rebels and fighters from all sides to esta- very bad situation indeed. rebels, and you are talking tough to blish peace and security in Liberia. them. Were you not scared? Given the situation in Liberia you just That was probably the time I went to Do you think the strong presence of UN described, how confident were you of a supervise the forceful opening of the road troops was a factor that influenced the successful mission? between Monrovia and Buchanan [in rebels to disarm? That is a question many people, especially southern Liberia], which the rebels had When I landed in Liberia, I expected to journalists, often ask me. I was determined barricaded and blocked for free movement lead one of the largest UN peacekeeping to address the appalling security situation of civilians. Rebels are difficult people to missions ever deployed. That gave me some as my number one priority. Once that was deal with and very unpredictable. They hope that, with the huge manpower and accomplished, then the politicians would kill and commit atrocities against civilians the equipment provided, we would be able address the political, economic and gover- and can occasionally turn their guns on to face any security challenges posed. I nance issues. peacekeepers. A week before this incident was confident that we had the will to deal I had asked the rebel commander to open with any situation, including countrywide How were you able to get the many the road forthwith but it was not heeded. disarmament. Within six months I received “generals” of the various warring So, I decided to go there myself and send a sufficient number of troops who were well factions to accept peace? strong message that UNMIL peacekeepers trained and motivated for tasks ahead.

24 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 challenges we faced. We all understood our It is difficult to compare countries in What was your toughest challenge roles and expectations. conflict. Liberia, having gone through a long during this assignment? and bitter civil conflict, has proven that a The most difficult challenge was when I UNMIL, which ended its work on 30th country can overcome the worst conflict. landed in Monrovia. The city was under March 2018, is one of the UN’s success South Sudan and other countries can learn siege, surrounded by rebels and ex-govern- stories. What role did Liberian women some lessons from the Liberian conflict to ment forces who were on the rampage, play in the peace process? end their suffering. killing, raping, looting and determined to If there is one group in Liberia that I, cause chaos so our mission could fail. Due Opande, can name and congratulate for Many families in Liberia are said to to lack of sufficient troops at the time, I working tirelessly to bring peace in the have named their children after you deployed the small number of troops I had country, it is the women. I remember seeing because they appreciated your service to protect key areas within Monrovia and thousands of women sitting on an open field there. What message do you have for the prevent mayhem within the city. near Spriggs Payne [Airport] daily, praying Liberian people? and discussing how to effectively culti- I am humbled and I would like to thank The first attempt at disarmament, in vate lasting peace in Liberia. They would those whose children were named after December 2003, failed. Why? confront then-president [Charles] Taylor me. I don’t want to say that I played the I had drawn up a plan to deploy contingents insisting that he must give peace a chance; key role, all of us in UNMIL played a role in key locations throughout the country they travelled all the way to Ghana to in getting Liberia back on its feet. I would before attempting any disarmament. confront the leaders of the warring factions like to appeal to the Liberian people: do It was my view, and from my experience as they were negotiating peace, urging them not look back, do not fall back into chaos elsewhere, that we should avoid rushing to sign a ceasefire agreement. Although the again. If there are still political or economic into disarmament without a proper plan. men of Liberia also played a role, but the problems, the government and the people If you do not have sufficient troops to women were consistent and in the forefront. must address them with determination. You monitor the process, disarmament will not must see to it that Liberian children have a succeed because rebels will just move from Liberia recently held presidential elec- stable country and a better future. one place to the other and circumvent the tions won by Mr. George Weah and a process. Occasionally, military and civilian peaceful handover of power took place. As one of the first UN peacekeepers leadership in a mission have different Why has peace endured in the country? on the ground, how do you feel about approaches on how to deal with such situa- I must congratulate the Liberian people. UNMIL’s success as it winds down? tions. During the elections of 2005/2006, they I feel elated and vindicated for having elected a leadership that was focused on said that UNMIL would overcome the Is a key takeaway from that experience improving the economy, security and good challenges it faced during its peacekeeping that political and military leaderships governance, which then laid the foundation mandate. I also feel happy that the people of of peacekeeping missions must work for development and stability. Liberia have made tremendous progress in together? healing the country. I believe peacekeepers Yes, they must work together as a team. The What lessons can other countries in who served there have played a significant idea of a single leadership cannot always conflict, such as South Sudan, learn role in assisting Liberians consolidate the bring success in a mission. from Liberia? gains made in the last two decades or so.

How was it leading a multinational force made up of troops with dissi- milar training, accustomed to different equipment and with varying levels of motivation? It is not easy leading troops who speak different languages, use different equip- ment, have different ethics and command structure. But leadership ethics require that everyone must be brought on board and appreciated. I always insisted on creating a cohesive command in UNMIL despite the

General Opande (right) watches as a former rebel leader briefs journalists on disarmament process. UN Photo/Shima Roy

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 25 SPECIAL FOCUS ON LIBERIA Women: Liberia’s guardians of peace The role of women in bringing and sustaining peace lauded globally BY FRANCK KUWONU

leaders, led to the signing of the 2003 Com- prehensive Peace Agreement. He added, “They would confront then- president [Charles] Taylor, insisting that he must give peace a chance; they travelled all the way to Ghana to confront the leaders of the warring factions as they were negotiat- ing peace, urging them to sign a ceasefire agreement. Although the men of Liberia also played a role, the women were consist- ent and in the forefront.” Liberian women’s political activism continued in the aftermath of the Accra peace accord through the period leading to 2005 elections, which brought Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the presidency. Observers note that through civic edu- cation and a voter registration drive carried out by women, Liberians had their voices ot long ago, images of child sol- Liberian women at an empowerment and leader- heard and their votes counted. diers and the nation of Liberia ship conference in Monrovia, Liberia. UNMIL Close to 80% of the Liberian women were wedded in the minds of the Photo/Christopher Herwig who flooded the polls during the country’s international community. The first postwar presidential election voted to Ncountry was struggling to end a horrific usher a woman into power for the first time civil war, but military efforts were going who now heads the Women, Peace and on a continent that for centuries had been nowhere. Security Program at Columbia University the world’s most patriarchal. Ms. Sirleaf’s Then the mothers, grandmothers and in New York. “They were either fighters or election was hailed as historic. “We have sisters of Liberia stepped forward and they were very silent and accepting all of shattered the glass ceiling theory,” the then formed the Women of Liberia Mass Action the violence that was being thrown at us as president-elect was quoted as saying. for Peace campaign. a nation.… So we decided, ‘We’ll do this to Addressing jubilant supporters cel- They pressured Liberian men to pursue propel the silent men into action.’” ebrating her victory a few days earlier, peace or lose physical intimacy with their The women demanded a meeting with she’d urged women to “seize the moment to wives. Wearing all-white clothing, the then-president Charles Taylor and got him become active in civil and political affairs.” women of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, gath- to agree to attend peace talks with the other President Sirleaf became the first ered at the fish market in the thousands, leaders of the warring factions brokered by demoncratically elected president in Africa. sitting, praying and singing. Their images the Economic Community of West African All in all, Liberian women have been a force were seen around the world. States (ECOWAS), a subregional grouping. against violence in the country, and their “The women of Liberia say peace is our The women perfected the art of “cor- actions contributed to the ending of hostili- goal, peace is what matters, peace is what ridor lobbying,” waiting for negotiators ties after a 14-year civil war. Subsequently we need,” was their clear message, stamped as they entered and exited meeting rooms there was a shift in focus to peacebuilding. on a billboard in the downtown fish market. during breaks. Their action paved the way The women’s continued advocacy, with “The world once remembered Liberia for negotiations taking place in Ghana, clear messages to the public, has led to their for child soldiers,” said Leymah Gbowee, where a delegation of about 200 Liberian being considered community watchdogs, a leader of the peace group for which she women staged a sit-in at the presidential while they have also developed the concept won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. “They now palace and applied pressure for a resolution. of “peace huts,” where women receive lead- know our country for the women in white.” Dressed in white, the women blocked ership and entrepreneurship training. Their efforts, which continued until the every entry and exit point, including win- nation’s first elections, were successful. dows, stopping negotiators from leaving the Additional reporting by Catherine Onekalit “We felt like the men in our society were talks without a resolution. Their action, as in Liberia. really not taking a stand,” recalls Gbowee, well as the pressures mounted by ECOWAS

26 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 BITCOIN Africa could be the next frontier for cryptocurrency Experts say conditions on the continent are great for virtual currency

BY PAVITHRA RAO

nterest in cryptocurrency, a form of Rakesh Sharma, a business and technology Tokunbo Darko, vice president of marketing digital currency, is growing steadily journalist. for ICOWatchlist.com, a platform that hosts in Africa. Some economists say it is a Mr. Sharma says that citizens of coun- cryptocurrency tokens. disruptive innovation that will blos- tries battling high inflation are likely to There will be 725 million mobile phone Isom on the continent. opt for cryptocurrency, because “with their subscribers in Africa by 2020, according to Cryptocurrency is not bound by geogra- paradigm of decentralization, cryptocurren- the GSM Association, which represents the phy because it is internet based; its transac- cies offer an alternative to disastrous central interests of mobile operators globally. That tions are stored in a database called block- bank policies.” means more Africans will have the tools to chain, which is a group of connected com- plug into the cryptocurrency ecosystem, says puters that record transactions in a ledger Stealing a march Mr. Sharma. in real time. South Sudan’s inflation rate was 102% “I check my Bitcoin every day [on my The difference between cryptocurrency between September 2016 and September mobile phone] and any chance I can get. and, say, Visa or Mastercard, is that a crypto- 2017, according to the World Bank. Other Any minute, any hour, anytime, as often as I currency is not now regulated by government countries with double-digit inflation can,” Peace Akware, a Ugandan millennial, and doesn’t need middlemen, and transac- rates include Egypt, Ghana, Malawi, told the BBC. tions rely on the internet, which means they Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia and can happen anywhere in the world. Zimbabwe. It is no surprise that some of Bitcoin spreads The big cryptocurrency global brands these countries are among the main Bitcoin That African governments are not now include Bitcoin, Litecoin, XRP, Dash, Lisk economies in Africa. The main Bitcoin regulating cryptocurrency may be a factor and Monero, but Bitcoin leads the pack in countries are Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, spurring its growth on the continent; how- Africa. Created in 2009 by a person or people Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe, accor- ever, there is no guarantee that governments with the alias Satoshi Nakamoto, investors ding to gobitcoin.io, a website dedicated will not change their current mindset. hope Bitcoin becomes the new mode of to Bitcoin news in Africa. The BBC adds Rather than simply not wanting to, financial transaction in the digital age. that cryptocurrency is gaining ground in governments may be powerless to regulate “Africa is rarely mentioned among the Uganda. cryptocurrency, the Nigerian central bank largest markets for cryptocurrency, but it When Zimbabwe’s inflation skyrocketed indicated recently. Currently tackling the may be set to steal a march over in 2015, forcing authorities to print $100 country’s 12% inflation rate, the Nigerian other markets,” trillion notes (each worth just $40), some apex bank announced that it could not con- says Zimbabweans turned to Bitcoin. trol or regulate Bitcoin, “just the same way Zimbabweans and citizens of other Afri- no one is going to control or regulate the can countries transact in Bitcoin “as opposed internet. We don’t own it.” to their local currencies, which are plagued with hyperinflation,” comments Emmanuel see page 34

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 27 UN & AFRICA UN signals new era of partnership with Africa Increased attention may prevent conflict on the continent BY LANSANA GBERIE

ith United Nations Sec- African affairs. He has already visited the retary-General António Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guterres as a guest at the Somalia and Uganda. African Union Summit in By picking Amina J. Mohammed, Nige- WAddis Ababa, Ethiopia, in his first month in ria’s former environment minister, as his office in January 2017, and then again this deputy, Mr. Guterres sent an important January past, the UN is signaling a new era signal with respect to diversity and sus- of partnership with the regional body and tainable development in Africa. with the continent. “I stand here on behalf of the United UN peacekeepers Nations system and reaffirm our strong In Addis Ababa in 2017, Mr. Guterres commitment to the member states and touched on the “need to change the narra- the people of Africa,” Mr. Guterres told the tive about Africa” from a conversation 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of “based on all the current crises in African the African Union (AU), in January. He countries,” which he termed “a partial view” added prophetically, “I strongly believe to “a narrative that recognizes Africa as a Africa is one of the greatest forces for good continent with enormous potential…[and in our world.” with] extraordinary success stories from and security matters is attractive but may Flanked by the executive secretary of the point of view of economic development be too optimistic, some analysts say. the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and governance.” Vera Songwe, and his new special adviser In prior years, UN officials of vari- Focus on development on Africa, Bience Gawanas, the Secretary- ous institutions delivered similar senti- Several African commentators believe that General announced a “platform of coopera- ments, but more as exhortations than in the frequent trips by Mr. Guterres serve to tion” to align the 2030 Agenda for Sustain- recognition. remind Africans that even during an era able Development with the agenda of the The UN headquarters in New York has of concerns—that the new US administra- African Union for 2063. hosted a number of Africa-themed events tion may be less interested in Africa than Mr. Guterres described how the AU-UN recently, mainly on development issues. previous ones, for example—the interna- partnership could be strengthened in five Outside of New York, deputy secretary- tional community will not neglect African key areas: anti-corruption measures, coop- general Mohammed last year led to Africa issues. The new focus may also be helpful in eration in peace and security, inclusive and a high-level team including UN Women’s preventing conflict in some countries. sustainable development, climate change executive director, Phumzile Mlambo- In Addis Ababa, Mr. Guterres said that action and international migration. Ngcuka, the UN special representative on development “must be at the centre of Combatting the “far-reaching and dev- sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, [UN-AU] cooperation. The best preven- astating” impact of corruption, tax evasion and the African Union special envoy on tion of conflict is sustainable and inclusive and illicit financial flows—a main theme women, peace and security, Bineta Diop. development.” of this year’s AU Summit—requires an Their mission was to promote women’s Africa hosts most of the UN’s peace- unimpeachable commitment to transpar- active participation in peacemaking, keepers, and African security issues are ency and accountability,” he said, offering peacebuilding, security and development. often discussed in the Security Council. the UN’s full support. He also welcomed In the past, foreign leaders’ near indif- As of April 2018, there were seven UN the designation of 2018 as African Anti- ference to African issues represented their peacekeeping missions in Africa. The larg- Corruption Year. countries’ failure to live up to the concept est missions are in the Democratic Repub- Mr. Guterres—a former Portuguese of partnership with the continent. The lic of Congo (DRC), Darfur in Sudan (where politician and UN high commissioner for apparent shift from a concentration on the mission is jointly administered with refugees—has demonstrated interest in crises to a discussion of economic, political the AU), South Sudan, and Mali.

28 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 Mission accomplished ... from page 23

for bringing peace, it is the women,” says Lieutenant General Opande. After a successful disarmament, demo- bilization, rehabilitation and reintegration process and peaceful elections, the mission’s attention shifted to providing security for the country, helping to midwife a new army and police force and extending civil author- ity throughout the country. As well, UNMIL provided technical and logistical support to various government departments.

Renewed hope Former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf inherited an economy ruined by war; how- ever, she mobilized foreign and domestic resources to kick-start development, includ- ing in the energy and transportation sectors. In 2010, Liberia secured nearly $5 bil- lion in debt relief from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, African Development Bank and other creditors. That was 90% of the country’s total foreign debt and 15% of its GDP. As the economy was taking off, the Ebola epidemic hit in late 2014 and caused a negative 1.6% growth rate by 2016. The The UN established its first peace oper- UN Secretary-General António Guterres (seated, World Bank now forecasts modest but sus- ation in Africa, the UN Operation in the third from left) in a camp for internally displaced tained positive growth after a 2.6% rise

Congo, in 1960. It was the UN’s first large- persons in Bangassou, Central African Republic. last year. scale mission, with nearly 20,000 military UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Fourteen years of war, bad leadership personnel at its peak. and the Ebola epidemic might have derailed From 1989 to date, the Security Council Liberia’s socioeconomic development, but has authorized about 27 peace operations Mr. Weah’s inauguration—as much as Ms. for Africa, four of them in West Africa—a Sirleaf’s 12 years in power—appears to be subregion whose countries had previously more concerted efforts to maintain stabil- rekindling hope in the country’s future. experienced UN peace operations only ity in conflict-prone countries, especially President Weah needs to build on Ms. as troop contributors. Peace opera- around election time. Sirleaf’s successes, writes Benjamin Spatz tions help countries in conflict create A proactive UN engagement with in the New York Times. “She brought Libe- the necessary conditions for peace. Africa may prevent disputes during ria back from the dead. Now it’s his turn For 15 years the UN peacekeeping the electoral process from devel- to nurture the country’s fledgling insti- mission in Liberia played a key role oping into conflicts. tutions by taking on its coercive, corrupt in “midwifing” the country’s peace Conflict analysts say that the political culture.” process and helping to strengthen advantage of such an approach is In sum: “Liberia is an important key institutions. The mission wound that the UN would be effective in pre- example of what sustainable peace means up in March, with hopes that these venting conflict and, where it inter- in practise,” reflected Ms. Mohammed, institutions will be able to support venes in an actual conflict situation, speaking for the UN. the country’s democratic growth well prepared and informed about Mr. Kpadeh’s hope of a better country and socioeconomic when exactly withdrawal depends on sustained peace. “Develop- development. is most appropriate. ment is never possible without peace,” he While the UN’s 27 This might fur- said. “We should all be proud of UNMIL’s actions toward Africa UN peace operations in ther strengthen the achievement.” have evolved, some UN’s relationship commentators call for Africa from 1989 to date with Africa.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 29 CLIMATE CHANGE Cape Town water taps running dry South Africa’s second biggest city averts a water crisis—for now

BY MASIMBA TAFIRENYIKA

ohammed Allie’s wife has given up showers while Cape Town, South Africa’s second-largest city after Johannesburg, contemplates life without a drop of water in its taps. Allie, a BBC correspondent, related Mhis wife’s experience with the shrinking supply of water, caused by an historic three-year drought. “[My wife] boils about 1.5 litres of water and mixes it with about a litre of tap water to have her daily wash, while the rest of us catch the slow-running water in a bucket for re-use in the toilet cistern.” Mr. Allie joins over three million Capetonians taking extreme steps to save water in a last-ditch attempt to evade disaster, or Day Zero—when dam levels hit 13.5%, a level too low to keep taps run- According to a local environmental advocacy group, Philippi ning. The plan is when Day Zero finally strikes, residents would Horticultural Area Campaign, the city council failed to invest in have to line up at about 200 designated water collection points the mass infrastructure necessary to meet the water demands of an monitored by security to get their daily allocation of 25 litres per expanding city. The group opposes desalination plants, maintaining person. that “desalination is regressive—its cost will be borne disproportion- Since the beginning of the year, Day Zero has been a moving ately by the poor, and its technologies are already outmoded and target. Originally set for 11 May, it was later pushed to 1 June and superseded by more sustainable environmentally proactive methods then to July 9. Thanks to the residents’ cooperation with strict of water conservation.” water-rationing measures, the day of reckoning is unlikely to happen Compounding the crisis caused by drought is the fact that, this year, Mmusi Maimane, the leader of the opposition Democratic according to scientists at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Alliance (DA), announced in March. Town’s surrounding seawater is contaminated by chemicals. Their Tucked at the southern tip of the African continent, where the report last year drew attention to “the probable presence of patho- Atlantic Ocean meets its younger sibling, the Indian Ocean, Cape gens, and literally thousands of chemicals of emerging concern” Town—one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations—is in the city’s seawater. The researchers discovered “high levels of joining the list of global cities affected by serious water shortages microbial pollution and 15 pharmaceutical and common household attributed to climate change. chemicals” in various samples taken from the city’s Granger Bay. City As the clock ticks and the seasonal rains refuse to arrive, Cape authorities dispute the findings. Town has launched a flurry of measures to avert disaster. These Some experts view the water crisis in terms of equity and justice. range from setting up recycling and desalination plants to extracting Cape Town is the richest city in South Africa, a country with one of groundwater by drilling boreholes as well as imposing tighter restric- the worst income inequalities in the world. Many of the country’s tions on water usage. The measures, however, are late in coming. The wealthiest citizens and some of the world’s best-known celebrities city’s population has grown by more than 80% over the past 20 years own properties in the city’s posh suburbs dotted with impressive to over four million, while infrastructure has lagged behind. mansions and surrounded by acres of lush gardens. For the city’s poor residents, Day Zero will be nothing new. In Averting Day Zero Khayelitsha, the largest and fastest-growing township in South Desalination plants, which process seawater to make it drinkable, Africa, tens of thousands of people have no access to piped water, are expensive and require time to set up. According to the Sunday according to Beyond Our Borders, a local advocacy group. Times, a national weekly, a large desalination plant costs between Anele Goba, a 34-year-old resident of Khayelitsha, told Independ- $417 million and $1.5 billion. By the end of February, the city had ent Online, a South African news site, that she had little sympathy completed more than two-thirds of the work required to install four for the alarm of the rich. “‘Day Zero’ would give them a taste of how desalination plants of varying sizes. slum dwellers live,” she said. “Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

30 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 would increase job losses, which would be a blow to tax revenues. According to estimates from the govern- ment’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the impact of the drought on the economy of the Western Cape Province will be $492 million, with exports expected to decline by between 13% and 20% this year. The province’s agriculture sector accounts for almost a quarter of South Africa’s total value from agriculture. Surprisingly, the city’s property market has largely escaped unscathed—for now. Richard Day, the regional head of Pam Gold- ing Properties, told Property24, an online real estate company, of buyer hesitancy recently, but added that this was largely due to property prices as well as recent political and economic uncertainty. He said he had not seen any signs that residents might soon be relocating from the province permanently because of the water crisis.

El Niño–related droughts Cape Town’s water crisis is a symptom of a Cape Town residents queue to fill containers with Musa Gwebani, a project manager with much wider and more prolonged problem

water. AP Photo/Bram Janssen the Social Justice Coalition, says that, “For facing not only South Africa but the whole the first time, everyone in Cape Town has to Southern African region. Over the past live with water restrictions that are a daily dollars to Western Cape’s drought relief several years, the region has watched with reality for all slum dwellers.” efforts. For its part, Cape Town increased its frustration as the effects of El Niño–related Such reflections of the less fortunate capital expenditure budget on water projects droughts took their toll. South Africa has have been picked up by Moody’s Investors to $583 million in 2018 from $492 million suffered one of the worst meteorological Service, the US-based credit ratings agency, in 2017. droughts (dry weather patterns) since 1904, which warns that due to Cape Town’s “acute with the average rainfall from 2014 through income inequality,” the water crisis poses a Economic impact 2016 dropping to 403mm from 608mm, possible threat to social order. Cape Town’s water crisis has affected not according to the Mail & Guardian, a national Cape Town’s water crisis has the poten- only the political dynamics of the city but weekly. tial to spark political fights in the run-up to also, in various ways, its economy and sani- The Food and Agriculture Organization national elections in 2019. The city’s mayor, tation, with effects ranging from climbing says 45 countries, including South Africa, Patricia de Lille, is a senior member of the borrowing costs and sinking revenue from are experiencing critical water shortages. opposition DA. Her predecessor, Helen water rates to public health risks from poor And according to UN Environment esti- Zille, a former DA leader, is the premier of sanitation. In 2017 the share of the city’s mates, Cape Town’s population almost dou- the Western Cape Province, the only one municipal water revenue to its operating bled between 1995 and 2018, while its dam of the country’s nine provinces not under income was as much as 10%, notes the storage increased by a paltry 15% over the the control of the ruling party, the African Moody’s report. Released at the end of same period. National Congress (ANC). January, the report did not imply a review Given the pace of climate change and the Early this year, the city council accused of the city’s credit rating, but if such a review El Niño effect, South Africa’s rainfall pat- the ANC government of bureaucratic foot- happens, it could affect Cape Town’s bond terns are likely to worsen. The only options dragging in declaring the drought a national ratings. left for large cities like Cape Town are to disaster. After months of a political debate “The city will lose a portion of this [water] develop water infrastructure that meets the between DA and ANC senior officials, the revenue and will have increased operational needs of a growing population and for resi- government declared the drought a national costs from crisis management policies and dents to change their water usage. disaster in February. programmes, and implementation of water “Less frequent rainfall and a changing In his 2018 budget speech, embattled supply projects,” says Moody’s. A decline climate mean that drier conditions are likely finance minister Malusi Gigaba (now min- in agriculture and tourism, the city’s major to become the new normal,” says UN Envi- ister of home affairs) allocated $500 million industries and its biggest water guzzlers, ronment.

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 31 TOURISM South African tourism holding steady Tourists undeterred amid reports of historic water crisis in the country’s second largest city BY KERRY DIMMER

ecent reports that Cape Town, business. The difference is that people The South African tourism sector sup- a popular tourist destination need to be more frugal with water usage, ports about 716,000 jobs, which is about in South Africa, will soon run which is the new normal in the industry.” 4.6% of the country’s total employment, out of water due to a prolonged According to Mr. Ntshona, reports of according to the World Travel and Tour- Rdrought hardly seem to be slowing down tourists cancelling trips to Cape Town due ism Council (WTTC), a global forum for the country’s burgeoning tourism industry. to the water crisis are mostly anecdotal, the travel and tourism industry. Including This despite warnings by water given the lack of corroborating official jobs in related industries, that figure jumps resources management experts that soon, data. He says, “We do understand travelers’ to 2.5 million. Yet SA Tourism hopes the Cape Town could be the first major city concerns; we hope that any unwarranted sector can generate an extra 225,000 jobs worldwide to run out of water. fears subside.” by 2030. The sector attracts foreign direct South African Tourism, the country’s investment and at the same time supports national tourism marketing body, asserts Unwarranted fears? small businesses. optimistically that the current water crisis Cape Town is a global leader in business In 2016, more than 10 million interna- may actually help position the country as a tourism, according to ratings published tional tourists visited South Africa, inject- global leader in sustainable tourism prac- by the United Nations World Tourism ing some R402.2 billion ($27.3 billion) into tices, including the judicious use of water. Organisation (UNWTO), an agency that the economy. Although 2017 figures have Even as residents adjust to water promotes responsible and sustainable yet to be announced, WTTC had predicted rationing, with its two-minute showers tourism. a 2.5% increase. and scanty baths, the consequences of According to Statistics South Africa, a water scarcity, Mr. Sisa Ntshona, the chief national statistical service, Cape Town is Bright future executive officer of SA Tourism, insists Africa’s foremost tourist destination, with The WTTC has also predicted a 4.2% (or that “Cape Town and its many attractions some 3.5 million people passing through its $42.4 billion) annual increase in tourism and hotels remain very much open for entry ports in August 2017 alone. receipts for South Africa until 2027, which

Giraffe running past tourists and their guide on a guided walk in the bush in South Africa.

South Africa Tourism

32 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 Mr. Ntshona believes is achievable. “We are one year into our strategic goal of attrac- ting five million more tourists by 2021 four million international and one million domestic or business or holiday trips,” he enthuses. He adds, “It’s a huge task that requires us to develop a framework that injects sub- stantially more tourism revenue into the economy, while simultaneously providing a platform to create sustainable jobs.” Besides directly contributing to the economy, tourism in South Africa also drives inclusive economic growth and pro- vides the necessary incentive for the gov- ernment’s transformation programmes. Key transformation initiatives include Broad-Based Black Economic Empow- Within the continent, South Africa is Elephant about to cross the road in front of a

erment, a programme to enhance black collaborating with the Regional Tourism game drive in Kruger National Park. South Africans’ participation in the economy, Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) Africa Tourism and the National Development Plan 2030, to boost the region’s share of global tourist a blueprint for eliminating poverty and arrivals within the next decade, from its reducing inequality. Both interventions current 2% to 5%. RETOSA was created by they are enthusiastically welcoming efforts address entrenched inequalities caused the Southern African Development Com- to tap into domestic and regional markets. by the apartheid regime that ended 20 munity, a regional economic grouping, to Daniel Joaquim de Nobrega, corporate years ago. develop tourism and regional destination general manager at TBA Corporate (for- “Most of our informal small enterprises marketing among its 15 member states. merly known as XL Travel by Arrange- are black owned, generating much-needed “We aim to achieve this [5% share of ment), a Johannesburg-based travel ser- income for their owners and their families, global tourism] through smart partner- vice company, says that at the moment and contributing to the tax base. They ships with private players and RETOSA, there is neither an uptick in leisure travel are vitally important to our economy,” and by taking innovative and pragmatic nor a decline. explains Mr. Ntshona. “They are often approaches,” says Mr. Ntshona. Mr. de Nobrega ascribes the standstill drivers of innovation, with entrepreneurs to the fact that people are becoming more identifying a need or gap and developing Easing visa processing travel savvy. “They are researching more new, previously unexplored sectors of the But the tourism industry in South Africa and weighing options such as local versus economy.” is not without its challenges. The country international travel.” is easing out of a controversial visa policy He reports marginal increases in cor- Targeting the Middle East with onerous document requirements. It porate travels but adds that some compa- While Cape Town is still a significant announced that starting in October 2015, nies now prefer to organise conferences tourism destination for the US market and proof of original birth certificates will be locally while limiting the number of staff for the African traveler, Mr. Ntshona told required only during the process of applica- they send on trips to faraway destinations. the American trade publication Travel tion for children entering from abroad. On the way forward, Mr. de Nobrega Weekly that SA Tourism is also setting its Crime is a worrying factor, according stresses the need to rebrand South Africa eyes on visitors from the lucrative Middle to a 2017 report by the Urban Safety Refer- as much more than a safari destination, East, including Saudi Arabia. ence Group working with the South Africa and urges more city packages that show In mid-2017, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Cities Network and the Inclusive Violence just “how eclectic and different our cities Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crime Prevention Program. Their are.” president of the Saudi Commission for study found Cape Town to have “unaccep- Tourists visiting South Africa are often Tourism and National Heritage, visited table levels of serious crimes despite the willing to include stops in neighbouring South Africa to explore with SA Tourism lowest level of poverty (as measured by the countries such as Mozambique and Zim- officials mutually beneficial opportunities Human Development Index), the lowest babwe as part of a package, says Mr. de for the two regions. income inequality, and the second lowest Nobrega, adding that SA Tourism should Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud, who met youth unemployment rate.” continue to promote the country’s unique with South Africa’s then minister of tour- Travel agencies however are firmly attractions. ism, Tokozile Xasa, stressed the need to upbeat, believing that the industry is resil- “Tourism is part of our country’s DNA,” “foster intraregional tourism…and pool ient enough to withstand such shocks, and concurs Mr. Ntshona. our resources”

AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 33 Africa could be the next frontier... Industry experts believe that cryptocur- (MMM), once had over two million users from page 29 rency will be around for years. That Bitcoin in Nigeria, while also operating in Ghana, users can send money to just about any- Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. where there is an internet connection for There are reports that South Africa’s cen- Fearing a collapse of the banking indus- relatively small fees and with no third-party tral bank is actively studying cryptocurrency try or arbitrary appropriation of money by interference is an advantage that standard and may institute guidelines to foster inno- the government, Africans without access to government-issued currencies cannot offer. vation. Those guidelines could be a slippery banks and who live in politically unstable “Every single computer device on the slope to regulation. The Sunday Times of countries could be attracted to cryptocur- surface of the planet with an internet con- South Africa reported in March that 27,500 rency. “Bitcoin transactions help to elimi- nection can access information on the block- individuals, including South Africans, lost nate the procedural bottlenecks that plague chain and make ‘transactional’ inputs onto more than $50 million when they were traditional banking and financial services,” it. The information cannot be distorted, duped into transferring their Bitcoins into Mr. Darko explains. deleted, modified or destroyed, and [the] an online wallet. The publication called it Some 15 cryptocurrency-related opera- computer device has the same information “one of the biggest scams to hit South Africa.” tions began in Africa in the past year alone, as everybody,” says Mr. Darko. At 22% (the world average is 48%), Africa reports Mr. Sharma. But South Africa–based Another recommendation is that trans- has the lowest rate of Internet usage of any Luno Exchange, established in 2013 and now actions are anonymous, and users’ informa- region, according to a 2017 report by the boasting 1.5 million customers in over 40 tion is private and safe; there is little possibil- International Communications Union, countries worldwide, is the first to be based ity of identity theft, which is common with which may undercut optimistic projections in Africa. other forms of digital payment. of cryptocurrency and blockchain technol- Others, particularly cryptocurrency- As of December 2017, the global demand ogy on the continent. Also, poor power supply based remittance services, are popping for cryptocurrency had increased to the in many countries continues to impede the up in various countries. These services extent that a Bitcoin sold for $20,000. Its internet access on which cryptocurrency include Abra, which operates in Malawi and value had been $1,000 one year prior. largely depends. Morocco, GeoPay in South Africa, BitMari Despite some analysts likening Bit- in Zimbabwe and London-based Kobocoin, Ponzi scheme coin and other cryptocurrencies to a Ponzi which was launched by Nigerian entrepre- Nevertheless, some industry watchers refer scheme, many Africans are taking the risk neur Felix Onyemechi Ugoji. to cryptocurrency as a risky and tempera- to invest in them. The Plaas Application is a mobile app that mental scheme, citing the crash to $8,700 Other experts, such as Mr. Darko, believe enables farmers to manage their stock on the in the value of Bitcoin last February, from a Africa should warmly embrace the innova- blockchain. high of $20,000 in December 2017. tion. “Truth be told, Africa needs blockchain Launched in 2013, Kenya’s BitPesa facili- Without regulations, cryptocurrency is technology and its resultant cryptocurren- tates virtual remittances transfers to both a double-edged sword; there may be gains cies more than any part of the world,” he African and international locations, to and from time to time, but any precipitous crash says. from individuals’ mobile wallets, where in price could leave investors with no escape cryptocurrency is stored. LocalBitcoins.com route. Manasseh Egedegbe, an investment in Kenya reported trading volumes in excess manager based in Nigeria, says that Bitcoin’s of $1.8 million as of December 2017, underlin- frenzied prize surge seems like the dot-com ing the lucrativeness of the business. bubble at the turn of the millennium. Climate change efforts bear fruit... “I started mining Bitcoin [in Nairobi, There is also the fact that cryptocurrency from page 3 Kenya] in September 2017 and, so far, this is can be used by criminals to funnel funds. the best business I have ever tried,” Gladys In 2011 Bitcoin was a currency of choice for Laboi told Africa Renewal, adding: “Under drug peddlers, according to the US Justice ing role in food security and is inspir- six months, I earned $800 after investing Department, which seized almost $48 mil- ing several other African countries. in $700.” lion worth of illegal contrabands that year, Morocco’s agricultural sector has Not to be left out, some governments are and discovered that the criminals involved been growing at roughly 7% per year since moving into the virtual currency terrain. had made transactions totaling 150,000 Bit- 2008, with a 34% uptick in exports and Tunisia’s eDinar is a government-issued coins (approximately $130 million. 11% increase in farmland use, according digital currency. Senegal is in the process of Countries such as Bangladesh, Ecuador to estimates by FAO. Two years ahead of creating eCFA, which, if successful, could be and Kyrgyzstan believe the risks outweigh schedule, the country met the Millennium emulated by other Francophone countries the gains and have banned Bitcoin as well as Development Goal of halving extreme in Africa. initial coin offerings or ICOs, which are used poverty and hunger by 2015. There will be government-issued crypto- by start-ups to evade the demand for capital By 2020 Morocco will reap a triple currencies in Africa in the near future, pre- by banks and other financing institutions. win of adapting to the reality of climate dicts Shireen Ramjoo, ceo of Liquid Crypto- Quartz Africa, an online business news change, lifting itself out of poverty and Money, a South Africa-based cryptocurrency publication, reported last December that a creating new opportunities, according to consulting firm. similar scheme, Mavrodi Mundial Moneybox the World Bank.

34 AfricaRenewal April 2018 - July 2018 BOOK REVIEW

Burkina Faso: Power, Protest, and Revolution by Ernest Harsch

n the book Burkina Faso: A History of Mr. Harsch believes Mr. Sankara IPower, Protest, and Revolution, author cemented his own political legacy through Ernest Harsch draws on his more than an idealistic approach to governance, 30 years of experience reporting on sub- including audacious attacks on corrup- Saharan Africa, particularly Burkina Faso. tion and elitism. To lead by example, Mr. Authoritatively informative, Mr. Harsch Sankara used a modest Peugeot 205 as his takes the reader on a historical and politi- official vehicle. cal journey through the landlocked West The very politicised Burkinabe army African country of 18 million people. and the elites didn’t quite accept Mr. office. The author believes civil society can He details the history of French impe- Sankara’s style; instead they conspired to still ensure that the country doesn’t revert rialism, which was met with resistance by terminate his rule with the support of a to the ways of its distant past. the Burkinabé population late in the 19th foreign state, allowing Mr. Compaoré to Reactionary elites will try to continue century, and the lasting impact the revolu- gain and remain in power for nearly three their paternalistic control culture, but an tionary leader Thomas Sankara, affection- decades. active and emboldened civil society will ately called “Africa’s Che Guevara,” had on In March this year, a terrorist attack in hold the line, maintains the author, who Burkinabés in the 1980s. Ouagadougou, its capital, carried out by foresees a struggle ahead between these A key focus of the book is the 2014 al Qaeda allies in the region, killed eight two sides. popular uprising that ousted President people, underscoring a continuing political Published by Zed Books, London, UK, Blaise Compaoré, who had been in power turbulence in the country. the 287-page book is organized into 15 for 27 years. While the author demon- Mr. Harsch writes that Burkina Faso’s chapters. It is an easy read that students of strates vivid affection for Mr. Sankara, vibrant civil society, led by students, teach- history and politics will find invaluable. who was murdered in a coup d’état ers’ unions, trade unions and feminists, masterminded by Mr. Compaoré in 1987, inspired by the 2011 Arab Spring in North Mr. Harsch is a former managing editor of he is unsparing in his disapproval of Mr. Africa, successfully nullified attempts by Africa Renewal magazine. Compaoré’s dictatorial rule. Mr. Compaoré to elongate his tenure in — Pavithra Rao

APPOINTMENTS

The United Nations Secretary General Leila Zerrougui of Algeria has been appointed António Guterres has appointed Bience as Special Representative and Head of the Gawanas of Namibia as his Special Adviser UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic on Africa. She most recently served as Spe- Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). She cial Adviser to Namibia’s Minster of Poverty most recently served as Special Representa- UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Eradication and Welfare. She will succeed UN Photos tive of the Secretary-General for Children in Maged Abdelaziz of Egypt. Armed Conflict. Ms. Zerrougui succeeds Maman Sidikou of Niger.

Dereje Wordofa of Ethiopia has been Anita Kokui Gbeho of Ghana has been appointed as Deputy Executive Direc- appointed as Deputy Joint Special Represent- tor (Programmes) of the United Nations ative for the African Union‑United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He most recently Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). She served as International Regional Director for most recently served as Resident Coordinator Dereje Wordofa Dereje Eastern and Southern Africa Region for SOS UN Photos and Resident Representative of the United Children’s Village International. He succeeds Natalia Kanem of Nations Development Programme, Namibia. She succeeds Bintou Panama. Keita of Guinea

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