Africa Media Analysis Report

DECEMBER 2019 - FEBRUARY 2020

Tangaza Africa Media 20 Baker Street, Rosebank 2196 P O Box 1953, Houghton 2041 Tel: +27 11 447 4017 Fax: +27 86 545 7357 email: [email protected] Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2 Overall Scorecard 3 Analysis of daily issue coverage, April 2018 4 Eastern Africa & Great Lakes 9 Analysis of daily issue coverage 9 Politics 11 Economy, Trade & Development 13 Peace, Security & Terrorism 15 Health & Food issues 17 Business & Investments 19 Tourism, Travel & Leisure 21 Science, Technology & Innovation 23 Education, Arts & Culture 24 Entertainment 25 Southern Africa 26 Analysis of daily issue coverage 26 Politics 28 Economy, Trade & Development 30 Health & Food issues 32 Peace, Security & Terrorism 34 Tourism, Travel & Leisure 35 Business & Investments 37 Science, Technology & Innovation 39 Education 40 Arts & Culture 41 West Africa 42 Analysis of daily issue coverage 42 Politics 44 Economy, Trade & Development 46 Peace, Security & Terrorism 48 Business & Investments 50 Tourism, Travel & Leisure 51 Health & Food issues 52 Science, Technology & Innovation 53 Education 54 Entertainment 55 North Africa 56 Analysis of News Categories 56 Politics 58 Peace, Security & Terrorism 60 Tourism, Travel & Leisure 62 Economy, Trade & Development 63 Business & Investments 64 Health & Food issues 65 Science, Technology & Innovation 66 Education 66 Arts & Culture 67 Entertainment 68

3 Overall Scorecard

West East Southern North Total Africa Africa Africa Africa (n) (n) (n) (n) N %

Politics 846 656 682 272 2,456 34.01

Peace, Security & Terrorism 432 776 48 261 1,517 21.01

Economy, Trade & Development 288 554 202 97 1,141 15.80

Tourism, Travel & Leisure 449 191 44 34 718 9.94

Business & Investments 258 157 82 34 531 7.35

Health & Food issues 70 152 153 5 380 5.26

Entertainment 98 26 63 2 189 2.62

Science, Technology & Innovation 87 37 4 3 131 1.81

Education 60 35 17 9 121 1.68

Arts & Culture 14 13 1 9 37 0.51

N 2,602 2,597 1,296 726 7,221 Total % 36.03 35.96 17.95 10.05

Core news frames in Politics mentioned that South Sudan dis- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Minister of Defence missed a report issued by the US-based Sentry group in Lemma Megerssa co-chaired the 9th annual US-Ethiopia Bilateral September. Speaking to reporters, Ateny Wek Ateny, the spokes- Defence Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, Dec. 4. man for President Salva Kiir Mayardit, said the evidence provided in Nebraska National Guard and Rwanda Defence Force leaders for- the report was “weak”. Other reports said the US planned to boost malized a new partnership, when they signed a statement of part- diplomatic relations with Sudan by exchanging ambassadors, the nership in Kigali, Rwanda. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement as Sudan’s Reports in January said the US wanted to reduce its military pres- prime minister visited Washington. ence in Africa, said Washington’s top military officer, as France In January, reports mentioned that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali hosts Sahel leaders seeking to bolster the fight against jihadists in said US President Donald Trump’s recent complaint about not the region. The African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) and US receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for resolving Ethiopia’s decades- Africa Command (Africom) who were security partners in Somalia long border conflict with Eritrea should be brought up with the had warned that Al Shabaab built sufficient resilience and weapon- selection committee. US imposes sanctions on South Sudanese ry to keep launching deadly attacks inside the country. Saudi vice president. The Trump administration was planning to add Arabia’s Minister of State for African Affairs Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz seven countries - Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Qattan urged the US on to remove Sudan from its state sponsors of Sudan and Tanzania - to its travel ban list, US media reports said. terrorism list. Outgoing US Ambassador Deborah Malac had called for free and In February, media frames focused on a US airstrike in Somalia fair elections in 2021 and a free debate on political succession. which resulted in the killing of an al-Shabab leader suspected of In February, news frames focussed US secretary of state, Mike being involved in a January attack in Kenya that killed a US military Pompeo’s first visit to Africa. Reports highlighted US discussions of member. US said it had resumed some direct security assistance to military cuts in Africa and tightening of visa rules for Africans. In Somalia to help boost counter-terrorism operations in the southern Ethiopia, Secretary Pompeo highlighted the importance of free and region against al-Shabab militants. Other news frames noted that fair elections in accordance with the Ethiopian constitution and dis- 8th Edition of the African Land Forces Summit under the theme cuss our shared goal of peace and security in the Horn of Africa. “Tomorrow’s Security Demands Today’s Leadership”. The summit On Peace, Security & Terrorism, reports said Deputy Assistant came as reports of possible downsizing of US troops in Africa. Secretary of Defence for African Affairs Pete Marocco and the Reports for Economy, Trade & Development indicated that

3 Overall Scorecard

Google, Apple and Tesla were among a raft of tech companies ple in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health named in a human rights lawsuit centered on child labour in Organization said. In a statement, the organization called on inter- Congolese mines. Ethiopia’s Awash Bank and the US Agency for national partners and agencies to increase resources to fight what International Development (USAID) entered a partnership deal to it called the “world’s worst measles epidemic.” The US started to avail up to $6.4 million in financing for microfinance institutions and supply Zimbabwe with the new HIV drug that was approved in small-to-medium sized agri-businesses in Ethiopia. 2013. In Nigeria, the Federal Government said it was seeking the In January, reports said that Ethiopian negotiating team on support and collaboration of the US in boosting food sufficiency GERD said it did not give away national interest of the country as and job creation as the country’s population increases. reports said Egypt was in a weak negotiating position during the Reports on Tourism, Travel & Leisure said the US State latest US mediated talks on filling and operations the Grand Department reversed a March 8 travel alert for Americans traveling Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt found itself in a weak in Ethiopia just hours before the fatal crash of Ethiopian Airlines negotiating position with little outside support and was coming flight 302. The US threatened visa restrictions on anyone who under pressure to agree to a less than favourable deal, a Egyptian attempted to damage the peace process in South Sudan as delegation in Washington said. Cameroon would lose its preferred Washington upped its pressure on the war-torn country to form a trade status under the US African Growth and Opportunity Act unity government and revaluates its relationship with the African (AGOA) on January 1, following a US decision to revoke its status nation. because of its human rights record. In January, reports said several US Law firms relentlessly per- In February, media frames focused US efforts to improve trade suaded relatives of Ethiopia crash victims. The US pledged to con- relations between itself and other African countries. On Corporate tinue supporting Kenya in the war against al Shabaab terrorists. Council on Africa (CCA) in partnership with Kenya Private Sector The Trump administration was planning to add seven countries - Alliance (KEPSA) hosted a roundtable discussion with Kenyan and Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania US business leaders and government officials to explore how the - to its travel ban list, US media reports said. A tenfold increase in private sector can support this bilateral effort and take full advan- the number of African Americans visiting Ghana had been credited tage of investment and trade opportunities that would arise from a to a toxic spat between Donald Trump and a congresswoman and Kenya-US Free Trade Agreement and US Ambassador opened an enthusiastic endorsement by the US rap star Cardi B. The shea processing facility at Sorogu. Embassy of the AS in Ghana lifted the visa restrictions the For Business Investments, Farmshine, a Nairobi agricultural American government imposed on Ghana under its Immigration online marketplace targeting women farmers, received Sh25 mil- and Nationality Act. lion from US-based impact investor Gray Matters Capital (GMC) to In February, news frames centred on imposed an immigrant visa expand operations. ban which the US imposed on six countries, namely Nigeria, In January, International Rights Advocates (IRA) filed a case in Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania. The Nigerian US district court in Washington, D.C. against Apple, Alphabet (the Federal Government called on the US of America to consider the parent company of Google and YouTube), Dell, Microsoft and long-standing relationship between the two countries and reverse Tesla on behalf of the families of 14 Congolese child miners. its visa restrictions on the country. The US said the ban could be Microsoft appointed Kendi Ntwiga – Nderitu as the Country reviewed if Nigeria improved her data intelligence, such that it Manager for its operations in Kenya. Kendi was a highly disciplined would be easy to investigate any immigrant wishing to visit her and driven IT business leader with more than 15 years of experi- country and meet information sharing systems. ence in the industry. American tycoon Calvin Burgess reportedly Science, Technology & Innovation reports said the US Embassy sold out his multi-billion-shilling farm in Kenya following what he in Addis Ababa conducted its latest hackathon: “Digital Solutions termed as frustration by politicians. to Elections-related Technology.” This was the seventh hackathon In February, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly conducted by the US Embassy in a series of twelve under its closed a three-nation Africa tour with a thinly veiled swipe at China Ethiopia Hacks! program. as he talked up Washington’s ability to stimulate growth and entre- In January, the US and Ghana continue bilateral efforts in the preneurship on the continent. Other reports said Nigeria and US areas of border, maritime, police peacekeeping, cybersecurity, and signed $1.1m grant for electricity development. the administration of justice to build capable and resilient security Health and Food issues reports said Rwanda started a voluntary and justice sector institutions. The Liberian Registry announced its Ebola vaccination programme at its border with the DRC in a bid to Expedited Registration Process, or ERP, effective as of 01 January prevent the spread of the deadly virus from its neighbour. 2020, in an effort to further streamline the registration and re-regis- In January, reports said Measles had killed more than 6,000 peo- tration of vessels in the Liberian Registry. In other news, Netflix was

4 Overall Scorecard finally focusing on its Nigerian and Ghanaian consumers. They also reached number 15 in the UK charts with a cover of In February,dominating reports stated that Google had ‘’ditched ‘’ Swing Low Sweet Chariot, for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. plans to invest in an African wind farm following project delays. Reports on Education stated that US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle LTWP would have been Google’s second renewable energy invest- McCarter said that US government would be the best friend Kenya ment on the continent after the Jasper solar project in SA’s Northern would ever have, in terms of making big investments in the country Cape in 2013. Other reports pointed to a collaboration between as well as supporting the country’s Big Four Agenda. Miss South Zeeco Inc of USin collaboration with Arbel Energy and Logistics Sudan USA used platform to better education in Africa. Limited (AEL), that would soon launch a technology that would Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., professionally known as T.I. and wife enable Nigeria to achieve zero gas flaring and reduce emissions in Tameka Cottle were the latest African Americans to land in Ghana its crude oil production. as part of the ‘Year of Return ‘initiative. In Entertainment, American singer, actress and producer Selena In January, , US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Tibor Nagy Marie Gomez sneaked into Kenya and spent almost a week without concluded his visit to Ethiopia, said the U.S Embassy in Addis attracting media attention. Ababa. His visit involved the inauguration of the Mekelle American In January, the US Embassy in collaboration with Ethiopian Corner (MAC), a modern space for learning, discovery and collabo- Airlines and Pianist Girma Yifrashewa was hosting a classical piano ration aimed at developing and empowering Ethiopian youth and concert entitled “Bringing Cultures’ featuring classical pianist Girma emerging leaders. The head of a special US development pro- Yifrashewa. He would be releasing his new album entitled “Banjo” gramme was due in Kenya to hold initial talks on the country’s at the Skylight Hotel. African American rapper and actor Ludacris potential eligibility for project funding of up to Sh35 billion. US assis- had become the latest US celebrity to take the nationality of an tant secretary for African affairs Tibor Nagy would travel to the African country. Ludacris, whose real name was Christopher Brian Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan Bridges, celebrated Christmas and rang in the New Year in Gabon, to promote good governance, strong democratic institutions, where he received the citizenship. Cardi B’s announcement that regional peace and security, and combating corruption. she wanted to seek Nigerian citizenship had set off a Twitter feud In February, notable reports said Chimamanda Adichie, Nigeria’s between her West African fans in friendly rivals Nigeria and Ghana. feminist-cum-writer, would receive a honorary ‘Doctor of Humane In February, reports said Lady Smith Black Mambazo was per- Letters’ (LHD) degree at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy forming in the US when they found out that Joseph Shabalala, the League varsity in the US. In other news, the US Embassy in founder of multiple Grammy award-winning group had died. Tanzania awarded graduation certificates to the 47 students of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo had reportedly won five Grammy US Embassy’s English ‘Access’ Micro scholarship Program in awards and featured heavily on Paul Simon’s Graceland album. Tanga.

5 Issue Coverage Analysis

Analysis of daily issue coverage, September - November 2019

East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa 160

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0 1-Dec 7-Dec 13-Dec 19-Dec 25-Dec 31-Dec 6-Jan 12-Jan 18-Jan 24-Jan 30-Jan 5-Feb 11-Feb 17-Feb 23-Feb 29-Feb

East Africa South Sudanese officials it accused of fomenting conflict in its 1-7 December: US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter said latest move to pressure the country’s politicians to form a the US government would be the best friend Kenya would unity government. ever have, in terms of making big investments in the country In the DRC, 5 US tech giants including Apple, Microsoft and as well as supporting the country’s Big Four Agenda. The Google parent Alphabet were named in a lawsuit over the USpledged to support efforts geared towards realisation of death of child labourers in cobalt mines. the Big Four agenda. 5-7 January: Three Americans - one US military servicemem- Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok would meet US ber and two contractors - were killed by Somalia’s al Shabaab officials at the State Department, the Treasury, and the militant group during an attack on a military base in Kenya National Security Council, as well as the Defense Department, used by both US and Kenyan forces. the CIA and congressional leaders. The USplanned to boost The US imposed sanctions on South Sudanese Vice- diplomatic relations with Sudan by exchanging ambassadors. President Taban Deng Gai in a move to pressure the coun- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs try’s politicians to form a unity government. Pete Marocco and Ethiopia’s Minister of Defense Lemma A Kenyan tea trade delegation will next month, February, Megerssa co-chaired the 9th annual US-Ethiopia Bilateral head to Iran in a bid to hold on to Tehran’s market for export- Defense Committee in Washington, DC. ing Kenyan tea, despite the growing tensions between Iran The US State Department urged travellers to Tanzania to and the US, also a key ally to Kenya. “exercise increased caution” due in part to threats that gay 10-13 January: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali said US people might experience there. President Donald Trump’s complaint about not receiving the 7-14 December: The US said it would not channel funds Nobel Peace Prize for resolving Ethiopia’s decades-long bor- meant for community projects through the government. der conflict with Eritrea should be brought up with the selec- Google planned to bring the internet to remote areas by bal- tion committee. loon – and Kenya was on the list. The US Supreme Court refused to hear Sudan’s bid to avoid The US government imposed financial restrictions on five paying $3.8 billion in damages to family members of people South Sudanese security officials accused of kidnapping and killed or injured in al Qaeda’s 1998 bombings of the US torturing activists on Kenyan soil. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania after a lower court found Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said that his Sudan complicit. recent visit to the US achieved headway in the effort to nor- 14 - 15 January: The US military said it was considering malize ties between the two countries. reducing its military presence in Africa. A senior official said 14-20 December: South Sudan said it would recall its resources could be reduced and then shifted, either to ambassador to the US amid peace problems. The US warned increase readiness of the force in the continental US or shifted that it would not hesitate to slap additional sanctions on to the Pacific. “spoilers” holding back peace in the wartorn African nation. The US warned Sudan that payment of reparations for vic- A Canadian subsidiary of the US investment firm Amassment tims of terrorism is a priority for Washington as it considers Corporation withdrew its offer for Sh49 billion assets of the removing Khartoum from a US blacklist. defunct Imperial Bank. Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan said they reached an agreement In South Sudan, the USimposed sanctions on two senior in US/World Bank-brokered talks on the operation of a giant

6 Analysis of daily issue coverage, March - May 2019 dam on a Nile tributary, a sign of easing tensions in the region. The US Embassy in Monrovia temporarily suspended its 20-22 January: Head of Millennium Development non-immigrant visa operations in Liberia. Corporation, a special American development program, visited Early January: US imports of crude oil from Nigeria and other Kenya for discussions on the country’s potential for up to Sh35 members of the OPEC fell below 1.2 million barrels per day, the billion for financing projects. lowest since February 1985. The imports fell to nearly 6.24 mil- The Trump administration planned to add seven countries, lion bpd in October, the lowest monthly average since January including Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, to its travel ban list. 1994. 23-25 January: The US gave Kenya Sh40 billion in counterter- 6-8 January: Nigerian police were placed on a heightened rorism aid over the last decade. the US Department of Defence state of alert after the US killing of a top Iranian military com- provided roughly $400 million (about Sh40.4 billion) in coun- mander in Iraq sparked fears of public disturbances in Nigeria. terterrorism aid to Kenya to help fight terrorist groups such as USAID said it had awarded a $16m contract to a private inter- Al-Shabaab. national economic consulting firm, to help Liberia fight corrup- Following the Al-Shabaab attack on the US military base in tion. The firm would help Liberia increase domestic revenue, Kenya, which killed one US soldier and its two contractors, the enhance tax administration, and reduce inefficiency. US Africa command conducted an airstrike on militants in 10 January: The former US envoy to the United Nations con- Somalia in the Qunyo Barrow area, in coordination with the demned atrocities committed by Ambazonia separatist fighters Somalian government. in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon. Late January: The US and Kenya are expected to announce 14-16 January: The US donated equipment including logistics negotiations on a free-trade agreement next week, America’s vehicles and armoured storage containers to Burkina Faso’s first such deal with a sub-Saharan country, a person familiar military in order to build the country’s capacity to fight terror- with the plans said. The Trump administration wants the ism. An official said equipment worth $650 000 was handed accord to be a model for future pacts with other nations in the over and included armoured containers for the storage of region. weapons and ammunition. The US embassy in Ghana lifted visa sanctions applied on West Africa Ghanaian nationalities. Officials said visa processing would 1-4 December: US Attorney’s Office said Allen Ifechukwu return to normal procedures. Athan Onyema, the Chairman/CEO and founder of Nigeria’s Air 20-23 January: President Trump said he could sign an execu- Peace, had engaged in money laundering of more than $20 tive order expanding visa restrictions to seven countries includ- million from Nigeria through his US bank accounts. ing Nigeria. Reports said the Trump administration might not The US Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan called on place full visa bans as the restriction was limited to business or the youth to take an active stand against rape. Global confec- visitor visa types. tionery and food group Mars partnered with the USAID, in a Late January: USAID said it had set aside $60 million in co-in- joint initiative addressing key global sustainability challenges. vestment grant funds for trade and investment hub activity to In Liberia, Nimba County Rep. Samuel Kogar said President promote the Nigerian economy. The activity, which would last Weah’s travel to the Arab World and Asia for foreign help over the next five years, would help to attract private sector would not bring much needed solutions to revive Liberia’s investment of an estimated $300 million. crumbled economy. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey planned to move to Africa in 2020 Southern Africa for three to six months after spending the month of November 1-7 December: The Zambia Green Party said there was ten- visiting entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and SA. sion between Zambia and the US following the jailing of a 4-6 December: Uber launched in Ivory Coast’s commercial homosexual couple. capital Abidjan as part of its expansion into African markets A senior USofficial working in Zimbabwe questioned develop- with low levels of car ownership and limited mass transport. ment aid figures released recently by Finance Minister Mthuli Cargill was investing over $113 million to expand its cocoa pro- Ncube in the 2020 national budget statement, saying the funds cessing sites in Yopougon, Ivory Coast and Tema, Ghana. were less than what his country provided in the 2019 financial Reports said grammy award-winning rapper and social media year. sensation, Cardi B was on her way to Africa to perform for the In Namibia, the UScongratulated the country and its citizens first time on the continent in Nigeria and Ghana. on a successful and peaceful election, further strengthening 7-15 December: US Senator Robert Menendez was quoted Namibia’s vibrant democracy. saying America would review its relationship with Nigeria over 15-21 December: Zambian President Edgar Lungu wanted the continued detention and rearrest of Sahara Reporters pub- the US to recall its ambassador to Lusaka for criticising Zambia lisher Omoyele Sowore. Cardi B donated thousands of dollars’ over the jailing of two gay men. worth of supplies to Nigerian orphanage. The US Trade Representative announced a review of SA’s eli-

7 Analysis of daily issue coverage, March - May 2019 gibility for Generalised System of Preferences benefits. The Early January: President Trump warned his Turkish coun- US threatened to block exports if President Ramaphosa terpart that “foreign interference is complicating the situa- signed a flawed copyright law amendment into law, with tion in Libya”, after Ankara voted to send troops to the oil- industry players saying over 1 200 workers could lose their rich North African state. jobs. The US government urged American nationals living in 22-29 December: The US withdrew its ambassador to Morocco against the heightened tensions in Iraq and the Zambia following a row with authorities over the jailing of a region. The American mission said that it strongly encourag- gay couple. es US citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and prac- Early January: The ANC slammed what it calls “inhumane” tice good situational awareness. airstrikes by the US in Iraq, which saw General Qassem 5 - 8 January: The US navy canceled joint exercises with Soleimani, Commander of Iranian Quds Force killed. Moroccan military amid tensions with Iran. President Cyril Ramaphosa called for a peaceful and just The US Embassy in Cairo issued a security alert warning US resolution to the tensions between Iran and the US. citizens of “heightened tensions” in the Middle East, days Ramaphosa’s engagement with President Hassan Rouhani after a US drone strike killed an Iranian military commander was informed by SA’s principled view that conflicts should in Iraq. be resolved through dialogue rather than the use of force. 14-16 January: An American citizen imprisoned in Egypt for 20 January: The US State Department recalled the US more than six years under a controversial anti-protest law ambassador to Zambia after he criticized a court ruling that died following a hunger strike protesting his conviction. jailed two gay Zambians for 15 years for consensual sex. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry was in Late January: SA planned to tell President Trump’s adminis- Washington to discuss ways to foster bilateral ties at the tration that a review of a trade agreement that could put as political, economic and security levels with US National much as $2.4 billion in exports at risk was premature and Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. potentially damaging for both economies. 20-24 January: The US Embassy in Libya called for “imme- diately resume” oil production after forces loyal to renegade North Africa General Khalifa Haftar shut down major oil fields and pipe- 1-9 December: US diplomat Mike Pompeo visited Morocco lines. The embassy said the suspension of oil operations as the highest-ranking American official to travel from risked exacerbating the humanitarian emergency in Libya President Trump’s government. and inflicting needless suffering on the Libyan people. The US military believed that an unarmed American drone Late January: The USsaid it had provided robust support reported lost near Libya’s capital was in fact shot down by for Egypt, both bilaterally and through multilateral institu- Russian air defenses and it was demanding the return of the tions, having invested over $80 bn in Egypt over the 40 aircraft’s wreckage. years of the strategic partnership. 22-25 December: The US would no longer send bomb-sniffing dogs to Egypt and Jordan after other canines sent to the countries were mistreated.

8 Eastern Africa

Summary of daily issue coverage 

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Business & Investments said the assembly in Washington would assess the conclu- Apple and Tesla were among a raft of tech companies sions of two rounds of technical talks in Cairo and in Addis named in a human rights lawsuit centred on child labour Ababa final month. The US and World Financial institution offi- infractions in Congolese mines. The companies had “specific cers attended the negotiations. knowledge” that the cobalt used in their products could be The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and linked to child labour but instead of regulating their supply Awash Bank announced a new partnership that provided $6.4 chains, the companies profited from exploitation. million to microfinance institutions and SMEs in agriculture in US technology giant Google was among a group of global Ethiopia. firms seeking to invest in Lake Turkana Wind Power. The wind Other reports said Kenya’s Farmshine company received farm, with a 310 MW capacity, attracted the attention of inves- Sh25 million from US-based impact investor Gray Matters tors interested in green energy projects. Capital (GMC) to expand operations. Google Loon, the tech giant’s subsidiary that worked with In January, reports said Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan remained helium powered balloons that provided internet, announced deadlocked after two days of talks in their disputes over a an overflight agreement with Uganda. giant hydropower dam on the Nile though Cairo where it In January, US business tycoon Calvin Burgess reportedly hoped the issues would be resolved by Jan. 15 in line with a sold his multi-billion-shilling farm in Kenya following what he deadline agreed with Washington. termed as frustration by politicians. The US promised to provide technical assistance for Sudan, Pyrethrum farmers in Kisii were set for better fortunes after a Egypt and Ethiopia if they reached a deal regarding the Grand US-based biotechnology company expressed interest in Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. injecting funds into the production of the cash crop. The US fell back to position three in purchasing of Kenya’s US African Affairs envoy Tibor Nagy concluded his visit to specialty coffee after peaking in the 2017/2018 season. Ethiopia, which included inauguration of the Mekelle According to the directorate, the US bought 6.6 million kilo- American Corner, a modern space for learning, discovery and grammes of the beverage worth Sh3 billion, a decline from collaboration. The US Embassy invested over 2,170,000 Birr in Sh7 billion realised in 2017/2018. the MAC. President Trump met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in the U.S and announced plans to initiate trade agreement. A Economy, Trade & Development US trade official said Kenya was a recognized leader across Extensive reports said Egyptian officers from the three Nile the continent, an important strategic partner of the U.S and basin international locations would meet within the US to the enormous potential for both countries to deepen econom- “assess the outcomes” of their latest negotiations about ic and commercial ties. It was highlighted that trade between Ethiopia’s soon-to-be-finished mega-dam mission, which Cairo the U.S and Kenya stood at about $1 billion a year and over said threatened its water provider. Egypt’s irrigation ministry 70% of Kenya’s exports to the U.S entered under AGOA.

9 Eastern Africa

Summary of daily issue coverage

U.S Secretary Michael Pompeo travelled to Ethiopia and met being diverted to other countries due to non-payments of with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Sahle-Work taxes imposed by the government. Cabinet Secretary Sicily Zewde and reiterated the U. S’s support for Ethiopia. Kariuki said any health products procured by Presidents Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief were tax -exempt. No single Education dose of ARV procured by the Presidents Emergency Fund for US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter stated that US gov- AIDS Relief through the USAID for Kenya, had been diverted to ernment would be best friends with Kenya, in terms of making any other country due to non-payment of taxes imposed by big investments in the country as well as supporting the coun- the government, according to a statement. try’s Big Four Agenda. Education Peace, Security & Terrorism The head of a special US development programme was due Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for African Affairs Pete in Kenya to hold initial talks on the country’s potential eligibili- Marocco and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ty for project funding of up to Sh35 billion, Sean Cairncross, Minister of Defence Lemma Megerssa co-chaired the 9th chief executive of the Millennium Development Corporation annual US-Ethiopia Bilateral Defence Committee in (MCC) said. In a press briefing Kenya was mentioned as mak- Washington. During the visit, the US and Ethiopia shared ing “excellent progress” toward meeting criteria for inclusion views on regional security, peacekeeping, intelligence and in the programme. Kenya had reportedly failed the MCC’s eli- military relations, with the goal of strengthening their security gibility tests for aid for more than a decade, largely because of partnership. rampant corruption. But the US government sponsored MCC The US State Department offered a $5 million reward for cleared Kenya for a “threshold programme” that would likely information on the whereabouts of an American citizen said to carry funding of between $20 million and $30 million. be a leader of al-Shabaab’s bomb-making operations. US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Tibor Nagy conclud- Extensive reports said South Sudan recalled its ambassador ed a successful visit to Ethiopia which involved the inaugura- to the US for “consultations,” in response to sanctions placed tion of the Mekelle American Corner , a modern space for on two South Sudanese officials learning, discovery, and collaboration aimed at developing Sudan’s new civilian prime minister said he saw progress on and empowering Ethiopian youth and emerging leaders. removing his nation from a US blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism as he paid a landmark visit to Washington. Entertainment Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab warned Kenya to US musician Selena Gomez jetted into Kenya without telling withdraw its military from Somalia or face further attacks just anyone, reports said. Unlike most of her fellow Hollywood days after attacking one of its military bases which had a US stars, the soft-spoken songstress decided to keep her travel to presence. Saudi Arabia called on the US to remove Sudan Africa under wraps. Selena was traveling as part of the We from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Movement team which aided in providing education to the U.S Africa Command Gen. Stephen Townsend completed a less fortunate. two-day trip to East Africa to personally assess the security sit- Reports said a 26-year-old Kenyan Actress, Grace Wacuka uation at the Kenyan Defense Force installation at Manda Bay, Njoroge, featured in a film produced in the US titled A New in Kenya. Christmas film. Celebrated US pop star Justin Bieber wowed his African fans after he shared a video of a Kenyan dance Politics group from Kibra dancing to his latest song Yummy. Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok visited the US to meet US officials at the State department, the Treasury, and Health & Food issues the National Security Council, as well as the Defence Kenya received food aid valued at approximately Ksh340 Department. US and Sudan planned to begin exchanging million ($3.4 million) from the US government in support of its ambassadors after a 23-year gap. The relationship between efforts to address food insecurity in the country. The country Washington and Khartoum had improved since the overthrow had been experiencing a perennial drought which had result- in April of President Omar al-Bashir and the formation of a civil- ed in a shortage of food in some regions. ian transitional government in August. Rwanda started a voluntary Ebola vaccination program at its The UK and US expressed concerns over the legitimacy of border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to pre- Tanzania’s local elections that saw President John Magufuli’s vent the spread of the deadly virus from its neighbour. ruling party win 99% of available seats. Kenya’s ministry of Health dismissed claims that ARVs were

10 Eastern Africa

Summary of daily issue coverage

Science, Technology & Innovation Transport Agreement, which allowed easier movement of The US Embassy in Addis Ababa conducted its latest hack- goods between the two countries. The Amendment allowed athon: “Digital Solutions to Elections-related Technology.” U.S all-cargo airlines to fly between Kenya and a third nation This was the seventh hackathon conducted by the US without needing to stop in the US an important right if operat- Embassy in a series of twelve under its Ethiopia Hacks! pro- ing a cargo hub. gram. Other reports mentioned that Loon, a unit of Google’s owner Arts & Culture Alphabet, which used high-altitude balloons to provide Various reports said the US Embassy and Kenya’s Nakuru mobile internet to remote areas, signed a key access airspace Players Theatre Society agreed to work closely to promote agreement with Uganda. theatre and cultural ties between Kenya and the US. US Google said it planned to buy a 12.5% stake in the embassy Cultural Affairs Attaché Christopher Machin said the 310-megawatt Lake Turkana wind farm in Kenya were can- cooperation would benefit young thespians – stating that celed after delays to the project. “We hope to forge a working relationship with Nakuru Players Kampala Post said a delegation of U.S technology investors Theatre Society and explore the power of the theatre to com- funded by Amazon co-founder, Jeff Bezos expressed interest municate emotions, thoughts, art and experiences and help in investing in Uganda’s Information, Communication the youth fight poverty and lack of jobs.” Technology (ICT) sector. In Ethiopia, the U.S Embassy in sponsored a musical and cultural exchange workshop between U.S and Ethiopian art- Tourism, Travel & Leisure ists at Mekelle American Corner. Carmelia Macfoy, Cultural Google launched its street view feature on maps for 21 Affairs Officer at U.S Embassy said the workshop was part of national parks and one conservancy in the country. The move the U.S Embassy’s ongoing efforts to engage Ethiopian audi- would enable tourists all over the world take virtual tours ences through the arts, and to create opportunities for art lov- around Kenya. ers to gather. The US State department said citizens from Tanzania and U.S ambassador Mull Katende received paintings of Sudan would no longer be allowed to go into the US as Uganda’s wildlife from Ugandan artist Solomon Jjagwe, as Diversity Immigrants, what was generally known as the green part of a cultural and tourism promotion partnership with the card program, however they could still travel to the U.S on Uganda Embassy and the US The paintings would be on loan business, tourist, and student visas. A spokesman for the to the Uganda Embassy and would be displayed on some of Tanzanian ministry of foreign affairs explained that they did the Official Chancery walls as well as at the Official Residence. not have official communication from the U.S government. U.S and Kenya signed an amendment to the U.S-Kenya Air

11 Eastern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Politics

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In December, the ruling party in Burundi the CNDD-FDD making excellent progress towards meeting the threshold for appointed Evariste Ndayishimiye as party president at its inclusion in the programme. party congress that took place in Gitega, central Burundi. US The United States’ Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Tibor Nagy concluded a Tibor Nagy was scheduled to travel to the Kenya, South successful visit to Ethiopia which involved the inauguration of Sudan, and Sudan from January 15-29, 2020. President the Mekelle American Corner (MAC), modern space for learn- Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga was invit- ing, discovery, and collaboration aimed at developing and ed to share their experiences on their handshake at a key empowering Ethiopian youth and emerging leaders. MAC event in the US to share an experience centred on transfor- was located at the newly opened Science Museum Building, mation. Adi Haki Campus and houses a digital library with a collection The US said they delivered six attack helicopters to Kenyan of journals, American publications and thousands of books, a forces on 23 January 2020 following an al-Shabab raid on bank of computing devices from iPads to laptops, and a the military base at Manda Bay, Kenya, that killed three maker space equipped with the latest science and technolo- Americans. Another six MD-530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters gy kits that promote hands-on creativity and innovation. were expected to be delivered. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali said that US President Iran said that it would not involve Kenya in its woes with the Trump’s complaint about not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize US. Currently, there was a simmering war between Tehran for resolving Ethiopia’s border conflict with Eritrea should be and Washington after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani brought up with the selection committee. by the US through a drone attack. According to the Iranian Kenya said that Al-Shabab extremists assaulted a key mili- embassy in Nairobi, Iran would continue having a close eco- tary base used by US counterterror forces in Kenya, killing nomic relationship with Kenya despite Kenya being a close three American Department of Defence personnel and ally of the US. destroying several US aircraft and vehicles before they were Somalia’s ambassador to the US Ali Sharif Ahmed, suggest- repelled. ed that Somalia had turned the corner and was poised for Other reports said a top official of a special US development success, so long as American taxpayers grant it $1 billion in programme was scheduled to visit Kenya for talks that could debt relief. Ahmed said that there was no conspiracy against conclude in the country receiving aid worth billions of shil- Somalia to deny its rightful place, but the problems Somalia lings to fight corruption. Sean Cairncross, the CEO of the US faces corruption, insecurity, and increasingly dictatorship was Millennium Development Corporation (MCC) said Kenya was of its own making.

12 Politics

South Sudanese First Vice President Taban Deng Gai denied their kidnapping two months ago. A growing social media cam- committing human rights violations and obstructing the ongoing paign echoed the BringBackOurGirls activism in Nigeria over the peace process in the wake of being sanctioned by the US. He mass kidnapping there of scores of schoolgirls in 2014. said that he was wrongly accused of serious human rights abus- Business live reported that Kenya was emerging as the new es and sanctioned by the US State Department of the Treasury’s voice of Africa in Washington. Earlier in February, Kenyan Office Foreign Assets Control. President Uhuru Kenyatta made the rounds in the US. He met The top US diplomat to Africa reportedly renewed pressure on President Donald Trump to discuss the preparation of a bilateral South Sudan’s rival leaders to form a unity government ahead of free-trade agreement, taking time to attend the national prayer a deadline February 2020. Tibor Nagy said South Sudan’s breakfast with rival Raila Odinga. President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar should put Financial Times said President Trump met with Kenyan aside disagreements that delayed formation of a post-civil war President Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss a future trade deal between unity government in the world’s youngest country. the two countries, as the US tried to counter the influence of The US Supreme Court refused to hear Sudan’s bid to avoid China on the African continent. paying $3.8 billion in damages to family members of people A report in The Star reported that US ambassador to Kenya Kyle killed or injured in al Qaeda’s 1998 bombings of US embassies in McCarter was stuck in an elevator, moments before he was Kenya and Tanzania after a court found Sudan complicit. The about to deliver a speech on HIV. damages were a portion of $10.2 billion a federal judge awarded In Rwanda, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, to hundreds of plaintiffs who brought lawsuits in the lawsuit that Tibor Nagy registered his reservations and that of his govern- began in 2001. ment over the death of Rwandan musician Kizito Mihigo. Mihigo, The Trump administration planned to add seven countries spe- a popular gospel singer, was pronounced dead by Rwandan cifically Tanzania, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan police from custody in Ramera. and Belarus to its travel ban list. The media report said Some Other reports said the international community had doubled countries would face bans only on some visa categories. down on a plan to rebuild a Somali government, creating a time- In Tanzania, the UA Embassy issued a security alert for its citi- line to one-man, one-vote popular elections that were set to zens working in the east African country following heightened occur this year, the first time Somalia would have such elections tensions in the Middle East in the aftermath of US airstrikes that in more than a half-century. killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani, the The US said that the Somali Federal Government’s recent move former commander of the Quds Force of Islamic Revolution to deploy hundreds of soldiers in the Gedo Region was unac- Guards Corps (IRGC), was killed in a US raid in Iraq’s capital ceptable. Baghdad. The governments of Norway, the United Kingdom, and the US In Uganda, US Ambassador Deborah Malac called for free and urged South Sudanese leaders to move quickly to conclude their fair elections in 2021 and a free debate on political succession. power-sharing peace agreement, ahead of a February 22 dead- Her call came as she addressed the media in her last engage- line. The Troika nations said they stood in solidarity with the ment as the US envoy to Uganda. regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) In February, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made his first that mediated the negotiations with South Sudan and shared the trip to Africa after 22 months in office as the world’s soon-to-be IGAD frustration with a lack of progress. most populous continent became a battlefield for competing for Other reports said the US welcomed the formation of South global powers. The carefully chosen countries were Senegal, Sudan’s new government and urged for additional efforts in sta- Angola, and Ethiopia. The Senegalese urged America not to bilising the country. US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly withdraw from the Sahel. In Angola, Pompeo encouraged trading Craft praised parties for their participation in the formation of with America rather than China and warned against corruption. Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU). US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Peter Pham The US said it banned Tanzanian officials from visiting the expressed concern about the DRC’s record in fighting corruption. country who announced a crackdown on homosexuality in Dar On 12 February 2020 Pham told the Congolese president that es Salaam in 2018. The US State Department said it was taking Washington was disappointed with his country’s poor anti-cor- the action against Paul Makonda, administrative chief of the ruption record. Tanzania capital, due to his involvement in gross violations of Ethiopians expressed anger and frustration over several univer- human rights, which include the flagrant denial of the right to life, sity students, most of them women, who remained missing after liberty, or the security of persons.

13 Eastern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Economy, Trade & Development

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Extensive reports stated that after a two-day conference in as low global prices. Ngoge added that they witnessed a sce- Washington, DC over 13-15 January, ministers from Ethiopia, nario in 2019 where both the volumes and value of the coffee Egypt and Sudan signed their names to six “points” concerning sold to the US went down and this was mainly because of com- the filling and operation of the $5bn Grand Renaissance petition from other countries that were producing specialty cof- Ethiopian Dame (GERD) that Ethiopia was building on a tribu- fee. tary of the Nile. The most substantive point was that filling Media reports noted that the US Treasury Department’s Office would take place during the wet season from July to August, of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the primary US government and would continue in September, subject to certain conditions. agency that administers US economic sanctions, was busy at Reports added that US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and the end of 2019. the President of the World Bank, David Malpass, attended the Significant frames indicated that Michael Rubin of the conference as observers. Business Daily reported that Ethiopia American Enterprise Institute published a series of articles in the was positioning themselves as the next aviation hub on the con- National Interest and other publications aimed to destabilize a tinent with the planned massive investment in new airports that concerted effort by the federal government of Somalia and its were likely to steal the thunder from the Jomo Kenyatta international allies to settle Somalia’s longstanding external International Airport (JKIA), which was one of the largest facili- debt. Reports also said as President John Kennedy long ago ties in the region. In addition, the airport was poised to become observed, the relationship between Somalia and the US was a major international hub for connecting passengers, especially one of kinship owing to similarities in our countries’ democratic in the US where the airline had direct flights in different institutions. American cities. Economist Toni Watima said JKIA had to strate- Media reports stated that a class action lawsuit was filed gize and align itself with development going on in the region in against Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Dell, and Tesla from numer- order to maintain its competitive edge as a leading hub, espe- ous anonymous plaintiffs who claimed that the companies were cially for cargo. benefiting from the use of child labour in the DRC to mine Numerous reports stated that the US had fallen back to posi- cobalt. tion three in the purchasing of Kenya’s specialty coffee after Reports stated that full construction was scheduled to start on peaking in the 2017/2018 season. Latest data from Coffee a solar energy project that would provide electricity to 87,000 Directorate indicated America trailed Germany and Belgium in homes and businesses in Burundi, one of the poorest countries purchases after leading in the last season in both quantities and in the world, thanks to a Dutch company with American inves- price offered. Interim Head Isabella Ngoge said this could be tors and offices in Israel. Raphael Morav, Israel’s ambassador to attributed to competition from other growing countries as well Burundi said they hoped that the historic solar project would

14 Economy, Trade & Development further warm their bilateral relations and shed light on Africa’s to the US-Kenya Air Transport Agreement could increase practical solutions to both economic development and the cli- exports to the American market. This was, however, only if mate crisis. Kenya Airways and the government, which was the airline’s Monitor quoted the US Ambassador Deborah Malac saying main shareholder, play their respective roles with diligence. the discussion on political transition was not entirely “in the American Chamber of Commerce in Rwanda (AMCHAM) sense of politics” of who or which group should rule next. delegates toured DP World Kigali to learn how import and Malac added that it was about how most of the population, export services were revolutionized. After the visit, Lauren the 30-year-olds and below felt; like they had a voice, had Nkuranga who led delegates expressed their commitment to solutions to problems. Like let them not talk about who sits in strengthening their businesses in Rwanda. what chair; let them talk about where they want the country to The US government lifted sanctions on Somalia’s group of be in five years, 10 years or in 20 years, said the US companies that had been fingered for allegedly sponsoring Ambassador. terrorism activities. Al-Barakat a conglomeration of firms that In February, PR News Wire said that work began to develop deal in informal money transfer services known as Hawala, a 7.5 MW solar field in Burundi by frontier renewable energy telecom and internet services as well as logistics. It was developer Gigawatt Global, a Dutch company with American banned by the US Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) in investors and a founding partner of the US Power Africa initia- November 2001. US Treasury announced that it had deleted tive. the group from the list of Specially Designated Nationals DRC and General Electric announced the signing of a (SDN), which lists companies and individuals deemed to have Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in infrastructure proj- supported terrorist activities. ects enabling the increase in the supply of electric energy and Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan said a final agree- health modernisation programs. The three-year MoU sought ment would be signed by the end of February 2020 on the to accelerate the economic and social development of the giant Blue Nile hydropower dam that sparked a years-long country. diplomatic crisis between Cairo and Addis Ababa. The coun- US Embassy in Addis Ababa said that the US Assistant tries were at odds over the filling and operation of the $4 bil- Secretary for African Affairs Tibor Nagy concluded his visit to lion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), under con- Ethiopia. His visit involved the inauguration of the Mekelle struction near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, American Corner (MAC), a modern space for learning, discov- which flows into the Nile River. ery and collaboration aimed at developing and empowering Sudan said it hoped to cut fuel subsidies over the course of Ethiopian youth and emerging leaders. 18 months, starting as early as March 2020, and replace them The US Treasury reportdly sent the final draft agreement on with direct cash payments to the poor, the country’s finance the mechanism of filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian minister said, laying out a timetable for sweeping economic Renaissance Dam (GERD) to Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. US reforms sought by international lenders. Other reports stated Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said that the dispute that Sudanese capital, Nagi fielded repeated questions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian regarding Sudan’s continued presence on the US list of State Renaissance Dam could take months. Sponsors of Terrorism (SST), seen by many as a major impedi- Trump administration announced that it intends to open ment to Sudan’s economic recovery. free-trade talks with Kenya in pursuit of what would be the first Reports said Sudanese citizens deposed a totalitarian trade agreement between the US and a nation in sub-Saharan regime that had ruled for more than 30 years. For the partici- Africa. The announcement followed a White House meeting pants in the peaceful protests, social media platforms were between President Donald Trump and Kenyan President key tools for organizing and communicating their message to Uhuru Kenyatta. the outside world. These platforms, produced by US compa- US President Donald Trump said before a meeting with nies played a crucial role in boosting the Sudanese economy, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta that the US would “proba- which was starting to rely on the internet for its growth. bly” sign a trade agreement with the East African nation of According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Uganda had a Kenya. Kenyatta said his country was keen to secure its eco- deficit of 2.1 million housing units, growing at a rate of 200 nomic future ahead of the expiry of the Africa Growth and 000 units a year. It is estimated that by 2030, the country’s Opportunity Act, which allowed sub-Saharan African coun- housing deficit was expected to reach three million units. US tries to export thousands of products to the US without tariffs African American investors were set to construct low-cost or quotas until 2025. housing units in different parts of the country, hosting indus- The Standard said that the recent signing of an amendment trial parks.

15 Eastern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Peace, Security & Terrorism

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Reuters reported that three Americans – a military service ernment was supporting terrorist groups. Arab News indicat- member and two contractors were killed by Somalia’s al ed that Qattan met with the US special envoy to Sudan, Shabaab militant group during an attack on a military base in Donald Booth in Riyadh and expressed Saudi Arabia’s sup- Kenya used by both US and Kenyan forces. The military’s port for the safety, stability, and people of Sudan. He also Africa Command confirmed the deaths and said two other stressed the necessity for the international community to Americans who work for the US Department of Defence were coordinate and cooperate in order to prevent any obstruc- also wounded in the attack on the Manda Bay Airfield in tions to the transitional period and its aims. Lamu County, close to the Somali border. Business Daily Wall Street Journal reported that South Sudan declared reported that the US gave Kenya Sh40 billion in counterterror- independence in 2011 and the US was its principal backer, ism aid over the last decade, placing the country’s security supporting the government of the world’s newest nation agencies among Africa’s top beneficiaries of successive sup- despite its wars, rights abuses and corruption. Other reports port by Washington. stated that the US urged parties to the South Sudan conflict Numerous reports stated that the US military said it killed to swiftly resolve outstanding issues and form a Transitional four “terrorists” in airstrikes against the Al-Shabaab militant National Unity Government as scheduled in February. US group in Somalia, a day after the country’s deadliest attack in Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy held two years. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted three talks with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, opposition lead- airstrikes in two locations in the conflict-hit east African nation er Riek Machar and several officials in Juba. targeting Al-Shabaab militants, it said in a statement. Xinhua reported that the US embassy in Tanzania issued a AFRICOM said these precision airstrikes targeted Al-Shabaab security alert for its citizens working in the east African coun- militants responsible for terrorist acts against innocent Somali try following heightened tensions in the Middle East in the citizens and coordinating with Al-Qaeda aftermath of US air strikes that killed Iranian Major General IOL News reported that Saudi Arabia asked the US to Qassem Soleimani. The US embassy in the commercial capi- remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, tal Dar es Salaam posted a statement on its website saying: Saudi state TV, citing Minister of State for African Affairs There was heightened tension in the Middle East that may Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Qattan. The US government added result in security risks to US citizens abroad. The Embassy Sudan to its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 over would continue to review the security situation and would allegations that then-President Omar al-Bashir’s Islamist gov- provide additional information as needed.

16 Peace, Security & Terrorism Media reports stated that through the National Guard State police officer in Mandera, a county along the border with Partnership Program, Nebraska joined forces with Rwanda, Somalia said they had an incident of a bus attack and there helping the two groups come together was Aurora native, are three fatalities. Technical Sergeant and State Partnership Program Extensive reports highlighted that the US army at the 8th Coordinator, Daniel Dibbern. According to Dibbern, this was African Land Forces Summit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis not the first nation to team up with Nebraska, as the state part- Ababa pledged its continued support to building capabilities nered with the Czech Republic in 1993 after the fall of the of its partner nations in Africa in a wide range of military func- Soviet Union. Dibbern said the US government saw the tions and sharing of information. opportunity to create this partnership that would allow states US News reported that South Sudan’s rival leaders to partner with former USSR republics and start doing training announced that they agreed to form a coalition government and political engagements. just two days before the deadline, a breakthrough after Monitor reported that government put the number of months of delays and a major step in the emergence from a Ugandans guarding the American embassy and other instal- five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people in the lations in Iraq at 700. The Ministry of Gender, Labour and world’s youngest nation. Reports further mentioned that the Social Development, which supervises external labour recruit- rival leaders had twice missed deadlines in the past year to ment agencies said in a statement that no Ugandan had been form the transitional government that was expected to lead to injured on the attack on the embassy. Frank Mugabi, the elections in three years’ time, much to the impatience of the spokesperson of the ministry said there were about 700 USand others. Ugandans in Iraq as security guards, the entire contingent Significant reports stated that AFRICOM had previously con- was not involved in any combat operations and as such, no firmed that one US soldier and two US contractors were killed injuries or fatalities were registered arising out of the protests before US and Kenyan forces repelled the 5 January attack. at the US Embassy in Baghdad. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend of US Africa Command said In February, AllAfrica.com reported that US forces destroyed they were not as prepared there at Manda Bay. Numerous two al-Shabab compounds and killed at least one terrorist in a reports stated that the US Supreme Court listened to claims military operation in southern Somalia last month, the by hundreds of Kenyans and Tanzanians that they should Pentagon announced. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) car- receive $4.3 billion from Sudan in punitive damages as partial ried out the attacks in coordination with Somali forces. The compensation for the 1998 embassy bombings. US solici- two compounds one in Jamaame and the other in Jilib were tor-general, appointed by the president to represent the gov- destroyed. Brig. Gen. Gregory Hadfield, AFRICOM deputy ernment in Supreme Court cases,USsided with the Kenyans director of intelligence said they assess these compounds and Tanzanians in their suit against Sudan. were used by al-Shabab militants to organize and plan violent Media reports stated that Uganda Police signed a memoran- terrorist actions against innocent Somali civilians. dum of understanding with various US institutes of security to Extensive reports stated that Sudan’s justice ministry said it help train Ugandan detectives in various fields of investiga- had signed a deal with the families of the American service- tions. men killed in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. France24 reported that France’s defence minister warns the The ministry said as part of the transitional government’s Pentagon that withdrawing US troops from West Africa would effort to remove Sudan from the terrorism list, a dealUSbeen “severely limit” counter-terrorism operations, Burundi’s signed on February 7 with the families of the victims of the President Pierre Nkurunziza steps back from power as his USS Cole incident. party chooses his successor. News24.com reported that three people were killed when Media reports indicated that through Africom, the US had gunmen sprayed a passenger bus with bullets in north-east- more operations in Africa and was using Rwanda as an inte- ern Kenya, police said, the latest attack by suspected gral part of Africom, more operations in Africa than it does in al-Shabaab militants from neighbouring Somalia. Senior the middle East.

17 Eastern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Health & Food issues

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The US Department of State announced expanded the Level she always admired the work of Catholic Relief Services, the 3 Travel Advisory for the Republic of Burundi related to new official overseas relief and development agency of the US developments in health issues and civil matters. This ‘Exercise Conference of Catholic Bishops and wanted to volunteer with a High Degree of Caution’ Travel Advisory was published on them. She got her chance in August 2020 as a volunteer with January 21, 2020, highlighting the medical services available its Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Rwanda. The program was a in Burundi fall well below US standards. And, emergency partnership with USAID that matches volunteers from the US medical services were limited or non-existent in some areas of to agriculture organizations in Uganda, Ethiopia, Benin, the country. Rwanda, Nepal and Timor-Leste with the goal of promoting World Health Organisation said A shortage of funds sustainable economic growth, food security and agricultural remained a huge barrier in efforts to curb the DRC measles development. outbreak that had already claimed over 6 000 lives. The Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) Director- organisation called on international partners and agencies to General Edwin Rutageruka said the country’s export potential increase resources to fight what was referred to as the of groundnuts into European and Asian markets was ham- “world’s worst measles epidemic”. pered by the deadly carcinogenic fungus found in the food Other reports said Pyrethrum farmers in Kenya were set for crops. Maize and groundnuts farmers were warned on unsafe better fortunes after US-based biotechnology the company levels of aflatoxin in crops, a poisonous fungus that threatens expressed interest in injecting funds into the production of their livelihoods and the health of consumers as it may cause the cash crop. Agriculture Executive Esman Onsarigo said US cancer. Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter promised to help the The Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng lauded the US devolved unit revamp the once-lucrative pyrethrum farming government for supporting Uganda’s health sector. This was in the region. when National Medical Stores (NMS) and the Ministry of US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter called for strength- Health had hosted a farewell dinner for the US Ambassador to ened ties between the two countries. McCarter said the US Uganda, Deborah Malac at Serena Hotel, Kampala. The was interested in improving health sector, agriculture and Minister hailed Amb. Deborah for being the first ambassador youth empowerment. The Ambassador said the US govern- to bring the US embassy team very close to the Ministry of ment had in the past supported various sectors in the econo- Health to the point where one did not know the difference my and would continue to do so. between the US Government and the sector. In Rwanda, St. Clement parishioner Elizabeth Norden said The US government donated US$ 100,000 in response to

18 Health & Food issues the needs of disaster-affected people in Uganda as a result of The US Government, through the US Agency for extensive flooding and landslides. The Government of International Development (USAID) and the Office of Food for Uganda requested international support. Heavy rains and Peace (FFP), launched a new program to reduce persistent flooding that began in September 2019 have negatively acute malnutrition rates in northern Kenya. Acute malnutrition impacted nearly 300,000 people across Uganda. The immedi- rates in northern Kenya were at or above emergency levels ate needs of affected populations include blankets, shelter and the causes of infant and child malnutrition are complex. materials, soap, jerrycans, mosquito nets, medicine to treat The US Government’s new program seeks sustainable solu- water- and vector-borne disease, and food assistance. tions that go beyond humanitarian assistance. With an invest- In February, the US government provided $8 million ment of $186 million over five years, the USAID Nawiri pro- (Ksh.800 million) in funding towards control of the locust gram would target the root of food security and malnutrition infestation in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. The aid came after problems in Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, and Turkana Counties. the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) In Rwanda, the Government, in a partnership with Charis early in the month warned that the locusts could ravage more Unmanned Aerial Solutions, a local drone technology compa- countries in Eastern Africa and threaten the livelihood of many ny, used drones for the very first time to rid communities of more people. The swarms, first sighted in December, malaria-carrying mosquitoes. destroyed tens of thousands of hectares (acres) of farmland in Capital FM stated that, in response to the outbreak of desert Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, threatening food supplies in the locusts in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the South Sudan, the worst locust invasion in 70 years. US, through the US Agency for International Development DRC Burundi, Ghana, and Zambia licensed an Ebola vaccine (USAID), announced that it would provide US$8 million in that can now be distributed. WHO Director-General Tedros humanitarian assistance to support regional operations to Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he approved of the Ebola control locusts. This would be done in the Federal Democratic vaccine by these countries is another milestone in the fight Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Kenya, and the Federal against this unforgiving disease. Republic of Somalia. The US government gave Kenya $72.5 million over more Uganda and Tanzania were closer to achieving the ambi- than 15 years through its global HIV/AIDS prevention pro- tious 90-90-90 treatment target to help end the Aids epidemic. gram, called PEPFAR, to build its blood safety and transfusion Data from the Department of State’s Co-ordination and infrastructure nearly from scratch from the blood banks them- Oversight of Pepfar, showed between October 2018 and June selves to equipment and training. The aid was aimed at build- 2019, 93% of all people living with HIV in Uganda were on the ing confidence in blood collection so Kenyans would not fear life-giving and prolonging ART. getting tested for the virus.

19 Eastern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Business & Investments

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Business Daily reported that the Pyrethrum farmers in Kisii bolizes the deepening US-Ethiopian relationship and the US were set for better fortunes after a US-based biotechnology commitment to investing in the capacity of Ethiopian people company expressed interest in injecting funds into the pro- through education and training. duction of the cash crop. Agriculture Executive Esman Reports stated that the International Rights Advocates (IRA) Onsarigo said US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter, during filed a case in a US district court in Washington, D.C. against his visit, promised to help the devolved unit revamp the Apple, Alphabet (the parent company of Google and once-lucrative pyrethrum farming in the region. Capital FM YouTube), Dell, Microsoft and Tesla on behalf of the families of reported that Microsoft appointed Kendi Ntwiga – Nderitu as 14 Congolese child miners. In addition, the Congolese gov- the Country Manager for its operations in Kenya. Kendi was a ernment remained as much at the behest of American high- highly disciplined and driven IT business leader with more tech companies and their suppliers in the cobalt processing than 15 years of experience in the industry. The report added industry as it was under the US-backed dictatorship of that she was recognised as an Emerging Leader in Innovation Mubutu in 1965-97 and that of the Kalibas, reports added. and Entrepreneurship by the US government through the Significant frames stated that one American company was TechWomen program. interested to pump out funds in the seafood industry on the Significant reports stated that the US Assistant Secretary for Red Sea coast to respond to the global food gap with seafood. African Affairs, Tibor Nagy concluded his visit to Ethiopia. His The consumption was 9.9 kilograms per capita during 1960s visit involved the inauguration of the Mekelle American and it surpassed 20 kilograms in 2016.The Undersecretary of Corner (MAC), a modern space for learning, discovery and col- the Ministry of Animal Resources, Adel Farah disclosed that an laboration aimed at developing and empowering Ethiopian American company commenced investment procedures in an youth and emerging leaders. The US Embassy invested over area about 15 kilometres south of the city of Suakin. 2,170,000 Birr in the MAC, the sixth space of its kind in According to Farah comment to Sudan Tribune, the name of Ethiopia with five others in Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, Jimma and the firm was not disclosed for the time being, but the compa- two in Addis Ababa at the US Embassy and the Ethiopian ny was set to launch the project with about USD 50 million. It National Archives and Library Agency (NALA). The MAC sym- aimed to expand its investments in future in the production of

20 Business & Investments

Sea Cucumber. Reports further said Sudan continued to see mat, doubled down on an earlier promise that the White underdeveloped expansion in aquaculture while it rapidly House would assist in finding a possible peaceful resolution grew in other parts of the world. That’s the reason the for the conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt over the con- unnamed American company wanted severe expansion in struction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Sudan finding a huge potential in aquaculture in the country. Nile. Media reports indicated that renewable-energy developer New Vision reported that US African American investors Gigawatt Global project would be Burundi’s first permanent were set to construct low-cost housing units in different parts power station in three decades and would meet the power of the country, hosting industrial parks. State Minister of needs of approximately 87,000 people and businesses, finance in charge of investment and Privatization, Evelyn accounting for 15% of the country’s total energy generation Anite said besides investing in Uganda, the US African capacity. Reports also mentioned that partners in the project American Investors would help promote Uganda in the US, included Inspired Evolution, UK-based Renewable Energy for more possible investment opportunities, for Uganda. Performance Platform (REPP), the US government’s Overseas Media reports stated that the government of the DRC and Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and Power Africa. General Electric signed a memorandum of understanding in Media reports on the Somalia Youth Investment Expo said, infrastructure projects enabling the increase in the supply of US Ambassador Donald. Yamamoto joined H.E. Prime Minister electric energy and health modernization programs. GE Africa Hassan Ali Khaire to announce a new joint effort to support president and chief executive Farid Fezoua said Partnership young entrepreneurs and innovators to contribute to with governments and local companies form a very important Somalia’s stability and prosperity through employment, skills part of GE’s growth in Africa, and was honoured to collabo- development and entrepreneurship. rate with the government of the DRC as a key strategic part- In February, extensive reports stated that Tech firms Google ner for the country’s long-term development agenda. and Facebook were investing millions in Kenya to combat Media reports stated that full construction was scheduled to cyber bullying such as targeted rumours, threats and making start on a solar energy project that would provide electricity sexual remarks that target children and youth. Facebook also to 87,000 homes and businesses in Burundi, one of the poor- announced its partnership with nine organisations across est countries in the world, gratitude went to a Dutch compa- Africa including Kenya’s Watoto Watch to ensure that its ny with American investors and offices in Israel. social media platforms were safe for use by children. Busiweek reported that the US Agency for International Strategic Media Partnerships Manager for Facebook in Development (USAID) was funding a programme by the sub-Saharan Africa, Jocelyne Muhutu-Rémy stated that they Somali government aimed at creating opportunities to committed to ensuring Facebook and Instagram were places empower the youth in the country. The Somali government for everyone especially the youth. held the Somali Youth Investment Expo to market youth- Numerous reports stated that US Secretary of State, Mike owned businesses for growth and creating jobs. Pompeo capped his three-country visit to Africa where he Media reports illustrated that in 2019, Sudanese citizens pitched strengthening economic relations with the US as the deposed a totalitarian regime that had ruled for more than 30 path towards “true liberation” for all African nations. Reports years. For the participants in the peaceful protests, social added that Pompeo’s pitch also included a reference to the media platforms were key tools for organizing and communi- work done by American companies in each of the three cating their message to the outside world. Reports added countries that he visited, including Bechtel in Senegal, that these platforms, produced by US companies, played a Chevron’s operations in Angola and the Coca-Cola compa- crucial role in boosting the Sudanese economy. ny’s presence in Ethiopia. Pompeo added that US’ top diplo-

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Analysis of News Categories

Tourism, Travel & Leisure

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The US announced that it had expanded the Level 3 three new routes in 2019 including Italy and Geneva, a Travel Advisory for Burundi related to new developments move that impacted positively on arrivals at the Kenya’s in health issues and civil matters. This ‘Exercised a High main port of entry. Degree of Caution’ Travel Advisory published on January US airliners was put on high alert while flying on Kenyan 21, 2020, highlighting the medical services available in soil over possible attacks by extremists. The US Federal Burundi fall well below US standards. Emergency medical Aviation Administration (FAA) said that extremists could services were limited or non-existent in some areas of the be planning an attack in the Kenyan airspace between country. now and February 26, 2020, when the advisory would be Days after the March 10 crash of a Kenya-bound reviewed. Ethiopian Airways’ Boeing jet that killed all 157 people on The US pledged to continue supporting Kenya in the board, strangers started calling or visiting bereaved war against al Shabaab terrorists. The American ambassa- households, saying they represented US law companies. dor to Kenya, Kyle McCarter, said during a courtesy call to They showed up uninvited at memorials and houses full Narok Governor Samuel Tunai that security was vital for of weeping family members. In one case, a grieving hus- the growth of tourism. band was offered money for an appointment. One All Africa said Sudan Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Chair of woman provided counseling, and another stated she was the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, sent a creating an emotional assist group, without disclosing, letter to US President Donald Trump urging him to recon- they had been working for lawyers. sider adding Sudan to the administration’s travel ban. Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said that direct flights to In Kenya, The US Government, through the US Agency New York opened by Kenya Airways helped to lift visitor for International Development (USAID) rallied with East numbers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, shor- Africa Community (EAC) partner states to safeguard wild ing up tourism earnings. Kenya Airways introduced over animals against poachers as well as the landscape.

22 Tourism, Travel & Leisure

USAID Kenya and East Africa Environment Office Director, East African reported that Kenya and US(US) have signed an Aurelia Micko, said that success of the programme dubbed amendment to the US-Kenya Air Transport Agreement, which ’Conservation and Management of Natural Capital in East would now see easier movement of goods between the two Africa’ would mean improved collaborative management and countries. The signing was done between US Assistant conservation of the trans-boundary natural resources, Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Manisha reduced wildlife poaching, trafficking, and increased citizens’ Singh and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Transport, and perception on the value of living with wildlife harmoniously in Infrastructure James Macharia at the Department of State in their communities. Washington. In February, reports stated that Sudanese and Tanzanian Daily Maverick reported that in an era of debt-ridden nation- nationals would no longer be allowed to apply for “diversity al flag carriers, Ethiopian Airlines stands out as a singular suc- visas”, which were available by lottery for applicants from cess – an example of how good governance could promote a countries with low rates of immigration to the US. Acting vibrant service company. The airline’s CEO, Tewolde Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said these countries, Gebremariam spoke with disarming frankness about the air- for the most part, wanted to be helpful but for a variety of dif- line’s plans. Having joined Ethiopian Airlines aged 18 in 1984, ferent reasons simply failed to meet those minimum require- he returned to Ethiopia from New York in 2004, where he had ments that they laid out. headed up Ethiopian Airline’s operations.

23 Eastern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Science, Technology & Innovation

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Renewable-energy developer Gigawatt Global would com- Global, a Dutch company with American investors and a mence construction work on the first private the grid-connect- founding partner of the US Power Africa initiative commenced. ed solar field in Burundi. The 7.5-MW project would be US tech giant Google announced the launch of a $1 million Burundi’s first permanent power station in three decades and fund to support innovative ideas on online privacy, trust, and would meet the power needs of approximately 87,000 people security in sub-Saharan Africa. Seember Nyager, the Head of and businesses, accounting for 15% of the country’s total policy and government relations at Google Nigeria, during the energy generation capacity. Partners in the project include 16th annual edition of the Safer Internet Day (SID), said the Inspired Evolution, UK-based Renewable Energy Performance fund would be administered by a third-party partner on behalf Platform (REPP), the US government’s Overseas Private of Google.org and would be sharing details on application cri- Investment Corporation (OPIC) and Power Africa. teria and deadlines soon. Following the Government’s partnership with Charis A delegation of American technology investors funded by Unmanned Aerial Solutions, a local drone technology compa- Amazon co-founder, Jeff Bezos expressed interest in investing ny, Rwanda would for the very first time begin using drones to in Uganda especially in the Information, Communication rid communities of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The initiative, Technology (ICT) sector. The delegation of American Investors which would be launched in Jabana, in Gasabo District, was from Mark43 a technology company whose mission was would complement a set of existing strategies to prevent and to empower communities and their governments with new combat malaria in the country. Ministry of Health said the ini- technologies that would improve the safety and quality of life tiative that would greatly contribute to achieving zero malaria for all. East African Partners (EAP) Managing Director Isaac in Rwanda. Kigozi said that the team was in the country to find ways of In February, reports said Burundi a 7.5 MW solar field in exporting advanced technology into the country as well as Burundi by frontier renewable energy developer Gigawatt interacting with youth who were interested in the ICT sector.

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Analysis of News Categories

Education

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Significant frames reported that the head of a special US American Corner (MAC), a modern space for learning, discov- development programme would visit Kenya to hold initial talks ery and collaboration aimed at developing and empowering on the country’s potential eligibility for project funding of up Ethiopian youth and emerging leaders. to Sh35 billion. Sean Cairncross, chief executive of the CNBC reported that US Embassy in Tanzania awarded grad- Millennium Development Corporation (MCC), said in a press uation certificates to the 47 students of the US Embassy’s briefing that Kenya was making “excellent progress” toward English ‘Access’ Microscholarship Program in Tanga (13 meeting criteria for inclusion in the programme. female and 12 male) and Unguja – Zanzibar (12 female and 10 Media reports stated that US Assistant Secretary for African male). Regional English Language Officer, George Chinnery Affairs Tibor Nagy concluded his visit to Ethiopia. Reports commended the Access Program students for their dedica- added that his visit involved the inauguration of the Mekelle tion. Chinnery, added that Access programs offer far more American Corner (MAC), a modern space for learning, discov- than just an opportunity to learn English, as they have all ery and collaboration aimed at developing and empowering become leaders and models for your community. Ethiopian youth and emerging leaders. The US Embassy Media reports indicated that Foreign gifts to US universities invested over 2,170,000 Birr in the MAC, the sixth space of its were getting new scrutiny as the government said it’s worried kind in Ethiopia with five others in Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, about foreign meddling, with the US Department of Education Jimma and two in Addis Ababa at the US Embassy and the cracking down on universities which failed to report receiving Ethiopian National Archives and Library Agency (NALA), money from abroad. Reports added that Makerere University’s reports added. School of Public Health in Uganda was given $7.6 million to Iol news reported that US assistant secretary for African improve health care; Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, $4.5 affairs Tibor Nagy would travel to the Central African Republic, million to train health professionals and expand research. Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan from to promote Media reports noted that Connie Green, professor emeritus good governance, strong democratic institutions, regional in Appalachian State University’s Department of Reading peace and security, and combating corruption. Education and Special Education, was traveling to Burundi, Media reports later indicated that US Assistant Secretary for Africa, in mid-February to introduce a model early childhood African Affairs Tibor Nagy concluded a successful visit to education program to educators in the village. Ethiopia which involved the inauguration of the Mekelle

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Analysis of News Categories

Entertainment issues

20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Kenya Uganda Rwanda Ethiopia Sudan

The US Embassy in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines Greensboro in hope of a fresh start. They were starting the and Pianist, Girma Yifrashewa hosted a classical piano con- Hope Roy Refugee Education Program in honour of their old- cert entitled “Bringing Cultures’ featuring classical pianist est child, who was 8. Girma Yifrashewa. He would be releasing his new album enti- American film producer Milan Selassie met three Ugandans tled “Banjo” at the Skylight Hotel. in a conference of media buyers and sellers in South Africa Kenyan photographer Osborne Macharia and digital artist mid-2019. The conference, DISCOP Africa, was one of the with a unique ability to tell his stories through a genre known premier events for Advertising and Information Agencies, as Afrofuturism, which highlighted three key principles being Design-Studios and Mass-Media industry in Africa. identity, culture, and fiction partnered with the Oprah Winfrey Professionals met and exchange ideas around the continent. Network to shoot key artwork for Queen Sugar, an American Milan was a panelist on one of the sessions. He had talked drama TV series. The show was produced by American busi- about producing movies in Africa and marketing them in ness mogul Oprah Winfrey. Hollywood. That was how the young Ugandan media practi- Kenyan-raised actress “US” star Lupita Nyong’o received tioners, among whom was Brian Mulondo of KFM, were the prestigious Montecito Award during the 35th Santa attracted to him. Barbara International Film Festival tribute at the Arlington A Ugandan student who played a memorable role in a 2016 Theatre. The Oscar-winning Nyong’o reflected on her six-year Disney film about a local chess prodigy died at the age of 15. film career, and how she feels particularly blessed and grate- Nikita Pearl Waligwa died at a hospital near the Ugandan ful to be able to choose her narrative. capital, Kampala. The cause was a brain tumor, according to In Rwanda, the 600, a movie that told the most compelling the girls’ secondary school she had attended since 2018. story of the struggle to liberate Rwandans from the 1994 Tributes were coming in for her on social media as Ugandans Genocide against the Tutsi had made it to three big interna- expressed sadness and recalled her role in the 2016 movie tional award events in the US and the United Kingdom. The directed by Mira Nair and filmed in Kampala. movie highlighted an inspirational story that honours the sac- Ugandan rapper “Fresh Kid” racked up hundreds of thou- rifice and courage of Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) soldiers sands of hits on YouTube, won a US music award and through the eyes of the 3rd battalion, also known as the 600. emerged victorious from a tussle with the government all Media reports indicated that it’s been nearly two years since before his eighth birthday. The rapper, real name Patrick five children were killed in an apartment fire on Summit Ssenyonjo, became a household name in Uganda, a country Avenue in Greensboro. The five children and their parents mired in poverty and corruption, for singing about his par- were refugees from Uganda who had relocated to ents’ struggles to provide for him and his four siblings.

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Analysis of News Categories

Arts & Culture

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Numerous reports stated that the US Embassy and Nakuru Francis Kioko Kasyoki left the country to try his luck in the US Players Theatre Society agreed to work closely to promote in the late 90s, in his hands a Ksh60,000 donation from the theatre and cultural ties between Kenya and the US. US community, and artefacts that he got from his uncle to sell if embassy Cultural Affairs Attaché Christopher Machin said the he ran out of funds. cooperation would benefit young thespians. Machin added Media reports indicated that US Secretary of State, Mike that they hope to forge a working relationship with Nakuru Pompeo invited General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Players Theatre Society and explore the power of the theatre Sudan’s sovereign council to visit the US. In addition, the to communicate emotions, thoughts, art and experiences Sudanese American musicians Oddisee, Alsarah and Sinkane and help the youth fight poverty and lack of jobs. gave shout-outs to the demonstrators and their courage at Significant reports stated that the US Embassy in Addis live concerts around the world. Ababa was pleased to sponsor a musical and cultural PML Daily reported that Ambassador Mull Katende received exchange workshop between American and Ethiopian artists paintings of Uganda’s wildlife from Ugandan artist Solomon from January 27 to 31, 2020 at Yared Music School and Jjagwe and his wife Kim, as part of a cultural and tourism pro- February 3-6, 2020 at Mekelle American Corner. Carmelia motion partnership with the Uganda Embassy, Washington, Macfoy, Cultural Affairs Officer at US Embassy Addis Ababa DC. Reports also added that Solomon, was an independent said they believed support of the arts community both in the film director, 3D artist and animator originally from Uganda, US and in Ethiopia helped to foster cross-cultural under- currently based in the US. He attended Ohio Valley standing and collaboration and demonstrates shared values University, Montgomery College and George Mason and aspirations between their two countries. University, majoring in Art and Visual Technology. Report said that Kenyan Chef and owner of Swahili Grill,

27 Southern Africa

Analysis of daily issue coverage

EĞǁƐĐĂƚĞŐŽƌLJ ^ ĂŵďŝĂ ŝŵďĂďǁĞ ŶŐŽůĂ EĂŵŝďŝĂ DŽnjĂŵďŝƋƵĞ ^ǁĂnjŝůĂŶĚ >ĞƐŽƚŚŽ dŽƚĂů

WŽůŝƚŝĐƐ ϮϬϯ Ϯϭϱ ϭϮϵ ϵϭ ϳ Ϯϳ ϳ ϯ ϲϴϮ ĐŽŶŽŵLJ͕dƌĂĚĞΘĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ϳϱ Ϯϯ ϯϭ ϭϱ ϰϬ ϵ ϯ ϰ ϮϬϮ ,ĞĂůƚŚΘ&ŽŽĚŝƐƐƵĞƐ ϰϲ ϱϯ Ϯϰ ϱ ϮϬ ϭ ϯ  ϭϱϯ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐΘ/ŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚƐ ϯϵ ϲ Ϯϳ Ϯ ϳ  ϭ ϴϮ ŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ ϱϰ ϱ Ϯ   Ϯ ϲϯ WĞĂĐĞ͕^ĞĐƵƌŝƚLJΘdĞƌƌŽƌŝƐŵ Ϯϯ ϯ ϰ ϯ ϯ ϵ  Ϯ ϰϴ dŽƵƌŝƐŵ͕dƌĂǀĞůΘ>ĞŝƐƵƌĞ ϭϵ ϭϭ ϰ ϭ ϱ ϭ Ϯ  ϰϰ ĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶ ϭϯ ϭ Ϯ ϭ     ϭϳ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ͕dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJΘ Ϯ ϭ ϭ      ϰ /ŶŶŽǀĂƚŝŽŶ ƌƚƐΘƵůƚƵƌĞ ϭ        ϭ dŽƚĂů ϰϳϱ ϯϬϳ ϮϬϲ ϭϰϯ ϳϵ ϱϰ ϭϱ ϭϮ ϭ͕Ϯϵϲ  Politics pensation in South Africa. In December, the fall out between the US Ambassador and the The New York Times reported that US Presidential contender Zambian authorities dominated this segment. Numerous reports Joe Biden had controversially claimed that he was arrested in highlighted that the US ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, South Africa during apartheid, while trying to see former presi- was recalled by the State Department because of his criticism of dent Nelson Mandela. Zambia’s laws against homosexual behaviour and the jailing of a US senators proposed to add more Zimbabweans on the sanc- gay couple sparked criticism from the country’s president, who tions list, a move likely to pile misery on embattled President declared that Zambia was saying “no to homosexuality” and that Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government desperate to re-engage pro-LGBT activists “should go to Hell.” with the West to shore up its free-falling economy. Lusaka Times indicated that the Zambian government had US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced corruption sought to strike a reconciliation tone after US Ambassador and touted American business during the second leg of an Daniel Foote threatened that Washington could review its coop- African tour in Angola, where the government was seeking to eration with Zambia as the gay rights row deepened. claw back billions of dollars looted from state coffers. In Angola’s In Zimbabwe, Ambassador Thomas Hastings questioned capital Luanda, Pompeo met with President Joao Lourenco, development aid figures released recently by Finance Minister who took office in 2017 promising wide-ranging economic Mthuli Ncube in the 2020 national budget statement, saying the reforms and a crackdown on the endemic corruption. funds were less than what his country provided in the 2019 The Mozambican attorney general’s office withdrew its appeal financial year. to South African courts to have former Finance Minister Manuel In January, Numerous reports said the ANC condemned a Chang extradited back home amid a massive debt scandal. series of airstrikes, by the US, that killed the Commander of Iran’s Minister of Foreign affairs Hon. Jospeh Malanji dispelled elite Quds Force, General Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani — a top reports suggesting that Zambia’s permanent representative to general and one of the most powerful men in Iran — was killed New York in the USof America Lazarus Kapambwe had been in a drone strike at Baghdad airport. expelled from that country. South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe apologised for telling US President Donald Trump that Africa loved him, but warned Health & Food issues the growing perception that the continent was anti-America Zambia received the most media coverage. Zambia’s home could hamper investment. Motsepe’s remarks to Trump at a affairs minister said that a US ambassador who criticized the jail- business dinner during the World Economic Forum in Davos ing of a gay couple for 15 years had “crossed the line,” adding sparked a debate among his countrymen who questioned his that the US had responded to an official complaint by recalling right to speak on behalf of the continent. him. In February, numerous reports highlighted that US Secretary of In Zimbabwe, a United Nations special expert on the right to State Mike Pompeo warned against expropriation without com- food said Zimbabwe was on the brink of man-made starvation

28 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

and the number of people needing help is “shocking” for a measures to ensure the safety of foreign gas companies operat- country not in conflict. Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa ing in the restive northern part of the country. Several interna- blamed recurrent droughts and sanctions imposed by the US for tional oil and gas companies including ExxonMobil and Total the crisis. made a request to the Mozambican government to send addi- Reports indicated that the US National Institutes of Health tional security to the northern province of Cabo Delgado. would no longer be administering injections to participants in A senior official from the US Transportation Security the clinical trial of an experimental HIV vaccine after a review Administration said SA’s main airports, OR Tambo International found that the drug did not prevent infection. The NIH’s National in Johannesburg and Cape Town International, have security Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced that its that is as good as those rated the most secure abroad. HVTN 702 study in South Africa would cease its experimental vaccine regimen for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Economy, trade & development which involved 5,407 HIV-negative volunteers at 14 sites in Development reports indicated that South Africa was the South Africa. world’s largest producer of macadamia nuts, harvesting 50 000 The USAID said Zambia had one of the most progressive tonnes annually and earning R3,2 billion worth of exports to the health policies in the southern Africa region. USAID Zambia mis- US, Europe and Asia. Macadamia farmers in Zimbabwe last sea- sion director Sheryl Stumbras, speaking at an annual consulta- son produced 8 000 tonnes. Macadamia nuts farmers expected tive meeting, said because of this cooperating partners have the poorest harvest ever this year owing to the side effects of cli- made progress in improving the welfare of citizens. mate change, which resulted in reduced rains and heat waves. Imports from sub-Saharan Africa to the US under AGOA Business & Investments amounted to $12 billion in 2018 and accounted for nearly half of US software investor Five Elms Capital invested $30-million in total US imports from the region, with South Africa, Angola and Stellenbosch based tech company Skynamo, a field sales app others as the top exporters under the AGOA provisions. and management platform provider. A Durban-based company signed a deal to supply thousands Entertainment of their signature Christmas crackers to global retail giant In December, reports said Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi was Walmart. Mzansi’s pride and joy - there was no end to the happiness that Nokia announced that it would work with subsea specialists, this young woman brought to the hearts of South Africans. Her Angola Cables, to interconnect two subsea cabling routes fans can look forward to seeing her make them even more between Africa and the US. The deal will see Nokia supply its proud as she would be on the TV show of another accom- Photonic Service Engine 3 (PSE-3) chipsets, to facilitate the inter- plished and admired South African Trevor Noah, who hosts The connection of the South Atlantic Cable System and the MONET Daily Show in America. Cable. Award-winning singer Lira was making a return to South Africa and looked set to turn heads as she kicked off the first Bassline Peace, Security & Terrorism Live Series of the year next month at the Lyric Theatre in Telecoms firm MTN said it was reviewing allegations raised in a Johannesburg. US complaint which accuses several firms of paying protection money to extremist groups in Afghanistan. The complaint was Tourism, Travel & Leisure filed in the USDistrict Court in the District of Columbia. It alleged said Zimbabwe was urged to reopen a tourism office in the the firms violated the US Anti-Terrorism Act by paying protection USA, ZBC news reports. The Zimbabwean ambassador to the money to al Qaeda and the Taliban, thereby providing material United Nations in New York, Dr. Fredrick Shava, said a presence support to known terrorist organisations. It sought damages on in the US would be ideal even for Zimbabwe’s re-engagement behalf of US military members and civilians killed or wounded in efforts. Afghanistan between 2009 and 2017. US ambassador to Mozambique, Dennis Hearne said that the American government was willing to support Mozambique in questions concerned with security in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Authorities in Mozambique said they were taking necessary

29 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Politics

240

210

180

150

120

90

60

30

0 Zambia SA Zimbabwe Angola Swaziland Namibia Lesotho

In December, Numerous reports said a court in Zimbabwe Since December 2018, Mozambique’s Finance Minister, Manuel appointed Robert Mugabe’s daughter to identify assets left by the Chang,USbeen detained in SA at the request of the US on the basis late former leader so they could be distributed to his beneficiaries. of his alleged involvement in a $2 billion loan. US authorities said According to a leaked US diplomatic cable from 2001, this was a fraudulent act considering money was used in part to Zimbabweans were keen to know how much wealth Mugabe buy hugely overvalued boats in whatUSbecome known as the tuna accrued during his 37 years in power. Many assumed that he and bond scandal. Mozambique’s Attorney General employed a SA law his family amassed a vast fortune - perhaps as much as $1 billion. firm, Mabunda Incorporated, to fight for the extradition of Chang Other reports said USdeputy ambassador to Zimbabwe, Thomas back to Mozambique and paid them a sum of 100m meticais Hastings questioned development aid figures released recently by ($1.6m; £1.2m) to try and keep the former finance minister from fac- Finance minister Mthuli Ncube in the 2020 national budget state- ing trial in the US. ment, saying the funds were less than what his country provided in The U S recalled its ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, after the the 2019 financial year. country’s president sharply criticized him for publicly defending a In some news, the Zambian government asked that the gay couple sentenced to 15 years in prison under a colonial-era USwithdraws its ambassador to the country after he criticized the sodomy law. “We are dismayed by the Zambian government’s jailing of two men for being in a gay relationship. The US diplomat statement that Ambassador Foote’s position ‘is no longer tenable,’ Daniel Foote said he was “horrified” by the jailing of Japhet which we consider to be the equivalent of a declaration that the Chataba and Steven Samba. ambassador is persona non grata,” a State Department spokesper- The Star said the US government was still keen on investing in son told the Washington Blade after news of the decision to recall South Africa despite economic challenges facing the country. Foote broke. In January, SA Business mogul Patrice Motsepe apologised for Zimbabwe Vice President Kembo Mohadi said that Zimbabwe his remark about Africa loving US president Donald Trump, while would continue to re-engage the US despite challenges affecting explaining why being on good terms with America was beneficial the resumption of normal relations between the two countries. He to SA and the continent. Motsepe told Trump at a World Economic was speaking after a courtesy call from US Ambassador to Forum dinner in Davos, Switzerland that “Africa loves America. Zimbabwe, Mr Brian Nichols. Relations between the two countries Africa loves you. It’s very, very important. We want America to do had been strained in the past two decades after the US imposed well. We want you to do well. The success of America is the suc- sanctions on Zimbabwe, protesting the implementation of land cess of the rest of the world.” reform and a general desire by Washington to effect regime change in Harare.

30 Politics

In February, Considerable reports said that the US Secretary of Pompeo’s comments were a senseless warning while the SACP State, Mike Pompeo, arrived in Angola for a 24-hour visit focused viewed his comments as an attack on the SA government’s plan on strengthening cooperation relations between the two coun- to achieve equitable land redistribution. tries. Angola and the US maintained excellent mutually benefi- Various reports stated that former Special Assistant to the cial cooperation relations in the fields of politics, diplomacy, President for Policy Implementation and Monitoring Jack Kalala defense and security, the business sector, industry, oil, health, said the US government’s assistance levels to Zambia may be education, technologies and telecommunications, according to negatively affected if that country did not deploy a new a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. American Ambassador to replace recalled diplomat Daniel Mozambique’s attorney-general withdrew appealed to have Foote. But Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Malanji said there was a the country’s former finance minister, Manuel Chang, sent home long process that needed to be considered before the US State from SA, where he was in custody over a $2 billion debt scandal. Department would deploy Ambassador Foote’s replacement to Both the US and Mozambique wanted SA to extradite Manuel Lusaka. Last December, the Zambian government wrote a Chang to face charges related to financial crimes. He was in cus- demarche to their American counterparts, expressing concern tody in Johannesburg for more than a year since his arrest on over recalled Ambassador Foote’s views on the jailing of two US charges. Chang denied any wrongdoing and wanted to face men of Kapiri Mposhi to 15 years for practicing gay sex. charges in Mozambique. His government filed a competing Ambassador Foote’s comments on the jailing of the two men extradition request shortly after the US did. were, however, made to contrast the handling of corruption Billionaire Patrice Motsepe finally responded to the immense cases in Zambian courts that saw perpetrators walk scot-free backlash after he declared Africa’s love for US President Donald without any punishment. Trump. The Motsepe Foundation released a statement acknowl- In early March, the US sanctions imposed unilaterally on edging the mistake: “My remarks at the dinner with President Zimbabwe in 2003 would expire. The US senate’s foreign rela- Donald Trump were partly aimed at encouraging discussions tions committee called for a review of the sanctions on between the Trump Administration and African political and Zimbabwe with a call for more names to be added to the sanc- business leaders, particularly in the context of the increasing tions list to deter human rights abuses. Senators Jim Risch, the feedback from certain American political and business leaders chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, and Chris that South Africa and some African countries are anti-America Coons, a member of the sub-committee on Africa and global and its political leadership.” health policy, sent a letter to treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted that SA’s plan to and secretary of state Mike Pompeo requesting that the US allow expropriation of private property without compensation department of the treasury update the list of sanctioned persons would be “disastrous” for the country’s economy and its people. in Zimbabwe. “Given the developments in Zimbabwe over the Pompeo made the comments in an address in Ethiopia on the last two years, we urge you to consider enhancing the tools at final day of an Africa visit largely aimed at countering China’s your disposal, including the use of targeted sanctions, to incen- influence on the continent of more than 1.2 billion people. tivise changes in behaviour by the government of Zimbabwe,” The EFF and SACP lashed out at Mike Pompeo over his the two senators wrote. remarks that the plan to expropriate land without compensation would be disastrous for the SA economy. The EFF said

31 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Economy, Trade & Development

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 SA Namibia Zimbabwe Zambia Mozambique Lesotho Swaziland Madagascar

In December, the Millennium Challenge Corporation said and the start of the investment in the exploration of natural that the USfederal government approved a new funding pro- gas deposits in the Rovuma basin. gramme for Mozambique for five years which aimed to Angola was reported to be among the top exporters under reduce poverty through specific investments that drive eco- AGOA provisions in 2018, along with Nigeria, South Africa, nomic growth. Chad and Kenya. In January, a report issued by a U.S Department of US Ambassador to Swaziland Lisa Peterson expressed seri- Agriculture attached in Pretoria revealed that South Africa ous concerns about the leadership of King Mswati III, after increased commercial corn planting by almost 10% for the the absolute monarch spent R53 million on a fleet of Rolls- 2019/20 MY to 2.5 million hectares. South Africa’s 2019/20 Royce cars for himself and members of his family. MY planting season started in October 2019 with extreme Fomer US USambassador to Zimbabwe, Harry Thomas, hot and dry conditions before decent widespread rainfall warned that high-level corruption in President Emmerson occurred and planting could commence. Mnangagwa’s administration would frustrate mobilisation of BusinessTech highlighted that SA’s government would tell food aid for the country’s estimated seven million food inse- President Donald Trump’s administration to review a prefer- cure citizens. ential trade agreement that could put as much as $2.4 billion In February, Mike Pompeo met with Angolan President (R34.9 billion) in exports at risk and was premature and Joao Lourenco in Luanda, with talks focused on strengthen- potentially damaging for both economies. ing economic ties and supporting Angolans in their fight Zambia Daily Mail reported that above US$55,000 worth of against corruption. Zambian handicrafts were exported to Australia, SA and the Namibia became the first African country to export red meat US, facilitated by the Private Enterprise Programme Zambia. to Philadelphia in the US after it exported 25 tonnes of beef The World Food Programme said that country director for two decades after series of discussions and haggling over Zambia, Jennifer Bitonde, noted that the United Nations’ safety regulations and logistics. food agency “required $36 million to effectively support the SA told President Trump’s administration that its review of government in responding to the crisis”. Bitonde said USAID AGOA could put as much as $2.4 billion (R34.9 billion) in contributed $3.39 million to meet the immediate food needs exports at risk, was premature and potentially damaging for Mozambique’s economic growth was expected to acceler- both economies. Newly installed US ambassador to SA Lana ate to 4.2% in 2020, after it was limited to 1.0% in 2019 due to Marks acknowledged that lifting SA into the top 20 of US the impact of cyclones Idai and Kenneth. The growth expect- trading partners – from its current position of 39th – would ed to be recorded in 2020 would be due to work for the be an enormous undertaking, requiring at least tripling the reconstruction of the damage caused by the two cyclones volume of two-way trade which was already “decent”.

32 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Health & Food issues

56

48

40

32

24

16

8

0 Zambia SA Zimbabwe Namibia Swaziland Uganda Mozambique

In December, Numerous reports said that Zambian on youth unemployment and push for women’s empower- President Edgar Lungu wanted the US to recall its ambassa- ment. These formed part of her long list of goals she wanted dor to Lusaka for criticising the southern African nation over a to achieve during her term of office. 15-year jail term slapped on two gay men for consensual sex. In its quest to fight cervical cancer the ministry of health had Other reports said tension between Zambia and the in the last nine months, since the introduction of the Visual USdeepened following the sentencing of a homosexual cou- Inspection of the Cervix with Acetic Acid (VIA) technique, ple to 15 years in prison by a central district court. Amid screened 11 000 women of whom 8 000 were HIV positive. choice words being exchanged between the US ambassador US Ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson encouraged to Zambia Daniel Foote and Zambia’s Foreign minister women to get screened. Joseph Malanji, the envoy described the relations between The Trump administration recalled the American ambassa- the two countries as “decaying.” dor to Zambia, Daniel L. Foote. Foote’s apparent misstep? He The Namibian reported that the HIV incidence rate among criticized the Zambian government for imprisoning gay men adults in Namibia decreased by 50% between 2012 to 2017. and voiced serious concerns about government corruption. This was, in part, due to a strategic expansion of HIV preven- Foote voiced his concern over “discriminatory and homopho- tion and treatment services based on targeting hard-hit areas bic laws,” which he pointed out fuelled the same HIV/AIDS and advocacy work by first lady Monica Geingos, who was a crisis that US money was given to fight. UNAIDS special advocate for young women and adolescent The US started supplying Zimbabwe with the new HIV drug girls. Namibia was one of only six countries to reach global that was approved in 2013. The US supplied 2,1 million bot- “90-90-90” targets for 2020 set by UNAIDS, the joint United tles of Dolutegravir (DTG), a new antiretroviral drug with bet- Nations programme on HIV/AIDS. ter results in viral suppression andUSfewer side effects. Other reports said the USgovernment made available $10 US billionaire and 2020 presidential hopeful, Michael million in 2019 in the fight against AIDS in Angola. Bloomberg, donated US$150 000 to the Harare City Council Investment in facilities supported by the Emergency Plan for for the procurement of critical health drugs. Harare Mayor AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Angola, stated a press release sent to Herbert Gomba confirmed to NewZimbabwe.com that the bil- ANGOP, had the capacity to cover approximately 85,000 lionaire, through his Bloomberg Philanthropies, had donated Angolans affected by the virus. the cash for the City Health Department to acquire the essen- In January, The US ambassador to SA, Lana Marks, focused tial drugs.

33 Health & Food issues

In February, US envoy Johnson and Prime Minister Saara “National Condom Strategy” of Eswatin with a $700,000 Kuugongelwa-Amadhila joined the UN World Food grant. Formerly known as Swaziland, the small kingdom Programme (WFP) in Oshana Region to deliver more than 85 launched a “National Condom Strategy” in 2017 in order to tons of maize meal, beans, and vegetable oil to more than combat HIV/AIDS and prevent “unintended pregnancies.” 12,000 vulnerable people that were affected by the drought. Through that funding, condoms were distributed to health This food delivery formed part of the N$127 million in food facilities, and some civil society partners, which distribute assistance committed by the US to Namibia. them to target populations. More condoms were given to The US embassy deployed six new vehicles for use by clini- retail outlets, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and cal and nurse mentors when they visited clinics and other other partners. health facilities around Namibia. Lisa Johnson deployed the The USAID said that Zambia had one of the most progres- vehicles at a ceremony in Swakopmund that was also sive health policies in the southern Africa region. USAID attended by the minister of health Kalumbi Shangula. Zambia mission director Sheryl Stumbras said because of US health authorities said they were halting a trial in SA of this, cooperating partners made progress in improving the an experimental HIV vaccine after it proved ineffective at pre- welfare of citizens. venting the infection. The study, named HVTN 702, began in The USAID closed the US$25 million -Challenge TB grant 2016 and involved the only vaccine candidate ever shown for Zimbabwe, following an end to its five year tenure. to provide some protection against the virus that causes Challenge TB (CTB), an American government sponsored, AIDS, in an earlier trial in Thailand in 2009. The trial enrolled five year global funding mechanism meant to spur the fight about 5,400 HIV-negative volunteers at 14 sites across SA, against tuberculosis. The grant would end with Zimbabwe consisting of sexually active men and women aged 18 to 35 having achieved commendable strides in reduction of TB years old. They were randomly assigned to receive either the incidence from 278 per 100 000 population in 2014 to 210 vaccine regimen or placebo injections, receiving six doses per 100, 000 population in 2018. over 18 months. The US government threw its financial support behind the

34 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Peace, Security & Terrorism

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0 SA Mozambique Zimbabwe Angola Namibia Lesotho

In December, Geo News said a judge at the Royal Courts of prosecuting on war crimes, genocide, and other serious Justice reserved judgement on whether or not to grant right crimes against humanity. of appeal to a British Pakistani businessman from Lahore Other news frames said the US and Zambia engaged in whose extradition on drugs import charges was sought by impeachment processes and trials in 2020. In the US, the the USgovernment. jurisdiction to remove an impeached president from office lay According to a union presentation to the House Foreign in the Senate and in Zambia the process started in the Affairs Committee, In African nations like Angola, National Assembly. In the US, the impeachment trial was pre- Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda, US diplomats reported sided over by the Chief Justice of the US, John Roberts and being outnumbered five-to-one by their Chinese counter- in Zambia it would be presided over by the Speaker of the parts. National Assembly, Honourable Dr Patrick Matibini. In January, numerous reports said South African telecoms AllAfrica reported that the Mozambican Attorney-General’s firm MTN said it reviewed allegations that were raised in a US Office (PGR) announced that the Supreme Court agreed to complaint which accused several firms of paying protection the PGR’s request to extradite a Pakistani citizen, Tanveer money to militant Islamist groups in Afghanistan. Ahmed, to the US over charges of drug trafficking. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for a peace- In February, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up ful resolution to the rising tension between the US and Iran, visits to Senegal, where he discussed the US’s role in security further expressing his deep concern at the U.S military action issues in Africa, and to Angola. which led to increased tension. The US ambassador to Mozambique, Dennis Hearne, said The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party the that the American government was willing to support Movement For Democratic Change Alliance (MDC Alliance) Mozambique in questions concerned with security in the leader, Nelson Chamisa called for the US Special Forces to northern province of Cabo Delgado. invade Zimbabwe in a bid to topple the ZANU-PF entrenched Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale travelled to political establishment between July 2004 and 2007. West Africa from February 4-13, to advance America’s diplo- Chamisa’s spirited attempts to secure the collaboration of the matic engagement in the Sahel. His trip focused on bolster- US saw him calling for the prosecution of key government ing peace and security regional partnerships, including officials by the International Criminal Court, responsible for increased engagement between ECOWAS and the G5 Sahel.

35 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Tourism, Travel & Leisure

20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 SA Zambia Namibia Swaziland Angola Madagascar

In December, reports said remittances from Zambians living ervation, examination and investigation of digital evidence in in the diaspora to the country hit US$107 in 2018, translating order to enhance their ability to combat worldwide illegal wild- to 0.40% of gross domestic product (GDP), making it the high- life trafficking. est transfer of funds since 2003. The US could deny pregnant women, including those from Lusaka Times said Green Party President Peter Sinkamba SA, tourist visas if it believed that they were travelling to said the American Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote had a America to give birth. A new US State Department rule that beef with the PF Government which had nothing to do with aimed to clamp down on ‘birth tourism’ went into effect on the jailing by Lusaka High Court of two Kapiri Mposhi homo- and instructed consular officers to deny a B non-immigrant sexuals. visa to anyone believed to be travelling to the country with the The Economist reported that the UScongratulated Namibia primary purpose of giving birth there and securing a US citi- and its citizens on a successful and peaceful election, further zenship for their child. strengthening Namibia’s vibrant democracy. Since Namibia’s A senior official from the US Transportation Security independence in 1990, the USsupported the country’s demo- Administration (TSA) said SA’s main airports, OR Tambo cratic processes, institutions, and traditions. International in Johannesburg and Cape Town International, In January, South Africa’s “high levels of crime” have prompt- had security that was as good as those rated the most secure ed Israel to join the US and several EU countries in issuing abroad. warnings for its citizens intending to visit SA. Police in Zambia arrested 16 people suspected of being The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) was set to premier at behind a spate of attacks in which people were sprayed with the New York Times Travel Show in the US. ZTA acting chief poisonous substances and some died. executive officer Mr Givemore Chidzidzi said the US remained The Zambian cabinet approved the signing of an MoU with the leading international source market for the local tourism the US to enhance wildlife management. Zimbabwe sector with a total of 95 025 arrivals recorded in 2018. Air Zimbabwe’s 50-seater Embraer ER145 was set to take to Zimbabwe was urged to reopen a tourism office in the US. the skies within three months after the national airline received The Zimbabwean ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in the KnowYour-Customer (KYC) certification. Airzim corporate New York, Dr. Fredrick Shava, said a presence in the US would services manager Mr Tafadzwa Mazonde said the US supplier be ideal even for Zimbabwe’s re-engagement efforts. of the Brazilian-designed ER145 cleared the airline to start fly- In February, the US Fish & Wildlife Service recently trained 17 ing the plane. members of the Namibian Police Force on the collection, pres-

36 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Business & Investments

48

40

32

24

16

8

0 SA Angola Mozambique Zimbabwe Lesotho

In December, reports said SA’s delegation to an anti-corrup- US and Africa, providing transfer speeds of 300Gbps between tion convention in Abu Dhabi must apply pressure on the UAE Miami and the Angolan city of Luanda. authorities, as well as China and India, to return their stolen Mozambique’s economic growth was expected to accelerate assets and extradite the known fraudsters to South Africa. The to 4.2% in 2020, after it was limited to 1.0% in 2019 due to the United Nations would be holding its Convention against impact of cyclones Idai and Kenneth. The growth expected to Corruption in Abu Dhabi, to which South Africa sent a strong be recorded in 2020 would be due to work for the reconstruc- delegation headed by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola. tion of the damage caused by the two cyclones and the start Other reports said the clearest image yet of the failure of of the investment in the exploration of natural gas deposits in United States’ policy towards Zimbabwe was on display when the Rovuma basin, north of the country. President Emmerson Mnangagwa toured the site of his coun- In February, Mike Pompeo, announced in Luanda that differ- try’s new parliament building, funded by the Chinese govern- ent American companies were to invest more than USD 2 bil- ment and being built by a Chinese contractor. lion in the Angolan oil and gas sector. Pompeo told a meeting In January, US software investor Five Elms Capital invested of the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce where he $30-million in Stellenbosch based tech company Skynamo, a announced that the US wanted to be good partners of the field sales app and management platform provider. Five Elms Angolan people. said they backed Skynamo because it had the perfect combi- Brooklyn’s Beyond Good produced single origin dark choco- nation of strong value proposition and a relentless culture. late bars sourced from Madagascar. By sourcing the finest Durban-based family company, Glenart, signed a deal that heirloom cocoa directly from Malagasy farmers and operating would allow them to supply thousands of their signature a production factory, Beyond Good was changing the status crackers to US retail giant Walmart, making them the first SA quo in the chocolate industry and was the only US company company to secure a lucrative supplier deal with the US-based producing premium bean-to-bar chocolate in Africa. firm Glenart said because Walmart had around 8 000 stores in Stellenbosch University appointed US social entrepreneur the US, there was huge potential for the company. Joshua Romisher as CEO of its LaunchLab business incubator. Angola Cables and Nokia would work together to intercon- From New York, to Silicon Valley to SA, Romisher traded a nect two separate subsea cabling systems to provide a direct career in investment banking to help the university create route between Africa and the US. The interconnection would innovative startups in SA and contribute towards solving some facilitate the first direct optical fibre connection between the of Africa’s socioeconomic issues.

37 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Science, Technology & Innovation

Emboldened by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announce- top solar power systems, in SA now had clearer guidelines for ment that municipalities would be able to procure their own connecting to the distribution grid. power from independent power producers (IPPs), the City Foreign missions such as the US realised the need to invest started the ball rolling by signing a grant agreement worth in alternative means of power in Zimbabwe, as a project at more than R12 million with the US Trade and Development Esigodini District Hospital received funding for a solar back Agencies to conduct a feasibility study on a natural gas distri- up system from the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids bution network for Cape Town. Relief (PEPFAR) under support for HIV services through the The South African Bureau of Standards approved new stan- USAID implementing partner OPHID. The district hospital ran dards developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial an Electronic Health Records (HER) System which stored Research (CSIR) and written with help from PEC Engineers patient data electronically and was important in the fight (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of POWER Engineers Incorporated against HIV/Aids as it was complemented by Care-based (POWER). The USAID helped fund the project. Owners of Surveillance and Recent Infections Surveillance for small commercial and embedded generation, such as roof- Umzingwane District in Matabeleland South province.

Entertainment

In December, reports said MultiChoice Group’s M-Net part- Fernando Bispo told the Chimurenga music legend that their nered with Capstone and Mannequin to produce the new computer hard drive had ‘burnt’ and they were only able to feature film Rogue, starring American actress and box-office recover 2 tracks. powerhouse Megan Fox, best known for her role in Spoken word poet and award-winning author Batsirai Transformers, the action-adventure film - currently in produc- Chigama was working on a new project to create space for tion in the UK and SA - would also feature several top-rated writers and artists to showcase their work as part of her efforts local actors. to give back to the community. Chigama, who was at the Other reports said the Ndlovu Youth Choir were celebrating International Writers Programme in lowa last year said 2020 the release of their debut album titled Africa which had was her year of giving back. already shot up to number one on South African iTunes. The In February, Lesotho filmmaker Lemohang Jeremiah America’s Got Talent finalists was working very hard to make Mosese walked away with the World Cinema Dramatic a name for themselves. Special Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking at the 2020 In January, South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha cele- Sundance Film Festival in Utah, US. The Lesotho native and brated a year since she started working between the US and Berlin based screenwriter, cinematographer and experimen- South Africa. The star opened up about having an actual tal film director bested 11 others in their respective category home in California and occasionally travelling back home to and won the award for his flick This Is Not A Burial, It’s A SA. Her caption read, in part, “Took that leap of faith. Leaving Resurrection. so much behind and surrendering into the unknown.” Namibia to Hollywood was a programme initiated this year Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha- and Mary Twala-led film, to train and groom Namibian actors, actresses, artists, danc- This is Not A Burial, It’s a Resurrection, was made its interna- ers and models to give them exposure and explore the tional premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in, Utah, USA. dynamic art and entertainment industry in Hollywood. The Filmed in Lesotho, the film was one of 12 selected to screen platform was created by Namibian creative Leonard Zithe, under the coveted World Cinema Dramatic Competition. who would choose 10 people from each category, train them US-based Zimbabwean comedian Alfred Kainga, who with other facilitators and send them to prospective agencies staged his debut performance in the country in 2017, was set in the States next year where they would spend two weeks to return for another show this year in a whirlwind tour that exploring, learning and showcasing their talents. would also include SA and Uganda. Renowned South African choral and Zulu traditional music US based Zimbabwean music legend Thomas Mapfumo maestro Bhekizizwe Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo had a disastrous festive season after a US firm claimed it lost recently past away at age 78. The group cut their US tour his entire 15 track album. Tracktown Studios owned by short when the news broke.

38 Southern Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Education

ny that Kupe exemplified what it meant to be a globally-en- 14 gaged citizen, serving local needs with a focus on the most pressing challenges they faced across the world. 12 In January, Zimbabwe continued to re-engage the US despite challenges affecting the resumption of normal rela- 10 tions between the two countries. Zimbabwe Vice President Kembo Mohadi said this after a courtesy call from US 8 Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols. The Vice President said the US was pleased to provide Zimbabwe with the assis- 6 tance since the inception of independence and continued to do so in the area of education and others. 4 The US ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks set out her 2 list of goals she wanted to achieve during her term of office while on tour in Soweto. She also encouraged young people 0 to take their education serious and visit American corners like SA Zimbabwe Angola the Rosa Parks Library for access to information. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa and the SA Human Rights Commission congratulated the team of SA Grade 11 University of Pretoria vice-chancellor Professor Tawana learners, who won the 5th International School Moot Court Kupe accepted an honorary doctorate from Michigan State Competition in Gdynia, Poland, flying the flag high for SA, by University “on behalf of universities and the people of Africa”. beating the USA in the finals. President Ramaphosa said the The award was presented during the university’s Fall 2019 learners’ victory was an achievement to be celebrated by all Advanced Degree Commencement Ceremony. President of South Africans. Michigan State University Samuel Stanley Jr told the ceremo-

39 West Africa

Analysis of daily issue coverage



ŽƚĞ dŚĞ ^ŝĞƌƌĂ ƵƌŬŝŶĂ EĞǁƐĐĂƚĞŐŽƌLJ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ 'ŚĂŶĂ ^ĞŶĞŐĂů >ŝďĞƌŝĂ ĂŵĞƌŽŽŶ EŝŐĞƌ dŽƚĂů ĚΖ/ǀŽŝƌĞ 'ĂŵďŝĂ >ĞŽŶĞ &ĂƐŽ WŽůŝƚŝĐƐ ϱϲϵ ϴϳ ϱϯ ϴϵ ϱ Ϯϳ ϭϮ ϰϴϰϲ dŽƵƌŝƐŵ͕dƌĂǀĞůΘ>ĞŝƐƵƌĞ ϯϰϱ ϳϭ ϯ Ϯϱ Ϯ ϭ Ϯϰϰϵ WĞĂĐĞ͕^ĞĐƵƌŝƚLJΘdĞƌƌŽƌŝƐŵ ϭϵϵ ϯϴ ϵϭ ϴ Ϯϵ ϰϮ ϰϵ ϴ ϰϯϮ ĐŽŶŽŵLJ͕dƌĂĚĞΘĞǀƚ ϭϮϯ ϱϰ ϱϰ ϭϰ Ϯϱ ϴ ϳ ϯϮϴϴ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐΘ/ŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚƐ ϭϮϴ ϱϯ ϯϵ ϳ Ϯϲ ϰ ϭϮϱϴ ŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ ϱϯ ϯϳ ϱ ϭ ϭ ϭϵϴ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ͕dĞĐŚΘ/ŶŶŽǀĂƚŝŽŶ ϯϵ Ϯϱ ϴ ϱ ϭϬ ϴϳ ,ĞĂůƚŚΘ&ŽŽĚŝƐƐƵĞƐ ϯϰ ϭϰ ϱ ϴ Ϯ ϱϭϳϬ ĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶ ϯϰ ϭϰϴ ϭ Ϯ ϭϲϬ ƌƚƐΘƵůƚƵƌĞ ϱ ϵϭϰ dŽƚĂů ϭ͕ϱϮϵ ϰϬϮ Ϯϱϴ ϭϲϰ ϵϴ ϴϲ ϯϭ ϭϮ ϵ ϴ ϭ͕ϳϴϲ 

Politics shortfin mako sharks fell short after the European Union and Substantial media reports stated that the US government the US refused to back the measures during this year’s the gave the federal government conditions under which the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic recent visa policy affecting six countries, including Nigeria, Tunas in Mallorca, Spain. could be reviewed. The US government maintained that once Nigeria improved her data intelligence, such that it Business & Investments would be easy to investigate any immigrant wishing to visit The American Business Council (ABC) said that US compa- the US and meet information sharing systems, the ban might nies operating in Nigeria generated N1.4 trillion as revenue likely be reviewed. in 2018. Board Member, ABC and Partner, Other related news in Nigeria said that the US Government Pricewatercoopers, Mr. Andrei Ugarov, made the disclosure pledged $40m in humanitarian assistance to Nigeria. This during the media launch of the 2019 ABC’s Economic was disclosed by the USSecretary of State, Michael Pompeo, Survey on the impact of US companies in Nigeria in Lagos. during the Binational Commission in Washington DC. He Ugarov said that over 66 per cent of US companies identified also said the US would review its immigration restrictions on Nigeria as a regional hub for their operation in West Africa Nigeria once the government improved its information shar- and are planning for expansion of their businesses, as ing. against 52.4 per cent in 2017. Various reports said that thousands of Liberian immigrants Ghana web stated that Global commodities trader Cargill without permanent legal status in the US would be eligible said it invested more than $113 million to expand its cocoa to apply for green cards and eventual US citizenship under processing facilities in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, creating the terms of a defence spending bill passed by the US 85 direct and hundreds of indirect jobs. Cargill, one of the Senate. world’s largest agricultural traders, said it was also investing The US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, called $12.3 million to expand sustainability and supply chain trac- for stronger sanctions against corruption in Ghana. ing programmes in the West African nations. Ambassador Sullivan made the call at a public forum in A US envoy said the newly launched $60 million USAID Accra, saying “strong enforcement leads to strong compli- West Africa Trade and investment Hub in Nigeria would ance.” attract $300 million new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The Journal de Cameroun reported that nine Congressmen of hub would target interventions in agriculture five value the US urged the Head of State Paul Biya to embrace the chains within seven states in the country. Seven states – swiss-led mediation in order to solve the crisis in the North Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger West and South West Regions of Cameroon. would be part of the hub. In Senegal, reports noted that Proposed protections for Various reports said that a trade delegation of 30 business-

40 Analysis of daily issue coverage es from Broward County in the State of Florida from the US make 5,248 orbits of the Earth, witnessing 16 sunrises and was in Ghana to explore business opportunities and to collab- sunsets every day, and travel 223m km, according to The orate with Ghanaian businesses who are targeting the U.S as a Guardian newspaper. While in space, Koch recounted her major market. fond memories at the University of Ghana, saying it was a pos- itive, life-changing, perspective-deepening experience. Peace, Security & Terrorism US authorities placed Nigeria on a Special Watch List for tol- Health & Food issues erating “severe violations of religious freedom.” Cuba and US was set to invest over $15.7m in the agricultural sector to Nicaragua were also added to the list. United States’s secre- revive it and help make the Nigeria become self-sufficient. The tary of state Mike Pompeo said that no country, entity, or indi- fund would be managed by the USAID, Feed the Future vidual would be able to persecute people of faith with impuni- Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity. ty. He said that when religious freedom designations showed Liberian observer indicated that a new initiative intended to faith was attacked, they would act. improve the lives of hundreds of children and elderly in Media reports in Cameroon stated that US ordered President Liberia, with emphasis in Grand Kru County, was launched. Paul Biya of Cameroon to “immediately and unconditionally” The initiative, known as the Van Community Outreach (VCO), pull out the military from Southern Cameroun territory. The was established in the USA, particularly in Frederick, State of 72-hour ultimatum followed US Congress approval, in a reso- Maryland, on January 2019. lution of an Act, authorising President Donald Trump and US The US pledged support for the provision of treatment to Department of Defence for Biya to comply. approximately 43,000 people living with HIV in Imo State in US formally agreed to sell 12 fighter planes and other weap- Nigeria. Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, Abuja, ons, including bombs to Nigeria. Nigeria’s Airforce said the US Kathleen FitzGibbon, gave the assurance when she led a del- ambassador to Nigeria presented letters of offer and accep- egation of PEPFAR and the US Centers for Disease Control tance to it. and Prevention (CDC), on a courtesy visit to Imo State. Other reports indicated that the US commenced its one-year Business ghana reported that Ms Stephanie Sullivan, the US secretariat of the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group, with Ambassador to Ghana said the US, would remain committed Gabon serving as co-secretariat. to helping Ghana in the fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) until the virus was completely Science, Technology & Innovation controlled in the country. Twitter and Square co-founder Jack Dorsey recently announced that he planned to spend a quarter to half of the Tourism & Travel issues coming year in Africa. His 2020 travels appeared to be Liberians living in the USA who were holders of the Liberian work-related, unlike his 2018 retreat to a monastery in Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) were now heaving a sigh Myanmar, where Dorsey practiced silent meditation for 10 of relief, following the enactment of the Liberian Refugee days. Immigration Fairness Act (LRIFA) by the US government. The punch reported that Global technology company, Cisco, Numerous reports said that Nigeria slashed its visa applica- emphasised its commitment to the digitisation of small busi- tion charges for citizens of the US from $180 to $160, in a nesses in order to grow Nigeria’s economy. At a media round- reciprocal gesture following an earlier spat that led to the US table ahead of the Cisco Small Business Summit set to take charging higher visa fees for Nigerians last year. The old place in Lagos, the company said it was being achieved amount comprised $160 as visa fee and $20 as “processing through its portfolio of simple, secure and flexible portfolio of and expedient fees” but the latter was now reviewed down- solutions. wards by Nigeria’s immigration authorities, the official News Media reports, looking at some of the things that Facebook Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported. did for Africa in the year 2019 mentioned that the tech giant Reuters stated Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama expanded our third-party fact-checking work across 10 said that Nigeria begun working on the security and informa- African countries – Ethiopia, Zambia, Somalia, Burkina Faso, tion sharing requirements for the lifting of a US travel ban on Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivo- prospective immigrants from the African nation. ire, Guinea Conakry and Ghana. The American astronaut’s time on the International Space Station was said to be the longest continuous spaceflight by a female astronaut. She returned to earth on January 6, 2020, having blasted off on 12 March last year. Her voyage saw her

41 West Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Politics

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0 Nigeria Liberia Ghana Senegal Cameroon The Cote Sierra Gambia d`Ivoire Leone

In December, reports in Nigeria stated that the Christian Association of Nigeria commended the move by the US in The Guardian reported that the US ordered President Paul placing Nigeria on ’Special Watchlist’ of countries violating Biya of Cameroon to “immediately and unconditionally” pull religious freedom. The US in its list placed Nigeria amongst out the military from Southern Cameroon territory. The countries whose governments had engaged in or tolerated 72-hour ultimatum followed US Congress approval, in a res- the severe violation of religious freedom. This Day reported olution of an Act, authorising President Donald Trump and that the USAttorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, US Department of Defence for Biya to comply. Other facilities Atlanta, released an official statement to the general public. to be evacuated by Cameroonian military include four air- In the statement, it was alleged that Allen Ifechukwu Athan ports in the occupied territory, to be monitored by U.S Onyema, the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and founder Military Intelligence in Chad, Nigeria, Central African of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, had engaged in money laun- Republic and Gabon. In the period under review, dering of more than US $20 million from Nigeria through his Ambassador Barlerin and Governor Awa Fonka Augustine US bank accounts. Ejiroghene Eghagha, the Chief of presided over the swearing-in ceremony for 41 new Peace Administration and Finance of the Air Peace, was charged Corps Volunteers at the Salle des Fetes Olympia in Foumbot. with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection Peace Corps’ uninterrupted cooperation with Cameroon with the Air Peace Scheme. since 1962 had not only contributed to the development in In Liberia, the US embassy near Monrovia disclosed that it rural areas in Cameroon, but also created multi-generational was temporarily suspending its non-immigrant visa opera- American-Cameroonian friendships. The Ambassador tions in Liberia. The Embassy, which did not state the length thanked the Governor and the community of Foumbot for of time the temporary suspension of the non-immigrant visa the hospitality they had shown to Peace Corps Volunteers. would last, pointed out that the move does not reflect a The US Envoy to Ghana Stephanie Sullivan and other four change in U.S visa policy to Liberia. The U.S Embassy in a envoys to Ghana called on government to enforce its statement said it would reschedule all appointments anti-corruption laws saying it was the most effective remedy through its online appointment system. Other reports said to curtail the costly consequences of corruption. Speaking the US Senate had voted to approve the 2020 US National at a forum to mark International Anti-corruption Day, the Defence Authorization of Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020. envoys including Ron Strikker, Netherlands, Iain Walker, The bill provides Permanent Resident Status for Liberians on British High Commissioner, Diana Acconcia, Head of DED. The Bill passed by 86-8. Section 7611 allowed eligible European Delegation and Sabine Nolke, Acting Canadian Liberians to apply for permanent residency and provide High Commissioner said enforcing the existing anti-corrup- them with a pathway to citizenship. tion laws would give true meaning to the fight against cor-

42 Politics ruption. They therefore urged government to show political Presidency debunked speculations that it was plotting to will by equipping the anti-graft agencies and creating an divert the $100 million of the loot recovered, after it signed an enabling atmosphere for them to work without fear. Other agreement with the US government to deploy it to three key reports highlighted how President Donald Trump and Cardi infrastructure projects. B’ s tweets were making Americans to relocate to Ghana. Reuters reported that Nigeria asked the USto abandon new Media reports on Senegal said Facebook also undertook a visa restrictions on the West African country set to take effect civic engagement roadshow ahead of Senegal’s presidential in the period under review. President Donald Trump included elections, and unveiled its election integrity exhibition in Nigeria and five other countries in an expanded version of his Lagos, ahead of the Nigerian elections. Business Standard travel ban list, sparking outrage from many of them. US offi- reported that India along with Portugal, Senegal, Uruguay, cials said the six countries failed to meet US security and and Vietnam co-hosted the high-level event ‘improving information-sharing standards, necessitating the new restric- peacekeeping performance: A year since UNSCR 2436’ initiat- tions. ed by the US. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres thanked The Guardian reported that the UShad announced an addi- the US and the event’s co-hosts, India, Portugal, Senegal, tional 40-million-dollar (N14 billion) aid to Nigeria to address Uruguay, and Vietnam, for convening the event and for their the humanitarian crisis arising from decades of the Boko support to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Haram insurgency. The Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, Poor governance once again got in the way of Sierra Leone made the announcement in Washington DC and said this winning the much sought after Millennium Challenge was in addition to nearly 350 million dollars (N122.5 billion) in Compact (MCC) Fund, administered by the US government, the assistance provided by the USin 2019. reports said. Several well governed African countries were Numerous reports on Senegal focused on Secretary of State now in their concluding phase of delivering lifesaving proj- Mike Pompeo’s visit to the county in the period under review. ects, using MCC funds – providing access to water, educa- Significant frames said Pompeo described the country as one tion, electricity, good healthcare, whilst Sierra Leone contin- of the US’ closest allies on the continent. ued to languish at the bottom of the funding application pro- In Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, USAmbassador to Ghana cess. handed over two fully equipped state of the art African The USEmbassy in Banjul learned with great sorrow and Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership (APRRP) United grief that a boat carrying migrants sank off the Mauritanian Nations Level II Deployable Hospitals to the Ghana Armed coast, resulting in the deaths of scores of people, the majority Forces (GAF). The Facilities, located at the 37 Military Hospital citizens of The Gambia. The embassy offered its deepest con- in Accra cost approximately $6.5 million. Sullivan said the dolences to the bereaved families. GAF, as an institution, had earned global respect for its six In January, the U.S Consul General Claire Pierangelo reiter- decades of UN Peacekeeping Operations; adding that its mili- ated the importance of Nigeria’s entrepreneurs to the contin- tary professionalism, upholding democratic values, and its ued growth of economies in the West African sub-region and dedication to partnering in joint training programmes, with the prosperity of the continent. Speaking at a one-day capaci- the Armed Forces of many nations including the US. She said ty-building seminar for the first cohort of U.S sponsored Tony the US and Ghana were close partners in addressing regional Elumelu Foundation alumni, Pierangelo noted that popula- and international security issues. tion trends in Africa’s largest economy would not only mean A former Liberian diplomat to the UShas expressed the need that Nigeria could become the world’s third most populous to seek Congressional actions, including calling on the US to country by 2050, but events in the country could have impose sanctions on officials and supporters of the Liberian wide-ranging global repercussions going forward. The government if the government fails to institute the necessary Federal Government said the speculated plan by the US to reforms to ensure accountability, adherence to good gover- add Nigeria to its existing list of visa travel ban countries was nance and the rule of law. ill conceived. Media reports on Sierra Leone highlighted the issue of 2 In February, significant reports said a fresh diplomatic hostil- deportees from the US who claim to have become stateless. ity was brewing between Nigeria and the US over the return Two of the deportees named – Saren Idaho and Prince of $100 million, which the American authorities said was sto- Artman Latayo, went on AYV TV to tell the government and len by the former Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha. The people of Sierra Leone that they were foreign nationals delib- Telegraph learnt that the US was ‘seriously’ opposing plans erately deported by the US authorities to Sierra Leone to by the Federal Government to hand over $100 million to avoid due legal process in the US. Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu. Reports said, the

43 West Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Economy, Trade & Development

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In December, Cargill said it was investing $113 million 2018. The companies during the same period also con- to expand its cocoa processing sites in Yopougon, Ivory tributed about $1.19 billion through foreign direct invest- Coast and Tema, Ghana. A $100 million investment would ment (FDI) inflow, and created over 18,000 direct jobs increase production capacity at Yopougon by 50%, creat- and over three million indirect jobs. At the launch of the ing 85 full-time local jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs, 2019, Nigeria Economic Impact Survey, which analyses while a $13 million investment increased capacity at the the economic effect of US companies, President, Tema site in Ghana by 20 %. To meet customer demand, a American Business Council (ABC), Dipo Faulkner, said the significant share of the additional capacity in a cocoa pro- report highlights the companies’ impact on the Nigerian cessing plant in Yopougon would be fully dedicated to economy in 2018, through gross value added to output, produce Gerkens deeply rich brown cocoa powders. investment, jobs and communities. Global confectionery and food group Mars, Online site Ibanet reported that when US President Incorporated, partnered with the USAID in a joint initiative Donald Trump announced in October that he planned to addressing key global sustainability challenges. The com- sever preferential trade ties with Cameroon, international pany, which also created a strategy for sustainable sourc- rights organisations hailed it as a positive step. The ing traceability by 2025, explained that its latest drive announcement came several months after the US scaled aims to address the underlying root causes of poverty in back security assistance as a result of Cameroon’s farming communities that supply key industries including Francophone military committing multiple human rights the cocoa sector. The US Trade and Development Agency abuses against Anglophone-secessionist civilians. was funding a Smart Grid Study project to support Côte In January, numerous reports said the U.S Government d’Ivoire Énergies in improvements to the Côte d’Ivoire in October 2019 announced its partnership with the Tony grid. Elumelu Foundation to promote entrepreneurship initia- The US embassy, in coordination with the government tives in Nigeria. US Consul General Claire Pierangelo reit- of Liberia and international partners, announced a techni- erated the importance of Nigeria’s entrepreneurs to the cal assistance program to be provided through the USAID continued growth of economies in the West African to the Central Bank of Liberia. The aim of the technical sub-region and the prosperity of the continent. The USAID assistance program was to assist the CBL to more effec- launched the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub tively perform its core functions of managing the Liberian Activity, which was aimed at sparking economic growth, currency and creating the necessary monetary stability for generate production and modernize agriculture in Nigeria broad-based, inclusive economic growth. and within the sub-region. The Guardian reported that US companies operating in Nigeria were said to have generated about N1.4 trillion in The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, said

44 Economy, Trade & Development that the ground-breaking for the tomato processing factory, Development Agency awarded a grant to NNPC Gas and Tomato Jos, was a confirmation that that the state was busi- Power Investment Co to provide the technical, economic ness-friendly. The investor, a US firm, Tomato Jos Farming and financial analysis necessary for the development of a and Processing Company Limited, said it intended to invest 1,350MW natural gas-fired power plant in Abuja. N10.25bn for over five years in its farming, processing and Mail and Guardian reported that Mike Pompeo name- marketing activities in the state. The USAID announced its checked US companies operating in the countries on his plans to invest $60m to boost trade and investment activities Africa tour, the first by a US Cabinet-level official in 19 across the West African sub-region, with a major focus on months: Bechtel in Senegal, Chevron in Angola and Coca- Nigeria. Mary Beth Leonard, U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Cola in Ethiopia. Al Jazeera reported that Mike Pompeo speaking at the launch of the West Africa Trade and warned African states against China’s influence in the conti- Investment Hub in Abuja, said that the project was aimed at nent, saying Chinese investment “feeds corruption and improving the overall business operations and enhance the undermines the rule of law”. capacity to tap into export markets In Ghana, USAmbassador, Stephanie S. Sullivan, commis- Washington-based Millennium Challenge Corporation sioned a shea butter processing facility and warehouse for approved the termination of $190 million of compact fund- the Tiyumtaba Women’s Shea Cooperative of Sorogu, in the ing to Ghana on November 8, 2019, the foreign aid agency Sagnerigu Municipality in the Northern Region. The facility said in a letter to the West African country. This came after will increase incomes for 600 Ghanaian women who collect the concession agreement that was supposed to allow a and process shea nuts. The new facility was part of the US consortium to take over the Electricity Company of Ghana Government’s effort to partner with communities, compa- (ECG) was terminated in October. An independent audit by nies, and non-profit organisations in West Africa to expand Millennium Challenge Corp., a US government aid agency, economic opportunities for women. The Public Affairs found that the suspension of the concession of Manila Department of the Embassy, said USAID developed the facili- Electric Co. to operate and maintain the assets of the ty in partnership with the Burt’s Bees brand, owned by the Electricity Company of Ghana had no basis. The government American manufacturer, The Clorox Company, and the of Ghana suspended on July 30 the concession of ECG, Ghanaian firm Savannah Fruits Company. Ambassador alleging that part of the financial transaction underlying the Sullivan, applauded the project partners, stating, that the was fraudulently obtained. The newly launched $60 million opening of this shea processing and warehouse facility was USAID West Africa Trade and investment Hub in Nigeria an important accomplishment that demonstrates what was would attract $300 million new Foreign Direct Investment, possible to achieve when they all worked together. US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said. The hub Ghanaweb reported that a trade delegation of 30 businesses would target interventions in agriculture five value chains from Broward County in the State of Florida from the US was within seven states in the country. in Ghana to explore business opportunities and to collabo- 137 children from Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Togo, local rate with Ghanaian businesses who were targeting the U.S as news media said, as US senate investigation into Cote d’Ivo- a major market. ire’s cocoa continues. Cameroon would lose its preferred USAID had earmarked $60 million in co-investment grant trade status under the AGOA Act, following a US decision to funds for trade and investment hub activity to promote the revoke its status because of its human rights record. The Nigerian economy. US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary October decision was confirmed through a presidential proc- Leonard, disclosed this at the official launch of the West lamation. African Trade and Hub in Abuja. She said that the activity, The USAID awarded a $16 million contract to Nathan, a pri- which would last over the next five years, would help to vate international economic and analytics consulting firm, to attract private sector investment of an estimated $300 mil- help Liberia fight corruption. In the face of heighten liquidity lion. crisis amidst the mystery surrounding the missing “LD16 bil- The USDepartment of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food For lion” and the controversial USD25 million mopped up Progress Regional Cashew Value Chain Project was imple- money, the US Government through USAID agreed a techni- menting a $38 million, six-year project in The Gambia, cal assistance package with the Liberian government to Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau which would enhance the manage its local currency here. regional cashew value chain to improve the trade of pro- In February, Nigeria said it would partner USAID and the cessed cashews in local and international markets. World Bank to finance programmes for persons with disabili- ty and women empowerment. The Nigerian government stated that it held meetings with USAID, World Bank and US Institute for Peace, where they identified areas for collabora- tion and various forms of support. The US Trade and

45 West Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Peace, Security & Terrorism

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0 Nigeria Senegal Cameroon Ghana Cote Niger Liberia Burkina Mali The d'Ivoire Faso Gambia

In December, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sabi assistance to French forces battling militants in Mali, Niger Abdullahi, said the hate speech bill he introduced to the and Burkina Faso. Senate would address all issues of discrimination associated In Liberia, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) with religious and ethnic persecution in Nigeria. Abdullahi, Subcommittee on the Church in Africa approved 36 grants who was the sponsor of the bill, said this while reacting to totalling $832,500 in funding to support bishops’ confer- Nigeria’s inclusion on the ‘special watchlist’ of the US ences, dioceses, and pastoral projects across the African Government over high cases of religious and ethnic perse- continent. Reports said Gambia was a Muslim majority state cution. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced and member of 57-OIC states. Gambia on behalf of OIC had Nigeria’s inclusion in the ‘religion violations’ list. taken Myanmar to the ICJ on charges of ‘genocide’. The The US Congress reiterated its stance on the ongoing more important question was why had Gambia or the OIC Anglophone Crisis. In a three page letter addressed to not taken US or NATO to ICJ for all of the bombings and kill- President Paul Biya, US congress explained that unlike the ings in Iraq, Afghanistan and scores of other Muslim-majority picture painted by the regime, the situation on the ground nations? According to the US – Gambia acted as conduit to was deteriorating. With over 2000 dead and close to a mil- terror financing (Tajideen brothers, supporting the Iran- lion internally displaced, “ongoing insecurity and violence backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah). in the North West and South West have had a ruinous effect In January, a coalition of 47 Christian groups asked the US on the economy” the letter stated With “the failure of various Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, to include religious per- internal initiatives to halt the crisis”, US congress in the letter secution in the agenda of his meeting with the Nigerian gov- encouraged President Biya to accept the Swiss led medita- ernment during the forthcoming Bi-national Commission tion to end the crisis. meeting scheduled for February. All Africa noted that the Most frames stated that Defense Secretary Mark Esper was Chairman of Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and weighing proposals for a major reduction — or even a com- Protection International, a private army, Eeben Barlow, plete pull-out — of US forces from West Africa as the first accused the US of influencing President Muhammadu phase of reviewing global deployments that could reshuffle Buhari to terminate the contract to rescue the 276 girls thousands of troops around the world, according to officials abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, familiar with internal deliberations. The discussions of a Borno State in 2014. The Punch reported that the US large-scale pullback from West Africa included abandoning President, Donald Trump, dded Nigeria and six others to a a recently built $110 million drone base in Niger and ending new list of countries on America’s visa restriction. The new

46 Peace, Security & Terrorism restrictions would apply to travellers and immigrants from Nigeria to address the humanitarian crisis arising from Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and decades of the Boko Haram insurgency. Secretary of State, Tanzania. The Nigerian News Direct cited that regards to the Mike Pompeo, who made the announcement in Washington, recent killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a drone said this was in addition to nearly 350 million dollars (N122.5 airstrike, the US cautioned Americans to reconsider travelling billion) in the assistance provided by the US Pompeo spoke to or across Nigeria. The US Embassy in Nigeria, in a state- during a joint media briefing with the Minister of Foreign ment, admonished American citizens to review their personal Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, after the US-Nigeria Binational security measures, be prudent and keep a low profile. Commission (BNC) meeting hosted by the Department of The US and Ghana continued bilateral efforts in the areas of State. border, maritime, police peacekeeping, cybersecurity, and Significant frames focused on Pompeo’s visit to Senegal in the administration of justice to build capable and resilient the period under review. Reports said Senegal’s Foreign security and justice sector institutions. In a bid to strengthen Minister Amadou Ba confirmed that West Africa was con- Ghana’s border security, the country saw a major boost after cerned about the spread of extremist violence. Terrorism had the US government pledged to commit an amount of US$3 no borders, and it was costly, Ba said at the news conference Million to help fight border-related crime. with Pompeo. He said Senegal and the region wanted contin- Major news frame mentioned that the US Justice ued military support from the US. Ba added that they were Department unveiled murder and conspiracy charges against under threat and wanted them (the US) to remain present. He a Malian who played a “central role” in suicide bomb attacks added that they hoped the US would continue to support in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in 2016 that killed 49. The then in security areas including training and intelligence. department said Mimi Ould Baba, 32, assisted the planning Other reports said Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in and preparation of the attacks by two designated terror Tanzania Inmi Patterson presided over the handover of $18 groups, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and al-Murabitoun. million-worth of equipment and training to the Tanzanian Other news reported that Vladmir Antwi-Danso warned People’s Defense Force (TPDF) as part of the African Ghana government to tread cautiously in its dealing with Peacekeeping Rapid Reaction Program (APRRP). APRRP was Washington D.C, in the wake of the tensions between a partnership between the USand six African nations: America and Iran. Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Ghana; The former US Ambassador to the United Nations Herman J. creating the capacity and readiness to provide tactical head- Cohen condemned atrocities committed by Ambazonia sepa- quarters and logistics support for UN and AU peacekeeping ratist fighters in the North West and South West Regions of operations. In Ghana, Aviation Minister Joseph Kofi Adda dis- Cameroon.The US diplomat who was vocal on the crisis in the closed that portions of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Anglophone regions said violence perpetrated by Ambazonia were being used by the US military. separatists against villages, homes and civilians must stop. In Cameroon reports said the US Embassy condemned the The US praised its partnership with Cameroon and other killings of civilians in Ngarbuh, Northwest Region, and offered countries from the Gulf of Guinea as far as maritime security condolences to the victims’ families. The embassy called on was concerned. In a communique made public January 21, the government to authorize an independent investigation, 2020, the US Embassy in Yaounde lauded its security assis- ensure safety of witnesses, and bring the perpetrators to jus- tance especially to Cameroon and pledged to continue sup- tice. porting the later. Jpost reported that the US was weighing reduction of forces In February, reports said Canadian Special Forces were in Africa. According to Washington-based news publication among the troops taking part in the annual Flintlock military Foreign Policy, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper was consid- exercise in Africa this month, the US military announced. ering reducing US forces in Africa, while Pentagon and State About 1,600 service members from more than 30 African and Department officials were concerned about possible ramifica- partner nations were participating in Exercise Flintlock 2020 tions. Esper said possible cuts to the US military’s footprint in at multiple locations in Mauritania and Senegal from Feb. 17 Africa, where the US had roughly 5,000 troops, were part of to 28, the US Africa Command stated. Participating African the Defence Department’s recent review worldwide. nations included Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana among others. The Guardian report- ed that the US announced an additional $40 million aid to

47 West Africa

Business & Investments

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In December, reports said that embattled chairman of Air assets of the Electricity Co of Ghana had no basis. The gov- Peace airlines, Allen Onyema, denied plans to avert trial in the ernment of Ghana suspended on 30 July the concession of U.S over alleged fraud and money laundering charges. ECG, alleging that part of the financial transaction underlying Onyema, dissociated himself from a human rights suit institut- the concession (a demand guarantee backed by reinsurance) ed in Nigeria to prevent a possible extradition to US was fraudulently obtained. MCC’s $498-million Ghana Power Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey continued to generate some pecu- Compact funding aims to fight poverty by transforming the liar headlines. He planned to move to Africa because he country’s energy sector. expected the region to go through a major Bitcoin boom. It Numerous reports said American singer and songwriter was not uncommon to see Jack Dorsey tweet about Africa in Akon had become the official owner of an African city named which it became a weekly trend. Most of those messages per- after him. Akon wrote on Instagram that he had just finalized tain to Bitcoin Meetups that took place in various African the agreement for Akon City in Senegal. Government officials countries, such as Nigeria. announced that the 46-year-old artist had pledged to invest The Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry ended its in tourism in his native Senegal. Africa Growth Opportunity Act trade Expo with a high-pow- In February, US announced $40 million aid to Nigeria to ered business to business meeting which saw over 50 African help the country ease its humanitarian crisis resulting from American businesses strike business deals with Ghanaian years of Boko Haram insurgency. Mike Pompeo, US secretary businesses partaking of the event. of state, made the announcement in Washington DC during a Ventures Africa reported that Uber announced its expansion joint media briefing with Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s minister to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to complement existing transport of foreign affairs. infrastructure in the country. The USAID Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, while speak- In January, US Consulate Claire Pierangelo reiterated the ing at the signing of an MoU in Abuja said more consumers in importance of Nigeria’s entrepreneurs to the continued Port Harcourt would have access to a reliable power supply. growth of economies in the West African sub-region and the In Senegal, US Secretary Mike Pompeo closed a three-na- prosperity of the African continent. Pierangelo, said this at a tion Africa tour with a thinly veiled swipe at China as he talked one-day capacity-building seminar for the first cohort of US up Washington’s ability to stimulate growth and entrepre- sponsored Tony Elumelu Foundation alumni. neurship on the continent. The Nation reported that the newly launched $60 million The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo was on an official USAID West Africa Trade and investment Hub in Nigeria visit to Senegal accompanied by the minister of Economy, would attract $300 million new Foreign Direct Investment Planning and Cooperation. (FDI), US Ambassador to Nigeria. A trade delegation of 30 businesses from Broward County in An independent audit by Millennium Challenge Corp., a US the State of Florida from the US arrived in Ghana to explore government aid agency, found that the suspension of the business opportunities and to collaborate with Ghanaian concession of Manila Electric Co. to operate and maintain the businesses aimed at targeting America as a major market.

48 West Africa

Tourism, Travel & Leisure

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Major news frames in December said the US Embassy in the Central American corridor to the border was not travelled Liberia was suspending its Non-Immigrant Visa operations by those who were native to the region. Mexican immigration and limiting its Immigrant Visa services. The Americans did officials encountered 5,800 Africans from October 2018 to not give any reason for their latest move nor say exactly when September 2019, up from 2,700 the previous year, according services would be resumed. Other news noted that masses of to new data first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Liberians, (all males) arrived in Liberia, on a chartered flight as In January, extensive reports on Nigeria said the Federal the latest deportees from the US The Director of Government said the speculated plan by the US to add Communication at the Liberia Immigration Service, Abraham Nigeria to its existing list of visa travel ban countries was ill Dolley, told journalists in Monrovia that the 35 deportees had conceived. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai been in detention since their arrest for the commission of vari- Mohammed, stated that although the report was speculative, ous crimes ranging from aggravated assault, hijacking, attack- but if it turned out to be true the government would respond ing, among others. comprehensively. In Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Ghana News Agency reported that the US had lifted the visa launched the “Beyond the Return, The Diaspora Initiative” restrictions on Ghana applied under Section 243(d) of the US with a call on all to engage Africans in the diaspora and per- Immigration and Nationality Act. As of 17 January 2020, visa sons of African descent more positively in areas such as trade processing would return to the normal procedures, a state- and investment co-operation, and skills and knowledge and ment from the Embassy said. development. About 15 months ago at the Washington Press BBC reported that African-American rapper and actor Club, in Washington D.C., in front of the Black Caucus, Ludacris had become the latest US celebrity to take the President Akufo-Addo proclaimed 2019 as the “Year of nationality of an African country. Ludacris, real name Return”. Christopher Brian Bridges, celebrated Christmas and rang in A coalition of civil society organisations petitioned the US to the New Year in Gabon, where he received the citizenship. protest the re-arrest of the convener of the #RevolutionNow Ludacris’ wife Eudoxie Mbouguiengue hails from Gabon. protests, Omoyele Sowore, by armed operatives of the November 2019 saw Ghana hold a mass ceremony in which Department of State Services at the Federal High Court in 126 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans took Ghanaian Abuja. nationality as part of the country’s “Year of Return” marking The number of African migrants traveling through Mexico 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in looking for protection in the US was on the rise, showing that North America.

49 West Africa

Health & Food issues

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New Telegraph reported that the US Government, through which was aimed at sparking economic growth, generate pro- the US Embassy in Nigeria, pledged support for the provision duction and modernize agriculture in Nigeria and within the of treatment to approximately 43,000 people living with HIV sub-region. Nigeria and USA disclosed moving to boost food in Imo State. The released data from the US-supported Nigeria production and job creation across various value chains in HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey revealed that there the agricultural sector. The move was disclosed by the were approximately 1.9 million people still living with the virus Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad in Nigeria. Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, Abuja, Sabo Nanono, during courtesy visit of USAID delegation led Kathleen FitzGibbon, gave the assurance when she led a del- by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, at his egation of PEPFAR and the US Centers for Disease Control office. and Prevention, on a courtesy visit to Imo State. In February, Nigeria announced plans to convene a national As part of its efforts to involve private sector involvement in conference on disability and women empowerment which Nigeria’s health sector, the US Agency for International would be in collaboration with the USAID and the World Development (USAID) accepted a contribution from a leading Bank. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management telecommunications infrastructure firm IHS Nigeria to support and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed that USAID’s activities to eradicate HIV and AIDS in Bayelsa State. government would also liaise with these institutions to IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of the international telecommunica- finance a large-scale programme for disability and women tions infrastructure provider IHS Towers, would contribute empowerment in the country. More than 250 Nigerian gov- 60,000 rapid test kits to the Bayelsa state government ernment officials, business executives and other stakeholders through USAID’s HIV/AIDS program. officially launched the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Cargill invested $113 million to expand its cocoa processing which sought to bolster trade, employment and innovation in sites in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, in a move to meet growing key sectors. As part of the US government’s global hunger customer demand. and food security initiative called Feed the Future, the Trade In January, reports in Nigeria said the U.S Embassy Deputy Hub’s partnerships and investments aim to make smallholder Chief of Mission, Kathleen FitzGibbon, raised concerns over farmers more food secure and raise household incomes. stigmatization of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in the As part of efforts to boost economic growth and modernise country. According to her, stigmatization of PLHIV was agriculture, the USAID launched a $60million five-year West responsible for the rate of new infections, adding that many Africa Trade and Investment hub in Nigeria. According the persons living with HIV were afraid to seek medical care due agency, the hub would create 40,000 new jobs. to the effect of stigmatization. Other reports noted that USAID launched the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub Activity

50 West Africa

Science, Technology & Innovation

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In Nigeria, The Punch mentioned that global technology music star Akon started constructing his own city in Senegal. company, Cisco, emphasised its commitment to the digitisa- The city which was expected to have unique features that tion of small businesses in order to grow Nigeria’s economy. had never been seen or experienced even in the major cities At a media roundtable ahead of the Cisco Small Business of the world. Standard.co.uk reported Akon City would be Summit set to take place, the company said it was being built on a 2000-acre land space which was given to the music achieved through its portfolio of simple, secure and flexible star by the president of Senegal. portfolio of solutions. Social media giant Facebook celebrated major milestones The US Consulate General in Lagos organised a hackathon that it accomplished in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company that provided a great platform for Nigerian innovators to pro- released its “2019 Year in Review” infographic, showcasing vide tech solutions to help people with disabilities live better some of its investments across Sub-Saharan Africa in 2019. lives. The event, which was in collaboration with Project Facebook undertook a civic engagement roadshow ahead of Enable Africa, took place in Lagos. At the hackathon, several Senegal’s presidential elections, and unveiled its election Nigerian software developers created accessible digital solu- integrity exhibition in Lagos, ahead of the Nigerian elections. tions including Vinsighte, which helped visually impaired per- In January, US and Ghana continued bilateral efforts in the sons to read and navigate their environment independently. areas of border, maritime, police peacekeeping, cyber securi- After 12 months of talks with regulators, Uber said that it had ty, and the administration of justice to build capable and resil- officially launched in the Ivorian capital, where it hosted a ient security and justice sector institutions. series of training sessions to bring local drivers on board. In Liberia, the new Expedited Registration Process reduced Uber was available in major African hubs including Cape the number of requirements and allowed for technology and Town, Nairobi and Lagos and moved into secondary cities digital files to replace paperwork, creating a more simplified including Kumasi, Ghana. process overall, reported the Liberian Registry. Several news frames highlighted that U.S Company Uber In February, the Trump administration announced that it announced its expansion to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to comple- was halting immigration from Nigeria. The crackdown was ment existing transport infrastructure in the country. This part of President Donald Trump’s election year push to throw development was disclosed by Marjorie Saint-Lot, Country some red meat at his rabid xenophobic base by curbing immi- Manager for Uber Ivory Coast. Uber launched in Ivory Coast’s gration from six nations, including Nigeria. commercial capital Abidjan, part of its expansion into African Other reports mentioned that in a bid to reduce the impact markets with low levels of car ownership and limited mass of gas flaring in Nigeria, overall environment, Arbel energy transport. An Uber executive told Reuters in June that it was and logistics disclosed that it entered into partnership with also in talks with regulators in Senegal about launching ser- American company, Zeeco Incorporation, to reduce the eco- vices in the capital Dakar. Popular American-Senegalese nomic loss of gas flaring and its impact on the economy.

51 West Africa

Education

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In December, the US embassy in LIberia was hit by a severe A group of philanthropists made up of black entrepreneurs financial crisis, forcing it to temporarily withdraw Peace Corps based in the US donated 18 laptops, a power station, a pro- volunteers from 12 of the country’s 15 counties. Officials said jector and screen, worth more than GH¢38,000 to the Liberty the embassy had difficulties in obtaining needed funds from Avenue Cluster of Schools in Ghana. banks up-country and in Monrovia were affecting the ability According to report, Maame Akua joined the Trinity of the Peace Corps to sustain volunteers. The withdrawal was Elementary School in New Rochelle, US in October 2019. She a blow to Liberia’s education sector because the volunteers passed all her papers with distinction after just a month of were assigned to government-run schools in remote areas. doing her school. In all, she wrote seven subjects and Modern Ghana reported that US Consulate General in excelled excellently in all. Lagos, Nigeria from November 26-29 this year collaborated In February, Chimamanda Adichie, an award-winning with the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Nigerian writer, was reportedly named the first black woman Innovation Makers Africa (STEMi Makers Africa) in a quest to in the world to deliver a speech at the University of cultivate a world-class STEM workforce by improving Pennsylvania in over 40 years. The honour was reserved for Educator’s competence with modern STEM Integrated tools. those who had excelled in their chosen professions and areas A group of American school children raised funds to support like science, literature, religion, and government. Ghanaian children who were struggling to access education. Ghana and the U. S launched two initiatives aimed at pro- The decision was reached after the students, who were in moting quality education for Ghanaian children. The end-line Minneapolis, were motivated to assist after learning of the impact evaluation report for the USAID Early Grade Reading struggles Ghanaian children face in a bid to get education. program and the distribution and production of instructional In January, a survey found that the US political climate had materials for the Transition to English (T2E) initiative. little effect on the interest of more than half (65%) of prospec- Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education, and USAID/ tive students from emerging markets in Africa, Central Ghana Mission Director Sharon L. Cromer, launched the two America, and South America when considering the country programmes in Accra. The US Embassy in Sierra Leone Public for study abroad. Affairs Section (PAS) of the US Department of State News Ghana cited that the US Ambassador to Ghana, announced that funding was available through its Public Stephanie Sullivan underscored the need for women in influ- Diplomacy Small Grants Program. ential positions to mentor young girls to succeed and to impact society. She said women benefited greatly when lead- ers, especially women, took the time to mentor other women and set them on a path to greater success.

52 West Africa

Entertainment

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0 Nigeria Ghana Senegal The Cameroon Cote Gambia d'Ivoire

Extensive coverage in Ghana and Nigeria noted that Nigeria and Canon Inc., on a film workshop, which ran Grammy award-winning rapper and social media sensation, throughout the month of November. Award winning Cardi B was on her way to Africa to perform for the first time American photographer, director and author Jeff Colhoun’s on the continent in Nigeria and Ghana. The star shared a post recent short film was making waves at US film festivals, pre- on the Instagram page of her dancing in excitement in a pri- mieres, and charity event screenings. The film was one of the vate jet as she set off for the concert. In Nigeria, Cardi B, the latest documentaries from the director. Colhoun who was Bronx native visited an orphanage in Lagos and donated sup- internationally known for his humanitarian work, contribution, plies to the less fortunate. In photos shared on her Instagram and non-profit advocacy made a film that raises the spotlight page it appeared the Grammy-winning rapper donated hun- on an inspirational organization that serves meaningful dreds of diapers, bottled water and feminine products for humanitarian missions. women at the orphanage. The organization, Operation International, a medical human- Other reports said after arriving back in the United States, itarian non-profit focussed on providing life changing surger- award-winning rapper, Cardi B shared series of posts via her ies and community support to impoverished communities Instastory about missing Nigeria and Ghana. On the video around the world. The film shares the heartfelt story of tre- which Nigerian and Ghanaian flags were embedded were mendous suffering and perseverance in Africa’s Ivory Coast. It taken while Cardi B was being driven home from the airport in shows how thousands of people in the world’s poorest coun- the US. tries suffer in silence every day as they are unable to afford or Pulse reported that the Year of Return fever seemed to have access routine medical treatment. gripped American rapper, William Leonard Roberts II, known In February, organisers of the Memphis in May International professionally as Rick Ross, as he was ready to come to Festival International Week selected Ghana as the subject of Ghana. Nigerian musician and businessman, Eazi, made the 2020’s cultural salute. The decision was announced after fes- announcement on twitter as Rick Ross joined a tall list of tival officials reviewed the results of the 2019 festival. The headlining and performing acts at the Detty Rave Concert, month-long salute to Ghana would begin from 1 May to 31, hosted by Eazi. May 2020. American superstar Wesley Snipes served notice Popular American-Senegalese music star Akon had started that he would be visiting Ghana. In Nigeria, reports said with a constructing his own city in Senegal. The one of a kind city rising number of African players now in the American NBA, dubbed Akon city or Wakanda was expected to run on promoters hope Africans would embrace the region’s talents renewable energy. The city was expected to have unique fea- and efforts when the Basketball Africa League, or BAL, tures that have never been seen or experienced even in the launches in March. major cities of the world. Gambian film school, PEFTI partnered the US Embassy in

53 North Africa

Analysis of News Categories

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Peace, Security & Terrorism Haftar, whose forces continued to attack the capital Tripoli Reports said US government decided to stop sending sniffer despite international ceasefire efforts. dogs to Egypt and Jordan after a number of them died due to Haftar’s self-titled Libyan National Army (LNA) last April negligence. moved on Tripoli, which was controlled by the internationally The Donald Trump administration renewed US commitments recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). to supporting the peacekeeping effort in Egypt’s Sinai The US called for an immediate end to foreign intervention in Peninsula despite growing Pentagon concerns of Russian influ- Libya which was only “fueling the conflict” and undermining ence in the region. peace efforts. A US State Department official told Arab News The State Department notified Congress of plans to obligate that external actors on the ground in Libya needed to stop stok- $10 million for the Multinational Force Observers mission, a ing the situation and support UN special envoy to Libya, State Department official told Al-Monitor, a third of the yearly Ghassan Salame, in working toward a political solution to the costs that were split with Egypt and Israel. The US also put up fighting. money to protect 500 US civilians and military units serving in The American official said it was “crucial” that a UN Security the area since Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979. Council resolution being discussed in New York was fully Media reports said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and backed in order to help bring about a lasting cease-fire in the US President Donald Trump agreed to reject “foreign exploita- north African country where forces loyal to eastern-based com- tion” in a telephonic conversation. al-Sisi asserted Egypt’s sup- mander Khalifa Haftar tried to take the capital, Tripoli. port for the Libyan people in achieving security and stability. Libya’s internationally recognized government suspended Politics talks hosted by the United Nations to halt warfare over the capi- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delayed and cut in half his tal after eastern forces shelled Tripoli’s port, killing three people trip to Morocco. In an earlier press statement, the State and almost hitting a highly explosive gas tanker. The U.N. host- Department announced that Pompeo would be in Morocco ed in Geneva ceasefire talks between officers from the Tripoli December 4-6 to meet King Mohammed VI. Instead, the secre- government and the eastern-based Libya National Army (LNA), tary shortened his trip to one day. Pompeo attended the NATO led by commander Khalifa Haftar. The two factions tried to take Leaders Meeting with President Donald Trump in London. the capital in a near year-long campaign, displacing at least Instead of traveling on to Morocco, he moved forward a day of 150,000 people. meetings in Portugal and delayed his Morocco trip by one day. During a hearing with State Department officials, several sena- The State Department said that during his visit, Pompeo would tors questioned why the White House did not take stronger meet with “a range of government officials to review our coun- stance against foreign support for eastern commander Khalifa tries’ strong economic and security partnership.”

54 Analysis of News Categories

Other reports said -- Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia reached an agreement on only Othmani and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed three points of contention regarding the construction of con- in Rabat boosting cooperation in trade and investment, said troversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), follow- an official statement by the Moroccan cabinet. ing four-day negotiations between the three countries’ Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a meeting Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Water Resource in with the new US ambassador to Cairo, Jonathan Cohen, after Washington DC. presenting his credentials to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. United States’ government provided robust support for Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said the foreign Egypt, both bilaterally and through multilateral institutions, minister received the new US ambassador in Cairo…extended having invested over $80 bn in Egypt over the 40 years of the strategic relations between both countries. strategic partnership. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “expressed outrage” to Egypt’s president at the death of an American citizen who Tourism & Travel insisted he had been wrongfully held in an Egyptian prison. Egypt and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany discussed coopera- Pompeo’s sharp remarks signal the US government was put- tion plans with head of the US Tour Operators Association ting the death of Mustafa Kassem, 54, following his protracted Terry Dale to promote Egypt as a travel destination in the US, hunger strike high on the diplomatic agenda. El-Enany said. Following the meeting which took place in The case reportedly trained a spotlight on the dangers of Cairo, the Egyptian side released a statement explaining that Egyptian prisons, where many inmates were serving time for Dale engaged in talks with Egyptian officials about the minis- crimes, they insisted they did not commit, or had not been try’s plan to promote Egypt as a destination for American tour- charged at all, as President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi escalates a ists. crackdown on dissent. The US State Department urged American citizens living in Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that the tripartite Morocco against the “heightened tensions in Iraq and the US-mediated talks over the disputed Grand Ethiopian region”. In a security alert released on its website, the Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River were still ongoing. American mission to Morocco said that it “strongly encourag- The current meetings, kicked off on Jan. 28, were scheduled es US citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and good to conclude on Jan. 29 with a comprehensive agreement. situational awareness.” Tourists in Tunisia were also warned by the UK government Economy, Trade & Development about being potential targets as tensions between the US and Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani and US Iran continue to rise. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed boosting coopera- tion in trade and investment. El Othmani and Pompeo under- Health & Food issues lined during the meeting the important progress achieved Media reports said the first coronavirus case in Africa record- within the framework of a cooperation program signed ed in Egypt. The nationality of the person was not given in the between the Moroccan and the US governments. joint statement with the population ministry, which added Yabiladi reported that while the US House of that they showed no “symptoms”. Authorities notified the Representatives gave Morocco a hard time almost a year ago, World Health Organization and the patient was placed in iso- when discussing American funds allocated to the Sahara, the lation in a hospital for treatment and monitoring. WHO proposition for the 2020 spending bill was reassuring. defended China after US criticism over outbreak. The US embassy in Libya said the tenth US-Libya Economic Morocco’s National Office for Food Health Safety (ONSSA) Dialogue in Tunisia gathered delegates from the Presidential announced that the US approved the import of Moroccan Council and Khalifa Haftar’s general command. raspberries. Negotiations between ONSSA and the Animal Reports said The US embassy in Libya called for oil produc- and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) led to the sign- tion in the country to resume, after forces of rebel leader ing of an action plan, allowing the import of Moroccan fresh Khalifa Haftar shut down several major oil fields and pipelines. raspberries into the US market. US authorities said the fruit Haftar’s army halted most oil output ahead of the internation- must be authorized by ONSSA before export. al peace conference on Libya in Berlin. Libya’s National Oil Carthage Crabs, a seafood exporter based in Sfax, Tunisia, Corporation said the halt would cost the country an estimat- that specializes in blue swimming crab from the ed $55 million per day. The US embassy said it was “deeply Mediterranean, announced that it opened a US sales and concerned” the shutdown would worsen Libya’s humanitari- marketing office with a four-person staff in Marlboro, New an emergency. Jersey.

Business & Investments

55 North Africa

Analysis of News Categories

Politics

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said the foreign 140 minister received the new US ambassador in Cairo…extended strategic relations between both countries. 120 Ahram Online said Egypt’s irrigation ministry dismissed reports that a joint statement was issued after the end of the final day of trilateral talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance 100 Dam (GERD) in Cairo. “The meetings concluded with an agreement to continue consultations and technical discus- 80 sions on controversial issues during the third meeting, sched- uled to be held in Khartoum on 21-22 December. 60 US President Donald Trump held a telephone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, the White House said, 40 in which the two leaders “rejected foreign exploitation” regarding Libya. 20 The former official of North African affairs at the US State Department, William Lawrence said that the Russian interfer- 0 ence in Libya was a matter of concern to the majority of the EU Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia Africa countries including NATO member states, and not just to the US. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Lawrence said that the US mes- sage to Khalifa Haftar to retreat from his attack on Tripoli was a In December, reports said US Secretary of State Mike very important step. Pompeo delayed and cut in half his trip to Morocco. In an ear- In January, Egypt said it would investigate the death in cus- lier press statement, the State Department announced that tody of a US citizen who went on a hunger strike as part of a Pompeo would be in Morocco December 4-6 to meet King six-year battle against what he insisted was wrongful imprison- Mohammed VI. Instead, the secretary shortened his trip to one ment. His lawyers said Mustafa Kassem, 54, an Egyptian-born day. Pompeo attended the NATO Leaders Meeting with auto parts dealer from Long Island, New York, died late of President Donald Trump in London. heart failure after a hunger strike, he began in 2019. Other reports said -- Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Turkish Press reported that Egypt welcomed the announce- Othmani and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed in ment of the US President Donald Trump to the so-called peace Rabat boosting cooperation in trade and investment, said an deal. In first reaction to the “Deal of the Century,” the Egyptian official statement by the Moroccan cabinet. Foreign Ministry called on Palestinians and Israelis “to careful- After a two-year delay, the Senate confirmed the nomination ly consider the proposed plan.” of US ambassador to Morocco. Nominated, two years ago, to In some news, the US embassy said in a statement that be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USto senior American officials met separately with Interior Minister the Kingdom of Morocco, American businessman David T. Fathi Bashagha and Khalifa Haftar in Rome on January 09 to Fischer finally saw n his nomination confirmed. reiterate to all Libyan parties the critical importance of forging Egypt said officers from the three Nile basin international a durable political solution to the crisis that would de-escalate locations met within the US to “assess the outcomes” of their military activity and chart a course towards a better future for latest negotiations about Ethiopia’s mega-dam mission, which all Libyans. Cairo said threatened its water provide. Assertions’ by Egypt’s Other reports said a maritime deal agreed by Turkey and irrigation ministry said the assembly in Washington subse- Libya determining their continental shelf and exclusive eco- quent week assessed the conclusions of two rounds of techni- nomic zone (EEZ) coordinated could land Turkey in hot water cal talks in Cairo and in Addis Ababa final month. as it might violate US sanctions on Libya. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a meeting Repots said after a two-year delay, the US ambassador to with the new US ambassador to Cairo, Jonathan Cohen, after Morocco David T. Fischer finally arrived in Morocco. The presenting his credentials to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

56 Politics newly confirmed diplomat was received by Morocco’s Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River were Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita to whom he present- still ongoing. ed his credentials. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and US In some news, US President Donald Trump spoke by phone President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Robert with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the con- O’Brien agreed to strengthen Egyptian-US coordination on flict in Libya and Syria’s Idlib. Middle East issues, mainly in Syria and Libya. Some US lawmakers urged the Trump administration to Bloomberg said Libya’s security chief called on the US to impose sanctions on Egyptian officials following the death of set up a base in the North African country to counterbalance an American citizen during hunger strike in an Egyptian jail, Russia’s expanding influence in Africa. where he was kept for over six years on trumped up charges. Reports said US President Donald Trump spoke over phone Xinhua said the Egyptian Interior Ministry denied responsi- with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to dis- bility for the death of an Egyptian-American prisoner who cuss issues concerning Syria and Libya. was on hunger strike while serving a 15-year jail term over Other reports indicated that US Ambassador to Libya terror charges. Richard Norland stressed the need for a negotiated settle- In February, reports said Egypt repeatedly ignored paper- ment to the Libyan crisis as the armed conflict between the work that could have allowed a US citizen who died in prison east-based army and the UN-backed government goes on. from being released. Moustafa Kassem, a dual Egyptian- Israel, Morocco and the USpursued back channel negotia- American citizen, was arrested in Cairo in August 2013 fol- tions on the disputed Western Sahara for more than a year. lowing a military coup that brought Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to Alkhaleej Today stated that Tunisia fired UN envoy over- power. draft response to US peace plan. In some news, Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that the tripartite US-mediated talks over the disputed Grand

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Analysis of News Categories

Peace, Security & Terrorism

the drone wreckage.

160 In January, Egypt Today reported that the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Egypt 140 appreciated the American efforts to realize a comprehensive and fair peaceful resolution for the Palestinian cause in a way 120 that contributed to the stability and security of the Middle East. 100 Other reports said the UScalled on Egyptian authorities to release four state-run Anadolu news agency employees 80 detained in a police raid on the agency’s Cairo office. Reuters reports said the USconfirmed the death of 60 Egyptian-American Moustafa Kassem in a prison in Egypt where he was in custody since 2013 and vowed to continue 40 raising Washington’s concerns over Cairo’s poor human rights record. 20 State Department spokeswoman said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “expressed outrage” to Egypt’s president at 0 the death of an American citizen who insisted he was wrong- Libya Egypt Morocco Tunisia fully held in an Egyptian prison. Middle East Eye said a 47-year-old Libyan man who was In December, the US government decided to stop sending captured by US special forces in Libya and brought to the sniffer dogs to Egypt and Jordan after a number of them USfor trial was sentenced to prison for his role in the 2012 died due to negligence. An official from the US State attack on the US mission in Benghazi. Department said any death of a canine in the field was an In some news, the US embassy in Libya said that it con- extremely sad event and wold take every measure possible vened a meeting of US government experts and representa- to prevent this from happening in the future. tives of the Presidential Council’s government to determine The Donald Trump administration renewed US commit- concrete steps to eliminate militias, one of the fundamental ments to supporting the peacekeeping effort in Egypt’s Sinai issues underlying the conflict in Libya. Peninsula despite growing Pentagon concerns of Russian Yabiladi reported that the USnavy canceled joint exercises influence in the region. with Moroccan military amid tensions with Iran, a defense The State Department notified Congress of plans to obli- official confirmed to USNI News. gate $10 million for the Multinational Force Observers mis- The US embassy in Libya expressed concern over “contem- sion, a State Department official told Al-Monitor, a third of the plated” military action between Libya’s UN-backed govern- yearly costs that were split with Egypt and Israel. The USalso ment and the country’s east-based army led by General put up money to protect 500 US civilians and military units Khalifa Haftar. serving in the area since Egypt and Israel signed a peace Numerous reports said Tunisia’s ambassador to the UN was treaty in 1979. abruptly called home and fired for lack of consultation on a Al-Monitor reported that despite threats of US sanctions, Security Council resolution he helped draft responding to Egypt reportedly will obtain two Russian Su-35 fighter jets in the US Middle East peace initiative. early 2020 as part of a $2 billion deal it signed earlier in In some news, Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita 2020; it would receive more of the planes in batches. refused to comment on Israeli press reports claiming Tel Aviv Reports in Libya said the US military accused Russian air was discussing an agreement with Rabat that would see the defences of shooting down a drone that was lost close to the US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western capital of Libya in November. The drone was reportedly con- Sahara in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel. ducting a reconnaissance mission within the region amid Middle East Eye said Two Libyan families filed a lawsuit ongoing clashes between Libyan factions fighting to seize against Khalifa Haftar in a US court, alleging that forces loyal control of Tripoli. US army general Stephen Townsend, who to the eastern military commander tortured their family mem- leads Africa Command, voiced deep concern about Russia’s bers to death. apparent presence in Libya as he demanded the return of

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Tourism, Travel & Leisure

est deals currently in force in the region. Daily Mail an Egyptian airport cafe worker was arrested after 18 allegedly groping a US passenger as she was coming out of the bathroom. The passenger told officials that the worker 15 groped her as she was coming out of the terminal bathroom before boarding a flight to Italy. 12 The Cairo International Airport saw the death of a US-Egyptian passenger upon the landing of a plane coming from Paris, due to health complications. The control tower at 9 the airport received a signal from the pilot of the plane arriving from Paris, that a passenger suffered a sudden health crisis 6 during the flight and was likely dead. Reports said Cruise Lines returning to the Nile was attracting more US passengers. One of the first cruise destinations, the 3 Nile River attracted vacationers since the 19th century, when a trip down the river was a must-do for Victorian-era travellers 0 eager to see ancient temples and monuments. Morocco Egypt Tunisia Libya Reports said American taxpayers were once again being forced to subsidize border security measures in the Middle East as part of the latest government spending bill. While con- In December, the Arab American News reported that former struction for barriers at the United States-Mexico border Moroccan ambassador to the USAbdeslam Jaidi, his ex-wife received explicitly less than $1.4 billion in federal funds for Maria Luisa Estrella and her brother Ramon Singson were Fiscal Year 2020, foreign countries were again sweeping up charged by prosecutors in New York with visa fraud. The billions more in US taxpayer money to strengthen their bor- defendants accused of bringing of bringing workers to the ders. USusing fake employment contracts and then exploiting In February, the Tribune stated that President Donald them. Trump’s administration agreed to speed up the cases of some American Airlines announced that it was entering into a former interpreters for the US military in Iraq and hundreds of codeshare agreement with the Moroccan national carrier, other refugees whose efforts to move to the USwere in limbo Royal Air Maroc, beginning on Dec. 26. The proposed partner- since he announced his travel bans three years ago. ship would provide customers with new options when it In some news, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities comes to travel to and from Morocco. Khaled El-Enany discussed cooperation plans with head of Reports said Egypt and the US reached a deal to revamp a the US Tour Operators Association Terry Dale to promote bilateral air transport agreement to exchange expertise, hone Egypt as a travel destination in the US. skills through training cadres and modernize EgyptAir fleet. The agreement, signed in 1964, was deemed one of the old-

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Economy, Trade & Development

The US embassy in Libya said the tenth US-Libya Economic 64 Dialogue in Tunisia gathered delegates from the Presidential Council and Khalifa Haftar’s general command. 56 The US embassy in Libya said the tenth US-Libya Economic Dialogue in Tunisia gathered delegates from the Presidential 48 Council and Khalifa Haftar’s general command. In January, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan could not reach an 40 agreement despite several proposals made during the fourth round of technical talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance 32 Dam, which concluded in Addis Ababa. Other reports said the UScalled for an immediate resump- 24 tion of Libya’s lifeline oil exports that had been blocked by forces loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar. 16 In some news, the US embassy in Libya called for an imme- diate resumption of oil production, increasing pressure on 8 eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, who disrupted output in a show of defiance to world leaders pushing to end the North 0 Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia African country’s civil conflict. Morning Star stated that fears of further damaging military intervention in Libya were raised after the US demanded the In December, reports said Egypt said officers from the three resumption of oil production in the country. Forces allied with Nile basin international locations met within the US to “assess the Libyan National Army (LNA) had been choking supply to the outcomes” of their latest negotiations about Ethiopia’s the UN-backed government in Tripoli. soon-to-be-finished mega-dam mission, which Cairo said In February, a US envoy said Egypt became more attractive threatened its water provide. for foreign direct investment and had the potential to attract Egypt’s irrigation ministry dismissed reports that a joint more investments. statement was issued after the end of the final day of trilateral Cohen said that Egypt was an important partner to the US in talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the region, adding that his country was eager to maintain Cairo. economic ties with Egypt as a robust US economically, in General Organization of Import and Export Control’s light of Egypt’s achievements Egypt with its economic reform (GOEIC) head said Egypt exported 49.6% of its outbound programme. products to six countries over the first ten months of this year. Other reports said Foreign and irrigation ministers from GOEIC’s head Ismail Gaber said the US was the top destina- Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia would meet in the US(US)’s capi- tion of Egyptian exports, having totalled $1.82 billion in the tal city of Washington DC to discuss the Grand Ethiopian ten-month period to October, followed by the UAE at $1.62 Renaissance Dam. billion. Ahram Online said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani and US Shoukry and US President Donald Trump’s national security Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed boosting coopera- adviser Robert O’Brien agreed to strengthen Egyptian-US tion in trade and investment. coordination on Middle East issues, mainly in Syria and Libya. Yabiladi reported that while the US House of The USagreed to help Egypt modernize its petroleum sector Representatives gave Morocco a hard time almost a year ago, as the nation attempted to upgrade oil production with the when discussing American funds allocated to the Sahara, the goal of becoming an energy hub in the Eastern proposition for the 2020 spending bill was reassuring. Mediterranean. «Funds appropriated under title III of 6 this Act shall be made European traders told Reuters that Morocco’s national available for assistance for 7 the Western Sahara», read a text grains agency, known as ONICL, launched a tender to import of the House Amendment published on the website of the 354,000 tons of US-origin durum wheat. House of Representatives.

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Business & Investments

light of the latest legislative reforms that were carried out by 24 the Egyptian government. The delegation, during a meeting with Investment Minister Sahar Nasr, lauded the current 21 national projects in Egypt, saying they provide a chance for setting up big economic partnership between Cairo and 18 Washington. The US investments in Egypt total $22.8 billion. African Manger reported that Tunisia would host on 15 February 6, 2020 the “Prosper Africa” Summit, a US Government Initiative that would unlock opportunities to do 12 business in Africa — benefiting companies, investors, and workers both in Africa and the United States. At the event, US 9 government officials would present the initiative and how it can significantly increase bilateral trade and investment 6 between the USand Africa. 3 In January, Egypt signed two deals with major US oil com- pany ExxonMobil to explore for oil and gas in the 0 Mediterranean region with a investment of $332 million. Egypt Morocco Tunisia Libya Jonathan Cohen, US ambassador to Egypt said that Egypt became more attractive for foreign direct investment and had In December, Morocco Minister of Foreign Affairs and the potential to attract more investments. He said that Egypt International Cooperation Nasser Bourita announced that had attractive incentives, including its labour force, transpor- Marrakech would host the 13th US-Africa Business Summit in tation networks, solid infrastructure, and advancements in June 2020. The summit was set to bring together more than communications, making it qualified to receive more FDI. 1,400 private sector executives, international investors, senior In some news, Egyptian regulators approved Uber’s $3.1 government officials, and decision-makers, as well as multilat- billion acquisition of regional rival Careem after agreeing to a eral stakeholders from the US and Africa. set of commitments proposed by the US-based ride-hailing Morocco explored with the USmeans to strengthen their service meant to reduce harm to competitors. bilateral ties, with a focus on trade and investment collabora- Egypt Today staff said US Ambassador to Cairo Jonathan R. tion. Prime Minister of Morocco Saadeddine El Othmani Cohen made remarks on his plans to promote US-Egyptian engaged in discussions with US Secretary of State Mike strategic partnership, giving highlights of his previous diplo- Pompeo in the capital of Rabat. matic and commercial engagement, and advocacy for US The US-China trade agreement helped Egypt to attract companies. investments worth $490 million from international investment In February, Egypt announced the signing of two new funds in just one day, a Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) official agreements to explore for oil and natural gas in the source said. Mediterranean, with a minimum investment of 332 million US Speaking to the Middle East News Agency, the CBE source dollars. Egypt signed the two agreements with Egyptian expected more investment inflows into Egypt in the coming Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and the US period in light of the successful economic reform programme ExxonMobil oil company. currently implemented by the country. Other reports stated that the United States’ government pro- Egypt’s Minister of Investment and International vided robust support for Egypt, both bilaterally and through Cooperation Sahar Nasr announced that the ministry estab- multilateral institutions, having invested over $80 bn in Egypt lished seven more industrial free zones, bringing the totals of over the 40 years of the strategic partnership. industrial zones across Egypt to 16 zones. Nasr statements U.S Agency for International Development through the came on the sideline of a meeting with a delegation of con- Prosper Africa initiative was partnering with the United Bank gressmen’s assistants. for Africa to increase two-way trade and investment between Egypt Today reported that a US delegation reiterated their the USand the nations of Africa. country’s keenness on pumping investments into Egypt in

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Health & Food issues

In December, reports in Tunisia said Tennesseans wanted a the challenges they present. second opinion. Reports said that was the diagnosis of Dr. In January, Morocco’s National Office for Food Health Manny Sethi, who was running to succeed US Sen. Lamar Safety (ONSSA) announced that the US approved the import Alexander (R-Tenn.), who announced last year he would not of Moroccan raspberries. Negotiations between ONSSA and be seeking a fourth term. According to Sethi, there were two the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) led to issues that were in critical condition: Immigration and health- the signing of an action plan, allowing the import of care, and Washington insiders failed to develop solutions to Moroccan fresh raspberries into the US market.

Science, Technology & Innovation

In December, reports said as part of a five-year US$90mn was producing high-quality research into energy that can be initiative the US and Egypt partnered to launch a Center of applied to the sector to drive: training, innovation, local devel- Excellence for Energy and agriculture. With support from the opment and economic growth. USAID, The Ministry of Higher Education and the In February, Reports said a draft agreement prepared by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Ain Shams USand the World Bank regarding the construction and filling University opened its Centre of Excellence for Energy. of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was expected to be The establishment comes as part of the UScommitment to sent to Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. support Egypt with its most important priorities. One of which

Entertainment

In December, the 18th edition of Morocco’s Marrakech Jam” and “Hairspray” to Broadway and played a major role in International Film Festival kicked off with presence of movie other important shows, including “Angels in America,” died in stars from different countries. A total of 14 films competed in Manhattan. the official competition of this edition of the festival, which In February, Times of Israel highlighted that the US Embassy payed tribute to the US actor Robert Redford.The festival, in Egypt announced that the State Department would sup- which lasted till Dec. 7, screened more than 90 films from 34 port a project aimed at conserving a historic Jewish cemetery countries. Created in 2001 by the Moroccan King in the Bassatine district of Cairo that dates back to the 9th Mohammed VI, the Moroccan landmark festival aims to pro- century. mote arts and the film industry in the North African country. Buffalo Museum of Science leaders was simply thrilled, as In January, New York Times said Margo Lion, a theater pro- they kicked off the international tour of the Golden Mummies ducer who was largely responsible for bringing “Jelly’s Last of Egypt exhibition with a world premiere opening.

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Education

Chanting slogans against the Israeli occupation and holding banners in support of the Palestinian cause, the students 8 withdrew from what they said was a debate supported by the

7 Israeli occupation. As part of a five-year US$90mn initiative the US and Egypt 6 partnered to launch a Center of Excellence for Energy and agriculture. With support from the USAID, The Ministry of 5 Higher Education and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Ain Shams University opened its Centre of 4 Excellence for Energy. Other reports said members of the Foreign Service carry out 3 the State Department’s diplomatic mission in foreign out- posts across the world. But it’s not just diplomats who did this 2 work. In many cases, their spouses, children and other family members helped support the mission at overseas posts. 1 In January, reports said the current US political climate had little effect on the interest of more than half (65%) of prospec- 0 Egypt Tunisia Morocco tive students from emerging markets in Africa, Central America, and South America when considering the country In December, Egypt Today reported that US Embassy for study abroad, a survey found. However, students raised Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs Helen LaFave congratu- concerns around visas and support services at US institu- lated 720 young Egyptians for developing exceptional tions. English language skills by completing the two-year long US In February, Education Minister Khalid Abdel Ghaffar said Embassy English Access Microscholarship Program. The his visit to the USled to concluding important agreements graduation ceremony at the Cairo Opera House gathered with a number of major US universities. He pointed out that graduates from across Egypt to meet and network with stu- several US universities welcomed constructive cooperation dents from different regions of Egypt. with Egypt in all scientific and research fields. Middle East Monitor said more than 150 students staged a walkout during a talk by former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer’s talk at the American University in Cairo.

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Arts & Culture

In Tunisia, reports said Tunisia’s Minister of Tourism and 7 Handicrafts Rene Trabelsi revealed that 8.3 million tourists visited the country since the beginning of the year until Nov. 6 20. While waiting to reach our goal of 9 million tourists by the end of the year, we intend to take all necessary measures to

5 boost cultural tourism in 2020. Trabelsi regretted that there are “unfortunately” important sites that are not recommend- ed to visit, given their condition. 4 In January, Tri-City News reported that chance encounter with three young brothers and their sheep on the side of the 3 road in her childhood country of Tunisia landed Montreal filmmaker Meryam Joobeur her first Oscar nomination for a 2 project that also starred those very siblings. Joobeur got a nod for best live action short for “Brotherhood,” a stirring 1 story of a rural Tunisian shepherd who is torn when his estranged eldest son returns home from Syria with a mysteri- 0 ous young wife. Joobeur, who grew up in Tunisia and the Egypt Tunisia Morocco USbefore moving to Montreal at age 17, says she met the three non-actors who play the brothers while on a road trip to In December, reports said US TV network Discovery was set explore her heritage in a remote region of northern Tunisia in to produce three videos to promote Egypt’s new Grand 2016. Egyptian Museum (GEM), which was set to open in 2020. The In February, Times of Israel reported that the US Embassy in videos are planned to be broadcast in a number of countries Egypt announced that the State Department would support a to promote the long-awaited opening of the museum, a cor- project aimed at conserving a historic Jewish cemetery in the nerstone of Egypt’s efforts to develop its tourism industry. Bassatine district of Cairo that dates back to the 9th century. The new Grand Egyptian Museum would be home to an Buffalo Museum of Science leaders was simply thrilled, as exceptional collection of ancient Egyptian relics when it they kicked off the international tour of the Golden Mummies opens next year near the Pyramids of Giza. of Egypt exhibition with a world premiere opening.

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