ecdpm - Weekly Compass 12 - 19 March 2019
The need for more effective integration of development and humanitarian areas of work is all the more important when governments are devising policies to tackle forced displacement. This was one of the key findings of the team of experts – two of them from ECDPM – selected by the Finnish foreign ministry to evaluate the coherence between the country’s development policy and the objective of dealing with forced displacement.
Meanwhile, the head of ECDPM’s team working on agricultural transformation, Francesco Rampa, tells us in a video interview about his role as a member of the Task Force Rural Africa. This was a major opportunity to feed into and shape the policy of the European Commission on strengthening the partnership between Europe and the food and farming sector in Africa.
One of the findings highlighted by the task force is the need for a proper territorial development strategy. Clearly, a truly regional approach in handling essential resources is necessary. Ahead of Water Day, on 22 March, we have looked at Mali’s ambivalent attitudes towards the regional river basin organisations, as it tries to reconcile its national and regional interests in the management of the resource that is becoming scarcer every day: water.
Nurmara - June 2019
Analysis and News Worth Knowing on Africa from Monday to Friday. Provided by our Partner https://nurmara.com/
The site is updated weekdays at 10:00 am GMT. Depending on news flow stories are occasionally updated during the day.
14.Can Nigeria lift 100m people out of poverty?
13.Russia in Africa is less dramatic than it sounds
12.Africa’s resource exporters have much to gain from collaboration
11.Kenya Airways faces more headwinds
10.Africa is fertile ground for discontent
07.Old infrastructure is better than no infrastructure
06.South Africa doesn’t need any more confusion on the economy
05.What is Africa doing about cyber security?
04.Back to the drawing board for Sudan
03.What to do with South African Airways?
Crisis Group – The Week of 24 May – 7 June 2019
ON OUR RADAR
Four conflict trends as seen by Crisis Group analysts
➤ Algeria: The Constitutional Council on Sunday cancelled presidential elections scheduled for 4 July that were mandated by the Constitution following the resignation of President Bouteflika and extended the mandate of the interim head of state, Ben Salah. Crisis Group expert Michael Ayari says Algeria has entered a period of uncertainty as a constitutional void that the regime sought to prevent has emerged and authorities lose ever-more legitimacy as the end of Ben Salah's 90-day term approaches.
➤ Honduras: Mass protests against education and health-care reforms have gripped main cities across the country, despite President Hernandez’s decision to withdraw the legislation and call for national dialogue. Crisis Group expert Tiziano Breda says the unrest is rooted in deep-seated popular discontent toward the government that has been exacerbated by polarisation in the political space since a coup brought the ruling party to power ten years ago.
➤ Sudan: A military assault on Monday by Sudan’s security forces killed scores of unarmed protesters and dispersed the months-long peaceful sit-in outside the military's headquarters in Khartoum. Crisis Group expert Murithi Mutiga says the violent attack has derailed a tentative transition to civilian rule and raises the risk of civil war if fractures widen between the military and the Rapid Support Forces, a militia which perpetrated the assault.
➤ Venezuela: A second round of talks in Norway between government and opposition representatives in late May failed to produce an agreement, although it seems the talks will continue. Crisis Group expert Phil Gunson says that while no agreement has been reached, and the talks appear stalled over the question of a transition, the Norwegian initiative currently offers the best hope of a breakthrough.
Nurmara - May 2019
Analysis and News Worth Knowing on Africa from Monday to Friday. Provided by our Partner https://nurmara.com/
The site is updated weekdays at 10:00 am GMT. Depending on news flow stories are occasionally updated during the day.
27.Nigeria goes after MTN – again
24.Should Africa care about the US-China trade war?
23.Time to get serious about fixing South Africa
22.Nigeria is coming to its senses on trade
21.Can Kenya fix the ‘missing middle’?
20.Is Zambia wrong to raise taxes
17.The Sahel needs more drastic action
16.A ‘Digital Blueprint’ for Africa?
15.Africa needs to get serious about jobs
14.Jumia is getting a crash course in being listed
13.Manufacturing is easier said than done
10.A day in the life of Africa’s debt crisis
9.Africa can feed the world – in theory
8.Different election – same problems for South Africa
7.Algeria needs more than a good purge
6.Côte d’Ivoire is betting big on tourism
3.Structural adjustment is making a comeback
2.Is business to blame for Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown?
1.Britain: Africa’s ‘partner of choice’?
Crisis Group – The Week of 26 April – 3 May 2019
ON OUR RADAR
Three conflict trends as seen by Crisis Group analysts
➤ Burkina Faso: A deadly attack on a Protestant church in the country’s north killed six people, including a pastor, on Sunday, days after gunmen targeted a school in the same region. Crisis Group expert Rinaldo Depagne says this is the first time a church has been attacked since 2015, reflecting the escalating violence that Burkina has suffered during the past four years.
➤ Iran: The U.S. ended waivers granting eight countries exemptions from its sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Crisis Group expert Naysan Rafati says while the move will likely increase Iran’s financial malaise, the policy impact of Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign is less assured. The more the Trump administration succeeds in pressuring Iran economically, the less Tehran has to lose if it decides to take retaliatory measures of its own.
➤ Venezuela: A short-lived military revolt led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó, involving skirmishes between pro-government and pro-opposition forces, was quickly subdued by security forces on Tuesday. Crisis Group expert Ivan Briscoe says the clear lesson from the 30 April events is that there can be no “winner-take-all” solution to Venezuela’s protracted crisis.
Nurmara - April 2019
Analysis and News Worth Knowing on Africa from Monday to Friday. Provided by our Partner https://nurmara.com/
The site is updated weekdays at 10:00 am GMT. Depending on news flow stories are occasionally updated during the day.
30.What is Africa’s answer to climate change?
29.Is Africa wasting its debt?
26.Nigeria’s president goes missing again
25.Like it or not China’s Belt and Road is here to stay
24.Uganda does not need a national airline
23.Who wants to invest in news?
22.Egypt goes all in on autocracy
19.Angola’s reform story is stumbling
18.Governance really does matter
17. Does Africa need a malaria vaccine?
16. Why do we generalize about Africa?
15. Africa’s ‘demographic time-bomb’ is ticking
12. For Sudan the hard work starts now
11. Transsion – the Apple of Africa?
10. Is Facebook trolling Africa ?
9. Africa (still) has a growth problem
8. Libya takes a big step backwards
5. Tanzania: closing for business?
3. Ratification is not implementation
Crisis Group – The Week of 19 – 26 April 2019
ON OUR RADAR
Three conflict trends as seen by Crisis Group analysts
➤ Sri Lanka: A spate of lethal bombings on Saturday allegedly perpetrated by a little-known Islamist militant group with foreign backing killed at least 250 people. Crisis Group expert Alan Keenan says Sri Lanka’s worst-ever terrorist attack could heighten intercommunal tensions by increasing already powerful anti-Muslim sentiments across society and strengthening the hand of the Sinhala nationalist opposition.
➤ Korean Peninsula: Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia on Wednesday for a summit with President Putin. Amid an ailing peace process between Pyongyang and Washington, says Crisis Group expert Christopher Green, Kim hopes to obtain Russian diplomatic support, heap pressure upon the international sanctions regime and, by expanding trade, reduce North Korea's economic dependence on China.
➤ Sudan: Three members of the ruling Military Transition Council offered their resignations on Wednesday, amid continued pressure from thousands of protesters for a civilian-led government. Crisis Group expert Alan Boswell says the opposition has decided to re-engage in talks with the council but short of a transition to civilian rule, as protesters demand, unrest on the streets is likely to persist.
Crisis Group – The Week of 12 – 19 April 2019
ON OUR RADAR
Three conflict trends as seen by Crisis Group analysts
➤ Libya: The Libya National Army (LNA) offensive on Tripoli suffered a major set back late this week, when government-backed armed groups managed to push LNA forces out of their strongholds in the southern and eastern outskirts of the capital. Crisis Group expert Claudia Gazzini says that the situation on the ground is still in flux but at this point the LNA’s initial hopes of swiftly controlling Tripoli have been dampened.
➤ Nicaragua: On Tuesday, the government released 36 political prisoners alongside 600 common criminals ahead of the one-year anniversary of a mass civic uprising that was met with lethal state force. Crisis Group expert Tiziano Breda says the release is aimed at persuading foreign powers of the government’s commitment to pacify the country. However, social polarisation, a shrinking economy and the lack of a negotiated political settlement are likely to continue fuelling protests.
➤ Sudan: Thousands of demonstrators continue to maintain pressure on the ruling Military Transition Council after forcing the resignations of the council’s leader and Sudan’s intelligence chief. Crisis Group expert Alan Boswell says the sustained momentum has emboldened the protest movement, yet the country's ruling security group continues to resist demands to immediately cede power to a civilian-led government.
Crisis Group – The Week of 5 – 12 April 2019
ON OUR RADAR
Four conflict trends as seen by Crisis Group analysts
➤ Afghanistan: Three U.S. servicemen were killed on Monday by a Taliban suicide bomb near Bagram Airbase north of Kabul. Crisis Group expert Borhan Osman says attacks usually increase in the spring and summer months and this year, facing incentives to improve their military position as peace talks get underway, both the government and the Taliban have already declared a formal start to offensive operations.
➤ Algeria: Abdelkader Bensalah, the speaker of Algeria’s upper house, was appointed interim president for a 90-day period on Tuesday, the same day that police for the first time resorted to tear gas to disperse protesters in Algiers. Crisis Group expert Michaël Ayari says Bensalah’s announcement on Wednesday that elections will be held on 4 July is unlikely to satisfy the demands of demonstrators, who are still mobilised and asking for immediate concrete measures to dismantle the "regime/system".
➤ Libya: The UN on Tuesday postponed the national conference scheduled for 14-15 April, citing escalating violence and the rising casualties in Tripoli as the Libyan National Army (LNA) continues its offensive. Crisis Group expert Claudia Gazzini says international actors' calls for restraint will not be effective unless backed up by the credible threat of sanctions and a set of incentives that address the warring sides’ core political and financial concerns.
➤ Sudan: President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power on Thursday by the Sudanese army, which subsequently dissolved the government, suspended the constitution and declared a curfew designed to force out thousands of protesters camping outside the defence ministry. Crisis Group expert Murithi Mutiga says the coup will do little to appease protesters and unless generals hand power to a civilian-led transitional authority, demonstrations will continue.
Crisis Group – The Week of 29 March – 5 April 2019
ON OUR RADAR
Four conflict trends as seen by Crisis Group analysts
➤ Algeria: Following six weeks of popular unrest and growing pressure in recent days from Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah, President Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday. Crisis Group expert Michaël Ayari says if protesters maintain the same levels of determination at demonstrations on Friday and thereafter, the army itself will come under increasing pressure to give clear signs that the political system that Algerians oppose is being dismantled.
➤ China-Taiwan: On Sunday two Chinese fighter jets crossed a tacit maritime border separating Chinese and Taiwanese waters. Crisis Group expert Laurel Miller says the latest incident has heightened tensions in Beijing and Taipei's already fraught relationship and appears to have increased Taiwan's resolve to respond to any future incursions.
➤ Libya: Defying international admonitions against advancing into western Libya, on Wednesday the Libyan National Army (LNA) seized the town of Gharian, 100 km south of Tripoli. Crisis Group expert Claudia Gazzini warns that the advance risks triggering an escalation as apprehension grows among forces allied to the Tripoli-based government and could jeopardise the UN-hosted National Conference scheduled for 14-16 April.
➤ Venezuela: The pro-government Constituent Assembly stripped opposition leader Juan Guaidó of his parliamentary immunity on Tuesday, accusing him of defying a travel ban and usurping presidential functions. Crisis Group expert Phil Gunson says the move is a further tightening of the noose, following the arrest of Guaido's chief of staff, but that the government may yet hold off from detaining him, preferring to wait for his popularity to decline.