By Elliott Levett Last month, Tanzania saw a drastic spike in the number of people infected with dengue fever. Although the numbers vary between sources, United Nations Radio claims the disease “has killed three people and infected more than 400”. The health ministry has reported that over 60 patients are currently being treated for the […]
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Western Inaction in Africa
The UN’s decision to put sanctions on Boko Haram is a very weak move and is going to do little except convince the public that steps are actually being taken to solve the problem. If you’re a Nigerian citizen living in the north, a sanction does absolutely nothing to ease your fears. Omoyele of Sahara […]
Helping People Help Themselves
One of the African Community Advancement Initiative’s main goals is to provide education and resources to farmers in Rufiji, Tanzania so that they can increase their agricultural output. One aspect of our program is the provision of higher quality seeds. This is important because a seed that is genetically stronger can make more food, and […]
The Banning of Khat in the UK
A collective of Kenyan MPs have decided to push a motion in parliament that will evict UK farmers from Meru, a region largely known for growing khat, a herbal stimulant. The move comes after the British government’s decision to categorize Khat as a class C drug. According to the British government, possession of a class […]
Kenyan Moonshining: Punishment or Harm Reduction
BBC News recently published an article online about Kenyan moonshiners. 70 people are believed to have died as a result of illegal alcohol production, with an additional 181 being hospitalized. In response to the incident, the Kenyan government suspended one official and arrested two of the suspected brewers. Other brewers involved have gone into hiding […]
Somaliland: Prosperity out of Negligence
By Elliott Levett Somalia has remained in turmoil for the last twenty years. They have only small remnants of a functioning government, which only controls parts of the capital, Mogadishu, and much of the country is under the control of warlords. In the north, however, Somaliland has found much greater success. They have their […]
Ethnicity in South Sudan
By Elliott Levitt South Sudan has been plagued with conflict since gaining independence in 2011. Disputes with Sudan over the oil-rich region of Abyei and other disagreements on oil revenues initially kept the Sudanese and South Sudanese governments preoccupied for much of the first two years following their separation. This led to a shutdown of […]
Increased agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa through gender empowerment: An impossible dream?
Written by Christina Cheong (1) This article is republished with permission from Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI). For more information, see Consultancy Africa Intelligence. Although rapidly urbanising, 63% of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) still live in rural areas, with 80-90% of the population engaged in agriculture.(2) While the effectiveness of agriculture, as an economic sector, in lifting […]
Ending rape as a weapon of war must start with a change of culture
By Daniel Donovan On 11 April 2013 representatives from the G8 nations—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States—pledged nearly US$ 36million of new funds to be directed to help end the plight of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The group announced its endorsement of The Declaration on Preventing Sexual […]
Permanent peacekeepers: Should the African Union have a standby army?
Permanent peacekeepers: Should the African Union have a standby army? By Daniel Donovan This week I was reading about the two largest economic powers in Africa, Nigeria and South Africa, attempting to mend rocky relations that have divided the two countries for decades. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and South Africa President Jacob Zuma met for […]