African countries - The African Mirror

May

2023

Can Music, Art, and Religion accelerate intra-Africa trade?

WITH its increasing emphasis on music, art, storytelling and religion as unifying factors among 54 African countries, it is anticipated that the Africa Continental Free Trade Area-the world's largest single market will be implemented more quickly. As the continent gears up for this year's Africa Day celebrations on May 25th, several organisations are hosting events around these themes to appreciate diverse cultures and languages and holding online conversations on the role of faith in fostering social and economic integration. Africa Day is an event that signifies the establishment of the African Union and honours the continent's pursuit of unity. The…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

African scientists are working to pool data that decodes diseases – a giant step

HEALTH

INFECTIOUS disease outbreaks in African countries are, unfortunately, all too common. Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda; Marburg virus in Guinea or Equatorial Guinea; cholera in Malawi; malaria and tuberculosis are among them. These diseases do not respect human-made or porous borders. So it’s essential that scientists in Africa are able to generate and share critical data on the pathogens in time to inform public-health decisions. Authors ALAN CHRISTOFFELS, Director South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape SOFONIAS KIFLE TESSEMA, Program Lead for Pathogen Genomics at the Africa CDC Genomic sequencing technologies are…

May

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

Preserving legacies: Nations work to bring home stolen artefacts

NEWS

AS the ascension of King Charles III reignites the debate about colonial injustices in African countries, a recent declaration adopted at a trans-continental museum conference in Dakar in 2023 offers a ray of hope for the restitution of African artefacts. Sixty museum directors from 38 countries - including 28 African and 10 European nations - meeting in Dakar in late April, issued a declaration to foster restitution, digitization of collections, research, education, and exhibitions. A 2019 UNESCO report estimated between 80% and 90% of all artefacts from the continent are in Europe. Further, a 2020 study by the Archaeological Institute…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

More African countries set to approve malaria shot; 20 million doses ready in 2023

HEALTH

JENNIFER RIGBY AFRICAN countries are lining up to approve a new vaccine for malaria, with 20 million doses available for them to buy this year, the shot’s manufacturer told Reuters. This week, Nigeria's medicines regulator followed Ghana's, with the two nations becoming the first countries in the world to back the new R21 vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax. The move was unusual as it came before the World Health Organization's approval. African countries that do not have extensive resources for drug regulation have previously relied on the U.N. agency to initially review…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Europe outsourcing asylum to African countries is a terrible idea – there are alternatives

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FOR 40 years, western governments have entertained ideas of outsourcing asylum processing and refugee hosting to the global south. It is not a new idea. And neither are the controversies that have accompanied it. Denmark and the UK have been in the news over this issue recently. In January 2023, however, after fierce domestic criticism, the new Danish government announced it had paused its negotiations with Rwanda to bilaterally “transfer” all asylum seekers out of Denmark. Instead, it suggested building an EU alliance to do the same. This step appeared at odds with the criticism of the Danish plans from…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

The new scramble for Africa: What it means for Africa’s human rights record

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MXOLISI NCUBE THE Russia-Ukraine war has widened the rift between the entrenched West and the emerging East and - as collateral damage - Africa’s already sordid human rights record will regress further. According to Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data, eight African states rank among the world’s 15 countries with the worst human rights and rule of law records as of 2022. Of course, such ratings are sometimes controversial, subjective and drafted with certain agendas in mind, but even that is on its own a strong indicator of how ordinary Africans are set to continue bearing the…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Can you use digital wallets when travelling around Africa?

LIFESTYLE

DIGITAL wallets have become an increasingly popular payment method around the world, offering a convenient and secure way to make transactions without the need for physical cash or cards. But what about when you're travelling around Africa? Can you use digital wallets to make purchases and payments in different countries across the continent? This is an excellent question, and it is one that we intend to answer in this article. Let’s get right into it and take a look at whether or not you can use digital wallets when travelling around Africa. Not All Digital Wallets Will Be Accepted in…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Battle for Africa: Russia accuses US of meeting sabotage

NEWS

RONALD POPESKI THE U.S. is trying to wreck Russia's planned summit with African countries as part of efforts to isolate Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview. Lavrov told the news site Argumenty i Fakty that Moscow was different from Western countries in its relations with Africa in that "we never tell our foreign partners how they are supposed to live. We have no secret agenda." Moscow is preparing for its second summit with African countries, scheduled for the end of July in St. Petersburg, including work on infrastructure, technology and energy projects. "It is true that the…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Debt-laden African countries charged ‘extortionate’ rates, U.N. chief says

NEWS

DAWIT ENDESHAW AFRICAN countries are getting a raw deal from the international financial system which charges them "extortionate" interest rates, the U.N. chief said, as he announced $250 million in crisis funding, including for famine risk on the continent. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants far-reaching reforms to the structure of international finance to serve the needs of developing countries more efficiently, he told the opening ceremony of the annual African Union summit in Ethiopia. "The global financial system routinely denies (developing countries) debt relief and concessional financing while charging extortionate interest rates," he said. The U.N. will spend $250 million…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

African internet speeds leap in global rankings

NEWS

CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY A number of African countries have surged in global rankings that gauge internet speeds at telcos and internet service providers, as investments into network infrastructure and deployment intensify. By the end of 2022, seven African countries had moved up by more than five positions in the global ranking of median mobile internet download speeds. Seven others upped their fixed broadband speed rankings by a similar number of spots, according to Speedtest Global Index by Ookla, a global network intelligence and connectivity research firm. “Internet connectivity continues to speed ahead for people around the world, especially…