🔅 A Lagos Less Lively & The Death of a Music Legend

Plus, 53 Killed in Burkina Faso & Six Court Martialled in DRC for Killing 56 People

Photo of the day

Train above the clouds in Eritrea, between Asmara and Massawau

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Markets:

🔴 Nigerian SE: 68,286.28 (-0.07%)

🔴 Johannesburg SE: 74,411.02 (-0.81%)

🟢 Ghana SE: 3,0564.08 (+0.35%)

🔴 Nairobi SE: 97.98 (-0.03%)

🔴 US S&P 500: 4,463.15 (-0.75%)

🟢 Shanghai Composite: 3,160.84 (+0.21%)

• Ghana Gets the Check: A $4 Billion Debt Swap | The West African nation agreed to terms to swap about $4 billion of domestic debt, a move that puts it on the path to fulfilling its obligations under an International Monetary Fund bailout.

*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent

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Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five

A Lagos Less Lively

Lagos — Photo by Dami Akinbode on Unsplash

Lagos, the always-bustling Nigerian commercial hub, is no longer so lively. President Bola Tinubu removed a fuel subsidy in June, tripling fuel costs and forcing transport fares to shoot up. With fewer passengers to tussle over, the yellow buses idle at motor parks, and the notorious miles-long traffic jams have drastically reduced. What Lagos has gained in tranquillity, it has lost economically—many small businesses have packed up, and some low-income earners who live in the suburbs of the mainland and commute to the business districts on Lagos Island have stopped going to work. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that when compared to the second quarter of 2022, the contribution of road transport to the economy within the same period this year fell by around 47%. This economic hit would have been mostly felt in Lagos, the city that the Nigerian president prides himself on building. We'd love to hear from some of our Lagosians here — how has the subsidy removal impacted your life?

Clashes in Burkina Faso: 53 Killed

Yatenga Province in Burkina Faso

53 members of Burkina Faso's security forces were killed in heavy clashes with Islamist militants, according to the army. The battle took place in Yatenga province, where the forces had been trying to reclaim territory. Several militants were neutralised in the counter-operation, but the military lost 17 soldiers and 36 civilian volunteers. This has been a problem in the region for a while—last year, two military coups were carried out in Burkina Faso, and like in Mali and Niger, the soldiers said their main goal was to tackle the threat from jihadists.

Ahmed Naji Sa'ad, the Somali Music Legend, Has Died

We’re saying goodbye to a Somali music legend this week—Ahmed Naji Sa'ad. The singer-songwriter had a huge fan base in Somalia and beyond—his career spanned nearly seven decades, and he was known for his poetic and patriotic hits. He was born in 1939 in Mogadishu, where he learnt how to read music and started performing at the age of 15. He was a founder member of the Sharero Band, famous for its funky tunes, and was a master of blending Somalia’s rich mix of musical styles with contemporary sounds. Sa'ad eventually left Somalia in 1991 due to the conflict and settled in London, although he always encouraged Somali youth to return to Somalia. In the video above, he performs a fan favourite: Hidiiyoy

Court Martial: Six Soldiers Charged in Killing of 56 People

The UN has been in the east of the DRC for many years, against many of the locals’ wish

Six Congolese soldiers are in hot water for killing 56 people during an army crackdown on anti-U.N. protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week. The group, which includes a colonel and a lieutenant-colonel, are being prosecuted for “crimes against humanity by murder, malicious destruction and inciting soldiers to commit acts contrary to duty or discipline.” They opened fire on protesters belonging to a Christian group called Wazalendo. The UN has faced protests in Congo since last year, with the death toll in a similar anti-MONUSCO protest in July 2022 hitting 15. Human Rights Watch is calling on the government to investigate senior officials who may have been responsible for the operation and to release civilians who were arbitrarily arrested.

Kenya's Next Big Project: An International High-Speed Electric Railway

The train will connect from the scenic port of Lamu — Photo by Photos By Beks on Unsplash

Kenya is on track to build a high-speed electric railway that will connect its port of Lamu to Ethiopia, South Sudan, and its capital, Nairobi. This 3,000-kilometer standard-gauge railway is estimated to cost $13.8 billion, and construction is expected to begin in 2025.

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Food for Thought

“We desire to bequeath two things to our children; the first one is roots, the other one is wings.”

— Sudanes Proverb.

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