🔅 Benin Bronzes: British Museum Thefts & Uganda's First Homosexuality Charge
Plus, Burna Boy's Different Album Release & Air Pollution's African Crisis
Photo of the day: Chad
Markets:
🟢 Nigerian SE: 66,151.38 (+0.51%)
🔴 Johannesburg SE: 75,079.61 (-0.11%)
🟢 Ghana SE: 3,069.03 (+0.17%)
🔴 Nairobi SE: 99.08 (-0.09%)
🟢 US S&P 500: 4,467.82 (+0.78%)
🟢 Shanghai Composite: 3,135.89 (+1.20%)
Malawi’s Big Debt: Time to Negotiate | Malawi’s got a huge debt on its hands—$1.2 billion with different lenders. To make things a little more manageable, the central bank is hoping to restructure the debt to “sustainable levels.” So far, the negotiations have been positive, with creditors willing to help the country out. Servicing the debt and other forms of loan has been hard, though, since Malawi’s foreign currency reserves are running low. This has resulted in long lines at fuel stations, shortages of key imports like fuel, medicines, and fertilizers, and even robberies at fuel stations. Negotiations are still ongoing, so let’s hope Malawi can reach some kind of agreement with its creditors and get its debt down to a more manageable level.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five Highlights
Benin Bronzes: The British Museum is Stealing the Spotlight
The Nigerian government has called for the repatriation of the Benin Bronzes—again—from the British Museum, after a controversy emerged over artefacts being stolen from the museum’s collection. "It's shocking to hear that the countries and museums that have been telling us that the Benin Bronzes would not be secure in Nigeria, have thefts happening there," Abba Isa Tijani, the director of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, said. "It is irrespective whether they are safe there. That is not an issue. The issue is that these are stolen artefacts, and they should be returned to Nigeria to the communities that they belong to." But the British Museum says it can’t do that because - hear this - it is prohibited from removing items from its collection under the British Museum Act of 1963. Tijani says Nigeria is going to up the ante and request, once again, the immediate repatriation of the Benin Bronzes. Recent reports suggest that more than 1,500 items were stolen from the museum, and that it was an inside job. The Greek culture minister even said that the controversy over stolen items strengthened Greece’s demands for its own Parthenon Marbles. It looks like the British Museum is stealing the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Uganda’s “Aggravated Homosexuality” First Charge
In May, the East African nation enacted one of the world’s harshest laws targeting the LGBTQ community. And now, a 20-year-old man has become the first person to be charged with “aggravated homosexuality”—an offence punishable by death. Basically, if you’re caught in a same-sex act more than once, or if you’re a minor, elderly person, or have a disability, you're guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" (it was unclear which of these acts the accused was guilty of). Uganda has not executed anyone in two decades. When the law was passed three months ago, it drew condemnation from Western governments and rights organizations. The US has imposed visa restrictions on some Ugandan officials, and President Joe Biden ordered a review of US aid to Uganda. The World Bank even suspended new public financing to Uganda in response to the law.
Burna Boy: Album Releases That Are Different
Burna Boy is a star, and he’s just released his seventh studio album, I Told Them. It’s packed with 15 tracks and guest appearances from the likes of 21 Savage, J. Cole, and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan. But there's something different about this release: The Grammy-award-winning artiste is giving fans a 64-page magazine that promises new insight into the man himself. It includes articles by Burna’s mother and manager, Bose Ogulu, and a conversation with RZA. So, if you’re a fan, this is a must-have for you. The magazine is being sold for $30 a copy, and the album is streaming on all major platforms. And if that’s not enough, Burna is also embarking on a world tour to promote the album, with stops in North America, Europe, and Africa.
France vs. The Niger Junta
Niger’s junta has been trying to whip up anti-French sentiment since they overthrew the former president, Bazoum, last month, and they have even asked France’s ambassador to leave. But French President Macron is saying, "Non!" He isn't budging, saying France’s ambassador is staying put, and that France isn’t Niger’s enemy. He's also calling out the junta for abandoning the fight against terrorism and for losing international funding that, he claims, was helping the country escape poverty. Bazoum is still being detained by the junta.
Air Pollution: An African Crisis
The air we breathe isn’t doing us any favours. According to a new report from the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, air pollution is the greatest external risk to human health worldwide. Most of the bad air is concentrated in just six countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, and Indonesia. If we were to get those PM2.5 levels down to World Health Organization standards, we’d be looking at an extra 2.3 years of life expectancy worldwide and 17.8 billion life years saved. That’s a whole lot of lives. Sadly, China’s “war on pollution” has been a one-man show, and the rest of the world’s air quality is going in the wrong direction. When it comes to Africa, the report says energy consumption is causing particulate pollution levels to skyrocket—it’s now a threat on par with HIV/AIDS and malaria across the continent.
Food for Thought
“You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla.”
— Congolese Proverb.
Are we hitting the mark?
Enjoying Baobab's updates? Spread the joy and share us with friends and colleagues — we'd be thrilled to have them join!
Feedback or thoughts? Just hit reply. We're all ears!