🔅 Cultural Renaissance in 'Africa Rising,' John Fru Ndi's Legacy, Ugandan Cult's Misadventure, Nigerian Wedding Tragedy, and Sierra Leone's Election
Explore the vibrant 'Africa Rising' documentary, remember John Fru Ndi, and stay updated on recent events in Africa.
Photo of the day: Okavango Delta, Botswana
Markets:
🟢 Nigerian SE: 59,985.10 (+3.13%)
🟢 Johannesburg SE: 77,983.38 (+0.20%)
🟢 Ghana SE: 2,638.82 (+0.02%)
🔴 Nairobi SE: 101.34 (-0.33)
🔴 US S&P 500: 4,363.45 (-0.13%)
🔴 Shanghai Composite: 3,233.67 (-0.14%)
Global Markets: The US Stock Market Sizzles After Inflation Report | The S&P and the Nasdaq hit 13-month highs yesterday after an optimistic US inflation report.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five Highlights
📺 Africa Rising with Afua Hirsch: A Must-Watch Documentary for All the Right Reasons | In a three-part BBC documentary series, journalist and broadcaster Afua Hirsch takes a deep dive into the cultural renaissance happening in three African countries—Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa—which are home to some of the world’s fastest-growing populations. Hirsch dives into the heart of the creative scenes in each country. From fashion designers beaming at their traditional silks being big in Japan, to pioneering female equestrians, to glass-half-empty South Africans hyperaware of their difficult history, to the delightfully generous Mama Nike, an internationally renowned textile artist, Hirsch captures the vibrancy of Africa’s arts and culture. There’s also a surprising stop in Soweto, the notorious Johannesburg township, which Hirsch finds to be surprisingly affluent and middle-class in places. All in all, the series reveals that art has the potential to shape Africa’s future and preserve its culture. Tune in from the 13th of June on the BBC to get inspired by all of Africa's right stories...
🇨🇲 Farewell to a Fearless Leader: John Fru Ndi | Cameroon has lost a political giant. John Fru Ndi, a veteran opposition leader who spent decades trying to topple President Paul Biya at the ballot box, has passed away at the age of 81. Fru Ndi formed the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in 1990, the first opposition party in Cameroon, and went on to run for president several times, narrowly losing the 1992 elections. Despite the loss, Fru Ndi's impact was undeniable—his name is indelibly linked to the return of multi-party politics in Cameroon. In recent years, Fru Ndi was kidnapped twice, but his bravery and courage will not be forgotten. The current opposition leader Maurice Kamto saluted the memory of a "singular, charismatic and courageous leader", while Akere Muna, who ran for president in 2018, said that Fru Ndi's "life is a lesson to the fact that leadership is about serving and not about being served".
🇺🇬 Ugandan Cult's Journey to Meet Jesus | A cult in Uganda didn't get the memo about the dangers of following charismatic leaders with too grandiose a promise. 80 members of the Christ Disciples Church were convinced by their pastor, Simon Opolot, to travel 500km to Ethiopia and fast for 40 days so they could meet Jesus. After being intercepted by Ethiopian authorities, the Ugandan cult members have been repatriated. It’s not the first time a cult in Uganda has had a brush with tragedy. In 2000, 700 members of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God died in a church fire. Meanwhile, in Kenya, a pastor is currently in custody, accused of convincing people to starve themselves to death—over 300 bodies have been found in shallow graves in a remote forest.
🇳🇬 A Wedding Tragedy: 103 Dead in a Boat Capsize in Nigeria | A wedding in the Niger state of Nigeria was the setting for a tragedy this week, when a boat carrying relatives back home from the ceremony capsized on the Niger River, killing 103 people. Local chief Abdul Gana Lukpada described the boat splitting in two after hitting a big log in the water. Villagers nearby rushed to the scene to try and rescue as many people as they could, but it was too late for most. Kwara Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq issued a statement expressing his sadness for the families affected. Boat accidents are all too common in Nigeria due to overcrowding and the use of poorly maintained boats. This one was particularly devastating—locals said it was the deadliest accident they had seen in many years.
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone's Election: A Man, a Mission, and a War in Ukraine | It’s election season in Sierra Leone, and the incumbent President Julius Maada Bio has some explaining to do. Inflation is up, unrest is afoot, and a regional Islamist insurgency looms in the horizon. But the president believes that the root of all these issues lies outside the nation’s borders. He's hoping an African peace mission to Ukraine, where a war is raging and the cost of wheat and fertilizer imports has skyrocketed, can ultimately help ease the pressure. The winner of the country's June 24 vote will have the tough task of reviving the economy, stabilizing the currency, and stopping the spread of the insurgency.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Proverb of the Day
“Do not blame God for creating the tiger, just thank Him for not giving it wings.”
— Ethiopian Proverb.
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