🔅 Making AGOA Great Again & King Charles Falls Short of An Apology
Plus, Uganda's Honouring Controversy & Namibia's Stop to Chinese Miner's Lithium Hauling
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Gitega, Burundi
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USA: GDP Bosses It with 4.9% Growth | The US just flexed its economic muscles with a GDP growth of 4.9% in the third quarter. That’s more than double the growth in the second quarter (2.1%). In case you don’t know, GDP is like the Fitbit of a country’s economy—it tracks all the goods and services being produced and sold. And the US is killing it compared to other G7 countries (shoutout to Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the European Union). The growth was driven mainly by consumer goods and strong retail sales, proving that the economy has some serious stamina (even with those pesky interest rates).
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
Making AGOA Great Again: How the US Can Improve Its Trade Initiative with Africa
The US is looking to improve its trade initiative with Africa, called the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). It’s been around since 2000 and gives duty-free access to the US market for exports from qualifying countries. But, some countries have definitely benefited more than others. A recent report found that over three-quarters of duty-free non-petroleum exports to the US under the program came from just five countries (South Africa, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar and Ethiopia). And now, as discussions begin on whether to extend AGOA (which is set to expire in 2025), there’s a push for a 10-year extension without changes, although the US hopes to make the program more impactful, without giving too many details. China's influence in the region comes into play, too, as some US senators are pushing for a whopping 20-year extension of AGOA as a means to deter it. Meanwhile, The US says it will reinstate Mauritania’s AGOA benefits after the country made "substantial and measurable progress on worker rights and eliminating forced labour." Its trade benefits were suspended in 2019 following concerns over workers' rights violations in Mauritania. Mauritania's reinstatement follows US President Joe Biden’s announcement on Tuesday to terminate the Agoa benefits for Gabon, Niger, Uganda and the Central African Republic (CAR).
King Charles Addresses Britain's "Abhorrent" Past in Kenya, But No Apology Given
King Charles has finally acknowledged Britain's past wrongdoings in Kenya, but don't hold your breath for a full apology. During a banquet held in his honor, the monarch expressed "greatest sorrow" and "deepest regret" for the "abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence" committed against Kenyans during their fight for independence. But he stopped short of a formal apology, much to the dismay of human rights groups who have been demanding one. Kenya's president, William Ruto, praised the king's "exemplary courage" in shedding light on "uncomfortable truths," but also called for "full reparations" to be made and said there was still a long way to go. The Kenya Human Rights Commission has claimed that 90,000 Kenyans were executed, tortured, or maimed during the British administration's counter-insurgency. The king's words were carefully crafted, using phrases like "no excuse" instead of a direct apology. Between 1952 and 1960, British soldiers forced 1.5 million Kenyans into concentration camps, where they were tortured, raped, and treated like animals. The mistreatment was even compared to Nazi Germany and communist Russia in a letter from one of the British colony's attorney generals.
Uganda's Road Naming Controversy: Who Gets Honored and Who Gets Left Behind
Naming a road after a murdered couple may seem like a nice gesture, but not when it leaves out the Ugandan guide who was also killed. A British and South African newlywed couple were on a romantic trip to see gorillas when a rebel group attacked them. In honour of the two, the government named a road in the national park they were killed in after them, but has now faced criticism for only honoring the foreigners and not the local guide who was with them, or the many other Ugandans who the same group has killed in the past. What's more, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has been criticised for promoting the destination (presumably to counter the negative attention it has attracted from the murders) in a post that was deemed insensitive so soon after the attack.
Namibia Puts a Stop to Chinese Miner's Lithium Hauling
Namibia is not messing around regarding its ban on exporting critical minerals. They've ordered the police to stop Xinfeng Investments from transporting lithium ore within the country and shipping it. The Chinese miner is in hot water for violating the ban. They even had their mining license cancelled back in April but had managed to get it back through a court ruling. Looks like Namibia isn't taking any chances this time and has ordered all trucks carrying the precious lithium ore to be stopped and returned to the mine. Good thing too, because Namibia has big dreams of becoming a manufacturing hub for battery metals, and that will require major investments in infrastructure. At a recent conference, mining executives praised the country's investor-friendly policies and renewable energy resources, but noted that significant investment will be needed before Namibia can produce battery-ready metals. One CEO even mentioned that "beneficiation" (fancy word for processing) will require considerable investments in water, power, and logistics.
UN Peacekeepers Pack Up, Leaving Tuareg Rebels to Take Over
It’s moving day for the UN in Mali. But instead of a peaceful transition, the rebels are taking advantage of the chaos and seizing control of a base in Kidal that the UN left behind. Even though the Malian government ordered the UN's withdrawal in the first place, it says it is displeased with how it is leaving, failing to hand over the bases to the army in an orderly manner. The UN contingent has operated in Mali since 2012, but the rebels are quickly taking over areas vacated by the peacekeepers.
Food for Thought
"A roaring lion kills no game."
— Ugandan Proverb