🔅 Mali: Unfazed by Western Concerns, Strengthens Russia Ties
Plus: South Africans are being held hostage by an energy crisis, Nigeria Supreme Court stops banknote swap, Google's chatbot mishap, US-China trade hits a record high, And much more... ☕
Photo of the day: Central Business District in Gaborone, Botswana.
Markets:
🔺 Nigerian SE: 54,427.05 (+0.23%)
🔺 Johannesburg SE: 79,975.59 (+0.55%)
🔻 Ghana SE: 2,405.09 (-0.01%)
🔺 Nairobi SE: 128.26 (+0.10%)
🔻 US S&P 500: 4,124.66 (-0.94%)
🔻 Shanghai Composite: 3,232.11 (-0.49%)
Google's Chat-astrophe: Google launched their A.I. chatbot, Bard, yesterday—but it didn’t quite go according to plan. Bard was tasked with answering the question, “What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can I tell my 9-year old about?” It replied with an answer suggesting the JWST was used to take the first pictures of a planet outside the Earth’s solar system. But, uh, no—the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope actually took the first pictures of exoplanets in 2004. Google’s shares slipped on the news, as rival Microsoft unveiled plans to integrate their A.I. chatbot ChatGPT into Bing.
US-China Trade: US-China relations have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride these past few years, with tensions flaring over everything from trade wars to balloon espionage. But despite all the drama, the two countries just can’t seem to stay away from each other. The latest stats show that the trade between the U.S. and China hit a record high in 2022—with American shoppers stocking up on Chinese-made goods like toys and mobile phones. This shows how much the two countries rely on each other—even if they don’t always want to admit it.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
GEOPOLITICS
Mali: Unfazed by Western Concerns, Strengthens Russia Ties
Mali is making ties with a country it says it doesn’t need to justify: Russia.
The West African nation’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, spoke at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was visiting the country.
Lavrov said Russia would continue helping Mali improve its military capabilities, while Diop said they wouldn’t need to justify their choice of partnership.
What is Russia bringing to the table?
In addition to military technology and training, Russia plans to deliver wheat, fertilizers, and oil products to Mali.
And, of course, there’s the invitation for Mali’s transitional president, Assimi Goita, to attend a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July.
Is there a problem with Russia?
Western powers are worried about the involvement of Russian private military contractors, Wagner, in Mali.
U.N. experts last week called for an independent investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both Malian and Wagner forces.
Following this, the Malian government declared the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission's human rights division persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country.
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OTHER HEADLINES
Across the Continent
🇿🇦 South Africans' Shopping Carts About to Get a Lot More Expensive | South African businesses and households are being held hostage by an energy crisis that is seeing some of the worst blackouts in living memory. With the country’s state-owned utility, Eskom, running out of juice, food and consumer goods companies are being forced to turn to diesel generators and other backup power supplies—costs that will eventually be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa is begging President Cyril Ramaphosa for a solution before businesses are forced to raise prices. “It is crippling our businesses, and will in the end mean much higher prices for consumers, who are already under severe financial strain,” they wrote in an open letter. Shoprite and Tiger Brands have already seen their diesel bills balloon to $32 million and $346 million, respectively. Pick n Pay is spending around $60 million a month.
🇳🇬 Nigeria's Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Banknote Swap | Just when it seemed like Nigeria was about to hit the gas on a banknote swap, the Supreme Court stepped on the brakes. The plan was for citizens to turn in their old bills for new ones with extra security features before February 25th, when the country will elect a new president and lawmakers. But after complaints about a lack of new notes and the difficulty of funding campaigns without cash, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the swap. In the meantime, Nigerians are gearing up to elect a new leader, with four candidates at the front of the pack: Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party, and the ruling party's Bola Tinubu. Inflation and a weak economy are likely to be major issues for voters, who say life has gotten more challenging since the current president, Muhammadu Buhari, took office in 2015. We'll have more on Nigeria's elections soon...
🇺🇬 Uganda's Bye Bye to U.N. Rights Office | Uganda has decided to bid farewell to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the East African country, saying that the country has developed enough of its domestic capacity to monitor rights. The government’s decision not to renew the OHCHR’s mandate came after the body flagged torture and unlawful detention sites in the country. In November, the body noted Uganda’s progress in developing national rights institutions but raised concerns over the arbitrary detention of hundreds of people, including critics of President Yoweri Museveni. The Attorney General at the time said hundreds of torture cases had been successfully prosecuted and denied the government ran illegal detention centres. Sarah Bireete, head of Kampala-based campaign group the Centre for Constitutional Governance, was sceptical that Uganda’s own institutions would ensure the protection of human rights, saying that “President Museveni’s leadership has no commitment to the protection of human rights.” The U.N. rights office was established in 2006 and initially focused only on human rights issues in conflict-plagued areas in Uganda’s north and northeast. It was later allowed to cover the rest of the country.
🇷🇼 Investigative Journalist's Death Sparks Calls for Investigation | The driver who hit and killed investigative journalist John William Ntwali was recently fined by a court for involuntary manslaughter. Activists and journalists are calling for an independent investigation into Ntwali’s death, saying the official explanation lacked sufficient evidence. It's a tragedy, but it's even more tragic when you consider the context: Ntwali had expressed fears for his life, received phone threats, and had strangers visit his house. He was described as Rwanda’s last independent journalist and had been lauded for his brave reporting on human rights violations.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Proverb of the Day
“The rainmaker who doesn't know what he's doing will be found out by the lack of clouds.”
— Ugandan Proverb.