🔅 From President of Niger to Prisoner & A Warning from the WHO
Plus, De Beers' Diamonds are Forever and Thebe Phetogo's Spellbinding Spin on Blackface
Photo of the day: Tea Plantations, Rwanda
Markets:
🔴 Nigerian SE: 65,482.91 (-0.31%)
🟢 Johannesburg SE: 78,267.25 (+0.93%)
🟢 Ghana SE: 2,932.76 (+0.01%)
🟢 Nairobi SE: 107.34 (+2.07%)
🔴 US S&P 500: 4,537.41 (-0.64%)
🔴 Shanghai Composite: 3,216.67 (-0.20%)
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five Highlights
🇳🇪 Niger Coup: From President to Prisoner | President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger just went from head of state to prisoner of state in the blink of an eye. On Wednesday morning, a group of soldiers announced a coup on national TV, dissolving the constitution, suspending all institutions, and closing the nation's borders. The new military leaders are looking to gain control of the uranium-rich country, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa. Under President Bazoum, Niger was a rare key Western ally in the region. As of now, the foreign minister has declared himself the head of state, and he's called on all democrats to "make this adventure fail."
🇧🇼 Thebe Phetogo's Paintings Put a Spellbinding Spin on Blackface | Botswana Artist Thebe Phetogo has a knack for creating an unsettling beauty with his work, and it’s no wonder why—he uses shoe polish to partially render his spectral black figures. His paintings are featured in the exhibition “When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting” at Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA, which seeks to explore “an internal evaluation of collective self-representation.” It’s clear that Phetogo’s art isn’t just about making a statement, it’s about creating a conversation. With his bold approach to a style that might feel uncomfortable, Phetogo is making sure that conversation continues.
🇷🇺 Putin's Power Play: Russia to Offer Grain Supplies to African Leaders | The scene is set: Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting an African summit in St Petersburg. Many African leaders in attendance will be looking to Putin for help with grain supplies. The price of grain is sky-high due to Russia's recent departure from the Black Sea agreement, and African leaders are worried about food insecurity in their countries. Putin's written a pre-summit article, proclaiming that the Black Sea agreement was “shamelessly” exploited by US and European trading firms. He's also offered to supply grain commercially and for free to African countries. However, only 17 African heads of state will be attending the summit—down from 45 who attended it in 2019. But Russia has some support in the continent: Many African countries have strong ties with Moscow since the Cold War, and some are sympathetic to Putin's idea of a new “multipolar” world order. So the question is: Will Putin be able to pull off a power play in Africa?
🇿🇦 De Beers' Diamonds Are Forever | It’s a billion-dollar project and De Beers’ supposed commitment to South Africa: The global diamond giant just reported its first production from its $2.3 billion underground operations at Venetia mine. The underground project has been ten years in the making and is currently 70% complete. It will produce around 4 million carats of diamonds annually, and De Beers is expecting its 2023 output to range between 30 million and 33 million carats. The investment in taking the world-class Venetia mine underground enhances De Beers Group's global production for the long term and extends the mine's life to at least 2045.
🇨🇲 Cough Syrup Warning: Toxic Substitutes Found in Cameroon | The World Health Organisation is warning consumers about a cough syrup in Cameroon that’s chock-full of toxic ingredients. The product, called Naturcold, has been found to contain a massive 28.6% of the substance diethylene glycol - which is definitely not the recommended dosage. In fact, the acceptable limit is 0.1%. The WHO has also issued a global alert to warn consumers about the dangers of these dodgy products. It’s thought that the culprits are shady characters who’ve substituted the regular propylene glycol ingredient for the cheaper and more toxic diethylene glycol. Unsurprisingly, consuming the syrup can lead to a host of issues, from abdominal pain and vomiting to even death. The manufacturers claim they are based in England, but the UK health regulator has said no such company exists.
Food for Thought
“However far the stream flows, it never forgets its source.”
— Nigerian Proverb.
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