🔅 Nigeria Leave Women's World Cup Head High, Ivory Coast Cocoa Crops 'Sing in the Rain'
Plus, Uganda Revamps a Railway Line & The Horrifying History of Castrating African Slaves
Photo of the day: Khartoum, Sudan
Markets:
🔴 Nigerian SE: 65,309.65 (-0.04%)
🔴 Johannesburg SE: 76,837.44 (-0.23%)
🔴 Ghana SE: 3,103.08 (-0.39%)
🔴 Nairobi SE: 104.91 (-1.17%)
🔴 US S&P 500: 4,499.38 (-0.42%)
🔴 Shanghai Composite: 3,260.62 (-0.25%)
China's Economic News Causes Stock Market Turbulence | Stock markets around the world had a bumpy ride on Tuesday after a new report revealed that China’s exports and imports had both dropped more than expected. Data showed that imports fell by 12.4%, while exports were down 14.5%, sending stocks on a rollercoaster ride.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five Highlights
A Railway Revamp in Uganda: Taking the Road Less Travelled
Uganda is turning to an old-fashioned solution to modern-day problems: they’re restoring a century-old railway line built by the British during colonial times. The railway network is part of the East Africa rail network that stretches from Kenya's Indian Ocean seaport of Mombasa. Uganda is hoping to cut the cost of shipping goods to the country's north, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo with this railway revamp. It’s cheaper in terms of cost and time than using roads, according to Uganda's Railways Corporation. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is taking on the task of restoring the line, which connects Tororo town in Uganda's east near the border with Kenya and terminates at a logistics hub in Gulu in Uganda's north near the border with South Sudan. The 382 km (237 mile) line will be funded by the Ugandan government. The revamp comes as China Harbours and Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) failed to secure $2.2 billion in financing to build a separate and faster standard gauge railway (SGR).
The Horrifying History of Castrating African Slaves
Before the abolitionist movement of the 19th century, the Trans-Saharan slave trade was a major chapter in human exploitation. This included the castration of African slaves, often young boys, to make them more desirable to buyers and, supposedly, less of a threat to the wives and concubines of their owners. Islam forbade this practice, but slavers found ways around it by buying castrated slaves or hiring non-Muslims to perform the operation. Boys were often subjected to this procedure at 8 or 9, but the mortality rate among eunuchs was still high. Those who survived were prized possessions, given duties ranging from Harem guards to administrators and even dancers known as köçeks. The Trans-Saharan slave trade ended when several Muslim-majority countries banned it as the abolitionist movement grew in the 19th century. By that time, an estimated 17 million slaves had been exported from Africa.
Ivory Coast's Cocoa Crop Strengthens with Above-Average Rain
Cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast are singing in the rain. A wetter-than-average rainy season is bringing good news for the world’s top cocoa producer, with farmers reporting plenty of pods (known as “cherelles”) on trees. That’s great news for cocoa-lovers, since the main crop is set to start in September and run through January. But while farmers in the western and eastern regions are happy to see the extra rain, the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro are worried that the showers could trigger cocoa disease. For now, the country’s cocoa crop looks strong, and farmers are hopeful that with enough sunshine, many of the cherelles will survive to create a bountiful harvest. Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer.
England Survive Dramatic Penalty Shootout Against Nigeria
England squeaked past Nigeria in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Women's World Cup, thanks in part to a controversial VAR call. The African champions had been executing their game plan to perfection, causing problems on the break and winning almost every duel. They even hit the crossbar twice in the first half, but England's Mary Earps was on fire in the goal, needing to make a couple of smart saves to keep the match scoreless. Sarina Wiegman's team Nigeria thought they had a penalty in the first half when Rachel Daly went down, but VAR controversially overturned the call. Eventually, England stumbled to the end of normal time and sealed the deal in a shootout. Nigeria's Randy Waldrum praised his team's efforts, saying they had more than matched England and carried momentum going into extra time. He said they had shown they were capable of playing with anyone, and that the players had come together in an "unbelievable way."
Niger's Junta vs. ECOWAS: The Battle for Constitutional Order
In Niger, it's ECOWAS vs. the junta. After a July 26 coup, African countries have been trying to restore the constitutional order and get the junta to the negotiating table. But the junta says no, denying access to diplomatic missions and snubbing meetings with a senior US envoy and another ECOWAS delegation. It's even closed Niger's airspace. ECOWAS is planning a summit on Thursday to discuss their next steps, including the possibility of military intervention. (Which is the last resort, it says.) Meanwhile, the US is backing ECOWAS and the UN is supporting their efforts to mediate. With the region in a strategic spot (it's the world's 7th-biggest producer of uranium, and it's an ally for the West after two of its neighbours rejected France and turned to Russia instead) and 1,100 US troops stationed in Niger, the world's watching.
Food for Thought
“How easy it is to defeat people who do not kindle fire for themselves!”
— Kenyan Proverb.
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