🔅 How Pollution Is Linked to Colonial Fault Lines
Esports is Booming, But There is a Glitch & Mercenaries Replace Peacekeepers
Good Morning from Mogadishu, Somalia!
Colonial Hangover: How Pollution Follows the Fault Lines of History
Decades after Uganda shed colonial rule, the air over Kampala is still tainted—not just with harmful particulates, but with the lingering effects of segregation-era urban planning. A new study shows that neighborhoods once designated for African populations during colonial rule now bear the brunt of the city’s air pollution.
PM2.5: The Ghost of Colonial Urban Design
The research, led by Dorothy Lsoto of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, mapped air quality across Kampala using state-of-the-art sensors from Makerere University’s AirQo project. Her findings? Fine particulates, or PM2.5, are concentrated in the city’s most vulnerable areas, shaving years off life expectancy—more than smoking or even HIV.
Why? Blame geography – and history. Colonizers pushed African residents into low-lying areas near polluting industries, while Europeans claimed breezy hilltops. Even decades later, these valleys remain traps for air pollution, locking in the legacy of inequality.
Inequality You Can Breathe
Lsoto’s team combined air quality data with a social vulnerability index based on income, firewood use, and other factors. The results were clear: higher vulnerability meant dirtier air. And it’s no coincidence—historical maps from 1951 show that today’s most polluted areas overlap with former colonial African settlements.
What’s striking is that this inequality persists even when other factors, like road density and fuel use, are similar. The city’s very layout continues to funnel pollution into these areas.
Kampala’s story isn’t unique. Across Africa, colonial-era planning has left cities grappling with deeply entrenched inequalities, from housing to health. Addressing these issues requires not just policy reform but also confronting the structural racism baked into urban landscapes.
For Kampala, the air may eventually clear, but the lessons of its past remain a stark reminder: the scars of colonialism are as physical as they are social—and they’re not going away without a fight.
Esports in Africa is Booming, But There is a Glitch
Competitive Esports gaming is flourishing across the continent, but as tournaments light up screens and bring gamers together, poor internet infrastructure and a lack of Africa-based servers threaten to press “pause” on the scene’s momentum.
On a Sunday in Nairobi, Ghana’s Aura 233 team squared off against Kenya’s Delta eSports in the Carry1st Africa Cup finals. It’s just one example of how esports, fueled by growing access to smartphones and consoles, has become a major draw for Africa’s youthful population. Video game consumers in Africa skyrocketed from 77 million to 186 million between 2015 and 2021.
Esports tournaments are booming too, but their ascent faces tech and financial setbacks. Internet connectivity lags behind global standards, and a lack of local servers means players grapple with “high ping” (annoying delays) that put them at a disadvantage against international opponents. Efforts like Carry1st’s partnerships to launch African servers for Call of Duty: Mobile and Valorant offer some hope, but more is needed.
Money is another sticking point: Prize pools remain modest, with Nairobi’s Carry1st Africa Cup offering $15,000—pocket change compared to the millions awarded in global tournaments. Sponsorships are also scarce, limiting players’ ability to focus full-time on their craft.
Despite these challenges, the potential for esports in Africa is enormous. Industry leaders like Dominion Eromosele of Carry1st believe the key to unlocking sponsorship dollars lies in proving just how captivating esports can be for audiences. If successful, Africa’s gamers could soon go toe-to-toe with the world’s best—not just in skill, but in infrastructure and funding too.
For now, the game plan is clear: better internet, bigger sponsors, and a belief in gaming’s power to connect and inspire Africa’s young population. Game on.
When Mercenaries Replace Peacekeepers
Remember when UN peacekeepers were the international community’s go-to security solution for Africa? Well, there's a new sheriff in town—or rather, several thousand of them, and they're not exactly wearing blue helmets.
Recently, it was revealed that Colombia had an unexpected new export to Sudan: hundreds of mercenaries who, according to their president, were "duped" into joining the fight.
What’s been happening? The UN's presence in Africa has been shrinking faster than a cheap t-shirt in hot water—from 88,000 troops a decade ago to just 35,000 by the end of 2024. Why? Because many African nations have decided that UN peacekeepers are about as effective as a chocolate teapot.
Since then, new players have been entering: a veritable United Nations of mercenaries. You've got Russians in Burkina Faso, Turks in Mali, French and Romanian contractors in Congo, and now Colombians in Sudan.
"We pay them and if we pay them they have to do the job we want them to do," says an adviser to the Central African Republic's president, cutting through the diplomatic niceties like a hot knife through butter.
But these hired guns aren't exactly writing a success story. In fact, since various military juntas showed French troops the door and rolled out the red carpet for Russian fighters, deaths in the Sahel region have actually gone up. Turns out swapping UN blue helmets for mercenary berets isn't the quick fix everyone hoped for, and the solution lies elsewhere.
Indeed, in the case of Colombia’s mercenaries, the president, Gustavo Petro, is trying to bring his countrymen home, probably wondering how they ended up trading Bogotá for battlefields in Sudan in the first place.
Apparently, they were lured over by a United Arab Emirates-based private security company.
The same UAE that strongly denies any involvement in backing Sudan's Rapid Support Forces militia.
Last Week in Numbers
🇪🇸 10,000+ Migrant Deaths: This year marks the darkest tally for migrants attempting the perilous sea journey to Spain, with over 10,000 lives lost. The NGO Caminando Fronteras reports a grim 58% spike in fatalities since 2023, spotlighting the urgent need for safer migration routes.
🇿🇦 3,500 Jobs at Risk: European steel titan ArcelorMittal pulls the plug on its South African plant, potentially shelving 3,500 jobs. Citing sky-high operating costs and lukewarm policy support, the shutdown sends shockwaves through the local economy and raises questions about the future of manufacturing on the continent.
🇬🇭 Visa-Free Triumph & Leadership Shake-Up: Ghana proudly joins the elite club of visa-free African nations, becoming the fifth country to grant unrestricted entry to all African passport holders. This bold move aims to ignite the largest single market spanning 55 nations and strengthen continental collaboration.
🇲🇱 14% Gold Output Threat: Barrick Gold teeters on the edge in Mali, threatening to slash 14% of its 2025 gold output if the government doesn’t lift export restrictions within a week. Tensions escalate as an arrest warrant is issued for CEO Mark Bristow, intensifying the mining dispute that’s been simmering since 2023.
🇰🇪 80+ Disappearances & Economic Strain: Kenya grapples with a troubling wave of disappearances, with over 80 people abducted in the past six months targeting government critics. The recent rescue of five young men, including a popular cartoonist, has reignited suspicions of state-linked abductions amidst political unrest. Meanwhile, Kenya Airways Rebounds: After nearly five years of silence, Kenya Airways’ shares soar back to life following regulatory approval to end their trading freeze. At the same time, Kenya’s economic growth drags to its slowest pace in almost four years, hampered by persistent anti-government protests.
🇳🇬 Remittance Surge: Nigeria experiences a 63.7% increase in remittances, jumping to $3.8 billion in the first nine months of 2024 after the central bank relaxed exchange rate rules, even as the naira plummets 41% against the dollar. Meanwhile, the U.S. returns $52.88 Million in seized assets to Nigeria linked to former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke’s corruption case, marking the first repatriation tied to her trial. On the other hand, Nigeria’s economic insights remain shrouded in mystery as the national statistics agency stays offline three weeks post-hack, leaving crucial data on capital flows and debt updates in limbo.
🇸🇳 Sangomar Oil Boom: Senegal’s Sangomar offshore oil and gas field surpasses expectations, pumping out 16.9 Million barrels of crude in 2024—well above the initial target of 11.7 million. , Sangomar is set to churn out around 100,000 barrels per day, cementing Senegal’s status in the energy arena.
🇹🇩 Chad’s Palace Siege: Chad narrowly escapes a “destabilization attempt” when security forces fend off two dozen attackers storming the presidential palace. The clash results in 19 fatalities, including 18 assailants and one palace guard, mere weeks after contentious parliamentary elections shook the coup-ridden nation.
🇬🇧 £90 Million Deal for Diego Garcia: The UK sweetens the deal for Mauritius by offering to frontload £90 million annually for the initial 99-year lease of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. This move aims to finalize sovereignty talks, ensuring the continuation of the crucial UK-US military base located in the Indian Ocean.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia’s Stock Exchange Revival: Ethiopia makes a grand return to the financial markets by launching its first stock exchange in five decades. Through Ethiopia Investment Holdings’ IPO of Ethio Telecom, the nation seeks to attract up to $234 Million in investment despite ongoing regional conflicts.
🇧🇯 Benin’s Military Losses: Benin’s armed forces suffer a heavy blow with an attack on a key northern outpost, reportedly killing around 30 soldiers. The assault highlights the country’s fierce battle against Islamist militants spilling over from neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, as the national guard strives to secure the volatile border regions.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Food for Thought
“If you throw a stone in a crowded market, you are likely to hit your relative”
— Zambia Proverb