🔅 Senegalese Showdown: Sonko vs Sall
Plus: Cyclone Freddy: 300 Dead and Counting, Blinken's $331 million for Ethiopia, Is Côte d'Ivoire's 60% Tax Rate Worth It?, And much more... ☕
Photo of the day: Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia
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POLITICS
Senegalese Showdown: Sonko vs Sall
The situation in Senegal is heating up as election season nears.
The presidency in Senegal is historically limited to two terms, and the opposition, led by Ousmane Sonko, does not like the fact that Sall has remained coy over whether he will run again or not.
On top of that, the opposition has accused Sall of trying to weaken the competition with false accusations and political trials. To that end, Sonko is facing a libel case this week.
He has previously been accused of rape and making death threats. The sexual assault allegations led to deadly clashes across the country in 2021.
So what's been happening this week?
On Tuesday, over 10,000 of Sonko's supporters gathered in Dakar, waving Senegalese flags and photos of the opposition leader. He urged everyone to join him in court on Thursday for the libel trial, which centred around him accusing a minister of embezzlement.
And, of course, it wouldn't be Senegal without a heavy security presence. As Sonko's supporters gathered, anti-riot vehicles could be seen all around.
What does the future hold?
The future of Senegal is on a knife's edge, and seems to centre largely on whether or not Macky Sall decides to run for a controversial third term. If he doesn't, the opposition claims that it could lead to peace.
But if he does, it could ignite a whole new round of protests and clashes. Only time will tell.
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OTHER HEADLINES
Across the Continent
🇲🇿🇲🇼🇲🇬 Cyclone Freddy: 300 Dead and Counting | Tropical Cyclone Freddy, one of the longest-lasting and deadliest storms in African history, has caused at least 300 deaths across Mozambique, Malawi, and Madagascar. The numbers are only expected to rise as the death toll in Mozambique's Zambezia province more than doubled to 53. 225 had died in Malawi alone, with some still missing. And it's not just the death toll that's worrying: Thousands have been displaced, roads and houses are buried in mud, and electricity and running water are scarce. In Malawi, President Lazarus Chakwera has declared 14 days of national mourning and called for international support for relief efforts.
🇪🇹 Blinken's $331 million for Ethiopia | It was all about repairing relations for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Ethiopia this week to discuss the progress of the peace deal that ended the two-year Tigray conflict. As part of the effort, Blinken announced a hefty $331 million in humanitarian aid to Ethiopia. The US had cut off access to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade programme while the war was raging, but Blinken said Ethiopia is “moving in the right direction” to get it back. He also called for “accountability for atrocities perpetrated by all parties” during the war, and urged them to “cease entirely” any human rights violations that may still be happening. He’s now off to Niger to talk about the growing Islamist insurgency.
🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire's Tax Take: Is it Worth It? | Côte d’Ivoire’s 60% income tax rate has earned it the top spot in a survey of highest-taxed countries. That’s a full 5% higher than the runner-up, Finland, and more than double the US’s highest tax rate of 37%. But, considering that the West African country is the world’s largest cocoa producer and a major exporter of cashew, coffee, and palm oil, with significant offshore oil and natural gas reserves, and a manufacturing industry that’s been steadily growing, is the government’s tax take worth it? In 2021, the country achieved a growth rate of 7%, and its budget deficit dropped from 5.6% to 5% of its GDP. While other African countries with lower tax rates (like Nigeria, Botswana, and Angola) are also making it onto the list of top-taxed countries, none of them is close to matching Côte d’Ivoire’s 60%.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Proverb of the Day
“Don’t try to make someone hate the person he loves. For he will go on loving but he will hate you.”
— Senegales Proverb.