Vol 64 No 25 | EUROPEAN UNIONAFRICA The case for reparations 14th December 2023 The debate over reparations for colonialism and slavery has arrived in the European Parliament. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, a Malian-born German MEP for Alliance90/The Greens, is preparing a text on...
Vol 64 No 24 | AFRICAFINANCE Tracking the missing billions 30th November 2023 African, Asian and Latin American states have won a vote on tax reform at the UN – it could boost revenues and help them catch stolen cash Ahead of the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly, African states were focusing on the need to claw back the billions of dollars lost in illicit financial... READ FOR FREE
Vol 64 No 24 | AFRICAFINANCE The global south wins a big money battle 30th November 2023 A decade-long campaign for global tax rules to be set by a UN authority could finally come to fruition Years of campaigning to coordinate support from middle-income and developing countries saw the UN General Assembly vote decisively on 22 November to establish a UN tax authority, easily...
Vol 64 No 24 | ECONOMYAFRICA Central bankers hunt for foreign exchange 30th November 2023 From negative-equity Ghana to South Africa with its sizeable gold holdings, emerging markets are scrambling for liquidity What happens when your central bank starts losing money? Less than you might think, in practical term at least. Ghanaians were horrified to hear their central bank –...
DISPATCHES Vol 64 No 24 | AFRICA African and Caribbean states join forces in campaign for transatlantic slavery reparations 22nd November 2023 Stronger focus at Accra summit on the loss and damage caused by European colonialism and slavery The campaign for reparations for slavery has been boosted after a summit in Ghana on 16 November, where the African Union (AU) joined forces with Caribbean nations as... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 64 No 24 | AFRICACLIMATE CHANGE Loss and Damage Fund is centre-stage at the UN COP28 Climate Summit 29th November 2023 The most pressing issue for African leaders will be to ensure their interests are represented in the new fund to compensate countries for climate change The shape of the new loss and damage fund is likely to dominate the agenda of African leaders as the COP28 climate change summit opens in Dubai on... READ FOR FREE
Vol 64 No 23 | RUSSIAAFRICA Wagner pays cash for digital influence 16th November 2023 A leak from the Russian group's propaganda arm reveals payments for videos by West African bloggers and influencers on social media platforms The Wagner Group has been paying West African social and digital media influencers and broadcasters for videos and blogs attacking France and supporting Russian narratives on the Ukraine... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 64 No 23 | SAUDI ARABIAAFRICA Riyadh re-launches its Africa courtship 15th November 2023 Saudi Arabia signals 'game changing' investments at economic summit with plans to sign deals worth $553m and more with African officials Investments, trade deals and debt financing were on offer at Friday's summit between Saudi Arabia and African leaders as the Gulf state seeks to build on its growing... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 64 No 23 | UNITED STATESAFRICA Despite the sceptics, Washington prolongs the AGOA trade deal 9th November 2023 The summit in South Africa on the African Growth and Opportunity Act kept the arrangement going in the face of multiple policy differences Almost a year after US President Joe Biden's Africa summit, policy-makers in Washington and Africa wanted to keep the landmark multilateral trade agreement going as economic pressures mount... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 64 No 23 | AFRICACLIMATE CHANGE Mind the adaptation gap 9th November 2023 Funding for the continent's economies to adapt to extreme weather falls far short of the rising demand Government spending on climate change adaptation projects across Africa is currently ten times higher than support for adaptation, according to a new report by the UN Environment Programme... READ FOR FREE