Goals and glory, but no gold

Hi there ????

We’re departing our scheduled programming of geopolitical tensions to assess rivalries of a different sort: on the football pitch. Four teams from the continent – Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco –?qualified for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, a historical first. It was also Zambia and Morocco's first showing at the international tournament, now in its ninth edition. While Zambia was knocked out in the group stages, the other three teams made it through to the final 16, marking another landmark moment. Africa has now secured three teams in the knockout stages of the men and women’s tournaments. South Africa shut out Italy to make it through, in the team’s first-ever win, Nigeria emerged from the group stages unbeaten, and Morocco was the lowest ranked team to qualify. Against this euphoria was heartbreak, encapsulated by Nigeria’s departure after losing 4-2 to England in a penalty shootout on Monday. Nevertheless, African teams have much to be proud of, filling us with high hopes for the international prospects of African women’s sports teams.?

Cheers to Africa’s fierce, fantastic footballers!?

AP editorial team

?? 233 METRES

Construction began this week on the Mtentu Bridge in Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Once completed, the ZAR 4 billion (USD 211 million) bridge will be the tallest in Africa at 233 metres, and one of the longest main-span balanced cantilever bridges in the world, at 260 metres.?

?? NIGER CALLS ECOWAS’ BLUFF. WHAT NEXT?

As the West African regional economic bloc prepares for an extraordinary summit on the political situation in Niger, Associate Consultant Lami Mabifa considers the options for ECOWAS and the Nigerien junta.

???? ???? NIGERIA v NIGER

Nigeria’s Senate rejected President Bola Tinubu's request to deploy Nigerian troops to Niger as part of a mooted ECOWAS force, on 6 August. Despite ECOWAS issuing an ultimatum to the Nigerien coup leaders and imposing sanctions, Nigerian senators ruled out participation in a military intervention mooted to reinstate Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, until diplomatic and political solutions had been exhausted. Under Nigeria’s constitution, the armed forces cannot be deployed outside of the country without approval of the Senate. Senators expressed concerns about Nigeria's military capabilities given existing internal security challenges, fearing that intervention would exacerbate threats along the 1,608 kilometres border the country shares with Niger.?

???? THREE-PEAT

On 30 July, the Central African Republic held a referendum on a new constitution. Although reportedly adopted with 90% of the vote on a 10% turnout, the results must be ratified by the constitutional court by 27 August. The new constitution has extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years and abolished the two-term limit. This gives incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra a chance to run again in 2025. Touadéra has retained his position largely through the support of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group. An extended stay in power would further cement the organisation’s hold on the country, and with it, Moscow’s influence over the region.

???? AMHARA UPHEAVAL?

An escalating crisis in Ethiopia’s north western state of Amhara has seen the federal government implement a six-month state of emergency. Fighting between Amhara militia movement Fano and the military is the most serious security crisis since the Tigray conflict, where Fano was a key ally of federal forces. Soured relations are partly the result of the peace agreement signed in November 2022, with Fano accusing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of betraying the Amhara people. The government’s decision to extend the disarmament process from Tigray to regional special forces and paramilitaries across the country in April was the final straw, triggering public protests and clashes.?

???? YAY HUAWEI?

Despite US pressure, South Africa will continue to use Huawei equipment on its national telecommunications networks, according to South Africa’s BRICS ambassador Anil Sooklal. As the diplomatic dominance battle between the US and China plays out in the tech sphere, Huawei Technologies Co. has been banned in the US and parts of Europe over alleged spying concerns. In March 2023, a group of US lawmakers drafted a resolution criticising South Africa’s government for its close relations with Beijing and its use of Chinese technology. However, South Africa has resisted calls to disengage, and remains a close partner to China via BRICS. Just last month, Huawei opened an Innovation Center in Johannesburg, attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa – another brick in China’s digital Silk Road.?

?? LIKE WAKAMA

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, triumphed over West African rivals, Senegal, securing a fourth consecutive Afro Women’s Basketball title. While Senegal had previously won the biennial trophy four times between 1974 and 1981, the D’Tigress team is in the ascendancy. Rena Wakama, aged only 31, achieved the extraordinary feat of becoming the first female coach to clinch the title since its inception in 1966. Wakama's coaching prowess breathed new life into a team that faced a tumultuous 2022 – marked by a government ban, expulsion from the FIBA World Cup 2022 in Australia, and the departure of their former coach and key players.

?? ACCRA TO LONDON

Led by Kwabena Peprah, a bold group of Ghanaian explorers embarked on a remarkable cross-continental road odyssey, covering an impressive 10,000 kilometres. Beginning their journey in Accra, their expedition wound through African nations and European locales, culminating in a distinctive voyage spanning continents. Beyond highlighting their adventurous zeal, this undertaking aimed to fundraise for rural primary schools in Ghana. Drawing inspiration from narratives of European-African road ventures, they reversed the course to capture attention and rally support for their altruistic mission.?

?? BYTE-SIZE TECH: THE MALABO CONVENTION

Following a nine-year period of political inertia, the Malabo convention entered into force in June. This represents a significant development given the increasing online collection, processing and sharing of personal data, alongside growing sophistication of cyberthreats. The convention provides guidelines for cybersecurity, e-commerce and data protection in Africa. State parties now need to align legal frameworks with convention principles. While critics argue the convention is both overly broad – covering too many policy areas, and unclear – omitting important definitions – its activation, coupled with the AfCFTA’s operationalisation, strengthens the single market vision.?

??? AFCFTA YOUTH SYMPOSIUM

The inaugural AfCFTA Youth Symposium, on 21-23 August in Lusaka,?aims to provide a platform for African youth to directly engage with the Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, policymakers, academia, and financial institutions. The event, held in a hybrid format, will enable African youth, both on the continent and in the diaspora, to connect with the AfCFTA Secretary-General, focusing on trade-related youth concerns.

?? WORLD BANK GROUP AFRICA FELLOWSHIP

The World Bank Group's Africa Fellowship Programme is now accepting applications from sub-Saharan Africa nationals who are studying towards, or have recently completed, a PhD. The fellowship aims to build the capacity of the next generation of African change-makers in development research and policymaking. Deadline is 25 August.

?? CALL AND RESPONSE – GOTHATAONE MOENG

Call and Response is a compelling collection of short stories by Gothataone Moeng, delving into the lives of girls and women in Botswana as they navigate changing traditions, love, relationships, caretaking, and grief. The stories offer a beautifully written glimpse into their challenges and triumphs, featuring relatable characters and a mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments.

?? WHAT’S WRONG WITH GROOVIN’ – LETTA MBULU?

Today marks South Africa’s National Women’s Day, commemorating the historic 1956 Women’s March, a pivotal moment in the country’s struggle against apartheid. Here at AP, we are marking the day with a?special playlist?crafted by Emmanuel Balogun, Associate Director of Strategic Communications & Advocacy. The collection of songs from South African songbirds, including Letta Mbulu and Miriam Makeba are testament to sound as a medium for joy and liberation. Keep listening as we add additions.

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