Africa:

We have here, in Africa, everything necessary to become a powerful, modern, and industrialised continent: The Fortieth Newsletter (2023)

China’s Belt and Road Initiative and African Industrialisation

China and Africa’s Attempts at Industrialisation

Africa’s Path to Industrialisation: How Can China Contribute to the Continent’s Economic Development?

China-Africa Relations in the Belt and Road Era

The World Bank fears "lost decade" for sub-Saharan Africa.

A Chinese firm has been accused of selling satellites for intelligence to Wagner.^AN

The United States is in an interesting position where they don't want to antagonize juntas in the Sahel and lose influence, but are also making this whole new Cold War "democracy vs autocracy"; the Quincy Institute says that the US should denounce the coups and juntas here and be consistent because there's not even much influence to lose (they allege; I disagree).^RS

Angola has introduced visa-free travel for Russians.^RT

Burkina Faso's government has elevated Thomas Sankara to the rank of "hero of the nation".^AN

Cameroon and Chad are to strengthen their military cooperation.^TS Anti-French sentiment continues to rise in Chad.^RT

The DRC has sentenced the head of the elite Republican Guard to death over the killing of protestors in August.^AN The Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege has announced his bid for the DRC presidency, which is holding elections in December.^BNE The DRC and Zambia to jointly building a bridge over a river as part of a road project to more easily transport cobalt and copper to Tanzanian ports.^CGS

A police headquarters in Egypt has been extensively burned, injuring nearly 40 people.^AN President Sisi has given an... interesting speech, where he asks his countrymen to endure hunger, insults his opposition for questioning his infrastructure projects, and says that he could destroy the country if he distributed an opioid to desperate people.^MEE Vulnerable women have been forced to sign a petition endorsing Sisi.^MEE

Eswatini's election is now over. The 59 MPs are selected by chiefs close to the king, are not allowed to belong to a party, and serve a purely advisory role to the monarch.^AN

Ethiopia and the EU have signed a $680 million cooperation agreement to help their post-war recovery and facilitate economic reforms.^AN The US is resuming some food aid deliveries to refugees, four months after assistance was halted over a scheme to steal supplies.^AP

The new President of Gabon has visited the Congo's Prime Minister and President and is lobbying for the lifting of sanctions.^AN

Ghana's president has called on ECOWAS to speak against term limit extensions, which are being used by various leaders to maintain power.^BNE The opposition has led protests to denounce the economic crisis, blaming it on the central bank governor's policies (inflation is at 40%).^AN Several Ghanaians linked to Wagner have been arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.^BNE

The China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is looking to boost Ivory Coast's trade links with Asia by upgrading 7000 km of roads to link the agricultural north with major export hubs on the coast.^SCMP The Prime Minister has been dismissed by the President and a new government is set to be formed.^AN

Kenya has been hit by a record 860 million cyber-attacks in a year.^AN President Ruto is asking China for a $1 billion loan.^AN

The Prime Minister of Libya has pledged to reform the education system.^TS

The outgoing president of Madagascar and candidate for re-election, Rajoelina, has denounced the opposition after they claimed that Rajoelina was creating an institutional coup d'etat as the Prime Minister and his close friend was responsible for acting in the interim for the election period.^AN Madagascar's security forces have fired tear gas on the opposition candidates leading a protest in the capital.^AN

Mali continues to battle Tuareg rebels as the latter claims to have seized another military base from the military.^DW The Malian army is moving northwards towards separatist strongholds, which could ultimately make or break the Malian government.^AN

Morocco has begun providing money to families whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake.^AN Morocco has recorded over 11,000 marriages of underage girls annually; these are largely due to families needing to relieve themselves of financial stress and hardships, with the hope of securing additional income from the gifts received after marriage or financial assistance.^MEE

Mozambique and Credit Suisse have settled the 'tuna bonds' row in an out-of-court settlement; Mozambique was suing the bank over bribery and fraud.^DW

Algeria says that Niger accepted an Algerian mediation intiative to restore democratic rule within six months,^RT but Niger denies this.^Reuters France is to begin withdrawing its troops this week.^AN Reporters Without Borders has called for Niger's government to release a detained journalist.^AN 29 soldiers were killed by a large group of insurgents.^DW Niger has banned petroleum gas exports to combat a national shortage.^AN

Nigeria's labour unions have suspended their call for a nationwide strike after the government announced some measures to compensate for the rising cost of living.^AN The government opposition is presenting evidence for its court challenge to overturn this year's elections, saying that Tinubu faked his academic credentials.^AN

A covertly captured audio of Rwanda's high commissioner to the United Kingdom has revealed his criticisms of the UK's migration policy.^AN An article on mining in Rwanda, which produces much of the world's tantalum, a key element in military equipment - and the controversies surrounding it.^CD

Senegal is maintaining its TikTok ban, demanding that the company sign an agreement for the creation of a mechanism to remove accounts.^AN

The leader of the main opposition party in the Seychelles has been charged with witchcraft, as he possessed stones, small bottles of liquids, various powders, and documents containing language and symbols described as satanic.^AN

Sierra Leona may lose hundreds of millions of dollars of aid as government activity halts following disputed elections this year.^FT

Somalia is still occupied by US forces on the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down) without much to show for it.^RS Climate change exacerbates conflict in Somalia between clans, as they fight over grazing lands and water.^Nature

South Africa has culled 7.5 million chickens to try and contain bird flu outbreaks.^AN

South Sudan's president has sacked the central bank governor.^BNE

Another Canadian mining company is claiming conpensation against Tanzania.^Bilaterals

More political prisoners have announced hunger strikes in Tunisia in protest against the mass arrest of critics by President Saied.^MEE An opposition leader in Tunisia has been arrested.^AN

Zimbabwe and a UAE company have signed a $1.5 billion memorandum of understanding; the deal will generate carbon credits and involves the forest protection of 20% of Zimbabwe's landmass.^BNE The government is enacting legislation to fight drug and substance abuse.^TS

North America:

An article on the Canadian wildfires from a communist perspective.^RC Canadian cattle groups are angry at the UK for not accepting their hormone-fed beef.^Bilaterals There's a new centrist party, because all the other options are just so extremist and polarised, you know?^Jacobin An article on how various corporations have turned newspapers and media into propaganda weapons.^CD Some Toronto tenants have been on rent strike for months.^Jacobin

CW: contains several mentions of the r-word, and descriptions of state-sanctioned sexual violence and forced stripping.

An essay on the obscene policies that US prisons have towards women, the 2023 winner of the Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize.

CW ends.