Category: Diplomacy
Confidence Eroding in East African Governments’ Handling of Burgeoning COVID-19 Crisis
Two of East Africa's largest newspapers, The East African and Daily Nation (both incidentally owned by the same Nation Media Group) issued blistering critiques of how the region's governments are handling the worsening COVID-19 crisis. Kenya is a particular flashpoint, where ...
The Futility of Pompeo’s Anti-China Message in Africa
When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began his Africa trip in mid-February, it was clear that countering China's influence on the continent was at the top of his agenda. Yet from Senegal to Angola, he restrained himself from the hard-hitting ...
Three Africa-Themed Podcasts You Really Should Listen to This Weekend
Over the past week, three excellent podcasts have been published that focus on China, Africa, and China-Africa related issues that are definitely worth listening to and even subscribing for future episodes. PODCAST #1: China’s Increasing Engagement with Africa: A ...
Tweet of the Day: It’s Been a Good Week for Huawei in Africa
Just days after Safaricom acting CEO Michael Joseph brushed off U.S. concerns about using Huawei equipment on its new 5G network in Kenya, the Chinese telecom giant also received good press in Nigeria for the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“Washington Can do Better Than China-bashing and Travel Bans”
One week after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up his three-nation African tour, a number of reviews considering the direction of Washington's current foreign policy in Africa are just coming in. There's an emerging consensus among a growing number of policy and media observers that ...
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Recent Trip to Africa Didn’t Make a Lot of News… And That’s a Good Thing
One of Washington's leading Africa analysts, Judd Devermont at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, published a short Q&A that reflected on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent three-nation African tour that wrapped up last week. Devermont's key ...
Africa’s Largest Bank Makes Donation to Support the Fight Against COVID-19
Africa's largest bank, South Africa-based Standard Bank, made a $50,000 donation to the COVID-19 relief effort in China. Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank South Africa made the donation on Monday during a ceremony with Chinese Ambassador Lin Songtian. It's worth noting ...
China’s Growing Influence in the Mideast, Persian Gulf & Mediterranean
China's crude imports from Saudi Arabia surged last year by 47% highlighting the Kingdom's growing importance to Beijing as a key oil supplier. This should also be concerning for Africa because the Chinese no longer feel as dependent on the ...
African Citizens in Wuhan and the Evacuation Conundrum
The increasingly desperate pleas from African students to be evacuated from the epicenter of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China raises broader, thornier questions about how Africa should deal with its colonial past. A past that still casts a long shadow over much of the continent. ...
Tweet of the Day: 2020 is Likely Going to be the Year When the Tiny Kingdom of eSwatini Becomes a Big International Relations Issue
eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is not a country that often registers as an important player in major global disputes but from the looks of it that may change in 2020. The Kingdom is now the last country in Africa that formally recognizes Taiwan and that has ...