By The Conversation The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) joined the East African Community in 2022. This will offer the country, which has immense natural wealth, a huge market in neighbouring countries and direct access to new roads, railways and ports – and therefore potential global trade. But as east African road and rail networks expand and transportation costs fall, the DRC’s eastern forests will become more vulnerable to surging demand by regional and global markets. This could threaten one of the world’s richest biodiversity areas. The DRC’s eastern forests are one of the last remaining intact tracts of rainforest on the planet, second only to the Amazon. They…
Author: Agency
Choosing the right lawyer is critical to any personal injury claim. Here is how you can learn all you can about them. If you’ve been injured because of another person’s negligence, you have probably considered filing a personal injury claim. The first step is talking to a lawyer who can review your case before initiating the claim process. It’s essential to have an idea of what critical questions to ask while you’re in the process of hiring a personal injury lawyer. Here are some to consider: 1. What is your specialty? There are various practice areas in personal injury law. While…
By The Conversation A new European law that imposes the first ever carbon border tax in the world comes into force in October 2023. It will be applied gradually over the next three years before it is fully implemented. A carbon tax is a type of levy imposed on greenhouse gas emissions. It is meant to encourage companies to adopt clean methods of production. But firms could get around the tax by moving production units outside the EU to countries with less strict terms, such as those in Africa, and then exporting products back to the EU. That’s why the EU has…
By The Conversation Pastoralists are livestock keepers who are frequently on the move, sometimes across huge distances. Following mobile lifestyles and living far from centres of power, they are often inaccurately dismissed as backward and in need of modernisation. Many policies are directed at transforming mobile pastoralists into settled agriculturalists or urban dwellers. This aims at recasting them into the dominant image of “civilised” living. And, despite their positive contributions to livelihoods, economies and the environment, the world’s many millions of pastoralists have been vilified as contributors to climate change and destroyers of the environment. I am a social scientist with a background in ecology. Over more than 30 years I…
The Conversation The brief rebellion led against the Kremlin by the head of the Wagner mercenary forces in Russia last week sent shock waves across the world. This was no less true in Africa, where some countries have, over the last decade, turned to the Wagner group for security support. Many states in Africa are contending with multidimensional insecurity. This includes violent extremism, terrorism, insurgency, banditry, communal clashes, sea piracy, separatist violence, kidnapping and oil theft. Non-state actors have entered the scene as security providers. As a coordinator of observations of organised crime in central Africa at the Institute for Security Studies based in Dakar,…
By The Conversation The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Nile River started operating in February 2022. It reinforced tensions between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The three countries rely most heavily on the Nile’s water. Sudan and Egypt consider the US$4.6 billion dam a threat to vital water supplies. Ethiopia sees it as essential for its development. This is just one example of how conflicts can arise between states that share river basins. And there’s a real risk that such conflicts will become more common as global temperatures rise. Hundreds of rivers are shared between two or more countries. Sharing waters can…
By The Conversation Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame recently said he was looking forward to his retirement after 23 years in power. Speaking to the press in April 2023, he claimed he “may join journalism in my old age” – a somewhat surprising choice, given the poor state of the freedom of the press in Rwanda. But the chances that Kagame will actually step down seem rather small. After a controversial referendum in 2015, Rwandans voted to extend presidential term limits, allowing Kagame to rule potentially until 2034. More recently, Kagame was re-elected to head the ruling party – the Rwandan Patriotic Front – for another five years. And…
Africa’s shrinking space for press freedom and a growing mistrust in state institutions are pushing journalists into activism In most African countries, journalists and media organizations are faced with numerous challenges — including government censorship, restrictive laws and harassment. These challenges are making journalists to take a more active role in advocating for change and defending human rights. According to investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw, “journalism should go beyond just reporting the news” to challenging the status quo and promoting social justice. Popular for his corruption exposés, the Ghanian ace has played a crucial rule in shining light on human rights…
