Africa's Post-Colonial Addiction to Power and Corruption

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AFRICA - The exchange of power among most African states is stained with blood. Once a leader comes into power, it becomes difficult to let go of the seat. Political leadership is attached to the amassing of wealth through every means possible. The vice has seen leaders cling on to power longer than the constitutionally defined limits. The result of this is the bloodshed that follows each election period. Three African heads of states have been in power for over three decades. They seek to rule by all means alienating their countries from the world. For decades, these countries have suffered from corruption, killings, the rigging of the election, and unlawful constitutional amendments. Political opponents and other critics are intimidated, jailed, and killed.

Ugandan Anti-Corruption Sign, Photo by Future Atlas

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda

Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has led the country since 1986. The Aljazeera refers to him as "the five-time elected dictator." The Ugandan president faces silent accusations of robbing the citizens of the freedom of speech and the adverse infliction of human rights through extrajudicial killings. The president has also appointed his wife to a cabinet seat, and his son is his special advisor. The age limit for presidential leadership in Uganda is 75 years, and some sources speculate that he will try to alter the constitution to allow him a 6th term. If this doesn't work out, he will have his son run for the presidency after he retires.

President Paul Biya of Cameroon

Cameroonian President Paul Biya has led the country since 1982. His leadership saw the change of presidential term limits in 2008 to create a leeway for him to run for another term during the 2011 elections. The constitutional amendments saw more than 40 people lose their lives in anti-protests. The 87-year-old president is suffering from poor health, which has affected the execution of his duties. He hardly makes public appearances and can go for months (longest term- two years) without holding a cabinet meeting with his critics, terming him the "absentee president." Only death can rob him of the throne. In Cameroon, Elections are overseen by a body appointed by the head of state. The country still faces problems of unemployment, with a quarter of the population under 25years. Terrorism and internal conflicts are also a significant challenge, with 160,000 people fleeing to neighboring Nigeria. There is an evident conflict between French and English speakers in the country. English speakers threaten to detach from the state, which seems to overlook their rights. President Biya remains unmoved by the pressure from locals and the international community as he still aspires to run for the 7th term.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea

President Teodoro Obiang has sat as the president of Equatorial Guinea since 1979, making him the longest-serving president in the world. He attained power after overthrowing his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema from office in a military coup. The ex-soldier had his uncle executed by a firing squad for abuse of office. President Teodoro appointed his son and likely successor as his Vice president. He is, among others, accused of robbing their states of wealth to acquire luxurious homes and properties in France in a scandal dubbed the "ill-gotten gains." The United States has been fighting with the president's son over illegally acquired property worth $71million. The property is said to have been born of stolen from the oil-rich state. Though the country's constitution allows for multiple parties, it remains virtually a single party. Mr. Obiangs political party, "Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea," is the state's dominant party. Opposition stands no chance during elections, and looking into the future, with his son in line, the dynasty of Nguema's is likely to rule the country for decades.

Democracy is still novel in most African states. The civil society and regional blocks have been at the forefront in the fight for human rights and democracy. The trends are changing in some countries where long-serving leaders are accepting defeat and stepping down. Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the former head of Angola's state, stepped down in 2017 following defeat after 38 years in office. A military coup also overthrew Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in 2017 after 37years of the presidency. Poor leadership, majorly resulting from lack of democracy, has been the major contributor to poverty among African states.

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Can Anyone Stop the Illegal Pet Trade?

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International authorities have finally begun cracking down on the illegal trade in exotic pets, a $20 billion a year industry that wreaks havoc on local ecosystems while posing a huge health threat to animals and humans alike. Last July, INTERPOL teamed up with the World Customs Organization in a coordinated global bust of animal traffickers across the globe, arresting over 600 suspected traffickers while rescuing thousands of trafficked animals, from snakes, turtles, and birds to bears and lions.

Similar busts were carried out in 2017 and 2018 but the latest sting operation, dubbed “Operation Thunderball,” was the largest and most successful to date.

The traffic in exotic pets is only one part of the $200 billion wildlife trade industry, most of it legal. Nations in Africa and Southeast Asia especially sell animals raised in captivity to zoos and as well as animal skins to wholesalers (e.g. leather) and body parts o scientific laboratories. An international treaty signed in 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is supposed to monitor and regulate the trade through diplomatic coordination and intelligence sharing.

But few countries have enough inspectors available to provide effective enforcement at points of entry. On-site monitoring is so lax that many traffickers can operate with virtual impunity. And in recent years, the wildlife trade has begun flourishing online, in a regulatory gray area, making regulation even more difficult.

That means even the legal wildlife trade often exceeds established limits while the illegal trade is barely noticed unless a special global-wide effort is made to go after trafficking rings based on months of intelligence gathered from local sources, including former traffickers turned informants.

Unlike the legal trade, most illegally trafficked animals aren’t bred in captivity but are simply captured in the wild and then shipped clandestinely — usually to the United States, Europe and Asia where the biggest consumer markets are.

There are several serious problems associated with the illegal wildlife trade. One is that the vast majority of the animals trafficked (as many as 80%, depending on the species) die in transit, largely because of the cruel ways they are shipped, ostensibly to avoid detection. Many animals are drugged and stuffed in suitcases for hours and even days with no food or water and little if any air to breathe.

Another is that the purchasers are usually impulse buyers who have no idea how to care for their new pet, especially as it grows beyond its original size. In a majority of cases, owners end up dumping their exotic purchases into the outdoors where they often survive to become an “invasive species” that mates with other wildlife and disrupts local eco-systems.

One of the most notorious examples is the Burmese python, which has come to dominate large swaths of the Florida Everglades, displacing other reptiles. Florida authorities are engaged in a massive effort to capture the pythons and repopulate the area with its “natural” predators. Exotic pets can also pose a major health hazard to humans because of the germs and diseases they carry. In a few highly publicized cases, dozens of people have fallen ill and died due to illnesses traced to illegally-obtained exotic pets.

The range of animals being captured for the illegal pet trade is truly phenomenal. It includes dozens of reptile and amphibian species as well as lions, bears, monkeys, exotic anteaters known as pangolins, and birds, especially parrots. It also includes a plethora of prized plant species as well as animal skins and ivory tusks, primarily from elephants.

Can the illegal trade in wildlife really be stopped when the demand is so high and ever-growing? It’s already become one of the world’s most lucrative illegal businesses, constituting the third-largest illicit trade globally, second only to illegal drugs and firearms. And the three forms of illegal trade tend to overlap because they often rely on the same transshipment points and trade routes as well as illegal financing mechanisms. One in-depth investigation has revealed the distinct patterns that characterize the illegal pet trade. For example, Asia’s illicit wildlife market – based largely in Japan but increasingly in China – is fueled by animals originating in East, Central and Southern Africa. By contrast, consumers in Europe and the United States typically receive their pets from South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

As with illegal drugs, there is also a wide range of participants or stakeholders in the trade, including poachers and farmers, tourism guides, and local government officials on the take. The more the illegal trade becomes interwoven into the daily economies of poor and dependent nations, reinforced by bribes and government corruption, the harder it is to root out.

The latest global bust, like the previous two, was meant to send a signal to traffickers. In fact, these operations have barely made a dent in their operations – at least so far.

Even when caught, few traffickers serve time in prison for their crimes. Often they receive a hefty fine, which they pay, before simply turning around and resuming their lucrative operations.

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Rwanda's Most Wanted Man Arrested in Paris and Extradited

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RWANDA - Felicien Kabuga, 84, is a Rwandan businessman, who made the bulk of his fortune in the 1970s in the tea trade. He is also the founder and primary funder of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) and stands accused of using twenty different aliases to evade capture. After evading apprehension for 28-years, he was finally arrested by French police on 16 May 2020, in a suburb of Paris.

Ntarama Genocide Memorial, Ntarama, Rwanda, Photo by Bradford Duplisea

Kabuga was the richest man in Rwanda before the 1994 genocide when the Hutus slaughtered approximately 800,000 Tutsis between July and April of that year. RTLM was a leading news outlet for Rwanda, but a significant propaganda arm for the Hutu militia, Interahamwe. Daily programming included anti-Tutsi content, songs, and speeches, including the broadcast of the names of people who were killed earlier in the day.

Indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 1997, Kabuga evaded capture by frequently moving between several East African countries, including Kenya, where it is believed that the government harbored him as a fugitive for many years. During this time, he continued to do business in the country, held a Kenyan passport, and investigators charge that Kenyan government officials actively aided and abetted the fugitive. Kenya has repeatedly denied these allegations.

Efforts to locate Kabuga and bring him to justice were abandoned when the Tribunal closed in 2015. However, Serge Brammertz, a United Nations’ war crimes prosecutor, leading the division responsible for adjudicating outstanding war crimes from Uganda, ordered the search restarted last year after learning that Kabuga may be hiding in Europe. Authorities located Kabuga in his French apartment based on information obtained by surveilling his children.

The diplomatic relationship between France and Rwanda – a former French colony, has been extremely complicated since the days of the genocide. Rwandans accuse the French of complicity in the genocide since the French government was an ally of Hutu leader, Juvenal Habyarimana, (whose death was the final catalyst for the genocide), before the massacres.

Rwanda charges that the French initially supplied arms to militias, and UN peacekeepers from France often helped known killers escape capture and prosecution. Twenty-six years after the genocide, archived records about Rwanda and the genocide are still classified in France, despite numerous calls for the documents to be made public. Rwandans also accuse the French of harboring génocidaires, including Kabuga, since 1994. Six charged génocidaires by the Tribunal remain fugitives who are possibly being harbored by France.

Kabuga has denied alleged involvement in the genocide during a bail hearing in a French court at the end of May. On 3 June 2020, a French court ruled that he be extradited to Tanzania, the home of the UN Tribunal. His lawyers argue that Kabuga will not receive a fair trial at the Tribunal, especially one held in East Africa. Rwandans prefer that he be tried in his home country for war crimes, but there is no extradition treaty between Rwanda and France at this time. Kabuga’s legal team will appeal the decision to France’s highest court, which they hope will be successful due to their assertion that his ailing health makes him unable to travel.

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Extrajudicial Killings and Racism, a Global Pandemic

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ISRAEL - Currently, the streets of many American cities are filled with crowds of people armed with signs, protesting the violent death of George Floyd, a black man, who was killed by white, former police officer Derek Chauvin. But the increased public speculation on systemic racism and discrimination is not unique to America; instead, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement is present in nations worldwide, including Israel—the “Holy Land,” known for its claimed acceptance of all people regardless of race or faith.

Ethiopian Protesters Confront Israeli Police Over Death of Unarmed Teenager, Photo Flickr

On June 30, 2019, in the Israeli town of Haifa, 18-year-old Solomon Teka decided to spend some time at a neighborhood park. While there, he got into a small fight with a few other teenagers. A nearby off-duty police officer attempted to break up the fight after identifying himself. According to the officer, this caused the men to turn violent against him, and fearing for his life, and he aimed a warning shot. The bullet hit Solomon Teka, who later died in medical care. 

Teka was an Ethiopian Jew, a dark-skinned ethnic minority in a majority white country. The Ethiopian Jews have long endured systemic racism in Israel. Many of them are either migrants or descendants of refugees from the nearby countries of Ethiopia and Sudan, flocking to the Holy Land in search of religious freedom. However, their dreams are soon shattered as they continue to suffer from ingrained racism. Ethiopian Jews have the highest poverty rate in Israel and continue to be searched, tried, and arrested at a much higher frequency than any other community. They are often treated as second class citizens. Solomon Teka’s death was the last straw—thousands of protesters took to the streets, calling for a stop to the excessive use of police force against Ethiopian Jews. 

The protests blocked many major Israeli roads, halting commuting traffic from nearby cities. In Tel Aviv, protesters shut down the Ayalon Highway. While the Tel Aviv protests continued to be mostly peaceful, other cities were plagued with violence, as people burned tires, vandalized buildings, and fought with the police. 

Both sides of the violent riots suffered greatly—over a hundred protesters were arrested, and a similar number of police officers were injured. The police turned to tear gas and increased force in retaliation to rioters who threw stones and gas bombs at them. Through all of this, the Ethiopian Jews’ message remained clear: they were tired of the institutionalized racism that was ingrained in both the country of Israel and its police forces. These past protests and those of today’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations are eerily similar—presenting the possibility that action against racism has been futile so far. 

At one point in the protests, things seemed to take a turn for the better. In an attempt to answer the Ethiopian Jews’ pleas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated a ministerial committee on the integration of Israeli citizens of Ethiopian origin. However, this action was increasingly hard to implement, as the majority of the targeted citizens were low-income citizens and did not have access to the Prime Minister’s committee. 

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan agreed that action against the country’s deep-rooted racism was necessary. Rivlin issued the following statement:

“This is not a civil war. It is a shared struggle of brothers and sisters for their shared home and their shared future. I ask all of us to act responsibly and with moderation. My home is your home. Let us continue to stand together like a wall against violence, any form of violence, and to fight together for our shared home.”

However, both figures shared the sentiment that violent protests would be met with the requisite police force and whatever means necessary to quell the riots. 

Authorities initially arrested the suspected police officer on charges of possible manslaughter. But they soon released him into house arrest, causing protests to rise once more. Charges against him were reduced to involuntary manslaughter, which is used in the case that the accused acts dangerously with clear violent intent, although not with the purpose of killing. The maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter is 12 years, but Israeli courts usually only issue one or two years.

A few days after the charge, legal counsel began entertaining the idea of reducing it to negligent homicide, which has even fewer consequences. The officer was not also fired from the force, despite the call to do so by Tebeka, an organization that defends the rights of Ethiopian Jews in Israel. 

In a statement taken by the L.A. Times, Teka’s family lawyer asked for “the truth to be uncovered, and justice served.” He also mentioned that the “police and the State Prosecutor’s Office, in their public statements, show a tendency to attribute reduced responsibility to a police officer who killed our beloved in his prime,” alluding to the racism permeating Israel’s legal forces. 

While the Teka family continues to fight for an appeal following the officer’s reduced charges, the Black Lives Matter movement in Israel has flared up once again due to the death of George Floyd in America. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the U.S. diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv, holding signs emblazoned with the words “Black Lives Matter,” “George Floyd,” and “Solomon Teka.” Because every name that is added to the list of racism-related deaths is a reminder that we, as a global community, are still far from equality for all.

*A Note of Importance: As a South Asian-American, I acknowledge that I can never truly understand the day-to-day struggles that people of African descent endure. However, as a human being, I fully support and stand by the BLM Movement; furthermore, as a writer, it is my responsibility to use the given platform to objectively detail the following situation as I see fit, allowing readers to interpret my work as they wish. ~ Sayuni Dharmasena

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Gender Based Violence, a Covid Lockdown Nightmare

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The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the world in so many ways. While the world learns to adapt to a new normal, it is still ignoring one crucial group, and this passivity has led to what some are calling, “a shadow pandemic.” While globally, other types of crimes decreased during the Coronavirus lockdowns, there has been, unfortunately, a commensurate increase in domestic violence cases.

Source: Pixabay

Source: Pixabay

During this era of quarantine, women and children have been most at risk of death because of an inability to escape or reach out for help. Anecdotally, there have been reports of abusers threatening to lock victims out of their homes with the claim that they will be exposed to and contract the deadly Coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Fear and intimidation are the hallmarks of abusers, who ‘weaponize’ lies and manipulation to keep their victims quiet.

Statistical figures on the number of domestic abuse cases that occur annually are difficult to compile because the victims are often ashamed to report it. Abusers depend upon their victims’ feelings of complicity and responsibility for their abuse. All of which contribute to the difficulty in gather data about the number of domestic violence cases pre-coronavirus lockdown. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, here in the United States, the organization reported receiving an average of 1,800 to 2,000 contacts a day from March through April of 2020.

According to UN Women, “It is estimated that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives. However, some national studies show that up to 70 percent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Evidence shows that women who have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence report higher rates of depression, having an abortion, and acquiring HIV, compared to women who have not.”

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global epidemic. Female genital mutilation (FMG), child marriages, and rape fall under its rubric. There has been an observable correlation between pandemic health emergencies and increased gender-based violence. In a July 2015 Oxfam International report on the impact of Ebola, “22.9 percent of respondents reported that cases of GBV were still happening even during the Ebola crisis. Respondents in urban areas were more likely (32 percent) to acknowledge the existence of GBV than those in rural areas (24 percent). Different forms of GBV took place, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, rape, etc. …The assessment found that 52.6 percent of respondents recognized that women and girls had been bearing a greater burden in the household since the Ebola outbreak began.”

These conditions that exacerbated domestic abuse and GBV seemed confined to Africa are now being seen in the United States and Europe since the spread of coronavirus. A variety of factors contribute to the increase in violence: primarily victims confinement in government-mandated isolation with their abusers, additional household stress, and those who were ready to reach out for help can no longer do so safely. The National Domestic Violence website has a pop-up warning for individuals seeking help “Safety Alert: Computer use can be monitored and is impossible to completely clear.” This effort is a means to encourage continued engagement but provides them with protection from controlling, tech-savvy abusers.

Women and girls have also borne the caretaking duties during this pandemic, and in countries with more deeply rooted patriarchal societies, access to help is impossible. These women lack access to phones and computers, and often the family and community tightly control their movements.  In this new world where governments are making decisions about what elements of society are essential and nonessential, many services like shelters, reproductive health clinics, and counseling are relegated to the latter. Throughout the Continent, law enforcement resources are enforcing strict city and country lockdowns. Like their U.S. and European counterparts, they are less concerned with responding to domestic violence calls unless there is evidence of clear and present danger and a probable life or death situation.

During this global pandemic, victims of GBV need our help, and it is incumbent upon society to be more vigilant and diligent in supporting them during these challenging times. We must no longer turn a blind eye or expect other people or organizations to help. As citizens, it is our responsibility and social contract to support women who may be experiencing domestic and gender-based violence without judgment.

Find discrete ways to check on friends and family who you suspect might be in trouble. If necessary, help them with cover stories and code words so that they can become survivors instead of victims. If feasible, please donate to women’s shelters because they are best equipped to help women and children safely escape dangerous situations. In these times of economic hardship, these organizations are in dire need of private and public support. Every dollar counts, and if you are in a position to help please do so.  

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Africa's Technical Revolution

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There were many skeptics when Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and small business resource Square, announced that he would be venturing to Africa in 2020.

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Africa has steadily grown through the years, finally becoming free of its misnomer as the “Dark Continent.” With more than 600 active technology hubs (up from 422 in 2018), we see organizations with the local address, facilities, and support for technical and digital entrepreneurs making Africa the next big market in technology for the coming decades, and possibly the century!

Africa’s fifty-four countries have a total population of 1.3 billion people, and according to McKinsey, by 2025, more than 100 cities in Africa will contain over a million people. Others predict that population growth will push those numbers to 4.3 billion within the next century. Africa also has the additional advantage of a youthful population, with an average age of just under twenty-years-old. Many of these individuals have studied abroad, and even those who have not had similar opportunities are incredibly tech-savvy because of Africa’s long reliance on block-chain and mobile banking solutions.

With such young potential and energy, there is a transition away from traditional rural economies to more technologically driven. This revolution is powered by the massive migration of young people from rural to more urban areas, which, according to reporting, surpasses even China and India in this trend. In 2019, six African countries were listed in the top ten fastest-growing economies globally. These included Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Ghana emerged in the top fifteen coming in spots 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15, respectively. These countries are no longer the exception; as a whole, Africa’s overall GDP projected to reach 2.6 trillion in 2020 and increase to 4.1 trillion in 2021.

These impressive stats are attracting the attention of some of the globe’s largest investors, many of whom are positioning their companies to benefit from this rapidly emerging market to achieve maximum growth. The continent is one of the last places where economic opportunity and growth potential are extraordinary because it is virgin territory.

China has taken full advantage of this opening, exponentially building upon its long-range investments in Africa’s infrastructure projects and other projects since the 1950s. Through the Sino-Africa bilateral trade agreements and treaties, China has established businesses and projects with Saharan and Sub-Saharan African nations, investing billions of dollars.

China and Africa’s modernization efforts yield a return on investment, as companies unwilling to risk expanding into territories without a well-established consumer base or reliable supply chain are now more confident in the opportunities presented by Africa’s thriving urban centers. With so much to offer, leaders of African nations no longer have to accept the lesser share of profits.

Leaders have become more adept at negotiating agreements in the best interest of their countries. Trade agreements that preserve the African nation’s ability to achieve equitable control of the profits through various methods, such as creating reserve sectors in which no foreign entity may participate, and most often with partnership arrangements requiring a percentage of citizen ownership in the company.

These types of arrangements facilitate knowledge transfer, which is necessary for the uplifting of the nation’s citizenry. The inequity of colonialism ensured that leaders of present-day African nation’s value not only natural resources but also human capital, for, without both, freedom is illusory.

The timely implementation of technology and digital service offering by African entrepreneurs or through government partnerships has enabled citizens to access essential services during a global pandemic. There have been challenges during the quarantines, social distancing, and other measures taken to mitigate the virus’ spread. Still, it has demonstrated the need for robust technology infrastructure and entrepreneurial thinking to meet the moment.

Companies that can provide fast, secure, and reliable wireless and WiFi services are the best position to ride the next wave toward immense growth and profitability. Multinationals such as “Facebook,” have partnered with companies such as “Airtell Uganda,” and “BSC” to leverage these opportunities. This trifecta is implementing a project to deliver mobile broadband to 3 million people in Northwest Uganda. And, South Africa has also launched initiatives to connect under served communities with WiFi and has negotiated for Amazon to establish a presence in Johannesburg.

Microsoft, which has operated in Africa since 1992, also continues to expand its footprint through cloud computing. As with Western nations, cloud computing will allow African governments to more efficiently scale their technology needs by enabling off-premises solutions to deliver services that otherwise would not advance because of antiquated systems. Technology partnerships are especially crucial during this era of the global pandemic when so many vital services can only be delivered through digital and virtual platforms to reduce the spread of the virus.

Now, African governments who chose to negotiate trade agreements with global governments, and entrepreneurs seeking partnerships with corporations interested in doing business in Africa, come to the table with a new power dynamic. One which will result in the creation of long-term capital investment, hard assets, and technology, all of which will create cyclical positive earnings. Urbanization of the citizenry, higher educational opportunities, sophisticated understanding, and use of technology is fueling an era of young African consumers. They will make up the backbone of the workforce, know how to live and work in the international arena, but their heart and interest remains anchored in Africa’s ascendancy.

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Sweet Revenge of West African Cocoa Cartels

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Cocoa Seed Pod, Photo by David Greenwood-Haigh

WEST COAST, Africa - When one first thinks of chocolate, usually Europe comes to mind. As many connaisseurs of chocolate can attest, there is no sweeter pursuit than wandering the streets of Belgium or Switzerland in search of a piece of "brown heaven." Ironically, the natural resources which are critical to the success of these chocolatiers, and for which these countries are renowned, start as cocoas tree grown a continent away, in Africa. In fact, because of the plant’s need for a warm, tropical climate, there are no cocoa fields in Europe.

Ghana and the Ivory Coast, small neighboring countries on the west coast of Africa, produce over 60% of the world’s cocoa. Yet, despite demand being at an all-time high and the industry reaching a peak of $107.3bn per year, some cocoa farmers in West Africa are more impoverished now than they were in the 1970s and 80’s.

Seeking to rectify this inequity, the presidents of both countries entered into a partnership. They formed an alliance that many have dubbed the chocolate equivalent of the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) or “COPEC.” The coalition decided to stabilize the market by assessing a $400 per metric ton premium on top of the current benchmark cocoa futures prices, which is currently trading at $2500 per metric ton.

Manufacturers have agreed to the premium, after first pushing back against Ivory Coast and Ghana’s first proposal of a $2600 per metric ton minimum, stating that their interests are aligned with that of the West African cocoa farmers.

Mars’ global communications director, Josh Gerbino, said “Mars believes boosting the income of cocoa farmers while ensuring cocoa is grown sustainably is key to a thriving cocoa sector. “ A spokesperson for Hershey, Jeff Beckman, said that “cocoa farmers should be able to support their families and earn a decent standard of living…”

Though all of this may seem altruistic on the part of the manufacturers, Jonathan Parkman, the co-head of agricultural trading at Marex Spectron, believes that chocolate prices will undoubtedly go up, and he doesn’t expect the multi-billion dollar companies to foot the bill.

“Who’s paying the bill for this?” Parkman asks, “ultimately, it’ll be the consumers.”

Eric Bergman, the vice President at Brokerage JSG Commodities Inc., concurs, stating that the new premium “is essentially a $1.2 billion tax on the cocoa industry”.

In the past, when different governing bodies have attempted market manipulate, the results were short term at best. Ultimately, when commodity prices rose, the demand subsequently fell, thus defeating these efforts. For example, when chocolate prices rose to $3000 per metric ton, supply declined sharply.

In the short term, the premium may boost supply. After decades of subsistence farming, this opportunity for greater returns on investment will incentivize growers. However, as prices rise, consumer demand for the final product will likely fall, resulting in a surplus supply, which farmers cannot sell to other markets. In the long run, some analysts fear that this premium may not be in the best interest of the farmers.

Yet, the inequity in the market supply chain in which the farmers have relatively little leverage, this may be their best bet since being solely dependent on supply and demand has not benefited them. As the adage goes, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly yet expecting different results." Thus, this approach, one in which partnerships with the farmers' respective governments, provides them with the best-negotiating positions.

According to Bloomberg.com, when supply exceeded demand in 2018, the price per metric ton plummeted steeply, and farmers and their countries were left reeling. The Ivory Coast even delayed a plan to extend electricity to villages as a consequence. However, the net benefit, according to individual analysts, is that the alliance between these two powerhouse producers of chocolate is worth any potential market downturn.

Together, these nations grow more than half of the entire world’s chocolate supply. Their presidents and their administrations have been working on these proposals for years, and with change comes pain. Still, the world's desire for and consumption of chocolate is not likely to diminish. As Jonathan Parkman put it, “you’re talking about two-thirds of the world’s cocoa"… The world cannot do without that cocoa,” and therefore, Ghana and Ivory Coast hold indomitable power.

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Ebola Cure? DRC, WHO, and NIH Remain Hopeful

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On 14 January 2016, the World Health Organization declared that Ebola had been eradicated. The 9th meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa took place by teleconference on Tuesday, 29 March 2016 from 12:30 until 15:15 hr.

Ebola in West Africa, Photo by European Commission DG ECHO.jpg

African countries have acted swiftly and decisively during the Corona Virus pandemic. Many Countries, such as Ghana and Kenya have closed their borders to European travelers and others have even deported European citizens back to their countries.

Many are wondering if these measures are the reason why the number of Coronavirus cases are so low, others are questioning whether or not the African nations have the means to test the population. The answer to the low Coronavirus numbers may in fact be due, in part, to the infrastructure that was maintained since the Ebola crisis, a virus that claimed more than 11,000 lives in West Africa alone.

For the past six years, Many African countries have been maintaining and strengthening their defenses against highly contagious diseases. Some countries, like Nigeria, have even created National laboratories to study these diseases. The continent’s dedicated, hard work has paid off with the creation of not one, but two Ebola vaccines though only one is FDA approved.

The Ebola Virus was first recognized as a disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sudan in 1976. This disease spreads rapidly through contact with infected body fluids. It’s an extremely lethal virus and during the early outbreaks the disease had a 90% mortality rate.

Ebola killed so quickly in its early days , in fact, that people would die of the virus before they would be able to pass it to others. This trait kept its outbreaks to small, rural areas in Africa and it remained a low impact disease, infecting 2,400 people and killing 1,600 from its discovery in 1976 to the 2014 epidemic.

Ervebo, the first and currently the only FDA approved Ebola vaccine was developed and made By Merck & Co. a global healthcare company based in New-Jersey. The vaccine is said to be 100% effective if administered at least 10 days before potential exposure. The vaccine will be available near the end of 2020 and though Merck & Co. have yet to decide on a price, they have been working with Gavi, a nonprofit group that supports the global vaccine program and has strong ties in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2014 Gavi committed $300 Million USD to manufactures as an incentive to invest in the creation of an Ebola Vaccine. By January of 2015 the Merk Vaccine was being tested in Guinea where 12,000 people who had come into contact with individuals that showed symptoms of Ebola were vaccinated. The trial proved that the vaccine had 100% efficacy, meaning everyone who received the vaccine was protected from it.

Pam Eisele, the company’s spokesperson, vows that Meck will be “making the vaccine available to Gavi-eligible countries at the lowest possible access price.” Currently Gavi works with 40 of the 54 countries in Africa and hopes to procure the vaccine for all high-risk counties as part of a set of “Ebola response tools”.

The WHO, the United Nations agencies and Gavi hope to use this vaccine’s success to help eradicate the fatal and extremely contagious disease from the continent of Africa.

 

Ethiopian Airlines Leading in Women's Empowerment

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Ethiopian Airlines is one of the premier international carriers operating throughout Africa and major hubs globally. Whenever we travel to Africa for the Zimbabwe Farm Project, we fly Ethiopian Airlines. Long known as one of the safest airlines on the Continent, the recent tragedy was an aberration. A defining ethos of the airline among other things, is its commitment to women’s empowerment, as evidenced by the fact that 35% of the company's 16,000-strong workforce is female.

Amsale Gualu is Ethiopian Airlines' First Female Captain

Amsale Gualu is Ethiopian Airlines' First Female Captain

The airline’s hiring practices speak to its vanguard status as a proponent of gender equality in Africa. In an era when women’s rights are under assault globally, it is crucial to recognize an organization where highly trained professionals responsible for the lives of so many happen to be female.

The practice of hiring and promoting women to greater levels of responsibility is no accident. Ethiopian Airlines implemented initiatives designed to provide women in the workforce with opportunities normally reserved for men. It is a strategy which has been deliberative, and as Chief Executive Officer Tewolde GabreMariam “explained that initiative celebrates women on a continent where ’gender inequality still persists.’

The all-female-crew on 8 March 2019 flew from Addis Ababa to Stockholm-Oslo using female ground crews, flight dispatchers, load controllers, ramp operators, on-board logistics staff, safety and security personnel, catering service, as well as air-traffic controllers.

Ethiopian Airlines joins other carriers which have honored International Women’s Day by organizing all-female-flights such as Air India and British Airways. On 8 March 2018, British Airways London Heathrow to Glasgow flight was facilitated by over 60 women as featured in this U.K produced video.

Disclosure: I have not been paid to write this article, nor do I have any financial stake in the company, and the opinions expressed are based upon personal experience.

Editor-in-Chief: @ayannanahmias
LinkedIn: Ayanna Nahmias

Mandla Maseko, First African Astronaut Dies at 30

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Mandla Maseko, First African Astronaut Dies at 30

In the era when space travel has been front and center, with private entities like SpaceX making great strides in humanity’s quest to explore this frontier, what we have not seen are very many people of color. Therefore, it is with great sadness that Mandla Maseko, 30, the first black African who would have traveled to space has died.

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Introducing U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe | Brian A. Nichols

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HARARE, Zimbabwe - Brian A. Nichols presented his credentials on July 19, 2018, as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Ambassador Nichols previously served as the Ambassador to Peru from 2014 to 2017.  He pioneered strategies against illegal gold mining, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and environmental degradation.  

Brian A. Nichols, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe

Brian A. Nichols, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe

He supported American trade and investment in Peru, increasing agricultural sales to over $1 billion annually, defending the rights of American investors, and building the Hemisphere’s largest public-private partnership—the U.S.-Peru Cacao Alliance.

Brian Nichols was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) from 2011 to 2013.   In that capacity, he oversaw the full range of rule of law programs, counter-narcotics and multilateral issues managed by the bureau.  From 2007 to 2010, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, where he managed day-to-day U.S. diplomatic activities in Colombia including overseeing over $500 million in annual assistance. 

Ambassador Nichols previously served as the Director of the Office of Caribbean Affairs, coordinating U.S. policy toward 14 Caribbean countries.  He also served as Counselor for Political Affairs at the American Embassy in Indonesia from 2001 to 2004. Ambassador Nichols has also served in Mexico and El Salvador during major democratic transitions.  He began his Foreign Service career as a Consular Officer in Lima in 1989.

Ambassador Nichols has earned over 20 awards during his diplomatic career, including the 2016 Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development.  He is married to Foreign Service Officer Geri Kam. They have two daughters.

Editor-in-Chief: @ayannanahmias
LinkedIn: Ayanna Nahmias

A Not So Sweet Situation - Cocoa and Cote d'Ivoire

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A Not So Sweet Situation - Cocoa and Cote d'Ivoire

Although the default has proved harrowing for many, some people have outsmarted the system and began smuggling cocoa across the border to neighboring Ghana and Guinea where they can sell it to make a larger profit than in their homeland. Even though this has provided temporary relief for some, there does not exist a long term solution. As a result, many have taken to the streets in a cry for help for government assistance during this time of need. Likely fueling the protests is the fact that the Ivory Coast has not used either its stabilization fund or the Reserve Fund to support cocoa sales or otherwise mollify the situation.

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