It’s time to push for greater debt transparency across all creditors and natural resource backed loans should no longer be used as collateral Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Africa’s total external debt hit the US$ 1 trillion-mark last year and is expected to rise up to US$ 1.13 trillion by …
Read More »Sudanese army chief urges civilians to take up arms to fight paramilitary forces
Khartoum, Sudan | Xinhua | General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Force Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Tuesday urged those who are able to carry arms to join the fight against the paramilitary forces. “We ask all the youth of my country and whoever can defend not to hesitate or delay …
Read More »How the cookie crackdown plays to Africa’s text messaging strengths
In an era of AI and blockchain, the simple text message seems distinctly old-fashioned. But text messaging’s USSD technology remains a key feature for African businesses. Here’s how a crackdown on customer information sharing suddenly makes USSD even more attractive. SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | African businesses are continuing …
Read More »Regional NGOs warn Kenya on EU trade deal
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eastern and Southern African trade promotion organisations are pushing for the rescinding by Kenya of the recent agreement with the European Union to implement the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between them. They say the deal pauses “imminent danger” to the integration of East Africa …
Read More »RDB signs deal with Basketball Africa League
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) today announced a multi-year extension of their existing collaboration that will see the BAL continue to play games at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda each season, including the BAL Playoffs and Finals in 2024, …
Read More »Zimbabwean president launches campaign for 2nd term
Harare, Zimbabwe | Xinhua | Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is also leader of the ruling ZANU PF party, on Saturday launched his party’s election campaign in preparation for the Aug. 23 elections. Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017, is seeking a second five-year term as president. Addressing thousands of supporters …
Read More »Russia-Ukraine War: African sentiment favours Ukraine
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | Ahead of the African Peace Initiative visit to Kyiv and Moscow on June 15-17, the upcoming Russia/Africa meetings in St. Petersburg, and the BRICS Summit in South Africa in August, international research company Ipsos polled African citizens on their attitudes towards Russia, Ukraine …
Read More »Grand infrastructure projects aren’t a magic bullet for industrial development-Kenya and Ghana
In both cases, improved connectivity failed to catalyse industrialization and instead encouraged land speculation as it opened up new spaces to real estate investment Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | The African Union’s flagship Agenda 2063 initiative prioritises large-scale infrastructure development and promises to “link the continent by rail, road, sea and …
Read More »From conflict to regional peacekeeping: The steady rise of Sierra Leone
From a history marked by periods of conflict to now sitting on the world’s most powerful Security Council, Sierra Leone has made significant progress SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | Sierra Leone has made remarkable progress in overcoming a tumultuous past marked by conflict and has emerged as a leading …
Read More »Investors train eyes on African youth with gaming campuses
Giant tech firms, game studios and other gaming investors have launched an aggressive hunt for young Africans with the talent, skills, passion – and jobs – to sustain long-term investments in the gaming sector SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | In early June, Maliyo, a game studio in Nigeria began …
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