Category: Politics

Immigration, Politics

The untapped political power of African immigrants in the US is set to take off
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By Chidinma Irene Nwoye | Quartz Africa

When it comes to the polls, black African and Caribbean immigrants in the United States are becoming a force to reckon with owing to a fast-growing population. Between 2010 and 2018, the number of African and Caribbean immigrants in the U.S. rose by 30% to 4.3 million people from 3.3 million, according to a recent report from the bipartisan research group, New American Economy. Their growth has consequently led to more eligible Black immigrant voters.

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Politics

Ngozi Akubuike, Nigerian-American lawyer running for Ramsey County Judge
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By Cynthia Simba | Mshale

Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Pauli attorney Ngozi Akubuike has her sights set on a new position. After a long multi decade legal career Akubuike is running to be a Ramsey County judge.

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Politics

Stanton Shares Somali Refugee’s Story In Supporting ‘No Ban Act’
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Arbitrarily keeping families separated “does not make our country safer,” says U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona.

By Laura Gómez Arizona Mirror

Continue reading “Stanton Shares Somali Refugee’s Story In Supporting ‘No Ban Act’” →
Politics

Nigerian-Canadian Uzoma Asagwara among Trio of black MLAs who make history by winning seats in Manitoba Legislature
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By Dana Hatherly 

Until Tuesday’s vote, no black person had ever been elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 150-year history of this province.

Now there are three.

Uzoma Asagwara won the Union Station seat for the NDP, Jamie Moses took the St. Vital seat for the party and Audrey Gordon won Southdale for the Progressive Conservatives.

Continue reading “Nigerian-Canadian Uzoma Asagwara among Trio of black MLAs who make history by winning seats in Manitoba Legislature” →
Policy

‘Green New Deal in Africa’ on Trump’s list of foreign aid cuts
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By Dave Boyer

Money for a “Green New Deal in Africa” and a solar panel project for Central Asia are among the targets for the Trump White House as it aims to slash what it sees as a bloated U.S. foreign aid budget.

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Policy

Ethiopia’s financial reforms hold promise for its diaspora business community
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By Haleluya Hadero

Ethiopia’s parliament this week passed a bill to allow members of the Ethiopian diaspora, who have taken up nationalities in other countries, to invest, buy shares, and set up lending businesses in the country’s state-dominated financial sector.

It’s the latest step in a general push to liberalize the country’s economy. The government has previously said it will privatize Ethio Telecom, the state-owned telecommunication monopoly.

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Policy

More than Just Investment: Why America Was Once So Popular in Africa
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Nick J. Danby

After two nefarious scrambles for Africa during the colonialism of the nineteenth-century and the Cold War in the twentieth century, another surge in foreign activity—another scramble—has affected Africa. With its exponential population and economic potential, governments and corporations from outside Africa have strengthened their relationships on the continent.

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Policy

How bonds aimed at the diaspora can raise crucial funds for Africa
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By Jay Benson

Nigeria’s first diaspora bond, issued in 2017, was a resounding success. It raised $300 million for investment in infrastructure from Nigerians overseas and was oversubscribed by 130%. The government is now reportedly planning a second similar offering.

As many African countries attempt to raise development finance, diaspora bonds – which resemble other kinds of bonds but are targeted at citizens abroad – are highly appealing.

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Policy

America pledges an ‘unwavering’ commitment to higher education in Africa
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By Edwin Naidu

Senior United States diplomat Tibor Nagy, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said his country is committed to strengthening ties on the African continent through stronger trade links and investment in higher education.

Nagy, the former vice-provost for international affairs at Texas Tech University in the US, spoke glowingly of the “enduring partnership between the United States and South Africa”.

Read more from source

African Politics, Policy

Economic ‘Game Changer’? African Leaders Launch Free-Trade Zone
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By Boureima Balima

African leaders launched a continental free-trade zone on Sunday that if successful would unite 1.3 billion people, create a $3.4 trillion economic bloc and usher in a new era of development.

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African Politics, Politics

Rihanna’s Sudan posts prove she’s exactly the kind of influencer the world needs right now
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By Meena Alexander

When 91 million people follow you, one post can be a catalyst for real change – and no one knows this better than Rihanna.

The Sudanese political crisis has been slipping down the news agenda in recent weeks, but the nationwide protests and military crackdowns in the country continue to rage on, with hundreds of lives lost. 

Continue reading “Rihanna’s Sudan posts prove she’s exactly the kind of influencer the world needs right now” →
Policy

Can Trump’s Prosper Africa make America greater than China and other partners in Africa?
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By Landry Signé and Eric Olander

The official launch of the Trump Administration’s Prosper Africa program at the Corporate Council on Africa’s U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Mozambique on June 19 comes after months of policy talk about ramping up trade and investment between the United States and African countries. Prosper Africa aligns with the Trump administration’s Africa strategy, introduced by National Security Adviser John Bolton last December, which aims to promote prosperity, security, and stability in U.S.-Africa relations, and confirms the administration’s prioritization of trade and investment to reach those three objectives.

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Policy

The Trump administration’s Africa policy
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By Nick Westcott

Does President Donald Trump have a policy on Africa, and if so what? The answer to this question is both interesting and revealing.

President Trump does not seem to pay much attention to Africa. Apart from his well-publicised comments to a group of senators in January 2018 dismissing the whole of Africa as “shithole countries,” he has not said much about the continent.

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Politics

Kenyan diaspora throw weight behind Kenya-American nominated as High Commissioner to South Korea
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Kenyan-American, Mwende Mwinzi’s nomination to be appointed Kenya’s High Commissioner to South Korea has been backed by the Kenya Diaspora Alliance (KDA) regardless of her dual citizenship.

A parliamentary committee asked her to either renounce her American citizenship or forget the prestigious appointment as Kenya’s constitution dictates that a State officer cannot hold dual citizenship .

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Politics

Liberian refugee, Montana’s first black mayor launches bid for US Senate seat
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By Kendall Karson

Wilmot Collins, the Liberian refugee who surged into national headlines in 2017 after becoming Montana’s first and only black mayor is launching a bid for higher office, officially filing paperwork with the FEC to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by incumbent GOP Sen. Steve Daines.

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African Politics, Politics

South Africa’s ANC wins re-election with reduced majority
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By Christopher Clark

ANC remains in power with 57.5 percent of vote, but the outcome is its worst-ever showing at the polls.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has won South Africa‘s parliamentary elections with 57.5 percent of the vote, the electoral commission said, announcing the official results. 

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African Politics, Politics

South Africa elections: Incoming results suggest ruling ANC set to win diminished majority
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By Euan McKirdy, David McKenzie and Deborah Bloom, CNN

Despite years of corruption allegations, a sluggish economy and sustained electricity blackouts, South Africa’s ruling ANC looks set to win a substantial majority in a critical national election.With three quarters of the vote counted, the ANC shows a strong lead with just over 57% of the national vote, according to partial results released by the country’s electoral commission.

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Politics

Nigerian-born Kelechi Madu sworn in as minister in Alberta, Canada
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Following his election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta (MLA) in Canada, Nigerian-born Kelechi (Kacyee) Madu has been sworn in and named as the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Madu, 45, graduated with a bachelor of laws from the University of Lagos. He migrated to Canada in 2005 with his wife who enrolled in postgraduate studies at the University of Alberta.

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Policy

HOW THE BUILD ACT CAN INVIGORATE U.S. ECONOMIC TIES IN AFRICA
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By Ed Royce and Robin Renee Sanders

Since the U.S. BUILD Act was signed into law last October, many people across Africa as well as members of the Africa Diaspora have been asking what this global initiative might do to help revitalize American engagement with the continent. The answer is: quite a lot!

The goal of BUILD or the — “Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act” – is exactly what the American private sector has long sought. BUILD does a number of positive things to boost the U.S.-Africa economic, business, and development relationship.

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African Politics, Politics

Egyptians in Canada, US vote on constitutional amendments
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The Egyptians living in the United States of America and Canada have started voting in the referendum on a set of proposed constitutional amendments, in the headquarters of the Egyptian embassies in Washington and Ottawa, and the consulate in New York.

Egyptian expatriates started a three-day voting on the new constitutional amendments in 140 embassies and consulates of 125 countries worldwide, amid massive campaigning for the amendments abroad and domestically.

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Politics

Nigerian-born Kelechi Madu Wins assembly seat in Alberta, Canada,
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Nigerian-born Kelechi (Kacyee) Madu has been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta (MLA) in Canada.

The United Conservative Party candidate was declared the winner in Edmonton-South West in a close race against John Archer of the New Democrat Party with 62 of 64 polls reporting.

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African Politics, Politics

Algerians In Diaspora Celebrate Bouteflika’s Resignation With Movement
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For weeks, expat Algerians have been streaming home, some just for the weekend, to play their part in the historic changes sweeping the country.

“I took unpaid leave to come and march in Algeria, to be here physically,” said Chahrazade Kaci, who arrived back from London just days before president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned in the face of huge protests.

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Politics

Ghana President Examines U.S.–Ghana Relations, Foreign Investment at International House Talk
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The Ghanaian President spoke about his plans for socioeconomic reform within the country.

By Oren Oppenheim

The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, addressed tensions and opportunities between the United States and Ghana, calling for a new dynamic in the relationship between the countries during a discussion at the University’s International House on Monday.

The event, which the Institute of Politics (IOP) and International House co-hosted as part of the latter’s Global Voices Program, was one of Akufo-Addo’s stops on a longer United States trip. In Chicago, Akufo-Addo had spoken with Chicago-based Ghanaians on the previous day and met with Mayor Rahm Emanuel on the day of his IOP talk.

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African Politics, Politics

Kenyans abroad give electoral body 30 days to register them as voters
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By Ruth Mbula

Kenyans in the diaspora have given the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) 30 days to register them as voters.

For over a decade now, they have agitated for their right to vote but with little success.

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Politics

Somali-American Congresswoman ignites controversy in diverse Minneapolis
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By Katherine Gypson

Representative Ilhan Omar has a way of attracting attention. Four months ago, the Democrat became the first Somali-American — and one of the first two Muslim women — to serve in the U.S. Congress.

Just weeks into her first congressional term, Omar ignited a controversy with a tweet invoking an offensive trope suggesting U.S. lawmakers’ support for Israel was swayed by money from the powerful lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

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African Politics, Politics

How Sudan’s uprising is inspiring a generation of Sudanese American teens
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By Hana Baba

Nearly two dozen people are gathered for a symposium in Hayward, California, about the recent protests in Sudan. Those who come to these Sudan-related events are usually adults — first-generation Sudanese immigrants to the United States.

But it’s different tonight. The featured speakers are Sudanese American teenagers.

First up is 17-year-old Maazin Ahmed, whose mother is Sudanese and father is African American. Maazin is the president of his college’s Black Students Union in Berkeley, California, a city familiar with protests. He says he grew up seeing pictures of his mom sporting an afro in the 70s in Sudan. She told him stories about better times in her home country.

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Policy

4 things discussed during the US land expropriation talks in South Africa
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A number of top US officials recently visited South Africa at the request of President Donald Trump as part of an investigation into the country’s land expropriation process.

The delegation, which included US Deputy Foreign Secretary John J. Sullivan, met with AgriSA, Grain SA, and ANC officials on Friday (15 March) to discuss how the land expropriation process may impact property rights in the country.

In a statement released on Monday, AgriSA outlined what was discussed in the meeting and the issues that were raised.

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Policy

Escalation in Somalia Is a Foreign Policy Failure in Progress
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U.S. intervention quietly escalates in Somalia.

While the Trump administration has very visibly made and modified plans to reduce U.S. military intervention in Syria and Afghanistan, it has quietly escalated the fight in Somalia. U.S. airstrikes in the North African nation are on the rise, The New York Times reported Sunday, and that higher pace of bombardment has contributed to increased civilian displacement and all the turmoil that comes with it.

This is a foreign policy failure in progress. If the last two decades of missteps in the Middle East and North Africa have demonstrated anything, it is that secretive wars of choice are prone to mission creep and rife with unintended consequences. Rather than expand, U.S. military intervention in Somalia should be shut down before it spirals into another needless generational conflict.

The United States has had some military presence in Somalia for the better part of three decades, and the current campaign began in 2007. But U.S. strikes were few—zero to three per year—until 2015, when former President Barack Obama started an upward trend the Trump team has continued. Last year, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) reported 47 strikes. The first two months of this year put us on track to triple that by December.

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Policy

US INVESTORS TO HELP BUILD AFRICA
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By Bolaji Samuel

The tension between the two economic giants in the world, China and the United States (US), might have a silver lining for Africa. The administration of President Donald Trump is set to increase investment into the continent, in a bid to counter the narrative that China’s influence in Africa is rising, while the US falls off with its “America first” approach.

President Trump signed the legislation, the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act, or the BUILD Act, into law in October 2018. It combines the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and other US agencies focusing on international economic development into a newly consolidated agency called the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

It is anticipated that the DFC will be operational in October 2019 and at that time the DFC will begin deploying US equity capital in African private equity.
The DFC expands OPIC’s budget from USD29 billion to USD60 billion and provides the DFC with the authority to make limited equity investments. Previously, OPIC was limited to debt investments.

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African Politics, Politics

Senegal’s President Macky Sall wins second term
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Senegalese President Macky Sall easily won a second term without the need for a runoff, election officials announced Thursday in the West African country.

The four opposition candidates said they would not pursue a legal challenge, ending days of uncertainty in this democracy long known for its peaceful transfers of power. Earlier in the week the opposition had denied unofficial reports that Sall won an outright majority, and they told their supporters to prepare for a second round.

The joint statement released Thursday afternoon by the opposition said that while they firmly rejected the outcome, “we will not be taking any recourse at the constitutional council.”

The incumbent leader received 58.3 percent of the vote, according to Judge Demba Kandji, president of the commission tasked with releasing the election results. Provisional results show that top opposition candidate Idrissa Seck took 20.5 percent of the vote while Ousmane Sonko had 15.7 percent.

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