Researcher I Migration I Development Cooperation I Former Deputy Director of Heritage University of Peace and Development Studies. Retweet ≠ Endorsement
ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE
"Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan."
A significant declaration that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan. Such formal determination by the U.S. State Department marks a crucial step toward preventing atrocities, potentially leading to broader political accountability and diplomatic pressure as well.
Good to see political expediency that led to dropping of the determination of genocide against Tigrayans is no more the case in this determination.
Africa may be the world’s second most-populous continent and a growing economic powerhouse but, for too long, the White House and State Department have treated it as an afterthought. https://t.co/Rt6xiLCH7g
As much as pursuing a common position is imperative, South Africa could also see this moment as a unique opportunity to seek new partnerships, technical and alternative resources to address Africa's development priorities and pressing infrastructures and needs.
🇿🇦South Africa will use its presidency of the G20, the first by an African nation, to put the priorities of the African continent onto the agenda of the powerful global economic forum, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday.🧵
Mauritania 🇲🇷 🆘
Over 200 Gambians are locked up in a warehouse off the border of Mauritania and Senegal. They were captured at sea by the Mauritanian navy acting with the help of EU financial and technical support.
They have been here for ten days with little to eat. @IOMMauritania doesn’t move a toe to help them. Embassy says they have no resources to facilitate their return.
New Libya and Tunisia in the making!!!
Botswana’s new president has told the BBC that he wants undocumented Zimbabweans to be legalised by granting them temporary work and residence permits.
Botswana hosts the world’s second-largest community of Zimbabweans.
https://t.co/rhbFCwtoeS
"Inclusion certainly does not mean integration."
A highly contentious statement from the UNHCR chief.
Watch this space for further comments.
@JC_Hathaway
https://t.co/f20XFhGeDG
Botswana 🇧🇼, Senegal, Liberia, and Rwanda are proving that it is possible to have clean, free and fair, credible, and verifiable elections in Africa.
That you don't have to disenfranchise eligible voters, alter results, offer polling day financial and in-kind inducements to voters, clouds of tear gas or turn polling centers into war zones.
That you don't need to hire goons or resort to ballot snatching and stuffing, multiple voting, incidents of thuggery, barbarism, intimidation and harrassment of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists to win an election.
That you don't need to shed blood for you to win. You can still win without bending electoral laws.
Africa is slowly getting it right. 🇧🇼
My heart goes with my brothers and sisters in Blangoua, Makary, Zina, Maga, and Yagoua, who are facing the devastating impacts of severe flooding. According to #OCHR Over 158,000 people have been affected, and the hardships they are enduring cannot go unnoticed.
Long post on internet in Cameroon, following the Starlink announcement.
Fibre remains the best internet solution by far. It's the fastest, the most reliable, and the least expensive.
The problem we have in Cameroon is that although we have amazing infrastructure into the country with several very high capacity undersea cables that land at our borders, we purchase too little capacity to meet the demand in the country. So we end up using less than 15% of what is available.
The second problem is that fiber can't stop at the landing sites. We need to deploy the fiber throughout the country. This is a big investment and it will take time.
The main impediment to progress is Camtel. They control the capacity that is purchased, they resell to MTN and Orange at outrageous rates, and they also control the deployment of fiber within the country.
This situation is untenable. The first step, and this can happen OVERNIGHT, is for Camtel to purchase more capacity for the undersea cables. Even if government must subsidize for a few months, the value to the economy will more than cover these costs. The capacity needs to be increased by 10 or 20 times at a minimum. We can always resell excess capacity to neighboring countries.
You can feel the capacity problems when your connection drops. Too many people trying to access the same very limited data. It's like with Eneo that has to shut down power to some users to give access to others. Internet works the same way except it can be increased very easily.
Second, and this can also happen OVERNIGHT, the pricing to the other telcos must be reviewed and lowered. Since the telcos are forced to buy from Camtel and can't negotiate their own terms for undersea cable access, it is important that they get reasonable pricing from Camtel despite the monopoly, and that they pass on those savings to the consumer.
In the longer term, the government will need to break the Camtel monopoly. Reliable, inexpensive, available internet is a necessity, not a luxury.
I am also tired of hearing the security argument.
If government had any concern for consumer safety with independent internet providers, they would ban bars, alcohol, cigarettes, betting, and many other products that have a more deleterious effect on consumers. The truth is that they don't care about consumers.
The only security the government is concerned with is theirs. They want to continue to have full control over the internet and disconnect at will, as they did in 2017 in the North West and South West for a full 93 days.
Their problem with Starlink is that the simplicity, the reliability, the low cost of the solution only highlights the incompetence of those in charge of our internet access. Rather than embracing the Starlink, approving it so that they can collect taxes on it, get internet access into remote areas of the country where fiber or mobile access is impossible, they ban it.
There are solutions. There are fast solutions. These are political and not technical problems. Let them unleash our internet, and see the resulting economic growth that will ensue.
#UnleashOurInternet
Senegal's peaceful elections showcase the strength of democracy and legitimacy.
A graceful and peaceful transfer of power inspires the world at a time when constitutional democracy is under grave assault.
Let this be the norm, not the exception.
Vive le Sénégal !
UN court stops short of ordering cease-fire in Gaza
ICJ ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide and the incitement of genocide and to report to the court on all measures to give effect to court's orders within a month.
https://t.co/c4WhAcT67V
The President of Tanzania, says she wants to send the more than 200,000 refugees residing there back to their home countries. The country’s military commander has called for the move. https://t.co/2WHwgySZ5x