NEWS

Around Africa in seven stories…

MINING

MINERS REMAIN IMPRISONED

EIGHT MINERS REMAIN trapped underground in Burkina Faso. They have been stranded for more than two weeks, with rescue workers trying to reach them.

The zinc mine at Perkoa flooded following heavy rain last month, with the government of Burkina Faso since launching a comprehensive judicial inquiry, whilst the Canadian mining company, Trevali, says it is working constantly to locate the missing crew.

When the mine flooded, the eight workers were reportedly deeper underground than their colleagues, more than 500 metres from the surface, with electricity and communication links also assumed to be cut off.

FOOD & DRINK

ANGOLA FINDS THE PERFECT BLEND

LONG COVETED BY coffee connoisseurs worldwide, Angolan coffee is making its long-awaited return to the mass market. In the 1970s, around a quarter of a million tonnes of the original Angolan black gold was produced annually.

Despite being a legendary brew, sought after by aficionados around the world, the production was halted by civil war. But now, after 20 years of peace, Angola is bouncing back, and two Angolan companies are expanding into the global market once again.

Aiming to bounce back to being one of the world’s top coffee exporters, the companies, Café Cazengo and Fazenda Vissolela are expanding their operations, and increasing dynamic production in the agricultural heartland of Luanda.

SPORT

FIFA PENALTY PANDEMONIUM

FIFA HAS IMPOSED penalty sanctions on six African football associations in the wake of March’s 2022 World Cup play-off matches but will not order the replays requested by Algeria and Egypt.

Senegal, Nigeria, and Democratic Republic of Congo have all been instructed to play one match behind closed doors as well as paying a penalty fine, after pitch invasions and the lighting of fireworks.

Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco have additionally been fined by the world governing body for football. No results will be overturned, despite Algeria lodging an appeal with FIFA for a replay of their second-leg loss to Cameroon, a result that saw the Desert Foxes eliminated on the away goals rule. The Algeria Football Federation felt aggrieved with several decisions made by Gambian referee Bakary Gassama during the recent fixtures.

Algeria lining up during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

PHOTO BY BEN SUTHERLAND FROM CRYSTAL PALACE, LONDON, UK - FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

ECONOMY

INFLATED SENSE OF WEALTH

KENYA HAS RAISED its minimum wage by 12 percent as inflation soars within the East African nation. President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced this dramatic increase to offset the astronomical living costs that continue to rise. This announcement comes a few months ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Inflation hit a seven-month high in April, driven by skyrocketing fuel and food prices, as well as droughts affecting several areas of the country.

“We believe it is imperative to review the minimum wage to protect our workers from further deterioration,” Kenyatta told a Labour Day rally.

Kenya’s finance minister unveiled a $28 billion budget last month, focused on resurrecting the economy amid high unemployment after the COVID-19 pandemic.

TECHNOLOGY

ANIMATION PROVING THE REEL DEAL

MOROCCO HAS RELEASED its first ever animated films, as part of a test run commissioned in 2019 by Moroccan TV channels Al Oula and 2M, in partnership with FICAM, the international festival of animation of Meknès.

The first of their kind for both scriptwriting and technical prowess, this is the first steps of the Moroccan film industry looking to become a major player in the world of animation.

Animation studio Artcoustic, along with Lorem and Neverseen, all based in Casablanca, will produce two series each, with each consisting of 20 to 30 episodes, and the content of these films will honour the cultural heritage of the country, whilst using the native dialect of the North African nation.

TECHNOLOGY

ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA CRACKDOWN

TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS

SENEGAL IS PREPARING a law to regulate social media across its nation. President Macky Sall has said Senegal plans to moderate all online activity.

Political tensions that occurred during local elections in January have led to fears of widespread violence through online mobilisation.

“No organised society can accept what is happening here today. We are going to put an end to it, one way or another,” said the President.

There remain widespread fears that the introduction of legal measures could be used to crack down on people using social media to organise demonstrations against Mr Sall’s administration.

ECONOMY

THE CENTRAL AFRICAN Republic has adopted bitcoin as legal tender, where alongside the CFA franc, it will become the official currency.

The cental African nation has additionally legalised the use of cryptocurrencies.

The National Assembly voted unanimously in favour of this move, which puts the Central African Republic on the map of “the most courageous and visionary countries in the world,” according to the presidency of the Central African Republic.

In September 2021, El Salvador became the first nation in the world to adopt bitcoin as a legal tender and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) instantly branded the decision as dangerous for “financial stability, financial integrity and consumer protection”.