NIGERIA Day of the locusts 8th October 2004 Asari and his foes have pulled back from the brink in the Niger Delta but the threat remains Mujahid Dokubo Asari's 'Operation Locust Feast' was supposed to begin on Independence Day, 1 October, and was effectively a declaration of war on President Olusegun Obasanjo's government and oil companies working in Nigeria (AC Vol 45 Nos 18 & 19). Prospects of the Niger Delta clashes escalating to an all-out conflict between militias and government troops helped to send world oil prices soaring above US$50 a barrel. It certainly concentrated minds in Abuja. Thousands of people would have been killed and onshore oil production would have been completely knocked out. For now, there is a chance that the shaky ceasefire will hold as a prelude to serious political negotiations.
SOUTH AFRICA That golden moment 8th October 2004 Image courtesy of Panos Pictures View site A foreign take-over of a local bank could mean the end of exchange controls Barclays' planned purchase of ABSA (Amalgamated Banks of South Africa) is set to be the biggest foreign investment in post-apartheid South Africa. It cheers economic liberals, who argue...
WORLD BANKINTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND Millennial crisis 8th October 2004 Image courtesy of Panos Pictures View site Rich countries cannot agree on policies to boost African economies African economies will still fail to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction, health and education, according to the latest analysis released at the International Monetary...
BURUNDI The timetable slips 8th October 2004 Politicians scramble for power as the transition's end draws near The transitional government is due to step down on 1 November and - unless swift action is taken - a dangerous power vacuum looms. The 20 October referendum...
CAMEROON Seven more years 8th October 2004 There's little doubt that President Biya will win another seven-year term in the 11 October election The shortcomings of Cameroon's electoral process are becoming glaringly obvious as polling day approaches. The combination of an ill prepared and divided opposition and a lack of independent...
CONGO-KINSHASAZAMBIA Undiplomatic row 8th October 2004 Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa sacked Vice-President Nevers Mumba on 4 October for igniting a serious diplomatic row. Mumba had accused individuals in Congo-Kinshasa of funding the Zambian opposition.
SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE Democracy in action 8th October 2004 The appointment of Damião Vaz d'Almeida as Premier on 18 September marks the impoverished archipelago's sixth change of government in three years. It also calls a halt, at...
KENYA In the IMF fold - just 8th October 2004 Nerves were calmed in the coalition government on 24 September when the International Monetary Fund agreed to release the second part of a US$36 million loan. The cash...
UNITED KINGDOMAFRICA Gullible's travels 8th October 2004 'African Voices' is the trendy title of the Commission for Africa (CFA) meeting in Addis Ababa on 7-8 October. Chaired by UK Premier Tony Blair, who launched the...