Vol 51 No 16 | ECONOMYAFRICA Roaring to go 6th August 2010 As demand soars for Africa's oil, gas and minerals, its governments must find ways to strengthen their bargaining power Optimism about Africa's economies is in fashion, as commodity prices stay high thanks to demand from Asia and Western investors seek outlets for capital that they find no profitabl...
Vol 51 No 16 | ECONOMYAFRICA The numbers are looking up 6th August 2010 After peaking at US$72 billion in 2008, foreign investment in Africa fell to $59 bn. in 2009 but is now growing again and could exceed the $80 bn. mark within a couple of years. Ex...
Vol 51 No 15 | FRANCEAFRICA Forgotten promises 23rd July 2010 In 2007, a just-elected President Sarkozy promised to remake France’s Africa policies but strategic political and economic interests still prevail On 14 July, troops from 13 African countries marched down the Champs-Elysées in the annual Bastille Day parade, while elderly sub- Saharan veterans of the French colonial army saw ...
Vol 51 No 14 | FRANCEAFRICA The falling euro drags down the CFA franc 9th July 2010 A relic of France’s African economic empire, the CFA zone must cope with the impact of Western Europe’s monetary disarray The continuing crisis of the rich world’s financial system has thrown off balance the main surviving element of France’s African empire, the franc of the Communauté financière d’Af...
Vol 51 No 14 | FRANCEAFRICA How the CFA Franc zone works 9th July 2010 The initials CFA once stood for the Communauté française d’Afrique, later changing to Communauté financière d’Afrique. The name is a colonial legacy and considerable monetary power...
Vol 51 No 14 | FRANCEAFRICA Realpolitik and resignations 9th July 2010 The resignation of Alain Joyandet, secretary of state for cooperation, will reinforce the grip of the Elysée Palace on France’s Africa policy. Joyandet, who was forced out after it...
Vol 51 No 13 | AFRICABRITAIN Bankrupt asylum policy 25th June 2010 Asylum-seekers in Britain will find it still harder to win their cases following the closure of the biggest advice charity, Refugee and Migrant Justice, which ran out of money this...
Vol 51 No 11 | AFRICAMINING Out of Africa and into Asia 28th May 2010 Some canny commodity traders are moving into Africa’s mining business to target the Asian market Two of the world’s biggest and most controversial commodity traders, Trafigura and Glencore, are building up their metals businesses in Africa, to compete with Chinese rivals and m...
Vol 51 No 11 | UNITED STATESAFRICA More boots on the ground 28th May 2010 The United States Department of Defence is considering assigning a permanent army to its Africa military command, Africom. At present, Africom has to source all the troops it uses ...
Vol 51 No 9 | ECONOMYAFRICA Out of the dip 30th April 2010 Meeting in Washington, officials from the IMF, World Bank and African finance ministries predict a strong return to growth this year The hiatus in Africa’s economic growth caused by the global financial crisis appears to have been ‘mercifully brief’, according to the International Monetary Fund’s Africa Director...