TwitterFacebookInstagram

Africa

UK-Rwanda. “Offshoring migrants”: a controversial deal.

The UK and Rwanda have signed an unprecedented deal to transfer asylum seekers to the tiny African country in return for a cash package. NGOs, opposition parties and UN bodies disapprove. Rwanda’s President Kagame denies that that deal may consist in trading human beings, while Denmark is considering to follow UK’s example. On the last…

Read more

The Unending Saga of Jacob Zuma.

The former president faces two important trials. At the moment, he has only been in prison for three weeks. The strategy is to extend the trial time in order to prevent him from returning to prison because of his advanced age. In June 2021 Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa from 2009 to 2018, was…

Read more

South Africa. A Bitter Season.

Next December, the African National Congress will hold its five-yearly elective conference. President Cyril Ramaphosa will be looking for a second term as party leader, in view of the 2024 general elections. Weakened by internal struggles and weak governance, the African National Congress may split in two at the December congress. For many political parties…

Read more

Circus Zambia. A Chance to Change the Situation.

The colours of the walls, the little flags decorating the entrance, the large open space where they practise all is harmony and serenity at Circus Zambia. It is here that hundreds of youngsters learn the arts of the circus.  The writing on the wall declares that inside there is a place where people can “run,…

Read more

South Africa. The Energy Transition has to wait.

Beyond the government’s policy statements, the country will not start turning its back on fossil fuels in the short term. There is too much impact on employment.This has been confirmed by the Minister of Minerals and Energy Gwede Mantashe and supported by the Trade Unions. South Africa’s electricity generation accounts for more than 80% of…

Read more

Marian Shrines in Africa. The Great Devotion.

Many shrines and pilgrimage sites in honour of the Virgin Mary have sprung up throughout the African continent. Seven cases of Marian apparitions have been reported, the most famous and officially recognised is that of Kibeho in Rwanda. An introduction to the main centres of Marian worship in Africa. To date, seven cases of Marian…

Read more

Namibia. Namib, the Living Desert.

The oldest desert in the world: a sea of sand caressed by ubiquitous fog. It seems to be desolate and unfit for human habitation. Appearances may be deceptive. Hidden in the heart of the Namib are incredible gems of life, plants and animals that have adapted to the most extreme conditions. A world still to…

Read more

Sierra Leone. Improving the Quality of Life.

Making the most populous city in the country an example of urban planning and environmental balance. To improve the quality of life for all. This is the challenge that Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, as the Mayor of Freetown, has been undertaking for over four years. We met her. With a Master’s degree from the London School of…

Read more

Archaeology and History in the Sahara / A Journey to Tadmekka.

In Mali seeking the ancient capital of the Tuareg. It was once one of the most populated and richest of the trans-Sahara cities in West Africa. Tuareg: the mythical name means ‘abandoned by God’, the name which the medieval Arab conquerors gave to the nomads of the desert. However, the local name of these people…

Read more

Chad. A Mortgaged Country.

The interests of multinationals often coincide with those of the leaders of some countries. Chad and Glencore, among the largest commodity trading companies in the world, could be an example. The agreement of the government of N’Djamena with the multinational only served to further empty the meagre coffers of the African country. On the death…

Read more

African Alphabets. A Great Cultural Heritage.

Africa is probably the place in the world where oral tradition has had the greatest influence on the preservation and transmission of knowledge. The continent has a long tradition of writing which, in some places, has led its inhabitants to develop complex alphabets and ideograms, some of which have been created in recent times. Egyptian…

Read more

Kirill I, The African.

There are over one hundred priests serving on the African continent who have left the Patriarchate of Alexandria (Egypt) to move to that of Moscow. The Russian Patriarch Kirill I, very loyal to Putin, was responsible for the manoeuvre, in opposition to Tawadros II of Alexandria. There are one hundred and two priests serving in…

Read more

Advocacy

Burkina Faso. Maimouna Ba. The “Mother of Sahel”.

In Burkina Faso, the ‘Mother of the Sahel’ brings education and hope to forcibly displaced children. As conflict forced thousands of children to flee to the…

Read more

Baobab

Mexico. An Aztec Legend. The Princess of the Night.

As the sun sets over the stony plateau of Mexico, a beautiful white flower opens its corolla among the blade-like thorns of the Cereus Nycticalis: it…

Read more

Youth & Mission

The African Youth. Innovations & Creativity.

With the highest percentage of her population made up of youth, Africa is a bed of opportunities for growth and prosperity. The African youth are a…

Read more