Over the past week, there were many important stories from around the African continent, and we served you some of the most topical ones.
Here is a rundown of the backstories to some of the biggest news stories in Africa that we covered during the week:
Inside the controversy over Ghana’s anti-LGBT legislation
Reactions have continued to trail Ghana’s recent anti-LGBTQ bill, with the finance ministry warning on Wednesday that it may cause the country to lose $3.8 billion in World Bank financing over the next five to six years if it becomes law which lawmakers overwhelmingly approved legislation last week that will further up the crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ individuals and anyone suspected of promoting LGBTQ rights.
The positions of African countries against the LGBTQ community have always been a subject of division, particularly against Western powers and some of their agencies, while the European Union’s decision not to cut funding to Uganda over a harsh anti-LGBTQ law was criticised by gay rights activists. In 2023, Uganda had its fair share of pressure, with the World Bank insisting that the East African country’s “Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone, irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality.”
Ghana’s is the latest African country to go in the direction of anti-LGBT law, sponsored by a coalition of religious and traditional leaders and favoured most lawmakers, and it appears the “latest is the harshest.” Those who engage in LGBTQ sexual acts might be imprisoned for a maximum of three years or six months under the terms of the bill. Additionally, “willful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities” carries a three-to five-year prison penalty under the measure.
The bill also stipulates that every Ghanaian now has a duty to ‘promote and protect’ heterosexuality; every parent, guardian, religious teacher, school teacher, traditional leader, imam and pastor must all start promoting heterosexuality; media and creative artists—musicians, actors, dancers, performers, etc.—must all teach and make ‘conscious effort’ to promote heterosexuality. The bill also provides that a foreigner who has entered into, has administered or witnessed a same-sex marriage (that is legal in your own country) is automatically a criminal in Ghana and can go to jail for up to three years, amongst other provisions.
Many arguments against the proposed law that is yet to be assented by President Nana Akufo-Ado stretch from the burden of non-allegiance placed on a likely “innocent public,” as it makes heavy stands against being indifferent or passive against same-sex practice in the West African country. Analysts say non-LGBTQ Ghanaians are more likely to be caught in the web of the law than actual gay people if assented, thus raising critical rights concerns.
The proposed law is a test of the socio-cultural history of the country. Being the most culturally liberal in the West African subregion, being home to many asylum seekers and political fugitives, and its largest tribe, the Ashanti, being of matriarchal tradition but with much homosexuality, can it accommodate?
US isn’t giving up on South Africa
The United States Deputy Treasury Secretary, Wally Adeyemo, who is of Nigerian descent, will travel to South Africa (SA) next week. Adeyemo’s tour will cover topics such as US sanctions, work against wildlife trafficking, investments in young leaders and entrepreneurs, sustainable energy transition, and illicit finance.
The proposed visit is in the spotlight for international observers as there have been recent strains in relations between the countries. Unsurprisingly, South Africa’s relations with European giants and US ideological rival Russia have continued to blossom. Last year, United States ambassador Reuben Brigety accused SA of providing ammunition to Russia through ships, contrary to its public claim of being non-aligned in the Russia/Ukraine crisis.
“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon’s Town naval base between December 6 and 8, 2022, of which we are confident we uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel as it made its way back to Russia,” said the US ambassador.
The US and its allies have imposed a plethora of sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at the nation’s banking industry, military industrial base, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Johannesburg remains a close ally, has almost hosted Putin and threatened to ignore the ICC’s ruling against the Russian president if he had visited.
South Africa has maintained an international ideological stance that opposes the US on global turf; more recent is its stand against US ally Israel’s engagement in the ongoing Hamas war by dragging it to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and asking the World Court to issue a non-binding legal opinion that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal.
Despite its stance, it remains an irresistible toast to Washington, which is desperate to restore its dwindling influence in Africa, with many on the continent now favouring US global rivals, China for economic and trade partnerships, and Russia for military relations. Being Africa’s most industrilized economy, South Africa is core to whatever the US hopes to achieve in its last quest to “return” to Africa.
Zambia’s new maize policy and musings on intra-continental trade
On Saturday, the Zambian government made it illegal to export feeds made with maize ingredients until it conducted an audit of the country’s maize harvest to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the continuing drought. Zambia’s latest maize policy raises questions about the age-long discussion on regional integration and trade relations on the continent.
The position might affect food supply as Zambia is the largest net supplier of maize in the world. It exported almost 1.1 MMT of corn in MY 2022/23 on record carry-over stocks of 1.5 MMT and higher demand from East Africa and neighbouring countries, and production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to grow by 23 percent to 3.3 million metric tonnes (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24, mainly due to an upsurge in planted area.
In a similar fashion, the Government of the Republic of Tanzania has officially communicated to the Zambian government its availability to export maize to Zambia. Nigeria, which is the food basket for the West African subregion, has also adopted similar anti-food export policies amidst its growing food crises.
Despite having the largest free-trade in the world in terms of the number of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organisation following the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which was a free trade area in 2018, “self-preservation” remains the biggest relational factor for many Africans with strict protectionist policies, which although affect formal intra-continental trade, only to become the lifeblood of smuggling.
Africa’s GDP and its internal trade expanded fourfold over the past two decades, according to the report, which suggests that intra-African trade is more resilient than exchanges with other regions of the world, Africa’s trade and regional integration face several obstacles. Transportation and communication infrastructure for intra-African trade are less developed than those that connect Africa to the rest of the world.
Ahead of the first election in the world’s youngest country
South Sudan, the world’s youngest independent state, is one of 19 African countries expected to hold elections this year, and there have been warnings from a senior US State Department official quoted by Reuters that unless immediate action is taken, the planned December elections are not likely to be a credible process due to the government’s delayed preparations.
“I give it 50/50” about the possibility that the elections in December would go as scheduled…If there’s either a delay or violence, I think we would look at the whole suite of options, including sanctions,” the official said.
Since its descent into civil conflict in 2013, South Sudan has experienced severe instability due to a long-standing political rivalry between First Vice President Riak Machar and President Kiir. This rivalry has strong ethnic overtones, as both leaders have successfully rallied support from the country’s two largest ethnic bases, the Nuer and the Dinka.
President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has built a career out of stalling elections, which has allowed him to hold the office de facto since 2005 despite only being qualified for a single four-year term after the country’s 2011 independence vote. He has since managed extensions in 2020, 2022, 2015, and 2018.
Kiir’s announcement to be a candidate in the election is profound, as the continent already boasts of some of the world’s longest-serving leaders with decades at the seat of power in countries like Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Uganda, and Rwanda. Thus, it seems that the biggest obstacle to South Sudan’s holding legitimate elections is a lack of political will to both hold credible elections and establish independent oversight agencies.
