Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About
- Thread starter TommyHilltrigga
- Start date
They tried it in the 60s I thinkGambia is basically just a sliver surrounded by Senegal
Nigeria's separatist group plans Trump celebration rally
19/01 - 09:47
BIAFRA DEMANDS
A separatist group in Nigeria, which wants to secede from the west African nation, has said it will hold a rally on Friday to mark the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said it was inviting people to a pro-Trump rally in the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt.
“This IPOB peaceful rally on 20th January 2017 will be for Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom all over the world to understand how resolute and committed we are towards the emancipation, realisation and proclamation of our God given right to live as free men and women in our ancestral land of Biafra,” the group said in a statement.
The Biafra region unsuccessfully fought for independence in a brutal three-year civil war that ended in 1970.
The separatist group has renamed its push for secession “Biafrexit”, after the UK’s Brexit vote to leave the European Union, BBC reported.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the brother of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has been held by the Nigerian government since October 2015 on treason charges, said Trump had won their favour as he “supports the right to self-determination”.
Separatist sentiments have grown in the months since Kanu’s arrest and sparked clashes with security forces that have since been condemned by human rights groups.
Nigeria's separatist group plans Trump celebration rally
19/01 - 09:47
BIAFRA DEMANDS
A separatist group in Nigeria, which wants to secede from the west African nation, has said it will hold a rally on Friday to mark the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said it was inviting people to a pro-Trump rally in the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt.
“This IPOB peaceful rally on 20th January 2017 will be for Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom all over the world to understand how resolute and committed we are towards the emancipation, realisation and proclamation of our God given right to live as free men and women in our ancestral land of Biafra,” the group said in a statement.
The Biafra region unsuccessfully fought for independence in a brutal three-year civil war that ended in 1970.
The separatist group has renamed its push for secession “Biafrexit”, after the UK’s Brexit vote to leave the European Union, BBC reported.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the brother of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has been held by the Nigerian government since October 2015 on treason charges, said Trump had won their favour as he “supports the right to self-determination”.
Separatist sentiments have grown in the months since Kanu’s arrest and sparked clashes with security forces that have since been condemned by human rights groups.
Nigeria's separatist group plans Trump celebration rally
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
Nigeria's separatist group plans Trump celebration rally
19/01 - 09:47
BIAFRA DEMANDS
A separatist group in Nigeria, which wants to secede from the west African nation, has said it will hold a rally on Friday to mark the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said it was inviting people to a pro-Trump rally in the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt.
“This IPOB peaceful rally on 20th January 2017 will be for Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom all over the world to understand how resolute and committed we are towards the emancipation, realisation and proclamation of our God given right to live as free men and women in our ancestral land of Biafra,” the group said in a statement.
The Biafra region unsuccessfully fought for independence in a brutal three-year civil war that ended in 1970.
The separatist group has renamed its push for secession “Biafrexit”, after the UK’s Brexit vote to leave the European Union, BBC reported.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the brother of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has been held by the Nigerian government since October 2015 on treason charges, said Trump had won their favour as he “supports the right to self-determination”.
Separatist sentiments have grown in the months since Kanu’s arrest and sparked clashes with security forces that have since been condemned by human rights groups.
Nigeria's separatist group plans Trump celebration rally
They were attacked
Morocco to get Africa's first high-speed train
By Kieron Monks, CNN
Updated 1024 GMT (1824 HKT) January 20, 2017
Rapid progress – A carriage of the French-made TGV train arrives at the Moroccan port of Tangier, the first high-speed train to operate in Africa.
Team effort – The trains are currently being tested ahead of the launch of the 350-kilometer route in 2018.
Job creation – Over 200 kilometers of tracks have already been laid, according to Moroccan officials, with around 5,000 construction workers employed on the project.
All aboard – The Moroccan national rail operator ONCF claims that passenger numbers will double between Tangier station (pictured) and Casablanca – from three to six million per year, providing a rapid return of investment.
The new trains can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour, twice the speed of South Africa's Gautrain, a rapid mass transit system launched in 2012 which falls short of criteria for a high-speed train.
(CNN) – The first high-speed trains in Africa are flashing along the Atlantic coast of Morocco.
The French-made double-decker TGVs are being tested ahead of the launch of a flagship new line connecting Tangier with Morocco's economic capital Casablanca in 2018.
The new trains can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour. They will cut the journey time between the two cities by more than half -- to just over two hours.
The $2 billion project has been in development for a decade, funded by the governments of Morocco, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan government expect the trains to deliver wealth and prestige for the country. But opponents claim they are an expensive folly.
The TGV high-speed train are being tested on Morocco's Atlantic coast.
Speculate to accumulate
High-speed trains fit within a wider program of infrastructure spending in Morocco, including the world's largest solar power plant and several major ports, that is intended to stimulate a sluggish economy.
"The Government is continuing its reforms and major investments to improve the business climate and attract foreign investors," reported the African Development Bank in its "Economic Outlook 2016" for Morocco.
The Tangiers-Casablanca route is expected to generate a sharp increase in passenger numbers that will boost tourism, support wider economic growth in the cities, and recoup the investment on it.
"We aim at six million passengers a year after three years of commercial operation, instead of three million currently," said Mohamed Rabie Khlie, director general of national rail operator ONCF, in a recent interview with Le Monde. "This should enable us to achieve an operating margin that far exceeds that of conventional trains and will justify the development."
The director general went on to add that growing passenger numbers had caused "saturation of the network," making the new line a necessity.
He denied that an upgraded service would lead to high costs for passengers.
"We will run trains intended for Moroccans and thus adapted to the purchasing power of Moroccans," said Khlie. "We do not want a train reserved for high-end customers."
Risk and reward
The new trains carry risks as well as rewards, according to Zouhair Ait Benhamou, an economic analyst at the Financia Business School in France.
"The ONCF business model is based on the French model in which trains are heavily subsidized," he says. "If the number of passengers does not materialize in two to three years, the government will have to provide subsidies."
The government will hope to stimulate new economic activity in areas along the route, according to the analyst.
"I suspect there are some places the government wants to develop as new tourist areas," says Benhamou. "They could also attract an automaker to build a facility. Peugeot is thinking about creating a plant in Kenitra, and if the high speed train goes through this city it would create a logistics hub for them."
The new train line will impress foreign investors but they are likely to remain wary of Morocco, according to Riccardo Fabiani, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group.
"If you are a businessman deciding to install an operation in Africa and you are torn between Morocco and another country, this kind of modern world-class infrastructure could help tip the balance," he says. "But there are other problems with the domestic economy."
Fabiani cites poor governance and corruption as major concerns, as well as "human capital" issues such as a severely under-performing education system. These issues reflect the priorities of a government which is comfortable with uneven development, he believes.
"The current authorities are replicating the colonial model of looking at some areas like Tangier and Casablanca but forgetting the rest of country," says the analyst. "So there is world class infrastructure in one area and untarred roads in others."
The new train line could provide a boost to Morocco's auto industry.
Not all aboard
Such disparities have fueled the "Stop TGV" campaign, a coalition of activists arguing that the investment could be better used for failing public services.
"Morocco is a poor country and the top priority should be education," says Omar Balafraj, a leader campaigner and member of parliament for the Federation of the Democratic Left party.
Balafraj tells a joke that he feels captures the folly of the project: "A man meets a homeless man who is almost naked, and asks him what he needs. He answers: 'only a ring.'"
But despite such reservations, the project is almost certainly too far advanced now to be stopped in its tracks.
The high-speed Tangier to Casablanca service will soon be welcoming its first passengers.
Morocco to get Africa's first high-speed train
By Kieron Monks, CNN
Updated 1024 GMT (1824 HKT) January 20, 2017
Rapid progress – A carriage of the French-made TGV train arrives at the Moroccan port of Tangier, the first high-speed train to operate in Africa.
Team effort – The trains are currently being tested ahead of the launch of the 350-kilometer route in 2018.
Job creation – Over 200 kilometers of tracks have already been laid, according to Moroccan officials, with around 5,000 construction workers employed on the project.
All aboard – The Moroccan national rail operator ONCF claims that passenger numbers will double between Tangier station (pictured) and Casablanca – from three to six million per year, providing a rapid return of investment.
The new trains can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour, twice the speed of South Africa's Gautrain, a rapid mass transit system launched in 2012 which falls short of criteria for a high-speed train.
(CNN) – The first high-speed trains in Africa are flashing along the Atlantic coast of Morocco.
The French-made double-decker TGVs are being tested ahead of the launch of a flagship new line connecting Tangier with Morocco's economic capital Casablanca in 2018.
The new trains can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour. They will cut the journey time between the two cities by more than half -- to just over two hours.
The $2 billion project has been in development for a decade, funded by the governments of Morocco, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan government expect the trains to deliver wealth and prestige for the country. But opponents claim they are an expensive folly.
The TGV high-speed train are being tested on Morocco's Atlantic coast.
Speculate to accumulate
High-speed trains fit within a wider program of infrastructure spending in Morocco, including the world's largest solar power plant and several major ports, that is intended to stimulate a sluggish economy.
"The Government is continuing its reforms and major investments to improve the business climate and attract foreign investors," reported the African Development Bank in its "Economic Outlook 2016" for Morocco.
The Tangiers-Casablanca route is expected to generate a sharp increase in passenger numbers that will boost tourism, support wider economic growth in the cities, and recoup the investment on it.
"We aim at six million passengers a year after three years of commercial operation, instead of three million currently," said Mohamed Rabie Khlie, director general of national rail operator ONCF, in a recent interview with Le Monde. "This should enable us to achieve an operating margin that far exceeds that of conventional trains and will justify the development."
The director general went on to add that growing passenger numbers had caused "saturation of the network," making the new line a necessity.
He denied that an upgraded service would lead to high costs for passengers.
"We will run trains intended for Moroccans and thus adapted to the purchasing power of Moroccans," said Khlie. "We do not want a train reserved for high-end customers."
Risk and reward
The new trains carry risks as well as rewards, according to Zouhair Ait Benhamou, an economic analyst at the Financia Business School in France.
"The ONCF business model is based on the French model in which trains are heavily subsidized," he says. "If the number of passengers does not materialize in two to three years, the government will have to provide subsidies."
The government will hope to stimulate new economic activity in areas along the route, according to the analyst.
"I suspect there are some places the government wants to develop as new tourist areas," says Benhamou. "They could also attract an automaker to build a facility. Peugeot is thinking about creating a plant in Kenitra, and if the high speed train goes through this city it would create a logistics hub for them."
The new train line will impress foreign investors but they are likely to remain wary of Morocco, according to Riccardo Fabiani, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group.
"If you are a businessman deciding to install an operation in Africa and you are torn between Morocco and another country, this kind of modern world-class infrastructure could help tip the balance," he says. "But there are other problems with the domestic economy."
Fabiani cites poor governance and corruption as major concerns, as well as "human capital" issues such as a severely under-performing education system. These issues reflect the priorities of a government which is comfortable with uneven development, he believes.
"The current authorities are replicating the colonial model of looking at some areas like Tangier and Casablanca but forgetting the rest of country," says the analyst. "So there is world class infrastructure in one area and untarred roads in others."
The new train line could provide a boost to Morocco's auto industry.
Not all aboard
Such disparities have fueled the "Stop TGV" campaign, a coalition of activists arguing that the investment could be better used for failing public services.
"Morocco is a poor country and the top priority should be education," says Omar Balafraj, a leader campaigner and member of parliament for the Federation of the Democratic Left party.
Balafraj tells a joke that he feels captures the folly of the project: "A man meets a homeless man who is almost naked, and asks him what he needs. He answers: 'only a ring.'"
But despite such reservations, the project is almost certainly too far advanced now to be stopped in its tracks.
The high-speed Tangier to Casablanca service will soon be welcoming its first passengers.
Morocco to get Africa's first high-speed train
loyola llothta
☭☭☭
Is that a good thing?
just means more of the same status quo
Not looking good for South Sudan.
newworldafro
DeeperThanRapBiggerThanHH
Cotdamn. I hate this shiit. Cycle of unending violence and chaos
. Internal and external factors at play.
newworldafro
DeeperThanRapBiggerThanHH
How to Corrupt African leaders and politicians? Learn from the Pro. | SiliconAfrica
Good website. Insightful articulation of on-goings in modern day Africa.
Good website. Insightful articulation of on-goings in modern day Africa.
Frangala
All Star
The Gambia 'missing millions' after Jammeh flies into exile
Media captionHundreds of people celebrated in Banjul as West African troops entered the presidential compound
More than $11m (£8.8m) is missing from The Gambia's state coffers following the departure of long-time leader Yahya Jammeh, an adviser to President Adama Barrow has said.
Mai Ahmad Fatty said financial experts were trying to evaluate the exact loss.
Luxury cars and other items were seen being loaded on to a Chadian cargo plane on the night Mr Jammeh left the country.
Mr Jammeh flew into exile on Saturday, ending his 22 years in power.
He had refused to accept election results but finally left after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.
Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionMr Jammeh flew out of The Gambia on Saturday after long talks with regional leaders
President Barrow remains in neighbouring Senegal and it is not clear when he will return.
However, West African troops have entered the Gambian capital, Banjul, on Sunday to prepare for his arrival.
Cheering crowds gathered outside the State House to watch soldiers secure the building.
Read more:
Mr Fatty told reporters in the Senegalese capital Dakar that The Gambia was in financial distress.
"The coffers are virtually empty," he said. "It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia."
Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionAdama Barrow, centre, says he intends to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during Mr Jammeh's time in office
He said Mr Jammeh had made off with more than $11m in the past two weeks alone. The BBC is unable to independently verify the claims.
Mr Fatty said officials at The Gambia's main airport had been told not to let any of Mr Jammeh's belongings leave the country.
Reports said some of the former leader's goods were in Guinea where Mr Jammeh had stopped on his journey into exile.
Mr Jammeh is reported to now be in Equatorial Guinea, although authorities there have not confirmed it.
The former leader had initially accepted Mr Barrow's election win on 1 December, but later alleged "irregularities" and called for a fresh vote.
The move was internationally condemned and the UN-backed Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) issued an ultimatum for him to quit or be removed by force.
- 1 hour ago
- From the sectionAfrica
Media captionHundreds of people celebrated in Banjul as West African troops entered the presidential compound
More than $11m (£8.8m) is missing from The Gambia's state coffers following the departure of long-time leader Yahya Jammeh, an adviser to President Adama Barrow has said.
Mai Ahmad Fatty said financial experts were trying to evaluate the exact loss.
Luxury cars and other items were seen being loaded on to a Chadian cargo plane on the night Mr Jammeh left the country.
Mr Jammeh flew into exile on Saturday, ending his 22 years in power.
He had refused to accept election results but finally left after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.
Image captionMr Jammeh flew out of The Gambia on Saturday after long talks with regional leaders
President Barrow remains in neighbouring Senegal and it is not clear when he will return.
However, West African troops have entered the Gambian capital, Banjul, on Sunday to prepare for his arrival.
Cheering crowds gathered outside the State House to watch soldiers secure the building.
Read more:
- Adama Barrow: From estate agent to Gambian president
- Jammeh: The man in charge for 22 years
- Why is it The Gambia, not Gambia?
Mr Fatty told reporters in the Senegalese capital Dakar that The Gambia was in financial distress.
"The coffers are virtually empty," he said. "It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia."
Image captionAdama Barrow, centre, says he intends to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during Mr Jammeh's time in office
He said Mr Jammeh had made off with more than $11m in the past two weeks alone. The BBC is unable to independently verify the claims.
Mr Fatty said officials at The Gambia's main airport had been told not to let any of Mr Jammeh's belongings leave the country.
Reports said some of the former leader's goods were in Guinea where Mr Jammeh had stopped on his journey into exile.
Mr Jammeh is reported to now be in Equatorial Guinea, although authorities there have not confirmed it.
The former leader had initially accepted Mr Barrow's election win on 1 December, but later alleged "irregularities" and called for a fresh vote.
The move was internationally condemned and the UN-backed Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) issued an ultimatum for him to quit or be removed by force.
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
Generals shouldn't be politiciansCotdamn. I hate this shiit. Cycle of unending violence and chaos
newworldafro
DeeperThanRapBiggerThanHH
The Gambia 'missing millions' after Jammeh flies into exile
Share
- 1 hour ago
- From the sectionAfrica
Media captionHundreds of people celebrated in Banjul as West African troops entered the presidential compound
More than $11m (£8.8m) is missing from The Gambia's state coffers following the departure of long-time leader Yahya Jammeh, an adviser to President Adama Barrow has said.
Mai Ahmad Fatty said financial experts were trying to evaluate the exact loss.
Luxury cars and other items were seen being loaded on to a Chadian cargo plane on the night Mr Jammeh left the country.
Mr Jammeh flew into exile on Saturday, ending his 22 years in power.
He had refused to accept election results but finally left after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.
Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionMr Jammeh flew out of The Gambia on Saturday after long talks with regional leaders
President Barrow remains in neighbouring Senegal and it is not clear when he will return.
However, West African troops have entered the Gambian capital, Banjul, on Sunday to prepare for his arrival.
Cheering crowds gathered outside the State House to watch soldiers secure the building.
Read more:
The Senegalese general leading the joint force from five African nations said they were controlling "strategic points to ensure the safety of the population and facilitate... Mr Barrow's assumption of his role".
- Adama Barrow: From estate agent to Gambian president
- Jammeh: The man in charge for 22 years
- Why is it The Gambia, not Gambia?
Mr Fatty told reporters in the Senegalese capital Dakar that The Gambia was in financial distress.
"The coffers are virtually empty," he said. "It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia."
Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionAdama Barrow, centre, says he intends to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during Mr Jammeh's time in office
He said Mr Jammeh had made off with more than $11m in the past two weeks alone. The BBC is unable to independently verify the claims.
Mr Fatty said officials at The Gambia's main airport had been told not to let any of Mr Jammeh's belongings leave the country.
Reports said some of the former leader's goods were in Guinea where Mr Jammeh had stopped on his journey into exile.
Mr Jammeh is reported to now be in Equatorial Guinea, although authorities there have not confirmed it.
The former leader had initially accepted Mr Barrow's election win on 1 December, but later alleged "irregularities" and called for a fresh vote.
The move was internationally condemned and the UN-backed Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) issued an ultimatum for him to quit or be removed by force.
:Sonofabytch:
Run off on the people....these jokers (corrupt as fuuck politicians anywhere) are the worst. No wonder he didn't want to leave. In an African context, it's double worse cause the people not only got Deeboed, but have nothing to show for someone's time in office. He was trying to stuff as much loose change in his pocket as possible.....$11 million in loose change.
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