I gotta do more research on Ethiopia
The future of Ethiopia looks wavy
Too bad they're landlocked
Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About
- Thread starter TommyHilltrigga
- Start date
I gotta do more research on Ethiopia
The future of Ethiopia looks wavy
Too bad they're landlocked
Red Shield
Global Domination
Just because their landlocked today.. doesn't mean they will be in the future.
Borders can change
Horn wars?
Red Shield
Global Domination
Why are ex-colonies in Africa so important to France?
Date 05.05.2017
Author Jens Borchers
France is facing a second and final round in its presidential election. The winner has the daunting task of reviewing policy on Africa as the former colonies still play a significant role in French national life.
Frances's presidential candidates are all too well aware of the importance that their country attaches to Africa and the former colonies. In the middle of a domestic election campaign, Marine le Pen visited the West African state of Chad and Emmanuel Macron went to Algeria.
Views on the whys and wherefores of France's Africa policy differ hugely. Incumbent French President Francois Hollande maintains that France does not intervene in Africa to pursue its own interests, nor does it seek to change the rules of African politics or bring about regime change.
"France supports Africa because we believe it has great potential," Hollande said.
France's presence in Africa is focused largely on its former colonies. During painful process of decolonization in the 1960s and 1970s, "La Grande Nation" never lost sight of its own interests. Use of the French language in the former French territories remains obligatory. There are still two currency unions in existence - the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc - to which a total of 15 African states belong. Currency reserves are held in France's central bank. It is open to dispute whether the CFA offer greater advantages to France or the African states.
Strong links
French corporations such as the construction company Bolloré, the oil giant Total and the telecoms group Orange maintain a massive presence in the ex-colonies.
Stefan Brüne, an expert on Franco-African relations at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, believes nonetheless that French influence in Africa may be waning slightly, but it is still very much in evidence.
"There are still strong links between Paris and the former colonies," he said.
French companies import commodities from many West and Central African countries, such as uranium ore from Niger and Gabon or cocoa from Ivory Coast. About 9,000 French soldiers are stationed in those countries. Their mandate is to fight terrorists and train African troops.
French President Francois Hollande is credited with being a strong advocate on Africa's behalf
Philippe Hugon, a French Africa specialist, believes the emphasis in French engagement in Africa is shifting.
"France is now less involved in trade, finance and investment, but it is maintaining its influence on monetary policy and its military presence," he said.
However, the French are facing growing competition. China has established close ties with many African countries and the United States has been also displaying greater commitment to Africa in recent years.
Growing EU role
It costs France a lot of money to maintain its role a as major player in Africa. Military interventions are not cheap, neither is the development aid which France dispatches to Africa. France has its own domestic economic problems and is therefore finding it increasingly difficult to finance its African operations. Another factor is that the 28-nation European Union, of which France is a member, is becoming more active in Africa. The impact on France's own national policy on Africa could be profound, said Stefan Brüne.
"It would mean that part of the Parisian political elite would lose the means to exert influence and I do not think that they would be prepared to accept that," he said.
Hollande weclomes the then AU Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the Elysee summit on peace and security in Africa in December 2013
Several presidents and presidential candidates have promised to reform France's policy on Africa and to move from a position of dominance to that of a partner among equals. In practice, however, such promises have changed very little.
African politicians, meanwhile, can be heard telling their citizens that their respective countries need to be less dependent on France, the former colonial power. One recent example was President Alpha Conde of Guinea-Conakry, who currently holds the presidency of the 55-nation African Union.
"We are still closely associated with former colonial power. Let's cut the umbilical cord," Conde said defiantly.
But two weeks later, Condé visited Paris and thanked President Hollande for doing so much for Africa.
Macron on Africa
Emmanuel Macron, the shooting star of the French election campaign, has been giving the impression every now and again that he wants to change France's policy towards its former colonies. During his trip to Algeria in February, he said that colonialism was a part of French history, a crime against humanity and truly barbaric. "We must face up to this part of our history and apologize to those who were at the receiving end," he said.
His remarks were greeted with cries of indignation in France and he quickly backpedalled, returning to a more traditional interpretation of France's Africa policy.
Why are ex-colonies in Africa so important to France?
Date 05.05.2017
Author Jens Borchers
France is facing a second and final round in its presidential election. The winner has the daunting task of reviewing policy on Africa as the former colonies still play a significant role in French national life.
Frances's presidential candidates are all too well aware of the importance that their country attaches to Africa and the former colonies. In the middle of a domestic election campaign, Marine le Pen visited the West African state of Chad and Emmanuel Macron went to Algeria.
Views on the whys and wherefores of France's Africa policy differ hugely. Incumbent French President Francois Hollande maintains that France does not intervene in Africa to pursue its own interests, nor does it seek to change the rules of African politics or bring about regime change.
"France supports Africa because we believe it has great potential," Hollande said.
France's presence in Africa is focused largely on its former colonies. During painful process of decolonization in the 1960s and 1970s, "La Grande Nation" never lost sight of its own interests. Use of the French language in the former French territories remains obligatory. There are still two currency unions in existence - the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc - to which a total of 15 African states belong. Currency reserves are held in France's central bank. It is open to dispute whether the CFA offer greater advantages to France or the African states.
Strong links
French corporations such as the construction company Bolloré, the oil giant Total and the telecoms group Orange maintain a massive presence in the ex-colonies.
Stefan Brüne, an expert on Franco-African relations at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, believes nonetheless that French influence in Africa may be waning slightly, but it is still very much in evidence.
"There are still strong links between Paris and the former colonies," he said.
French companies import commodities from many West and Central African countries, such as uranium ore from Niger and Gabon or cocoa from Ivory Coast. About 9,000 French soldiers are stationed in those countries. Their mandate is to fight terrorists and train African troops.
French President Francois Hollande is credited with being a strong advocate on Africa's behalf
Philippe Hugon, a French Africa specialist, believes the emphasis in French engagement in Africa is shifting.
"France is now less involved in trade, finance and investment, but it is maintaining its influence on monetary policy and its military presence," he said.
However, the French are facing growing competition. China has established close ties with many African countries and the United States has been also displaying greater commitment to Africa in recent years.
Growing EU role
It costs France a lot of money to maintain its role a as major player in Africa. Military interventions are not cheap, neither is the development aid which France dispatches to Africa. France has its own domestic economic problems and is therefore finding it increasingly difficult to finance its African operations. Another factor is that the 28-nation European Union, of which France is a member, is becoming more active in Africa. The impact on France's own national policy on Africa could be profound, said Stefan Brüne.
"It would mean that part of the Parisian political elite would lose the means to exert influence and I do not think that they would be prepared to accept that," he said.
Hollande weclomes the then AU Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the Elysee summit on peace and security in Africa in December 2013
Several presidents and presidential candidates have promised to reform France's policy on Africa and to move from a position of dominance to that of a partner among equals. In practice, however, such promises have changed very little.
African politicians, meanwhile, can be heard telling their citizens that their respective countries need to be less dependent on France, the former colonial power. One recent example was President Alpha Conde of Guinea-Conakry, who currently holds the presidency of the 55-nation African Union.
"We are still closely associated with former colonial power. Let's cut the umbilical cord," Conde said defiantly.
But two weeks later, Condé visited Paris and thanked President Hollande for doing so much for Africa.
Macron on Africa
Emmanuel Macron, the shooting star of the French election campaign, has been giving the impression every now and again that he wants to change France's policy towards its former colonies. During his trip to Algeria in February, he said that colonialism was a part of French history, a crime against humanity and truly barbaric. "We must face up to this part of our history and apologize to those who were at the receiving end," he said.
His remarks were greeted with cries of indignation in France and he quickly backpedalled, returning to a more traditional interpretation of France's Africa policy.
Why are ex-colonies in Africa so important to France?
Why are ex-colonies in Africa so important to France?
Date 05.05.2017
Author Jens Borchers
France is facing a second and final round in its presidential election. The winner has the daunting task of reviewing policy on Africa as the former colonies still play a significant role in French national life.
Frances's presidential candidates are all too well aware of the importance that their country attaches to Africa and the former colonies. In the middle of a domestic election campaign, Marine le Pen visited the West African state of Chad and Emmanuel Macron went to Algeria.
Views on the whys and wherefores of France's Africa policy differ hugely. Incumbent French President Francois Hollande maintains that France does not intervene in Africa to pursue its own interests, nor does it seek to change the rules of African politics or bring about regime change.
"France supports Africa because we believe it has great potential," Hollande said.
France's presence in Africa is focused largely on its former colonies. During painful process of decolonization in the 1960s and 1970s, "La Grande Nation" never lost sight of its own interests. Use of the French language in the former French territories remains obligatory. There are still two currency unions in existence - the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc - to which a total of 15 African states belong. Currency reserves are held in France's central bank. It is open to dispute whether the CFA offer greater advantages to France or the African states.
Strong links
French corporations such as the construction company Bolloré, the oil giant Total and the telecoms group Orange maintain a massive presence in the ex-colonies.
Stefan Brüne, an expert on Franco-African relations at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, believes nonetheless that French influence in Africa may be waning slightly, but it is still very much in evidence.
"There are still strong links between Paris and the former colonies," he said.
French companies import commodities from many West and Central African countries, such as uranium ore from Niger and Gabon or cocoa from Ivory Coast. About 9,000 French soldiers are stationed in those countries. Their mandate is to fight terrorists and train African troops.
French President Francois Hollande is credited with being a strong advocate on Africa's behalf
Philippe Hugon, a French Africa specialist, believes the emphasis in French engagement in Africa is shifting.
"France is now less involved in trade, finance and investment, but it is maintaining its influence on monetary policy and its military presence," he said.
However, the French are facing growing competition. China has established close ties with many African countries and the United States has been also displaying greater commitment to Africa in recent years.
Growing EU role
It costs France a lot of money to maintain its role a as major player in Africa. Military interventions are not cheap, neither is the development aid which France dispatches to Africa. France has its own domestic economic problems and is therefore finding it increasingly difficult to finance its African operations. Another factor is that the 28-nation European Union, of which France is a member, is becoming more active in Africa. The impact on France's own national policy on Africa could be profound, said Stefan Brüne.
"It would mean that part of the Parisian political elite would lose the means to exert influence and I do not think that they would be prepared to accept that," he said.
Hollande weclomes the then AU Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the Elysee summit on peace and security in Africa in December 2013
Several presidents and presidential candidates have promised to reform France's policy on Africa and to move from a position of dominance to that of a partner among equals. In practice, however, such promises have changed very little.
African politicians, meanwhile, can be heard telling their citizens that their respective countries need to be less dependent on France, the former colonial power. One recent example was President Alpha Conde of Guinea-Conakry, who currently holds the presidency of the 55-nation African Union.
"We are still closely associated with former colonial power. Let's cut the umbilical cord," Conde said defiantly.
But two weeks later, Condé visited Paris and thanked President Hollande for doing so much for Africa.
Macron on Africa
Emmanuel Macron, the shooting star of the French election campaign, has been giving the impression every now and again that he wants to change France's policy towards its former colonies. During his trip to Algeria in February, he said that colonialism was a part of French history, a crime against humanity and truly barbaric. "We must face up to this part of our history and apologize to those who were at the receiving end," he said.
His remarks were greeted with cries of indignation in France and he quickly backpedalled, returning to a more traditional interpretation of France's Africa policy.
Why are ex-colonies in Africa so important to France?
@MansaMusa
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
Purely neocolonialism
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
Why go to war, if Djibouti is willing to offer you commercial and military access to the sea
That's Addis Ababa's scheme in the long term I think
Nigeria plans to set up national airline, develop aviation capacity
Wed May 3, 2017 5:16pm GMT Print | Single Page [-] Text [+]
ABUJA May 3 (Reuters) - Nigeria has appointed advisers to help it set up a national airline and develop its aviation infrastructure -- currently seen as a barrier to economic growth -- to create a hub for West Africa, junior aviation minister Hadi Sirika said on Wednesday.
Sirika said a group of six firms including German carrier Lufthansa would advise the government on setting up an airline, an aviation leasing company and a maintenance hanger, and on creating concessions to run the country's airports.
A cabinet meeting on Wednesday chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had approved 1.52 billion naira ($4.99 million) of funding for the project, he added.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who promised a national airline when campaigning for election, did not attend the weekly meeting, fuelling concerns about the state of his health.
Decades of neglect and lack of investment have left Nigeria with low-quality infrastructure that is seen as a hurdle to prosperity and the government has already said that upgrading it will require private investment.
The government set up a committee on establishing a national airline in 2015, in fulfillment of the campaign promises which brought Buhari's All Progressive Congress (APC) to power.
An APC transition paper seen by Reuters in 2015 had proposed merging a dozen debt-laden airlines on the books of state-owned "bad bank" AMCON into a single carrier that would partner with a global airline to serve the West and Central African region.
The single carrier would include Nigeria's biggest airline, Arik Air, which AMCON took over in February.
AMCON has said it has no plans to convert Arik into a national carrier and that the government has no interest in doing so other than to ensure that the airline continues to fly. ($1 = 304.8000 naira) (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Nigeria plans to set up national airline, develop aviation capacity | News by Country | Reuters
Wed May 3, 2017 5:16pm GMT Print | Single Page [-] Text [+]
ABUJA May 3 (Reuters) - Nigeria has appointed advisers to help it set up a national airline and develop its aviation infrastructure -- currently seen as a barrier to economic growth -- to create a hub for West Africa, junior aviation minister Hadi Sirika said on Wednesday.
Sirika said a group of six firms including German carrier Lufthansa would advise the government on setting up an airline, an aviation leasing company and a maintenance hanger, and on creating concessions to run the country's airports.
A cabinet meeting on Wednesday chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had approved 1.52 billion naira ($4.99 million) of funding for the project, he added.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who promised a national airline when campaigning for election, did not attend the weekly meeting, fuelling concerns about the state of his health.
Decades of neglect and lack of investment have left Nigeria with low-quality infrastructure that is seen as a hurdle to prosperity and the government has already said that upgrading it will require private investment.
The government set up a committee on establishing a national airline in 2015, in fulfillment of the campaign promises which brought Buhari's All Progressive Congress (APC) to power.
An APC transition paper seen by Reuters in 2015 had proposed merging a dozen debt-laden airlines on the books of state-owned "bad bank" AMCON into a single carrier that would partner with a global airline to serve the West and Central African region.
The single carrier would include Nigeria's biggest airline, Arik Air, which AMCON took over in February.
AMCON has said it has no plans to convert Arik into a national carrier and that the government has no interest in doing so other than to ensure that the airline continues to fly. ($1 = 304.8000 naira) (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Nigeria plans to set up national airline, develop aviation capacity | News by Country | Reuters
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
Nigeria doesn't have a national airline already
We did. Until the elites destroyed it. Like everything they touched in Nigeria. We had the best university system in Black Africa in the 1960s. A robust railway. Indians came to our schools to learn medicine. The Chinese studies our road systems during the late 1970s.
Woe is Nigeria!
Even islands in the Caribbean have their own airlines b
Although I think the Jamaican one is now foreign owned
Reminds me of a TED talk I saw where a Trini economist compared T&T to places in Asia hat had similar GDP upon independence.
And now these countries are leaps and bounds better economically
Side note: I need to do more research on the economies of the Caribbean and how sustainable they are
Red Shield
Global Domination
god damn
thatrapsfan
Superstar
Not really, most of this stuff was established under the Derg, when the country was literally starving and 99 percent of the budget went into defense. Why should African countries want to replicate that?
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
Your opinion on this is confusing:
1) The TPLF, who defeated the Derg, are using this infrastructure and past innovations
2) Modern Ethiopia is carrying on the system without that massive expenditure that you cite....
3) Your opinion is akin to telling the Indians to not use their railway for thousands died building it
African countries should emulate present day Ethiopia's military production, even if it was pioneered by the Derg