Africa: Blinken Recalibrates U.S. Focus in Africa

[ad_1] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Africa ended with a stopover in Angola. Analysts suggest Blinken sought to shore up transatlantic trade partnerships in light of instability in the Middle East. While many observers see Antony Blinken's fourth visit to Africa as an American attempt to outdo rivals China and Russia for influence on the continent, transatlantic trade must have been near the top of his agenda, according to African affairs analyst, Emmanuel Bensah: "The reason why […]

January 29, 2024

Africa

Africa: Tracing Family Roots Beyond the DNA

[ad_1] Three genealogists describe the brick walls and breakthroughs in researching African American ancestry As an adoptee, Dena M. Chasten often felt disconnected from her family. That feeling correlated to her experience of being an African American in the United States. She always wondered where she came from and where she belonged. "The difference is when you are adopted, for the most part, you are wanted. I was very fortunate that a nice family raised me," said the Philadelphia native. […]

January 25, 2024

Africa

Africa: The Minerva Research Initiative – The Military-University-Industry Complex Targets Africa

[ad_1] The Pentagon launched the Minerva Research Initiative in 2008 as a “DoD-sponsored, university-based social science research initiative that focuses on areas of strategic importance to the US national security policy.” It is intended “to identify and support basic social science research issues in need of attention and to integrate those research insights into the policy-making environment.” Each spring, the DoD announces three-year grants (which can be extended up to five years. In his announcement of grants on 24 February […]

January 24, 2024

Africa

Africa: Secretary Antony J. Blinken At an Event On Food Security and Economic Growth At the Africarice Headquarters

[ad_1] Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire — SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. Well, good afternoon, everyone. And for me, it was both a pleasure and fascinating to be here, both with my colleague from the African Development Bank and also from AfricaRice, just to see the extraordinary work that's being done to get to a place where, as President Biden has said, Africa feeds itself - and actually, more than itself, a place where Africa feeds the world. And that is […]

January 24, 2024

Africa

Africa: Redesignating the Houthis a Terrorist Group Is Not a Bad Policy – It Is No Policy At All

[ad_1] The Houthis will not be discouraged, but the implications for Yemen and its people are dire. The US redesignation of the Houthis as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) represents continuing inconsistency in its policy towards Yemen - or rather the complete absence of a policy. During its first weeks in office the Biden administration chose to revoke Trump's decision to add the Houthis to a similar list. Now the US has rebranded them with the terrorist designation, repeating the […]

January 23, 2024

Africa

Africa: Liberia Is a Powerful Example of a Smooth Democratic Transition: U.S. UN Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield

[ad_1] Monrovia — Why is this trip important? What is the significance to the United States – and to you, specifically - having served as ambassador here? Well, first, for the United States, Liberia is a long historical partner and ally of the United States. Our histories are intertwined with each other” – “The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly” – and there was a lot of bad and ugly during Liberia's civil war. We really worked to help Liberia […]

January 23, 2024

Africa

Africa: Blinken Launching Four-Nation Africa Trip

[ad_1] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet Monday with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, as the top U.S. diplomat begins a four-nation tour in Africa. Blinken's itinerary also includes a visit to Porto da Praia, which received funding for modernization efforts from the U.S. government's Millenium Challenge Corporation, and attending an Africa Cup of Nations football match between Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said ahead of the […]

January 22, 2024

Entertainment

Africa: Prime Video Cuts Funding in Africa, Middle East

[ad_1] Stakeholders have described it as a sad development for the African film and television industry. Amazon Prime Video is undergoing a strategic shift in its international operations, directing its attention towards European original content, Variety is reporting. The platform has decided to downsize and reduce funding and resources allocated to Africa and the Middle East, concentrating on its European originals. By implication, the streaming platform would no longer fund original content from Nigeria and halt the commissioning of new […]

January 22, 2024

Africa

Africa: Us Secretary of State Blinken Travels to Nigeria, Three Other African Countries

[ad_1] Secretary Blinken's goal is to strengthen ties with Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Angola. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicks off a week-long visit - 21 to 26 January - to some African countries Sunday, seeking to build on the December 2022 US-Africa Leaders' Summit and expand fast-growing economic, development and security partnerships across the continent. Mr. Blinken's first stop is Cabo Verde off Africa's western coast. The archipelago nation is a powerful example of fruitful US […]

January 22, 2024

Canada and Africa