Africa Media Review for September 10, 2024

War ‘Tour’, Football and Graffiti: How Russia Is Trying to Influence Africa
Evidence found by the BBC shows that Russia is using media and cultural initiatives to attract African journalists, influencers, and students while spreading misleading information. These events are being promoted by African Initiative, a newly founded Russian media organisation which defines itself as an “information bridge between Russia and Africa”. It inherited structures previously set up by the dismantled Wagner mercenary group and is believed by experts to have links with the Russian security services. Registered in September 2023, a month after Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash, African Initiative has welcomed former employees from his disbanded enterprises. Its efforts have been particularly focused on the three military-run countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso…Alongside cultural events on the ground, African Initiative maintains a news website with stories in Russian, English, French, and Arabic, as well as a video channel and five Telegram channels, one of which has almost 60,000 subscribers. Some of the Telegram channels were “recycled” from older ones which had been set up by groups linked to Wagner. They were the first to promote the Russian Defence Ministry’s paramilitary group Africa Corps, which has effectively replaced the military wing of Wagner in West Africa. Pro-Kremlin narratives and misleading information, especially about the United States, are rife…In June, a group of bloggers and reporters from eight countries were invited for a seven-day “press tour” of the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine…Beyond press tours, local affiliates of African Initiative in West Africa’s Sahel region have been actively involved in community outreach efforts aimed at boosting Russia’s image. BBC

Rejected Poll Monitors Accuse Tunisia’s Election Authorities of Bias
Election officials in Tunisia doubled down Monday on their decision to deny accreditation to some election observer groups who say the move shows the October presidential contest in the North African country won’t be free and fair. The Independent High Authority for Elections, or ISIE, said in a statement that several civil society groups that had applied for accreditation had received a “huge amount” of foreign funding of a “suspicious origin” and therefore had to be denied accreditation to observe the election. Though the ISIE did not explicitly name the groups, one of its commission members said last weekend that it sent formal allegations against two specific groups to Tunisia’s public prosecutor, making similar claims that they took funding from abroad. The two organizations, I-Watch and Mourakiboun (which means “Observers” in Arabic) are not the first civil society groups to be pursued by authorities in Tunisia. Under President Kais Saied, non-governmental organizations have increasingly been targeted for their work, which spans from aid for migrants to human rights to local development efforts. AP

Armed Violence Closes Over 14,000 Schools In Africa, Leaving Millions Without Education
Education in conflict zones across West and Central Africa is increasingly under threat. According to a recent report by the Education in Emergencies Working Group (EiEWG), armed violence has forced the closure of 14,364 schools across 24 countries in the regions as of June 2024, significantly affecting the education of millions of children. This marks a significant increase from 2023 when 13,200 schools were closed…HumAngle’s ongoing coverage of conflict-affected communities shows how these school closures represent more than just a disruption of learning; they are a sign of how armed groups have used education as a battleground, weaponising the right to learn by targeting students, teachers, and educational infrastructure…The school closures are exacerbating the vulnerabilities of children in conflict zones, particularly girls, who are at heightened risk of early marriage and sexual exploitation…The recruitment of children by armed groups not only disrupts their education but also perpetuates cycles of poverty and instability, making it harder for families and communities to recover from conflict. HumAngle

Killing of Tanzanian Opposition Official Adds to Fears of Pre-Election Crackdown
The abduction and killing of an opposition official over the weekend in Tanzania has kindled fear and consternation in the East African country, with activists saying it has added to questions about the democratic credentials of the nation’s pathbreaking president as elections loom….[Ali Mohamed Kibao’s] death comes amid a wave of abductions and arrests of opposition party members that have rattled Tanzania as it gears up for local elections in December and a general election next year…[President Samia Suluhu Hassan], Tanzania’s first female leader, had promised to break with the previous leader’s autocratic tendencies when she took office in 2021…Ms. Hassan signaled early in her term that she would ease repression in Tanzania: She allowed political rallies to resume, lifted a ban on several newspapers and opened the country to foreign investors. But more recently, she has been accused of stalling in enacting broader overhauls, including writing a new Constitution, amending the electoral law and overhauling onerous media regulations. The New York Times

Leader of Nigeria’s Labour Federation Arrested, Union Says
Nigeria’s state security service arrested the president of its largest labour federation on Monday on charges that are yet to be disclosed, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said. The arrest of Joe Ajero comes days after he criticised the government for raising the price of gasoline by 39%, threatening to call a strike if the decision was not reversed. High fuel prices were among the reasons for cost of living protests in early August. Ajero was arrested by officials from the Department of State Security (DSS) at the airport in the capital Abuja while trying to fly to Britain on union business, the NLC said on X. Reuters

Sudan: Shelling Kills Civilians after Khartoum Rejects UN Experts’ Report
Shelling killed at least 21 people at a market in southeast Sudan on Sunday, September 8, 2024, a day after the country’s rulers rejected a call by UN experts for an independent force to protect civilians from the devastating civil war. The Sudan Doctors Network blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the shelling, which happened in the town of Sennar. As well as the 21 killed, it said more than 70 people had been wounded in the attack. The shelling came a day after Sudan’s foreign ministry rejected a call by independent UN experts for “an independent and impartial force with a mandate to safeguard civilians” to be deployed “without delay.” Le Monde with AFP

Sudan, Egypt Discuss Geneva Process and Arab League Peace Efforts
Sudanese Foreign Minister Hussein Awad and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel-Aty, discussed efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis in Sudan on Monday. These efforts include the Geneva process as well as initiatives led by the Arab League. The Egyptian government is actively seeking to play a more significant role in resolving the conflict in Sudan. It has coordinated with the U.S. administration to encourage the Sudanese government to participate in peace talks, despite the United Arab Emirates’ involvement in mediation efforts. Sudan Tribune

South Sudan Restricts Delivery of Fuel Supply to Sudan
South Sudan has restricted the delivery of fuel Sudan in the wake of a diplomatic push and engagement from the military led by the Sovereign Council of the Sudan. The shift in fuel supply comes after the new Sudanese Ambassador to Juba, Isam Mohamed Hassan assumed his diplomatic duties a few days after President Salva Kiir and his accompanying delegation met and discussed bilateral issues with Sudan at the China-Africa summit sidelines…[A security officer in Wau] said it was hard to identify who was buying fuel for use by armed actors in the Sudan conflict because those who were involved in buying goods in South Sudan and selling them in Sudan did not identify themselves as a group supporting one group against the other in Sudan. Sudan Tribune

Chinese Roots Deepen in Africa’s Last Taiwan Holdout
China is building up its business and economic interests in Eswatini in a sign that Taiwan’s last African ally is gradually pivoting towards Beijing. The southern African country was the only one of Africa’s 54 countries that declined to attend last week’s triennial China-Africa summit in Beijing. The kingdom of Eswatini has long refused to cut ties with Taiwan — even when Beijing has explicitly threatened to cut all trade with the African country because of it. But, despite that official snub last week, members of the Eswatini’s business community told Semafor Africa that authorities are quietly warming to China. It is forcing Taipei to face up to the reality that Chinese enterprises, business people, and even state players are digging deep roots in the kingdom’s economy…Eswatini’s government in May 2023 awarded the state-owned PowerChina a $165 million tender to construct the vital Mpakeni Embankment Dam even while noting in a statement that Eswatini had “yet to establish diplomatic relations with China” it had recognized PowerChina for “its brand influence in the southern African region.” Taiwan opened an embassy in Mbabane in 1968, the same year the country won self-rule from the British. This relationship has endured even as other countries have switched allegiances to China. Semafor

Mali, Niger Scramble for International Aid to Deal with Dire Flooding
Mali has called on the international community for aid to deal with the fall-out of severe flooding which has hit the country in recent weeks. Over 40 people have died and thousands more are displaced. Neighbouring Niger is facing a similar situation with a death toll of over 270…”These countries are already ravaged by conflict and insecurity, making it even harder to respond,” said Vishna Shah-Little, regional advocacy, media and communications director for [Save the Children] in Western and Central Africa…The rainy season in the Sahel countries runs from June until September and brings similar problems every year. But scientists warn that climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions is making extreme weather events such as floods more frequent, intense and longer-lasting. RFI

Ethiopia Hits Out at Egypt as Nile Dam Row Escalates
Ethiopia has said Egypt “must abandon its aggressive approach” towards a controversial hydroelectric dam on the River Nile as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. Addis Ababa was responding to a letter Egypt sent to the UN Security Council last week accusing Ethiopia of violating international law by continuing to fill the dam without agreement from downstream countries. In its letter to the Security Council, Ethiopia rejected what it called “a litany of unfounded allegations” from Cairo. This latest round in a long-running dispute comes as Egypt forges closer military ties with Ethiopia’s neighbour Somalia, which has its own disagreement with Ethiopia. The row dates back to 2011 when Ethiopia began building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) on the Blue Nile, a tributary from where 85% of the Nile’s waters flow. Egypt sees this as an existential issue as it relies almost entirely on the river for its water and fears that the dam could mean that the flow of the river is disrupted. It also says that two colonial-era treaties guarantee that it has a right to veto upstream projects. But for Ethiopia, the huge project, set to be the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa, is an integral part of its efforts to develop the country and get electricity to millions of households. BBC

African Para-sport at Crossroads after Paris 2024 Haul
The Paris 2024 Paralympics proved to be a case of consolidation for Africa as the continent won 64 medals in total – just one more than the tally at Tokyo 2020. The 23 golds were split between eight nations, with two other countries also getting on to the medal table…African Paralympic Committee (APC) president Samson Deen says the continent’s competitors “need to be commended” for their performances in Paris although challenges remain…Looking ahead to LA 2028, a key priority for Africa is to increase the number of entries and the level of competition. There were 312 para-athletes sent from 44 nations on the continent, with nine countries having just one representative. Africa’s contingent was almost matched by China’s 284 competitors, while the United States and Great Britain sent teams of 219 and 201 respectively. Aside from the levels of funding and the facilities available to top nations, the location of qualifying events remains a factor. Many such competitions are in Europe, the Americas or Asia and prove expensive for African nations to attend logistically, with visa requirements added to transport and accommodation costs. BBC