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The Palaver. A traditional African path to peace.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

Peace depends on the community’s ability to intervene in problematic situations and resolve conflicts by re-establishing justice and truth. Every peace is built based on justice and equity and not on the annihilation of the other. The art of politics consists precisely in the ability to know how to resolve conflicts creatively without giving rise to violence and thus promoting life.

In this perspective, African ancestors invented the ‘Palaver’, a highly relevant and effective procedure today. In sub-Saharan Africa, the ‘Palaver’ best expresses the function of the word in its community dimension. Public affairs are discussed through the ‘Palaver’, conflicts are resolved, legal acts are established, etc.
From this definition emerges the popular, public character of the ‘Palaver’ as well as its purpose which is the interest of each individual and all. One can resort to the ‘Palaver’ both for matters that concern the public interest and for those of personal interests.Ultimately, an event of a fundamental community nature occurs in it that concerns order and/or community life. Thus, one could say that the ‘Palaver’ is a path of common research to find a law of social life, a lifestyle.

Kenya. Pokot. The ‘Palaver’ originates in an “infringed right” or a “disturbed order”. File swm

Given the complexity of the fields it deals with, there are also various types of ‘Palaver’: at the level of the family, the clan or the village, between villages or even between two ethnic groups; but all these contexts refer to the context of the family and the way of proceeding is always the same. Here our interest goes first of all towards that type of ‘Palaver’ that could be defined as “the reduction of a conflict through language, a humane erasure of violence through discussion”.
The origin of the ‘Palaver’ is therefore in an “infringed right” or a “disturbed order”, that is, it always starts from a complaint brought to a ruler or the community council by a member or a clan or a tribe that sees its right infringed. The complaint requires that the community be convened. The purpose of the ‘Palaver’ emerges from the very way in which the community is arranged, that is, communication, giving new life, recomposing the entire community, that is, reconciling.

Guinea Bissau. the ‘Palaver’ articulates the word as a word “given to another”. File swm

In the ‘Palaver’, the entire society itself sets out on a journey, questions itself about its references (points of reference), distances itself from violence and attempts to enter into an uninterrupted dialogue with itself and with the other in itself. It can do this only because the ‘Palaver’ articulates the word as a word “given to another”, “addressed to”, as a donation. This donation requires the donor to put it in a form that is also an articulation of meaning. It thus highlights that reconciliation can only happen as a gift, gratuitously.
It is possible only when at least one of the parties involved feels the need to give meaning to life by performing acts of gratuitousness.
In this perspective, the ‘Palaver’ also brings into play another fundamental dimension of the Word: its creativity. Everyone can speak freely and in fact, the ‘Palaver’ does not end until all participants have expressed what is close to their hearts. It is appropriate here to underline the freedom of speech of each member and of the entire assembly as well as the dialogical character that the search for truth has in the exercise of justice. In fact, not only is there dialogue in the public debate, but the very search for arguments is done in dialogue, in consultation between the groups responsible for the ‘Palaver’. In all of this, the purpose of the ‘Palaver’ is manifested, which is to put an end to conflicts through the word and its creativity.

Kenya. Borana leaders. The function of the ‘palaver’ is to ensure that a word spoken in the community is a producer of life and not of death. File swm

The failure of the ‘Palaver’ means resuming the conflict or the outbreak of violence. Therefore, a great sense of responsibility is expected from all participants in the use of the word as a revealer of the truth that creates justice. In this way, the healing function of the word is highlighted. The word is capable of producing salvation or destroying, it can build communion or destroy it. It is something effective and dynamic. The function of the ‘Palaver’ consists in ensuring that a word spoken in the community is a producer of life and not of death. This role of the word is of capital importance, given that conflicts, and the need for revenge on the part of the victim often leads them to no longer know how to manage violence, resentment, or rancour. The word placed in the context of the “Palaver” can liberate the victim.
The genesis of resentment lies in the fact that the exercise of revenge that would re-establish the offended person in the sense of his dignity, his honour, and the satisfaction to which he is entitled, is so strong that this emotion is focused on the internal imaginative expression, or even on the tendency to take revenge. It is this resentment that then translates into feelings such as hatred, jealousy, wickedness, envy and malice. Such resentment does nothing but increase the suffering endured by the victim. Such resentment debases the person and poisons his personality. The hatred hidden within the person prevents him from developing, from fulfilling himself.
Therefore, it is impossible to count on a victim who lives in resentment to build the future. Hence the need to free such individuals from their resentment through the word. Such was the strong point of the intuition of the ancestors in resorting to the ‘Palaver’.

Kenya. Turkana. In the ‘Palaver’ logic, everyone has the right to speak. File swm

In the logic of the ‘Palaver’ everyone has the right to speak. In this sense the ‘Palaver’ guarantees equality and access for all to speak with a view to the liberation of the individual and the building up of the community. The final decision reached at the end of a ‘Palaver’ process is not the result of a compromise or a vote according to the principle of the majority, but of a solid consensus among all members which allows them to glimpse the path to follow together. The ‘Palaver’ process can reach this result because in it a purification of memory takes place, a confession of one’s guilt by the aggressor and an expression of one’s resentment by the victim.
In the word, in language, liberation takes place, because in it the truth has come to light. It is typical of the ‘Palaver’ that in it the truth occurs only progressively in a long process where each of the participants expresses his opinion and his thoughts, gradually correcting and readjusting his position according to the perception of the light of truth as it manifests itself in the process of exchange. In the end, one adheres to the conclusion not because it is the expression of the majority, but because in the voice of the community, each one recognizes his voice. The ‘Palaver’ is not only a long common process of clarification in the search for truth, but above all, it is a common search for peace and communion, reconciliation with oneself and with others. (Open Photo: Maasai young people. 123rf)
(J.M.)

West Africa. Hezbollah. Financing to the Party of God.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

The Lebanese movement relies on a mafia-like, opaque system
rooted in the Shiite diaspora, which also uses the laundering of
proceeds from illicit trafficking networks to reach Shiite
neighbourhoods in Beirut.

In Abidjan, especially around the al-Mahdi Mosque in the Shiite neighbourhood of Marcory, many have been in mourning for days after the killing, last September 27, of the charismatic leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, hit by 80 anti-bunker bombs, dropped by the Israeli army on the headquarters of the Lebanese Shiite movement in Dahieh, in the south of Beirut. In Ivory Coast, 100 thousand Lebanese live, 80% of whom are Shiite Muslims. But since the 1980s, Hezbollah has had ramifications in West Africa.

On 27 September last year, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by the Israeli army at the headquarters of the Lebanese Shiite movement in Dahieh, south of Beirut. Shutterstock/mohammad kassir

While the emigration of Lebanese Maronite businessmen to the continent has been documented since 1910, the stable presence of a Shiite community, particularly in Guinea and Ivory Coast, began just when Hezbollah was born in Lebanon. Not only that, the Lebanese Shiite diaspora has established solid ties with Beirut, as often happens among migrants who maintain strong emotional roots in their homeland. This is why political scientist Benedict Anderson called them “long-distance nationalists.” And so, the support for Hezbollah from the Lebanese Shiite diaspora in West Africa, not numerous but rich, has never been lacking. Indeed, it has grown over the years.

Lines of credit from the mosques
The lines of credit began, as often happens, first of all from the mosques frequented by the Shiite community in Abidjan, such as al-Zahra, and from religious centres, such as al-Ghadir, also in the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. From here, millions of dollars are sent every year, simply donated as ritual alms, or zakat, towards Beirut. In 2009, during the presidency of Laurent Gbagbo, the imam of this mosque, Abdul Kobeissi, was arrested, convicted and expelled to Beirut after being accused, also by the United States and Israel, of financing Hezbollah. “Everything is allowed for a good cause, which can be the survival of the movement, the resistance against Israel, the military support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the training of Huthi militiamen in Yemen.

Abidjan. Great Mosque. In Ivory Coast, 100 thousand Lebanese live, 80% of whom are Shiite Muslims. CC BY 3.0/Citizen59

These are all valid reasons to continue financing Hezbollah, even from so far away,” explained Lebanese analyst Maya Khadra.But these ties with Lebanon also guarantee many advantages to the Shiites in Ivory Coast. For example, when in 2004 there were strong tensions between Paris and Abidjan, with the attacks against the French military presence as part of the United Nations Operation in Ivory Coast (UNOCI), it was precisely the diaspora close to Hezbollah that secured the assets of the Lebanese community in the country.On the other hand, aid arriving in Beirut from West African countries has been growing, even after the economic crisis of 2019, with the devaluation of the Lebanese lira and the explosion of the port of Beirut in 2020. In particular, a large part of the economy of the city of Tyre, hit by Israeli bombings in recent weeks, in southern Lebanon, is supported by remittances from migrants in Ivory Coast. So much so that one of the streets in the village of Zrarieh has been renamed “Abidjan Street”.

Hezbollah policy
But Hezbollah did not stop there, it soon began to engage in politics in West Africa. This happened, for example, with the military support that affiliates of the Lebanese Shiite movement gave to the Polisario Front, which is fighting for the liberation of Western Sahara from Morocco, alongside members of the Iranian al-Quds militias. Not only that.

US Treasury Department reports confirm that 30% of the cocaine trafficking through Africa to Europe passes through the hands of Hezbollah affiliates. Shutterstock/Fuss Sergey

Many analysts have reconstructed the role played by members of the group in the 2023 coup in Niger. “The geographical presence of Hezbollah in West Africa was encouraged by logistical reasons: the control of drug, diamond, wood and weapons trafficking. In particular, drug trafficking starts in Latin America, especially from Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, and then passes through the countries of West Africa from where their illicit marketing and distribution in Europe begins. These networks have seen an active role of members of the Lebanese Shiite movement”, added Maya Khadra. Reports from the US Treasury Department also confirmed that 30% of the cocaine traffic that passes through Africa to reach Europe passes through the hands of Hezbollah affiliates.

The effects of the economic crisis
Yet even the Shiites in the West African diaspora have had to deal with the serious consequences that the economic crisis has had on the Lebanese, for example on the methods of financing Hezbollah. Since the United States included the Lebanese Shiite movement in its list of terrorist organizations – imposing sanctions on private supporters, companies and charities that have ties to the group – and following the measure taken by Lebanese banks that have capped the withdrawal of money at a few hundred euros, the old methods of getting the money to its destination have returned. “Money laundering, which is reused to finance Hezbollah, is often transported in the suitcases of Lebanese passengers who take commercial flights,” Maya Khadra explained.

Aerial view of Beirut city and the port. “Money laundering to finance Hezbollah is often transported in Lebanese passengers’ suitcases on flights.” Shutterstock/mohamed.m1

This happened, for example, in 2003 when between 2 and 3 million dollars were found in the suitcases of one of the passengers of the Boeing 727-200, which crashed in Cotonou, Benin. The same thing happened to two Lebanese-Guinean businessmen, Ali Saadé and Ibrahim Taher, accused of “money laundering and financing terrorist groups,” arrested while trying to bribe customs personnel at Conakry airport, to travel with bags full of dollars, intended, according to Washington, to finance the activities of a Hezbollah affiliate in Lebanon, Kassem Tajideen. And so, the Lebanese movement, in addition to the funding coming from Tehran, relies on a mafia-like and opaque system in West Africa, rooted in the Shiite diaspora, made more fragile by the economic crisis gripping the Lebanese, which also uses the laundering of the proceeds of illicit trafficking networks to reach the Shiite neighbourhoods of Beirut. (Open Photo: Hezbollah flags painted over cracked concrete wall.Shutterstock/sameer madhukar chogale)

Giuseppe Acconcia

Harmonious Peace.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

One could also define ‘Palaver’ as a common search through the word to maintain the integrity of the community, that is, to promote life through a reconciliation that creates peace. It is an effort by all
to ensure peace.

It is an active search through dialogue, through the word to establish a peace based on justice and benevolence, a harmonious peace. That harmony and peace are the true aims of ‘Palaver’ can also be seen from how conflicts are resolved. At the end of ‘Palaver’ one always tries to save the guilty party and not to exalt the winner too much. What matters is reconciliation and that harmony, and communion are re-established. Such a process is demanding and requires certain conditions for its realization. First of all, we need wise leaders (able to discern between good and evil), competent (in eloquence and knowledge of history) and experts in the traditions of the Ancestors.

‘Palaver’ as an instrument of reconciliation. File swm

The fundamental experience that lies at the root of the ‘Palaver’ as an instrument of reconciliation is that of communion. Communion requires taking into consideration all members of the community as speaking subjects. Communion is true only when the community promotes and guarantees the freedom of each of its members and when each member is aware of being free only in the relationship with the community. The reference to the community is fundamental for the freedom of the individual itself. Personal experience always contains a community dimension. On the other hand, every experience is about the word and therefore given communication and the community. It is within the community that the word manifests its transparency and creative capacity for life. This is why the place of the word and of verification of every experience is the community, that is, the context of the relationship with otherness.
The ‘Palaver’ is therefore a dynamic process whose dynamism is based on the ability of individuals to carry forward new experiences that enrich the community, that promote life and communion. In this perspective, the ultimate criterion of reference is not the individual, but the individual as related to the community. It is this relationship that establishes the individual as a subject.

The ‘Palaver’ requires greater objectivity and great sincerity. 123rf

Precisely because it intends to re-establish communion, the ‘Palaver’ requires the presence of all interested parties and the community as a whole, because without the agreement of each one and of all, social harmony cannot be achieved. From each one, transparency in communication, the predisposition not to spoil communication, the willingness to say frankly what motivates his actions and his expectations are expected.
The ‘Palaver’ requires greater objectivity and great sincerity. These are achieved de facto through the presence of all. When someone is not sincere, those who know him are present and can protest. As Abdon Atangana, Professor at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, rightly says, “What is striking in the ‘Palaver’, as well as in every sincere dialogue between Africans, is the freedom and frankness in the discussion, in the way in which each frees themselves from any false courtesy, telling each other the truth to their faces”. The sincerity of the entire community is at stake here.
These conditions presuppose freedom of speech, that is, to speak and to be listened to. Everyone is responsible for social harmony. If it is true that the concept of community (relationship) is fundamental to understanding the person in Africa, it is also true that this concept is closely linked to the tribe or clan. How can one think of it beyond the tribe in the context of the construction of the nation-state and a fraternal world? This remains the challenge: how to think of plurality and community, the State as a community of communities that live harmoniously and in peace among themselves in search of the promotion of the Common Good?

“We all share the same humanity”.

At the basis of every community is the relationship, the ability to relate to the different or better “relationality”. It presupposes dispositions such as those of friendship, of altruism, without being reduced to them. Relationality does not depend on the sympathy or good feelings that one can have towards someone else. It is founded in the sense of responsibility for one’s own actions, in the sense of our obligation towards those who depend on us and of the loyalty that we must have towards those who commit themselves to others. It demands respect for one’s traditions and those of other cultures; the recognition of the fact that we all share the same humanity.
It is in this context that the principle of a democracy based on the principle of the majority must be rethought because in such a democracy minorities will always be afraid of being crushed by the majority groups. Everyone must participate. In this context, the ‘Palaver’ is a good principle. (Open Photo: 123rf)
(J.M.)

Burkina Faso. Maimouna Ba. The “Mother of Sahel”.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

In Burkina Faso, the ‘Mother of the Sahel’ brings education and hope to forcibly displaced children.

As conflict forced thousands of children to flee to the safety of her hometown, Maimouna Ba rallied the community to provide
support and education.

Born and raised in Dori, in the far northeast of Burkina Faso, Maimouna Ba was the youngest of 12 children living in the country’s vast, remote and arid Sahel region, a six-hour drive from the capital, Ouagadougou.

She and her sisters were the first girls in her family to go to school, and it was an opportunity they all seized. For Maimouna, it revealed the power of education. “I believe my life has changed because I am more educated, and I believe that because I am more educated, my family’s life has changed,” she said.

Maimouna went on to study marketing at university. Still, instead of pursuing a career in her field of study, she made it her mission to change the lives of others through education, bringing hope and maybe even peace to her conflict-wracked country. “I believe education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world,” she said.

Since 2016, Burkina Faso has been in the throes of political instability and violent conflict that has left over 2 million people internally displaced and forced more than 200,000 to become refugees in neighbouring countries. Despite facing its challenges, the country has generously welcomed nearly 41,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from Mali, with almost 60 per cent of them settling in the Sahel region bordering Mali and Niger.

This region, which is the focus of Maimouna’s work, has been particularly affected by the displacement crisis. This has resulted in a large influx of internally displaced people towards Dori, the regional capital. Already home to Malian refugees, the city is now
facing overpopulation.

When the first displaced people – the vast majority of whom are women and children – began arriving in Dori, Maimouna asked herself,
“How can we give these children a glimmer of hope and give
these women dignity?”

She founded her organization Femmes pour la Dignite du Sahel (Women for the Dignity of the Sahel), together with around a dozen other women, in 2020 to provide school fees for displaced children, and skills
to displaced women.

She collected donations, rallied support and encouraged volunteers to join her. Since then, her Un Enfant, Un Parrain (One Child, One Sponsor) programme has matched vulnerable children with individual sponsors who contribute towards their school fees. This school last year alone, more than 120 children have been enrolled in the programme.

But sponsors do more than just provide fees. Maimouna strives to forge a direct connection between the children and their sponsors, ready to offer kindness and psychological support as well as cash. The benefits go both ways, she said.

“I don’t know if you know that feeling when you sense that there is a person who was in total despair, in a situation that they thought was unchangeable, insoluble, who sees that there are possibilities for them?” Maimouna said, a bright smile spreading across her face. “I experience that every day in the work that I do … And that makes me feel
useful and makes me believe we are getting there, as long as we continue to persevere.”

“I don’t see myself as a hero,” she added. “I just see myself as a person who has convictions that she fights for. I believe that we don’t need much to change the world. It all starts within us.”

Tall, with a penchant for colourful dresses and matching headscarves, Maimouna cuts a striking figure and, despite being just 29 years old, her work has earned her the nickname “Maman Sahélienne”,
or “Mother of the Sahel”.

“Education is one of the best ways to combat violent extremism, the lack of social cohesion and the lack of peace, all of which stem from ignorance,” she said. “I hope that the sons of the Sahel who have taken up arms, whatever their convictions, come to their senses and understand that our ancestors are right when they say that fire has never put out the fire and that development, even if it has been slow,
is always possible.”

In addition to her work with children, Maimouna’s organization teaches displaced women the skills to start small businesses that allow them to earn enough to send their children to school and cover their own needs.

To some, Burkina Faso’s multifaceted crisis may seem insoluble, but not to Maimouna. “I have always been a dreamer,” she said. “I have always set myself very ambitious goals that I have never thought were unachievable.”

She cited a proverb to explain her conviction that the solutions to her country’s crisis must come from the people of Burkina Faso. “When an egg breaks from the outside, life ends, but when it breaks from the inside life begins,” she said. “I believe if there is to be a change, an improvement in the situation in the Sahel, it must start within the Sahel, with the commitment of the daughters and the sons of the Sahel.”

Last year, she was awarded the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for Africa in recognition of her efforts to educate displaced children in Burkina Faso. (Photo: © UNHCR/Etinosa Yvonne)
Cedric Kalonji Mfunyi

The African Youth. Innovations & Creativity.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

With the highest percentage of her population made up of youth, Africa is a bed of opportunities for growth and prosperity. The African youth are a symbol of resilience, potential, creativity and determination in a changing and challenging world.

The youth represent hope and vibrancy across the continent geared towards social change, economic growth, and sustainable development. Amidst the challenges and inequalities, the youths in Africa remain determined and fit to compete with other youth globally to make Africa and the world a better place. This calls for celebration of our youths.
The participation by the youth towards having a better Africa cut
across various sectors.

During one of the Young African Leaders Initiative summit Ida from Gambia, while referring to the youth said, “One of the things that we are really learning to do here is to say; no, we must be heard. We are the future. So, in a nutshell, that’s who I am. I am the future.
The African future.”

These words clearly represent the aspirations and the driving force amongst many African youths informing the actions they have taken in the recent past in the fight for good governance. The youth have played and continue to play pivotal roles on matters of governance in their respective countries throughout the continent both directly in governance matters and in decision-making processes.

The youth also put the governments under check by calling out and demonstrating against corrupt leaders and advocating for change. Equipped with essential skills on democratic and electoral governance, the youth in Africa are at the forefront in the defense of democracy
all over Africa.

The stability and development of the African states depends on how they treat their youth. Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Si in paragraph 13 says, “Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.”

Youth all over the world and particularly in Africa have taken this challenge to fight against climate crisis in great ways. Youth across the continent have come up with various innovative ways towards adaptation, reliance and curbing the effects of climate change. These are being achieved through establishment of a number of grass root organizations that educate the masses on the need to care for Mother Nature and some providing alternative ways for just transition.

Some youth groups try to achieve this through ecological conversion. For instance, the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa, a Catholic youth group spread in various countries in Africa live by a slogan of ‘no use of single use plastics’ by its members. Though simple, this revolution against use of single use plastics is positively contributing towards reduction in plastic pollution rate on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Steeven Kazemutima, widely known as Baba Miti loosely translated as Father of Trees, of Laudato Si Movement Africa runs a campaign, “Birthday Tree Planting” which urges the youth and everyone to plant and nurture trees during their birthdays and other important days
in their lives.

This campaign has resulted in an increase in the youth abandoning cake-cutting during their birthdays and instead resorting to planting trees. These initiatives by the youth and many more in different parts of Africa need to be celebrated, supported and highlighted as case studies for climate crisis mitigation activities.

During the Africa Climate Week, the African youths presented their declaration to the African Union and the Heads of State and Government calling for governments to recognise the place of the youth in their decision-making processes and to support their initiatives. Such courageous acts by the youth should not go unnoticed.

Africa suffers deeply from lack of job opportunities for her people and as a great number of youths in Africa are graduating in various fields from universities and other learning institutions, they grapple with the question of what next? The only answer to this question for the youth is to be innovative and creative in creating jobs for themselves.

The youth have integrated entrepreneurship and innovation to achieve self-reliance. KadAfrica, an organization founded by Evelyn Namara from Uganda, trains youth in the cultivation of passion fruit, processing and also creating markets for the end products. This initiative founded by an African youth creates employment to fellow young people in Uganda who are affected by unemployment.

Another innovation worth celebrating by an African youth is the Twim Academy in Nigeria founded by Oluwatobi Oyinlola that trains young people on coding and digital skills. Graduates from this noble initiative secure jobs in the digital economy while others start their own tech consultancies and employ other qualified youth in their organizations. Such innovative and creative projects by the youth are found in various urban and rural settlements in Africa. (Open Photo: 123rf)

Stephen Otieno Makagutu

USA/Africa. Uncertain Future.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

Donald Trump as President of the United States could have important consequences for Africa. These could include higher trade tariffs, less development aid and less political conditionality on human rights. However, Trump’s unpredictable nature may hold surprises
for Africans.

According to Afreximbank’s 2024 Trade Report, the United States has become a secondary trading partner, accounting for only 8% of Africa’s exports and less than 5% of its imports, well behind China (20% of Africa’s exports and 16% of its imports), the European Union (21.4% of Africa’s imports and over 30% of its exports) and the Middle East (10.8% of Africa’s exports and 8.2% of its imports).
Trump’s first term saw a tough trade policy. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which exempts 1,800 products from 32 countries from tariffs, saw US imports from Africa peak at under $10bn a year, down from $66bn in 2008.

The United States accounts for only 8% of Africa’s exports and less than 5% of its imports. 123rf

This trend is likely to continue, with everyone expecting another tariff-heavy approach. During his previous administration, Trump said AGOA would not be renewed when it expires in 2025.
As a result, African exporters are likely to sell less in the US market. South African exporters of fruit and automotive components are affected, as are Kenyan, Nigerian and Ghanaian textile producers.
Nevertheless, some African exporters expect Trump’s transactional pragmatism to prevail. After all, the results of his Prosper Africa initiative during his first term were not insignificant.
It closed 2,500 deals in 49 countries worth $120bn. Optimists hope that as a deal-oriented leader, President Trump could preserve AGOA, provided some changes are made.
Analysts say that if the US is serious about countering China’s growing economic influence in Africa, it will need to maintain some level of partnership. In this regard, Trump may be tempted to implement Joe Biden’s project to invest in the Lobito Corridor in Angola, so that the railway line can transport critical raw minerals from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic Ocean for export to the US.
Pundits are also predicting possible cuts to US aid to Africa, which amounts to about $8 billion a year. Trump’s first administration proposed slashing foreign aid worldwide. But the Democrats, who controlled the Senate at the time, opposed the cuts. Now, with Republicans holding a majority in both houses, no one can stop Trump from making cuts if he wants to.

The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was among the first to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory. Photo: Simon Walker / N.10 Downing Street

In any case, many African leaders seem pleased with Trump’s victory. His victory was immediately congratulated by Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed, Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa. The King of Morocco, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara, Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby and Senegal’s new leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye also rushed to congratulate the new American president.
Trump’s victory was hailed also in the Sahel, where military leaders expect that he will focus less on democracy and human rights. The leaders of the Sahel Alliance formed by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger believe indeed that Trump shares with them the same sovereigntist ideology. President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe who faced US sanctions in the past also praised Trump’s triumph, describing him as a leader who “speaks for the people” while Paul Kagame of Rwanda celebrated his “historic and decisive” victory while stressing his opposition to any interference. King Mohamed VI reminded that during his first mandate, Trump recognized Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara, (in exchange for the recognition of Israel).
But protocol aside, the future relationship between the US and several key countries remains uncertain. South Africa, which filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice against Israel for genocide in Gaza in December 2023, may face difficulties given Trump’s staunch support for Netanyahu and his cabinet of hawks.

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam aerial view. Trump appears to have sided with Cairo on the issue of the Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile. Photo: Prime Minister Office Ethiopia

During Trump’s first term, contradictory signals were sent to Ethiopia. On the one hand, Trump’s former special envoy, Peter Pham, insisted on the importance of recognising Ethiopia’s legitimate interest in access to the sea, and Addis Ababa announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the breakaway state of Somaliland to build a port there. On the other hand, diplomats stress Trump’s desire not to antagonise Egypt by showing too much sympathy for Ethiopia or Somaliland. Indeed, Trump appears to have sided with Cairo on the issue of the Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile and which angers Egypt because it could deprive it of much-needed water.
In 2020, Trump said Egypt would not be able to live with the dam and might “blow it up”.
Apart from issues such as access to critical minerals and security, Trump is not expected to spend much time in Africa during his second term. He has never travelled to Africa as president. This could mean that the military’s U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, will continue to be the main face of U.S. policy on the continent.

US Africa Command, Gen. Michael Langley. Under the Trump administration, U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, will remain the main face of U.S. policy on the continent. Photo: Jeremiah Meaney

One concern, however, could prompt Trump to guarantee some American presence on the continent: China. Indeed, Trump’s former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Tibor Nagy, is convinced that the new Republican administration will not neglect Africa because it sees China as a threat to US interests there.
An isolationist “America First” agenda that ignores Africa would provide an opportunity for Beijing to expand further into the continent, predicts Yun Sun, director of the China Programme at the Stimson Centre. According to Christopher Isike, professor of African studies at the University of Pretoria, Trump’s disregard for Africa could also encourage African countries to pursue stronger trade and relations with Asia and the Middle East.
On the security side, Trump’s isolationism should mean less interference than during the Biden administration. During his first term, Trump ordered the withdrawal of American troops from Somalia where they fought al-Shabab jihadists. Yet, Donald Trump can also be unpredictable. Reports of collusions between Iran-backed Yemen Houthis and al-Shabab, which increase the risk of attacks on American vessels may change his attitude.
With his relationship with Vladimir Putin less strained than under the Biden administration,

During his election campaign, Trump promised to deport more than a million illegal immigrants from the US. 123rf

Donald Trump could also create synergies between the two superpowers to combat the scourge of jihadism. The Russians might welcome such an initiative if they acknowledge that even if they have gained influence in the Sahel, they have not managed to eliminate the Islamist threat and that they might need US intelligence to achieve this goal.
African states should also be prepared for a new situation at the UN, where Trump may not feel bound by Biden’s commitment to support the creation of two permanent seats for Africa on the Security Council. Afro-US relations are also likely to be influenced by Trump’s desire to achieve success on illegal immigration. During his election campaign, he promised to deport more than a million illegal immigrants from the US. Africa is concerned: according to US Customs and Border Protection, 58,000 African migrants were apprehended at the US-Mexico border in 2023, four times more than the previous year. Concerns are particularly high in Nairobi, Khartoum, Abuja, Asmara, Dar-es-Salaam and Kinshasa. (Illustration: Pixabay)

François Misser

Mexico. An Aztec Legend. The Princess of the Night.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

As the sun sets over the stony plateau of Mexico, a beautiful white flower opens its corolla among the blade-like thorns of the Cereus Nycticalis: it is called the Princess of the Night.

When the king of Michoacan sent out the town criers to the villages and districts, all the maidens came out from their terraces to hear their voices. The town criers shouted: “By order of the king, all maidens of all ranks and classes are invited to take part in the flower contest. The one, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, who brings the strangest flower to the palace, a hitherto unknown corolla, will become the bride of Prince Tutul!

And on the terraces, loud chattering had begun; how many hopes had been lost! Who could ever find a new flower, never seen before, on those sun-baked hills, with their cracked stones, where only the cactuses stretch their twisted arms towards the blue sky?The maidens shook their heads in melancholy and the wise old women murmured: “Prince Tutul, with his passion for flowers, will be left without a bride…”.

But one girl had not lost hope: Red Star paced her room, trying to think of a way to win the race and become the Princess of Michoacan! “Go away, Moonbeam! – she cried to the faithful maid who had approached her – I have no desire to listen to your lamentations today! I have much to do and think about so leave me alone!”

“Red Star, my lady, I know what you are thinking and I want to help you…,” said the faithful maid. “What do you want to do? You are a slave, and if I, a noble and cultured woman, cannot find anything, what hope have you?”, replied Red Star

Moonbeam insisted: “If you let me go, my lady, for your sake I will search the whole plateau and find the strange flower that will allow you to marry Tutul. I am sure I will succeed.”

Red Star looked at her and said: Will you? You mean you can do as well as I can? All right, Moonbeam, go ahead… but remember one thing: if you come back empty-handed, you will be severely punished! You feel capable of so much. You have to risk something. Go now, but don’t forget the punishment!”

Taggio di Luna stumbled across the plateau, walking for days under the relentless, scorching sun: her feet, torn by the stones, bled with every step; soaked with sweat, her hair had stuck to her shoulders… how tired she was! And she was searching in vain.

********

Moonbeam stopped at every bush and searched anxiously among the thorns: nothing. Not a single flower. And if there was one, shy and half-hidden, it was a common corolla that bloomed even in Prince
Tutul’s gardens.

But Moonbeam resumed the path and the patient search, growing weary. She did not want to return not for fear of punishment, but because she loved her mistress and would even give her life to help her, even though she knew Red Star would never be grateful for the sacrifice.

One evening, tired beyond endurance, Moonbeam sat down by a thorny, barren, tall stalk to rest a little. The girl thought sadly that twenty days had passed since the cry of banishment and nothing had been found…

“I have barely a week left! – she muttered to herself, – I’ll never find a flower to make Red Star and Tutul happy … My mistress was right, what hope could there be for a poor slave girl like me? I was too presumptuous …” A flutter of wings interrupted her thoughts; struggling in vain to resume its weary flight, a hummingbird fell at the girl’s feet.

“Poor thing… – Moonbeam took the exhausted hummingbird in her hands – what are you doing here, where there is only sunshine and burning stones? … oh, you cannot answer, hummingbird … Open your beak. Are you thirsty? I too am thirsty and I have no water …”

The hummingbird opened its beak and waved its little head, breathing with difficulty. The girls said: “How I pity you, … But… Wait! I want to try to break this plant. If a single drop of water falls from its stem, it will be for you. I can wait!”

Moonbeam placed the hummingbird in the shade under a rock ledge and, climbing over a pile of stones, managed to grasp the stem of the cactus, which jutted sharply like a sword from the thorny bush. Leaning against it, the maiden leaped to the foot of the plant, passing through the thorns that pierced her bare feet and legs, tearing her skin; she bent over the top of the bush and, pressing down with all her weight, managed to break off its top.

The sharp thorns also pierced her chest and throat… But a drop of water formed on the break in the fleshy bush. At the end of her strength. Moonbeam broke the thorny bush again and knelt down beside the hummingbird, and the drop that fell from the broken cactus wet the hummingbird’s throat. Reanimated, the hummingbird opened its shining eyes and with a flap of its wings rose into the air.

“Fly… fly! I’m glad I could give you back some strength!” Moonbeam smiled at the multi-coloured wings of the bird as she knelt on the burning rocks. The bird circled her head three times, as if to thank her, then headed for the distant line of the horizon; hardly able to raise her weak hands, Moonbeam waved wearily, then fell into a deep sleep in the shadow of the rock, where the hummingbird of a hundred colours had rested a short while before.

When, at dawn, the little girl opened her eyes again, she felt a strange force creeping through her veins. “I am no longer tired! And I am no longer thirsty.” – she exclaimed in amazement, rising to her feet, – … “Oh, what a wonderful flower!”

There where the cactus was broken, a large corolla, white and odourless, shone in the pale light of dawn; it was the most beautiful flower Moonbeam had ever seen. Red Star, his lady, would marry Prince Tutul.

Happy, Moonbeam plucked the white flower, closed it in a basket, and ran down the stony slope towards Michoacan. She ran, happy with her discovery and new strength, without thinking how the beautiful corolla had come into being in the night, and without even thinking that she and only she could win the race and become a princess …

********

“Here is the flower, my lady!” – said Moonbeam, kneeling at Red Star’s feet. I have kept my promise in time: tomorrow you can be declared the winner of the race.”

Without a word of thanks, and wrinkling her nose at the sight of the maid’s bloodied and dusty limbs, the magnificent Red Star took the basket and gazed for a long moment into Moonbeam’s smiling face.
Red Star said: “I hope no one knows…” Quickly the girl replied: “Oh, no, my lady! I have not spoken to anyone!” “But you might as well speak, Moonbeam… you never know! And then you would be the Princess of Michoacan!… Xilo! Huitzli! Come here!”

Two strong slaves entered through the small door leading to the terrace. “Take Moonbeam and throw her in the dungeon! She shall never come out, and no one shall speak to her!”, said Red Star. Deaf to the poor girl’s cries and moans, the two slaves locked Moonbeam in the dark dungeon.

********

After placing the magnificent white flower in a precious vase, Tutul gave orders for his wedding to be celebrated with Red Star the next day. The prince was not happy with his fiancée but what could he do? The proclamation had been clear, and no other maiden with such a strange and beautiful corolla had appeared at the contest.

Sighing, Tutul went to his room to choose the jewels to send to Red Star as a wedding present. On the chest, under the compartment that was open like a window in the wall, the prince found a hummingbird of a hundred colours. When the bird saw him, it flew to his shoulder and caressed his cheek with its beak.

“What do you want, hummingbird? And how did you get here?” said Prince Tutul. The hummingbird answered: “ It is “Five Flowers”, Mocuilxochtl, protector of flowers and dance, who sends me to you, Prince Tutul. It was Five Flowers, who produced the white corolla that now rests in your polychrome vase, a corolla that recalls the compassion of Moonbeam, your fiancée’s slave.

It is she who saved my life, it is she who walked day and night in search of a flower that would please you. …. It is she who must be your bride!”
The prince asked: “Where is this girl, little hummingbird?” “In the dungeon of Red Star’s Palace”, the hummingbird said and flew away.

********

And so it was that the faithful slave, the brave, good and humble Moonbeam, became the bride of the Prince of Michoacan. In memory of her, the beautiful large white corollas on the thorny arms of the ‘cereus’, which open only in the middle of the night and radiate an almost lunar light, are called “Princesses of the night”. (Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0/Ks.mini)

Aztec Legend

Mission. Giving hope despite everything.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

Three Comboni Missionaries are sharing their experience with displaced people, young drug addicts and Christian communities.

Mozambique. Sister María del Amor Puche talks about the difficulties faced by people caught between guerrilla groups and refugee camps. Insecurity and fear. Commitment to women. Small microcredit projects.

I live in Balama, in the Diocese of Pemba, in the Province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique. The parish has about 75 communities that we visit regularly. A few kilometres from the mission, there is an active guerrilla group that has been causing internal displacement and carrying out killings for the past five years. As a result, we all live in fear. In the diocese, they have looted, destroyed, and burned about eight missions, leading to their closure. Two years ago, one of our Comboni Sister was killed, and last year, two other nuns were kidnapped in this area. Although they were later released, the fear was immense. All of this has led to great instability and suffering for the people. It is truly a persecuted Church.In the vicinity of the mission and several nearby villages, there are three refugee camps where many people live in poverty. Each camp can house around 300 families, with an average of 13 to 14 members per family. The living conditions there are dire: there is a severe lack of food and water, and essential services such as schools and hospitals are non-existent.

Sister María del Amor Puche with children women in a refugee camp. File swm

People are living in extremely harsh conditions, relying on makeshift tents supported by just a few sticks. While we did receive some humanitarian aid from organizations that used to operate in the area, they have recently departed. We are doing our best to assist, but our efforts are limited. It feels like a small drop in an ocean of suffering. Amid this pain, as Comboni Missionaries sisters, we work with displaced women. We have sewing, listening and literacy groups… They are a great help to the women because, in addition to what they learn, they can express all the pain they carry inside. There is a lot of suffering in their lives and these small communities allow them to listen calmly and without judgment.
For four or five months, we have been supporting several microcredit initiatives. We give them a small amount of capital to start a resource-generating activity. During the meetings, we offer them basic and simple training in home economics so that they feel supported and understood.
We are actively involved in various pastoral activities, particularly in training young people. It’s disheartening to witness so many individuals experiencing insecurity and lacking access to education. Some young people have left the area, while those who have remained have formed small groups. We strongly believe that education has the power to bring about positive change. By providing training, we can lay the groundwork for a new mindset and a better future for both men and women, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Mozambique. Keep moving
After fifteen years, he returns to his homeland. He shares his feelings and plans for the future after a year as a parish priest.

My name is Father José A. Intuela Sagras, a Comboni Missionary from Mozambique. I was ordained priest in May 2014. My first mission was in Chad, where I lived for nine years. In June 2023 I returned to Mozambique and was assigned to the parish of São Francisco Xavier de Benfica, on the outskirts of the capital, Maputo. Although I had not expected it, I welcomed this new ministry.
A month later, I arrived at Benfica to begin my service and was surprised by the enormous generosity of the parishioners. Not only had they mobilised to renovate my room and buy several sets of sheets, but they had also prepared a welcome cake for me.
I felt the warmth of the welcome that we Africans appreciate so much. The people were very happy because they had not had a regular priest since 2020. I saw the joy on their faces and I said to myself: “Lord, will I be able to live up to the expectations of these people who have put their trust in me?” Countless times during the months I have been here, I have entrusted myself to the Lord to help me be a good pastor.

Father José A. Intuela Sagras with young people from the parish. File swm

During this time I was able to meet all the heads of the different ministries and sectors and understand the reality on the ground. I felt like a moving train and I tried to get used to what was happening. The people and my Comboni brothers helped me a lot during this time. I am indeed Mozambican, but I have been living outside my country for more than 15 years and I come from Quelimane, a city in the centre of the country, so I knew little of the reality of Maputo. I still have great difficulties with languages.
Here they speak mostly Changana and Ronga, two languages that are very similar but very different from the ones I use, so I am working hard to learn them because I am convinced that the Gospel must be proclaimed in the language of the people. In any case, we use Portuguese in the formation meetings and in the liturgy, although we do some readings in Changana and Ronga.
Little by little I took note and identified the main challenges in catechesis, liturgy and the formation of pastoral workers, children, adolescents, young people and couples. We have monthly parish councils and we focus on the areas where we propose improvements. At the end of last year, we had a general parish meeting where we were all able to take stock of the activities that had been carried out and those that had not been completed, as well as identifying the difficulties that have now become pastoral priorities.
I cannot forget that we live in a very young country, where there are many children, adolescents and young people who face many difficulties, both spiritual and social, and it is necessary to accompany them. In this sense, we realised that it could be very helpful to have a structure where they could meet and interact with each other. We saw that sport has an enormous power to unite and we created a simple multi-sports field. The aim is not only to practise sport but also to attract young people and then propose activities for their human, social and spiritual growth.

Colombia. With the poor and drug addicts.
“In my community, we decided that this year I would dedicate part of my time to reaching out to dozens, perhaps hundreds, of men, women and young drug addicts who roam the Charco Azul neighbourhood in Cali. I started by approaching a bench they had built under a tree”. Father Franco Nascimbene, an Italian Comboni missionary, tells us.

In that place, at any time of day or night, there is always a small group of people sitting and taking drugs. For a month I sat with them two or three times a week to listen to them and chat. Sometimes it is not so easy. One young man talked all the time and never said a sentence that had anything to do with the previous one: with him, the dialogue failed.
Another man spent more than half an hour insulting me because ‘I was full of money that the Vatican sends me and I do not want to give it to him’. Then there was the fellow who kept asking me to invite him to lunch. Other encounters are more pleasant: like the one I had with three teenagers whom I asked where they got the money to buy drugs, they admitted to stealing but explained to me that they were “good thieves” because they don’t steal in the neighbourhood, but in other areas… I also spoke with a young mother who explained to me that she had been taking drugs for 15 years, but that since she had children she had given up “hard” drugs and smoked only “marijuana”. When I asked her why he hadn’t stopped, she told me that she couldn’t.

Father Franco Nascimbene talks to a woman in the community centre. File swm

We also spoke with a “theologian” addict who went on about the rosary and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the difference between praying and asking. What is the meaning of these encounters? I don’t know exactly. For the moment, I think that in an environment where everyone feels despised, it can be “Good News” for them to meet a priest who is not ashamed to sit among them and listen to them. What will come of it? I don’t know… time will tell and the Spirit will inspire…
The generosity of the poor never ceases to amaze me: a few weeks ago, I visited a house where three elderly people between 75 and 90 years old live. They are brothers, they are very thin and have never had children or a partner. They no longer have the strength to work. When I asked them how they managed to eat, they replied that there is always a neighbour who brings them something.
So, I joined the neighbours who bring them food from time to time. Recently, I was reading a biblical text that said that anyone who contemplates Jesus crucified is saved. At Mass, after reading the Gospel, at the time of the homily, I went to sit in the middle of the church with the microphone in my hand… and I invited everyone to look at
Jesus on the Cross. SWM

Bolivia. The Sound of the Andes.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

Native music is very important for the cultural and spiritual identity of the Andean peoples since it is the expression of the sentiment and joy of the Quechua and Aymara indigenous communities and other cultures of the Andes. It also plays a fundamental role in their agricultural calendar.

Native music is the expression of an identity woven between verses and typical instruments of the Andean region. It is seen to be like a letter of introduction of the community identity of the family clan. Through music, the Andean people express their joy or sadness in their daily lives. In addition, it allows them to dialogue with their neighbour and relate to the four dimensions of the pacha (earth): the transcendent, nature, humanity and interiority of the pacha.
In addition, music is also an essential element to celebrate life in its entirety, because it gives meaning to the ritual act that can be a moment of sadness or happiness. That is why it is part of the cosmovision and the millenary ancestral wisdom.

Music is an essential element in celebrating life. Pixabay

Music is the literature that narrates the history of the ancestors, the present and the future of the Andean communities. In music, it is expressed between songs and representations of native dances. The origin of native Andean music is very different from the European conception for whom music is a personal talent that is perfected in the great artistic academies through the instruction of the masters. There, the artists become professionals with academic techniques and methods. The inspiration of their musical texts is the same, it comes from themselves and must pass through the connoisseurs of the subject.
In the Andean world, however, the origin of music is found in its vision of the world. Its author is the sereno/a (spirit of music), who inhabits the sacred places of the inner world of the ukhupacha. In the kay pacha (space here) they have their geographical places such as in the phajchas (waterfalls), on the slopes, in the streams and in freshwater springs.
It is the spirit that creates the new verses and new melodies of the huayños of each year.

Music is the literature that narrates the history of the ancestors, the present and the future of the Andean communities. Pixabay

This is transmitted to the Andean man through the serenado instruments that are requested by the interested young people in the company of the yatiri (shaman).
Andean music originates from the principle of interrelation and reciprocity between the spirits of the inner world of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the men of the kay pacha. It is based on the ritual of exchange, in which the men of the communities offer ritual food: q’owa, coca, cigar, sweet, and alcohol together with the ajayus of music through the yatiri (shamans), ask for their instruments to be tuned and for the new songs to be transmitted. For his part, the sereno (the spirit of music) responds by leaving his space and fulfils his request to the men and women by tuning their instruments, generating new verses and melodies celebrating life with all the pacha.According to the stories of the yatiris (shamans), the serenado (melody of the spirit) of the instruments is performed during the nights of the new or full moon, because this is the time indicated for the spirit of the music to pass from the ukhu pacha to the kay pacha. Meanwhile, the yatiris evoke the spirit of the music through ritual offerings such as q’owas, drinks, cocas and other ritual elements that are placed next to the instruments. It is said that at midnight the spirit of the music leaves the house to begin playing and singing the new huayños (verses) of the year.

Bolivian Women. In the Andean world, the origin of music is found in its vision of the world.123rf

Another one of the typical instruments of the Andes is the charango (a stringed instrument) and the ritual process of the serenado is similar, but it is located in another place, in the deep precipices.
Where this instrument is placed out of tune because the guardian is the one who performs by leaving his place when the yatiri exposes him with all the ritual offerings. That is why the sereno charango sounds
ch’uwita (fine and clear).
Native music also plays a fundamental role in the Andean agricultural calendar. The use of instruments also has its time: sowing and harvesting. Musical instruments mark the presence and absence of rainfall, that is, the two seasons of the year in the Andean area. The first is the rainy season and the second is the dry season. Music is woven into each of them along with ritual celebrations.
The rainy season begins with the festive rite of ayamarq’ay (November), that is, with the celebration of the feast of the dead. On November 2, mourners wait for their deceased in their homes and the next day they go to their graves accompanied by the musical group that uses typical flutes (pinkillada). The instruments of this period are: the pinkillo (typical flute), the pututo (perforated cow horn) and the qhonqota (a stringed instrument). On the night of November 2, flute players visit the graves and dance the qhata. This period ends with Carnival Sunday, where they say goodbye with the cacharpaya. From this day on, the string and wind instruments are changed: the charango, the sampoña, the Jula julas, the phululo and others. (Open Photo: Pixabay)

Jhonny Mancilla Pérez

Kenya. Lake Magadi. Enchantment of colours.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

In the heart of the Rift Valley, Lake Magadi, fed by natural springs, with its warm, salty waters rich in micro-organisms, is a true natural spectacle. We visited this magic place.

From Nairobi, the distance to travel is only about a hundred kilometres. It is a rather tortuous road but it’s not in the least boring. The first stretch, which heads decidedly south, winds through the hills of Ngong, those inhabited and praised by Karen Blixen, made famous by ‘Out of Africa’, a succession of gentle reliefs lined with flourishing and
orderly agricultural fields.
Little by little, as we move away from the capital, the landscape becomes more arid and barren. The inhabited centres become sparser, the little traffic disappears completely, the hills become depopulated, and some solitary Maasai shepherds can be glimpsed on the horizon with their herds as you proceed on a pothole-studded track in an open landscape and wrapped in torrid heat. Finally, at the end of the road we arrive in Magadi, pass through the anonymous town and look out onto a natural terrace that seems to be suspended on a rainbow.

The pink waters of Lake Magadi. CC BY-SA 2.0/Lynne Tuller

The view is an explosion of colours that leaves us speechless. Red, pink, orange, violet, green, yellow. Fiery tones and strong contrasts. All in an unreal silence. It looks like a painting by Matisse. But it is a natural painting, the result of a chemical alchemy that has created a magical place here in the heart of the Rift Valley.
Extended over one hundred square kilometres, Lake Magadi is an alkaline basin fed mainly by natural springs of hot and salty water. It is surrounded by volcanic hills that dissolve large quantities of sodium carbonate in its waters, like the nearby Lake Natron, located just across the border with Tanzania, with which in ancient times it formed a single large lake.The characteristic scarlet colour that unites both basins is due to the presence of alkaline rocks and small bacteria that live in the waters rich in salts and carbonates. The lack of outlets and the evaporation of the water increases the concentration of salts to such an extent that its surface is completely covered by a layer of crystallized soda, which in some parts of the basin extends several meters deep.

Men collecting soda ash in Lake Magadi. iStock/JordiStock

The different temperatures and salt densities produce areas of different colours that together create an extremely fascinating visual effect. It goes from pale pink to fiery red, depending on the quantity of microorganisms fed by the salt, like a sort of kaleidoscope that changes continuously throughout the year.
During the dry season, 80 per cent of the lake is covered by soda. At this time of year, the lake is dotted with thousands of waders and pink flamingos, among the few animal species able to live in this extreme habitat, which feeds on the algae and microorganisms that live in its waters. Only one fish species, the cichlid Alcolapia Grahami, is present in the lake basin. But the only thing that interests humans in Lake Magadi is the bicarbonate that is extracted on its shores and processed in various factories in the city of the same name, where it is refined and processed into pharmaceutical products. (Marco Trovato/Africa) – (Photo: Lake Magadi. CC BY-SA 4.0/Antony Trivet)

Singapore, ever higher.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

A fashionable destination and an object of fantasy, Singapore fascinates and intrigues. Idyllic and sheltered from typhoons, it continues to grow and this year celebrates sixty years
of independence.

How did a small piece of island, just 45 km by 20 km, nestled between southern Malaysia and the northern Indonesian archipelago, with no local economic resources, come to concentrate a part of the world’s wealth? Human capital, collective intelligence, an economy strongly oriented towards foreign investment, the development of a commercial and financial hub for Asia and wise diplomatic management with China – its main investor and its largest commercial partner – and with the United States, – its main defence ally -, contribute to the success and prosperity of this city-state of almost six million inhabitants.

The prime minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong. (CC BY 4.0/PM Office)

Political stability, sometimes criticized, is another element that characterizes this nation. In 2024, a new prime minister, Lawrence Wong (People’s Action Party – PAP), came on the scene after the handover from Lee Hsien Loong, awaiting the next elections in November this year.There is no political alternation: the PAP has dominated Singapore’s political scene since 1959, maintaining a comfortable majority against the only real opposition party, the Workers’ Party, which is poorly represented in parliament. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP), the newcomer to politics, struggles to make headway.
The fact remains that the “Singapore model” is stimulating thanks to its good economic and social indicators: the third highest GDP per capita in the world (65,422.46 dollars), the second commercial port in the world, the first financial centre in Asia and the fifth on the international scene, a literacy rate of 97% and a life expectancy of 83 years.
A successful model is based on integrating Malay, Chinese, Indian and Oceanic influences. This mix is reflected in the architecture of Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam, etc.

Is Singapore a model?
Its public services are efficient, its healthcare system is unrivalled and its educational model, such as the “Singapore Method for Math”, is acclaimed throughout Europe. The launch of major ecological and sustainable development projects for the city, which prides itself on being the first “green nation” in the world. You only need to visit Marina Barrage and CapitaSpring to realise the positive impact of these projects on the environment and the quality of life of residents. And you also understand why these works were carried out. CapitaSpring, a building that combines the most advanced technology with elements of greenery, rises 280 metres in the heart of the business district.

The Green Oasis garden. City and country, culture and nature merge and coexist. Pixabay

Inaugurated in 2022, it is the very model of sustainable development in Singapore. At 180 metres, it is the second tallest skyscraper in the city and offers ideal spaces for working, living and relaxing in a spectacular architectural context. The façade is adorned with lush gardens, while inside, at the heart of the building, is the Green Oasis garden, which offers an open-air promenade on four floors.
Its rooftop is home to an elegant restaurant and the largest urban farm in the city, with one hundred and fifty species of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. “CapitaSpring embodies a future where city and country, culture and nature merge and coexist, a future where urban nature can develop vertically,” its architects explain.
Another monumental project launched in 2009 is the transformation of Marina Bay and Kallang Basin into a huge freshwater basin in the centre of the city. Marina Barrage provides the country’s water supply and protects against floods. Today, it has become a gathering place for Singaporeans, who come here to practice water sports and picnic on the immense lawn that offers incomparable views of the city.

Not all is idyllic
But not everything is so idyllic in the former city of Sir Raffles, which is still a symbol of British colonialism and bears its traces even today, as can be seen by crossing some areas of the city centre. Raffles is still very present in the minds of the people and his name is present on many buildings around the legendary hotel of the same name. The city that calls itself the “Green Nation” is also a very safe nation, with strict laws and a system of fines to discourage bad behaviour and incivility.

Metro in Singapore. Its public services are efficient. Pixabay

Here everything seems to be controlled by the foreign visitors who, once they arrive, will be surprised to see that no one crosses on red lights when the road is clear, that people do not smoke in the streets, that they do not chew gum and that they do not improvise street demonstrations for any purpose, even artistic or cultural.
Despite this, residents say they have no complaints about the omnipresent surveillance cameras. And few are concerned when the case of a woman sentenced to death for possession of cannabis is mentioned. Those who criticized this issue and tried to organize a protest were quickly dismissed last October.

Workers on the construction site. Last September, Pope Francis addressed the situation of migrants in Singapore during his visit to the country. Pixabay

Some are pleased with the government’s recent firmness in convicting a minister for embezzlement, which shows its commitment to a policy of transparency and the fight against corruption. Then there is the situation of migrants in Singapore, which the Pope, during his trip last September, addressed at length in his homily and which, surprisingly, was widely reported and applauded by local and international media. (Photo: Pixabay)

Anne-Marie de Rubiana
Revue MEP

The Last Priority.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025 8:00

Migration control, drug trafficking, authoritarian governments and trade imbalances will be among the priorities of the new Trump administration toward Latin America. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the 53-year-old senator, the first Latino to hold the highest post in the star-spangled diplomacy.

What is important for the new administration in its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean? First, foreign policy will take a back seat, and in that context, the priorities are related to the strategic interests of the United States in its relations with Iran. Second, with the Gulf and the oil exporting countries. Third, in maintaining some relations with Israel that no longer concern the conditions in Palestine. And fourth, Ukraine and Europe in general and relations with NATO. So Latin America will be in fifth or sixth place in the global context.

Everything will also depend on how the new Secretary of State moves. If Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba take priority over other political problems, such as the conflict in Bolivia, instability in Haiti, the migration problem in the Northern Triangle, or the problem of fentanyl exports from Mexico, without forgetting US trade and investment
in Latin America.

Over the past 20 years, the number one priority for the United States has been migration and the second is violence and drug trafficking, especially fentanyl and cocaine. Trade relations and governance have competed for third place. Today, the issue of dictatorships, in principle, is third on the agenda of Latin America and the Caribbean. Nicaragua is subordinate to what is happening in Venezuela, but it also depends on how the new secretary of state who is responsible for foreign policy will move. Maduro and Ortega know that they have a sworn enemy in the new secretary of state.

Regarding the economic aspect of trade relations, the situation becomes more complex because there are trade agreements that are being reviewed (such as the one between Mexico, the United States and Canada), others that need to be updated (CAFTA-DR); there are also considerations on how to promote more investment from the United States in those countries and while the trade opening of Latin America is reversed or contained in China. The spectre of imposing tariffs on some imported products is very real and that includes taxes on cars imported from Mexico or on the manufacture of Chinese raw materials.

Some determinants that would formulate priorities in all these problems also depend on three major realities, first, Trump’s team. It is a team that works, that has formulated a strategy for Latin America, that includes personalities with a trajectory in relation to Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua and have their perspectives, their political reading of what must be done with these regimes.

In other words, Caracas, Havana, and Managua could face increased pressure with Cuban-American Marco Rubio appointed as the next secretary of state. Similarly, Congressman Mike Waltz, nominated as national security advisor, has been one of the strongest critics of these regimes. Together with other Republican politicians from Florida — such as Senator Rick Scott, Congressmen Carlos Gimenez, Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz — they are likely to gain more influence in shaping U.S. policies toward Latin American countries within the Republican Party.

Each of these countries is different. This shows signs of the possibility of negotiating a pragmatic exit with Venezuela as a scenario at the negotiating table. Meanwhile, the situation in Cuba can be seen from the viewpoint of letting things fall by weight and of its country collapsing, or facilitating that collapse with some kind of tactical pressure or rapprochement with the military establishment to facilitate a transition
in that country.

Nicaragua, on the other hand, is a nuisance to many foreign policy influencers in the Republican Party, and there is a belief that it is time to put Ortega in his place. However, this also depends on how laws like Renacer are implemented and a very likely passage of the proposed Nica Act 2.0 in 2025. This team, as in any public policy context, will interact with a bureaucracy that generally tends to be more reactive than proactive, more conservative in its action, especially in the selection
of pressure tools.

It is also important to consider the short-term or long-term vision of the president-elect’s team and the bureaucratic establishment.
The Biden administration has seen the region’s problems as long-term challenges and has measured its policies in that area. It is unclear how urgently the Trump team contemplates a more proactive policy towards Latin America.

The question of how to demonstrate a policy change will depend on what issues they will have to report to the region and how urgently and expected it is that they will do so. Furthermore, this vision will define whether sanctions, trade sanctions, multilateral pressure with allies such as Argentina or military manoeuvres are the preferred choice.

The latter is vital, since for Donald Trump a key reality is the legacy, he wants to be printed in the history books. Will it be the legacy of the president who stopped migration, and expelled millions of irregular migrants? The president who took the warlord autocrats out of power in Latin America?, the leader who has proven to have stopped Chinese trade expansionism and investment in the region or the president who has restored economic and hegemonic presence?

On the issue of migration, even if migration is down, remittances are also down and these economies do not have a sustainable economic model of sustainability, while remittances alleviate this vulnerability. A decline in remittances due to a decline in migration will ultimately mean a new wave of migration in 2025.

On the other hand, there are contrasting elections in the process, starting with Bolivia and Honduras (late 2025) and Colombia and Nicaragua (2026). These are factors that need to be studied in the foreign policy of the incoming administration to anticipate its development and what they will do about it.

What is clear is that governments like those of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and politicians like Evo Morales have a preferentially negative place for this incoming administration.

Reducing migration; containing transnational organized crime, especially cocaine trafficking networks and the production and export of fentanyl; confronting dictatorships and autocratic forces operating in the region; promoting a more strategic economic relationship that encompasses the mutual interests of the region beyond free trade.

These are the parameters by which the incoming administration will define its policy and by which the responsible senior officials will decide to synchronize them with the broader agenda that must be implemented with a government that will have a high concentration of power.

Manuel Orozco
Latin America Analyst

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