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The new, Pharaonic Capital of Egypt.

Friday, 1 December 2023 8:00

The Cairo metropolis, one of the most populous in the world, is collapsing. So, President al-Sisi has ordered the construction of a new capital, as yet unnamed. The lavish $50+ billion project. But the rising skyscrapers and monuments are already casting sinister shadows.

Along the ultra-modern twelve-lane highway from Cairo across the desert to Suez, the skeleton of a very tall skyscraper takes shape like a mirage; as one scans the horizon more closely, however, palaces, imposing buildings, domes, pylons, and viaducts slowly appear.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. CC BY 4.0/Min. of Communications and Information Technology.

This is not an illusion the heat creates. What, until less than ten years ago, was just an immense expanse of sand is now an endless, feverish construction site that, according to the dreams of Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will shape the new capital. Cairo is one of the most populous cities in the world, with over twenty million inhabitants living in a metropolitan area spread over the Nile’s two banks. A city that seems on the verge of collapsing at any moment under its own weight, suffocated by pollution, with insufficient infrastructure and often unstable and inadequate services.Hence, the idea is to abandon the millenary capital to its fate and to create a brand new one 50 kilometres farther east, with a monumental centre spreading over 700 square kilometres and capable of housing ministries and government offices as well as, in the most optimistic forecasts, seven million inhabitants.

A history that goes back a long way
The new capital, which does not yet have an official name, is just the latest in a series of projects, that started in the 1970s during Sadat’s era, to decongest the Cairo metropolis. Thus, in recent decades, numerous satellite cities have sprung up, either prepared to accommodate hundreds of thousands of inhabitants or planned as industrial development areas, such as the ‘City of the Tenth Ramadan’, the ‘City of 6 October’ and the more recent ‘New Cairo’, an exclusive city desired by Mubarak in the early 2000s.It was Mubarak, himself, who first outlined the idea of a new capital, an intuition that the current leader al-Sisi has resurrected not only as a strategic project but even as a symbol of a new efficient, modern and attractive Egypt.

The capital of Egypt, Cairo home to 20 million people. File swm

The city plan therefore mixes avant-garde architecture, references to the classical age and a symbolism referring to the pharaohs’ glorious past: triumphal arches, colonnades, minarets and immense tree-lined squares drawing typically Egyptian symbolism to frame the impressive monumental buildings clad in light marble.
Finally, the beating heart of the new capital will be the so-called Central Business District, a small Manhattan crowded with skyscrapers topped by the New Iconic Tower, a 390-metre cylindrical glass and steel tower that will be the tallest on the African continent.
For his new city, probably the largest ever built from scratch, al-Sisi has spared no expense: in 2015, the year in which work began, the planned sum was USD 45 billion, a figure that is set to rise considerably, to over USD 50 billion, and which was made available mainly through funding from Beijing, the country’s main partner.

Sustainable project?
The rhetoric, when new cities are built, is always the same: the concepts of sustainability, smart cities and green technologies pervade every discourse; the images full of trees, water features, reflective glass, and elegant people offer a perception of modernity, serenity, and widespread well-being.From the official website of ACUD, the state-owned company managing the project, 51% is controlled by the army; however, a distressing and far from reassuring idea of a smart city transpires, with an operation centre capable of monitoring, with sensors, drones and thousands of cameras, the new city’s every aspect, from energy production to traffic and air quality, but not only. Modern artificial intelligence and recognition systems, for example, will be used to signal the presence of suspicious persons, the access of unauthorised individuals, or the occurrence of gatherings.

New Administrative Capital. CC BY-SA 4.0/Abdelrhman 1990

Equally unconvincing is the tale of a green and sustainable city, reiterated by the Egyptian authorities even at the Cop-27 in Sharm el-Sheikh. It is true that a large part of future energy needs will be covered by photovoltaic systems and that the current Cairo is one of the most polluted cities in the world, but the impact the new metropolis’ construction has on the environment is incalculable, starting with the endless land consumption and passing through of the resources and energy use.As if that were not enough, the new capital, like many from-nothing founded cities, seems to be designed to have cars at the core: huge six- or eight-lane motorways surround the neighbourhoods and connect the nerve centres, while the plan is to build thousands of kilometres of new roads.

The shadow of the crisis
The president’s confident face stands out on dozens of blow-ups covering the construction sites accompanied by resounding slogans. ‘A new capital for all Egyptians’, reads one of them, but you have only to look around and realise that this is unlikely to be the case. Very few will be able to afford to buy the new and exclusive flats that are now being offered for just under a hundred thousand dollars in a country where an elementary school teacher earns about a hundred euros a month.
Certainly, the presence of ministries, government offices, and the headquarters of private companies will force many employees and officials to move to the new residential areas, but only a minority of them will be able to afford to enter such houses; the others will either lose their jobs or be forced to make very long and expensive daily commutes from Cairo.

Iconic Towers. CC BY-SA 4.0/ Mohamed Ouda

Another sensitive issue is that of time. Moving offices, services and staff is a delicate and time-consuming operation, which means that for a long-time, residential areas will at risk of remaining half-empty, making them less attractive and jeopardising the survival of businesses and services.Time is a factor far from negligible, also politically: in 2024 there will be presidential elections in which al-Sisi, thanks to a providential amendment to the constitution, will be able to run for a third term. Despite tight control over the opposition and dissidents, discontent over the economic crisis is growing and risks becoming explosive.It is no coincidence that work continues feverishly and the construction sites are swarming with people. The inauguration should anticipate the electoral appointment and make people forget the controversy. Indeed, with the galloping cost of living and a public debt that has quadrupled in the last 15 years, the new city could turn from being the pride of Cairo’s strongman into a failure that could compromise his stay in power.

The hidden face of the smart city
A group of young men sitting under the concrete pylons of the new monorail waits for a possible day job, others behind them stagger along carrying heavy buckets full of cement on their shoulders. Not far away, a middle-aged worker prays on a worn-out mat lying next to a Caterpillar after finishing his daily duty.
It is the backstage of the smart city, the part usually unseen but lying behind every great work in human history: old people with their faces hollowed out by wrinkles and fatigue, or very young people, little more than children, who, covered in dust, toil away at the humblest jobs, carrying bricks, mixing cement or shovelling sand.

Central business district 2, New Administrative Capital. CC BY-SA 4.0/Abdelrhman 1990

The roadsides, the vertiginous scaffolding, and the construction sites of the large squares, are swarming with thousands of people from Cairo’s slums or from rural areas as migrants; others come from farther afield, from South Sudan or Ethiopia.
They live hidden inside compounds in the desert or in miserable shacks; no one sees them and yet it is thanks to their hands and sometimes their blood that the magnificent new capital takes shape. A story that repeats itself, from the pyramids’ time to the present day.
Their half-voiced phrases, but above all their disenchanted glances, make it clear that despite the regime’s rhetoric, they are well aware that the elegant palaces and scenic squares taking shape amidst the sand will never be attainable for them.

Nothing new under the sun
The course of events seems to repeat itself cyclically in this corner of Africa with a history stretching back thousands of years; Cairo, itself, was built from nothing to become a new capital. In the year 969, after conquering Egypt on behalf of the Fatimid empire, the Sicilian-born Arab general Jawhar al-Siqilli decided to found a new city just north of the then capital Fustat.
A little over a thousand years later, history rewound. Fustat was slowly absorbed by the new city, becoming a neighbourhood but also a dumping ground. Will present-day Cairo have the same fate? Hard to think so, but Egypt’s history, as we know, is thousands of years old and is studded with enigmatic, immense, exaggerated projects. Pharaonic, in fact. (Open Photo: Central business district (CPD) in the New administrative capital of Egypt. CC BY-SA 4.0/Mahan84848)

Federico Monica/Africa

The Hare and the Elephant.

Friday, 1 December 2023 8:00

There was once a herd of elephants who went to gather honey
to take to their in-laws.

As they were walking along, they came upon Hare who was just about to cross the river. She said to one of them: “Father, please help me get across the river.” The elephant agreed to this request and said to Hare: “You may jump onto my back.”

As Hare sat on the elephant’s back, she was quick to notice the two bags full of honey that the elephant was carrying. She started eating honey from one of the bags, and when she had eaten it all, she called out to Elephant saying: “Father, please hand me a stone to play with.”

When she was given the stone, she put it in the now empty bag of honey and started eating the honey from the second bag. When she had eaten it all, she again requested another stone saying: “Father, please hand me another stone for the one you gave me has dropped, and I want to throw it at the birds.” Elephant handed her another stone, and then another, as she kept asking for stones on the pretext that she was throwing them at the birds, until she had filled both bags with stones.

When Hare realised that the elephants were about to arrive at their destination, she said to the elephant, which was carrying her: “Father, I have now arrived, please let me down.” So, Hare went on her way.

Soon afterwards, the elephant looked at his bags, only to realise that they were full of stones! He exclaimed to the others: “Oh my goodness! The hare has finished all my honey!” They lifted up their eyes and saw Hare leaping away at a distance; they set off after her.

They caught up with Hare within no time, but as the elephants were about to grab her, she disappeared into a hole. But the elephant managed to catch hold of her tail, at which time the skin
from the tail got peeled off.

Elephant next grabbed her by the leg. Hare laughed at this loudly, saying: “Oh! You have held a root mistaking it for me!” Thereupon Elephant let go of Hare’s leg and instead got hold of a root. Hare shrieked from within and said: “Oh father, you have broken my leg!”

As Elephant was struggling with the root, Hare maneuvered her way out and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Elephant had by this time managed to pull out the root only to realise that it was not Hare’s leg. Once more he lifted up his eyes and saw Hare leaping and jumping over bushes in a bid to escape. Elephant ran in pursuit of her once more.

As Hare continued running, she came across some herdsmen and said to them: “Hey you, herdsmen, do you see that elephant from yonder, you had better run away, for he is coming after you.” The herdsmen scampered and went their separate ways.

When Elephant saw the herdsmen running, he thought they were running after Hare; so, he too ran after them. When he caught up with them, he said: “Hey you, herdsmen, have you seen a hare with a skinned tail passing along here?” The herdsmen answered: “You have passed her along the way as she was going in the opposite direction.” While Elephant had been chasing the herdsmen, Hare had gained some time to run in the opposite direction.

Next, Hare came upon some women who were sewing outside the homestead and said to them: “Hey you, mothers who are sewing, do you see that elephant from yonder, you had better run away
for he is coming after you.”

On hearing this, the women scampered for the safety of their houses immediately. But soon the elephant caught up with them and asked: “Hey you, honourable ladies, might you have seen a hare with a skinned tail going toward this direction?” The women answered: “There she goes over there.” Hare kept running and this time she came upon antelopes grazing and she said to them: “Hey you, antelopes, you had better run away for that elephant is coming after you.”

The antelopes were startled and they ran away. But soon the elephant was upon them, and he asked them: “Hey you, antelopes, have you seen a hare with a skinned tail going in this direction?” They pointed out to him the direction that Hare had followed.

Hare next came upon a group of other hares, to whom she said: “Hey you, hares, do you see that elephant coming from under? You should all skin your tails for he is after those hares with unskinned tails.”

Thereupon all the hares quickly skinned their tails. At the same moment the elephant arrived and asked them: “Hey you, hares, have you seen a hare with a skinned ail going towards this direction?”

The hares replied: “Don’t you see that all our tails are skinned?” As the hares said this, they were displaying their tails confident it would please Elephant. On noticing that all the hares’ tails were skinned, Elephant realised that Hare had played a trick on him. Elephant could not find the culprit, for all the hares were alike. And there ends the story. (Photo: 123fr.com).

Folktale from Maasai People. Tanzania

Why Spider Lives in Ceilings.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

Once upon a time, the rainy season came to the forest, as it must come every year. But this time there was more rain than ever before. Nobody had ever seen anything like it. At night the water fell with a roar like thunder. In the morning it beat against the branches of the trees and tore their leaves from them. It pounded against the thatched roofs of the villages and rushed about the footpaths.

Little girls set pots under the sky to catch the water, and ran back slipping and sliding. The small, friendly rivers became deep and wide, and covered the sides of their banks. During the darkness the people fastened their doors and did not even look outside, for they could hear nothing but rain, rain, rain.

The animals in the forest, too, were frightened by all the water. Hare could not find meadows of grass for his dinner. Elephant could not walk through the trees to chew the young branches. Tortoise could not crawl slowly along the earth to catch insects; and Spider, who had been too lazy to plant his farm or to set his fish traps, had nothing to eat at all. Worst of all, the great Leopard, who hunts at night, was hungry, and had to stalk the forest during the day.

One afternoon, after many days, the rain stopped. Spider set out at once to look for something to eat. He went down the wide path that led to the river. Leopard was hunting, too with, hungry look in his eye. He walked quietly on his four soft feet along the path that led to the river. That is how it happened Spider and Leopard walked right into each other.

Now usually, Leopard loves a fat and juicy supper. He never thinks of anything as puny as Spider. But today he thought even Spider would taste good, so he stopped to chat and tried to look friendly.

“Good afternoon, Spider – said Leopard -. How do you fare in all this wet weather?” Now, Spider was lazy and very naughty, but he was not stupid. He knew at once that Leopard’s voice was much too sweet.

“I am well, Leopard, but I am in a great hurry,” he answered. And with that, Spider jumped behind a great palm leaf, and Leopard could not find him, no matter how he tried.
Leopard was so angry. He roared a roar that echoed against the hills. He sharpened his claws and his eyes turned green.

“Never mind – he thought after a few minutes – I will go to Spider’s house. I will hide behind his door and wait for him to come back. Then I will eat him, and if he brings any food, I will eat that, too.”

Leopard went up the path from the river. He went into Spider’s little house, which was made of banana leaves. There he made himself into a round ball. He put his nose on his great paws and sat down to wait.
But the Spider was not stupid.

He guessed exactly what Leopard would do. And so, he took some time to think about how he should handle the matter.

First, he went to the river and caught some fish left in the traps by people. Then he went to a farm and ate cassava. For it is the custom that a hungry man can help himself to as much food as he needs,
and no one will mind.

When he had enough to eat, Spider spent the afternoon looking for all his friends. He stayed away from his house as long as he could. Finally, it began to get dark. The sky filled with clouds, and once again, the rain began to fall. At last, Spider had to go home. So, he went up the path that led past the river, and near his little house made of banana leaves.

Spider looked at the earth to see if Leopard had left arty tracks. He listened to see if Leopard made any sound.
He saw nothing and he heard nothing. Still, he knew the ways of Leopard, and he decided to try something else.

So, he kept walking down the path, humming to himself, just as though he were thinking of nothing. Suddenly he cried out. “Ho! My banana-leaf house!” Nobody answered. Everything was silent. Spider walked a little nearer. Still, there was silence. Nobody said anything.

“That’s funny – said Spider loudly -, my little house always answers me when I call her. I wonder what is wrong.”

Once again, with all his might, he shouted, “Ho! My banana-leaf house. How are you?” And from deep inside the house came a small high voice. “I am fine, Spider. Come on in.”

Then Spider burst out laughing, “Now I know where you are, Leopard, and you shall never catch me,” he said. And with that, he ran as quick as a flash through the window and up to the highest corner of the ceiling. Leopard could not catch him although he tried and tried. The spider was warm and dry and safe in the ceiling. That is why he decided to live there. And he is living there still. (Photo: CCA2.0/ A.K.M Monjurul Hoque Topu) – (Folktale from West Africa)

The challenge of internal security.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

Pakistan is experiencing a now prolonged period of political instability which began in April 2022 following a parliamentary motion of no confidence in the then Prime Minister Imran Khan, former cricket star and founder and President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pti).

A key role in the development of this crisis was undoubtedly played both by the Islamist parties and movements that withdrew support from the government and by the army. After Khan’s removal, the mandate to form a new executive was given to Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and President of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (Pml-N). On 12 August 2023, the parliament was set to expire due to the completion of the 5-year tenure. However, to gain more time for elections and other political gains, Sharif and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance agreed to dissolve the parliament on 9 August 2023 which was approved by the President of Pakistan. Meanwhile, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar took oath of office as the 8th caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan on 14th August 2023. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced a general election for January 2024, almost three months later than scheduled.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the 8th caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan. Pk.gov.

Last August 2023, Imran Khan was also sentenced to three years in prison for corruption, on charges of abusing his premiership, due to the illegal purchase and sale of state gifts, received during visits abroad, for a value of over 140 million Pakistani rupees, equal to 500,000 dollars. The accusation, which almost sent him to prison, was changed to preventive bail and a postponement of the trial under the anti-terrorism law. A similar fate also befell the major leaders of his party, who ended up in prison on various charges.
Despite these vicissitudes, Khan still enjoys broad popular support, as demonstrated by the results obtained in the local elections and the large demonstrations, he organized with the aim of using the streets as a lever to bring down the government and send the country to the polls.
During his government mandate, Imran Khan stood out in the foreign policy for his friendly relations with China and the Russian Federation, while in domestic politics for having remodelled the internal balance of the armed forces and intelligence through the appointment of trusted generals of his. It should, however, be noted that it was precisely the military elites who established Khan and his party, as early as 2011, as the third political force with the aim of countering the two traditional sides of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), now abundantly stratified in the country. However, after the first year of Khan’s government, they assumed a different posture which turned into open conflict after April 2022. Khan, in fact, having proven himself to be difficult to control, today constitutes an element of challenge for the military as well as a fearsome competitor since his electoral support base is mostly made up of the urban middle classes, traditionally pro-military, but also of retired officers and some of the young army officers.

Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, former prime minister. He was sentenced to three years in prison for corruption. (Photo: Shealah Craighead)

Over the course of these years, the situation in the country has been extremely complicated by floods, economic crises, and the risk of a new explosion with India, due to the Kashmir issue, with which a new ceasefire agreement was signed in 2021. However, one of the greatest challenges to internal security is continually posed by terrorist organizations and in particular the Tehrek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP). This is the Pakistani Taliban group, formed in 2007 as an organization affiliated with but separate from the Afghan Taliban, in protest against the aid that the Pakistani government was giving to US military operations in the region. During his government, Khan had revealed some glimmer of negotiations which were immediately closed after his exit from the scene also due to the problem of the difficult relations existing with Kabul, whose Executive is not officially recognized by Islamabad.It should, however, be noted that relations between Islamabad and the Taliban over the years have always been ambiguous and controversial. The Pakistani army, in fact, continued to provide assistance to the Taliban unofficially during the twenty-year period 2001 – 2021. The objective was essentially twofold and aimed at maintaining good relations with the major players in the field, to avoid antipathies that could in the future turn into possible agreements between India and Afghanistan, as well as keeping the Pakistani Taliban at bay.

Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud leader of Pakistani Taliban. Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0/ Tasnim News Agency

However, the Taliban’s return to power has not caused the desired effects as the influence of the latter on the TTP is proving to be modest as demonstrated by the more than two hundred attacks suffered by Pakistan. In addition to the TTP, the other major group that threatens the country is the Islamic State of Khorasan (ISKP), which in the space of a few years has become a leading player on the Afghan scene. According to analysts, this group was instrumental in carrying out the ‘dirty’ jobs, with the support of the Pakistani services, which the Taliban could not and did not want to claim as their own since they were sitting at the negotiating table in Doha at the time.
These elements, which render flexible the complexity of the internal scenario, lead to the hypothesis that these upheavals, of which the attacks are the cruellest expression, are functional in redefining the balance between the various factions operating on terrain, a crossroads of various interests, crowded with various actors and on which the greatest international tensions are released.(Open Photo:Spc.Ken Scar)

Filippo Romeo

The Economic Crisis.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

Pakistan has been in a situation of heavy economic crisis for some time now, perhaps one of the worst in its history, further aggravated by internal political instability and the massive floods of 2022, the toll of which was almost little short of dramatic: around 1,700 people lost their lives, 33 million were left homeless, around 800 thousand cattle and other animals died, and numerous school and healthcare infrastructures were damaged.

This tragedy greatly increased the inflation that was already gripping the country and which, reaching 25%, has mainly affected the prices of food goods (which are increasing also due to the war in Ukraine), generated the stagnation of growth and the halving of foreign exchange reserves. These factors produced social unrest and displacement with the looting in flour distribution centres set up throughout the country. Furthermore, the monsoon rains, which hit Pakistan in 2023, have greatly worsened the situation which currently appears catastrophic also due to the repercussions on the lives of less well-off populations.

The economic structure of the country is mainly based on agriculture. File Swm

The economic structure of the country is mainly based on agriculture characterized by the concentration of large estates whose holders are interconnected to political power, both at a federal and provincial level. This arrangement often results in the non-payment of taxes and determines an underground economy estimated at 100% of the official GDP.The lack of industrial development has meant that the country has become dependent on foreign exports, resulting in a chronic trade balance deficit, exacerbated by the current global economic situation. To correct this imbalance, tariff and non-tariff barriers were introduced in 2017, which however also discourage the penetration of foreign economic actors despite the Special Economic Zones (SEZ).
The energy crisis also weighs on the economic crisis and has a long history. In the 1950s, a natural gas field was discovered in Sui, which contributed to the development of a dense infrastructure network to produce electricity, which today is insufficient to cope with the constant increase in consumption also caused by the exceptional population growth of the country and its middle class. This has also led to a substantial increase in energy imports, especially from the Gulf countries. However, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine forced the European Union to quickly diversify its energy and supply sources, due to the decrease in supplies of Russian gas. This has made Europe a very sought-after location to the point of encouraging suppliers to increase their business with the countries of the Old Continent, thus reducing availability to Asian customers including Pakistan which, on the other hand, has begun to import gas and oil from Russia.

Karachi Seaport. CC BY-SA 4.0/King Eliot

Furthermore, it should be added that the war in Ukraine also determined the outcome of the agreements with the IMF. In the opinion of some analysts, Islamabad, in fact, sold weapons to the United States in exchange for receiving the last tranche of a loan from the IMF, facilitated by US mediation. These weapons would subsequently have been destined for the Ukrainian army and everything would have happened following a secret agreement between Pakistan and the United States, as disclosed by the investigative media The Intercept, based on internal government documents. According to analysts, this would have determined the change in Pakistan’s posture in the geopolitical sphere and the consequent reward in terms of economic aid from the IMF.
Again, according to rumours, the agreement between Pakistan and the United States took place after the removal of President Imran Khan, who on 10 April 2022 was removed by a no-confidence vote by Parliament and then arrested.
The former president was trying to negotiate better conditions with the IMF for loans, while on a foreign policy level he was relocating the country, a historically of the United States, initiating greater ties with Russia and China and expressing neutrality on the war in Ukraine.
The loan of over 2.7 billion dollars allowed Islamabad to avoid an imminent default on foreign debt, even if the conditions requested by the IMF to restructure the economy have triggered new protests from the population due to the elimination of subsidies for fuel and the consequent surge in prices.

World’s highest ATM at a height of 16,007 feet above sea level installed by The National Bank of Pakistan, (NBP) at the Pak-China border, Khunjerab Pass.

In 2019, financed with IMF loans, Pakistan entered the rescue program for its economy and the package included loans of around six billion dollars, increased to seven in 2022. The agreement was blocked for a long time because the IMF was not sure whether Pakistan was capable of implementing some reforms. The granting of loans, as always happens in these cases, is in fact subordinate to profound economic reforms, which Pakistan has not always been able to respect. This dynamic is quite well known in the economic history of the country which since the 1980s has participated in over twenty rescue programs, most of which were suspended because they were incapable of achieving the ambitious pre-established objectives or because they were paralyzed by political instability. As is evident, the repeated liquidity injections have failed to revive the country’s fortunes as they were subordinated to the request for rigorous fiscal measures which resulted in an increase in the tax burden on citizens, combined with drastic cuts in public spending in key sectors such as transport, infrastructure, health, and safety.
Over the years, however, foreign benefactors have always come to the country’s aid, the USA during the Cold War and later China, also in order to avoid the risk of a country equipped with nuclear weapons going out of control. Having also linked Pakistan to the BRI through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Beijing fears a possible failure of the country. Such logic, however, leads Pakistani governments, which alternate in power, to pursue an aid policy rather than encouraging economic development plans and fiscal reforms.

Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi. CC BY 2.0/ Steve Evans

Despite the precarious conditions in which the country finds itself, it must be borne in mind that in recent years it has risen considerably, together with Iran and Uzbekistan, in the Global Innovation Index (GII). This is an aggregate index that includes various factors difficult to measure objectively, that were developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization, and which represents an excellent compass for understanding the direction taken regarding technological innovation. A trend confirmed by the results in the technology sector was recorded in 2021, the year in which investments in national start-ups rose to 350 million dollars compared to 36 million in 2019. In 2022 there was a physiological decline, but the performance still remains higher than the pre-pandemic level. This trend has pushed the Government to work on the definition of five Special Technology Zones (SZ) – located in Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, GB and AJK – with the aim of encouraging companies operating in the technological sector, both local and global, to open their operations in the country. (Photo: Statue of a bull outside Islamabad Stock Exchange, Islamabad, Pakistan. CC BY-SA 3.0/Danish47)
(F.R.)

The Growth of Fashion in Africa.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

If there is a sector in Africa that is giving great satisfaction not only to the economy (and therefore to the GDP) but to the image of a continent rich in creativity, this is the fashion sector.

An industry, that of fashion, a source of pride for those who work in it, for Africans on the continent and for those in the diaspora who see shapes, colours and designs that represent them increasingly present on catwalks and ready-to-wear collections.From some recent analyses, there are two countries, above all, in which the fashion industry is booming: Egypt and Nigeria. These two countries are expected to collectively generate $2.5 billion in revenue from the sector by the end of 2023. But that is not all.

A continent rich in creativity. 123rf

The market volume will increase in Nigeria at the rate of 10.03% per year while in Egypt the annual growth rate is estimated at 16.40%.
Obviously, buyers will generate these flows. Buyers are increasing significant and are facilitated today by e-commerce and social media. Especially Tik Tok, very popular among Generation Z with its Y2K trend and the influence of Afrobeat artists and music. It is obvious that Africa and its young people have not been immune to it.

Long wave
In Nigeria, the boom began in the 80s and 90s of the last century thanks to local designers who had introduced ready-to-wear clothes. According to a PwC report, in 1991, the Nigerian fashion industry was valued at $50 million (it was $10 million just six years earlier). In 2015 the country represented 15% of the fashion market in sub-Saharan Africa, a market worth 31 billion dollars, and the sector has continued to grow (17% between 2010 and 2019).
Egypt, for its part – as Ventures Africa highlights – has always benefited from the strength of its cotton industry. There were years, like 2009 and 2010, when the country had contracts with 23 countries to export cotton worth $140 million. The creation of many textile factories has strengthened its industrial strength and the country is continuing to focus on this with the creation of the largest textile factory in the world, destined to produce 30 tons of fabric per day.

“Lagos Fashion Week has already become a consolidated event. It is above all, creativity that is allowing made-in-Africa fashion to emerge.”123rf

In January 2022, the country’s fashion exports had also increased by 54% compared to the previous year and Egypt will continue to focus on this sector as it has already demonstrated with the first edition of the fashion week which was also an opportunity to present its main brands.
Meanwhile, although still new, Lagos Fashion Week has already become a consolidated event. It is above all, creativity that is allowing made-in-Africa fashion to emerge. It is due to its talents, its stylists, and its models. It is therefore obligatory to mention some brands that are making the history of African fashion.

Brands and designers
Let’s start with the Nigerians: Fruche, founded by Frank Aghuno, a self-taught designer who had his stylist mother as a mentor. Fruche is based on the desire to find the perfect balance between the old, the new and the future, and revolves around cultural and artisan tailoring techniques. Equally Nigerian is ÀSÒ, founded by designer and beauty curator Aanuoluwa Ajide-Daniels. The house defines itself as ‘a documentation of futuristic creative exploration’ and plays to undermine the conventional male and female representation in fashion. We then mention Tj who Tj operates from the perspective of trans-culturalism with an eye not only on the continent but also on Asia and Europe.
Other interesting contributions to African sartorial creation come from Mali, with Awa Meite, which bears the name of the director, stylist and actress who founded it and whose autumn/winter 2023 collection was presented at Portugal Fashion. This brand rhymes with sustainability and with a concept of Afro-minimalism that highlights the extraordinary works of local artisans.

The Kenyan KikoRomeo which has been producing original clothes since 1996. 123rf

And speaking of sustainability and ethical industry, we should remember the Kenyan KikoRomeo which has been producing original clothes since 1996. Certainly, in this case, as in the others, social media has helped to reach a much wider audience.
The rise of fashion in Africa, moreover, has been rewarding experimentation and ‘classicism’ of (and on) traditional fashion fabrics for years. As in Ghana, whose characteristic Kente has attracted the interest and imagination of stylists and which, on another front, has allowed characters such as Christie Brown and Ozwald Boateng to emerge.In Senegal, the names and creations of Selly Raby Kane and Algueye Dakar or the colourful Mokodu Fall, who simply defines himself as an ‘artist’, are well known. In Rwanda, there is Sonia Mugabo, whose staff is made up of 80% women. After all, it is to them that her creations go.
Finally – but obviously it doesn’t end here – South Africa of which we must mention the BAM Collective which explores luxury fashion and the now well-known young designer Thebe Magugu, who today collaborates with Dior. (Open Photo: 123rf)

Antonella Sinopoli

Colombia. Music that Heals and Reconciles.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

In Colombia, the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra has brought together the victims of armed conflict and various armed groups to learn music, create a choir and compose songs. Through music, they are healing the scars left by fifty years of war.

Luz Mery González Caicedo, who died last August, was one of the women whose soul was wounded by the war in Colombia. She bore the scars on her body. But her spirit remained strong. She was a physically fragile woman, but she had all the strength of God to bear the fruits of peace where war had sown pain, poverty, and death. She surrounded herself with women and took her place among them. She was a leader among her companions, a selfless human rights defender, and a tireless fighter for the vulnerable communities of her hometown of Medellín.

The Reconciliation and Peace Choir members learn the breathing techniques necessary for singing.

Intelligent, humane, and sensitive, with a vocation for service, she put all her energy and faith into regenerating the victims of war. She was kind, prepared, humble, and willing. She loved without measure, and she also had the ability to carry on when she was abandoned, for example when she was not given a steady job. Luz Mery Caicedo’s most acute pains were those that the armed men inflicted on her – suffering at the sight of so many Colombian children dying, pains that never stopped hurting her deeply, both when she closed her eyes and when she woke up. Luz Mery Caicedo’s transition from pain to the promotion of peace was manifested and developed in the Reconciliation and Peace Choir, the choir in which Luz Mery sang and charmed her audiences.

Reconciliation, integration, and peace
The Reconciliation and Peace Choir is the result of a pioneering program in Colombia. It was founded in 2019 at the initiative of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Medellín (Filarmed). It brought together former combatants and victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. Each of its members has a life story marked by the Colombian civil war, a conflict that began in 1964 and lasted until 2016, in a dispute for power between the government, paramilitary groups, drug traffickers and left-wing guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The Choir during a concert. The Reconciliation and Peace Choir was founded in 2019 at the initiative of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Medellín (Filarmed).

Thanks to Filarmed, the members of the Reconciliation and Peace Choir have left behind the label of ‘victim’ or ‘ex-combatant’ to be known only by one name. They have broken down what divided them and become witnesses to integration, becoming craftsmen of a new country, singing together for reconciliation and the wellsprings of peace. Luz Mery was one of the backing vocalists. In the choir, the harmonious notes and lyrics are a symphony, in which the voices of the former attackers join those of the victims, the former receive forgiveness and the latter feel it welling up in their hearts.
The public remains enchanted because it experiences once again that peace is possible, that hell will never be able to take over a country, no matter how loudly the weapons of the violent continue to roar, that love wins in the end, that even in the midst of the worst horror, experiences and gestures of salvation can emerge. If those responsible for the war and those who suffered it can now embrace each other, sing together, follow the same notes, it is because forgiveness has the power to dispel fear and create brotherhood.

“I believe that forgiveness is possible through music”

The Philharmonic of Medellín is convinced of this. “The motto of the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra is ‘Music for Transformation’. This is why we believe that in addition to generating beauty, which we do with our shows, we have the responsibility to contribute to transformation through music”, says Maria Catalina Prieto, executive director of Filarmed.The Reconciliation and Peace Choir is like a family where no one is stigmatized – everyone is recognized, accepted, and loved as they are – and where, especially, all make their way through the difficulties of transforming pain and resentment into another type of pain, that of giving birth to a new humanity and new ways of living.

“I believe forgiveness is possible”
One of the choristers recalls: “I came because I think it’s beautiful to sing, but I didn’t believe in forgiveness. I didn’t think I could forgive”. Three months later, the girl was able to say: “I believe that forgiveness is possible through music, and this choir taught me to forgive”. In fact, within the choir (which meets every Saturday at two in the afternoon at the Palermo Theatre in Medellín), in addition to the dynamics of integration and coexistence, breathing techniques necessary for singing are taught; deep breathing is also taught to help achieve coexistence between victims and attackers. The breathing technique changes the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress levels, fights anxiety, reduces the sensation of pain, and changes brain chemistry, thus modifying thoughts. The lyrics of the songs are the result of conversations between victims and attackers.

The lyrics of the songs are the result of conversations between victims and attackers.

They talk about identity and unity as a people, they refer to the need to forgive oneself and others, and they exalt the opportunity they have been given to be able to give themselves to each other.
Luz Mery Caicedo once said “They give us injections of joy”. And she said because she felt good: “I know we will be better every day”.
Jefferson is a typical example of this. “I fought in the war and now I have left all that behind me. This experience was something unique for me, something that I didn’t imagine I could experience. I feel joy, it seems to me that it is a dream come true, that people enjoy concerts with us”.
Together with him, María Isabel Palacio is one of the victims: “In less than six days, I lost my father and my brother, I also lost a nephew, I had to run away and hide twice. I was also kidnapped. But here we have found new life”.

“The Reconciliation and Peace Choir is like a family where no one is stigmatized – everyone is recognized, accepted, and loved as they are”

Libertad Vargas, one of the youngest members of the choir, added: “I’m here because I like to sing, I want to support reconciliation because we all deserve a second chance, and it seems to me that people who have gone through these things don’t deserve to be rejected and it’s never too late to try again”. Just as Reconciliation evolved through coexistence since people were able to get to know each other over time, it was also something sublime to see the progress they made as a choir, says director Maria Prieto: “At the beginning they sang just one voice and very much out of tune, but now they sing with two or three voices and their repertoire has expanded”. In turn, both during rehearsals and at the end of the concerts, when the members of the Reconciliation and Peace Choir look at each other – and gaze into each other’s eyes – they all agree that music has made them more human. (Photos: Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín)

Fernando Féliz

Diversity of cultural and religious identity.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

Pakistan has the second largest Muslim population after Indonesia.
Its population is young, with an average age of around 21 years, and is very diverse from an ethnic point of view with notable somatic and cultural varieties.

The largest ethnic group is made up of the Panjians who account for approximately 45% of the population, followed by the Pashtuns with 15%, the Sindhis with 14%, while the least numerous are the Sariaki and Baluchis.The country records one of the highest demographic growth rates in the world, as demonstrated by the fact that since independence it has gone from 65 million inhabitants in 1972, to 84 million in 1981, an estimated 176 million in 2009, and 250 million at present.
The majority of the population follows the Islamic faith, as is understandable from the historical evolution of the country, of which Sunnis are around 80% and Shiites are 20%. This factor, although constituting the strongest reason for state cohesion, does not exclude conflicts between a reformist vision and a traditionalist interpretation of Islam, causing frequent social and political clashes that periodically trouble the country. In addition to Islam, there are also small Christian and Hindu minorities.

Pakistan currently has a rural population of around 62% and villages represent the most widespread form of settlement. (Photo: Pixabay)

The country is also home to several million Afghan refugees who arrived in Pakistan in various stages at the time of the Soviet invasion of the country, the civil war, and the NATO invasion. This is due to the fact that the country, during the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, in addition to offering logistical support to the Afghan guerrillas, then financed by Washington, received huge subsidies from the United States to welcome Afghan refugees, mainly Pashtuns.
Pakistan currently has a rural population of around 62% and villages represent the most widespread form of settlement. The territorial morphology also significantly affects the average population density, recording close on depopulation in the northern part, in the western part and partially in the South East. Thus, we go from fewer than 20 inhabitants per K/2 in Baluchistan, to around 360 inhabitants per K/2 in Punjab. Of the cities, Karachi is the most populous with over 15 million inhabitants. It is located on the coast along the Arabian Sea in the province of Sindh and was the country’s capital until 1959, before the creation of Islamabad.
Today, Karachi is building an important economic and financial centre in which the IT sector is also developing and where the most important Pakistani port is also present. It is followed by Lahore, on the Ravi River, the capital of Pakistani Punjab which with around 14 million inhabitants represents a cultural and commercial centre. The capital Islamabad, located on the Potwar plateau, has only one million inhabitants. The city, despite being the main political centre of the country, has never taken off from an economic point of view due also to its position which places it far from Postwar what constitutes the traditionally developed area of Pakistan. From a linguistic point of view, Urdu and English constitute the official languages even if spoken by only 8% of the population, while Punjabi, a recognized but unofficial language, is spoken by almost half of the population. This is followed by various regional idioms
in day-to-day use.

Session of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic based on the 1973 constitution. Photo: VOA

From an institutional point of view, Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic based on the 1973 constitution, comprising four main provinces (Punjab, Sindh, North-West Frontier Province, and Baluchistan), in addition to the Islamabad Capital Territory and those of the north, Gilgit, Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. The cultural identity of the provinces obviously precedes the formation of Pakistan and one of the most difficult tasks of the central state is to affirm the idea of a single Pakistani nation above regional particularisms.
The Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora) is bicameral, and is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate, composed of 342 and 104 members, respectively. The representatives of the Assembly are directly elected by the people and hold office for five years, while those of the Senate hold office for six years. Regarding the latter, every three years the people vote to change half of the representation. The senators are elected from the four provincial assemblies, each of which elects 23 representatives; another eight are chosen by the members of the National Assembly representing the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA); the last four are instead chosen by all the members of the National Assembly to represent the federal capital Islamabad. The National Assembly also elects the prime minister who holds office for five years, while the president of the Republic is elected by an Electoral College which is a body composed of the Senate, the National Assembly, and the members of the Provincial Assemblies. The mandate of the President of the Republic lasts five years and can be renewed only once.

The military acts as arbiters of power even though the country has had its longest period of civilian government since 2008. File Archive

Despite its well-structured institutional framework, the country coexists in a state of indetermination between the military sphere and the political-civil sphere with the main elective institutions of the presidency and parliament which, although endowed with sovereignty, are in fact subordinated to the conditioning of the military leaders who continue to influence considerably foreign and national security policy, as well as the management of Pakistan’s nuclear program. The military, in fact, acts as arbiters of power even though the country has had its longest period of civilian government since 2008. Then there is the role of the ISI secret services which is also historically ambiguous both towards the executive and the rest of the military apparatus. In fact, the ISI, despite formally depending on the Prime Minister, maintains wide margins of independence. (Photos: Pixabay)
(F.R.)

Africa. Alternative Energies.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

Many African governments continue to focus on fossil fuels. And, despite enormous potential, investment in renewable sources by multinationals is not taking off.
The next international climate conference is scheduled in Dubai from 30 November until December 12th.

Over the past two decades of the $2.8 trillion invested globally in renewable energy, only 2% has gone to projects in African countries. Despite Africa’s enormous potential in this sector, for the investments that matter, the oil and gas multinationals prefer to play it safe, financing mega-projects in Europe, North America and the Persian Gulf and allocating to the African continent – mainly to South Africa and states of the Maghreb – what remains of their budget.
The result is that the solar and wind sectors in which Africa should have made important steps forward some time ago, today do not cover even 10% of the clean energy capacity expressed by the continent.

African governments continue to focus on fossil fuels. File Swm

A reversal of this trend, although much more contained than expected, nevertheless occurred. In Nigeria, at the end of 2022, Shell completed the acquisition of the local solar energy producer Daystar Power in view of the start-up of a 400-megawatt (mW) project in the country. France’s Total is investing in the development of photovoltaic parks in Egypt, Burkina Faso, and Uganda. In Kenya, the Italian Eni has created an agri hub connected to its biorefinery in Gela and intends to replicate the model in Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, and Rwanda.
Foreign investments in renewables in Africa, however, are not taking off, and there are a series of reasons behind this stalemate. The first concerns local networks for energy transmission. Especially in sub-Saharan countries these networks are obsolete and unable to absorb and manage large quantities of electricity deriving from intermittent renewable sources, such as wind and solar. Another factor that makes the African market unattractive is the absence of real competition on the continent. State-owned companies often represent the only customers for independent energy producers. This makes these private realities hostage to the choices of governments which, for their part, prove to be little or not at all inclined to abandon direct assignments in favour of transparent auctions for the assignment of supply services.

Solar panel in the Farm Gunsbewys, in southern Namibia. 123rf

The continuation of this established system is facilitated by antiquated regulatory frameworks which tend to hinder rather than incentivize private investment in the sector. To hope for a leap in quality, in addition to relying on financing and loans from bodies such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, African countries must “create favourable environments for investment through innovative financing tools such as peer-to-peer trading (trading without intermediaries) or the pay-as-you-go model, auctions and all-inclusive tariffs in more solid and stronger regulatory frameworks than government guarantees” explains Nivedh Das Thaikoottathil, renewables & power analyst at Rystad Energy, an independent energy research company based in Oslo.
And he continues: “We also need more transparency on the part of governments, a more extensive liberalization of the energy sector, with greater participation of the private sector, and the modernization of networks and infrastructures for the transmission and distribution of electricity”.However, something has changed in the last decade. A progressive liberalization of the electricity market began in Ghana in 2011 and in Côte d’Ivoire in 2014. In Benin a law in this direction was introduced in 2020. But the continent continues to travel at double speed in the race for renewables. Those countries in which the big oil & gas companies know they can invest in large projects with a certain level of security remain firmly in the lead. Nivedh continues: “75% of investments in the last decade have gone to South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Kenya. These countries are chosen for the most favourable risk-return ratio, the stability of their domestic markets, political reforms and rapidly falling prices of renewables”.

Eni’s agri-hub, Wote, Makueni County. Courtesy: Eni

For the installation of a wind farm in South Africa, for example, there are convenient conditions, comparable to those of Finland and Portugal. And prices are even lower in Egypt and Morocco. Due to its characteristics – availability of large spaces, sun, and water sources – North Africa is the region that is doing the most on the hydrogen front. But although African clean energy is becoming increasingly competitive in terms of costs, the exploitation of fossil fuels continues to be considered more advantageous by African governments.
More than the long-term solutions proposed by choices oriented towards the use of renewable sources, the majority of the continent’s heads of state aim to immediately obtain the most from the oil and gas deposits at their disposal.
In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni is the most influential sponsor of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project, the pipeline that will connect his country to Tanzania and allow efficient marketing of crude oil. In Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara is looking to the Beeline offshore fields to give a boost to the national economy. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has declared that he wants to double the country’s crude oil production, which is already among the top African producers. Senegal and Mauritania are aiming for the GTA (Greater Tortue Ahmeyim) project for the offshore extraction of natural gas.
Among the issues at the centre of the latest United Nations Conference on Climate Change – Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, 6-18 November 2022 – was the development of the carbon credit market, i.e., financial securities equivalent to one ton of CO2 not emitted or absorbed thanks to environmental protection projects. There are currently over 200 projects around the world focused on the use and development of CCS (carbon capture and storage) technologies for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide. The African continent itself stands out as one of the most sought-after destinations for energy multinationals to invest in compensation projects.
In May 2022, Italy’s Eni announced a $25 million investment to support the Egyptian government in implementing a pilot project for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide in the Meleiha gas field.

South Africa. A house with a solar geyser in a township in Willowmore in the Eastern Cape Province. 123rf

In 2021, the government of Congo and the French Total and Forêt Ressources Management signed a partnership agreement to create a 40,000-hectare forest on the Batéké plateaus through which the aim is to absorb over 10 million tonnes of CO2 in twenty years. Also in 2021, Shell and C-Quest Capital launched a project to distribute electric hobs to 1.5 million families living in villages spread across Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Uganda, and Kenya and thus generate 60 million carbon credits over ten years. However, more and more shadows are gathering on the transparency of the system. Behind many of these investments, greenwashing operations are emerging, that is, companies make public opinion believe that they are working to protect the environment even if this is not entirely true. Journalistic investigations have dismantled the calculation methodologies used by various certification bodies to evaluate and reward ‘virtuous’ companies. In the background, an issue remains to be clarified which was raised at the Egyptian COP but not sufficiently addressed: what proportion of these multi-million-dollar projects is actually left in the hands of the territories and communities on which the multinationals shower their investments? The introduction of more transparent and stringent criteria to guarantee a correct evaluation of the work of those who make green investments in search of carbon credits is one of the priorities to be placed at the centre of the next international climate conference scheduled in Dubai from 30 November until December 12th. (Open Photo: Egypt field with wind turbines. 123rf)

Rocco Bellantone

African Startup, an Expanding Universe.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

The projects of young technological entrepreneurs in healthcare, agriculture, the environment, logistics, finance and e-commerce
are multiplying.

Agile, young, innovative. And certainly full of vitality. This is the startup sector in Africa. In recent years, ideas applied to technology – by Africans to solve African problems and needs – have multiplied.
So much so that we are now talking about African Silicon Valley(s). Hundreds of hubs developed especially in Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco.
Six startups were nominated for the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer Lists last year, with branches ranging from healthcare to financial and insurance services to e-commerce.
It is, therefore, an expanding sector, not only from the point of view of creativity but also – obviously – from that of investments.
Venture capital investments, as reported by Forbes, should have reached 7 billion dollars this year.
Yet, according to the latest data, in the first quarter of 2023, African startups raised 57.2% less capital than last year. In 2022, the total investment raised was $6.5 billion.

Six startups were nominated for the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer Lists last year. 123rf

In any event, the energy of young entrepreneurs continues to expand, and if until about seven years ago, Africa did not have unicorn startups, i.e., those valued at over a billion dollars, by 2021 the continent was already home to seven of this type.
Google for Startups (GfS) recently announced new funds, announcing the 25 new African companies selected for the Black Founders Fund. A fund that this year reaches 4 million dollars.
It is a financing mechanism – now in its third year – which in the intentions of the US giant aims to overcome what has been defined as ‘Racial and systemic inequality in the financing of venture capital (VC)’. Of the startups selected, 72% are led or co-founded by women.
The sectors in which selected companies operate include a technology platform for mental health services, an artificial intelligence-based mobile technology to improve agriculture, banking, healthcare and insurance, logistics and transportation, retail, and a fintech that aims to become Africa’s first women-focused bank.
However, a sensitive question concerning startups is whether they will last and for how long; in short, their sustainability over time. In 2020 the failure rate ranged from 58.7% in Kenya to 75% in Ethiopia.The main reason (not only in Africa but globally) lies in the depletion of funds and, immediately following, in the lack of a market for products or services.It is therefore obvious that the initial evaluation – by innovators as well as by lenders – requires much more than a good idea and enthusiasm.

African Startup. Agile, young, innovative. And certainly, full of vitality. 123rf

The interesting thing, however, is that the report from which those data were extracted, The Better Africa, states that – from 2010 to 2018 – the startup closure rate for Africa in total was 54.20%., a much lower result than countries such as the United States, China, and India. While in 2022 in the MENA area (Middle East and North Africa) there was an increase of 24%.It is interesting to know this new generation of young entrepreneurs, born like their Western peers with a natural approach to technology and its means.
Starting from the lockdown period, the US broadcaster Voice Of Africa (VOA) has opened a series – obligatory title, StartUP Africa – in co-production with the main television stations in Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, which tells the stories of the challenges, hopes and fears faced by young tech entrepreneurs across the continent.
The series includes how to turn ‘simple’ ideas into profitable businesses. It’s also a way to learn about the phases of their work, the ability to participate in business incubators, to network and exchange ideas within and outside their respective areas. And, not to be underestimated, it showcases a way to inspire and encourage other young talents. (Open Photo: 123rf)

Antonella Sinopoli

Pakistan. A Long Period of Instability.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

A tortuous path towards independence. Contrasts with India. The Kashmir disputes. The power of the military. Economic crisis. Internal security issues. The next general election will be held in January 2024.

The young Islamic Republic of Pakistan, officially created in 1956 following the abolition of British rule, is geographically located in South Asia. The territory is mainly covered by high mountains, arid deserts and uncultivated plains located at sea level, which together comprise three fifths of the surface, while the remaining two fifths belong to the fertile alluvial plains formed by the Indus and its tributaries, located in the eastern part of the country.
The Indus is the largest watercourse, originating in China and flowing into Pakistan, touching all the provinces, except Baluchistan, and then flowing into the Arabian Sea. Baluchistan, located west of the Indus plain, constitutes an extension of the Iranian plateau and the Afghan Sulaiman Mountains.
To the west there are also the Hindu Kush chains which connect to the north with the Karakoram and, also to the north, but on the other face of the Indus valley, lies the Himalayan massif with the peaks of Nanga Prabat and K2 which exceed eight thousand meters in altitude.

The country borders Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the north and north-west, India to the east and south-east while to the south it is washed by the Arabian Sea which is part of the Indian Ocean.
Then there is the part of Kashmir administered by Pakistan which borders China to the north-east.
The border with Afghanistan, delimited by the well-known Durand line, is a very fragile border as it was drawn in 1893, when the country did not yet exist and its territory belonged to India, which was under British rule at that time. The agreement, signed by the then Emir of Afghanistan Abdur Rahman and the English emissary of British India, Sir Mortimer Durand, whose name the border bears, caused countless political problems in the following years as it clearly divided areas inhabited by tribal communities that had until then been homogeneous.
Of these, the Pashtun population was the one that suffered the greatest consequences as a significant part of it, which traditionally gravitated towards the markets of Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Tank, and Quetta, fell within the British Raj.

Lahore. The Badshahi Mosque, or “imperial mosque”. Built by the Emperor Aurangzeb between 1671 and 1673, it remains the largest mosque of the Mughal period; its courtyard can accommodate 100,000 worshipers. (Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0/Jalal.shahid)

The purpose of this division was essentially aimed at weakening the demographic weight of the Pashtuns within Afghanistan, compared to that of other ethnic groups, and consequently undermining the nation-state project then under construction, cantered precisely on the Pashtun element that had been dominant on the political level since the eighteenth century. On the Afghan side, on the other hand, it was believed that the alliance with the British would be useful in blocking the advance of the Russians who were of greater concern to the Emir than any possible threats from the British who promised the Afghans subsidies also in terms of weapons and war equipment.
However, to fully understand the history of Pakistan and the current dynamics, we need to look back in time and reach the period in which India came under British rule in 1857. It was at that time that the idea of an independent Islamic nation began to develop among the Muslim populations of the Indian area, albeit in an embryonic way, which remained in incubation for the following decades, and which began to show its first effects in 1900, at the moment in which Hindi was declared an official language by the colonial administration.The fear that Hindus, demographically more numerous, could attack Muslim culture and religion in the subcontinent, in fact, gave a strong boost to the cause of self-determination of Muslims who gave life to the Muslim League to protect the freedoms of the Muslim minority in India. But the real acceleration towards the affirmation of separatist doctrines occurred with the outbreak of the Second World War which saw the British colonial government of India go to war alongside the mother country.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah – politician and the founder of Pakistan (1876–1948). File Archive

The League, in fact, from that moment rejected the concept of unity of the Indian nation, recommending the creation of an autonomous Muslim state.
At the end of the conflict, Great Britain, finding itself short of resources to support its vast colonial empire, passed the Independence of India Act of 1947, through which it took the decision to leave India, arranging that, in the summer of the same year, India and Pakistan acquired independence on the dates of 14 and 15 August, respectively, as well as their simultaneous entry into the Commonwealth. It was a transitory situation which ended in 1956 with the definitive abolition of British rule. Independence, however, generated quite a few problems relating to territorial partition with sectarian violence and inter-religious clashes which caused the exodus of several million people. At the same time, a further conflict broke out in the impervious mountains of Kashmir caused by the provisions of the agreements regarding the (theoretical) right to choose, granted to the population, regarding which of the two new states they wanted to join. Since the area has a large Islamic majority, the choice for Pakistan was almost obvious.

Pakistan Independence Day at Razmak, North West Frontier, 15 August 1947. File Archive

This produced the Indian reaction and the consequent conflict with thousands of deaths and a decidedly unstable territorial structure considering that the bulk of the Muslim presence, attested in the Kashmir valley, falls under Indian sovereignty, while Pakistan was recognized as having a large, not very accessible, and sparsely populated portion of the region.
The new state, from a geographical point of view, was divided into two large portions: that of western Pakistan and that of eastern Bengal. The two regions were predominantly agricultural since the few industries that existed before 1947 had been inherited from India.
In 1948 the country once again fell into chaos following the decision taken by the governor of Dacca to adopt Urdu as the official language. This was followed by harsh protests in Bengal and the birth of the Bengali language movement which reached its peak of mobilization in 1952, provoking ferocious reactions from the Pakistani police who opened fire on the activists. The episode, certainly, did not weaken the tenor of the demands that were increasingly fuelled over the years, reinvigorating the independence movement which led Bengal to independence on 27 March 1971. This provoked a harsh reaction from Pakistan and the consequential conflict between army and Mukti Bahini. The Bangladeshi freedom fighters were supported by India which also declared itself open to accepting the refugees. (Photo: 123rf.com)

(F.R.)

Angola. MPLA Party and Family Affairs.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023 8:00

The country’s diamond, copper, gold, and manganese mines are in the hands of a circle of loyalists of President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, members of the ruling MPLA party.

Diamonds, copper, gold, manganese. A small circle of entrepreneurs and ‘friends’ of President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and members of the ruling party Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) are in control of Angola’s mineral resources. Some, taking advantage of the privileged channels guaranteed by membership of the MPLA, have secured participation in companies within the diamond sector, in particular. Others have forged their way, thanks to friendships and degrees of kinship, with important figures on the Angolan political scene.In the year 2022, Angola produced approximately ten million carats, for a turnover of 1.4 billion dollars. Much of this production is concentrated in the eastern part of the country, in scattered sites on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia.
Here the MPLA’s tentacles extend through the Hipergesta holding. Formally established as an asset management company in 1997, the holding company was already on the rise during the long presidency of José Eduardo dos Santos (1992-2017).

President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. UN Photo.

It is not a state company, but it is as if it were one since its doors are wide open within Endiama, the national company in the sector with which it shares several corporate shareholdings. This is the case of Sociedade Mineira do Lunhinga, which manages the Lunhinga deposit in the province of Lunda Norte, where 1.9 million carats are produced per year and also of Coerm, which controls the Mualengue mine in the province of Lunda Sul and the Luanguinga mine, in the province of Moxico on the border with Zambia.
There are about ten MPLA representatives in business with the holding company, as Africa Intelligence reveals. These politicians hold shares of between 5% and 15% in 9 mining concessions: Lunhinga, Mualengue, Luanguinga, Tchegi, Cálua, Cacuílo, Cassasala, Caipupa, and Lumaca.
The most prominent figures are the former Minister for Economic Coordination Manuel José Nunes Júnior, the Secretary for Planning and MPLA MP Joaquim António Carlos dos Reis Júnior and the MP Luzia Pereira de Sousa Inglês Van-Dúnem.
The president of the board of directors is Manuel Moisés Pinto, economic advisor to the Angolan vice president, Esperança Maria Eduardo Francisco da Costa. The group also includes the former president of the Court of Auditors, Exalgina Renée Gamboa, who resigned last February after the initiation of legal proceedings against her for embezzlement.In addition to diamonds, the Angolan government also aims to relaunch gold production after the inauguration last year of the country’s first refining plant in Viana, on the outskirts of the capital Luanda.

The National Bank of Angola. CC BY 2.0/ David Stanley

Among the most active businessmen in the sector is Luis Manuel da Fonseca Nunes. Governor of the province of Benguela and a member of the political bureau of the MPLA, he owns a 77% stake in the Sociedade Mineira do Chicuamone, which was granted prospecting permits in the Chicuamone mine through a ministerial decree of June 2022. Lawyer Alberto Cabongo de Já, uncle of Ambassador Alberto Cabongo Cassonga who is currently administrative secretary of the Economic Community of Central African States, is also a member of the MPLA. He owns 51% of the shares of the Tetelo copper mine, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where construction began last May in the presence of the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Pedro Azevedo. Cabongo de Já also owns 15% of Coola Mining, which heads the Coola project in the province of Huambo in the central part of the country, where there is a mine spread over an area of 8,000 km².
In June 2020 he decided to invest 5 million dollars there in search
of rare earth deposits.
Alexis Bayigamba, on the other hand, is a Rwandan entrepreneur close to President Paul Kagame, as well as brother-in-law of the former Angolan foreign minister Manuel Domingos Augusto. Last April, his company Triplets Bettencourt Diamantes was awarded exploration permits to find reserves of copper, bauxite, and zinc in the Tomboco mine, located in the northwestern province of Zaire. In addition to Tomboco, the company also operates in the Lumbala Nguimbo copper mine, in the province of Moxico as well as in the Capacassa diamond mine, near the city of Lucapa in the province of Lunda Norte. (Photo: Panorama of Luanda. 123rf.com)

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