Photo : AP Photo
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : AP Photo
IN BRIEF
by Jerry Franklin, Ryan Marcus, Sneha Surendran, Nithyashree RB and Prearana P
Kenya: The emergence of anti-government protest
On 19 July, the Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, announced the commencement of the three-day anti-government protests. The demonstration is against the tax hikes, followed by the country’s surging cost of living. The protest was introduced due to the increased fuel cost, and Odinga alerted on further protests. The 14 June protest against the new finance bill was aimed at reducing the hiked 16 per cent taxes on petroleum products and 16 per cent of value-added tax. Although the government had obeyed the ruling, which was signed into law on 26 June, there was an exception for the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. This resulted in increased public transport costs and fuel prices. During his presidential campaign, Kenyan President William Ruto promised to reduce the cost of living. The government office held an enormous debt of USD 61 billion. Further, Rutto removed fuel subsidies which led to a surge in the prices of essential commodities, directly affecting the cost of energy and transport. With regard to the protest, the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence stated, “The UN is very concerned by the widespread violence and allegations of disproportionate use of force, including the use of firearms by the police during protests in Kenya.” The opposition protest in Kenya has hiked to extreme levels. (Vivianne Wandera, “Kenya braces for 3 days of anti-gov’t protests: All the details,” Al Jazeera, 18 July 2023)
The African National Congress hosts a meeting with BRICS political parties
On 19 July, Africanews reported on the upcoming meeting to be held on 22 August in Johannesburg, hosted by the African National Congress (ANC). The meeting would include political parties from Russia, India, China, Brazil, and others ahead of the BRICS Summit. The South African Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, expressed his support for the upbringing of peaceful coexistence between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, the Representative of the Russian Federation Communist Party, Artem Prokofiev, accused the West of backing the Zelenskyy regime and triggering the war. Further, during an interview with a news website, South Africa persuaded Putin to stay away in order to avoid the legal and diplomatic fallout over his international arrest warrant. (“South Africa's ANC meets BRICS political parties ahead of summit,” Africanews, 19 July 2023)
Nigeria: ECOWAS held talks on democratic transactions and security
On 19 July, Africa News reported that four countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conducted talks on democratic transactions and security. The meeting in Abuja was presided by the President of ECOWAS, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu. Niger, Guinea-Bissau and Benin also participated in the meeting. The officials largely discussed the security in Mali following the withdrawal of the UN mission. ("Nigeria: ECOWAS discusses democratic transitions and security," Africanews, 19 July 2023)
Kenya: Protesters clash with police
On 19 July, Al Jazeera reported that more than 100 demonstrators clashed with police in Kibera, located in Nairobi, during protests against cost of living and tax hike in Kenya. The demonstration was called on by Raila Odinga. Authorities announced a suspension of schools and businesses. President Ruto has accused Odinga of attempting to leverage discontent over the state of economy to attain personal political goals. ("Kenyan demonstrators clash with police as 3-day protest begins," Al Jazeera, 19 JUly 2023)
The Human Rights Watch campaign accuses Tunisian authorities
On 19 July, BBC reported on the accusations framed by the international campaign group the Human Rights Watch (HRW), against the Tunisian security agents. The accusation was regarding the serious abuses committed against the black African migrants who attempted to reach Europe. The HRW group claimed to have conducted several interviews of more than 20 migrants, which explained that seven among the thousand black Africans were expelled by the Tunisian authorities. Additionally, the President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, has blamed the migrants for violating the country’s demographic structure. Further, the HRW has demanded the European Union hold back the fundings which was supposed to return the migrants. (“Tunisia accused of 'serious abuses' against black Africans,” BBC, 19 July 2023)
Fuel price hikes cause chaos among the Nigerian unions
On 19 July, BBC reported on the outrage expressed by the Labour unions in Nigeria over the hiked price of fuel across the country. They threatened their withdrawal from the negotiations framed with the government. The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union accused the government of “taking from the poor to pay the rich, and unleashing suffering, hardship and sorrow on Nigerians.” The petrol price has surged to over USD 0.82 per litre, followed by the rise in transport and food costs. The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, revived the government plan to pay 12 million poor households to cope with the rising costs. (Chris Ewokor, “Nigerian unions furious over fuel price hikes,” BBC, 19 July 2023)