Photo : AFP/BBC
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : AFP/BBC
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
UN condemns attack by M23 on its troops
On 23 May, the UN condemned attacks on its peacekeepers by M23 and called for ceasing hostilities. On 22 May, violence erupted in North Kivu’s Rutshuru territory forcings thousands to flee to Uganda. Meanwhile, the M23 spokesperson accused the UN mission of shelling their position. The spokesperson also accused the UN mission of assisting other militia. (Samba Cyuzuzo, “UN condemns M23 attacks on its forces in DR Congo,” BBC, 23 May 2022)
German’s Chancellor meets Senegal’s President
On 22 May German Chancellor Olaf Scholz commenced his three-day Africa tour; Scholz said Germany would try restarting the export of grains from Ukraine to Africa. Scholz emphasised the importance of the steady transfer of fertilisers and energy and suggested Germany’s interest in helping Senegal build a gas field off Africa’s west coast. Senegal’s President Macky Sall said they are “interested in supplying gas to the European market.” (“Olaf Scholz: Germany will work to restart Ukrainian grain exports to Africa,” Deutsche Welle, 22 May 2022)
American firms warned against conducting business in Sudan
On 23 May, the US Department of State, Treasury and Labor warned American businesses and individuals against conducting business with State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) and military-controlled companies. The press release outlined a growing reputational risk and expressed concerns over human rights issues in Sudan. The concerns were attributed to the “recent actions undertaken by Sudan’s Sovereign Council and security forces under the military’s command.” (“U.S. Government Issues a Business Advisory for Sudan,” US Department of State, 23 May 2022; “US warns American firms against business in Sudan,” BBC, 24 May 2022)
Journalists association condemns using Black people’s images to cover monkeypox in UK and US
On 21 May, the Foreign Press Association, Africa (FPAA) criticised media outlets for using Black people's images to report monkeypox cases in the US and UK. The FPAA said: “We condemn the perpetuation of this negative stereotype that assigns calamity to the African race and privilege or immunity to other races.” The FPAA termed the action insensitive and called for the updating of their image policy. The FPAA said while the world is tackling racism and racial stereotypes, media should assist in propagating positive images and narratives. (“African journalists condemn media outlets for using images of Black people in coverage of US, UK monkeypox,” Business Insider US, 22 May 2022)