9th Edition

Good Afternoon folks! 😁😁

Delighted to have you here. And if you joined us this week, it’s great to finally connect with you… so here we go!

Welcome to The Friday Briefing, your weekly brief on geopolitics.

This is our ninth edition. It’s still a bit of a test, so if something does go wrong be sure to let us know… but anyway, we plan to send out your brief every Friday lunchtime 12pm GMT.

Our goal is to provide you with a balanced and insightful overview, allowing you to stay informed without being overwhelmed with information. But above all, we understand the value of your time. With our summaries, you can quickly grasp the major events shaping our world, deepen your understanding and be on your way in no time!

Our starting point…yes…Africa, but our vision extends beyond the boundaries of a single continent.

Oh don’t forget, feel free to leave behind any feedback, suggestions or further ideas you would like us to run with 🙂 

^{Why Africa? maybe because we don’t hear much…}

Back in 2013, the 42nd President of the United States tweeted the above tweet, “Just touched down in Africa…” ⬆️

Although Mr Clinton’s tweet was true, despite the brazen mistruths our leaders spout these days, he nonetheless could’ve worded it a lot better.

But the tweet tells us a lot more. It exposes an attitude that many of us may have towards Africa, either through ignorance or laziness or maybe because we don’t hear enough about African countries in our national news media.

This is a continent as diverse as it is complex, a continent home to over 1.4 billion people and 54 countries, making it the second-most populated continent in the world.

Events in Africa aren't isolated, they hold global importance too. Political transitions, economic developments and conflicts in Africa have ripple effects that stretch far beyond its borders.

And yes, while we begin with Africa, we’re dedicated to expanding our weekly round-ups to other continents in due course, taking our mission to new frontiers by connecting the dots between nations and continents.

So stay tuned! 👌

^{So, what’s been happening this week? 11 - 15 Dec}

• Senegal’s jailed opposition leader cleared to run

• Egypt’s President Sisi cruises towards victory

• Court overturns South Africa’s Zulu King’s recognition

• Jubilation in Somalia after $4.5bn debt relief

• Sudan’s warring generals set to meet face-to-face

^{What does this mean?}

A court has ordered Senegal’s opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to be reinstated on the electoral list which would allow him to run for President in February’s election.

The regional court otherwise known as the “court of first instance” in Senegal overturned November’s ruling by the Supreme Court that barred Mr Sonko bid to run for election. The state now has 10 days to appeal, but has not declared its intentions.

Mr Sonko’s lawyer said; “law and truth were with us and Mr Sonko will take part in the presidential elections.”

Mr Sonko must file his candidacy by December 26 and eligible candidates will be announced within the first 2 weeks of January. Mr Sonko came third in the 2019 presidential elections and his supports believe that the criminal allegations brought against him are politically motivated and aim to derail his political ambitions.

Mr Sonko’s fiery displays and speeches has tapped into disillusionment with Senegal’s political elite and has gained a huge following among the country’s youth, themselves often unemployed and underemployed.

Did you know…

Current President of Senegal Macky Sall is the first Senegalese President to voluntarily limit himself to two terms.

Senegal’s first two presidents, Leopold Sedar Senghor and Abdou Diouf served for two decades each.