23rd 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 23rd 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?}

• Nigerian President bans foreign trips by government ministers

• Algeria set for September 2024 presidential elections

• U.N. sounds alarm about deteriorating hunger crisis in Sudan

• Uganda’s President names son as top commander of Army*

^{What does this mean?}

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered a ban on all foreign trips by ministers and other government officials. Although most trips are banned, according to the letter sent out by Mr Tinubu, exemption could be given to trips “deemed absolutely necessary”.

The ban will come into effect on 1 April 2024 and will last 90 days in the first instance. The measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost-saving measure without comprising government functions.

The President faced fierce backlash during his visit to the United Arab Emirate’s COP28, where approximately 590 Nigerian officials and dignitaries attended.

Did you know…

Since Mr Tinubu’s inauguration in May, he has embarked on some painful and drastic reforms like fuel subsidy removal

The Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has decided to hold presidential elections on September 7th 2024. It comes three months ahead of schedule with no further explanation coming out of the presidential office.

Mr Tebboune was elected in December 2019 for a five-year term and can run for a second and final term according to the constitution. While he has not officially announced his candidacy yet, parliament members urged him to stand again.

Did you know…

Oil and gas revenue accounted 38% of Algeria’s budget from 2016 to 2021, according to the World Bank

The United Nation has warned that Sudan is suffering one of the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history after a year of war. The director of operations at the UN Office said;

“By all measures, the sheer scale of humanitarian needs, the numbers of people displaced and facing hunger - Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory.” She went on to say;

“ A humanitarian travesty is playing out in Sudan under a veil of international inattention and inaction. Simply put, we are failing the people of Sudan.”

In early March, we covered the Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan and urged better access for aid. However, the ceasefire did not materialise due to disagreements between the waring sides.

The country has been in turmoil ever since a popular uprising forced the removal of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The short-lived transitional government was derailed when the two generals joined forces to lead a military coup in October 2021.

After falling out, the war began with more than 13,000 people dead, around 7.5 million displaced and nearly half of Sudan’s 49 million people requiring aid.

^{Book of the week…. DEAL IN THE WORKS!}

The idea is every week we will hold a poll on our social media pages, asking our readers to recommend a book for the week…

STAY TUNED!

You’re done for the week. Follow us on our socials and see you next Friday!