Features

DAR ES SALAAM (Capital Markets in Africa) – In President John Magufuli’s Tanzania it’s illegal to protest. It can also be illegal to blog anonymously or criticize parliament. If you’re a schoolgirl who becomes pregnant and wants to keep attending classes, that’s illegal. If you’re a musician who sings about sex or politics, your songs might be illegal. The lack of freedom getting you down? You could complain about it all on social media. Except that may be illegal….

YAOUNDE (Capital Markets in Africa) – While President Paul Biya appears to be a shoo-in to extend his 36-year rule in elections next month, he’s had no success in stifling a rebellion in Anglophone regions that’s threatening to split the mainly French-speaking central African nation. Africa’s second-longest serving head of state, Biya, 85, is facing eight candidates in an Oct. 7 vote that will be overshadowed by insurgent attacks, a violent clampdown by the security forces and…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The number of people suffering from hunger climbed to an eight-year high in 2017 as extreme and erratic weather, conflicts and economic slowdowns limited food availability. Those categorized as hungry increased by 16.6 million to 821 million, the highest since 2009, according to the United Nations. It warned of the alarming signs of rising food insecurity and high levels of malnutrition as more people go undernourished in Africa and Latin America. “Climate…