Security forces in Somalia’s southern city of Kismayo have seized hundreds of Islamic face veils from female residents, the city’s police chief says…The crackdown was sparked by concerns that jihadists could conceal their identity and carry out attacks, Mr Warsame said…On Friday dozens were killed in an attack at a popular beachfront location in Mogadishu, the capital. Officers in Kismayo have been confiscating the veils by stopping women in the streets and forcing them to remove the garment. The operation began last Wednesday, Mr Wasame said. Women caught wearing the niqab, which covers the whole face expect for the eyes, also face jail or a fine. Because al-Shabab controls much of southern Somalia, Kismayo and its surrounding areas are the only places in the state of Jubaland where authorities can enforce the ban. The state initially introduced the niqab ban in 2013, citing security risks, but it was rarely enforced. (BBC)
Sudan Army Chief to Lead Operations from Omdurman
Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan will relocate his headquarters to Omdurman to personally lead military operations, a senior army officer said on Tuesday. Al-Burhan has been based in the eastern city of Port Sudan since leaving the army headquarters in Khartoum last August amidst fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)…The announcement comes ahead of talks scheduled for August 14 in Geneva, mediated by the United States, with Egypt, the United Nations, the African Union, and the UAE participating as observers. (Sudan Tribune)
Race for AUC Job an All-men Contest
No woman is seeking the AU Commission Chairperson’s position, come 2025. The final shortlist to be tabled before a Panel of Experts for vetting is an all-male contest, meaning the next deputy chairperson will be female from Northern Africa. The candidates are Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssou, former Mauritius Foreign Minister Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, and Richard James Randriamandrato, a former Madagascar Foreign Minister…Under the AU’s new rotational system, the Chairperson’s seat will only be contested by countries in the Eastern region, while the deputy will go to the North. The chairperson and deputy cannot be of the same gender. (The EastAfrican)
Algeria: The African Development Bank Forecasts Gross Domestic Product of 4 Percent in 2024 and 3.7 Percent in 2025 in its Country Report 2024
Algeria’s economic recovery is strengthening and its gross domestic product (GDP), which increased by 3.6 percent in 2022 and 4.2 percent in 2023, is set to be 4.0 percent in 2024 and 3.7 percent in 2025, according to the African Development Bank Group’s Country Report 2024 (www.AfDB.org), which will be officially presented in Algiers in mid-September.
According to the report, Algeria’s economic growth is supported by the oil and gas, industrial, construction and services sectors. Employment patterns show a move towards the services sector to the detriment of agriculture and manufacturing industry, emphasizes the report, nonetheless noting that the structure of GDP has not fundamentally changed and that the country should implement further reforms to speed up the structural transformation of its economy.
“For Algeria, the reform of the global financial architecture is an opportunity to position itself as a donor country to support progress towards the development programmes of other African countries,” commented Mr Lassaad Lachaal, the African Development Bank’s Country Manager for Algeria.
The reform of the international financial architecture is an opportunity for Algeria to position itself as a donor country to support the development programmes of other countries in Africa, states the report. In 2023, Algeria joined the group of donors that contribute to the funding cycle of the African Development Fund under AFD-16. Although the country has allocated a budget of USD 1 billion to fund development projects in Africa, it will still need additional resources to support actions to protect the climate and drive green-growth initiatives.
In the short term, additional financial resources for Algeria’s structural transformation could come from an improvement in mobilizing domestic funding and strengthening the sustainability of the public finances, stresses the document.
The report, which aims to further political dialogue on macroeconomic performance and prospects and act as an essential tool for political decision-makers, governments and development partners, will be officially presented to government leaders, the private sector, technical and financial partners, researchers and academics, as well as the media, in mid-September 2024, at the Bank’s local headquarters in Algiers.
The theme of the report is in line with the 2024 report on the African Economic Outlook for the whole continent, entitled: “Driving Africa’s Transformation – The Reform of the Global Financial Architecture”.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the premier multilateral financing institution dedicated to Africa’s development. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NSF). The AfDB has a field presence in 44 African countries, with an external office in Japan, and contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states.
