It’s a very, very tiny island. But the importance of international legal issues at play in the dispute between Uganda and Kenya over Migingo island is huge. Christopher R. Rossi traces the genesis of a scramble for fish – and possibly oil.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act covers terms of trade between the US and some African countries. But it also promotes democracy. Cameroon’s membership is at risk because it’s not sticking to the act’s strict governance criteria. This follows a crisis that’s pitted the Anglophone part of the country against the central government. Regis Simo explains what’s at stake.
Today we also launch a series of special editions. Each one will feature the most read articles on a particular subject. Our special edition for today is on major disease outbreaks in Africa over the past year. Jacqueline Weyer explains how Marburg disease, Ebola’s ‘sister’ virus, has affected Uganda while Eric Osoro looks at an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of
Congo as well as the lessons learned from responses to the virus in Sierra
Leone. And Jeanette Dawa explains how African countries are failing to do even the basics in managing bird flu.
|
Ugandan fishermen pull in their nets at dawn in Lake Victoria, which is shared between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Reuters/Euan Denholm
Christopher R. Rossi, University of Iowa
The dispute between Uganda and Kenya over an islet half the size of a football pitch has been fuelled by the perceived imbalance in fish harvests and the prospects of oil reserves beneath.
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Regis Simo, University of the Witwatersrand
Cameroon's Anglophone crisis that's pitted its English speaking citizens against the central government could result in the country being denied preferential trade agreements with the US.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Susan Booysen, University of the Witwatersrand
The race for the presidency of South Africa's governing ANC will go down to the wire. Exact calculations for the frontrunners are impossible and the result is likely to be known by 17 or 18 December.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Swapan Kumar Patra, Tshwane University of Technology
Africa has recorded a tremendous growth in its output of academic engineering research over the past 20 years. Greater collaboration can increase this growth even more.
|
|
It’s speculated that the natural host of the Marburg virus are Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus).
Seregraff/Shutterstock
Jacqueline Weyer, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
In the 50 years following the discovery of the Marburg virus there have only been 12 known outbreaks.
|
|
-
Eric Osoro, Washington State University
When an Ebola outbreak is detected, surveillance, community engagement , laboratory services and tracing infected persons should be activated to prevent rapid spread of the disease.
-
Eric Osoro, Washington State University
The power to overcoming Ebola was in public awareness by performing simple yet basic infection prevention and control measures like washing hands, isolation and reporting suspected cases.
-
Jeanette Dawa, University of Nairobi
Functional early warning systems help countries respond to a disease before it spreads.
-
Thumbi Mwangi, Washington State University
Governments in anthrax endemic countries should build efficient surveillance systems that incorporate detection, confirmation and efficient data collation and feedback.
-
Moses Masika, University of Nairobi
Cholera is estimated to infect between 3 to 5 million people globally, every year.
-
Samuel Kariuki, Kenya Medical Research Institute
A lack of decent sanitation and clean drinking water are fertile ground for a cholera outbreak.
|
|
From our international editions
|
-
Brendan Ciarán Browne, Trinity College Dublin
Brexit negotiations have revealed a clear lack of appreciation for the power of symbolism in Northern Irish politics.
-
Roberto Pedace, Scripps College
An analysis of more than 800 top-grossing films suggests diverse movies struggle in front of international audiences.
-
Benigno Alarcón, Andres Bello Catholic University (UCAB)
President Nicolás Maduro has announced he will run for reelection, a sign that Venezuela's authoritarian regime now has an electoral strategy for beating the opposition.
|
|