(Military Times) The Pentagon is considering significantly cutting back its U.S. presence in West Africa, according to a new report.
South Sudan is recalling its ambassador to the United States, an adviser to the president told the Associated Press on Thursday. – Associated Press
“Piracy is a business,” says John Steed of the Hostage Support Partnership. “And the investors are still putting money in the business.” He adds, “As piracy is reduced in East Africa, piracy in West Africa and Southeast Asia has increased.” It feeds off the enormous amount of global ship traffic, with 11 billion tons shipped internationally in 2018. – Bloomberg
Calls for reform of an African currency bloc, which has its roots in French colonial rule, could prove disruptive for foreign investors, analysts have suggested. – CNBC
quoting Larry Diamond via This Day Live
Kayode Fayemi gives a incisive insight into Nigeria’s 20 years of democratic journey in a speech delivered at a meeting in Washington DC, the United States, and titled: “Twenty Years of Democratization in Nigeria: Successes and Challenges”
(Military Times) U.S. Africa Command commander Army Gen. Stephen Townsend is in Somalia to visit U.S. troops and other global leaders — a move that comes amid a slight uptick in airstrikes against violent extremists in Somalia this year