Elite Africa Roundup - 23 August 2024
Two African films are set to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos by Nigerian filmmaking group Agbajowo Collective, and Front Row by Algerian director Merzak Allouache.
The Government of Somalia has threatened to block Ethiopian Airlines flights into the country over a deal signed between Ethiopia and the secessionist state of Somaliland.
- In the Council of Foreign Relations, Ebenezer Obadare challenges the view that youth protests in Africa don’t have leaders.
- Nigeria’s Senate is set to debate repealing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, introduced in 2015 to protect against gender based violence. Sen. Jibrin Isah has presented the repeal as necessary to update some of the law’s language and increase penalties; but critics have pointed out that the move is risky considering how difficult its passage was in 2015.
- From issue 172 of The Continent, Paul Biya’s government intensifies repression as he prepares to run for reelection next year.