Struggle for Influence in Africa

BERLIN (Own report) – Overshadowed by the dispute on free trade and the Paris Climate Agreement, the German government has found acceptance for its Africa policy initiatives at the G20 summit in Hamburg. The G20 states in Hamburg have backed the “Compact with Africa” initiative, Berlin seeks to use for gaining new influence on the African continent. The “Compact” includes measures enabling industrial nations, such as Germany, to set their preferred conditions for investments in individual African countries. The German government has chosen Tunisia, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire as its partners. Whereas Tunisia already serves as a low-wage site for German enterprises, Côte d’Ivoire is still under decisive French influence, something Berlin would like to change with the help of its “Compact for Africa.” In general, “Compact” is intended to help Germany intensify its economic influence in Africa, following all the failed attempts over the past few years. From the perspective of Germany’s establishment, time is running out because China, the rival on the global stage, has already risen to become the most important economic partner for numerous African countries.

Gemrany: Mob of 100 Africans Threatens Police

Tumultartige Szenen: Bis zu 100 Schwarzafrikaner bedrohen Polizisten in Hamburg https://t.co/4O3Yis7ZSv pic.twitter.com/CflHTgv5pL

— WELT (@welt) February 16, 2017

 

Up to a hundred black Africans threatened and insulted three police officers in Hamburg’s notorious St. Georg district this week. According to the newspaper Die Welt, there were “tumultuous scenes” after the police had arrested a young man from Somalia. The man had refused to leave a betting agency from which he had been barred. Instead, he aggressively threatened the staff. “Even before the arrival of the police, the 18-year-old threatened the two employees with cutting their throats and emphasised this with a gesture“, said police spokesman Ulf Wundrack.

“Billion-Year” Gambian President Was Installed By The CIA

 

Gambian President and dictator Yahya Jammeh, facing a combined military force composed of Senegalese army troops, the Nigerian air force, and troops from Mali, Ghana, and Togo, has agreed to relinquish the presidency of Gambia. On December 1, 2016, Jammeh was defeated for re-election in a surprise upset by his little-known rival Adama Barrow. Jammeh received only 45 percent of the vote.

During the election campaign Jammeh vowed in an interview with the BBC to «rule for one billion years». After initially conceding defeat to Barrow, Jammeh reneged on his promise to step down and announced he would remain as president.

Central banks’ investment in yuan puts currency nearer reserve status

At least 40 central banks have invested in the yuan and several others are preparing to do so, putting the mainland currency on the path to reserve status even before full convertibility, Standard Chartered said.

Twenty-three countries have publicly declared their holdings in yuan, in either the onshore or offshore markets, yet the real number of participating central banks could be far more than that, said Jukka Pihlman, Standard Chartered’s Singapore-based global head of central banks and sovereign wealth funds.