Trouble with the neighbours? Rwanda and Uganda can relate. Earlier this month, Rwanda decided to close its border with erstwhile ally Uganda – a very busy crossing. It has disrupted trade, exacerbated tensions and has also stoked worries about what lies ahead for the Great Lakes region.
The two East African countries have been locked in finger-pointing over espionage and interference in domestic affairs. Uganda claims that Rwanda has been infiltrating its security services and spying on Ugandan state security. Rwanda, in turn, accuses Uganda of supporting anti-Rwandan rebels.
So how did we get here?
Catherine Byaruhanga on how Rwanda-Uganda border crossing came to a halt. (BBC Africa)
For a week, trucks and people have been stuck at border posts between Rwanda and Uganda, crippling trade and causing a diplomatic standoff. Nasra Bishumba reports. (DW)
What has been the impact on common people in the region as animosity between the two countries grows? Dicta Asiimwe reports that the Rwanda-Uganda border closure has created a logistical nightmare. (The East African)
African players need to help stop the escalation of tensions between Rwanda and Uganda, says Stephanie Wolters. The Great Lakes can’t afford any more instability. (ISS)
What do Rwandan and Ugandan leaders say? In public, a lot. To each other, not so much.
Pamella Sitton sat down with Rwanda’s president. "All I can say is that it’s a matter that can be resolved. That must be resolved. Because the alternative is not something that we should even be thinking about, or entertaining; that we can stand in the way of our own progress or the progress of all East Africans,” Paul Kagame told her. (Daily Monitor)
Meanwhile, in Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni, has said that anyone planning to destabilise Uganda will be met with "decisive destruction", Misairi Thembo Kahungu reports. (All Africa)
Yikes, any efforts to curb the situation?
Dicta Asiimwe looks at what the East African Community Secretariat has and has not done about the Rwanda-Uganda situation – and whether the body has the teeth to deal with it. (The East African)
For now, it looks like the peace broker mantle has fallen to Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta. He has met with both Kagame and Museveni in an effort to end tensions. (The Observer)
The Month in Review
On March 10, an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, headed for Nairobi, Kenya crashed shortly after take-off. Some 157 people died, from 35 countries. Much of the focus, however, has been on the model of plane involved: the Boeing 737 Max. While that is important, we're very aware of what these women are saying about other aspects of the tragedy.
Ethiopian Airlines is a symbol of national pride. Now a disaster has put it under scrutiny, reports Jenni Marsh. (CNN)
Hannah Giorgis sheds much needed light on how Western outlets covered the crash - through a narrow lens. "For many African readers, and other black people across the diaspora, it is perhaps unsurprising that Western media outlets would fail to report on a tragedy as devastating as the Ethiopian Airlines crash as—first and foremost—an African tragedy." (The Atlantic)
Elsewhere on the continent....
Another report about death from above. Amanda Sperber speaks out on U.S. Airstrikes in Somalia, which are killing many civilians. That's a war crime, as Amnesty International has noted. (The Nation)
At the end of February, Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, declared a state of emergency. At issue: anti-government protests. Nasredeen Abdulbari and Rebecca Hamilton on how that declaration is unlawful. (Washington Post)
Election fever is starting to take hold in Uganda. Democratic Party president Norbert Mao has become the third politician to declare his interest to run for the highest office in the land come 2021. Shabibah Nakirigya reports. (Daily Monitor)
When it comes to love, they say that age ain’t nothing but a number. Apparently, this rule applies in politics too. Kim Aine on how Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, is set to run for yet another term, irrespective of his age. (Chimp Reports)
The double standard on Nigerian oil spills must end, write a group of activists, including Valerie Amos and Njeri Kabeberi. (The Guardian)
On oil spills in the Nigerian delta, Bukola Adebayo reports on a new commission that will investigate "environmental and human damage" in Nigeria's oil fields. (CNN)
Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 1,000, writes Hillary Leung. (Time)
South Africa's electricity blackouts have become worringly normal. Lynsey Chutel reports. (Quartz)
Good Stuff on Gender
Rwanda has been a trailblazer when it comes to gender equality and women’s empowerment, says Nadine Rugwe. Today, the country leads the world in women's representation in parliament (61%) and cabinet (50%). (The New Times)
We’re all familiar with #MeToo in the West. But, what does the movement look like in Africa? Amanda Gouws thinks otherwise. She notes that #MeToo isn’t big in Africa – in the digital space. There are conversations about sexual assault and harassment going on, but offline. (The Conversation)
Does Africa care about its women? Seun Babalola explores. (Africa’s A Country)
Lynsey Chutel reports about the Museum of Women’s History in Zambia and how it’s changing the way a whole country sees itself. (Quartz)
In South Africa, violence against women is reduced to a social media spectacle without a solution, says Lynsey Chutel. (Quartz)
Quote of the Month
"We will no longer negotiate for our existence."
-- Fadumo Dayib, a Somali politician and the first woman to run for President of Somalia.
Who are we?
Interruptrr Africa grew out of the NYC-based initiative, Interruptrr. Interruptrr was founded as a movement to increase female expertise in news articles, op-ed pages, and the punditry circuit. That's what we're doing here. There are endlessly talented women across multitude of fields in Africa - government, business, science, engineering, entrepreneurship, academia, and technology. Our goal is to identify and recognise them. Today's global challenges, from pandemics to global warming, from extremism to disinformation, requires the input of all perspectives. Interruptrr Africa is about wide perspectives - in order to get to concrete and sustainable solutions.
