Focus on Africa

Ethiopia's first female president leaves office?

Ethiopia's first female head of state replaced - meanwhile clashes continue in the Amhara region.

How the relationship between Israel and African states has evolved a year since the Israel-Gaza war

And a pioneer fashion show to highlight the plight of amputees

Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: :Bella Hassan, Patricia Whitehorne and Nyasha Michelle in London, and Susan Gachuhi in Nairobi. Senior producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical producer: Chris Kouzaris Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.

Broadcast on:: 08 Oct 2024
Audio Format:: other

Hello and welcome to this podcast from the BBC World Service. Please let us know what you think and tell other people about us on social media. Podcasts from the BBC World Service are supported by advertising. Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. At Mint Mobile, we like to do the opposite of what Big Wireless does. They charge you a lot, we charge you a little. So naturally, when they announced they'd be raising their prices due to inflation, we decided to deflate our prices due to not hating you. That's right, we're cutting the price of Mint Unlimited from $30 a month to just $15 a month. Give it a try at mintmobile.com/switch. $45 up from payment equivalent to $15 per month new customers on first three-month plan only. Taxes and fees extra, speeds lower above 40 gigabytes of detail. From the BBC, the 2024 US election. Full coverage from the campaign trail. No agendas, no one-sided opinions, just the issues covered. We're not here to tell you what to think. We're made to make you think. Visit bbc.com/us-election. Hello, I'm Charles Gittonga and here's what's coming up for you on this edition of Focus on Africa. I divided opinion on Israel. We'll hear how African countries are navigating their relationship with Israel, one here since the war in Gaza. Protests in Kenya or protest in other countries like Sudan whereby countries had decided to normalize ties with Israel a bit put in an awkward position whereby as much as the country is presenting, the protesters against Israel. So the countries are, the governments are sort of going back to the drawing board. And a journalist, Reflection on Life in Gaza. It's been a year of sadness for the people in Gaza, a year of displacement, a year of pain, a year of death and a fashion event to bring the struggles of amputees to light. The event was Mr. and Miss Amputee, Kenya. It is the first of its kind. It was meant to celebrate the amputees and to show you can actually get incorporated back to the society, do what you love. It's Tuesday the 8th of October. First we go to Ethiopia. Africa's second most populous country is a nation, driven with ethnic tensions. One region are the four of these tensions is Amharah in the northern part of the country where ethnic militia, known as Fano, has been fighting with federal government forces for over a year. Last year the government declared a state of emergency there. And now at the beginning of this month, the Ethiopian government launched a fresh military operation against the Fano accusing them of refusing to negotiate for peace and causing instability. Fano has recently taken control of two towns after violent confrontations with the Ethiopian National Army. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has appointed a new president, Taiye Azteke Selasi, who replaced Sa'alay Wok Zodi, Ethiopia's first female president, after her six-year time. Sa'alay Wok, who's from Amharah, has reportedly grown distant from the Prime Minister Abi Ahmed. She hinted at her discontent in a social media post before stepping down. To find out what exactly is going on, I've been speaking to a correspondent in Addi Sababa, Kalkidan Ibelta. This year marks the six-year of the outgoing president Sa'alay Wok Zodi, and she's ending her term, her six-year term. So now she's being replaced by another one. Technically, she could continue for another term of six years, but it doesn't look like she went to continue in the role. There had been reports and rumors that she has fallen out with the government, particularly with the Prime Minister Abi Ahmed, and also she has been expressing dissatisfaction over the way that the country was going. Sources close to her have recently spoken to the BBC, some Harik service, and they said that she was unhappy about the situation in the country, and her position, and she was waiting eagerly for her term to end. In recently, Cher posted an encrypted message on X, suggesting that she was unhappy because she was silent for the past year. So in this backdrop, it was expected for her to be replaced. The incoming president has been serving as a foreign minister for just eight months, and now he's been appointed in another role, and this is a largely ceremonial role that he has taken over. So in terms of then the outgoing president, Saare Wok Zodie, what's the relationship like with the Prime Minister Abi Ahmed, and how has it evolved, and has that in any way played a role in her departure? Well, that is the speculation, or at least the understanding among some commentators here. As I said, when she was appointed, it was seen as this landmark moment, because she was the first female president, but not only that, she was not coming from politics, she was not coming from the ruling party, she was a seasoned diplomat, having decades of experience in diplomacy, representing Ethiopia in different international diplomatic circles, including the UN. So her background was diplomacy in politics. So when she was appointed at the time, he was seen as this watershed moment, and it was hailed as part of the Prime Minister's then reformist agenda. But in recent years as the country continued to be plagued and blighted by different wars and then conflicts, it seems that her relationship with the Prime Minister might have deteriorated. She had used some public platforms when she was giving public addresses or remarks to call for peace, to call for restraint, and then to try to encourage unity across the country, and particularly in recent months, she was not seen much along the Prime Minister when in events and in platforms where you would expect her to be there. And rather, the Prime Minister was accompanied by either the mayor of Addis Ababa, or even the former president, even though he is not in unofficial capacity as the president. So those suggested that she was not in good terms with the top of the government. So Calcutan, let's shift to Amhara and what's happening there, specifically with the final militia and the government forces. What can you tell us? Well, the Amhara region, which is the second most populous in Ethiopia, has been a setting of conflict for more than a year. It was in August, 2023, that for the first time conflict broke out there. And for 10 months after that, it was under a set of emergency and were a large part of that time. There was, you know, the internet was cut off and there was this intense operations carried out by the military where they were clashing with this local phenomena. There had been several reports that civilians were attacked during this time. But, you know, even after this set of emergency was, after it expired, we're seeing the continuation of this fighting. And in the last few weeks, we have seen escalation, despite calls from international organizations, doing the U.S. for this coalition to solve the crisis across the country, we're seeing an escalation. And a few weeks ago, there was a remark given by the Ministry of Defense and the Amhara Government authorities saying that they have been trying to bring peace to the region. They have been trying to even have a peace deal or a peace agreement with the militias. But that has brought me successful. So they were launching new operations, new campaigns in the region. And following that, we have seen an intensification of fighting in various places in the region. And the Fanon militias are claiming that they are entering various towns, several towns in the region. And they're also controlling ruler areas and mountains and villages in the region. While it's difficult to independently confirm these claims, it's very clear that the fighting is escalating in recent days and in recent weeks. And in some areas, the fighting has included the use of drones, air strikes, and even heavy weaponry. Carl Killen, just to remind us really, you know, this, you know, conflict started last year, and it's been escalating. What are the root causes of the tension in Amhara between the Fanon and the government? Well, at the hurt of the clashes and frictions between the Fanon and the government, who, as you said, used to be allies during the Thugrai War, is a decision by the government to try to dissolve regional paramilitary special forces called the Amhara Special Forces. Now, this is a parliamentary unit that is funded by and operated under the regional government. Each region has a similar force. So the government said that they are dissolving this regional forces and they are integrating them into the national army or the regional regular police force or the federal police. But this move was not welcomed in Amhara because they said that they need that force to exist because they are under threat from Thugrai where there was a war happening in recent years and also from other neighbors, like Oromia, where ethnically targeted killings had been common. So they said that this force should not be expanded. They don't have that much confidence on the government's central and federal police force or federal security force. So there was resistance to that movement and after months of cementation over that decision, which was announced in April, 2023 in August, conflicts broke out. And after that, we are seeing a perpetual conflict in the region. Yeah. And what do people say about this, whether in a disability or in the actual region of Amhara, what do they say as to what's happening? Well, there is a sense of anxiety and phatic because for the past four years, Ethiopia has been jumping from one conflict into another. Amhara is not the only place where there are conflicts in Oromia. There is ongoing conflicts in which insurgent groups like the Oromo Liberation Army continue to fight with the army while in Tigray between 2020 and 2022, there was a devastating civil war. What has its own toll on the psyche of the people, the European people, but also it has a huge gent on the economy and its impacts are very tangible, very visible on the economy. So there is a sense of anxiety, there is a sense of phatic that there is no peace when there is a peace still in one area, there is conflict in another area. So that there is a general sense of that, particularly in areas like a disability capital, which is relatively speaking safer. But in Amhara in itself, the people there are very much worried, this conflict is compounded with reports of killings of civilians, drone strikes sitting, civilian targets including ambulances and schools and also targeted killings. So the people are there very much worried and then they are alarmed by the escalation of this conflict. The BBC is Kalkidani Beltal in Addis Ababa. Now many of you will remember that it has been a year since the start of the Israel-Gaza War. On October 7th, 2023, gunmen from Hamas, a group that rules Gaza and designated as a terrorist organization by western countries, bust through the border with Israel killing about 1,200 people, 250 others were taken as hostages. Now Gaza is a narrow strip of land between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea and also shares a short border with Egypt to the south. In the days and months that followed the Hamas attack, Israel, with the blessing of the United States and other western powers, responded by launching a massive attack of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, a campaign that continues to date. Much of Gaza is in ruins and over 42,000 people, mostly Palestinian civilians, are reported to have been killed in the past year. Palestinians have accused Israel of genocide. Our Gaza correspondent Rushdie Abueloof covered the opening weeks of Israel's assault from inside the territory before he took his family south and eventually to safety. He reflects on what the past year has meant for the people of Gaza. I was expecting a big retaliation from Israel following the Hamas attack, which is something that we have never ever seen before. I've been covering this area for about 25 years and I've seen many attacks, but nothing like what Hamas did at that day. And we were expecting Israel to retaliate back, but never expect 42,000 people to be killed. About 10,000 people are missing and over 55 to 60 percent of the Gaza buildings, including schools, universities, hospitals and infrastructure, completely destroyed and over two-thirds of the population are displaced from their original homes. And even if they are allowed back, they won't find their homes standing anymore. So it's been a year of sadness for the people in Gaza, a year of displacement, a year of pain, a year of death. The BBC's Rushdie Abueloof. In the African continent, opinion on the conflict has been divided. Last December, South Africa filed a case of the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Libya and Egypt have joined in on the case. Others like Kenya, Zambia, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo have largely supported Israel, despite a dividing public opinion in those countries. Jekah Barrow, a journalist with the BBC monitoring, has been helping me unpack how the relationship between African countries and Israel has evolved in the past year. Just start by telling us how the Israel-Hamas conflict has influenced African countries foreign policy towards Israel. So the conflict has affected African countries, policies throughout different ways. So for example, we've seen that many African countries have reaffirmed their support for Palestine. For example, countries like South Africa and Algeria have taken strong stances against Israel's actions in Gaza, calling for international interventions and greater recognition of Palestinian rights. In the same breath, we saw that African countries that previously sought to closer ties with Israel, like Sudan, for example, are accessing their relationships in light of public opinion and regional solidarity with Palestine. Sudan, for example, had begun normalizing ties with Israel, but then it faced backlash domestically following the conflict between Israel and Hamas. And the other thing is that the conflict has also led to stronger alliances among African nations. This is because the EU, for example, had issued statements condemning Israel's military's actions and calling for an end to occupation. Thereby, this is influencing member states' foreign policies towards Israel. The other thing is that while there's a strong ideological component to foreign policy decisions regarding Israel, some economic factors cannot be overlooked whereby some African nations are balancing their pro-Palestinian stance with economic interests that they have with Israel or technological partnership with Israel. It's also important to note that positions taken by global powers, such as the U.S. and China, have also impacted how African countries formulated their foreign policies towards Israel. For example, like the U.S.-backed initiatives may encourage some nations to engage more closely with Israel while others may resist based on alignment with non-Western powers. Lastly, public opinion and civil society influence, like grassroots movements advocating for Palestinian rights of gay interactions across Africa, for example, in Kenya, whereas the Kenyan government was pro-Israeli, you see that protests and campaigns that also boycott and sanctions against Israel have influenced the foreign policy of these countries. So let's talk about that public opinion, then. How has it shifted due to this conflict? At the moment, you see some countries like Kenya, for example, it hasn't necessarily completely shifted, but protests in Kenya or protests in other countries like Sudan whereby countries have decided to normalize ties with Israel, a bit put in an awkward position whereby as much as the country is pro-Israeli, the protesters are against Israel. So the countries, the governments are going, sort of going back to the drawing board. So at the moment, I cannot say they have changed, but there's a possibility that this might change. I'm just wondering how strong can the AUB in this matter, given that, you know, not all African countries are sort of speaking in the same language as far as this conflict is concerned. So the AUB, the moment, the main thing that it can do, it's just like try to bring understanding between the different countries in that it needs to outline what it can do, to outline the respect for countries' sovereignty, because at the end of the day, the conflict between Israel and Hamas can in some way affect its affect African nations that are neighboring, for countries like Egypt, it might cause a spill over effect. So the AUB can use maybe this channel whereby it encourages the countries to have this terms in a way that as long as this conflict is ongoing, it affects African countries. It has ramifications for African countries, be it economical, be it security. So that is one way that the AUB can have more impact and bring its member states together to see that the ongoing, as long as the conflict is ongoing, it has direct ramifications for its member states. So what are the potential economic repercussions then of their Israel, Hamas war for African countries? The Israel, Hamas war, can lead to disruptions in trade routes and supply chains. So you see many African countries rely on imports from the Middle East, including goods like oil and gas. So the conflict could result in increased shipping costs, especially because of their breadsy issue and delays due to heightened security concerns of blockades in the Mediterranean Sea. The other thing is that if you look at African countries, they are heavily dependent on energy imports, particularly oil and gas. So this conflict may cause fluctuations in global oil price due to see as a supply shortages or the instability that comes about because of the conflict. The other thing is that, so investors typically seek stable environments for their capital, thus if they perceive increased risk due to the conflict or potential spillover effects into Africa, they may withdraw investments or halt new projects. So this withdrawal can affect economic growth and development initiatives across various sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture. And what about from a security perspective in terms of how the conflict might influence Africa's security landscape and particularly in relation to terrorism? So as we know, conflict usually leads to instability, which in effect can create a breeding ground for terrorism. For example, in many African countries, civil laws, ethnic tensions and political unrest have weakened state institutions and law enforcement capabilities. So this gap of vacuum allows or provides a strength to organizations like El Shabaab or Boko Haram to flourish. So the Boko Haram from Nigeria and El Shabaab in Somalia have been seen before to have exploited local grievance system from conflict to recruit members and expand their influence. So this, the chaos resulting from this conflict provides the terrorists with opportunities to carry out the tax, find the operations through illicit means and establish control over territories. So it's basically how their relationship is going to have to evolve with African countries? The relationship between the support for Palestine and the maintenance of relations with Israel is complex and evolving issues is influenced by various political, social and economic factors. So for example, the geopolitical landscape played by these major countries like the U.S. or key international players like the U.S. and EU, Russia and regional public, Egypt and Jordan have vested interest in the outcome of this conflict. The U.S. traditionally, a strong ally of Israel has also expressed support for Palestinian statehood at race times. So the evolution dynamics among these actors can influence how different countries approach their relationship with both parties. The other thing is domestic politics, considerations within countries, significantly impact foreign policy decisions regarding Israel and Palestine. So if you look at many Western nations, public opinion increasingly favors Palestinian rights and statehood recognition. Political parties may shift their platforms to reflect these sentiments or face electoral consequences. For example, progressive movements within parties such as the democratic party in the U.S. have been advocating for a more balanced approach that considers Palestinian rights alongside Israel's security concerns. The other thing is that I also mentioned earlier on is countries like Sudan and Morocco wanted to normalize ties with Israel, but then they experienced backlash from their citizens. Countries like Kenya, which has been a strong supporter of Israel, but then the protests in the country can make this shift happen. The other thing also is the humanitarian issues that have come up from the conflict and becoming more prominent on the global stage. So reports of human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank have drawn international attention and condemnation. As humanitarian crisis escalates, there is growing pressure on governance to respond by supporting Palestinian needs while still engaging diplomatically with Israel. The other thing also, economic considerations, they also play a role in shaping relationships between these two countries. For example, aid to a Palestine from various nations is often contingent upon political conditions or peaceful negotiations with Israel. Conversely, Israel's economic ties with countries around the world can be affected by their stance on Palestinian issues. Lastly, going forward, it's likely that there will be an increasing call for a more equitable approach that recognizes both Israel security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and self-examination that could manifest through renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a two-state solution or other frameworks that promote coexistence. Thank you very much, Decca, that was some very good analysis. Thank you so much for having me. Decca Barro with the BBC monitoring. This is Focus on Africa from the BBC World Service. "Getting engaged can be stressful. Getting the right ring won't be at bluenile.com. The jewelers at bluenile.com have sparkled down to a science with beautiful lab-grown diamonds worthy of your most brilliant moments. 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Give it a try at midmobile.com/switch, or whatever you're ready. $45 up from payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first 3 month plan only. Taxes and fees extra. Speed slower above 40 gigabytes of CT Tails. Getting an amputation or losing a limb is probably anyone's biggest fear. Those that undergo it for various reasons have to completely change their lifestyles. In many African countries, getting a prosthetic device to act as a leg or an arm is quite expensive and beyond reach for many people. Also, most public infrastructure isn't accommodative of those living with a disability. In an effort to bring solutions to these challenges through advocacy, a fashion show dubbed "Mr. and Ms. Amputee" happened over the weekend in Aairobi, Kenya. And here is the moment the winners were announced. And as we welcome the Ms. 2024 Ms. Amputee, Diana. Each year, over 1 million people around the world undergo limb amputations according to the World Health Organization. I've been speaking with Dr. Nick Weary, the organizer of the event who also co-founded a company that produces cheaper prosthetic devices using 3D printing technology. The event was Mr. and Ms. Amputee, Kenya. It is the first of its kind. It was meant to celebrate the amputees and to show you can actually get incorporated back to the society, do what you love. It was also to bring the various stakeholders and we really had some very inspiring conversations just to get the public to know more about amputations because there's quite a lot of stigma associated with it. It's just the first time you're doing this event. Talk to us more about the stigma that amputees face in Kenya and what this could do in terms of how you went about their actual event. Was there a lot of publicity about it, helping the general public understand the message that you're trying to pass across? Of course we did our best just to explain to people what we were trying to do. There was great acceptance from the general public and goodwill in that we got to the goal of our ticket sales. It took a bit more effort to get corporate on board, but all in all, I'm happy that we had a successful event. Amputees face discrimination in many sectors. Another indirect way would be in public spaces. For example, the toilets that are in various public spaces. They are not really built with disability in mind. And this was like the goal of such an event just to have these conversations. You know, you never think of issues as even pregnant amputee. What are the challenges she faces? You know, what are ideal delivery methods are there for them? And these are just the conversations that we had at the event and will continue to have just to make the patients we serve accepted and just integrate better into society. Right. So let's look at making prosthetic devices affordable. Just how expensive are they in Kenya prosthetic devices vary. Some of them cost as much as a car. Yes. And it all depends on the different components that are used. Let me start by saying that these devices are not in very many insurance covers, especially the public insurance system. Most of the patients in this system have to purchase prosthetic devices by themselves. And this is the narrative we want to change, because, you know, once you're lost from the healthcare system, then, you know, you don't really get their proper devices. And when you go out there, you know, there's so many brokers and so many prosthetics who may, to be honest, charge much more than these devices are to return the patient to the optimal state of healthcare. We need to include these very personal devices in the insurance covers that treatment doesn't end with the surgery or the physiotherapy. The device is very important for the health of the patient. So they are costly and how can they be made cheaper and yourself you you founded or co founded a company that is making these devices. What is it that you're doing to make them cheaper for below knee prosthetic and with 3D printing. It is almost half the cost of the device while maintaining quality. And of course the customization because how we make it is by scanning the patient's limb, we get the 3D scan and using a special application that we developed, we model the socket. The socket is the most important part of the prosthetic because it is the connection to the patient's body. How does this affect the fact that they are not affordable. How does that affect the day to day lives of the patients that need them. Many patients who do not have these devices are still at home. Some are begging. They do not have the same opportunities as patients with prosthetic devices. Despite reducing the cost, we still have patients who cannot afford these devices. So we are now moving to offering free devices to those who we assess and see cannot totally afford their device. So we changed the business model to just seeking funds from well wishes, and we did get a bit of that through the fashion show. This is a way that we are providing these important devices to those who can't afford it. While we still continue to advocate for insurance companies, including the national insurance system to be able to provide the devices. What would you say are the policy changes that are needed beyond the insurance companies being able to provide these devices, have them covered in their packages that they provide the people. What else can be changed in the healthcare system to make it affordable, even more accessible. I think number one would be training of prosthetics and autotists. These are the guys who make these devices and put them in all levels of healthcare facilities. This will decrease the burden of second at a hospital, which is one of the major producers of prosthetic devices and would spread this much needed manufacturing capability across the counties. In closing then Nick, just in very few words, what really inspired you to get as involved as you are in this space, either as a doctor as a surgeon, but also as somebody who's founded a company in this space. You've just taken me back to my late dad, he passed on during COVID. He was diabetic, and he had to have an amputation because of diabetic food. So that's where I, you know, found out about 3D printing. We found that about 79% of amputees lack access to prosthetic devices. I took it upon myself as a surgeon to be able to produce for them the devices that they need, affordably and cheaply to the best way that I know how to. Dr. Nick Weary in Nairobi. It was produced by Bella Hassan, Patricia Whitehorn, Enya Shamishell in London, and Susan Gashore was in Nairobi. Paul Batchbinga was a senior producer and Chris Cuzaris was a technical producer. Our editors are Andrew Lombard and Alice Moudengi. I'm Charles Guitonga who'll speak again soon. From the BBC, the 2024 U.S. election. Full coverage from the campaign trail. No agendas, no one-sided opinions, just the issues covered. We're not here to tell you what to think. We're made to make you think. Visit bbc.com/us-election. (upbeat music)