Dear Reader,
Clashes between Congolese troops and the M23 rebels resumed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week, a few days after peace talks in Kampala reached an impasse. But while violence dominates headlines about the region, many dynamics go unnoticed. In rebel-controlled territory, for example, the M23 is training hundreds of cadres in local politics as well as in the teachings of Che Guevara, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln. Meanwhile, little attention is paid to the DRC's Muslim community, a long marginalised but important group which, according to recent estimates, make up 10% of the Congo's population.
Following delays and squabbling, Tunisia's political factions began talks this weekend over a new constitution and fresh elections. One group not involved in these negotiations was Ansar al-Sharia, a Salafi organisation that was banned and listed as a terrorist group by the government in August. The origins and nature of the Islamist organisation have long remained mysterious, but one of its founders has revealed to Think Africa Press its true beginnings, its ties with al-Nahda, Tunisia's biggest party, and its links with other militant groups in the region.
Renamo, Mozambique's main opposition group, has pulled out of a peace deal signed in 1992 following clashes with government forces. Renamo has complained that the ruling Frelimo party is monopolising the country's wealth and called for electoral reform, but its recent actions seem unlikely to be effective, and follow in a long trend of questionable Renamo strategies.
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Of the countless shiploads of Chinese-made goods that find their way into African markets each year, many pass through the city of Guangzhou. In this bustling Chinese city, traders from Africa and around the world haggle and barter with Chinese sellers - often with varying degrees of success - to get all kinds of goods at as low prices as possible, but the nature of the business means these new nomadic dealers are always on the move.
All the best,
The Team at Think Africa Press
Editor-in-Chief
James Schneider is the Editor-in-Chief of Think Africa Press. He read Theology at the University of Oxford and has a particular interest in the study of political economy, patterns of investment, and perspectives from the Global South. He is also a frequent commentator on African affairs for Monocle24 radio. Email: editor@thinkafricapress.com. Follow him on twitter @schneiderhome.
