Latest news with #AfricaCenterforStrategicStudies
Nikkei Asia
22-04-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
China woos trade war 'circle of friends' as Kenya, Azerbaijan leaders visit
TOKYO -- Fresh off a tour of Southeast Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host counterparts from Kenya and Azerbaijan this week in Beijing, continuing his diplomatic outreach to developing countries in the shadow of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and rethink of foreign aid. Kenyan President William Ruto and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were both due to arrive in China on Tuesday for separate visits that, observers say, reflect Beijing's strategic shift to sustain growth. "Whenever China encounters tension, pushback and isolation from Western countries, it pivots harder -- and with much greater focus and intensity -- toward the developing world," said Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington. He cited precedents during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York Times
12-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Coup Leader Is Favored in Gabon Election After Ruling Family's Fall
Voters in Gabon are set to pick their next president on Saturday, and on paper they have plenty of options: anti-French firebrands, a general who staged a coup, a tax inspector and a female candidate in this oil-rich Central African country. But most candidates and experts agree that the election might be a done deal. They say the race has been rigged in favor of Brice Oligui Nguema, the general who staged a coup in 2023 and has ignored his early promises to hand power over to a civilian. 'It is not a level playing field to begin with,' said Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Washington-based organization that is part of the U.S. Department of Defense. Gabon is a resource-rich country of 2.5 million that was long ruled by one family. Although wealthier than other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, unemployment is widespread and poverty is high, making those key issues for voters. Here is what to know about the presidential contest. A 50-year-old general who swapped his uniform for jeans, Jordan sneakers and Michael Jackson's dance moves on the campaign trail, Mr. Nguema is widely tipped to win. Mr. Nguema served as an aide-de-camp to Gabon's long-ruling autocrat, Omar Bongo, and was head of the Republican Guard under his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was deposed in 2023. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
