Ethiopia's Agricultural Transformation

The Institute of Development Studies Bulletin published in November 2018 a paper titled "Ethiopia's Agricultural Transformation: Agribusiness' Contribution to Reducing Youth Unemployment" by Tesfamichael Wossen and Seife Ayele.

The study explores the relationship between agricultural transformation, ownership structure of agribusinesses, and employment creation in Ethiopia. The findings suggest that the growing number of agribusinesses are generating more jobs for youth but also reveal a number of challenges to overcome such as skills gaps, low pay in the private sector, and inflexible land ownership and transfer processes.

Ethiopia's Crackdown on Dissent and Impact on Youth

World Politics Review published on 26 April 2017 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Crackdown on Dissent Leaves Youth with Dangerous Options" by Kelsey Lilley, associate director of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.

The author concludes that time is running out for the Ethiopian government to prove its interests in listening to its aggrieved youth--and the consequences of not doing so are dire.

Root Causes of Somali Piracy

The United Arab Emirates held a conference on 29-30 October 2014 dealing with state recovery.  Degan Ali, executive director of the NGO African Development Solutions, presented a paper titled "Piracy - Community Response to Illegal Fishing."  The paper acknowledges the sharp drop in Somali piracy since 2011 but emphasizes the need to address the root causes of the problem, especially youth unemployment and poverty. 

Insecurity in Mauritania

I normally confine this blog to the Horn of Africa, East Africa and China-Africa relations. I have included an analysis of Mauritania because of the high quality of the analysis and the fact that it brings back memories of my assignment to the U.S. embassy in Nouakchott from 1974-1976.

Anouar Boukhars, an assistant professor of international relations at McDaniel College in Maryland, wrote the April 2012 study titled The Drivers of Insecurity in Mauritania for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

Boukhars reported that the trans-Saharan region is emerging as a hotbed of instability and insecurity. A confluence of forces, from the revolts in North Africa and the proliferation of weapons to transnational trafficking of illicit goods and terrorist activity led by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, are generating acute interest in this part of the world.

Mauritania epitomizes the risks that these unstable states with weak capabilities pose to regional and international security. Three stresses emerge as critical to Mauritania's current state of insecurity: the weakness and corruption of state institutions; sociopolitical tensions rooted in old tribal structures and historical ethno-racial divisions; and the growing radicalization of Mauritanian youth.

For Mauritania to break the cycle, the government needs to bolster its anti-corruption initiatives, professionalize its security apparatus, promote social justice, and improve the plight of those at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid.

Click here to read the entire analysis.