The year 2022 has been a challenging year for Africa having opened when the post-pandemic world started to heave in relief. The biggest news stories of 2022 so far include supply chain disruptions, conflicts, food crisis, economic uncertainty, IT company layoffs and many bright spots too.
Many of the stories that headlined Africa in 2022 will continue to do so in the new year, from economic uncertainty to elections and a world smattering under the overcast of the war in Ukraine.
In January, the Parliament of South Africa was hit by a major fire at its parliamentary complex in Cape Town, South Africa.
In February, while playing outside on February 1 2022, a five-year-old Moroccan boy Rayan Aourram fell into a 32-metre dry well in Ighran village. The boy, Rayan, was pulled out by rescuers after a lengthy operation that captivated global attention.
In March, the diplomatic row between Russia and Ukraine came to a head with far-reaching impact on Africa. At least 57,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists were stuck in Egypt due to the fighting. The war led to spikes in food prices, especially grains which upset food security in the continent.
While many regional blocs on the continent tried to sustain peace-building initiatives, Africa witnessed two coups in Burkina Faso and one attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau.
Protesters in Chad hit the streets in October to demand that the ruling military junta stick to its promises to hold elections. At least 50 people and scores of unarmed civilians were severely wounded when Security forces opened fire on protesters in N’Djamena, the capital and other cities in the country.
In Sudan, demonstrators continued to hold anti-coup protests throughout the year. Sudan’s military and civilian leaders in December inked an initial deal aimed at a transition into civilian rule.
August 10 entered Sierra Leone’s annals as a dark day. Dozens of demonstrators and police officers were killed as people vented their anger over the soaring cost of living, an action severely condemned by ECOWAS.
Following a protracted conflict that claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of people, a concerted effort saw the Ethiopian government and the TPLF finally sign a peace agreement.
One month on, the guns have fallen silent and there’s been a resumption of basic services including internet services, water supply, electricity in parts of the Tigray region, and the resumption of flights into Mekelle, the capital.
A number of African countries went to the polls this year and despite some disagreements were able to navigate the process successfully. Among them Kenya, Angola, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisian parliamentary polls
The year 2022 was also strategic to climate action following pledges made by world leaders in Glasgow during COP26. The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, often known as COP27 was hosted in Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh in November.
However, as the year ends, it wraps up a year that set grim new records on climate change which saw Africa hit record-breaking floods and droughts.
Another interesting story was that of former student of Exploits University, Malawi Bridget Thapwile Soko who was stripped of her Bachelor’s Degree in Business for tearing up her Certificate.
Relations between China and Africa continued to grow as both sides collaborated in various sectors, including partnering to fight the COVID pandemic, addressing food security challenges and generating economic development and empowerment.
This year, Africa testified more to being a “theater” for Russia’s geostrategic interests. Russia’s Africa-focused initiatives align with Angola, Mali, Egypt, close allies like Khalifa Haftar in Libya, Faustin Archange Touadéra in the Central African Republic (CAR), Colonel Assimi Goïta in Mali and Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Sudan, among others.
The Africa-US relations especially with regional partners South Africa, Senegal, Kenya and Nigeria saw an improved engagement. In December, the US pledged $55 billion to Africa over the next three years.
China and Africa continued to grow as the two sides collaborated in various sectors, including partnering to fight the COVID pandemic, addressing food security challenges and generating economic development and empowerment.