Jean-Benoit Falisse

Vendors sell bananas in an open market in a village near Bujumbura. Burundians are being driven deeper into poverty. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

Beyond political violence in Burundi: an economy in crisis

Whenever the crisis in Burundi is discussed, the economy is often overlooked, even though it is central to understanding the backdrop to the most severe crisis since the end of the civil war.
Ben Affleck championed the piece of legislation requiring companies reporting to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose their use of ‘conflict minerals’ originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Reuters/Yuri Gripas

What’s missing from celebrity activism in Africa? The people

Celebrities help make causes known to larger audiences and can be effective in obtaining pledges from policymakers. Yet their simplified advocacy messages can lead to ineffective or harmful policies.

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