Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 8h

The camps had thousands of recruits, mostly children” he said. “These are children who have never held a weapon. We taught them how to handle assault rifles, machine guns, RPGs. After that, they were sent to the front. We were training them to go and get killed.” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

‘War is a business’: the Colombian mercenaries training Sudan’s child fighters to ‘go and get killed’

A soldier of fortune tells of lucrative contracts, the siege of El Fasher and training child fighters to ‘go and get killed’

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Kevin Carey @kevincareywb.bsky.social · 1d

IMF policy paper stocktaking of international debt architecture for resolving sovereign debt with private creditors, Box 2, reference to Afreximbank ... www.imf.org/en/Publicati...

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 1d

Great paper with good section on Chad "Due to higher oil prices, Chad’s repayments were accelerated, resulting in negative haircuts."

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 7d

"Madagascar was among the prizes of Europe’s ruthless African land grab. When a US diplomat made plans for his own colonial enterprise, he found that the French had other ideas." The Scramble for Madagascar www.historytoday.com/archive/feat... via @HistoryToday

The Scramble for Madagascar

www.historytoday.com

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Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Kevin Carey @kevincareywb.bsky.social · 8d

Uganda / World Bank Economic Update with special topic on revenue mobilization. Nice box on the use of supplemental budgets which have contributed to budget bloat; ministries of defence & presidency play a big role in these unplanned resource calls. www.worldbank.org/en/news/pres...

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Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Kevin Carey @kevincareywb.bsky.social · 9d

Ethiopia / Eurobond restructuring: "The government had proposed a 20% haircut, citing the International Monetary Fund's debt sustainability analysis. But a group of investors representing bondholders rejected the proposal, and have said that Ethiopia's export earnings data indicate ..."

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Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Ken Opalo @kopalo.bsky.social · 9d

How to build trust and capabilities for effective governance in Africa: world-bank-afronomics.captivate.fm/episode/how-...

How to build trust and capabilities for effective governance in Africa - Afronomics

In this episode of Afronomics, host Andrew Dabalen speaks with Dr. Ken Opalo, a leading scholar on African political economy and governance. Opalo,...

world-bank-afronomics.captivate.fm

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 11d

"Before the coup, Noureddin described himself as an “Africa-focused entrepreneur”. Now, he says he may not be able to return to the continent. And when we ask whether he would ever go back to #Gabon, he gives a weary laugh and slowly shakes his head. “Never.” www.standard.co.uk/news/nouredd...

The old Etonian, his president father and torture in an African jail

In the first of an exclusive three-part series, Noureddin Bongo tells Claudia Cockerell about his hell after his family were ousted in a coup in Gabon

www.standard.co.uk

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 11d

"In 2019, after Trump imposed tariffs on China, Beijing slashed US soyabean imports. The Trump administration launched a $23bn bailout for farmers. “The last time [the US] did this, we lost about 20% market share to Brazil, and that never came back” www.ft.com/content/b920...

US soyabean farmers squeezed as China blocks imports and stockpiles rise

Overseas sales of top US export crop plummet as trade talks between Washington and Beijing stall

www.ft.com

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 11d

Time to go long Kosovo? 😅🙃 " Other available concessional financing includes two World Bank development policy loans, each for EUR90 million, and two bilateral loans totalling EUR 160 billion." www.fitchratings.com/research/sov...

www.fitchratings.com

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Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 12d

"China has aligned decarbonization with its economic growth strategy. In practice that means systematically building infrastructure, sophisticated supply chains and a predictable domestic market for clean energy."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/o...

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 12d

S&P brings #Morocco back to investment grade after 4½ years. Upgrade reflects "our view of a supportive macroeconomic policy mix, contributing significantly to solid macroeconomic prospects, gradual budgetary consolidation, and contained current account deficit." www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/r...

www.spglobal.com

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 12d

Good article on UK and US draining African countries for doctors and nurses by not educating enough medical professionals. www.theafricareport.com/393266/ghana...

Ghana’s brain drain fuels Africa’s $10bn medical tourism leak - The Africa Report.com

As doctors and nurses flee Ghana and patients head abroad, the continent is haemorrhaging billions and squandering trust in its own health systems.

www.theafricareport.com

Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Gabriel Sterne @gabrielsterne.bsky.social · 14d

Trump's Argentine bail out could set up biggest sovereign story of the decade. If Argentina defaults despite the bail out, Trump will want seniority, but IMF cant give it. You can imagine how this descends into a colossal row between IMF and its biggest shareholder www.ft.com/content/4127...

Bessent says US in talks with Argentina over $20bn swap line

Proposed measure comes as Trump administration seeks to support Javier Milei’s libertarian government

www.ft.com

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 14d

"At the request of the #Kenyan authorities, an IMF staff team will begin initial discussions in the coming days on a possible Fund-supported program." An IMF staff team, led by Haimanot Teferra, will visit Nairobi 25/9-9/10 to initiate discussions with the authorities. www.imf.org/en/News/Arti...

IMF Staff to Visit Kenya

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Haimanot Teferra, mission chief for Kenya, will visit Nairobi from September 25 to October 9 to initiate discussions with the Kenyan authorities...

www.imf.org

Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 15d

Norway had always been “the little brother or sister” to Denmark & Sweden when it came to film.
Sarah Almbjerg said it would not be long before Danish film was “back in the international limelight”. “Until then, the Norwegians can enjoy their place in the sun” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Norway finds place in spotlight during ‘golden age’ of film-making

Distinctive and critically acclaimed films and drama series from ‘a big hub of talent’ are appealing to audiences around the world

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Kevin Carey @kevincareywb.bsky.social · 16d

Djibouti / IMF Art IV staff report. The sovereign arrears situation is quite broad ... www.imf.org/en/Publicati...

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 16d

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 18d

Great article Sid. Thanks for writing it.

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 18d

Moody's shifts outlook on #Rwanda B2 rating from negative to stable to reflect that external financial assistance, especially from international financial institutions, has remained strong over the past few months and will likely continue to support its credit profile. www.moodys.com/research/Moo...

Moody's - credit ratings, research, and data for global capital markets

www.moodys.com

Reposted by Mark Bohlund

☠️deadward niedermurder☠️ @niedermeyer.online · 19d

so, about those Tesla door handles...

www.thesun.co.uk/news/3677623...

Man and children burn alive in Tesla crash as rescuers 'unable to work car door'

A MAN and two children were burned to death after getting trapped inside a Tesla in a horror crash. The Tesla is said to have veered off the road and smashed into a tree while attempting to overtak…

www.thesun.co.uk

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 19d

ITFC recorded its first significant new non-performing exposure (NPE) in late 2024, rising to 2.8% from 0.0% in 2023. it's the first major overdue in excess of 90 days since 2016, resulting from exceptional political circumstances in Mali. As of 8/9/25, Mali has fully repaid its financing from ITFC.

Moody's - credit ratings, research, and data for global capital markets

www.moodys.com

Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Lee Crawfurd @leecrawfurd.bsky.social · 19d

I'm optimistic about the long-awaited launch of IFFEd. It's hard to beat the returns on investing in children, so cheaper loans for middle-income countries to spend more now is probably a good bet

www.devex.com/news/moonsho...

‘Moonshot’ education finance facility aims to turn $1 into $7 in LMICs

The International Finance Facility for Education is finally up and running — and it’s “a smart aid approach,” according to its first CEO, Karthik Krishnan.

www.devex.com

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Reposted by Mark Bohlund

Yvan Guichaoua @yguichaoua.bsky.social · 19d

C'est pas pour faire nos intéressants mais @afriquexxi.bsky.social raconte des histoires qu'on ne lit pas ailleurs. Passionnant papier de @lowcausse34.bsky.social // À Johannesburg, la vie brutaliste de Ponte City

Afrique du Sud. À Johannesburg, la vie brutaliste de Ponte City - Histoire

Inauguré il y a cinquante ans, l’un des bâtiments les plus emblématiques de la capitale économique sud-africaine est en vente aux enchères. Marquant l’apogée du régime d’apartheid, la tour (…)

afriquexxi.info

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Mark Bohlund @mbohlund.bsky.social · 19d

Guinea (Conakry) gets its first credit rating, B+ with S&P. External financing for Simandou and other projects still likely to come from China Exim Bank. Useful external financing table in tweet below. Possible that Afrexim will get involved.
x.com/Markbohlund/...

www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/r...