from The Wall Street Journal..

May 17, 2013, By MARIA ABI-HABIB And REEM ABDELLATIF

Gulf State Seeks Influence on Longtime Regional Power, Critics Says, With Loans to Muslim Brotherhood-Led Government.

CAIRO—Qatar, the tiny but petroleum-rich state that has wielded oversize influence in revolutions across the Middle East, is now at the center of a battle for clout in the region’s traditional military and political juggernaut, Egypt.

On May 9, Qatar released $3 billion in low-interest loans to Egypt, the latest in a total of $8 billion in assistance it has provided in the past two years to Cairo’s Muslim Brotherhood-led government. The move, which the government didn’t announce, was confirmed by a central-bank official.

While many Egyptians are grateful for the sorely needed cash, some worry that Qatar’s support of Egypt’s Islamist-leaning government marks the small Gulf state’s latest attempt to gain influence in the region. Such suspicions have fueled Qatar flag-burnings in Egypt in recent weeks—protests echoed by rallies in Libya, Tunisia and the Palestinian territories against Qatari meddling.

…….

Egypt is striving to have good relations with the world, counters Brotherhood spokesman Gehad Al Haddad, adding that Cairo’s previous dictatorial regime hurt the country by throwing its weight behind one power. “We no longer have a single ally called the United States. We have a menu of possible allies,” he said.

Critics allege that while Doha’s near-term goal appears to be to prop up the Brotherhood before elections, its longer-term aims are less clear.

“Egyptians aren’t stupid—they know this isn’t money given because Qatar is grateful of our historical contributions to the region, but because [Qatar] is mysterious and wants something,” said Hamdeen Sabahi, a secular opposition leader of the National Salvation Front who finished in third place in Egypt’s presidential elections last year.

…….

American officials have long worried that Qatar is playing a double game—hosting a U.S. military base but also supporting Islamist movements in the region that are opposed to American interests. By supporting so many sides, U.S. officials have said, Qatar is able to navigate the Middle East’s complex political networks and support whichever movement stands to come out on top.

Qatar is locked in a battle for clout with Saudi Arabia, another traditional Sunni power in the region—which, alongside its staunch ally, the United Arab Emirates, has historically opposed the Brotherhood in the region and has openly clashed with Mr. Morsi’s government in Cairo.

…….

The backlash against Qatar has reached a point of hysteria in Egypt that could work against the Brotherhood in elections this fall. Local newspapers and popular television programs are full of sensational accusations that the tiny Gulf state will buy up national treasures—the pyramids and the Suez Canal.

The popular Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef last month dedicated an episode of his program—seen as Egypt’s answer to John Stewart’s “The Daily Show”—to Qatar-Egypt relations.

The episode flashed between frantic newscasters in Egypt trading superlatives about Qatar’s diminutive size. Mr. Youssef later led a choir singing to the tune of an Egyptian national song from the 1950s. The choir boomed “Qatar, you’re so sweet, our pockets are full of you…This is what we achieved from the Brotherhood. We sold Egypt wholesale.”

Mr. Youssef then turned to the camera: “Nobody will give us money without something in return,” he said.

—Muhammad Mansour contributed to this article.

Link to the entire article:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324031404578480771040838046.html?KEYWORDS=Qatar

from the Financial Times..

May 17, 2013, By John Reed in Al-Mafraq

The festering piles of rubbish on the streets of Al-Mafraq are a growing sign of the pressure on the north Jordan town whose population has more than doubled since the Syrian uprising began in 2011.

What was a dusty, nondescript desert settlement in one of Jordan’s poorest provinces now has the crowded feel and ripe odour of the de facto refugee camp it has become as people flood in, some living two or even three families per flat.

After welcoming the Syrians into their homes, then watching as the UN built the huge Zaatari camp nearby, the residents’ patience is wearing thin.

They blame the new arrivals for everything from growing petty theft to a proliferation of brothels, rising rents, trafficking in food aid, and a drain on public services.

…….

Economists and donors disagree as to whether the Syrians are a burden or a blessing for Jordan’s resource-poor economy.

Link to the entire article:  http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0f571098-be3a-11e2-bb35-00144feab7de.html#axzz2TpqnYYaW

from the Financial Times..

May 20, 2013

Qatar has emerged as a leading backer of the rebel forces trying to topple the Assad regime in Syria. Roula Khalaf, Middle East editor, tells the FT’s Daniel Garrahan why the Gulf state has been accused of dividing as well as supporting rebels.

VIDEO

http://video.ft.com/v/2396840325001/Qatar-seeks-bigger-role-on-global-stage

Link to the article and video: http://video.ft.com/v/2396840325001/Qatar-seeks-bigger-role-on-global-stage

from RyanOnAfrica..

May 19, 2013

The United Nations Economic Commission on Africa (UNECA) recently published its 2013 economic report on the African continent. The report entitled “Making the Most of Africa’s Commodities: Industrialising for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation”. The report’s findings led by AU Chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and UN Undersecretary Carlos Lopes.  If one was writing this article in the 1950s it would seem as if it was a policy document written by Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah as it argues that the continent needs industrialise its commodity sector to achieve economic growth. In the 1950s there were only a few buyers in the market for commodities, which consisted of consumers in the major western countries. The lack of buyers along with an oversupply of commodities meant that prices were always depressed, fast track to the 21^st Century and the development of the Global South has created new markets for African commodities. The growth of the global south beyond the BRICS group has meant that the continent has an opportunity to finally develop a solid industrial base which was the fascination of politicians in the immediate post-colonial period.  The major question of the report is can commodities boost the African economy?

The report argues that the basis for African economic growth in the next decade will have to be based on exploiting its surplus of commodities both mineral and agricultural. It is expected that commodity prices will remain at their current high levels due to the increase due to the presence of emerging markets. The lack of reliance on the markets in the developed north has ensured that African countries are not subject to the fluctuations in the western economy.  Thus the continent is not a victim of the boom and bust economic cycle that currently defines the developed north.

The UNECA report states:

The key challenge for African countries today is how to design and implement effective policies to promote industrialization and economic transformation. Despite some gains in manufacturing over the last decade, the continent is yet to reverse the de-industrialization that has defined its structural change in recent decades: in 1980–2010, its share of manufacturing in aggregate output declined from more than12 per cent to around 11 per cent, but remained at more than 31 per cent in East Asia, where labour-intensive industries induced high and sustained growth and helped lift hundreds of millions of citizens out of poverty.

Africa has also lagged behind East Asia on other measures. That region has seen not only surging per capita income but also a soaring share of global exports and income over the last four decades (table 1). Industrial policies were particularly successful in East Asia because of committed and visionary political leadership and institutions that designed and enforced strict performance criteria for industries that received subsidies and trade protection, supported by a capable bureaucracy largely insulated from political capture.  (March 2013, p7)

The key test for the continent will be how to take advantage of high commodity prices and creating a secure industrial base for the development of domestic and regional economies. As far as this writer is concerned it is only through the collective leadership of African leaders that the continent can make the most of this moment. The continent needs a similar approach to the current commodity boom that it took towards aid when it facilitated the creation of NEPAD.

The UNECA is a step in the right direction, what needs to take place is a programme under the current BRICS political umbrella. The problem is that the main political actors to instigate such an initiative are focused either on ICC investigations or dealing with upcoming elections. It seems that such an initiative will have to be led by the AU Chair in close cooperation with African Heads of Government. The time is now.

Link to the article:  http://www.ryanonafrica.com/can-commodities-boost-the-african-economy/dlamini-zuma-2/

from CP-Africa..

May 20, 2013, BY CP-AFRICA.COM IN FEATURED · TECHNOLOGY

Over 7.5 million users are currently registered users of the professional social network, LinkedIn with South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt accounting for over 60% of users.

Though the social network is far less popular than Facebook and Twitter on the continent, the platform is rapidly gaining traction among white collar working class professionals in Africa’s largest cities.

The countries with the fastest growing number of users on the platform include South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda,  Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Morocco and Cameroon.

Here is a CP-Africa infographic of Africa’s LinkedIn statistics:

Infographic by CP-Africa

from The Conway Bulletin, Issue No. 135

May 20, 2013

Orthodox demonstrators attacked a small gay rights march in Tbilisi, injuring several activists (May 17). The attack showed Georgian societyís conservative leanings which can collide with the countryís drive towards the more liberal West. Human rights groups accused police of failing to protect gay rights activists.

Link to The Conway Bulletin: www.theconwaybulletin.com

from The Conway Bulletin, Issue No. 135

May 20, 2013

Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, opened a rail link that bypasses the Soviet network in Uzbekistan (May 11).

Uzbekistan is often regarded as an awkward neighbour because of its unilateral tendencies. The rail link is designed to link up with Iran.

Link to The Conway Bulletin:  www.theconwaybulletin.com