A round-up of public finance articles from the Middle East & Africa you might have missed this week (August 5-9).
Sudan: the economics of ethnic violence in Darfur
Opinion: Economic imperatives are now a major driving force for escalating violence in Darfur, says a new Enough Project report. Based on research from a recent trip to the region, the report confirms that the Sudanese government is sponsoring violent clashes to strategically pacify restless janjaweed militias and consolidate economic control over Darfur’s rich natural resources. (AllAfrica.com)
Gauteng celebrates audit achievements
The provincial auditor-general has congratulated South Africa’s Gauteng Provincial Government on improving its audit results. The province achieved eight clean audits and twenty-three unqualified audits for 2012/13, an impressive improvement on the previous year's audit results. This takes Gauteng a step closer to achieving its target of 100% clean audits by 2014. (AllAfrica.com)
Egypt's cotton farmers to get LE70m for pest control
The Egyptian government will allocate (LE) Egyptian pounds 70 million (US$ 10 million) to cotton farmers in the country for financing pest control, according to a report Finance Minister Ahmed Galal received from the Ministry’s general budget sector. (Fibre2Fashion.com)
Nigeria budget failures: need for a deeper understanding
Opinion: Government agencies must be assisted in capacity building to have the professional wherewithal to handle projects earmarked for execution in federal and state budgets. The phenomenal budget failures and return of unspent monies portend a slack in the provision of welfare for the Nigerian masses. (Business Day, Nigeria)
The Israel defence forces: taking wing
Israel’s armed forces are shifting emphasis from mechanised warfare toward air and cyber power. (The Economist)
Critical action needed to curb Uganda's rising maternal mortality rates
Opinion: The rising number of Ugandan women dying due to childbirth related complications should be a matter of national concern. At the African Union’s 15th session on Maternal, Infant, Child Health and Development in Africa in Kampala in July 2010, President Museveni announced that Uganda would not meet MDG 5 by 2015, due to corrupt healthcare workers and insufficient funding. (New Vision, Uganda)
