Africa: political football

On Sunday, all eyes in Africa will turn to Ghana, which hosts the African Cup of Nations soccer tournament, temporarily overriding politics in many countries.

Sixteen national teams qualified for the finals, including two for which the event has special significance.  In South Africa, the prospects for its team, Bafana Bafana, will probably be foremost in the minds of many of those watching.  However, many will be looking ahead to 2010, when South Africa hosts the soccer World Cup on behalf of the African continent.  Construction of crucial infrastructure is a key priority for the government, and fits into a larger programme of national infrastructure development -- including in the power and transport sectors.  However, concerns over completing the preparations on time and on improving South Africa's reputation for poor personal security have raised tensions in Pretoria.  There is also the daunting logistical challenge of simultaneously transmitting the matches to every African country.

Nevertheless, tensions may be higher in nearby Guinea.  Last week, the consensus government of Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate narrowly averted a repeat of the January-February 2007 trade-union led strikes and demonstrations that almost unseated President Lansana Conte, who declared martial law and launched a brutal crackdown in which over 100 were killed.  Union and opposition party pressure led to the formation of Kouyate’s administration in March, but tensions between the president and prime minister have resurfaced, and although socioeconomic pressures are not as severe as a year ago, resentment -- especially among young urban populations -- is still high.

In the event of a power cut in Conakry -- an all too frequent occurrence -- during one of the national team's matches, the potential for rioting youth remains high, and could have serious political consequences.