The African Light Source (AfLS) project is now almost eight years old. This article assesses the history, current context and future of the project. There is by now considerable momentum in building the user community, including deep training, facilitating access to current facilities, growing the scientific output, scientific networks and growing the local laboratory-scale research infrastructure. The Conceptual Design Report for the AfLS is in its final editing stages. This document specifies the socio-economic and scientific rationales and the technical aspects amongst others. The AfLS is supported by many national and Pan-African scientific professional bodies and voluntary associates across many scientific disciplines, and there are stakeholders throughout the continent and beyond. The current roadmap phases have expanded to include national and Pan-African level conversations with policy makers through new Strategic Task Force groups. The document summarizes this progress and discusses the future of the project.

This paper summarizes brief perspectives on the historic process of establishing an African Crystallographic Association (AfCA) and includes representative references. It covers activities within four arbitrarily selected, approximate time slots, i.e., 1890s–1999, 2000–2013, 2014–2019 and 2020–2023. A genuine attempt is made to include appropriate role players, organizations and accompanying events within these periods. It concludes with the official admission of AfCA as the fifth Regional Associate of the IUCr at the 26th Congress and General Assembly of the IUCr in Melbourne, Australia in 2023.

JUAMI, the joint undertaking for an African materials institute, is a project to build collaborations and materials research capabilities between PhD researchers in Africa, the United States, and the world. Focusing on research-active universities in the East African countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda, the effort has run a series of schools focused on materials for sustainable energy and materials for sustainable development. These bring together early-career researchers from Africa, the US, and beyond, for two weeks in a close-knit environment. The program includes lectures on cutting-edge research from internationally renowned speakers, highly interactive tutorial lectures on the science behind the research, also from internationally known researchers, and hands-on practicals and team-building exercises that culminate in group proposals from self-formed student teams. The schools have benefited more than 300 early-career students and led to proposals that have received funding and have led to research collaborations and educational non-profits. JUAMI continues and has an ongoing community of alumni who share resources and expertise, and is open to like-minded people who want to join and develop contacts and collaborations internationally.

Source: Streetwise Reports 11/07/2024

Sanu Gold Corp. (SANU:CSE; SNGCF:OTCQB; L73:FRA) commenced inaugural phase one drilling, to comprise about 19 holes for up to 2,000 meters (2,000m), at its Diguifara project in Guinea, as announced in a news release. Diguifara is one of this Canadian mineral explorer's three claim blocks totaling 280 square kilometers in the country's Siguiri Basin, a prolific gold district in West Africa. The other two assets are Daina and Bantabaye.

The company plans to drill test three priority targets, Dig 1, Dig 2, and Dig 3, which cover a cumulative strike length of 3.2 kilometers (3.2 km). Auger-in-saprolite samples from these targets showed gold grades up to 4.8 grams per ton (4.8 g/t). Along with auger sampling of bedrock, Sanu previously completed extensive and systematic surface geochemistry and ground geophysical surveys at Diguifara.

Capital Ltd. will complete the drilling, using a large multipurpose rig to drill air core and reverse circulation holes. This company is experienced in drilling large deposits in Guinea, and its investment arm, Capital DI, is a Sanu shareholder. Capital will collect samples on-site and submit them to MSALABS in Bamako, Mali, for analysis.

Sanu Gold is excited to drill at Diguifara because it contains kilometer-scale geochemical and geophysical gold trends and strong gold mineralization in the weathered bedrock and is located within trucking distance to a large operating gold mine, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin Pawlitschek told Streetwise Reports in an interview. He said the company could potentially monetize even a modest discovery of about 200,000–300,000 ounces (200–300 Koz) on the block due to this proximity to a major mine. Although it is important to point out that our target here is to make multi-million-ounce discoveries, our targets are large enough to potentially deliver this.

Diguifara is close to AngloGold Ashanti Plc.'s (AU:NYSE; ANG:JSE; AGG:ASX; AGD:LSE) Siguiri mine and mill, which produced gold since the mid-1990s, specifically 214 Koz last year. This South African gold miner owns 14% of Sanu.

"[AngloGold Ashanti has] a very hungry mill that will welcome additional ore feed from satellite deposits, and we're right in the range," said Pawlitschek.

In other news, Sanu announced separately that it added a new prospective gold target, Salat East, at its Daina claim block in the southeastern corner. There, artisanal miners started extracting mineralized material along a 500m-long, northeast-trending line of workings from a 5–8m wide structure dipping to the west. Daina already has an impressive pipeline of large footprint targets that will see drilling once the rig finishes at Diguifara.

"Salat East represents a new target with possible significant gold ounce potential," Pawlitschek said in the release.

Sanu intends to evaluate this target, with rock chip sampling, geological mapping and geophysics, prior to deciding whether or not to drill it.

Working to Discover Deposits

At Diguifara, Daina and Bantabaye, Sanu Gold is looking to discover multimillion-ounce gold deposits. The trio, in the Siguiri Basin, is surrounded by world-class operating mines and major new discoveries. Société Minière de Dinguiraye SA's Lefa, Hummingbird Resources Plc's (HUM:AIM) Kouroussa and Robex Resources Inc.'s (RBX:TSX.V) Kiniero and Predictive Discovery (PDI:ASX) with its 5.4million ounce Bankan project are some.

"We believe there is definitely that big potential on all three blocks," Pawlitschek told Streetwise.

Guinea and West Africa are pro-mining and looking to expand the industry, noted Sanu's CEO. Since the mid-1990s gold has been mined in Guinea. Last year, gold output there was 10% higher than in 2022, making Guinea the world's 23rd largest producer of the metal, according to GlobalData.

With contributions from operations in Guinea, and Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali, West Africa has become a key gold mining region, reports the data analytics firm. It forecasts total gold production in West Africa this year will be 11,830,000 ounces.

Gold Continues Historic Climb

The gold price broke through the US$2,800 per ounce (US$2,800/oz) Wednesday, marking its fourth consecutive monthly gain, Reuters reported on Oct. 31. After, gold retreated, to end today at US$2756/oz.

"You're going to see a bit more consolidation," David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures, told Reuters. "We have a lot of major impactful news next week, the U.S. election on Tuesday, Fed meeting on Wednesday. So it's really not surprising to see some traders take profits."

As for gold equities, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (SPCDNX) confirmed a multidecade bull run for junior, intermediate, and senior mining stocks when it closed above 1,000 recently, Stewart Thomson with 321Gold wrote. The index is a key indicator of the health of the general gold, silver, and mining stocks market.

A reversal of outflows from gold exchange-traded funds occurred during Q3/24, and inflows during the quarter amounted to 95 tons, as reported by the World Gold Council, reported Ron Struthers of Struthers Resource Stock Report on Oct. 30. Positive inflows during the quarter came from all geographical regions, for holdings of 3,200 tons.

"All regions saw positive inflows during the quarter, which ended with collective holdings of 3,200 tons," the newsletter writer added. "Next year, we should be back to levels of 2020 and 2021. This will be fuel for a continued bull market."

Experts predict the gold price will continue its historic climb. Recently polled London Bullion Market Association members indicated they believe the gold price could reach US$2,940/oz during 2025, reported Stockhead.

Also, for 2025, InvestingHaven predicts US$3,100/oz gold. This is based on leading gold price indicators, including heightened inflation and increasing central bank demand, and from patterns on long-term gold charts, it noted.

The Catalysts: Drill Results

With drilling underway at Diguifara, results from the program could catalyze Sanu's stock, said Pawlitschek. They will be released when ready in about six to eight weeks.

Meanwhile, the gold company will tackle preparations for drilling untested targets at Daina, which will start soon. The scope of the campaign planned for Daina matches that is being carried out at Diguifara. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-10892]

"We have multiple targets that are going for 3, 4, up to 9 km strike lengths, some of them," the CEO said, referring to Diguifara and Daina.

When the initial phase at Daina is complete and results from Diguifara are back, we will likely go back to Difuifara for follow up drilling.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to the company's latest presentation, the largest share holders include strategic investors Anglo Gold Ashanti at 14 % and Capital at 10%.

Institutional investors include Scotia Global Asset Management, US Global Investors, Lowell Resources Funds Management, and Palos Management, which collectively make up 17% of the shareholders.

Management, founders and insider own around 22% with another 22% being held by high net worth individuals. 15% is held by retail investors.

The market cap for Sanu Gold is CA$17-18million with 238.5 million common shares. The 52-week range for the stock is CA$0.03 and CA$0.15.

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Important Disclosures:

1. Sanu Gold Corp. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000.
2. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Sanu Gold Corp.
3. Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor.
4. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.

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( Companies Mentioned: SANU:CSE;SNGCF:OTCQB;L73:FRA, )

Singapore-based TransferTo has partnered with the Pan-African Ecobank Group in order to expand financial access and cross-border payments across the region of Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a relatively rare situation in which the entire globe is grappling with the same crisis at the same time, albeit with widely varying approaches, resource levels, and political structures.

As vaccination campaigns begin ramping up around the world, experts discuss how variants, misinformation, and “brain drain” are affecting pandemic-control efforts.

The monument contemplates the idea of strength, struggle and absence. Trice died from injuries he received during his first game in October of 1923. The work was installed for the centennial anniversary of Trice's death.

Burhani Engineers Ltd, a leading Kenyan construction company, is spearheading the charge for gender-inclusive engineering in Africa.

Shabazz Arts will launch a Kickstarter campaign for their new graphic novel, Bearcat Wright & The Kayfable Chronicles. The book tells the story of Wright, the first African American pro-wrestling champion.

Daryl Boich, CPA, Joins Charitable Expedition in Africa to Support Vaccinations and School Construction

Didida is an ambitious project to develop reliable, low-cost, mobile phone-connected tests to help detect multiple infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCD) at once in sub-Saharan Africa.

National Foundation Seeks to Uncover and Preserve African American History and Its Untold Stories

MS Detection's sensors, products and solutions will increase the level of security in border control checkpoints, EOD units, aviation security and air cargo screening activities.

Empowering Women to Lead Boldly: Join Africa's Top Female Changemakers in Nairobi for The Audacity Conference 2024—Uniting Aspiring and Established Leaders to Shape a Future of Equality and Progress. Join us from November 27th to 30th, 2024.

Comprehensive Cybersecurity Solution for Governmental Communication Systems

Featuring Robert Glasper, Shemekia Copeland, The Average White Band Farewell Tour, Maysa, Sean Jones, Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band, Emmet Cohen Trio, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Cimafunk, Luedji Luna, Dan Wilson & More

Ammar Jali Shares Expert Tips for an Unforgettable Journey to East Africa

Following a career of over 30 years as a dentist, John E. Allen, DDS, has embraced research and writing

The prestigious African Achievement Awards are set to take place live and in person for the first time, following years of virtual ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Journey Opens January 27, 2024 at the African Voices Gallery

Closing Reception with Ferguson and Okamura Set for February 15, 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Dr. Kathy Curnow is noted for her continued commitment to higher education at Cleveland State University

New essay by Glenda Gilmore just added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.

New essay by Trudier Harris, "The Image of Africa in the Literature of the Harlem Renaissance," added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.

New essay, "How Slavery Affected African American Families," by Heather Andrea Williams, associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.

New essay, "Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition," by Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis, added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.

Africa’s population is the youngest of any region, with more than 400 million young people aged 15 to 35 out of a total of 1.5 billion. But even though rising numbers of this cohort—a “youth bulge”—enter the labor market every year, African economies a... Source: IFPRI Malawi: Malawi Strategy Support Program

Last week I had a wonderful experience attending the 2019 African Green Revolution Forum, held in Accra, Ghana. Many stakeholders, including political leaders, policymakers, researchers, and private sector and civil society representatives, gathered at the Forum, focusing on the role of the digital revolution in driving sustainable food system transformation in Africa. At a plenary […]

Growing consensus in the scientific community indicates that higher temperatures and changing precipitation levels resulting from climate change will depress crop yields in many countries over the coming decades. This is particularly true in low-income countries, where adaptive capacity is low. Many African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change because their economies largely depend on climate-sensitive agricultural production.

"Ethiopia's agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed-crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country's economy. It constitutes more than half of the country's gross domestic product, generates more than 85 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Unfortunately, Ethiopia's dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impactsof climate change on crop and livestock production.

Agricultural production remains the main source of livelihood for rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing employment to more than 60 percent of the population and contributing about 30 percent of gross domestic product. With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns and shifting temperature zones, climate change is expected to significantly affect agricultural production, which could be detrimental to the region’s food security and economic growth.

The potential adverse effects of climate change on Ethiopia’s agricultural sector are a major concern, particularly given the country’s dependence on agricultural production. Securing Ethiopia’s economic and social well-being in the face of climate change requires that policymakers and stakeholders work together to integrate climate change adaptation into the country’s development process.

Numerous studies indicate that agricultural production is sensitive to climate variability, and lack of infrastructure in developing countries increases vulnerability to extreme climate events. In Ethiopia, the historical climate record indicates frequent droughts and floods, which can devastate agricultural production and existing infrastructure. Too much precipitation can flood crops, rot or suffocate roots, and wash out roads, creating similar economic conditions to those resulting from drought.

Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country’s economy. It constitutes more than half the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), generates more than 85 percent of the foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Ethiopia’s dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change on crop and livestock production.

Unleashing the potential of Generation Z for food system transformation in Africa

A new research agenda.

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Event Begins: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 11:00am
Location: Museum of Art
Organized By: University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA)

Following years of research into the Museum’s and University of Michigan’s relationships with Africa and African art collections, We Write To You About Africa is a complete reinstallation and doubling of the Museum’s space dedicated to African art. 

Featuring a wide range of artworks—from historic Yoruba and Kongo figures to contemporary works by African and African American artists, such as Sam Nhlengenthwa, Masimba Hwati, Jon Onye Lockard and Shani Peters—the exhibition directly addresses the complex and difficult histories inherent to African art collections in the Global North, including their entanglements with colonization and global efforts to repatriate African artworks to the continent.

Art collections, by their very nature, can not be anything other than subjective. With I Write To You About Africa, we examine the subjective ways UMMA and the University of Michigan as a whole have collected and presented art from and connected to the African diaspora.

Drawn from art collections across the U-M campus, a special section of the exhibition highlights how the founding of the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) and the African Studies Center (ASC) impacted U–M’s collecting practices. This section includes an exciting and ongoing project—contemporary African artists, scholars, and curators will be asked to write about their work on postcards, in their first language, and mail them to UMMA where they will be displayed alongside their works. 

We Write To You About Africa will be a reinstallation of the Museum’s Robert and Lillian Montalto Bohlen Gallery of African art and the connected Alfred A Taubman Gallery II. It is slated to open in 2021 and will be on view indefinitely.

Lead support for this exhibition is provided by the University of Michigan Office of the Provost, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, and the African Studies Center.
 

Senegalese akara, South African bunny chow, Nigerian jollof rice — these are just a few of the flavorful dishes African immigrant chefs regularly share with their Bay Area neighbors. Each dish tells a story of ancestry, migration, and memory, and the tastes and aromas keep chefs and diners connected to home, even when they’re far … Continue reading New Series ‘Dishes of the Diaspora’ Spotlights African Food and Culture in the Bay Area →

Pam and Wendy Drew are South African identical twins who do everything together; from travel to entering the same career paths and now owning and operating Amawele’s Cuisine in San Francisco. The name of their restaurant came easy—it simply means “The Twins” in Zulu.   Amawele’s Cuisine serves what Wendy and Pam consider to be … Continue reading Amawele’s Cuisine Brings South African Flavors to San Francisco →

Agronomy and Policy Solutions for Effective Implementation of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan

CGIAR is pleased to support our regional and national partners in their implementation of the action plan emerging from the May 2024 African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit. As the seventh policy seminar in the CGIAR series on Strengthening Food Systems Resilience, this event will examine the outcomes of the AFSH Summit and consider […]

The post Agronomy and Policy Solutions for Effective Implementation of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan appeared first on IFPRI.

Debt Distress and the Right to Food in Africa

More than half of low-income countries are at risk of debt distress or have already defaulted. The debt crisis, while exacerbated by recent crises, has been looming for several years. According to the United Nations, 3.3 billion people now live in countries that spend more on interest repayments than on education or health, and in […]

The post Debt Distress and the Right to Food in Africa appeared first on IFPRI.

Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition: Africa Regional Launch of IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report

The livestream will be available on this page November 14, 2024 at 2:30pm (EAT) / 6:30am (EST). Despite significant progress in addressing hunger and undernutrition in the early 2000s, malnutrition, in all its forms, remains a major challenge in all regions of the world. Unhealthy diets remain the primary drivers of many forms of malnutrition, […]

The post Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition: Africa Regional Launch of IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report appeared first on IFPRI.

Re-imagining Africa’s food security within the context of climate change and ecological sustainability

This press-release was initially published by WWF on December 12, 2023.  WWF, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, IFPRI, CGIAR, and AfDB have released a new report to help African countries to achieve food security and implement climate and nature commitments. The report is based on a joint study, executed with the technical support […]

The post Re-imagining Africa’s food security within the context of climate change and ecological sustainability appeared first on IFPRI.

Unpacking the 2023 Africa agriculture assessment report (CNBC Africa) 

CNBC Africa interviewed John Ulimwengu, IFPRI Senior Research Fellow and the technical editor and lead researcher of the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2023, launched on September 6 at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF). .  The Report titled “Empowering Africa’s Food Systems for the Future” highlights the ways in which Africa is uniquely positioned to redefine its future and […]

The post Unpacking the 2023 Africa agriculture assessment report (CNBC Africa)  appeared first on IFPRI.

Sudan is now confronting its most severe food security crisis on record (The Conversation Africa)

An op-ed by IFPRI’s Khalid Siddig and Rob Vos analyses Sudan’s ongoing severe food crisis: “After 14 months of escalating internal conflict, Sudan is now confronting its most severe food security crisis on record. The latest situation report, released on 27 June, reveals a grim picture: more than half the population of 47.2 million is […]

The post Sudan is now confronting its most severe food security crisis on record (The Conversation Africa) appeared first on IFPRI.

Trade can support climate change mitigation and adaptation in Africa’s agricultural sector, new data shows

New report analyzes trade performance amid pressure points from climate change, water use, and carbon emissions, with recommendations for sustainable practices.

The post Trade can support climate change mitigation and adaptation in Africa’s agricultural sector, new data shows appeared first on IFPRI.