If anyone was hoping for a post-pandemic renewal of international cooperation in a world still feeling the aftershocks from Brexit, Donald Trump’s presidency, trade wars and global supply chain disruptions, they would likely be disappointed today. International relations in 2020 were driven primarily by the politics of aid and mask diplomacy. The second year of the coronavirus pandemic has been all about vaccines, geopolitical competition and travel restrictions. That development, particularly in its manifestation as vaccine nationalism, has disproportionately affected Africans, only 7 percent of whom are fully vaccinated. According to the World Health Organization, or WHO, only 20 African countries have vaccinated at least 10 percent of their population.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 23, 2021 16:55 UTC