September 12
Africa: Why Mpox in Africa Was Ignored for Too Long and Children Are Dying As a Result - Podcast
An epidemic of mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is spreading quickly, particularly among young children. At least 20,000 people are known to be infected in… Read more »
September 04
Congo-Kinshasa: DRC Is the World's Largest Producer of Cobalt - How Control By Local Elites Can Shape the Global Battery Industry
The mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is often portrayed as a victim of exploitation by China, the US and Europe in their competition for its minerals, which are… Read more »
August 30
Congo-Kinshasa: Fighting With Rebels in the Country's East Has Intensified, Sparking Fears of a Wider War
Security forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been battling the M23 rebel group in the east of the country since 2012. However, there has been a major upsurge… Read more »
Africa: Why Children Are At Such High Risk for Mpox
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems are at higher risk from the mpox outbreak in the Democratic… Read more »
August 27
Rwanda: Rwanda Is Creating Shiny, Modern Cities After the Genocide
Over the past 17 years, Rwanda has cleared informal settlements to make way for modern urban construction. Kigali's ambitious city master plan is expected to be fully realised by… Read more »
August 23
Rwanda: Paul Kagame's Fourth Term As President - What His Agenda Will Need to Cover
Paul Kagame started his fourth term as Rwanda's president in August 2024. He first became president in April 2000. However, as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, he has… Read more »
August 22
Africa: Africa's Ageing Leaders - Succession Race in Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea Could Destabilise the Region
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea is 82 and has been in power for 45 years. Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo, 79, has held on to power for 40 years. Cameroon's Paul… Read more »
August 20
Congo-Kinshasa: Uganda and the DRC Conflict - the Interests Driving Kampala's Involvement
The ambiguous and often tumultuous relations between Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have made headlines in recent months. In a July 2024 report, the UN… Read more »
August 11
Cameroon: Cameroon Spends 90% of Chinese Development Loans On Its French Region
In Cameroon, violent clashes between government forces and separatists from the English-speaking parts of the country started in 2017. Since then, at least 598,000 people have had… Read more »
July 25
Congo-Kinshasa: Ceasefire for Humanitarian Aid A Small Step Forward - What Must Happen Next for Peace
The United States has negotiated a truce so humanitarian assistance can be given to more than seven million people, including children, caught in the grip of the conflict in the… Read more »
July 17
Congo-Kinshasa: Military Spending in DRC and South Sudan Rose Fastest in the World - Society Ends Up Paying the Price
Global military expenditure is dominated by the United States and China, with 49% of total spending between them. According to the most recent report by the Stockholm International… Read more »
July 18
Africa: DRC Conflict Risks Spreading - African Leaders Must Push for Solutions Beyond Military Intervention
In response to the deepening crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Security Council established a panel of independent experts in 2023 to examine… Read more »
July 11
Rwanda: Paul Kagame Has Had an Iron Grip On Rwanda for Decades
There is little doubt that Paul Kagame will win the votes necessary to extend his 24-year rule in Rwanda's general election on 15 July 2024. The ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic… Read more »
Rwanda: AI Propaganda Campaign in Rwanda Has Been Pushing Pro-Kagame Messages - a Dangerous New Trend in Africa
At the end of May 2024, several media outlets led by the journalist network Forbidden Stories released a set of reports titled "Rwanda Classified". This reporting detailed evidence… Read more »
July 08
Rwanda: Rwanda's Tutsi Minority Has Been in Power for 30 Years - but Study Finds Ethnicity Doesn't Matter to People If Their Needs Are Met
Thirty years ago, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a predominantly Tutsi armed group, took over Kigali, Rwanda's capital city - and soon after, the country's governance. This victory… Read more »
June 24
Rwanda: Rwanda's Military Support to Other Countries Is Part of a Strategy to Boost Its Reputation
Rwanda is one of Africa's geographically smallest countries. However, its foreign policy, whose hallmark is military diplomacy, has attracted international attention. Read more »
June 12
Congo-Kinshasa: Are Presidents Good Role Models for Vaccination Uptake?
Immunisation is considered one of the most cost-effective public health interventions, saving millions of lives each year, and benefiting the health of the wider community through… Read more »
June 03
Chad: Mahamat Deby Doubles Down On Authoritarian Rule in Wake of Election Victory
The official results of Chad's presidential elections in May 2024 confirmed the long-term consolidation of power by Mahamat Déby. Read more »
May 21
Rwanda: UK-Rwanda Migrant Deal Challenges International Protection Law
In late April 2024 the British parliament passed a law - the Safety of Rwanda Act - enabling it to transport migrants arriving in the UK to Rwanda. When the legislation was… Read more »
May 19
Rwanda: Rwanda's Role in Eastern DRC Conflict - Why International Law Is Failing to End the Fighting
The power of international law lies in its potential to offer alternatives to force and violence. The ideal is that states submit their grievances to a court rather than duke them… Read more »
May 16
Angola: Angola's Untold History - Archive Project Explores LGBTIQ+ Lives and Struggles
As I write these lines, I mourn the passing of Carlos Fernandes, a leading queer activist and organiser in Angola. Carlos was found dead in his home earlier this year under… Read more »
Chad: Chad Hepatitis E Outbreak - How the Dangerous Liver Disease Spreads and How It Can Be Treated
The World Health Organization recently announced an outbreak of hepatitis E in the eastern Ouaddai province of Chad. Between January and April 2024, 2,093 suspected hepatitis E… Read more »
May 14
Gabon: Post-Coup Dialogue Has Mapped Out Path to Democracy - Now Military Leaders Must Act
At the end of April 2024, a long and peaceful process of national dialogue in Gabon between the military junta, presided over by coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema, and civil… Read more »
April 29
Congo-Kinshasa: Mpox - Why the Virus's Continued, Rapid Mutation Since the 2022 Global Outbreak Remains a Concern
In 2022, as the world was slowly beginning to recover from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, an outbreak of mpox - then still called monkeypox - began spreading at an alarming… Read more »
April 24
Rwanda: Rwanda's Post-Genocide Model Prioritises Security Over Freedom and Equality - a Risk to Future Stability
Rwanda, a small and landlocked central African country, has made remarkable socio-economic progress since the 1994 genocide in which an estimated 500,000 people died. But the… Read more »