October 03, 2014
Burundi: Civil Society Fights Back but Will It Be Enough?
Media, opposition and civil society groups have been pushing back against government attempts to constrict political space, but as elections approach the fight will only get… Read more »
September 22, 2014
South Africa: Tune Me What - the Songs That Helped Bring Down Apartheid
In 1989, the future in South Africa seemed bleak and hopeless. The government had declared another State of Emergency which suspended certain meagre civil liberties and allowed… Read more »
September 08, 2014
Lesotho: It's Not Too Late for Lesotho to Get Back On Track
Lesotho's politicians have shown themselves to be capable of governing for the common good in the past. A return to this spirit is crucial now to avoid tragedy. Read more »
August 27, 2014
East Africa: Region's Missed Opportunity for Action On South Sudan
As people continue to suffer, the latest regional summit ended in little more than repeated promises. Read more »
July 18, 2014
Africa: Where Are the Humanitarians?
How can humanitarian agencies ensure that they help the most vulnerable and most in need rather than simply the easiest to reach or those in the least risky environments? Read more »
June 30, 2014
Kenya: Infighting Is Good for No One, Except Al-Shabaab
Unlike after the Westgate siege, the attack on Mpeketoni has left Kenya more divided and therefore more vulnerable. Read more »
June 23, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Eastern DRC - Stop Fixating On Conflict Minerals
The Dodd-Frank act has not only had limited effect on militant groups, it has also undermined artisanal miners' livelihoods and local economies. Read more »
June 20, 2014
Kenya: Kenya's Growing Militant Threat
The terrorist threat in Kenya is changing and the government appears unable to deal with it. Read more »
June 10, 2014
Africa: Refugees - the Untouchables of Our Time
Europe may express sympathy with African asylum seekers in word, but this is often contradicted by their actions in deed. Read more »
May 22, 2014
Nigeria: Boko Haram - President Jonathan Plays the Al-Qaeda Card
By telling the world that he is fighting al-Qaeda, Jonathan is trying to paint his government - which has failed to combat Boko Haram - as an unlikely hero in a global war. Read more »
May 21, 2014
Libya: Who's Fighting Whom and Why?
Over the last few days, competing militias have clashed in Benghazi and Tripoli underlining the deep tensions within the General National Congress. Read more »
May 20, 2014
South Sudan: Peace Is Possible
South Sudan can achieve peace but it must first confront its many unresolved issues head-on rather than sweep them under the carpet. Read more »
May 16, 2014
Nigeria: Was the Nigerian Military Complicit in the Chibok Abductions?
Experts on Boko Haram suggest that the kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls in northern Nigeria could not have been carried out without some degree of police or military cooperation. Read more »
May 13, 2014
South Sudan: The Root of the Crisis Is Constitutional Not Ethnic
Any lasting peace deal must bear in mind the political underpinnings of the ongoing violence and dismantle South Sudan's centralised, high-stakes, zero-sum political system. Read more »
May 02, 2014
Nigeria: Boko Haram - Why Have You Taken Our Girls?
The Nigerian Islamist sect has kidnapped 234 school girls. Why? Read more »
Nigeria: The Chibok Abduction Exposes Boko Haram's Weakness
Boko Haram is wild and frightening, which is undermining the support it had. The Nigerian government could take advantage of this weakness. Read more »
April 25, 2014
South Sudan: Poor Gambella! So Far From Addis Ababa, So Close to South Sudan
An influx of South Sudanese Nuer into Gambella in Ethiopia could destabilise the region, but the impact on long-term development is likely to be more significant. Read more »
April 22, 2014
Nigeria: Deep Inside Sambisa Forest - A Story About the Abducted Girls
The following is a work of fiction based on real life events. On the night of 15 April, armed men suspected to belong to the Islamist militant group Boko Haram abducted several… Read more »
April 18, 2014
Nigeria: Boko Haram Bus Bombing a Sign of Weakness
Nigeria is not winning in the battle against Boko Haram, but neither are the Islamist militants. The Abuja bombing is more a sign of the group's decline than ascendency. Read more »
April 14, 2014
Africa: Not a Moment Too Soon - UN's Peacekeeping Mission for CAR
A 12,000-strong UN force is a positive step, but there are still five months before it's deployed and questions remain over where the troops and funding will come from. Read more »
April 11, 2014
Egypt: Military Controls Economic Levers
Egypt's military doesn't only control the political levers of power, but also the economic ones. And its involvement is getting even deeper. Read more »
April 08, 2014
Nigeria: What Does the Tactic of Foreign Kidnappings Tell Us About Boko Haram?
If the abduction of two Italian priests and a Canadian nun is confirmed to have been conducted by Boko Haram, it will be the Islamist militants' third kidnapping in northern… Read more »
April 07, 2014
Rwanda: Rwanda's 20 Year Miracle - 'We Had Nowhere to Go but Up'
Once warring communities now live side by side and the pace of development has been awe-inspiring, argues former UK Secretary of State for International Development Andrew… Read more »
March 28, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Extraordinary Tales of Everyday Lives in the Congo
David Van Reybrouck's epic history of the Congo brings to life and honours the heroic lives of ordinary people as well as the extraordinary lives of the country's heroes. Read more »
March 26, 2014
Central African Republic: One Year On From the Coup
In a year, the CAR's crisis has deepened as the conflict has spread and taken on old and new dimensions. Read more »