March 03
Uganda: Bobi Wine - The Documentary Up for Oscar 2024
This year, all the Oscar nominees for best documentary feature come from outside of the United States. Read more »
March 05
South Sudan: Crisis in Abyei - South Sudan Must Act and Stop Violence Between Dinka Groups
Abyei - a territory roughly the size of Jamaica - is being contested by two countries, Sudan and South Sudan. Abyei, which covers just over 10,000km², is under special… Read more »
March 04
Kenya: Kenyans Use Humour to Counter Unpopular State Policies - Memes Are the Latest Tool
Seemingly disillusioned with the country's leadership, Kenyans have taken to new ways of expressing their anger and frustration with their government. Read more »
March 01
Kenya: Kenya's Had Unusually Hot Weather - an Expert Unpacks What Could Be Causing It
In early 2024 most parts of Kenya, including Nairobi, experienced unusually high temperatures. The World Meteorological Organisation described the hot weather as a global… Read more »
March 02
Tanzania: Ali Hassan Mwinyi - the Tanzanian Former President Who Oversaw the Transition to Market Economy
Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzania's second president who has died aged 98, pushed through tough economic and political reforms that transformed the East Africa nation from socialism to… Read more »
February 29
Rwanda: DRC-Rwanda Crisis - What's Needed to Prevent a Regional War
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South African, Burundian and Tanzanian troops are fighting against the Rwandan army, which has deployed in support of the… Read more »
Tanzania: Serengeti Migration - Fire and Rain Affect How Zebras, Wildebeest and Gazelles Make the Journey
Tanzania's Serengeti ecosystem is like a time machine. As one of the world's last remaining fully intact grazing ecosystems it provides a glimpse of what others in Australia,… Read more »
February 28
Somalia: Why Turkey Is Helping Somalia Defend Its Waters
Somalia and Turkey recently announced that they would expand the terms of a defence agreement first signed on 8 February 2024 to include the maritime sector. This came as tensions… Read more »
February 27
Cameroon: Benefits of Using Cleaner Cooking Fuels Are Blunted in Urban Areas Where Outdoor Air Is Polluted
Household air pollution from cooking, heating and lighting with fuels like wood, charcoal and kerosene poses a substantial global health problem. Read more »
February 26
East Africa: Rare Megamouth Shark Found in East Africa for the First Time - Why So Little Is Known About It
A rarely seen megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) was recently spotted in east Africa for the very first time. It was recorded in a market in Zanzibar, where it was being sold… Read more »
February 21
Kenya: Antibiotic Use On Kenya's Dairy Farms Is Putting Consumers and Animals At Risk
Farmers often use antibiotics to keep their livestock healthy. They're sometimes used as "quick fixes", to avoid more costly management measures like regular disinfection, waste… Read more »
February 20
South Sudan: South Sudan - Some Spoilers Want Peace to Fail, Putting 2024 Elections At Risk
South Sudan is expected to hold its first general election in December 2024. It became an independent state in 2011. Read more »
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Peace Pacts With the Oromo Liberation Front Have Failed - Here's What Was Missing
Two attempts have been made over the past six years to broker peace between the Ethiopian government and the armed rebel group Oromo Liberation Front. The armed group was formed… Read more »
February 19
East Africa: What Are Sabaki Languages? How People Formed Ethnic Groups Along the Coast of East Africa
A new book called Ethnicity, Identity and Conceptualizing Community in Indian Ocean East Africa tracks the history of the coastal communities of east Africa and how the Sabaki… Read more »
Sudan: Sudan Armed Forces Are On a Path to Self-Destruction - Risking State Collapse
It is now 10 months since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in April 2023, pitting the Sudan Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group. The war,… Read more »
February 18
Ethiopia: Oromia Makes Up a Third of Ethiopia's Landmass and Is Key to Its Fortunes - Expert Unpacks Its Significance
Ethiopia's largest and most populous region, Oromia, has been in the news following reports of a rise in kidnappings for ransom. The region is no stranger to war and strife. Its… Read more »
February 11
Kenya: Mungiki, Kenya's Violent Youth Gang, Serves Many Purposes - How Identity, Politics and Crime Keep It Alive
Kenya has scores of youth gangs known for their violence and links to the politically powerful. None is more infamous than the Mungiki movement, with a past membership estimated to… Read more »
February 13
Kenya: Kelvin Kiptum - the Kenyan Runner Who Redefined What It Takes to Win Marathons
Kenyan athletics has lost Kelvin Kiptum, the marathon world record holder who was destined to be the first person to run the race in under two hours. The runner, aged only 24, died… Read more »
Ethiopia: Donkeys Are Unsung Heroes in Ethiopia's Humanitarian Crisis - and They Could Do Even More With Better Support
Conflict and drought in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia has triggered a humanitarian crisis. The Ethiopian government says 16 million people across the country are facing… Read more »
February 12
Kenya: Kenya's Sex Workers Have Solutions to Their Problems, but International NGOs Aren't Hearing Them
In Kenya, rights organisations run by sex workers have gone into numerous partnerships with international organisations over the past decade. In recent research, I set out to… Read more »
February 02
Rwanda: Even Many Critics of the Rwanda Deportation Policy Are Missing the Point of Why It's Wrong
The UK government's proposals to send asylum seekers arriving to the UK onto Rwanda continue to spark intense opposition. Read more »
February 08
Tanzania: Tanzania's Elections Are Vulnerable to State Abuse - Urgent Law Reforms Are Needed
Tanzania's electoral law reform is overdue for an overhaul. This was made most apparent by the 2019 local elections and the 2020 general elections. The results were big wins for… Read more »
February 07
Ethiopia: Somaliland-Ethiopia Port Deal - International Opposition Flags Complex Red Sea Politics
The memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland announced on 1 January 2024 set off diplomatic rows in the Horn of Africa - and beyond. Read more »
February 04
Madagascar: Giant Tortoises Have Returned 600 Years After Being Wiped Out
A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of the 350kg megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600… Read more »
February 01
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Protest Music - the Songs of Hachalu Hundessa Reveal the Struggles of the Oromo People
The Oromo are the largest ethno-national group in Ethiopia, accounting for over 40 million people or more than one-third of the population. However, they have been politically… Read more »