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 22
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Driving Change From Screens to the Streets
Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an… Read more »
June 21
Kenya: Khat in Kenya - Why Efforts to Ban This Popular Stimulant Are Unlikely to Work
Khat - the stimulant leaves and twigs of the plant Catha edulis - seemed to have secure legal status in Kenya despite being illegal elsewhere. It had been declared an official cash… Read more »
June 19
Somalia: Somalia Army Vs Al-Shabaab - As African Union Troops Leave, Which Is the Stronger Military Force?
The African Union (AU) has gradually reduced its troop numbers in Somalia since late 2017, from a peak of over 22,000 to about 14,000 today. Another 4,000 AU peacekeepers are… Read more »
June 17
Mauritius: Mauritius' Next Growth Phase - a New Plan Is Needed As the Tax Haven Era Fades
Mauritians will head to the polls by November 2024 and politicians are considering the economic direction of the island country. Read more »
June 12
Sudan: Sudan Food Emergency - Local Researcher Unpacks Scale of the Disaster and What Action Is Needed
The UN recently warned of the risk of famine in Sudan. The war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed civilians and devastated livelihoods on a… Read more »
June 06
Madagascar: Baobab Trees All Come From Madagascar - New Study Reveals That Their Seeds and Seedlings Floated to Mainland Africa and All the Way to Australia
There are eight species of baobab in the world, and they have a surprising distribution. Six are found in Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean; one is found on the continent… Read more »
Kenya: Between Witchcraft and Terrorism - How Social Fears in Coastal Kenya Impact Religious Expression
Kenya's coastal region has, since about 2011, grappled with terrorist attacks carried out by the Somalia-based Islamic terrorist organisation Al-Shabaab. Read more »
May 30
Sudan: As War Rages in Sudan, Community Resistance Groups Sustain Life
In this episode of Don't Call Me Resilient, Nisrin Elamin, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Toronto, paints a grim picture of life in… Read more »
May 28
Sudan: Iran's Intervention in Sudan's Civil War Advances Its Geopolitical Goals - but Not Without Risks
Iran's role in funding and arming proxy groups in the Middle East has been well documented and has gotten extra attention since the Hamas-led attack in Israel in October 2023.… Read more »
May 29
Tanzania: Tanzania's Dams - Flood Risk Depends On How They're Planned and Operated
The Rufiji River, which drains into Tanzania's south-east coast, experienced a major wave of flooding in April 2024. The flooding caused tragic loss of life and affected at least… Read more »
May 26
East Africa: Horn of Africa Droughts - How a Network of Groundwater Bores Could Help - Study
The Horn of Africa recently suffered its worst drought in almost half a century, and its sixth failed rainfall season in a row. Read more »
Uganda: Men Still Dominate Uganda's Party Politics - Women's Participation Is Mostly Cosmetic
Electoral gender quotas in Uganda - first introduced in 1989 - have increased women's numbers in Uganda's parliament to 34%. Today there are 189 women out of 557 members of… Read more »
May 22
Tanzania: Tanganyika and Zanzibar - Tanzania's 60-Year-Old Union May Need a Restructure
On 26 April 2024, Tanzania celebrated 60 years of the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The union, which created the present-day United Republic of Tanzania, stands out among… Read more »
Kenya: Kenyan President Will Receive White House Praise Over Troops-to-Haiti Move
Kenyan President William Ruto will attend a rare U.S. state reception for an African leader on May 23, 2024 - but much of the chat will be about a third country: Haiti. 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 »
Kenya: Kenya Is Badly Prepared for Floods - Four Steps to Reduce Devastation and Deaths
Floods in Kenya in April/May 2024 led to the deaths of over 250 people and caused damage estimated at 4 billion Kenya shillings (US$35 million). Read more »
May 20
Seychelles: Floating Baby Corals Can Help Save Damaged Reefs - New Study
The Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands stretches across a vast area of the western Indian Ocean. Each island is fringed by coral reefs. 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 17
Kenya: Kenya's Flood Evictions May Violate the Law - Scholar
Recent floods in Kenya have left at least 270 people dead, displaced more than 200,000 and destroyed property, infrastructure and livelihoods across the country. In Nairobi,… Read more »
May 16
Kenya: TikTok in Kenya - the Govt Wants to Restrict Its Use, but My Study Shows It Can Be Useful and Empowering
Every day, 750 million people around the world engage with Tiktok - the short-video sharing app. Kenyans are among its top users. Read more »
May 13
Tanzania: Tanzania's Political Parties Have Few Women in Leadership and Candidate Lists - Some Solutions
Tanzania, in keeping with global political trends, reserves 30% of seats in parliament for women. These so-called special seats were introduced with multiparty politics in 1992, in… Read more »
May 12
Madagascar: Madagascar's Ancient Baobab Forests Are Being Restored By Communities - With a Little Help From Ai
Six of the world's eight baobab species are indigenous to Madagascar, where the distinctive trees with giant trunks have historically grown in huge forests. But these forests are… Read more »
May 08
Africa: Playing With the Kids Is Important Work for Chimpanzee Mothers
Wild chimpanzees have been studied for more than 60 years, but they continue to delight and surprise observers, as we found during the summer of 2017 in Kibale National Park in… Read more »
May 10
Sudan: Sudan's Descent Into Chaos Sets Stage for Al-Qaida to Make a Return to Historic Stronghold
"Sudan's moment has come; chaos is our chance to sow the seeds of jihad," warned Abu Hudhaifa al-Sudani, a high-ranking al-Qaida leader, in an October 2022 manifesto. Read more »