May 05, 2023
East Africa: Sudan Conflict Will Have a Ripple Effect in an Unstable Region - and Across the World
Sudan, Africa's third largest country by land mass, shares borders with seven countries in an unstable region. This means that Sudan's current conflict will have economic, social… Read more »
April 28, 2023
Sudan: Plunge Into Chaos Has Geopolitical Implications Near and Far - Including for U.S. Strategic Goals
The sight of diplomats fleeing Sudan amid chaotic scenes reflects the gravity of the situation, but also the extent of international interest in the strife-torn nation. Read more »
April 23, 2023
Chad: Chad Picks a Fight With Germany - What's Behind It and What the Consequences Are
Chad recently ordered the German ambassador to the country, Dr Gordon Kricke, to leave within 48 hours, accusing him of disrespectful behaviour and disregard for diplomatic… Read more »
April 18, 2023
Africa: Europe Outsourcing Asylum to African Countries Is a Terrible Idea - There Are Alternatives
For 40 years, western governments have entertained ideas of outsourcing asylum processing and refugee hosting to the global south. It is not a new idea. And neither are the… Read more »
April 05, 2023
Zambia: Kamala Harris's Visit Underscores the Tricky Choices Zambia Is Making About International Allies
US vice-president Kamala Harris's recent visit to Zambia is an example the country's increased engagement with western nations. It gave fresh impetus to the view that Zambian… Read more »
March 28, 2023
South Africa: ICC Arrest Warrant for Vladimir Putin - a King-Size Dilemma for South Africa
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an international arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes regarding the unlawful deportation of… Read more »
March 22, 2023
Africa: Putin and the ICC - History Shows Just How Hard It Is to Bring a Head of State to Justice
The arrest warrants issued recently by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his children's commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova,… Read more »
March 21, 2023
Africa: How a Nigerian Singer and a Cameroonian Dancer Inspired a Powerful Protest in Iran
On 8 March 2023, five teenage girls uploaded on social media a video of themselves performing the Calm Down Dance Challenge. This is the choreography for the first verse of the… Read more »
March 09, 2023
Africa: The World's First Islamic Art Biennale Shines a Light On Muslim African Artists
The inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale is underway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Biennales are large and prestigious international art exhibitions held every two years.) This important… Read more »
March 01, 2023
Africa: Oil and Gas Companies Are Seen As Climate Villains. Truth Is, We'll Need Their Expertise to Make Green Hydrogen a Reality
Think about oil and gas companies and climate change and chances are you'll think dark thoughts. It's true Exxon Mobil had remarkably detailed knowledge of global warming in the… Read more »
February 28, 2023
Africa: Germany's New Migration Policy Could Take Away Vital Talent From Several African Countries
Germany has announced a project for migrant centres in five African countries which would offer a select category of Africans the possibility of settling on its soil. The… Read more »
February 27, 2023
Africa: Jimmy Carter - the American President Whose Commitment to Africa Went Beyond His Term
The office of former US president Jimmy Carter (98), who has been frail for some time, has announced that he will no longer seek hospital treatment for his ailments. He has instead… Read more »
February 16, 2023
Africa: Pan-Africanism Remains a Dream - 4 Key Issues the African Union Must Tackle
The African Union (AU) - made up of 55 member countries - has made significant progress with integrating the countries of the continent and giving them a voice in global politics. Read more »
February 14, 2023
Africa: When Two Elephants Fight - How the Global South Uses Non-Alignment to Avoid Great Power Rivalries
An African proverb notes that "when two elephants fight, it is the grass underneath that suffers". Read more »
Africa: What Is Mondiacult? 6 Take-Aways From the World's Biggest Cultural Policy Gathering
Culture's status in global society got a major boost in 2022 when it was recommended to become its own sustainable development goal. This happened at the Unesco World Conference on… Read more »
February 10, 2023
Southern Africa: Henry Kissinger At 100 - History Will Judge the Former U.S. Secretary of State's Southern African Interventions to Be a Failure
Henry Kissinger, who sexed up the art of diplomacy in the eight years between 1969 and 1977, will turn 100 in May this year. Read more »
February 09, 2023
Africa: Russia's Presence On the Continent Increasingly Relies On Mercenaries
Mercenaries have been a fixture in Africa since the second half of the 20th century. They have been used to protect incumbent leaders or install new ones in conflict zones. Read more »
February 03, 2023
South Africa: South African Tourism Wants to Sponsor Football Club Tottenham Hotspur - Is It a Good Idea?
South African Tourism (SA Tourism) is reported to be planning to spend US$52 million (about R900 million) to sponsor UK football team Tottenham Hotspur over three years. The… Read more »
East Africa: The Incredible Story of How East African Culture Shaped the Music of a State in India
The term Siddi refers to Afro-Indians - Africans who mixed with Indians through marriage and relationships. Africans crossed the Indian Ocean and arrived in India during the 1200s,… Read more »
February 01, 2023
South Africa: South Africa and Russia - President Cyril Ramaphosa's Foreign Policy Explained
January was a busy diplomatic month for South Africa. The country hosted Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and US treasury secretary Janet Yellen. Josep Borrell,… Read more »
January 11, 2023
Ethiopia: Chinese Imports Could Undermine Ethiopian Manufacturing - Leaving Women Workers Worst Off
China is now the African continent's largest trading partner, accounting for US$254 billion in 2021. It's also the main country of origin for African manufacturing imports,… Read more »
Africa: Chinese Workers On Africa's Infrastructure Projects - the Link With Host Political Regimes
China has rapidly become Africa's most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the… Read more »
January 06, 2023
Africa: Deforestation - Proposed EU Import Ban May Fail to Protect Tropical Rainforests and Farmers - Here's How It Should Work
Most European consumers' shopping baskets tend to include items linked to deforestation in tropical regions, involving agricultural commodities such as beef, soybeans, palm oil,… Read more »
January 02, 2023
Africa: Pelé Was Ensnared By 'Brazilian-Style Racism' but Stood Firm As Dictatorship Tried to Keep Him Playing
As arguably the greatest soccer player of all time is laid to rest, Prof José Paulo Florenzano of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo considers… Read more »
December 17, 2022
Africa: ICC Upholds Jail Term for Ugandan Rebel Commander Ongwen - Why It Matters for Africa
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has upheld its 25-year jail term against former Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen. In a decision delivered on 15 December, the ICC… Read more »