February 07
Senegal: Macky Sall Throws Senegal's Democratic Credentials Into Doubt
Senegal's President Macky Sall announced in early February that presidential elections, originally scheduled for 25 February, would be postponed indefinitely. The announcement has… Read more »
February 05
South Africa: Surveillance and the State - South Africa's Proposed New Spying Law Is Open for Comment - an Expert Points Out Its Flaws
In early 2021, the South African Constitutional Court found that the country's State Security Agency, through its signals intelligence agency, the National Communication Centre,… Read more »
West Africa: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Want to Leave Ecowas. a Political Scientist Explains the Fallout
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have sent Ecowas, west Africa's main political union of 15 countries, a formal notice of their withdrawal from the bloc. The three countries are… Read more »
February 04
Africa: Hage Geingob - Namibian President Who Played a Modernising Role
Hage Gottfried Geingob served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death on February 4 2024. He was Namibia's first prime minister from 1990 to 2002, and served as… Read more »
Chad: Promise of New Chapter Fades As Junta Strengthens Before Elections
It's been three years since Chad's former president Idriss Déby Itno died. A transitional authority took over after his death. Yet the transition to democracy that was on… Read more »
February 01
Nigeria: Slaves of God - Nigeria's Traditional Osu Slavery Practice Was Stopped, but the Suffering Continues
There are global efforts to fight modern slavery, but a few traditional systems still hold strong in west Africa. These include Osu, Ohu and Trokosi. Read more »
January 30
South Africa: Nelson Mandela's Personal Items Under the Hammer in New York? Why It Outraged Some, and What's At Stake
An identity document, a pair of reading glasses, a hearing aid and a pair of worn shoes. These are just some of Nelson Mandela's personal items that were due to go on auction on 22… Read more »
January 28
Africa: Ruling By UN's Top Court Means Canada and the U.S. Could Be Complicit in Gaza Genocide
The International Court of Justice has issued a ground-breaking decision in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, ordering Israel to comply with six provisional measures to… Read more »
January 29
South Africa: South Africa Is Failing People Who Aren't Poor, but Aren't Middle Class Either
Many South African households are trapped. They are neither poor nor middle class. As a demographic they hover above the indigence threshold financially. But they are not yet… Read more »
January 27
South Africa: Jacob Zuma, the Monster South Africa's Ruling ANC Created, Continues to Haunt It
Former South African president Jacob Zuma is endorsing the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, the latest rival to the governing African National Congress (ANC) for the upcoming national… Read more »
January 26
South Africa: The Two Faces of Jacob Zuma - Former South African President Campaigns to Unseat the ANC He Once Led. Who Supports Him and Why?
Former South African president Jacob Zuma's political comeback builds on support from marginalised and angry constituencies within or close to the governing African National… Read more »
January 25
Uganda: Cecilia Atim Ogwal - a Fearless Ugandan Politician Who Spoke Her Mind and Challenged Conventions
Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal, one of Uganda's longest-serving female legislators, passed away on 18 January 2024 at the age of 77. Read more »
January 24
Somalia: Somaliland Has Been Pursuing Independence for 33 Years
Somaliland declared itself an independent state in 1991. It used colonial boundary lines to separate itself from Somalia. More than three decades later, however, it has yet to gain… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Genocide Case Against Israel Is the Country's Proudest Foreign Policy Moment in Three Decades
On 11 January 2024, South Africa hauled Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the charge of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. This was for Israel's… Read more »
January 23
Liberia: Liberia Transferred Power Peacefully Again - 3 Reasons the Calm Is Holding, and One Red Flag
Joseph Boakai was sworn in as Liberia's 26th president on 22 January 2024. Boakai secured a six year term of office after defeating incumbent president George Weah in a keenly… Read more »
January 21
South Africa: South Africa's Ageing Population Comes With New Challenges. How Best to Adapt to Them
Young people - under the age of 15 - currently make up 29% of South Africa's population. But this will soon change: the aged portion of the population is forecast to rise from… Read more »
January 19
Africa: What Is Genocide? Six Western Countries Want a Broader Application of Genocide - Experts Unpack Why It Matters
In November 2023, six western states filed a joint application before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arguing for an ample and expansive understanding of genocide. This… Read more »
January 17
Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo's Election - the Key to Félix Tshisekedi's Victory
On Sunday 31 December 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced the preliminary results of the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential election held… Read more »
January 16
South Africa: South Africa's ANC Marks Its 112th Year With an Eye On National Elections, but Its Record Is Patchy and Future Uncertain
The speech President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered at the 112th birthday celebration of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), on 13 January can be seen… Read more »
Uganda: Uganda's Battle for the Youth Vote - How Museveni Keeps Bobi Wine's Reach in Check
Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world, with an average age of 15.9 years. Young people aged below 30 make up about 77% of the country's population of 47 million… Read more »
January 14
Africa: Urban Kenyans Mistrust Police Even More Than Rural Residents Do - Study Sets Out Why It Matters
Across the African continent - from Nigeria and Ghana to South Africa - widespread protests have taken place to demand police reform in the wake of police misconduct and brutality.… Read more »
January 11
South Africa: South Africa's New Intelligence Bill Is Meant to Stem Abuses - What's Good and Bad About It
When South Africa became a constitutional democracy in 1994, it replaced its apartheid-era intelligence apparatus with a new one aimed at serving the country's new democratic… Read more »
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Quest for Access to the Sea - Success Rests On Good Relations With Its Neighbours
On 1 January, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding granting Addis Ababa direct access to the Gulf of Aden. This strategic agreement paves the way for… Read more »
January 08
West Africa: Scramble for the Sahel - Why France, Russia, China and the United States Are Interested in the Region
The Sahel, a region 3,860km wide located south of the Sahara Desert and stretching east-west across the African continent, has been a focus of attention around the world recently. Read more »
January 07
Africa: Young Africans Could Disrupt Authoritarian States but They Don't - Here's Why
Africa has the world's largest youth population. By 2030, 75% of the African population will be under the age of 35. The number of young Africans aged 15-24 is projected to reach… Read more »