September 28, 2023
Zimbabwe: Zimbabweans Divided on China's Influence
China has big ambitions in Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, the economic superpower loaned African governments US$159 billion to build railroads, highways, stadiums and bridges. Read more »
September 26, 2023
South Africa: Family Homes Clash With Laws in South African Townships
During apartheid, black South Africans could not own land - and therefore their homes - in what were classified as "white" cities. In racially segregated townships, living in… Read more »
September 25, 2023
Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah - Memorials to the Man Who Led Ghana to Independence Have Been Built, Erased and Revived Again
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park lies at the centre of Ghana's capital, Accra. Recently renovated, it is dedicated to the memory of Kwame Nkrumah, the leader of Ghana's independence… Read more »
September 24, 2023
Africa: Global Approach to Serious Crimes Is Shifting to Domestic Trials - Here's What I Found in Three African Countries
Domestic trials of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are considered quicker, cheaper and more responsive to victims' needs than the International Criminal Court's… Read more »
September 22, 2023
Sudan: Khartoum's Burning Tower - Architects On the Destruction of a City - and What It'll Take to Rebuild
There has been a continued escalation in fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The destruction of the capital Khartoum continues - physically,… Read more »
September 20, 2023
Africa: AU and G20 - Membership Will Give Africa More Say On Global Issues - If It Speaks With One Voice
After seven years of advocating for full membership, the African Union (AU) will join the Group of 20 "most important industrialised and developing economies". It becomes the… Read more »
September 17, 2023
Uganda: Aging Uganda President Rides On the Memory of His Past Heroics
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni - Africa's fourth-longest-serving head of state in 2023 - has cemented his place in history. He brought an end to two tyrannies: in 1979 his… Read more »
September 15, 2023
Libya: Libya Dam Collapse Happened Because of Bad Management, Not Bad Weather
More than 11,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands are missing following the catastrophic dam collapse in the eastern Libyan city of Derna on 12 September. The dam… Read more »
September 14, 2023
South Africa: South Africa Can't Crack the Inequality Curse. Why, and What Can Be Done
South Africa is ranked one of the most unequal societies in the world. The Conversation Africa spoke to Imraan Valodia, a professor of economics and dean of the Faculty of… Read more »
September 12, 2023
West Africa: U.S. Response to Gabon and Niger Coups Suggests Need for a New West Africa Policy in Washington
Recent coups in the West African nations of Gabon and Niger caught U.S. diplomats a little off guard. They also indicate Washington may need to reassess its policy in the region or… Read more »
Tanzania: President Hassan Is the Face of Tanzania's Reform Agenda. But She Needs to Carry the Country With Her
After two years in power, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has consolidated her political base, opened up the media space and increased the number of women in public appointments. Read more »
September 11, 2023
Nigeria: Nigeria's Elections Were Once Again Disputed in Court, a Stark Reminder of a Weak Electoral System
Nigeria's presidential election tribunal on 6 September affirmed President Bola Tinubu's victory in the disputed February 2023 polls, dismissing the petitions of three political… Read more »
September 09, 2023
South Africa: Mangosuthu Buthelezi - the Zulu Nationalist Who Left His Mark On South Africa's History
Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi played a prominent role in South African politics for almost half a century. He was one of the last of a generation of black South African leaders who… Read more »
September 08, 2023
Zimbabwe: Election Shows How Ruling Party Has Clung to Power
Few were surprised as, near midnight on 26 August, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa's reelection in yet another of Zimbabwe's… Read more »
September 06, 2023
Ethiopia: Amhara People Are Being Portrayed As the Enemy - the Dangerous History of Ethnic Politics
The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on 4 August 2023 and sent the military into the Amhara region to engage the Fano, a local armed militia. Some suggested that… Read more »
September 05, 2023
Gabon: Coup Has Been Years in the Making - Three Key Factors That Ended the Bongo Dynasty
The recent military intervention that put an end to the Bongo family's 56-year hold on power in Gabon has been many years in the making. Read more »
September 04, 2023
West Africa: Ecowas Must Do These 3 Things to Break the Stalemate in Niger
It's been a month since military guards under the command of General Abdourahamane Tchiani ended 12 years of democratic governance in Niger. The situation seems to have reached a… Read more »
August 30, 2023
Zimbabwe: Election Was a Fight Between Men - Women Are Sidelined in Politics Despite Quotas
Zimbabwe's 2023 harmonised elections have largely been depicted as a battle between the two "Big Men" - President Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zanu-PF and Nelson Chamisa of the… Read more »
September 01, 2023
Gabon: Coup in Gabon - Ali Bongo the Eighth West African Leader to Be Ousted By Military in Two Years
Gabon's prime minister, Ali Bongo, has become the latest in a string of African leaders to be ousted by a military coup in recent years. Bongo, who had just won a third term in… Read more »
Gabon: Gabon Coup - Bongo's Rule Ended By Failed Promises and Shifting Alliances
The Bongo family's 56 year hold on power in Gabon was abruptly brought to an end with a military coup on 30 August. The military takeover happened hours after election results were… Read more »
August 28, 2023
Congo-Kinshasa: DRC - Rising Twirwaneho Rebel Group Highlights the Unending Volatility of the Country's East
The three-decade conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has led to the proliferation of hundreds of armed groups. With the violence appearing to… Read more »
West Africa: Niger's Coup Weakens Regional Fight Against Boko Haram - Four Reasons Why
Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum was detained and deposed on 26 July by his military guard under the command of General Abdourahamane Tchiani. Read more »
August 29, 2023
Africa: Brics - African Countries Face Opportunities and Risks in Alienating China or the US - an Expert Weighs in
South Africa recently hosted a Brics summit. The event attracted international attention because the group has recently begun to emerge as a possible rival against US dominance of… Read more »
August 24, 2023
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Amhara Crisis - Abiy's Political Failures Threaten a Return to War
The federal government of Ethiopia declared a state of emergency in Amhara region on 4 August 2023. A special session of parliament endorsed this decision, placing the… Read more »
August 22, 2023
Zimbabwe: Can Nelson Chamisa Win? He Appeals to Young Voters but the Odds Are Stacked Against Him
Nelson Chamisa, the 45-year-old leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), is making a second bid to be Zimbabwe's next president. Read more »