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 »
Zimbabwe: Young Zimbabweans Are Using YouTube to Ridicule Politicians and Educate Voters
As Zimbabwe holds its 2023 elections, young creatives are taking to social media like YouTube to discuss politics and to create comic spoofs and critiques that speak back to the… Read more »
August 21, 2023
Africa: Africa Is Being Courted By China, Russia and the U.S. Why the Continent Shouldn't Pick Sides
Some three decades since the end of the Cold War, the world order is undergoing a structural transformation. At the heart of it is the challenge posed to the hegemony of the US.… Read more »
August 20, 2023
Zimbabwe: President Was Security Minister When Genocidal Rape Was State Policy in 1983-4. Now He Seeks Another Term
Trigger warning: this article contains accounts of sexual violence. Read more »
Africa: Civilian Support for Military Coups Is Rising in Parts of Africa - Why the Reasons Matter
On the night of 13 January 1963, Togo's President Sylvanus Olympio was shot dead by rebels in the first military coup staged in Africa. A long list, as shown below, was to come.… Read more »
August 17, 2023
West Africa: Niger - Ecowas Military Intervention Could Trigger 3 Bad Outcomes
The threat of military force to end the coup in Niger has led to significant divisions in the region. Read more »
Gabon: Gabon Elections - How the Bongo Family's 56-Year Rule Has Hurt the Country and Divided the Opposition
Gabon's president Ali Bongo Ondimba (2009-present) recently announced his intention to stand for re-election in the country's presidential poll scheduled for 26 August. He is, to… Read more »
August 15, 2023
South Sudan: South Sudan Is Gearing Up for Its First Election - 3 Things It Must Get Right
The people of South Sudan have not exercised the right to choose their leaders since the referendum that secured independence from Sudan in 2011. Instead, they have suffered… Read more »
August 11, 2023
Africa: Military Coups in Africa - Here's What Determines a Return to Civilian Rule
Slightly more than two years after Niger's first peaceful handover of power from one civilian president to another, the military seized power in July 2023. The coup - the fourth in… Read more »
South Africa: Zuma Prison Case Casts Doubt On South Africa's Medical Parole Law
The Constitutional Court order relating to a case involving former President Jacob Zuma has illuminated some of the flaws in the law governing medical parole in South Africa. This… Read more »
August 08, 2023
Kenya: Kenya's Political Dialogue Is a Welcome Sign of Democracy At Work - If Both Sides Understand Their Roles
Since Kenya's presidential election in August 2022, the new government has been in conflict with the opposition. Read more »
August 10, 2023
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Heads to the Polls Amid High Inflation, a Slumping Currency and a Cost of Living Crisis
Zimbabwe is facing a host of pressing challenges that voters dearly want the next president to address. Persistently high inflation, elevated interest rates, and a slumping and… Read more »
August 08, 2023
Senegal: Internet Shutdowns - Here's How Governments Do It
Senegal's government has shut down internet access in response to protests about the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. This is a tactic governments are increasingly… Read more »
August 03, 2023
Africa: Direct Costs of Climate Policies Aren't a Major Barrier to Public Support, Research Reveals #AfricaClimateHope
Amid headlines of wildfires raging across Europe and Africa and flooding in China, the UK government took the bewildering choice to expand fossil fuel extraction. Read more »
August 06, 2023
Ghana: Ghana's Housing Policy and Regulation Is Failing - Covid Proved As Much
Access to decent housing is a fundamental human right. Across sub-Saharan Africa, however, this right remains an elusive dream for many households. Read more »
Africa: An Expanded Brics Could Reset World Politics but Picking New Members Isn't Straightforward
Eager to escape perceived western domination, several countries - mostly in the global south - are looking to join the Brics bloc. The five-country bloc (Brazil, Russia, India,… Read more »
August 02, 2023
South Africa: South Africa's New Marriage Bill Raises Many Thorny Issues - a Balancing Act Is Needed
South Africa is changing its marriage law to recognise all types of intimate partnerships - irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, or religious, cultural and other beliefs. Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Rulers Won't Tolerate Opposing Voices - but Its Writers Refuse to Be Silenced
The ruling elite in Zimbabwe has always tried to silence opposing political voices and erase histories it does not wish to have aired. Although "democratic" elections have been… Read more »