June 24
Africa: Three Million Years After Lucy Walked Upright in Africa, the Inside Story of Another Landmark Journey
There is a special gallery inside the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi where visitors slow down, lower their voices and often fall silent. In front of them, carefully lit and… Read more »
June 25
Africa: The International Legal Order Is Broken - 2 Key Shifts Needed to Fix It
The international legal order that was created after the second world war is no longer fit for purpose. Its response to urgent global problems like climate, poverty and pandemics… Read more »
June 22
Somalia: When Climate Pressures Deepen, the Fight Against Violence Becomes Harder
Climate-induced crop failures, death of livestock and water shortages increase food insecurity and malnutrition. This makes it harder for families to maintain stable incomes and… Read more »
June 17
Africa: How Enslaved African Muslims Resisted Bondage Through Their Faith and Writing
Muslims in the United States often face negative stereotyping and suspicion. Especially in the years following 9/11, Muslims have been frequently cast as outsiders. Read more »
Africa: Money, Food and Survival - What Drives Paid Sex Among Young Mums in 3 African Countries
Transactional sex, defined as the exchange of sex for money, food, or favours, is common among young people in Africa. Studies have reported that about 10% of those aged 15-24 have… Read more »
South Africa: Xenophobia in South Africa - State's Complicity With Gangs and Vigilantes Is Threatening Its Ability to Govern
Marches, Mozambicans murdered, state-sponsored evacuations, a nationally televised presidential address. Anti-immigrant mobilisation has again drawn the world's attention to South… Read more »
June 11
West Africa: Forced Labour in West African Cybercrime Academies - How Fear Traps Young Men
Forced labour in cybercrime might call to mind scam compounds in south-east Asia. A growing body of scholarship, journalism and policy attention has entrenched that stereotype.… Read more »
June 09
Africa: Anti-Foreigner Violence in South Africa Is Easily Sparked - What Hasn't Been Done to Deal With It
Threats and deadly conflict over migration are spreading fast in South Africa. This is hugely worrying and could result in widespread injury and killings, as it has in the past. Read more »
June 08
South Africa: Rhino Horn - Why South Africa Wants to Revive the International Trade, and Why Critics Fear the Consequences
South Africa wants to expand exports of rhino hunting trophies and other wildlife products. The move relies on an exemption process within the international treaty that has largely… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Anti-Migrant Campaigns Use the Language of Democracy - Why That's Dangerous
Anti-migrant campaigns in South Africa are increasingly being framed as acts of community protection. Protesters present their efforts as a response to community concerns about… Read more »
May 28
Namibia: Unearthing Namibia's Forgotten Genocide Through Forensic Archaeology
The Namibian genocide was one of the first genocides of the 20th century. Between 1904 and 1908, tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people were killed under German colonial… Read more »
May 26
Senegal: Senegal's Ruling Alliance Has Split - Will Political Turmoil Follow?
Power struggles often play out in Senegal's political arena, both within a party and between rival parties. To summarise British foreign minister Lord Palmerston's argument in… Read more »
May 25
West Africa: The Sahel Region Is Less Secure Than Ever - Foreign Forces Just Add to the Cycle of Violence
Several of Mali's major cities experienced coordinated attacks in April by a new coalition of jihadists and separatist groups. Read more »
May 23
Mali: Mali's Security Crisis Holds Warnings for Nigeria - Here's Why
Mali and Nigeria, two of the countries in the Sahel region of west Africa, are separated by approximately 1,000 kilometres, with the Niger Republic between them. They differ in… Read more »
May 14
Kenya: Kenya's War On Traditional Alcohol - a Colonial Hangover About What It Means to Be 'Civilised'
At the dawn of Kenya's colonial era in 1902, consumption of home-made alcohol was deeply embedded in society. For instance, among the Mijikenda of coastal Kenya, palm wine was… Read more »
May 13
Tanzania: Better-Designed Homes Could Cut Three Major Child Diseases By Up to 44% - Tanzania Trial
Malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia are preventable childhood diseases that are major causes of death in young children. They're transmitted largely in and around the home, where… Read more »
May 11
Western Sahara: We Found Hundreds of Huge Ancient Mass Graves Hidden in the Sahara Desert
We have been on a years-long campaign of satellite remote sensing of the vast desert landscapes in Eastern Sudan. Read more »
South Africa: South African Study Reveals Most Dog Fights Happen At Home - and How Best to Prevent It
Dogs can be very aggressive towards one another, as many people will have witnessed in public places. But in South Africa aggression between dogs occurs more often in people's… Read more »
May 05
Mali: Mali Attacks - Tuareg Grievances Hold the Key to Peace
The precarious security situation in Mali took a turn for the worse in late April 2026. Well coordinated attacks targeted several cities and claimed the lives of the defence… Read more »
April 29
Mali: Mali's Armed Groups Fill a Government Vacuum - Addressing This Is Key to Ending the Violence
Mali has been in a state of political turmoil since 2012. That year saw a military coup as well as armed groups taking over northern regions of the west African country. In the… Read more »
Africa: The Race to Mine Critical Minerals for AI and Clean Energy Is Creating 'Sacrifice Zones' That Harm Water and Health of World's Poor
There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies - everything from AI to wind turbines, as… Read more »
April 28
Benin: Benin Election - Wadagni's Landslide Win Raises Questions About His Legitimacy
Romuald Wadagni won the 2026 presidential election in Benin with over 94% of the vote. Wadagni, 50, is a technocrat who became an influential finance minister under Patrice Talon… Read more »
April 22
Africa: 6 African Thinkers Who Help Us Understand the World - New Book
Who counts as an intellectual? In many traditions, the figure of the intellectual is tied to the search for truth, social critique and public engagement. From the Dreyfus Affair (a… Read more »
April 19
Nigeria: Nigeria's New Election Law Leaves Gaps - 5 Reforms for Free, Fair and Credible Polls
Nigeria's new Electoral Act, passed in February 2026, is a significant attempt to overhaul the country's electoral framework. Read more »
April 16
Congo-Brazzaville: Congo-Brazzaville Election - Boycotts, Blackouts and Growing Dissent but Denis Sassou Nguesso Held On to Power
The 2026 presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville (the Republic of the Congo) returned Denis Sassou Nguesso for a fifth consecutive term, with a definitive 94.90% of the vote. Read more »
