July 22
South Africa: South Africa Is Trying to Put a Stop to the Abuse of Its Intelligence Agencies - What Still Needs Fixing
South Africa's security laws are open to abuse by rogue intelligence operatives and politicians. These laws are meant to govern the conduct of covert activities by intelligence… Read more »
July 18
South Africa: 144 South Africans With Mental Disability Died in the Life Esidimeni Tragedy. Lessons From the Inquest Judgment
A South African high court ruling marks an important milestone in holding public officials to account for their decisions. Read more »
July 16
Nigeria: Suicide Bombings in Nigeria - Tactic Is Back After a Four-Year Break - Security Researcher Offers 3 Possible Reasons
Nigeria's first suicide bombing since 2020 took place in June 2024 with four coordinated attacks that killed at least 30 people. Read more »
July 09
Africa: Catching Online Scammers - Our Model Combines Data and Behavioural Science to Map the Psychological Games Cybercriminals Play
When fiction's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, needed to solve a crime, he turned to his sharp observational skills and deep understanding of human nature. He used this… Read more »
July 06
Kenya: Kenya's Protests Are Different This Time - 3 Things That Make It Harder for Government to Crush Them
On 25 June 2024, a youth-led protest primarily composed of Gen Zs, as they are popularly referred to, stormed Kenya's parliament. Legislators voted to pass the Finance Bill 2024 in… Read more »
July 02
South Africa: South Africa's 70,000kg Rhino Horn Stockpile Must Be Burnt to Prevent Illegal Trading
Despite a global ban on international buying and selling of rhino horn since 1977, the South African government and owners of private rhino reserves continue to stockpile it. A new… Read more »
June 30
Kenya: Violence Is the Language of the Kenyan State - 5 Strategies It Uses to Control Citizens
Since the early 2000s, Kenya has come up with legislative changes and thrown a tremendous amount of funding at a range of reforms to improve the relationship between police and… Read more »
June 27
Kenya: Kenyan Police Use Excessive Force Because They're Serving Political Elites, Not the Public - Policy Analyst
Public protests in Kenya have often been criminalised, leading to brutal police crackdowns. This played out in recent protests against the cost of living in Kenya, and amid an… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya's Protests Happened in Every Major Urban Centre - Why These Spaces Are Explosive
Kenya has a long history of protests. Mass protests took place during the colonial period and continued in the post-independence era. Read more »
June 26
South Africa: Shell Didn't Consult Communities Properly About Mining the Wild Coast - but How Much Legal Protection Do South Africans Have?
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal recently dismissed an appeal by Shell, Impact Africa and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to overturn a High Court judgment… Read more »
Kenya: Kenyan Police and Protests - Researchers On a Violent, Corrupt Security Force That's Beyond Reform
Kenya's police are being criticised for their violent response to protests over the past week against government proposals to raise US$2.7 billion in additional taxes. Read more »
June 25
Nigeria: Terror Attacks and Kidnappings Spread in Nigeria - Why Lagos Could Be a Target
Crimes that were previously associated with Nigeria's northern region - like kidnapping for ransom and terrorism - appear to be spreading to the south-west region, including Lagos.… Read more »
June 24
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Have Taken to the Streets in Their Thousands - What the Law Says About Their Rights
Across Kenya, thousands of mostly young citizens are protesting against tax proposals tabled by President William Ruto's administration in its annual budget legislation. Using… Read more »
June 22
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Driving Change From Screens to the Streets
Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an… Read more »
June 21
Kenya: Khat in Kenya - Why Efforts to Ban This Popular Stimulant Are Unlikely to Work
Khat - the stimulant leaves and twigs of the plant Catha edulis - seemed to have secure legal status in Kenya despite being illegal elsewhere. It had been declared an official cash… Read more »
June 06
South Africa: South Africa's Largest Oil Refinery Sold for a Few Cents - Will BP and Shell Be Held Accountable for Environmental Damage?
The sale of the South African Petroleum Refinery (Sapref), jointly owned by multinational energy companies BP and Shell, to the state-owned Central Energy Fund for R1 (five US… Read more »
June 02
Africa: Patents Based On Traditional Knowledge Are Often 'Biopiracy'. a New International Treaty Will Finally Combat This
Last week, at a conference in Geneva, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation agreed on a new treaty aimed at preventing the for-profit piracy of… Read more »
May 27
Africa: We Found Over 300 Million Young People Had Experienced Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Over the Course of Our Meta-Study
It takes a lot to shock Kelvin Lay. My friend and colleague was responsible for setting up Africa's first dedicated child exploitation and human trafficking units, and for many… Read more »
May 29
Ghana: Ghana's Anti-Lgbtiq+ Bill Is Being Challenged in the Supreme Court. Why the Decision to Broadcast It Live Matters
Ghana's Supreme Court is live televising its proceedings on the country's controversial anti-LGBTQI+ bill. This was on the request of Ghana's attorney general, who cited public… Read more »
May 22
Kenya: Kenyan President Will Receive White House Praise Over Troops-to-Haiti Move
Kenyan President William Ruto will attend a rare U.S. state reception for an African leader on May 23, 2024 - but much of the chat will be about a third country: Haiti. Read more »
May 21
Rwanda: UK-Rwanda Migrant Deal Challenges International Protection Law
In late April 2024 the British parliament passed a law - the Safety of Rwanda Act - enabling it to transport migrants arriving in the UK to Rwanda. When the legislation was… Read more »
May 18
South Africa: South African Communities Vs Shell - High Court Victories Show That Cultural Beliefs and Practices Count in Climate Cases
When the Shell petroleum company announced in 2021 that it wanted to explore for fossil fuels off South Africa's pristine Wild Coast, Indigenous communities in the area immediately… Read more »
May 17
Kenya: Kenya's Flood Evictions May Violate the Law - Scholar
Recent floods in Kenya have left at least 270 people dead, displaced more than 200,000 and destroyed property, infrastructure and livelihoods across the country. In Nairobi,… Read more »
May 16
Angola: Angola's Untold History - Archive Project Explores LGBTIQ+ Lives and Struggles
As I write these lines, I mourn the passing of Carlos Fernandes, a leading queer activist and organiser in Angola. Carlos was found dead in his home earlier this year under… Read more »
May 07
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Likely to Abolish the Death Penalty - How It Got Here and What It Means for the Continent
Zimbabwe is likely to abolish capital punishment, following a cabinet decision on 7 February 2024. However, its parliament still has to endorse the move and pass the necessary law… Read more »