December 14, 2023
South Africa: Creative Writing Can Help Improve One's Health - a South African Study Shows How
From the beginning of recorded history, people in diverse cultures have embraced the idea that creative expression, including visual art, stories, dance and music, contributes to… Read more »
Nigeria: Black Ghosts - Noo Saro-Wiwa's New Book Is a Powerful Reflection On Africans in China
Noo Saro-Wiwa is a celebrated Nigerian-born travel writer. Her latest book is Black Ghosts. It explores, with candour and compassion, the lives of several African economic migrants… Read more »
December 13, 2023
Africa: Climate Change Risks Triggering a Spike in Infectious Disease Outbreaks - Three Reasons Why
Climate change is our planet's most immediate existential threat, and will likely only worsen for the foreseeable future. Read more »
Africa: The COP28 Climate Agreement Is a Step Backwards On Fossil Fuels
The COP28 climate summit in Dubai has adjourned. The result is "The UAE consensus" on fossil fuels. Read more »
Africa: We Followed 14 'Long Haulers' for 3 Months. Here's What They Told Us About Living With Long Covid
At least 65 million people around the world are estimated to have long COVID, which describes the continuation or development of symptoms at least three months after an initial… Read more »
Africa: African Countries At COP28 - Several Big Wins and a United Voice
African countries entered the recent COP28 negotiations on climate change in high spirits. Before this conference, in September, African government leaders, policymakers, activists… Read more »
Africa: COP28's Commitment to Transforming Farming and Food Systems Is an Insult to Africans
Globally, food systems are unsustainable: 80% of the production of food is powered by fossil fuels. The food system is responsible for over one-third of global greenhouse gas… Read more »
December 12, 2023
Somalia: Somali Pirates Are Back in Action - but a Full Scale Return Isn't Likely. Here's Why
An Iranian fishing vessel, Almeraj 1, was reportedly hijacked by Somali pirates in November 2023. According to media reports, the pirates demanded US$400,000 in ransom and… Read more »
Africa: China-Africa Relations in 2023 - Key Moments and Events to Remember
In a year when headlines have been dominated by conflict in Europe and the Middle East, and geo-economic tensions between China and the West, China-Africa relations were, in… Read more »
Madagascar: Madagascar Cave Art Hints At Ancient Connections Between Africa and Asia
Unique, prehistoric rock art drawings have been discovered in the Andriamamelo Cave in western Madagascar. Read more »
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's Attempted Coup and a Cost of Living Crisis Put Peace to the Test
Attacks on military barracks and prisons in Sierra Leone on 26 November 2023 were a failed coup attempt, according to police and government officials in the west African country of… Read more »
Africa: How to Assess the Carbon Footprint of a War
We know that war is bad for the environment, with toxic chemicals left polluting the soil and water for decades after fighting ceases. Much less obvious are the carbon emissions… Read more »
East Africa: What's East Africa's Position On the Israel-Hamas War? an Expert Unpacks the Reactions of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
The reactions of some east African countries to the ongoing conflict in Gaza have been less dramatic than South Africa's. South Africa's parliament has passed a resolution calling… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Foreign Policy Under Ramaphosa Has Seen Diplomatic Tools Being Used to Provide Leadership As Global Power Relations Shift
Leadership plays a critical role in diplomacy. What quality of leadership does South Africa need if it's to secure its international interests? Read more »
Nigeria: Victor Ekpuk Is a Nigerian Artist Who Uses Ancient African Graphic Writing Systems to Unveil a Stunning New Display of Creativity
Victor Ekpuk is an internationally renowned Nigerian artist known for his artwork inspired by ancient African writing and graphic writing systems. INTERwoven TEXTures is his first… Read more »
December 11, 2023
East Africa: East Africa's Troops Are Leaving the DRC - What Went Wrong and What Comes Next
The East African Community deployed a regional force for the first time into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2022. Just over a year later, the troops have started… Read more »
Mozambique: Queer Life in Africa Is Also Full of Joy - Remembering the Carnival in Mozambique
In late colonial Mozambique, in the city of Lourenço Marques (today's Maputo), a carnival festival was held almost every year. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the event was… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa Leads the Continent in Offering More Paternal Leave to Fathers. How to Make Sure Both Parents Benefit
A South African high court has ushered in a new era of parental leave with a landmark ruling that new parents can share four months of parental leave, previously available only to… Read more »
East Africa: 'You Reach a Point Where You Have Nothing. You Will Just Die' - in East African Refugee Camps, Food Scarcity Is a Mortal Concern
For refugees living in settlements across Africa, life got more difficult in 2023. Read more »
December 10, 2023
Africa: Improved Employment Policies Can Encourage Fathers to Be More Involved At Home
While the COVID-19 pandemic had many detrimental socio-economic and health impacts, one silver lining has been the influence of remote work on men's involvement in unpaid work at… Read more »
Africa: Trash to Treasure - Africa Powers Up from Garbage Dumps
New research on garbage dumps in 44 sub-Saharan African countries shows that 95% are unregulated. The landfill sites still take in new garbage even when they are filled to… Read more »
Uganda: Uganda Will Soon Be Exporting Oil - an Energy Economist Outlines 3 Keys to Success
Uganda entered into agreements in 2012 with two foreign oil entities to exploit its oil resources. Total Energies holds 56.67% of the joint venture partnership and China National… Read more »
December 08, 2023
Kenya: Humiliation and Violence in Kenya's Colonial Days - When Old Men Were Called 'Boy' and Africans Were Publicly Beaten
When King Charles visited Kenya in November 2023, many Kenyans renewed their demands for an official apology for atrocities committed by the British government during the colonial… Read more »
Africa: Frozen Methane Under the Seabed Is Thawing As Oceans Warm - and Things Are Worse Than We Thought
Buried beneath the oceans surrounding continents is a naturally occurring frozen form of methane and water. Sometimes dubbed ''fire-ice'' as you can literally set light to it,… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya At 60 - The Shameful Truth About British Colonial Abuse and How It Was Covered Up
It is fairly well known that the lives of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans were affected by terrible acts of violence under the British colonial administration. The British… Read more »