Monthly Archives: May 2012
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Egypt elections: Islamic dictatorship or military authoritarianism – By Mariz Tadros
For the next and final round of presidential elections, Egyptians are being asked to choose between an Islamic or military dictatorship both claiming legitimacy through the ... -
Terrorism in West Africa: The Anarchy That Hasn’t Come – By Charlie Warren
In 1994, journalist Robert Kaplan wrote a controversial Atlantic article, “The Coming Anarchy,” warning of West Africa’s ungoverned spaces, disease-ridden slums, weak borders, and impoverished masses. ... -
East Africa’s rush for oil and gas – By Taimour Lay
When you stand on the island of Rukwanzi at the heart of Lake Albert, your first thought, echoing perhaps the casual rhetoric of the region’s oil ... -
Take a holiday in Somaliland: journey to the state that isn’t – By Magnus Taylor
Michela Wrong once wrote that you can tell a lot about an African country by the way they issue, or refuse you a visa. This remains ... -
Meles Zenawi interview excerpts: “Unlike all previous governments our writ runs in every village” – By Richard Dowden
RAS Director Richard Dowden interviewed Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles on May 12th 2012. What follows is a selection of quotes from the interview on subjects ranging ... -
Murray’s Painting of Zuma has South Africans in a Tizz – By Desné Masie
The recent uproar over Brett Murray’s painting of South African President Jacob Zuma The Spear in his latest exhibition Hail to the Thief II at Johannesburg’s ... -
Badme border dispute: Why Ethiopia Won’t back down on Eritrean border – By Michael Woldemariam
For several years, combat along the tense Eritrean-Ethiopian frontier has been entirely rhetorical. This changed on March 16th, 2012 when the Ethiopian government boldly announced that ... -
Malawi: Banda brings Malawi back from the brink – By Keith Somerville
When Joyce Banda was sworn in as president on 7th April, following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika, she was faced with an uphill struggle. ... -
How Rwanda Judged its Genocide – New Africa Research Centre ‘Counterpoint’ by Phil Clark
Latest in the Africa Research Institute‘s excellent Counterpoints series is by SOAS lecturer Dr Phil Clark, and deals with Rwanda’s Gacaca courts. INTRO ‘Since 2001, the ... -
How Meles Zenawi rules Ethiopia – By Richard Dowden
Meles Zenawi is the cleverest and most engaging Prime Minister in Africa – at least when he talks to visiting outsiders. When he speaks to his ...