Read the rest of Theodore Trefon talks about his new African Arguments publication ‘Congo Masquerade’ »

“Capsules” is an ad-hoc series of short notes focusing on three issues relating to Sudan: 1- Darfur, 2- South Sudan, 3- Nile Waters. 4- Sudan-North The notes shall focus on facts and on realistic analysis and possible scenarios. The notes

Read the rest of Sudan (North), Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan in the Short-Term Landscape of Sudan – By Tag Elkhazin »

Until last week, Niger’s main pre-occupation was the consolidation of democracy following peaceful elections in February. President Mahamadou Issoufou was determinedly continuing with an energetic anti-corruption drive in the face of an alleged coup plot back in July. This was

Read the rest of Niger and Gadaffi – fallout out from the Libyan crisis: ‘We have no means to close the border… It is too big’ – By Celeste Hicks »

So why didn’t NATO planes bomb the armed convoy that headed from Libya into Niger on Tuesday? Two possible answers: One it was part of a withdrawal deal that NATO knew about. Two that they suspected the Gaddafi was in

Read the rest of Libya’s neighbours’ longer term – By Richard Dowden »

In the early days following the rise of the insurgency in Libya, it was widely reported that Col. Gaddafi was making an extensive use of foreign mercenaries to defend his regime. Tuaregs from Mali and Niger, and, more specifically, ex-rebels,

Read the rest of Mali and Niger Tuareg insurgencies and the war in Libya: ‘Whether you liked him or not, Gadaffi used to fix a lot of holes’ – By Frédéric Deycard and Yvan Guichaoua »

One morning back in late May, I stumbled up the street to buy my morning paper. I opened the paper to find a headline that read: ‘8,000 Homos In Two Regions: Majority Infected With HIV/AIDS’. I looked up at my

Read the rest of A letter from Ghana – ‘Homos’ and Hysteria: reporting the gay debate in Africa – By Clair MacDougall »

Incumbent Zambian President Rupiah Banda faces an uphill battle to retain the position he inherited in 2008 from the late Patrick L. Mwanawasa. Despite presiding over a sustained process of socio-economic growth (Zambia’s GDP increased at an average rate of

Read the rest of Zambia Election briefing 2011: Battle of the Dinosaurs – By Giacomo Macola and Jack Hogan »

It’s over a month since famine was declared in Somalia and alarm bells clearly rung about serious food shortages across Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia. 12 million people in the Horn of Africa are in desperate need of food, clean

Read the rest of Somalia’s Famine: Never again, again – By Jamie Drummond, Exec Director, ONE »

Looking back on my recent trip to Uganda and Sudan it struck that while Kampala throbs with energy and activity, its inhabitants are discontented. In Juba in contrast there is very little economic activity but everyone you meet is blissfully

Read the rest of South Sudan: newborn state in a nasty zone – By Richard Dowden »

Last week the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14495242) reported on a scandal at the once respected Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone. It seems that students were unable to take their final exams because the University had simply run out of paper. What

Read the rest of Sierra Leone Paper Scandal Underscores Plight of African Universities – Michael Keating »