Keith Somerville

As you enter the region of Hoedspruit in South Africa’s Limpopo province – the gateway to the world famous Kruger National Park – you see big signs along the road warning that anti-poaching units will “poach the poachers”. The signs

Read the rest of Rhino poaching in South Africa: organised crime and economic opportunity driving trade – By Keith Somerville »

In the last six weeks there have been a number of violent clashes in areas of Kenya where the existing political, social and religious structures are contested or fail to meet the subsistence or security needs of the local populations. 

Read the rest of Kenya: land and communal clashes increase as country gears up for elections – By Keith Somerville »

I’ve just returned from a couple of weeks in South Africa. It was supposed to be a holiday dominated by the Big Five on the safari circuit.  But owing to the current news coming out of the country, a different

Read the rest of Mines, Malema and Mangaung: South Africa’s descent into a morass of corruption, greed and factionalism – By Keith Somerville »

  Martin Plaut and Paul Holden, Who Rules South Africa Jonathan ball, Johannesburg and Cape Town, 2012. Midrand and beyond The ANC policy conference in Midrand at the end of June was a forerunner for what is to come at

Read the rest of Who Rules South Africa? Negotiating the complex web of ANC politics – 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.  Her constitutionally-ordained succession had been briefly resisted by several members of Mutharika’s cabinet and

Read the rest of Malawi: Banda brings Malawi back from the brink – By Keith Somerville »

Monitoring from afar the Malawian reaction to the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika and the inauguration, after a brief succession struggle, of Joyce Banda as the new president I couldn’t help being reminded of a Private Eye cover from

Read the rest of Malawi’s new president must build support and mend donor relations – by Keith Somerville »

Between independence in 1964 and the referendum to end the one party state in 1993, Malawi was almost a stereotype of an African autocracy with a geriatric Life President, a violent youth movement which beat or killed his opponents and

Read the rest of Malawi’s democracy dips into recession – By Keith Somerville »

African Conflicts and Informal Power: Big Men and Networks offers an interesting new approach to the development and influence of informal networks of political, social and economic power in conflicts in Africa.  Taking the concept of the Big Man from

Read the rest of Why Big Men are not the answer to Africa’s conflicts – Keith Somerville »

It is now nine years since Jonas Savimbi was killed by Angolan government troops, but the UNITA movement he founded and led is still struggling to find its feet and to develop a clear identity and political role.  Although it

Read the rest of Angola: Is UNITA sinking after Chivukuvuku jumps ship? – By Keith Somerville »

It’s always been hard to find a framework for analyzing Somalia.  It has one of the most ethnically homogenous populations in Africa – Somalis share the same language, culture, religion and clan structure – yet the country seems constantly riven

Read the rest of Getting Somalia Wrong? – Signs of hope in a shattered state – a realistic but empathetic analysis – review by Keith Somerville »