Society
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How Burkina Faso took to the streets to remove a dictator, then stayed there
Years after Burkinabé citizens overthrew a repressive regime, street protests continue apace over a wide range of issues. Early this month, Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou was briefly ... -
“I just want to live like a normal man”: What’s stopping CAR disarming?
Speaking to combatants in the Central African Republic reveals their true motivations for taking up arms. The ongoing instability in the Central African Republic ... -
The WhatsApp rumours that infused Sierra Leone’s tight election
Several fake news stories started online, but soon spread far and wide offline, duping even senior officials. In early March, a few days before ... -
Uganda’s notorious police chief leaves behind a grim legacy
Under Kale Kayihura’s 13-year tenure, the police committed widespread and systematic abuses. Many would now like to see him prosecuted. Last week, Uganda experienced ... -
I had to flee my home Tanzania for doing journalism. I was lucky.
I dared to criticise President Magufuli and nearly paid the ultimate price. When I chose to go into journalism over 20 years ago, I ... -
“They amused themselves with my body”: Male survivors of sexual violence stay silent in CAR
Sexual violence is widespread in the Central African Republic’s conflict, including against thousands of men and boys. During an attack on his village near ... -
Tanzania: Everyone is scared
In an unprecedented move, leaders from all sectors of society are speaking out about growing assaults on freedoms and political violence. On 16 February, ... -
What do former child soldiers really need?
Too often, initiatives aimed at helping returning child soldiers fail to listen to what the boys and girls say they want and need to ... -
When facts cease to matter: The polarised world of Rwanda research
Reydams’ controversial article attacking a small NGO was full of factual errors and leaps of logic. Sadly, such scholarship is not rare in this ... -
“We’re here to stay”: Vigilante policing spreading across Burkina Faso
In the absence of the state, local armed units have emerged to enforce law and order. They have been welcomed by many, but not ...
