East
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AI and the New Machinery of African Repression
Artificial intelligence is lowering the cost of authoritarian control in Africa. The danger is not only mass surveillance, but a state that can abort ... -
The Pagak Pivot: South Sudan’s Strategic Realignment and the Transformation of Nile Basin Politics
On May 9, 2026, the Sudanese newspaper Al-Sayha first broke the exclusive report alleging that Juba had issued an ‘urgent’ directive ordering the termination ... -
Rethinking South Sudan’s Unfinished Transition
South Sudan is approaching another decisive moment, but the country is still far from ready for credible elections in December 2026. Nearly two decades ... -
They called it historic. Somali women have heard that before.
The first time I heard a Somali female parliamentarian describe her experience of the quota system, she did not use the word “opportunity.” She ... -
The Machine Cannot Hold
The old YARID offices, before the move to the current premises, were on a second floor above a hardware stall. By eight in the ... -
Ukraine Is Coming to Africa. But Did Anyone Ask Africa?
On 25 March 2026, a high-level interagency coordination meeting took place at Ukraine’s Presidential Office, chaired by Kyrylo Budanov. The subject was the expansion ... -
Sudan’s War Was Not a Breakdown. It Was the System Working.
In April 2023, the immediate trigger for Sudan’s war was not an ideology, not an election, and not a border dispute. It was an ... -
Ethiopia’s Election and the Death of Political Choice
When people say Ethiopia’s 2026 election will not be free or fair, they are right. But that description is still too soft for what ... -
The UK’s ‘Emergency Brake’ on Sudanese Students is a Cynical Act of Collective Punishment
The UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently announced an “emergency brake” on sponsored study visas for nationals from Sudan, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Myanmar. Presented ... -
Ethiopia’s Smaller Wars: Destitution, Conflict Escalation, and Military Abuses in Lower Omo
With war looming in the north of the country, Ethiopia threatens to make headlines again, as it has in recent years due to the ...
