africa

Debates and articles from across the openDemocracy website that discuss or are relevant to Africa
Monday 13th February

A new way: Somaliland's statebuilding

Anne-Marie Brinkman, 13 February 2012
Diplomats, aid workers and their governments agree that local capabilities are the baseline and drivers of change, but apparently find it impossible to act in a way that reflects this in day to day situations.
Tuesday 7th February

Nigeria: the challenge of “Boko Haram II”

Morten Bøås, 7 February 2012
The radical Islamist group Boko Haram poses an increasing threat to the Nigerian state in the country’s north. How has it become so powerful and effective? The ingredients of an answer lie in the complex history, power-relationships and social inequalities of this marginalised region, says Morten Bøås.
Wednesday 1st February

The contest over peace and security in Africa

Alex de Waal, 1 February 2012
The dominant interventionist approach to peace and security in Africa by-passes the hard work of creating domestic political consensus and instead imposes models of government favoured by western powers. The emergent African methodology offers a chance to develop locally-rooted solutions too often sidelined.
Saturday 21st January

Rwanda: a step towards truth

Andrew Wallis, 21 January 2012
A new French report into the incident that sparked Rwanda's genocide is of vital importance on three grounds: discrediting false accounts, establishing facts, and raising further questions. But it leaves critical questions unanswered, including over the role of a key French mercenary, says Andrew Wallis
Tuesday 17th January

Morocco's silent revolution

Valentina Bartolucci, 17 January 2012
Morocco’s experience of the Arab spring of 2011, including constitutional reform and a parliamentary election, exemplifies the country’s political distinctiveness within the region. The events of 2012 will demonstrate how far hopes of real change can be sustained, says Valentina Bartolucci.
Thursday 29th December

The death of Khalil Ibrahim: what it doesn't mean for peace in Darfur

Elfadil Ibrahim, 29 December 2011
The likely future of the JEM without Khalil Ibrahim is fragmentation and eventual disintegration
Saturday 24th December

2011, trepidation and hope

Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, 24 December 2011
A topsy-turvy year full of dramatic reversals left sub-Saharan Africa still in search of of the balance that would harness good governance to economic progress, says Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie.
Friday 23rd December

Women in the new Libya: challenges ahead

Kathryn Spellman-Poots, 23 December 2011
Will the rights of the women, who participated in the struggles leading to fall of Gaddafi, be put under pressure in the new Libya? Kathryn Spellman-Poots assesses women’s status under Gadaffi and points to the perils ahead.
Thursday 22nd December

Egyptian storytelling: a vessel for power

Zainab Magdy, 22 December 2011
Writing has come to mean place and presence, and presence gives us power to force those who don't acknowledge our existence to admit that they can hear the sound of our breath, says the young Egyptian writer Zainab Magdy
Monday 19th December

Senegal: the land belongs to those who work it

Fatou Guèye, 19 December 2011
After a quarter century of armed conflict, and a socio-economic fabric reduced to shreds, women in Casamance, Senegal, are winning the right to access land and rebuild peace, says Fatou Guèye

Sénégal: la terre à ceux qui la travaillent

Fatou Guèye, 19 December 2011
Plus d’un quart de siècle de conflit armé, un tissu socio-économique complètement déstructuré, mais les femmes de Casamance restent debout, luttent avec succès pour avoir le droit à la terre et pour la pour la paix et le développement, dit Fatou Guèye

Nigeria: women on the outskirts of politics

Lisa Denney, 19 December 2011
With only nine women senators representing 54 million women in Nigeria, international support should focus on the broader political cycle and the numerous obstacles to women's political participation, rather than on the election moment, says Lisa Denney
Wednesday 14th December

Chinese companies under scrutiny in Zimbabwe

Andrew Mambondiyani, 14 December 2011
Ten years into the Look East policy, Zimbabwe is showing itself to be a not-so-satisfied customer of Chinese investment.
Friday 9th December

India’s proliferating relations with Africa

Anirudh Menon, 9 December 2011
India’s demand for resource security, potential trade and investment opportunities and a strategic partnership with the African Union is similar to that of China; but the approach that each nation has taken is rather different.
Thursday 8th December

The question of identity revisited: the challenge of nation-building in the new South Sudan

Elfadil Ibrahim, 8 December 2011
The ability to allow an inclusive social fabric to flourish will determine the success of the new state.
Wednesday 7th December

The journalist as terrorist: an Ethiopian story

Abiye Teklemariam Megenta, 7 December 2011
The Ethiopian government led by prime minister Meles Zenawi uses charges of terrorism to silence and intimidate its domestic critics. The political technique is now being extended by accusing independent journalists of conspiracy. One of his targets, Abiye Teklemariam Megenta, responds.
Monday 5th December

The material stakes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo elections

Pete Jones, 5 December 2011
Private interest, not public voice, governs the immediate future of the DRC - the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Friday 2nd December

SOS from a Congolese peacebuilder: rescue the young democracy of DR Congo!

Flory Kazingufu, 2 December 2011
There are concrete steps the Congolese political establishment can take to avert post-election violence, if external pressure helps to engender the necessary political will.
Thursday 1st December

The missing migration component of Turkey-Africa relations

Theodore Baird, 1 December 2011
Turkey needs to come to terms with the immigration responsibilities that come with increased trade links with Africa.
Tuesday 22nd November

South Africa's political duel: Zuma vs Malema

Roger Southall, 22 November 2011
South Africa's president has outgunned his young, ambitious rival and cleared the road to re-election. But the struggle between them casts an unforgiving light on aspects of the country's governance, says Roger Southall.
Syndicate content