insert_link Africa Sudan’s civil war is rooted in its historical favouritism of Arab and Islamic identity By Hamdy A. Hassan, Zayed University The current civil war in Sudan goes beyond a simple power struggle between two generals. It reflects a deep-rooted crisis within the country’s governing structure that’s been present since it gained independence from the British in 1956. Since independence, the Sudanese have experienced 35 coups and attempted coups, more than any other African country. In the country’s southern region a 56-year […] today29 April, 2024
insert_link South Africa How the Mandela myth helped win the battle for democracy in South Africa By Jonny Steinberg, Yale University Political history scholar Jonny Steinberg’s 2023 book Winnie & Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage is a double biography of South Africa’s most famous political figures – Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela Mandela – and their role in the country’s struggle for democracy. It’s also a book that shatters countless myths about the couple and the liberation struggle that have been formed in popular […] today29 April, 2024
insert_link World How Haiti became a failed state By Nicolas Forsans, University of Essex The US military started airlifting embassy staff out of Haiti overnight as the Caribbean island descends further into chaos. Rival gangs have joined forces to overrun the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in an attempt to force the resignation of the acting president, Ariel Henry. The gang leader behind the violence, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, has warned there will be a “civil war that […] today11 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Sudan facing a ‘hunger catastrophe,’ aid workers warn As the civil war in Sudan enters its tenth month, aid workers in the region say the conflict has been forgotten by the outside world. People continue to flee the conflict in the millions to avoid the violence, and now aid workers are warning that widespread famine is next. today27 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Ethiopia’s peace pacts with the Oromo Liberation Front have failed: here’s what was missing By Marew Abebe Salemot, Debark University Two attempts have been made over the past six years to broker peace between the Ethiopian government and the armed rebel group Oromo Liberation Front. The armed group was formed half a century ago with the goal of carving out an independent state for Oromia, the country’s largest regional state. Both attempts at brokering peace – in 2018 and again in […] today22 February, 2024
insert_link Africa South Sudan: some spoilers want peace to fail, putting 2024 elections at risk By Edgar Githua, Strathmore University South Sudan is expected to hold its first general election in December 2024. It became an independent state in 2011. The long overdue election is one of the pillars of a peace agreement signed in 2018. It helped end the 2013-2018 civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. Since then, the country has progressed in relative peace, with fewer […] today20 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Sudan Armed Forces are on a path to self-destruction – risking state collapse By Harry Verhoeven, Columbia University It is now 10 months since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in April 2023, pitting the Sudan Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group. The war, which erupted after relations between the two wings of Sudan’s security apparatus broke down, rapidly spread beyond the capital, Khartoum. More recently, the Sudan Armed Forces have suffered numerous setbacks […] today20 February, 2024
insert_link Africa The African Union is working on peace in Sudan: expert explains why it’s in everyone’s interests By John Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University The African Union has recently named a team to work on a peaceful end to Sudan’s civil war. The team will engage Sudan’s feuding military factions alongside civil society and international players to resolve the conflict that has been raging since 15 April 2023. The opponents in the conflict are the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The AU’s […] today26 January, 2024
insert_link Africa Liberia transferred power peacefully again: 3 reasons the calm is holding, and one red flag By Charles Wratto, Babes Bolyai University Joseph Boakai was sworn in as Liberia’s 26th president on 22 January 2024. Boakai secured a six year term of office after defeating incumbent president George Weah in a keenly contested November 2023 poll with 50.9% of the votes cast. The west African country of 5 million people reached a major milestone on 17 November 2023, when Weah, of the Congress for […] today24 January, 2024
