insert_link Africa Boko Haram and western education: the surprising views of some Nigerians who left the insurgency group By Hannah Hoechner, University of East Anglia and Yagana Bukar, University of Maiduguri The world has come to associate the insurgency in north-east Nigeria with the slogan “western education is forbidden”. This is how “Boko Haram” – the name given to the insurgents – is commonly translated from the Hausa language into English. But “Boko Haram” is not what the insurgents call themselves or would […] todayJuly 2, 2024 9
insert_link Africa Over 80 killed in Eastern Congo Attacks More than 80 people have been killed in a spate of attacks over the past week in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Local authorities have blamed the killings on members of an Islamist militia known as the Allied Democratic Forces. Chris Ocamringa (Otchamringa) has more from Kinshasa. todayJune 10, 2024 19
insert_link World Jihadism in Mozambique: southern African forces are leaving with mixed results By Thomas Mandrup, Stellenbosch University The Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission in Mozambique (Samim), which was deployed on 15 July 2021 to fight the Islamic insurgents terrorising the northern Cabo Delgado province since 2017, is scheduled to end by June 2024. Mozambican security forces will then take full responsibility for security. We asked military science and defence expert Thomas Mandrup, who has published a paper […] todayApril 8, 2024 7
insert_link Africa Twin rate cuts set Mozambique apart as African currency rally By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Mozambique’s central bank has decisively cut its benchmark lending rate to 15.75% from 16.5%, setting a precedent as the first African country to slash rates twice in 2024. The move highlights Maputo’s aggressive push for economic growth amid a wider trend of cooling inflation and currency stability against the US dollar across Africa. Rate cuts in the southeastern African nation, prompted […] todayApril 8, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Niger has cut military ties with the US: why this is bad for the Sahel’s security By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University Niger – a landlocked country of 25 million people in one of the most unstable parts of the world – recently announced it was suspending military cooperation with the United States. For over a decade, Niger has been one of America’s most reliable allies in the Sahel. The Sahel region, which stretches across Africa from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, is […] todayMarch 20, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Thousands displaced in Mozambique due to unrest A new outbreak of unrest in northern Mozambique by jihadist insurgency has forced thousands to flee their homes, according to UN figures and sources in Cabo Delgado province. The AFP news agency reports that an alert from the UN migration agency IOM said recent attacks in the Macomia, Chiure and Mecufi districts had displaced 13 088 people - most of them children - by bus, canoe, and on foot. todayFebruary 22, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger want to leave Ecowas. A political scientist explains the fallout By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have sent Ecowas, west Africa’s main political union of 15 countries, a formal notice of their withdrawal from the bloc. The three countries are governed by military rulers who have overthrown democratically elected leaders since 2021. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo asked political scientist Olayinka Ajala about the implications of the withdrawal. Why are Mali, Benin […] todayFebruary 6, 2024 3
insert_link Africa Niger and Russia are forming military ties: 3 ways this could upset old allies By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University In July 2023, Niger’s military took over in a coup just two years after the country’s first transition to civilian power. The coup has brought into sharp focus the role of foreign countries in Niger’s politics. Before the coup, France and the US were the main security allies of Niger. But the coup leaders, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, were open about […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 3
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
