Despite the evident weakness of state institutions and accountability of elites, Guinea-Bissau is still a country that ‘works’.
Idyllic Mauritius is the only African country ranked in the favourable category of ‘more stable’ in the latest survey on state fragility.
Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi
The Fragile States Index leaves more questions than it answers. Like similar global surveys, its credibility hinges on reliable data. But how sound are its statistics and their interpretation?
South Sudan declared independence in 2011 after a referendum in which participants voted overwhelming in favour of secession, but the new state’s viability is in question.
EPA/Phillip Dhil
South Sudan's independence in 2011, which ended half a century of deadly conflict, was met with much praise. But a descent into civil war has led to dismay and suggests fresh thinking is required.
Arms laid down: French president François Hollande visits Bangui.
EPA/Sia Kambou
The case of Meriam Ibrahim, a pregnant woman sentenced to death for apostasy by a Khartoum court, has rightly refocused international attention on the dire state of human rights in Sudan. Ibrahim’s prosecution…
Earlier this month, Nigeria marked a most unwelcome anniversary; a year of special measures in the three northern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Located in the north east corner of the country, snug…