Look to China for the main beneficiary of America’s likely retreat from Africa
Under the Trump administration Africa is only likely to matter in the fight against terrorism and in providing American companies with economic opportunities.
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Articles on African politics
Displaying 1 - 20 of 212 articles
Tragedy in the Nuba Mountains: hunger and starvation are constants
The world has turned its back on the Nuba people of Sudan. Despite the critical need for food, none of the organisations involved in helping people in dire need have attempted to deliver aid to them.
A man called Hope: the legacy of Namibia’s Andimba Toivo ya Toivo
Namibian hero and former Robben Island prisoner Toivo ya Toivo was part of a generation who contributed to the struggles against apartheid and colonialism in the region.
Lungu tries to have his cake and eat it: a state of emergency in all but name
Zambia's president is securing powers to consolidate his political control while generating 'plausible deniability' to whether or not he has fatally undermined democracy.
Tribute to a Namibian icon: Andimba Toivo ya Toivo
Andimba (Herman) Toivo Ya Toivo remained loyal to what made him the personification of the desire to live in an independent country governed by, and for, its people.
Why the ANC may be stumbling closer to its most serious split yet
The possibility that South Africa's ruling ANC could lose power in 2019 runs like a tragic thread through its policy conference documents. It agrees that its actions have repelled many supporters.
South Africa’s main opposition party can’t cure its foot-in-mouth syndrome
With the ANC in crisis, the Democratic Alliance seemed to be getting it right. But then came a flurry of inexplicably tactless tweets.
A public protector’s job is to make sure people stick to the law - not to change it
The public protector's proposal to change the mandate of South Africa's Reserve Bank goes well beyond changing individual rules to overturning their very foundation, anchored in the Constitution.
Western leaders take their eyes off Africa at just the wrong moment
The state of democracy isn't looking good in southern Africa – but these countries' Western 'partners' don't really seem to care.
France and Africa: Macron’s rhetoric shouldn’t be confused with reality
Despite being led by different presidents over the past six decades, the French government's policy on Africa has been faithful to its neo-colonial roots. Will Macron's government be any different?
Populism on the rise as South Africa and Namibia gear up to elect new presidents
South Africa's ANC and Namibia's SWAPO, governing parties, enter crucial leadership elections this year, with presidents Zuma and Geingob both facing challenges.
We need to talk about Zambia as it falls from grace under President Lungu
The world's media, which has in the past found Zambia uninteresting, are suddenly paying more attention to the impoverished nation, for all the wrong reasons.
Behind Buhari’s standoff with the Senate over Nigeria’s anti-corruption czar
There appears to be no resolution in sight over the impasse between Nigeria's president and the Senate over Muhammadu Buhari's choice of chief crime buster. Who will blink first?
Why the African Union must press ahead with a business and human rights policy
The move by the African Union to develop a policy to regulate the impact of firms on human rights puts it ahead of other regions as it seeks to guide companies conducting activities on the continent.
Integrating radical fighters who return home isn’t easy, but can be done
Trying to reintegrate foreign fighters who return home shouldn't be considered the soft option. Governments in countries like Morocco and Tunisia need to respond realistically to a complex problem.
Southern African politics roiled by distortions, junk bonds and road rage
Three democracies once considered beacons of hope are in varying states of disarray.
As South Africa’s ANC implodes, Thabo Mbeki tries to rewrite his own history
Today's ANC is in terrible shape – but it wasn't Jacob Zuma who put it on the wrong track.
South Africa’s ANC can stay a liberation movement and govern well
Democracy in South Africa is meaningless if it doesn't improve the lives of the people. To do this, the governing ANC must be led by conscientious, competent and interested leaders.
Why efforts to secure a deal on banning all nuclear weapons are so important
The treaty to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons has been exceptionally successful. Only nine states have them. Now, efforts are underway to completely rid the world of them.
Why it’s important that the world still reflects on Rwanda’s genocide
The 1994 Rwandan genocide evokes shame, despair, and revulsion.Yet, the events warrant reflection and remind us about the risks of looking the other way.
Top contributors
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Professor of World Politics, SOAS, University of London
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Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape
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Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
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Professor of Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology
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Professor in Political Science, University of South Africa
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2017 Bradlow Fellow at SA Institute of International Affairs,Visiting Professor of International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand
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Associate Professor and Head of Department of Political and Conflict Studies, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
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Professor in the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
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Steinberg Postdoctoral Fellow in International Migration Law, Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, Faculty of Law, McGill University
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Inaugural WIPHOLD-Brigalia Bam Research Professor and Chair in Electoral Democracy in Africa, UNISA, University of South Africa
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Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
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Professor of Humanities and the Director of the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS), University of Johannesburg
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Professor Emeritus, Society, Work and Development Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Researcher and PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science, Michigan State University
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Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Malawi
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