Cutting the UN’s peacekeeping budget will cost the world dear
Slashing funding will put carefully crafted initiatives at risk – and people will die because of it.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Congo
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Congolese musicians rarely provide a critique, but continue to provide solace
For many of contemporary Congolese musicians the idea of authenticité was seen as a positive one at a certain level, even though Mobutu abused Congo culture to build his own personality cult.
Africa’s rainforests are different. Why it matters that they’re protected
It's crucial to know the relationship between biodiversity and carbon storage to assess whether carbon-focused conservation will also protect the most biodiverse forests.
It’s time to celebrate Africa’s forgotten fossil hunters
Africa has one of the world's richest fossil records, and evidence suggests that amateurs collected really important fossils long before professionals arrived on the scene.
Africa faces a new threat to democracy: the ‘constitutional coup’
Attempts to deepen democracy in Africa by limiting presidential terms to two have not entirely quashed a culture of entitlement to rule. Glimpses of it persist, much against citizens' wishes.
How we discovered the world’s largest tropical peatland, deep in the jungles of Congo
A swampy area the size of England stores as much carbon as 20 years of US fossil fuel emissions.
The Gambia keeps dream of deepening democracy in Africa alive
A peaceful transition in the Gambia, taken together with hints of change in Angola and Zimbabwe, will portend hope that Africa’s democratic renewal is still alive.
Revealed: the ancient genetic link between chimpanzees and bonobos
The two species mated 500,000 years ago, leaving a genetic mark to this day. This knowledge could help save them from extinction.
Speaking truth to power: The killing of Dag Hammarskjöld and the cover-up
Fifty five years and many inquiries later, the search continues for the truth about the cause of the plane crash in which the UN secretary general and 15 others were killed
Under the influence of … Congolese virtuoso Ray Lema’s ‘Nangadeef’
The Congolese album ‘Nangadeef’ remains largely unexplored, despite its genius. As a rich repository of Afrofuturistic data, it deserves to be delved into by lovers of African art.
Papa Wemba: active ambassador for Congolese urban music
Papa Wemba was one of the most active ambassadors of Congolese urban music on the global stage. He did this by fusing international musical styles with authentic Congolese grooves.
It’s time to bust the myth that Africa doesn’t produce scientific innovators
There are plenty of innovators, scientists and inventors in Africa doing remarkable work today. So why does the myth of Africa being devoid of scientific innovators persist?
Papa Wemba: strong, but ambiguous bonds, with his motherland
Congolese singer Papa Wemba might have been one of Africa's best loved musicians - but his politics wasn't popular with all his compatriots.
Papa Wemba: musical king of the Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People
Popular African musician Papa Wemba, who died recently, has been close to the heartbeat of the continent's music. His influence will continue long after his death.
The Sixties and Red Africa: the decade of searching for African utopias
Utopianism is a neglected prism through which to view Africa. It is the space where the intricacies of decolonisation and independence can be properly comprehended.
A month of elections and referendums paints a mixed picture of African democracy
African elections and referendums are still a heady mixture of the graceful and the shameless.
How the origin of the KhoiSan tells us that ‘race’ has no place in human ancestry
Human population groups worldwide are highly homogeneous genetically. They are in fact 99.5% similar and their anatomical features vary in an uncorrelated fashion over the landscape.
Africa’s 2015 election experiences present dilemmas for 2016 polls
Regular changes of government through free and fair elections that reflect the wishes of the majority of citizens are a critical component of democratisation. But how significant are polls in Africa?
China’s economic slowdown threatens African progress
China's economy has continued to slow despite efforts by its leaders to give it a boost, which is very bad news for an increasingly dependent Africa.
Denis Mukwege deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in Congo
The Congolese physician has treated over 20,000 victims of traumatic rape in a conflict fueled in part by 'conflict minerals' used to make cellphones.
Top contributors
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Professor of Global Change Science at University of Leeds and, UCL
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Musician, Academic, Consultant, University of Edinburgh
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Professor of World Politics, SOAS, University of London
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Professor of Tropical Ecology, University of Leeds
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Associate Professor of International Studies, Princeton 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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Founding Director of Program on Intrastate Conflict, Kennedy School, Harvard University
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Senior Research Specialist in Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery at the Human Science Research Council and a Research Fellow Centre for African Studies, University of the Free State
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Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies; Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies, Pennsylvania State University
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Lecturer in African and Transnational History, University of York
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Emeritus Professor, University of Cape Town
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Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
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Doctoral Candidate, Nelson Mandela University
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PhD student in Music, Royal Holloway
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Professor of Ethnomusicology, Kent State University
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