Politics – Views & Research – The Conversation

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A large crowd of people

A large crowd of people

Ghana elections: ethnicity is not allowed in the country’s politics, yet it still helps shape outcomes

Clement Sefa-Nyarko, King's College London

A man wearing a jacket and tie speaks at a podium bearing the South African coat of arms, next to the South African flag on his left.

A man wearing a jacket and tie speaks at a podium bearing the South African coat of arms, next to the South African flag on his left.

South Africa’s unity government could see a continuation of the ANC’s political dominance – and hurt the DA

Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand

A group of people protesting on the street while holding placards

A group of people protesting on the street while holding placards

Nigeria under cost of living pressure: 8 essential reads on rising tensions

Adejuwon Soyinka, The Conversation

Protests in Kenya and Uganda highlight corruption at the top - but political elites don’t give in without a fight

Inge Amundsen, Chr. Michelsen Institute

People in camouflage uniform and a brown uniform hold the arms of a man in civilian clothes

People in camouflage uniform and a brown uniform hold the arms of a man in civilian clothes

Rich countries are paying poorer ones to manage their refugee crises: 3 reasons this is dangerous

Ali Bhagat, Simon Fraser University and Genevieve LeBaron, Simon Fraser University

A hand holding a barbed wire fence

A hand holding a barbed wire fence

DRC conflict risks spreading: African leaders must push for solutions beyond military intervention

Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, University of South Africa

Dozens of displaced people in estearn DRC pose for the camera.

Dozens of displaced people in estearn DRC pose for the camera.

South Africa is trying to put a stop to the abuse of its intelligence agencies - what still needs fixing

Jane Duncan, University of Glasgow

A man points at a CCTV screen while talking on a cellphone.

A man points at a CCTV screen while talking on a cellphone.

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In the news

Men wearing military fatigues and helmets and holding teargas guns run ahead of a crowd of civilians, with a military truck keeping pace with the officers.

Kenya’s politicians continue to use ethnicity to divide and rule – 60 years after independence

Westen K Shilaho, University of Johannesburg

Suicide bombings in Nigeria: tactic is back after a four-year break – security researcher offers 3 possible reasons

Al Chukwuma Okoli, Federal University Lafia

People in police uniform inspect burnt out vehicles.

People in police uniform inspect burnt out vehicles.

Belgium’s AfricaMuseum has a dark colonial past – it’s making slow progress in confronting this history

Julien Bobineau, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

Men and women wearing face masks stand in front of a wooden sculpture of two figures, one bare-breasted, with concave trays at the top and bottom. It is inside a glass display case

Men and women wearing face masks stand in front of a wooden sculpture of two figures, one bare-breasted, with concave trays at the top and bottom. It is inside a glass display case

Uganda’s battle for the youth vote – how Museveni keeps Bobi Wine’s reach in check

Rebecca Tapscott, University of York and Anna Macdonald, University of East Anglia

A man in a suit and red cap speaking into a microphone in front of a crowd of men and women, many of them in red

A man in a suit and red cap speaking into a microphone in front of a crowd of men and women, many of them in red

Moving the Maasai: Tanzania is repeating Kenya’s colonial past

Lotte Hughes, The Open University

A member of the Kenyan Maasai community shouts slogans during a protest march

A member of the Kenyan Maasai community shouts slogans during a protest march

Peace + Security

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger want to leave Ecowas. A political scientist explains the fallout

Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University

Soldiers waving flags

Soldiers waving flags

Kenya’s protests happened in every major urban centre – why these spaces are explosive

Lena Gutheil, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

Young men walk on a road, some holding up arms or raising fists, as police in riot gear stand on the side of the road

Young men walk on a road, some holding up arms or raising fists, as police in riot gear stand on the side of the road

EU migration policy is getting tougher: the 3 new tactics used to keep African migrants out

Chris Changwe Nshimbi, University of Pretoria and Inocent Moyo, University of Zululand

Crosses made of pieces of wood, and other pieces lying on a beach at the water's edge.

Crosses made of pieces of wood, and other pieces lying on a beach at the water's edge.

Sudan is awash with weapons: how the two forces compare and what that means for the war

Khristopher Carlson, Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)

A black plume of smoke rising above residential buildings.

A black plume of smoke rising above residential buildings.

Elections + Governance

A man dances on stage wearing MK Party regalia.

A man dances on stage wearing MK Party regalia.

Jacob Zuma: South Africans have five theories about why he’s still popular

Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand

Paul Kagame has had an iron grip on Rwanda for decades – 6 essential reads on what keeps him in power

Julius Maina, The Conversation and Kagure Gacheche, The Conversation

A man holding up a red hat while a cheering crowd stands behind him

A man holding up a red hat while a cheering crowd stands behind him

South Africa’s 400 parliamentarians are about to get down to business: 4 essential reads

Caroline Southey, The Conversation; Jabulani Sikhakhane, The Conversation, and Thabo Leshilo, The Conversation

A row of people hold up their right hands, holding a piece of paper in their other hand, with microphones in front of them. Other people are seated in the background and posters on the wall say 'welcome to parliament'.

A row of people hold up their right hands, holding a piece of paper in their other hand, with microphones in front of them. Other people are seated in the background and posters on the wall say 'welcome to parliament'.

Why liberation movements fail when they come to power: South Africa and Namibia are cases in point

Henning Melber, University of Pretoria

Person silhouetted against black, green and yellow flag

Person silhouetted against black, green and yellow flag

AI can make African elections more efficient – but trust must be built and proper rules put in place

Shamira Ahmed, European University Institute and Mehari Taddele Maru, European University Institute

A person's finger is held against a scanner on a rough wooden table

A person's finger is held against a scanner on a rough wooden table

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Human rights

Women wearing robes and veils covering them entirely hold up posters

Gender apartheid: oppression of women should be made a crime against humanity – feminist academic explains why

Penelope Andrews, New York Law School

Nigeria’s response to the Sudan crisis is lacking – it could play a leading role in bringing peace

Folahanmi Aina, Royal United Services Institute

People carrying bags and walking towards parked buses.

People carrying bags and walking towards parked buses.

UK’s failed asylum deportation plan puts Rwanda’s human rights and refugee struggles in the spotlight

Evan Easton-Calabria, University of Oxford

Men and women standing on the street, mouths open in a chant and holding up posters written 'No human is illegal', 'You are welcome here' and 'Refugees are not criminals'

Men and women standing on the street, mouths open in a chant and holding up posters written 'No human is illegal', 'You are welcome here' and 'Refugees are not criminals'

Owning a gun in South Africa offers some safety, but risks run high for users and society – expert

Guy Lamb, Stellenbosch University

A man holds a gun in one hand and bullets in another.

A man holds a gun in one hand and bullets in another.

Somaliland has been pursuing independence for 33 years. Expert explains the impact of the latest deal with Ethiopia

Aleksi Ylönen, United States International University

Men and women holding up blue flags with a star in the middle, and striped blue, green and red flags while holding a banner written 'Our Sea is not Safe'

Men and women holding up blue flags with a star in the middle, and striped blue, green and red flags while holding a banner written 'Our Sea is not Safe'

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