Politics & Governance

A major diplomatic event that had been eagerly anticipated across the African continent has been indefinitely postponed following concerns about the expanding Ebola outbreak in central Africa, with organisers citing the impossibility of ensuring the safety of delegates in the current health environment. The summit, which would have brought together heads of state, trade ministers […]

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has arrested former Power Minister Saleh Mamman in the early hours of Tuesday, nearly two weeks after an Abuja court sentenced him in absentia to 75 years in prison on 12 counts of corruption linked to the diversion of funds meant for two major hydroelectric power projects. The Economic and Financial Crimes

Togo has announced that it will welcome nationals of all African countries without requiring a visa, positioning itself as the latest West African state to dismantle entry restrictions that have long hampered intra-continental movement. The announcement comes as African leaders continue to invoke the African Continental Free Trade Area as a vehicle for deeper integration—but

In a move that has sent shockwaves across the Middle East, Africa, and the wider international community, Somaliland has announced it will open an embassy in Jerusalem — making it the first and only country in the world to establish formal diplomatic representation in the contested city as Israel’s capital. The announcement, confirmed by Somaliland’s

Abuja, Nigeria — A Federal High Court ruling issued in the third week of May has ignited a fierce public debate about the boundaries of civic freedom in Africa largest democracy, with rights groups warning the decision could be used to silence critical voices across the political spectrum. The ruling, the specifics of which are

In a move that has reverberated across the continent, Botswana’s High Court has struck down legislation that criminalised same-sex relations between consenting adults — making Botswana one of a growing number of African nations to reconsider colonial-era laws that have long been used to marginalise sexual minorities. The ruling, which represents a significant shift in

When Africa’s wealthiest businessman and a sitting president disagree over where to build a multi-billion dollar refinery, the stakes go far beyond geography. The dispute between Aliko Dangote and President William Ruto over the location of East Africa’s planned mega refinery has exposed deep fault lines in the region’s industrial ambitions — and raised uncomfortable

A diplomatic and commercial dispute between Kenya and Tanzania over the location of East Africa next major oil refinery has exposed fault lines between the two neighbouring governments, with Africa wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, publicly throwing his weight behind Kenya Mombasa proposal in a move that has left Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan navigating awkward

When Zambia announced last year that it had completed restructuring billions of dollars in debt owed to Chinese state-owned lenders, it marked a milestone that African finance ministers had been working toward for nearly five years. The deal — reached under the auspices of the G20 Common Framework — offered a template that debt experts

Something significant is happening across Africa, and the continent is increasingly frustrated that nobody seems to be paying attention. A compelling new commentary published this week makes the case that Africa is undergoing a transformation of historic proportions — but that the dominant global narratives about Africa remain frozen in a story of crisis, dependency,

Kagame’s Direct Challenge to the Dependency Model President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has used a major continental summit to renew his call for African nations to stop seeking salvation from external powers and instead build the economic and institutional foundations for genuine pan-African independence, in a speech that was widely interpreted as a broadside against

Malawi’s government has found itself at the centre of a mounting political storm after officials acknowledged the use of tear gas to disperse supporters of former president Lazarus Chakwera during a commemoration event, a confrontation that has reignited debate about the state of democracy and civil liberties in the southeast African nation. The incident occurred