Blogs

Africa in Transition

Michelle Gavin, Ebenezer Obadare, and other experts track political and security developments across sub-Saharan Africa.

Latest Post

Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of Chadema party Tundu Lissu is escorted as he walks at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on April 10, 2025.
Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of Chadema party Tundu Lissu is escorted as he walks at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on April 10, 2025. Emmanuel Herman/REUTERS

Tanzania’s Election Will Deepen Cynicism About Democracy

President Samia’s quest for a mandate may lead to a pyrrhic victory.

Read More
Democracy
Tropical Vibes
The leader of the free world appears to have contracted the third-term virus. 
South Sudan
South Sudan is a Test for the African Union
The time for conflict prevention is rapidly expiring. 
Sub-Saharan Africa
A Question of Freedom
When it comes to African development, foreign aid is just the beginning.
  • Zimbabwe
    Familiar Unrest in Zimbabwe
    A potential coup against President Mnangagwa offers little prospect of real change. 
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
    What’s Next for the Democratic Republic of Congo?
    Start-and-stop diplomacy continues against a backdrop of humanitarian disaster.
  • Ethiopia
    Alarm Bells in Tigray
    Tigray seems headed for a resumption of hostilities. It might also become the proving ground for America First foreign policy.
  • Burkina Faso
    Prince of the Sahel
    Beneath the ideological bluster, Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré is just the latest in a long line of African martial impostors.
  • Sudan
    The Abandonment of Sudan
    Partition in Sudan is no solution for a sustainable peace.
  • U.S. Foreign Policy
    Uncle Sam Goes Rogue
    President Trump’s coddling of Vladimir Putin sends the wrong message about U.S. leadership in the world. 
  • South Africa
    Trump’s Misguided Policy Toward South Africa
    The U.S.-South Africa relationship needs a rethink. But the Trump administration’s approach is only making a bad situation worse.