Blogs

Africa in Transition

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

Latest Post

A member of the South African National Defence Force works on a tanker ahead of a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of U.N. Peacekeepers at at De Brug military base in Bloemfontein, South Africa on May 29, 2023.
A member of the South African National Defence Force works on a tanker ahead of a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of U.N. Peacekeepers at at De Brug military base in Bloemfontein, South Africa on May 29, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

When Non-Intervention Becomes a Dogma

Sometimes the only thing worse than foreign intervention is non-intervention. Read More

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s Electoral Aftermath
While Zimbabwe’s ruling party continues its campaign to quash opposition forces post-election, the Southern African Development Community takes a “business as usual” approach.
Nigeria
Blood Money
When it comes to wealth transfer, Nigerian Pentecostal churches prefer to keep it all in the family.  
Democratic Republic of Congo
Catastrophic Displacement in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The latest revelations about the scale of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s crisis deserve attention.
  • Nigeria
    Dependency Theory
    The phenomenon of state-sponsored weddings across Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim northern region raises pertinent questions on the limits of political benevolence.
  • Mozambique
    A Foreboding Set of Local Elections in Mozambique
    The government’s heavy-handed response to recent local elections may spell trouble for Mozambique’s security and democracy prospects. 
  • Nigeria
    In Search of Manhood
    The genital disappearance panic sweeping across Nigeria evokes nagging anxiety over masculinity and male power.   
  • Kenya
    1100 Kenyans Will Not Save Haiti
    The UN-authorized Kenyan peace mission to Haiti is a welcome gesture, but it falls drastically short of the help the country urgently needs to establish a modern state.
  • Nigeria
    Paper Truths and Counterfeit Lives
    The furor over Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s academic records is less about his person and more about the character of Nigerian society.  
  • Nigeria
    An Army of Special Assistants
    Why do public office holders in Nigeria increasingly appoint a large number of personal aides?
  • Diplomacy and International Institutions
    A Dispiriting UNGA
    Leaders devalue democracy under the guise of standing up to the West.