Blogs

Africa in Transition

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

Latest Post

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a picture of himself with Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, during a meeting with Nduhungirehe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner on June 27, 2025.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a picture of himself with Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, during a meeting with Nduhungirehe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner on June 27, 2025. Ken Cedeno/REUTERS

Ceremonial Foreign Policy

In shallowly engaging with Kinshasa and Kigali, Washington does little to promote peace and risks insulating leaders from accountability.

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Tanzania
Protest and Crackdown in Tanzania
A farcical election and brutal state violence make Tanzania the latest example of a government not fit for purpose.
Nigeria
Religion and the Nigerian Crisis
The question is not whether contemporary violence in northern Nigeria is motivated by religion; the real question is why the commentariat is loath to admit it.
Nigeria
A Concerning Standoff
President Trump is right to draw attention to the plight of victims of Islamist terror in Nigeria, but a unilateral invasion of the country will be counterproductive.
  • Politics and Government
    Conduct Unbecoming
    In continuing to express a desire to run for an unconstitutional third term, President Trump belittles the office and erodes America’s moral authority abroad.
  • Sudan
    Shelling, Drones, and Hunger in El Fasher
    Regional and international actors should approach the crisis in Sudan with the urgency it demands. 
  • Cameroon
    Cameroon at an Inflection Point
    Regardless of who is announced as the winner in this month’s election, change is coming for Cameroon.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
    Transactionalism Tested
    The United States’ hastily established third country deportation deals are chaotic and counterproductive. 
  • Nigeria
    The Government of Nigeria Versus Senator Ted Cruz
    The security crisis in Nigeria may be complicated, but that does not make it any less religious.
  • Madagascar
    Protests Arrive in Madagascar
    Poor public service provision, poverty, and inequality have made Rajoelina's government the latest target of Gen Z demonstrations. 
  • Nigeria
    Je Suis Yahaya
    The Supreme Court of Nigeria should free Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and declare blasphemy laws in the country unconstitutional.