When conventional tools of resistance have failed or been compromised, humor has been a weapon of last resort for the African subaltern.  

The country’s bloated debt portfolio is the outcome of decades-long economic mismanagement.

When the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began generating electricity a few days ago, it marked a triumphant moment for a troubled country. Paired with the images of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s engagements at the recent AU and European Union-Africa Summits, in which he advocated for a stronger African voice in international decision-making, and the news that the Ethiopian parliament voted to lift the state of emergency that had been imposed late last year, the latest developments can seem like a return to form for Ethiopia and its relations with the rest of the world.

As 2021 comes to a close, here are the top ten most notable world events of the past year.