This Week in Africa

democracy, development, daily life

[thisweekinafrica]

December 27, 2019

Quote of the week

“Why would I want 10 Ferraris, 20 diamond watches, or 2 planes. I built schools, a stadium, we provide clothes, shoes, food for people who are in extreme poverty. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me.” – Senegalese footballer Sadio Mane

African Foreign Policy The Pentagon plans for a dramatic drawdown of troops in Africa. Elizabeth Schmidt outlines a progressive foreign policy for Africa. You can now read her well-known book open access. The US’s unofficial war in Somalia has left behind a lot of collateral damage. France carried out its first drone strike killing armed militants in Mali. Cheap drones are killing civilians in Libya. Ending the CFA Franc Francophone countries will no longer use the CFA Franc. Learn about the evolution from the Franc to the Eco. Citizens are divided over the policy change. Nathaniel Powell has a good thread on French-African relations. Has France kidnapped the new currency? Ghana’s year of return Nearly one million people traveled to Ghana for the year of return. More Americans are moving to Ghana as well. But the marketing campaign excludes descendants of slaves outside the United States. Goodwill alone won’t fix bad policymaking that relies on bad data. Struggle for rights and freedom This is how the Nigerian mafia exploits African women in Europe. It is difficult to obtain justice for extrajudicial killings in Kenya. Zambia’s president Lungu is eroding democracy to stay in power. Hundreds of more people are displaced in Cameroon in continuing violence. US law firms hounded dozens of families of victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash in illegal and unethical ways. Burundi still plans to move its capital. Read about the complex legacy of vigilantism in South Africa. Who’s getting left out of Ethiopia’s ruling coalition? What is driving Ethiopia’s ethnic conflicts? How can Nigeria regain its momentum against Boko Haram? Why do Eritreans flee? Research corner Check out the new book Seeing like a Citizen about citizenship and colonization in Kenya (short post here). This is a good encyclopedia entry on conflict, displacement, and refugees. This is a must read symposium “Toward an urban policy analysis.” This book places Tanzanian development in comparative perspective. This is a good paper on statistical power for experimental economists. And this study examines gender and security in Mali. The week in development Zimbabwe fears that a famine is on the horizon. Liberia’s outsourcing education experiment shows mixed results. Researchers and activists are putting Makoko slum on the map. This is a very cool interactive study of nitration fixation for smallholder farmers in Africa. Ethiopia launches its first satellite into space. Africa and the environment 2019 brought warnings and hope in climate reporting. Africa’s climate refugees are already here. Climate change threatens livelihoods across east Africa. Can geo-tagging and blockchain fight climate change? How are African cities adapting to climate change? Year in review Sean Jacobs explains all the great thing taking shape at Africa is a Country. Check out the best books of the year according to Foreign Affairs. The African Economic Outlook of 2019 outlines trends on the continent. 2019 was a bitter year for refugees. Here is the year in sports. And meet the global women who took a stand this year. Daily life This exhibition for Volkswagen Bug enthusiasts in Ethiopia looks awesome. The woman photographers of Eastleigh. This is why African YouTube videos have the best comment section. Get a copy of the Palm Wine Drinkard. Fela in Lagos. Basketball star Serge Ibaka returned home to the Republic of Congo with a trophy. Uhuru Park on Christmas.

[thisweekinafrica]

December 20, 2019

Quote of the week

“The ongoing political reforms in Angola have to count as one of the least expected, most and important, and under-covered stories of the decade in Africa.” – Howard French

Security challenges in the Sahel The Islamic State recently killed 70 Nigerien soldiers in one of the deadliest recent attacks. The terror group’s rise in the Sahel is rooted in decades-old local grievances. Niger is fighting an asymmetric war against armed groups. This is why countries are having such a hard time fighting terrorist groups. Regional leaders met to discuss the growing security threat. Judd Devermont explains how politics is at the heart of the crisis in the Sahel. Instability in Mozambique Mozambique’s defense minister accuses opposition RENAMO of carrying out a spate of ambushes against busses and trucks. Jasmine Opperman tracks violence in the northern part of the country. She reports over 200 attacks by the Cabo Delgado insurgency. This is an insightful report on Islamic radicalization in Northern Mozambique. Migration and displacement Read about the plight of Eritrean refugees in Sudan. The Big Gamble: The Migration of Eritreans to Europe looks great. Equatorial Guinea’s president was in Uganda for talks about the rising number of refugees in Uganda. Africans are persevering in Libya despite terrible circumstances. South Africa has limited opportunities for migrants in the past 25 years. Africa’s migrants contribute to the economic growth of host countries. Africa migration flows are reshaping security challenges on the continent. This is a pretty amazing story of how 450 African migrants made a home in a vacant school in Lyon, France. The US Senate is about to pass a bill that will give Liberian Minnesotans permanent status and a path toward citizenship. This is a fascinating article about the Chinese roots of Italy’s far-right rage. And Mo Farah’s brother was deported to Somalia after being released from prison in the UK. Politics in the Horn Ethiopia’s new party faces big hurdles. This is what can keep the political transition on track toward democracy. Maggie Fick’s excellent reporting explains how Ethiopia’s surveillance network is crumbling, which means less fear and control by the state. But Ken Opalo warns that this could also signal weakening state capacity. What’s going on in Eritrea? These are six plotlines to watch in Red Sea geopolitics. Protests in Guinea Protesters continue to demonstrate against Guinea’s president’s plan to seek a third term in office. Security forces have killed at least 20 civilians in the past several months. President Conde announced that he will run in the election next year. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis Cameroon is institutionalizing ethnicity. Cameroonian separatists kidnap candidates in protest of the vote. The country passed a devolution bill for Anglophone regions. Angola’s political reforms Angola recovers more than $5 billion in stolen assets after crackdown in graft. Howard French is impressed: “The ongoing political reforms in Angola have to count as one of the least expected, most and important, and under-covered stories of the decade in Africa.” South Sudan’s peace process When do local peace deals work? This is a good analysis of the security arena in South Sudan. The history of peace negotiations is also a history of violence. Sudan’s political transition Sudanese march to mark the one-year anniversary of the revolution. The year that changed Sudan began with a matchstick. These are 12 defining moments in the uprising. Sudan’s transitional government has been in power for 100 days. What’s next? Former dictator Omar al-Bashir is convicted of corruption and money laundering. He was sentenced to two years of detention – in a rest home. Could Sudan’s transition bring peace to Darfur? Struggle for rights and freedom Photojournalist Greg Marinovitch discusses capturing the bloody transition from Apartheid in South Africa. This is why Ghana did not have its important referendum this week. This massive new database on slavery will connect numerous records together in one place. A Zimbabwean court upholds transgender rights. There is a moment for justice in the Central African Republic. Senegal needs to go further in protecting children from exploitation in Quranic schools. South Africa introduces a new law which allows traditional leaders along with third parties to decide for communities without their consent. Nigerian peacekeepers are haunted by the ghosts of executions past. New America is tracking drone strikes in Somalia. Ilhan Omar seeks debt relief for Somalia. Can Southern Africa’s liberation movements really rid the countries of corruption? Is Zambia’s democracy faltering? What will Uganda look like after Museveni? Paul Kagame suggests that he might not seek a fourth term when his tenure ends in 2024 (hold your beer). Guinea-Bissau hopes to move past its years of political instability. Gambians are protesting for a new leader after Barrow’s three-year term is coming to an end. Zimbabwe’s soap opera continues: wife of vice president is charged with money laundering, marriage fraud, and attempting to kill her husband. Africa’s rapid urbanization Accra is becoming a city-region. Whoa: Kampala flooded badly. Coastal megacities face a precarious climate future. This is how Africans are building the cities of the future. Victoria Okoye explains how Nigerians integrated into Accra. This book examines South Africa’s urban challenges. African cities need to build more sewers because they provide possible solutions to many problems. Check out the full report “Untreated and Unsafe: Solving the Urban Sanitation Crisis in the Global South.” I am looking forward to On Ajayi Crowther Street. N’Djamena is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Lagos is building luxury homes in the face of an affordability crisis. Kigali is demolishing homes built in wetlands. Driving through Mogadishu! Africa’s slums are not harbingers of anarchy, but engines of democracy. I discuss this in my book, as well as articles here and here. There are unique challenges facing African urbanization. Research corner World Development has a great symposium on the use of Random Control Trials (RCTs) in the social sciences. Check out the complete issue here, and a thread that summarizes the contributions here. Zainab Usman’s new article explores the successes and failures of political and economic reform in Nigeria. Check out Nana Osei-Opare’s article on Ghana-Soviet relations between 1957-1966. Check out “The Puzzle of International Intervention in Conflict-Affected States.” Is using the term “the field” laden with unequal power relations? The week in development Port Harcourt has a new international airport. In many places, the family serves as a banking, business, and welfare institution. Tanzania signs a major deal to extend its railway to Burundi and DR Congo. Mobile access won’t fix the digital divide in Africa. Cobalt mining places an incredible toll on families of miners in the DR Congo. Bike-hailing companies are paying a high price to operate in Lagos. Africa’s food insecurity problems have deep political roots. Maids are the backbone of the South African economy. This is what the United Arab Emirates can teach resource-rich African countries. What’s driving African students’ enrollment in foreign universities? Can Africa “entrepreneur” itself out of bad leadership? The Gates Foundation is spending millions on agriculture programs, but are they actually working? The fight for the future of food is on. This is how McKinsey infiltrated the world of public health. Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP) is looking to add a small number of new researcher members to its network. EGAP is particularly interested in promoting voices from the Global South and researchers focused on regions that are currently underrepresented in the organization. Apply here. Outsourcing public education We’ve all been waiting for this: The three-year impacts of outsourcing education in Liberia (and the policy brief). Researchers had previously released results for the first year impacts. Justin Sandefur provides excellent context to the project in this thread. This is a good overview of the study that discusses how the Liberian government is responding. Africa and the environment This is how Africa will be affected by climate change. A severe drought is ravaging southern Africa. 45 million people face severe food shortages. More and more residents are becoming reliant on humanitarian food aid. Floods and droughts compound Somalia’s difficult climate year. Kenya places climate disorder at the center of its UN Security Council bid. This is why climate migrants do not have refugee status. Young Africans are stepping up to fight climate change. A Kenyan scientist builds with bottles to beat plastic pollution. Year in review Why is Hollywood afraid of Lupita Nyong’o, one of the ten best actors of the year? Check out the best novels by African authors of the past decade. Foreign Affairs selects its top books of 2019 (which includes Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics; Reel Pleasures, and; Taxing Africa). These are the Africa Growth Initiative’s top five figures. This is the best of the Mail & Guardian’s Africa coverage. The climate emergency is the story of the year. APCG Initiatives Submissions for the Spring 2020 APCG Online Colloquia are now open! It is a fantastic opportunity to get substantive feedback on a working paper from senior scholars in your field. Apply here. APCG is sponsoring a panel on “Urbanization and Political Change in Africa” at this summer’s Lagos Studies Association annual conference. Learn more about the awesome conference, and read the call here. Daily life I want this Liberian jollof, and probably not these locusts. Don’t miss out on the dishes of Yeoville, a district in Joburg. Check out these spots in Ghana. This is a cool piece on Nairobi’s literary house parties. Cardi B’s Africa tour says a lot about media representations of Africa. Pan-Africanism and the African artist. This piece traces country music’s roots back to slave ships. Dionne Searcey’s memoir In Pursuit of Disobedient Women comes out soon. Annet Negesa, an intersex Ugandan runner, has not had the career that she hoped for since having surgery. Meet Kampala’s women artists. Get your copy of Nairobi Noir! Reenchanting Teju Olaniyan.

[thisweekinafrica]

December 13, 2019

Quote of the week

“I think @iamcardib just boosted tourism to Nigeria by 6000%. You love to see this woman’s genuine enthusiasm for the country and her experiences there. I’ve never seen anything like it, unfortunately she’s headed to Ghana next and will be forced to eat their jollof.” – Abiola Oke’s tweet

Terror attack in Niger Militants allegedly linked to the Islamic State attacked and killed 71 soldiers in Niger this week. Judd Devermont explains how politics is at the center of the crisis in the Sahel. Go on the road with Niger’s anti-drug trafficking squad. Nobel peace prize Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed collected his Nobel Peace Prize this week. Learn more about his political philosophy and the reforms he has made. Meanwhile, Ethiopia faces urgent political challenges. Abiy faces internal ethnic divisions, party divisions, and tensions with Eritrea. These challenges pose a threat to his attempts to deepen democracy. He has called for a meeting with Eritrea’s president. Olivia Woldemikael argues that it is time for Ethiopia to move beyond ethnic federalism. Is Abiy really the future of global democracy? I’d be happy if this cavalry team met me at the airport after traveling. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis exposes lingering problems in Canada’s foreign policy. The “Global Database of Atrocities on Cameroon Crisis” documents the violence in the country. Sudan’s political transition Sudanese demand more freedoms after ousting their long-term dictator. Some analysts argue that the country needs to be taken off the US blacklist. The country faces numerous threats in its march toward democracy. Debt forgiveness in Somalia The US is dealing with a major bureaucratic challenge with respect to debt relief to Somalia. Some argue that State Department policy is fueling a resurgence of Al-Shabaab in East Africa. Would debt forgiveness to Somalia reward corruption and empower the terror group? Rise of anti-French rhetoric Anti-French rhetoric is rising across the continent, and politicians are taking note. For example, opposition leader Mamadou Koulibaly slams French’s local influence in Cote d’Ivoire. A lot of the discontent has to do with the CFA Franc, which is both an enabler and barrier to development. Corruption in Mozambique and Angola This is an interesting investigation into corruption surrounding a railway project in Angola. Anti-corruption campaigners face death threats in Mozambique on their quest for justice. Ghana’s Year of Return Ghana pursued a massive marketing campaign to welcome African American tourists to the country as part of its “Year of Return.” Author Jacqueline Woodson documents her trip. Struggle for rights and freedom This is a good summary of hashtag activism on the continent in the last ten years. Here are some of the important political trends in Africa in 2019. Kai Thaler argues that sometimes violence is the answer to achieve political change. This is a new approach to stabilize the DR Congo. Nigeria is limiting press freedom, as the recent arrest of journalist and activist Omoyele Sowore suggests. The deepening of democracy has helped make Tunisia a protector of LGBTQ rights. Joseph Kony’s LRA uses photographs as weapons. Why do rebel groups govern? Togo will hold elections in February next year. Namibia vows to change the status quo of white farm ownership. Gambia’s president says he will step down after three years. Read this frank review of South African foreign policy after 25 years of democracy. South Sudan talks hit a deadlock over states and boundaries. The romantic rewriting of Haile Selassie’s legacy must stop. Magufili is driving Tanzania away from human rights. A violent youth league in Burundi extorts money and food from citizens, contributing to more instability in the country. Read this: Christianity and Queer World Making in Kenya. Migration and displacement Europe spends millions of dollars trying to stop migration from Africa, but where does the money go? Tanzania is pressuring refugees to return to Burundi, where it is still not safe for them to return. Libya is a terrible stop for migrants on their voyage to Europe. Residents in a county in North Dakota voted not to bar refugees, many from African countries. Africa’s rapid urbanization How are African cities dealing with climate change? This very cool multimedia explores of how African cities deal with changes to the environment. This new article examines coethnicity, the urban/rural divide, and partisanship in Africa. Lagos is overwhelmed by an infrastructure crisis and a plastics problem. Nairobi is the city that was never meant to be. This is what is needed to fix collapsing coalitions in South Africa’s cities. Cities bet on new technology to fix water shortages. And listen to this podcast on charter cities. Research corner Check out this special issue on “African security and global militarism.” Libya is experiencing militarism without a strong military. This article addresses the “problem of political vigilantism in Ghana through the conceptual lens of wicked problems.” This is a nice tribute to and review essay of Samir Amin. “Imagining citizenship and belonging in Ghana” explains the rise of national identity in the country. This is an important essay about xenophobia and the African “other” in the #FeesMustFall movement. Shireen Hassim explains the political and private marriage of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. African Affairs has their new country lists. The new Comparative Politics newsletter focuses on “Comparative Politics & History.” This is a cool network analysis of armed non-state actors operating in North and West Africa from 1997-2014. Check this out: “Transnational political activism in the Ghanaian diaspora.” The American Historical Review reflects on 100 years of the League of Nations Mandates (with articles on Togo-Cameroun, British Cameroons, and South West Africa). This article analyzes South Africa’s constitutional court. Composing Peace: Mission Composition in UN Peacekeeping looks great. Atul Kohli’s new book Imperialism and the Developing World examines how Britain and the US shaped the global periphery. Queering Colonial Natal looks like a must read (see summary post here). Get ready for Simukai Chigudu’s forthcoming book The Political Life of an Epidemic. Get your copy of Knowledge for Wealth Creation: A Kenyan Perspective. Stephanie Newell explains the Histories of Dirt in Lagos. Politics and Violence in Burundi looks like an important contribution. I wish I could go to the book launch of From Pews to Politics! The week in development Can Abidjan become a “medical city”? What happens to people and businesses when cash transfers scale? What do critics have to say about RCTs and development? Measles kills more than twice as many lives in DR Congo than Ebola. Rwanda begins vaccinating against Ebola. This is how to test a public health response. Zimbabwe is on the brink of “man-made starvation.” Nigeria is running out of chickens. Meet the Chinese workers behind Africa’s construction boom. China is making more of Africa’s phones than you think. It is difficult to figure out where the informal economy begins and ends. This is an interesting discussion of land reforms on the continent, where elites capture the reform process. Tech executives tour a specific part of Africa. The defense of colonialism author is back on the speaking circuit, and here is a good response. This post critiques Facebook’s digital currency. Lual Mayen first thought video games fell from heaven when he was in a refugee camp in Uganda; now he makes them. Hewlett Foundation provides lessons learned after two years of providing grants to build capacity for diversity, equity, and inclusion. And the Northern Ghana Millennium Development Village had little impact. Africa and the environment Unprecedented rains in East Africa signal the climate emergency. The flooding will have long-term consequences. Victoria Falls dries up after the worst drought in a century. Cameroon’s rubber business is a tool of mass deforestation. A huge cyclone tears through Madagascar. Meteorologists cannot keep up with climate change in Mozambique. South Africa has a new sanitation and water master plan. The Seychelles has a novel strategy to combat climate change. Africa is seeking special considerations on climate finance. Daily life Bunny chow! Restoring Namibia’s forgotten resistance music. Ghana launches its first animation hub. African artists reclaim homeland with this touring exhibition. I can’t wait to read the graphic novel On Ajayi Crowther Street. Bobi Wine plays Johannesburg (and will also try to become President). Botswana, Rwanda, and Morocco are on this list of places to go in 2020. I look forward to Netflix’s first African original series Queen Sono. Check out the Lubumbashi Biennial. Yum, Eko Kitchen and Le Succulent! RIP Alex Duval Smith.

[thisweekinafrica]

December 6, 2019

Quote of the week

“Two years ago people were very nervous when we told a joke. Now the atmosphere is more free. We can say the president is ugly and everyone will laugh. Life in Angola today is like a good barbecue sauce ... It is sweet, but also a bit spicy.” – Angolan comedian Tiago Costa

Challenges to the Ethiopian state There are increasing tensions between social groups across Ethiopia. The country faces existential challenges as ethnic groups demand more autonomy and even threaten to secede. The Sidama people have voted for their own state. Abiy’s new party might not be the answer. Read about the six causes of transitional trauma that are contributing to divisions. This is the anatomy of the mismanaged transition. Meanwhile, the government secured a $388 million investment from Germany for sustainable economic development and continues to grow at rapid rates and defeat extreme poverty. Elections in Namibia Namibians went to the polls in the first interesting election in a long time. Learn more about the election at Democracy in Africa. Russia in Africa Russian mercenary fighters are having a hard time fighting Islamic militants in Mozambique. Shelby Grossman explains how Russia is using misinformation campaigns to expand its influence across the continent. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis This is a fascinating story about how Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis has created refugees at the Mexican border, waiting to get into the US. The Anglophone crisis does not seem to be getting better as two leading opposition parties will boycott municipal and legislative elections in February. This post speculates on why the Trump administration might pull Cameroon’s preferential trade status. Attack in Burkina Faso Gunmen kill 14 people in a church in Burkina Faso. The government captured six alleged terrorists, including a prominent leader. This briefing explains how to respond to the rise in violent extremism in the Sahel. Burkina Faso is amidst one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The country has experienced a significant increase in fatalities in the last year. Ugandan politics Ugandan politics is as interesting as ever. Bobi Wine threatens popular rebellion if Museveni rigs the 2021 presidential vote. Museveni argues that the opposition is solely opportunistic and has no ideology. The CSIS journalism boot camp put together this excellent report of the power of personality politics, featuring Bobi Wine. Governing South Sudan South Sudan is so broke that it cannot pay government employees or public sector workers. The proposed unity government is still delayed. The UN has sent troops to halt a recent escalation of violence in the country. Peacekeeping in DR Congo Is it time for UN peacekeepers to leave the eastern DR Congo after 20 years? Congolese protest in the region after peacekeepers fail to keep them safe from deadly attacks. Security in Somalia Pete Buttigieg once wrote a NY Times op-ed about Somaliland. These are the hidden costs of US airstrikes in Somalia. Paul Williams’ book Fighting for Peace in Somalia is now out in paperback. In this piece, he explains the positive impacts and challenges facing the African Union mission in the country. Struggle for rights and freedom The success of stand-up comedians in Angola signals political change in the country. This is not the case in Zimbabwe, as this case of a woman comedian suggests. Cote d’Ivoire’s leader might seek a third term. Ghana’s president Akufo-Addo cancels a referendum that would have citizens vote on distract assembly election reforms. Kenya’s political elite is trying to re-write history. A rift between political heavyweights simmers in Mauritania. Gabon’s president has selected his son as the “coordinator of presidential affairs.” Tanzania’s government stole its civic elections. Lawyers are being killed in execution style killings in South Africa. These are the hidden costs of social media use in Ghana’s elections. The Sultan of Sokoto bans the #ArewaMeToo campaign. Liberation movements have enduring appeal in Africa. Ghana granted citizenship to over 100 African Americans as part of its year of return. For African migrants, what country is home? What fuels conflict in Northern Kenya? And the radical afterlives of Frantz Fanon. Africa’s rapid urbanization Not all urbanization is happening in Africa’s urban megacities: secondary cities are an important space of growth. This is an interesting analysis of a small city in Nigeria and how development conflicts with civic participation. Abidjan will build a fourth bridge and urban rail. Uber has expended there as well. Read about the unplanned journey that led Lagos to become an overwhelmed megacity. This paper examines borders, checkpoints, and road conditions in West Africa. White privilege and changing spaces in Nairobi. The ANC’s mayoral candidate won the Johannesburg municipal election. These African cities are leading the fintech boom across the continent. How can cities become more resilient? This is a nice bibliography of Accra. And submit to this charter cities conference in South Africa.   Research corner This looks like a cool paper: “How to win friends and influence development: Optimising US foreign assistance.” Check out this report on the state of open data. I look forward to reading Out of Time: The Queer Politics of Postcoloniality, the first comprehensive account of the global politics of Uganda’s Anti Homosexuality Act. There is a new wave of deliberative democracy (read alongside my article about how public deliberation can be important for political accountability). The USIP has a new report on power sharing agreements. Check out this interesting article about antiforeigner resentment and Xhosa hegemonic masculinity in South Africa. Check out these African studies articles in BJPS. What role do bureaucrats play in the resource curse? How can the poor develop sustainable income for themselves? This is how refugee resentment shapes national identity and citizen participation in Africa. Check out this new special issue on studying the micro-dynamics of civil wars. Here are some helpful syllabi for courses on qualitative and mixed methods from Julie Lynch and Paul Staniland. And graduate methods training in political science is in crisis. The week in development Learn more about the politics of Uganda’s healthcare. Rwanda continues to spend a lot of money advertising in Europe’s soccer leagues. Nigeria suffers from a digital divide. Angola confronts a brutal legacy of HIV/AIDS. Small farmers help North African countries gain food sovereignty. This is an honest and frank press statement from the US ambassador to Zambia about US aid to the country. Ghana’s cocoa farmers are trapped by the Chocolate industry. Check out the plans for the Lamu oil pipeline in Kenya. The results of the major universal basic income study in Kenya are now out. There are many pathways out of poverty. Nigeria will have 25% of the world’s poor if it does not instigate major reforms. WhatsApp is the dominant messaging app in Africa. This is how to fight cybercrime in east Africa. Accessible, reliable power is still in short supply across the continent. Jack Ma argues that Africa’s entrepreneurs will drive the next digital revolution (Howard French is not impressed). What does a new scramble for Africa mean? Check out the NewThink podcast here. Africa and the environment USAID has responded to severe floods in East and Central Africa. They are serious. South Africa is missing out on fresh fruit export growth. Beira floods again. Kenyan women are leading a coral reef revival. Rock quarrying fuels land disputes in Kenya. The Economist reports on land claims and tea estates, and is quickly critiqued. Meet the female wildlife rangers of Malawi. South Africa is the most coal dependent of all G20 countries. The climate crisis is causing hunger for millions of Africans. It is particularly brutal for women. Beware the crocodiles of Yamoussoukro! RIP Teju Olaniyan Eminent scholar and beloved professor Teju Olaniyan died from heart failure this week. Read ASA’s statement. University of Wisconsin wrote this tribute. Harvard Professor Biodun Jeyifo writes: “Teju’s work, his productivity, in at least the last 10 years, has been largely predicated on this constitutiveness of journeys back and forth between home and diaspora, nation and the world. He is acutely aware of Africa’s structural disadvantages, its ‘development of underdevelopment’ in the global order of neoliberal capitalism, together with their effects on institutions and practices of the state on the arts and the media in our continent. But unlike in the past, this ‘unhappy consciousness’ is deeply inflected with a sense of possibility, of an openness to a futurity that is not decreed but must be achieved by us.” And this is a beautiful series of tributes. Daily life Ghana is now. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey will live in Africa next year (Is this newsworthy?). I agree with chef Selassie Atadika: “There is amazing street food in Accra." The search for Benin Bronzes continues--African cultural restitution matters. Watch Shatta Wale’s new hit “Time No Dey.” Climbing to Ethiopia’s church in the sky. Telling the full story of African art just got harder. African writers are reshaping the literary canon. How can African cuisine go global? And Cardi B is on her way to Ghana and Nigeria.

[thisweekinafrica]

November 29, 2019

Quote of the week

“The public hospital system has collapsed. Citizens are dying like flies. The power blackouts are now permanent. Hyperinflation has spiralled out of control. But they sat and named roads after themselves. Easily the worst government in the history of governments.”– MDC vice president Tendai Biti in Zimbabwe

Insecurity in the Sahel This investigative report examines the rise of Jihadism in the Sahel. Some worry that Burkina Faso is the world’s next dire humanitarian crisis. The country is now the epicenter of the Sahel’s security crisis. African countries don’t want France’s military help, and Canada has ended its mission in Mali. Guinea-Bissau votes Guinea-Bissau held a presidential election on Sunday. Citizens hope it will bring a semblance of calm to a country that has recently experienced political turmoil. Two former prime ministers will compete in a runoff. The candidates claimed fraud and irregularities in the process. This is a very good summary of the process. Plane crash in the Congo At least 27 people died in a plane crash outside of Goma, DR Congo. Women’s rights activist Albertine Mambo Zawadi and her husband were killed. Governing Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa renames ten roads in Zimbabwe after himself. His Vice President returns from China where he was receiving medical treatment for the past four months. Election violence in Kenya The ICC released an internal investigation into its failures handling the Kenya case of post-electoral violence. This thread provides a good summary. Meanwhile, A Kenyan government report proposes more posts to tackle election violence. Check out Gabrielle Lynch’s Performances of Injustice and Kathleen Klaus’ forthcoming Political Violence in Kenya for more scholarly analysis. Confronting colonialism Belgium begins to face the brutal colonial legacy of King Leopold II. Ben Affleck will make a film about the era. The African Union urges Britain to cede rule over the Chagos Islands. Sarah Balakrishnan discusses placing and spacing the dead in colonial Accra. Learn more about the role of the Catholic Church in Mozambique during colonialism. This piece revisits South Africa’s liberation struggle. Check out this report about disinformation and colonialism in Africa’s Internet policy. Migration and displacement This is a really interesting way to study migration: Talk to the people who stayed behind. The World Migration Report 2020 is out. Stephanie Schwartz discusses the problems with repatriating refugees and advocates regional work visas and long-term integration policies. Can migrating out of poverty work? Struggle for rights and freedom Protesters continue to demand that Guinea’s president step down after his term ends. This is how to respond to Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis. Young Sudanese discuss their hopes for the future. Sudan confronts the future. Nigeria’s fake news bill could jail people for lying on social media. A new Afrobarometer study shows that Ghanaian citizens’ approval of government economic performance declines. What’s driving homophobia in Uganda? When will governments act on child sexual exploitation? Elections across the continent Namibia’s governing party faces an unexpectedly challenging vote. Somalia is hoping to have elections in 2020. President Farmaajo stacks the deck to secure a second term. Tanzania held its local elections while the opposition boycotted the polls. Ivorian politician Henri Bedie is playing dangerous citizenship politics. Ethiopia’s Sidama region votes for greater autonomy. Africa’s rapid urbanization Lagos life is overwhelmed by its infrastructure crisis. Learn about the bottom up hustling in Nairobi’s slums. This is a cool piece about the historical process of informalization in Accra. This is an interesting report about conflict readiness in urban areas. Can African cities capitalize on new transport technology? Addis from above. Research corner Salafism in the Maghreb looks like a must read. This book examines the role of radio in Apartheid South Africa. Check out Dan de Kadt and Evan Liberman’s article “Nuanced accountability” about service delivery in South Africa. Ken Opalo’s article on constraining presidential power is now available. Here is a nice review essay on social network effects in developing countries. Carli Coetzee examines keywords for our contradictory times. These are some great books of African history. This is an interesting forum on Ghanaian archaeologist James Kwesi Anquandah. This study finds that ARVs have a significant impact on economic growth. Here is one way to teach Clash of Civilizations to your students. This report documents the liberating power of income generating activities in Ghana. Fixing democracy requires aligning citizen interests and motivating them to act. Check out this article on women in Tunisia’s revolution and this one on Algeria’s political protests. This book examines Sudan’s “Southern Problem.” Check out all the great African Studies titles from Cambridge University Press. The week in development Does population growth cause conflict? This is what is driving Africa’s population growth and what can change it. A tsetse fly infestation has infested Kenya. The SDGs need more specifics. Economists do soul searching after this year’s Nobel Prize. Jumia is exiting Cameroon. Nigeria continues to suffer from middle-class brain drain. What happens to economies when peacemakers leave? The Boardroom Africa promotes excellent female talent to boards across the continent. Africa and the environment Life does not breathe here in Ethiopia. A fossil-fueled future will significantly harm Africa. Mobile phone warnings can help Somali nomads. UNDP launches $10 million for climate change adaptation in Somalia. Water could limit our ability to feed the world. This study examines women’s ability to adapt to climate change. A third of Africa’s plants are at risk of extinction. Zimbabwe defends its elephant exports. Should we use a synthetic rhino horn? What’s at stake in this year’s climate talks? Daily life More than delicious chicken: Nando’s is the world’s biggest collector of Southern African art. There’s never been a better time to visit Accra. Eliud Kipchoge is the male athlete of the year. Shopping in Nairobi (with erasure). Africans design Ikea furniture. Today is November 29 and I will be watching the film Atlantics on Netflix, a haunting story of Senegalese women confronting their new lives after their husbands take off for Europe.

[thisweekinafrica]

November 22, 2019

Quote of the week

“Today democracies don’t die at the hands of generals, but at the hands of elected leaders — presidents, prime ministers.” – Steven Levitsky

Politics in Ethiopia This week people in the Sidama region went to the polls to vote for autonomy. Ethiopians are waiting for results of the vote. The Southern Question is now center stage. The country is failing its ethnic minorities. Its human rights boss does not have many resources for the important fight. In an interesting development, a prominent Abiy critic plans to run in the country’s election. Insecurity in the Sahel Get all your Sahel news here. 2019 is on track to be the deadliest year in the Sahel since 1997. The insecurity in Burkina Faso is getting worse. This is an important investigation into the attack on mine workers in Burkina Faso.  Steps need to be taken now to avert catastrophe in the Sahel. Is French neocolonialism contributing to Mali’s security challenges? China in Africa This is an interesting piece about Chinese road builders in Ethiopia. Ghanaians are fighting illegal fishing by Chinese trawlers. There is no salmon in Ghana’s fisheries. African international relations Patrick Gathara remembers the Berlin Conference that divided Africa. The US issued a visa ban on Kenya’s former attorney general. This is an interesting account of Manafort and Roger Stone’s lobbying services in Kenya. The return of migrants from Europe is causing problems for the Gambia. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance has had a tortuous path. What would a sustainable relationship between Europe and African countries look like? Struggle for rights and freedom Magufili is waging war on democracy. Fears grow in Mozambique as election monitors are transferred to a new prison. Guinea’s security forces allegedly fired live rounds at protesters. Check out this video of the protests. Zimbabwe police fire teargas at opposition supporters. This Human Rights Watch report documents the severe police crackdown in Sudan. Nigeria refuses to release a prominent journalist, instigating fears of a crackdown on free speech. Elite politics has failed South Africa. Zambia’s president Lungu is facing resistance from within his own party. Here are some recommendations for dealing with the human rights abuses in Cameroon. The continued detention of Cameroonian journalists is an affront to free expression. Why do South Sudan’s attempts at peace continue to fail? What are the root causes of South Africa’s violence problem? Does the country have an epidemic of hate? Research corner Power in Peacekeeping looks great. So does Nigeria and World War II: Colonialism, Empire and Global Conflict. Check out this new article on the political economy of aid allocation. This is a must-read volume on the politics of social protection in Eastern and Southern Africa. Bruce Wydick discusses his new book Shrewd Samaritan. Gourevitch’s We Wish To Inform You made Slate’s list of the 50 best nonfiction books of the past 25 years. Tim Longman explains why the book is so problematic. Jana Krause’s article about local and communal conflicts in South Sudan looks great. Read how to change the gender gap in political participation. This is a cool article about Somaliland’s livestock markets. I am so excited to see Shelby Grossman’s article “The Politics of Order in Informal Markets” in World Politics. APCG at ASA Check out the great lineup of panels with APCG members at the African Studies Association meeting. And join us for the social tonight from 7-10 pm at Bar Lir. The week in development Why is the World Bank attacking the Center for Global Development? What’s driving Africa’s population growth? Informal trade is a huge part of Africa’s development prospects. The global drugs trade shifts to West Africa. Bill Easterly reviews Banerjee and Duflo’s new book Good Economics for Hard Times. Nairobi should review its colonialist approach to urban design. More oil is discovered in Ghana. Read about Burkina Faso’s controversial mosquito experiment. Many Africans still lack electricity. This is why South Africa is the world’s most unequal society. These eight books can help you understand African economies. Africa and the environment Can acoustic data save coral reefs? This is how AI can help farmers. South African farmers face an existential threat from climate change. Climate change puts North Africa in a hot spot. Oxford names “climate emergency” its 2019 word of the year. Daily life A queer continent in pictures. Pete Buttigieg’s campaign used a stock photo of a Kenyan woman in its materials, setting off outrage. This looks like a cool new film about Mansa Musa. This is some cool art. RIP female rights activist Bogaletch Gebre.

[thisweekinafrica]

November 15, 2019

Quote of the week

“This is not politics as usual. This is a revolution.”– Bobi Wine at a rally in Kampala

Bobi Wine in the US Ugandan MP, musician, and insurgent presidential candidate Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi, known popularly as Bobi Wine, is in the US this week. He is honored as a Time Next 100 recipient. He is gaining steam as a serious threat to Museveni’s rule, and the government has adopted different strategies to curb his rising popularity. Huawei is accused of helping Museveni’s government survey its political opponents, like Wine. This is an interesting article about repertoires of protest in the country. Judd Devermont has Bobi Wine live in studio for his podcast. He will discuss leadership and governance at a workshop tomorrow at USF. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis English-speaking villages are burning in Cameroon. Residents are quickly losing faith in the government. The crisis worsens. Tanzanian politics Opposition party Chadema will boycott local elections in Tanzania. Politicians fear for their lives. Dan Paget explains why the local elections are more important than they might seem. Struggle for rights and freedom Get all your Sahel News here. Ethiopians are losing faith in PM Abiy’s promise for peace. Eritreans are waiting for peace, too. Life is not getting better in Zimbabwe. South Africa’s president Ramaphosa is taking on the unions. Mozambique’s Frelimo won, and is now consolidating even more power. The fall of the Berlin Wall still resonates across Africa. Foreign troops fighting terrorism in the Sahel face criticism as the problem deepens. South Sudan’s unity government is still divided. Peace in Nigeria requires accountable governance. Guinea’s President is going to great lengths to run for a third term as president. Police raid a gay-friendly bar in Kampala and arrest 120 people. Lesotho is great for growing cannabis but not for regulating it. Gambia brings case against Myanmar for Genocide. This is why they are doing it. Will Kenyatta and Odinga’s handshake bring peace to Kenya? What’s up with Ghana’s National Cathedral? Migration and displacement How are Chinese migrants experiencing violence and xenophobia in South Africa? Is the targeting of migrants in South Africa scapegoating or phobia? Burna Boy will donate proceeds from his South Africa concert to victims of xenophobia. Somali-American rapper Chino’o discusses police brutality, immigration, and the future of Somalia. This is an important article about refugee return and post-conflict violence in Burundi. Africa’s rapid urbanization Middle class Lagosians struggle to afford housing. This is what scholars have learned about urban peacekeeping in Somalia. Our poor understanding of urban innovation is holding cities back. Patrick Gathara argues that Nairobi needs a new approach to urban design. Jacqueline Klopp reviews two new books about informal transport in Africa. Read this cool piece on development and inequality in inner Addis. And check out Loren Landau’s new working paper: “Temporality, informality, & translocality in Africa’s urban archipelagos.” Research corner Sebastian Elischer reviews three books on reconciliation in Africa. Michael Hanchard reviews Adom Getachew’s Worldmaking after Empire. Nelson Kasfir reviews William Pike’s memoir of the Bush war in Uganda. Although Kate Cronin-Furman’s forthcoming article is about Sri Lanka, it surely has insights about human rights and accountability that can be applied to Africa. This paper explains how Ghanaian civil servants attempt to resist political pressure. This article analyzes the social production of fraud in capitalist Africa. Check out this article on ethnicity and the security force in Sudan. This paper examines “Social media, Cyber Battalions, and Political Mobilisation in Ghana.” Anna Hedlund’s new book Hutu Rebels looks great. Gwyneth McClendon and Rachel Riedl just released their awesome new book From Pews to Politics: Religious Sermons and Political Participation in Africa. This new book examines political financing in Ghana. It is the golden age of social science. How good are pre-analysis plans in practice? Why has economic growth reduced poverty in some countries but failed in others (see paper here)? Is it time to “rethink politics in Africa”? Submit to the upcoming meeting on “Visions 2020: The Past and Present of Afrofutures” in February at the University of Florida. And this is an essential virtual issue: Teaching Feminist International Politics. The week in development Russia is meddling in Africa through a variety of offering bribes and spreading misinformation, as this fascinating investigation of its role in Madagascar demonstrates. This is why West Africa needs a common currency (and why it's time to end the CFA Franc). This is an interesting discussion of Chinese fishing fleets in West Africa. The African Development Bank is investing a lot of money in infrastructure. African economies need to create lots of new jobs to keep up with its growing population. Check out this discussion about beer, barley, and bad policy in Nigeria. Trump wants to go to Ethiopia to commission the Nile Dam. China’s top phone maker is trying to win the race for online payments in Africa. And these are the countries most in debt to China. Africa and the environment Check out this new documentary about land and oil extraction in the Niger Delta. Learn more about the Nigerian environmental activist who shamed Shell. These five trends are shaping our climate future. Elephants are dying in Zimbabwe because of drought. Grain crops are dying too. The food shortages are real, as the region is experiencing serious climatic hazards. The Sahel needs to confront climate change now to avert catastrophe. The African Development Bank decides not to fund Kenya’s coal project. Gabon wants to stomp out illegal logging. Senegal’s baobab forests are threatened by mining. Some Africans are saying their need for oil cash outweighs climate concerns. Can telling stories fight climate change? Daily life Could this Dagbani film win at the Oscars? When traveling to San Francisco, eat Nigerian food at Eko Kitchen. Move over Popeye’s, get your Africa Fried Chicken in Dakar. Go see Cardi B in Ghana. The identity politics of wax print. House hunting (for the rich) on Kenya’s coast. And Lady Gaga in northeastern Kenya.

[thisweekinafrica]

November 8, 2019

Quote of the week

“Each and every day, South Africans are offered opportunities to work together across race and across class lines, even as many white people in this country, who have the power to work towards unity, choose to turn away from the national project.”– Sisonke Msimang

Violence in Ethiopia Ethiopia is struggling to contain outbreaks of violence. Ethnic politics threaten the stability of the nation. Running legend Haile Gebrselassie blames Facebook for contributing to the conflict. There are also distinct challenges in navigating the new media landscape. Prime Minister Abiy is using the past as a tool of statecraft. Terror attack in Mali A terrorist attack in Mali killed at least 53 people this week. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on government security forces. Mali’s president says the whole country is at risk. Attacks in Burkina Faso Burkina Faso’s former president who is in exile wants to return to the country to help broker a peace agreement. This is after gunmen killed 37 people who were part of a Canadian mining envoy. France has announced a troop deployment to the country. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis English-speaking villages are burning in Cameroon. Opposition supporters defied a protest ban and took to the streets to voice their anger at President Paul Biya. Chris Roberts explains how the US could put real pressure on Cameroon’s government to end the Anglophone crisis. Politics in Tanzania Magufili is bulldozing human rights in Tanzania. He is also on a quest to remove term limits. But many people feel that the country and its economy is going in the right direction. Struggle for rights and freedom What happened to Ramaphosa’s job promises? Could a Red Sea Forum help establish a new regional order in the Horn? Are elections in Africa simply politics as usual, or are actors bending the rules? What’s the point of opposition politics in Southern Africa? Ex-Congolese war chief Ntaganda gets 30 years in prison for war crimes. Nigeria is having its MeToo moment. The city might have won, but Egypt lost. Uncertainty grips Guinea-Bissau after the president sacked the government. Mauritius’ PM touts achievements to fend off challenge in November 7 poll. Khartoum’s open-air film screenings demonstrate how ordinary people are reclaiming Sudan. Algerians are still in the street protesting the current election plan. Refugees are stranded in Libya even as Rwanda takes in hundreds of them. Check out this comic version of “Heart of Darkness.” Security and instability Could a nonmilitary option succeed in Somalia? Kenya’s military is fighting terror with terror in its fight against Al-Shabaab. The New Humanitarian provides this important analysis of the investigation into sexual violence by UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic. Russia in Africa Russia is targeting African politics with misinformation campaigns on Facebook. What does this mean for the continent? Xenophobia in South Africa These are 15 great pieces that help us understand xenophobia in South Africa. It is important to get to the root causes of the problem. Africa’s rapid urbanization African countries keep building cities even if people won’t live in them. This is a cool paper that provides holistic solutions to solve Nairobi’s affordable housing crisis. Magdalena Chulek explains how the garbage business works in Nairobi’s slums. Ambreena Manji conceptualizes the right to the city in Nairobi through the lens of transport projects. Contrary to trends across the continent, Botswana’s governing party dominated in its cities. Read this bibliography of Accra. Kenyans are trying to save Uhuru Park from demolition as the country plans to build an expressway through the park. #DaimaUhuruPark And make sure to read Chandan Deuskar’s excellent new article “Informal urbanisation and clientelism: Measuring the global relationship.” Research corner This article explains why some dictators become more coercive over time, and others change their tactics. Check out the new book Diplomacy and Borderlands: African Agency at the Intersections of Orders. And another: Beyond History: African Agency in Development, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. This is a cool archaeology paper about the pastoral cemeteries near Lake Turkana. Nadia Rabeshala Horning’s The Politics of Deforestation in Africa looks great (see short post here). This article examines why women want to win local office in Malawi. Get your copy of Dimensions of African Statehood: Everyday Governance and Provision of Public Goods. The Night Trains tells the story of Mozambican miners in the early 1900s. Check out Jesse Bucher’s review of Marissa Moorman’s book about radio and state power in Angola. Africa’s Gene Revolution assesses GMOs and the future of agriculture in Africa. This article uses household surveys to understand livelihoods in Nigeria. Check out  “Governing Unclear Lines: Local Boundaries as a (Re)source of Conflict in South Sudan.” Here are some good examples of economic ethnographies. And Kathleen Klaus discusses land and politics on the latest Ufahamu podcast. The week in development When does providing information work for alleviating rural poverty? This is an excellent analysis of Kenya’s newly commissioned “train to nowhere.” This is how megaprojects are reshaping development. Nigeria’s Benin border closure threatens the recently signed free trade agreement. Kenyans say Chinese investment brings racism and discrimination. Starbuck’s failed in South Africa but braces for a do over. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey is in Nigeria. This piece explains “The Kenyan Hunger Games.” Sign up for Bloomberg’s “Next Africa” newsletter here. Pranab Bardhan discusses development economics after the Nobel Prize. This thread explains why yelling at Banerjee, Duflo, and Kremer is not helpful. And Nathan Nunn offers this: “Rethinking economic development.” Africa and the environment Take this trek to Africa’s last glaciers. Southern African monkfish have high mercury levels. Planting trees will not solve climate change. Flooding in East Africa affects more than 1 million people, with many thousands being displaced. The Green Climate Fund attracts $9.8 billion for developing nations. Malawi court suspends wearing of wigs and gowns amidst heat wave. Climate change decimates Western Cape agriculture. More than 100 elephants died during the severe drought in Zimbabwe, as climate change poses a severe threat to its ecosystem. The drought also threatens Victoria Falls. This podcast examines Zambia’s climate change challenge. What’s behind severe water shortages in Nairobi? Daily life Somali Americans won city council seats in Lewiston, Maine and St. Louis Park, Minnesota.  This is what makes the Soweto Marathon great. Nigerians are making their way up the UFC ranks. The rise and cost of the African novel in English. Sisonke Msimang provides this great take on the Springboks Rugby World Cup victory. Congrats to Joyciline Jepkosgei for defeating Mary Keitany and winning the New York City marathon. And to Geoffrey Kamworor! Okyeame’s newsletter is great.

[thisweekinafrica]

November 1, 2019

Quote of the week

“Ebola is now a disease we can treat.” -- Dr. Muyembe, director-general of Congo’s National Institute of Biomedical Research

Violence in Ethiopia Dozens of people have been killed in Ethiopia in the past week. People were killed in anti-Abiy protests after a high-profile Oromo activist who split with the prime minister accused the security forces of trying to attack him. Witnesses said instigators are targeting victims along ethnic lines. Support for Abiy is wavering while he fails to confront the violence. The government has defended its deadly response to the protesters. Rene Lefort provides this excellent political analysis of the situation. Governing Mozambique Mozambique’s incumbent president Filipe Nyusi won the recent election in a landslide with 74 percent of the vote. The opposition rejects the results. The country is in a precarious position moving forward. Russia and Africa Russia is at full force as it trains its propaganda machine on Africa. Russia invited African leaders to Sochi for a large summit, and African leaders returned from Russia with agreements to boost their own militaries. Putin is increasing his footprint on the continent as he tries to expand his influence in the world. Russia has also unleashed a widespread disinformation campaign on Facebook to promote its agenda and criticize French and American policies. Shelby Grossman and her team at the Stanford Internet Observatory have done an amazing job investigating these tactics. Facebook has suspended fake accounts for meddling in eight African countries. Creeping authoritarianism in Tanzania Rights groups accuse Tanzania’s Magufili of rising repression in the country. Tanzania’s richest man does not have any concerns. Amnesty International delivered this statement. Student protests in Uganda Students have taken to the streets to protest tuition hikes at Makerere University in Uganda. The police have cracked down violently. This is what the protests are all about. The US Embassy is concerned. The African Studies Association condemned the response. All of this signals growing opposition to Museveni in Uganda. While the country held local elections without democracy, President Museveni has a Bobi Wine problem. In addition, the Ugandan government is trying to allay fears over a proposed anti-gay law. The next year leading up to the 2021 polls are bound to be interesting. Instability in Burkina Faso What has changed in Burkina Faso in the past five years after its 2014 “insurrection”? The country continues to struggle with terrorism, as Jihadi terrorists killed 16 people in an attack this week. Insecurity threatens democratic development in the country. Migration and displacement Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia are leaving due to high living costs in Addis Ababa. But denying migrants the right to work in Europe is forcing other potential African migrants to stay put. Police are clashing with refugees in Cape Town as they gather to seek refuge. This is a very good story about how Somali and other African immigrants are transforming Lewiston, Maine. Across the country in Missoula, Montana, Trump’s policies are separating loved ones from places like the Congo. Does the UNHCR help refugees or states? Challenges of democratization This new report examines the shift from dictatorship to democracy in the Gambia. Luisa Enria and Jamie Hitchen explain how the governing SLPP took control of Sierra Leone, and further strengthened their power. Catherine Lena Kelly discusses democracy and security in Africa. This report examines digital dictatorship versus digital democracy. The ruling party won again in Botswana but the close election signaled that it is not politics as usual. South Africa’s largest opposition party faces an existential crisis. Guinea-Bissau goes to the polls. What role does the international community play in Malawi’s disputed election? Struggle for rights and freedom Check out this new report about leadership in Africa. Britain still fails to acknowledge its legacy of slavery. This new film explores the new dawn for press freedom in Ethiopia. This explainer does a nice job of explaining the global protest wave. This piece examines the role of dehumanized African masculinity in African politics. This is a fascinating investigation into how WhatsApp technology is being used to spy on dissidents and journalists in Rwanda and other places across the world. This is a good summary of the security and political situation in Cameroon. Africa’s rapid urbanization Cities across Africa can help fight climate change but they cannot go it alone. Nairobi in the Making looks like a great book. This article examines joyriding in Nairobi’s matatu sector. Township design is spreading to the US. Building new cities is not the solution to confronting Africa’s urbanization challenge. Research corner Reel Resistance looks like a great new book. Decentralized Governance and Accountability looks like an important volume. Nic Cheeseman and Jonathan Fisher find that colonialism matters for African politics, and discuss it in the new book Authoritarian Africa: Repression, Resistance, and the Power of Ideas. Check out this new article on refugee return and post-conflict violence in Burundi. This is a very interesting article about survivor nationalism in Rwanda. I look forward to reading this important article about foreign interference in African elections using social media. Blessing-Miles Tendi explains the dynamics and motivations of Zimbabwe’s 2017 military coup. Check out this interview with professor Yolande Bouka. Check out the new issue of Journal of Eastern African Studies. The week in development Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee explain the limits of economic incentives. Here is a quick guide to Duflo’s publications. The case of Cote d’Ivoire demonstrates how businesses bounce back after conflict. The railroad to nowhere is now open in Kenya. Nigeria’s border closure with Benin threatens regional integration. This is an interesting story about how doctors and health workers found a cure for Ebola in the midst of civil war. African countries know they need better road networks but not how to pay for them. This is why China’s development model won’t work in Africa. Will Kenya’s mobile money revolution really decrease poverty? Is the West responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic collapse? Africa and the environment Can Artificial Intelligence save elephants? How to bring sustainable electricity to Africa? South Africa is rationing water to save dwindling supplies. East Africa is reeling from deadly floods. Mining bauxite in Ghana could bring billions of dollars to the country while tainting water for five million people. Rwanda has signed a nuclear deal with Russia. Climate change is making life on the Zambezi River deadly. Educating girls might be Nigeria’s best defense against climate change. New research shows that climate change will erase more coastal cities by 2050. Daily life Maaza Mengiste’s The Shadow King looks like the book of the year. This was a pretty cool Google Doodle. Girl joy on a football pitch in Sudan. Check out this new children’s museum of African culture in Baltimore. I’d like to watch the film One Table Two Elephants. Reading John Mbiti from Uganda. This is Uhuru Park. These newly discovered photos from 1950s Senegal capture the good times from an era of political change. An oldie but goodie: A quick guide to fufu. I am listening to Michael Kiwanuka’s new album right now and it is awesome.

[thisweekinafrica]

October 25, 2019

Quote of the week

“Despite my best efforts, perhaps the DA is not the best vehicle to take forward the fight for one South Africa for all.”– Former Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimame

Political challenges in Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize, and now he has to work to keep the peace in the country. Ahmed’s approach to peacemaking has hit a roadblock. The country has postponed its census again—a third time. Ethnic minorities are being persecuted at home. There is emerging violence in the Oromia region. Activists call for calm. Listen to this podcast with Michael Woldemariam for more analysis. Elections in Mozambique Mozambique’s governing party Frelimo has won very problematic elections. The main opposition Renamo demands a re-run. Anne Pitcher provides this excellent analysis of what happened, and the challenges ahead. Botswana elections Botswana held its presidential election this week. The race was the closest in its history. The incumbent BDP party secured the majority and won the election. The Khama family, which has played a central role in Botswana’s political history, has hit a setback. Shana Warren provides a great overview of the polls. While the BDP remained in power, significant challenges are in front of them. Protests in Guinea Thousands of people continue to protest Guinea president’s attempt to extend his rule. How do African leaders cling to power for decades? Opposition in South Africa South Africa’s biggest opposition party Democratic Alliance is fractured, as former leader Helen Zille has regained control of the party’s Federal Council. Its first black leader Mmusi Maimame quit the party. It appears there has been a resurgence of white nationalism in the country, illustrated by the example of this whites-only town. Transition in Sudan Here are some insights into how to safeguard Sudan’s revolution. This is also a good time for Sudan and South Sudan to settle old disputes. Migration and displacement This is excellent reporting with mixed media about residents in DR Congo refusing to become refugees. These African-Italians want to send migrants home. Africa’s displacement crisis has serious security implications. Do migrants have anywhere to go? Struggle for rights and freedom Cape Verde had a long fight for autonomy. Zimbabwe’s president clamps down as its economy is in a tailspin. What drives protests in Ghana? Get all your Sahel news here. Stability and insecurity Cameroon needs more than dialogue to solve its Anglophone crisis. This is an interesting interview with the founder of a new magazine that amplifies voices of people affected by the crisis. This is a good primer on the security situation in the Lake Chad Basin. Daniel Eizenga explains the security situation in Burkina Faso. The jihadi violence is preventing many children from attending school. This new report examines the shift from self-defense to vigilantism. Is battling terrorism also a battle against climate change? African international relations Judd Devermont explains how the US should react to Russia’s increasing engagement with African countries. This is a good thread of Russia’s activities. Putin is resetting its Africa agenda to counter China and the US. 40 African countries have signed agreements with China to be part of the Belt and Road initiative—15 have not. Fela’s music can help decolonize international law in universities. And Stathis Kalyvas’ T.E. Lawrence Program on the Study of Conflict looks great. Africa’s rapid urbanization Research points to a growing water crisis in cities across the world. Addis Ababa shores up its water supply. New affordable housing brings unexpected consequences to the urban poor in South Africa. This looks like a very cool exhibition of life in the periphery of Addis Ababa and eThekwini. What is the best way to fight crime in violent cities: crime or yoga? Can ex-Dakar mayor make a political comeback? Research corner Rita Abrahamsen published an important new article about contending visions of pan-Africanism. Data Collection in Fragile States looks like an important volume. DiA Book Club: Fighting for Peace in Somalia. Check out the article “International Organizations, Nongovernmental Organizations, and Police Implementation of Domestic Violence Policies in Liberia and Nicaragua.” Jennifer Murtazashvili explains the pathologies of centralized state building. This chapter explains rebuilding the Congo after the Kabilas. Check out this briefing on norms, nudges and corruption in Nigeria. This article examines football and masculinity in South Africa. Check out the new issue of the Journal of Experimental Political Science. Tech in Africa Is Rwanda the next major Tech hub? WhatsApp is the medium of choice in Nigerian politics. Ethiopia is using drones to improve food security. Public health Ebola cases are going down in DR Congo, but they are rising in mining areas. This is how mobile phones were used to track the Ebola crisis. Women giving birth in low-income countries often endure abuse. Julie Livingston’s book Self-Devouring Growth: A Planetary Parable from Southern Africa explains how capitalist modernity affects health care and inequality (see shorter post here). This is an excellent “systematic review of authorship for infectious disease research conducted in Africa, 1980-2016.” The RCT debate The Nobel Prize for economics re-sparked the debate over Random Control Trials (RCTs) in the social sciences. This is what randomization can and cannot do. Here is a quick guide to Michael Kremer’s more than 100 articles. Sanjay Reddy explains why the randomista revolution is a cautionary tale. The week in development The Mo Ibrahim Foundation released its 2019 Governance Report: Is Africa on Track? The report emphasizes the importance of collecting reliable data to improve governance. Countries do not have the data they need to make informed choices about governance. Declining coffee prices are affecting the livelihoods of millions of people across the Global South. Why is Starbucks struggling in South Africa? The World Bank wants to end “learning poverty.” People-centered development is the legacy of Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere. GiveDirectly reflects on what it got right and wrong over the past ten years. This map shows inequalities in the Sahel. Autocracy is no model for developing economies. It is now much easier to conduct business in Togo and Nigeria. The Afrobarometer seeks a new Executive Director. And a good white savior thread, and neoliberalism and its discontents. Africa and the environment Landslides killed a family of four in Kenya, while severe flooding hit Turkana. Nairobi’s Karura Forest is now a jogger’s paradise. Nordic and African countries can collaborate around these three sustainable sectors. South Africa approves $4 billion bailout for Eskom. This is what you need to know about its new energy plan. South African unions and climate activists should team up. Solar Sister helps bring clean energy to Africa. A land dispute threatens conservation efforts in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Is Ghana really going to go nuclear? And check out this climate change explainer. Update on APCG initiatives Please join us for the APCG’s Online Colloquium of Vladimir Chlouba’s paper about land rights and colonial legacies on October 29. Check out our other exciting initiatives, including the Africa Research Development Group (RDG) and sponsored panels at conferences in Africa. If you’re interested in serving as a leader for the RDG, see the call here. If you participate in conferences in Africa that are of interest to APCG members, fill out this quick survey. And we are seeking a designer to develop our new website. Check out the RFP here. For great mixed-method training, scholars with primary affiliations based in Africa should apply to IQMRR here. Daily life This is a cool story of Dr. Ahmed Kalebi who grew up in Kibera and is now one of the world’s most renowned pathologists. Check out these photos of Sudan’s lost Jewish community. This Google Doodle. Kenyan artist Phoebe Ouma is illustrating African women in a new way. Emojis that Africans can relate to! RIP African storyteller Harold Scheub and theologian John Mbiti.

[thisweekinafrica]

October 18, 2019

Quote of the week

“We have never had free and fair elections, but these are the worst yet because of the gravity of the violence.”– Human Rights campaigner Alice Mabota in Mozambique

Election in Mozambique Mozambicans went to the polls this week to elect a President. The campaigns were violent and contentious. Thousands of people were unable to vote because of the insecurity. An election observer was brutally murdered. There is a lot of mistrust across the country. While Frelimo will likely hold onto power, there are signs of change in the country. Joe Hanlon has all your updates here. Protests in Guinea Protesters have taken to the streets to challenge a possible change to the constitution that would allow President Alpha Conde to seek a third term. The crowds were massive. At least two people have died. Guineans strongly support a two-term limit for the office. The country is at a crossroads, and the situation poses a major test for regional leaders. Nobel Peace Prize Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize. The award is bittersweet. He has accomplished a lot of political reforms in a short time. He made peace with Eritrea. There is hope that his leadership will spark a democratic revolution in Ethiopia and in the region. He is rebuilding Addis Ababa. But others are not so pleased, as there are still deep ethnic tensions in the country that have displaced thousands of people. Some accuse the government of instigating violence in rural areas. This is a good article about how identity formation is largely an outcome of colonial rule. Abiy struggles to keep Ethiopia together. Nanjala Nyabola provides this excellent thread, with insights from Kenya. And Abdi Latif Dahir’s articles on Abiy provide important context. Botswana election Botswana will hold its presidential election on October 23. Former president Ian Khama has endorsed the opposition party, signaling a serious threat to the Botswana Democratic Party, which has governed the country since 1966. This campaign poster looks like a Netflix movie promotion. Stay tuned. LGBTQ rights LGBTQ rights are under threat in Uganda. The government is planning to introduce a bill that will make gay sex a crime, and penalize it with the death penalty. Many think that this is a campaign ploy in the lead up to the 2021 election. This piece explains. Watch God Loves Uganda to better understand the role that US evangelicals play in the country. Security and stability Nigeria is ramping up its military efforts against Boko Haram. Bose Babatunde provides her reflections on conducting research in this context. This briefing uncovers security risks in Burundi. The security situation in South Sudan remains dire. This is a cool new spatial measure of political violence. Struggle for rights and freedom Get all your Sahel news here. Women were central to the uprising in Sudan. Tunisia’s new president promises to fix the economy. The sorry treatment of Cameroon’s women’s football team is a reflection of its politics. Zimbabwe’s government continues to monitor information to control citizen engagement. Can the French in Mali learn from Chad? What does it actually mean to be free? Migration and displacement Patriarchy and migration fuel Afrophobia in South Africa. This is a harrowing account of what it is like for African immigrants to live in South Africa today. Africa migration to the United States is the fastest rising in the country. African international relations This article argues that the African Governance Architecture is merely a mirage. Rotten tomatoes line roads after Nigeria closes border with Benin. Peace talks are under way between Sudan’s transitional government and the rebel-group Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement-North. This post argues that international wars are still a problem in Africa. Russia has returned to Africa. Can the East Asian model of development become the East African model? What can a drinking party teach us about sovereignty and postcolonial politics? Research corner Check out Mai Hassan and Ahmed Kodouda’s new article “Sudan’s Uprising: The Fall of a Dictator.” Rod Alence and Anne Pitcher analyze state capture in South Africa. This is an important article about research brokers in conflict settings. This is a cool article on the marginalization of indigenous language news in Ghana. This looks like a great volume on independence movements and their aftermath in Africa. Gediminas Lesutis examines the politics of narrative among marginalized populations. Check out this article on response bias in survey measures of voter behavior, with evidence from Benin. Check out this paper on describing livelihoods in Nigeria. This article examines the effects of unconditional cash transfers on forest conservation in Sierra Leone, while this one analyzes ethnic associations in Malawi. Greg Marinovitch encounters conflict and resilience across the continent. Politics and Violence in Burundi looks like a great book. Katherine Petrich has a very unique article on Al-Shabaab’s criminal activities in the Horn of Africa. This article looks great: “Navigating the Moral Minefields of Human Rights Advocacy in the Global South.” What are the origins of hybrid governance and armed community mobilization in Africa? And Jennifer Hart explains how to be a Twitterstorian. The week in development This is a very interesting analysis of the food crisis and politics in Zimbabwe. The country is on the brink of famine. Africa may have 90 percent of the world’s poor in the next ten years. Check out this cartoon of how Nairobi’s melting pot was born. Angola’s growth prospects are going up. Check out this lecturette about GMOs in five tweets. This is a helpful new look at impact evaluation capacity in Africa. Will economic sanctions on South Sudan work? Are urban humans the future? Check out this map on financial transparency reforms. Nobel Prize in Economics Development economists Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer won the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.” This is a good summary of their accomplishments. It is a win for the randomistas, and their attempt to make economics more of a science. The winners created a movement and institutionalized it. Johannes Haushofer provides this take (with photos!). So does Emily Oster. Have RCTs taken over development economics? But not all people are pleased. The win has re-sparked a debate over RCTs in Africa. RCTs are not a magic bullet (read the comments too). There are no magic bullets. This article examines the political economy of RCTs in development. And Grieve Chelwa and Sean Muller explain “the poverty of poor economics.” Africa and the environment The last wolves of Africa are in Ethiopia’s ravaged parks. A $65 million deal to protect Congo’s forests raises concerns. Billions of people face food and water shortages across the world. Nigerian students join the global fight for climate action. Local radio boosts climate change adaptation. Can mayors save the world from climate change? And join us this Wednesday at USF for a conversation with African activists about the fight for the future of food. 1:59.40 159:40 is the time Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge needed to run 26.2 miles. This is the fastest ever recorded, but will not count as a world record. There are a lot of things that take longer than this. Go inside the race to break the two-hour marathon. The video of the finish is pretty amazing. The video of Kenyans celebrating in Eldoret is even more amazing. Kipchoge sums it all up: “I don’t know where the limits are but I would like to go there.” Hold your drink: Kenyan Brigid Kosgei broke the women’s marathon record, finishing in 2:14.04 at the Chicago Marathon. Wow. Update on APCG initiatives Please join us for the APCG’s Online Colloquium of Vladimir Chlouba’s paper about land rights and colonial legacies on October 29. Check out our other exciting initiatives, including the Africa Research Development Group (RDG) and sponsored panels at conferences in Africa. If you’re interested in serving as a leader for the RDG, see the call here. If you participate in conferences in Africa that are of interest to APCG members, fill out this quick survey. And we are seeking a designer to develop our new website. Check out the RFP here. Daily life The Sudanese film Akasha examines masculinity and love in war. Jesse looks like a great film. This looted Ethiopian crown resurfaces in the Netherlands. The governor of Nairobi. Dennis Osadebe’s near future. Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a giant of Kenyan letters. Check out the unexpected art of Ghana’s hand-painted movie posters. These two Cameroonian films offer women the chance to speak for themselves. Cuba, Africa, and music. Oh, how I want to go to Dakar.

[thisweekinafrica]

October 11, 2019

Quote of the week

“It’s hard to explain but I’ve always felt like I’m supposed to be somewhere else. I have no idea where that somewhere else is, or how I’d even get there, if it’s some other place or time, but I know it’s not here. I’ve never admitted these things to myself because I always hoped that I’d figure something out, because what’s the alternative? The alternative is the way I feel now: lost, bewildered, terrified.”– Tope Folarin in his new book

Abiy Ahmed wins the Nobel Peace Prize Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his peacemaking efforts with Eritrea. Check out Abdi Latif Dahir’s many good pieces on Abiy for important context. The chair of the committee wrote: “As Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed has sought to promote reconciliation, solidarity and social justice. However, many challenges remain unresolved. Ethnic strife continues to escalate, and we have seen troubling examples of this in recent weeks and months.” Not all Eritreans are pleased as it legitimizes their ruler. Mike Woldemariam thinks its well-deserved and good news. Lahra Smith asks three important questions: 1) Are all [IDPs] home and did they return willingly? 2) Eritrea: Is this peace in name only? 3) What about the border and identity conflicts inside Ethiopia? The committee recognizes these shortcomings and the challenges ahead. Stay tuned for more analysis. Tunisia’s election Tunisia held its elections, and no party received a majority of the seats to form a government. The Islamist party Ennahda won 52 seats, but needs 109 to govern. Here is a good analysis of the polls. Election in Mozambique Mozambicans head to the polls on October 15. Read about how we got to this moment. Was reconciliation ever achieved in the country? Relatedly, Russia is helping Mozambique’s government fight an insurgency, but denies that it has troops in the country. Get all your Mozambique election updates here. Opposition in Uganda Ugandan police will not leave Bobi Wine alone as he tries to avoid house arrest. This is an incredible video of Bobi Wine escaping from the police on a boda boda. Meanwhile, the government will put forth a new version of the LGBTQ death penalty bill in upcoming weeks. Struggle for rights and freedom Nanjala Nyabola explains the end of asylum. A deadly attack in a Rwandan border town awakens painful memories. Wole Soyinka provides the lessons from Nigeria’s militarized democratic experiment. African governments continue to miscalculate when they shut off the Internet. Ethiopia says Egypt is trying to hold a “colonial grip” over the Nile. Lupita Nyong’o explains being a victim of colorism as a child. Her freestyle is pretty cool! A US pastor who broadcast hateful speech against women is arrested in Rwanda for disturbing the peace. Is this an example of cracking down on hate, or muzzling freedom of speech? What is the legacy of the Algerian revolution? South Africa wrestles with the Zulu king over large landholdings. These are the latest figures on anti-foreigner attacks in South Africa. Political challenges deepen in President Deby’s Chad. Ethiopia’s Oromo celebrated its festival in Addis, three years after clashes at the festival left more than 50 people dead. This is great: The most unusual ways African countries got their names. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis Cameroon’s military is implementing Paul Biya’s reconciliation efforts by traveling the country and attempting to build trust after the national dialogue last week. The tour is pleasing some and angering others. Africa’s rapid urbanization Check out this post about a new technique we are developing to estimate populations in cities. Is this the new Addis Ababa? Urban development aid mostly benefits big cities. Read about how to unlock the potential for transformative climate adaptation in cities. Cote d’Ivoire signs a deal for a new metro in Abidjan. Africa has a new tallest building. This is the unplanned journey that led Lagos to be the megacity it is today. Research corner We should all read African Americans & Africa: A New History. Atomic Junction: Nuclear Power in Africa after Independence looks awesome. So does Powerful Frequencies about radio and nationalism in Angola (see short post here). This is an interesting article about African migrants in North Africa. Check out this new report on African insurgencies. This article explains the paradox of community empowerment in Ethiopia. Beth Rabinowitz asks: Do colonial institutions still matter? David Evans and Almedina Music provide their awesome round-up of new work in development economics. This is an important essay about intersectionalities and fieldwork in post-conflict Liberia. Check out the new issue of the Review of African Political Economy. Don’t forget George Ofosu’s article in the new issue of APSR. And the 4th season of Ufahamu Africa is here. The week in development Neoliberalism: A thread. Mozambique provides lessons into how to avoid cholera outbreaks in the wake of natural disasters. This is a good summary of the debate over Rwanda’s poverty statistics. The crackdown continues of African leaders and their money-laundering prowess. These are some new statistics on Africa’s extreme poor and reliance on commodities. The price of electricity shoots up 320 percent in Zimbabwe. This is why Angola’s oil is not DR Congo’s. West Africa’s cocoa farmers are trapped by the global chocolate industry. Ethiopia is positioning itself as a Tech leader. Who does microfinance work for? Where is China exporting their surveillance technology? Africa and the environment Why are we ignoring global south environmental activists? Cameroon can’t afford to continue ignoring crime in the fisheries sector. This Cameroonian won an award for the solar fridge he invented. A glimpse into the polluted Nairobi river. Prakash Kashwan discusses the political economy of land conservation. South Africa releases its national biodiversity assessment. This Cape Town teen grows a green business. A trophy hunting ban is essential to save the Big 5. A new climate change report sparks the question: What’s in it for Africa? Jackie Klopp and Abdullahi Boru Halakhe have a great new piece about carbon politics and climate change across the continent. Daily life Congrats to Carola Lentz who has been named president of the Goethe Institute, and to Abdi Latif Dahir who is the new East Africa correspondent for the New York Times. Check out this interview about the progressive platform Brittle Paper for new African literature. “Made in Rwanda” is boosting Kigali’s fashion scene. African languages are the fastest growing in the United States. These detailed portraits using African fabrics are pretty cool. Addis Ababa Noir. Netflix will stream the Senegalese film Atlantics! RIP drummer Ginger Baker, who opened a recording studio in Lagos in 1971.

[thisweekinafrica]

October 4, 2019

Quote of the week

“Hearing the truth was important to all of us. It doesn’t take away the burden, but it gives you relief in your heart."– Gambian Ebrima Jammeh

Femicide in South Africa Men are killing women at alarming rates in South Africa, sparking the #AmINext movement. The government has declared a national crisis. Rosa Lyster outlines the scale of the problem in this New Yorker piece. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis Cameroon held a five-day dialogue on the Anglophone crisis. Claire Hazbun and Ken Opalo are clear: Cameroon’s government needs to make concessions to end the crisis. The government agreed to release 333 prisoners. Without more concessions, the national dialogue will accomplish nothing. Nonetheless, the dialogue is the first nation-wide discussion since 1991 about issues that have threatened peace and stability in the country for many years. Elections in Botswana Botswana goes to the polls on October 23. It is gearing up to be the most competitive election in 53 years. This is a very good summary of the race, and what is at stake. Botswana has long been a beacon of peace, stability, and growth on the continent, but it is now the tenth most unequal country on earth. Migration and displacement Achille Mbembe calls for Africa to adopt a pro-migration stance and become a “vast space of circulation.” J.M. Coetzee calls for more humane ways of dealing with migration. South Africa needs to punish perpetrators of xenophobia. Read more about the ideology of xenophobia in South Africa. Why do Algerians fear black Africans? Can South Africa and Nigeria reset their relations? Who gets to define borders? Titilope Ajayi rethinks responses to displacement in Northeast Nigeria. Post conflict recovery involves a lot of hidden work. Hundreds of Burundian refugees have returned home from Tanzania. The Archbishop of the Twin Cities in Minnesota decries treatment of US border refugees. A man from Cameroon died in ICE custody in San Diego. Trump is trying to kill the program that saved the lives of many African refugees. Toward stability in Somalia Meet the Canadian sisters on the front lines rebuilding Somalia. There is diplomatic progress in the country: The US is reestablishing its Embassy in Mogadishu. But the struggle continues, as Al-Shabaab attacked US and EU forces this week. Meanwhile, work on the Kenya-Somalia border wall is suspended. Seeking justice Gambians are beginning to hear the truth about deaths and torture during Jammeh’s violent regime. But truth does not necessarily lead to justice. Justice remains elusive 10 years after the Guinea stadium massacre. There is a quest for answers after a US journalist is killed in South Sudan. Struggle for rights and freedom European museums are wrestling with returning African art. Uganda bans wearing the red beret, the trademark of the opposition. Violence threatens Mozambique’s upcoming election. Chipo Dendere explains why it is so difficult to deal with elite corruption. This is how foreign powers can support Sudan. In death, Robert Mugabe snubbed the myth of the Heroes Acre he created by not being buried there. Will there be an awakening for Zimbabwe’s diaspora youth? Can constitutional democracy consolidate across the continent? China and Africa African writers are using science fiction to explore the continent’s deepening relationship with China. Pay attention: African students are attending Chinese universities at very high rates. Africa’s rapid urbanization What’s going on with Lagos’ light rail project? How can traditional structures help fight crime in Lagos? How did Lagos become the megacity it is today? How are megaprojects driving cities? Nate Plageman recomposes the colonial city. This is how not to build a city. This piece assesses the promise of large government housing programs in Africa. This new article examines cyber trickery and gender fraud among youth in an Accra zongo. This is a cool new article that examines ethnic patronage in Kibera. Is Ghana really going to upgrade the squatter settlement Old Fadama, as Vice President Bawumia says? It’s all politics, as I discuss in my writings on the neighborhood here, here, and in my book. Research corner Naomi Moland’s new book wins for best title: Can Big Bird Fight Terrorism? Make sure to pick up a copy of Julie Livingston’s Self-Devouring Growth. This article examines the making and remaking of “native tribes” in Uganda. Dominika Koter explains “Presidents’ Ethnic Identity and Citizens’ National Attachment in Africa.” This is a very important article that assesses black South Africans’ attitudes toward immigrants between 2008-2016. Learn more about “Aid donors, democracy and the developmental state in Ethiopia.” Ruth Carlitz has a cool new article that assesses the spatial distribution of public goods in Tanzania. This is a very good discussion of why localizing social science response efforts helps combat disease outbreaks in West Africa (it is certainly not good to have a militarized response). George Bob-Milliar has a great new article on Ghana’s minor parties and how they fit into its clientelist political environment. Allen Hicken and Noah Nathan provide their take on clientelism in this annual review essay. These are some of the most influential books in academia. This is a really cool paper about whether bureaucrats can resist political capture in Ghana (this thread provides a description of the results). Are African borders a myth? Stanford’s Internet Observatory has an excellent analysis of presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya, focusing on misinformation online. Kris Inman goes back to the basics in this analysis of research on violent extremism. And it’s time to de-center the ‘white gaze’ of development. The week in development Dan Honig explains why donors should provide more space for local leadership. Africa’s tourist industry is the second fastest growing in the world. This is how not to build state capability. This article examines the effects of natural resources on household well-being in Ghana. A UK development bank is launching an inquiry after the killing of a Congolese activist by a security guard of a palm-oil company. Nigeria plans to give all of its 200 million residents identity numbers. This is a fascinating article about Russia’s meddling in the Central African Republic, and its quest for diamond wealth. Pre-colonial Africa does not lack written traditions. Nigeria closes part of its border with Benin to check rice smuggling. This is how cloud computing can speed up development in Africa. Nigeria’s ambitious port will link the north to the south. And we will now enter mobile money 2.0. This is great: Colonialism walks into a chop bar… Africa and the environment Floods are threatening thousands of lives in Niger. Countries need to let flowers bloom! The “Wikipedia of maps” can save lives after disasters. Noisy generators are an environmental hazard. South Africa needs to lower the cost of renewables. Go inside the search for Africa’s carbon time bomb. US demand for pets and skins threatens some African animals. These photos are amazing: a voyage to Africa’s skeleton coast. Daily life Meet the father of Ethiopian jazz. Nighttime reading: This new children’s book describes the costs of war. Want a Lamborghini? Switzerland will auction the cars seized from the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president. Muthoni Drummer Queen explains in her Ted Talk that creativity builds nations. Senegal has opened the biggest mosque in West Africa. Africa’s next decolonization should be about knowledge. And for this Ghanaian archaeological team, the past is personal. Congrats to Karen Attiah who rubs shoulders with Stephen Curry and other greats on the Root 100.

[thisweekinafrica]

September 27, 2019

Quote of the week

“None of us is a native of the place we call home. And none of us is a native to this moment in time.”– Mohsin Hamid

Xenophobia in South Africa The competition between Nigeria and South Africa is at the center of the latest xenophobic attacks. Xenophobia denialists should be held culpable, and it should be treated as a crime. Anti-immigrant venom has killed South African dreams. Elections on the continent Corinna Jentzsch explains the prospects for peace in Mozambique and how elections could divide the country. This is a good analysis of contemporary Ethiopian politics. Senegal’s president Macky Sall is going all in with his public relations. Another opposition figure is killed in Rwanda. Gambians are losing trust in president Adama Barrow. This is a really good discussion of gender quotas in Rwanda. What is the future of democracy in Tunisia? Struggle for rights and freedom A reporter explains his re-entrance into Zimbabwe after many years. These maps of trade routes and cattle populations in the Sahara under colonial rule are cool. Cameroon’s Anglophone dialogue is a work in progress. Egyptians took to the streets in rare protests this week. A collapsed classroom kills seven children and injures 57 more in Kenya. Boko Haram was back in the media spotlight but it was never really gone. Women in Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda protest femicide. This Catholic group is fighting for justice in Nigeria’s troubled prison system. Somalis experiencing drought and insecurity are fleeing to Ethiopia. Liberia’s war criminals may finally face the music at home. Will Eritrea end 18 years of harsh rule? What is it like to grow up intersex in South Africa? Should AMISOM negotiate with Al-Shabaab in Somalia? Migration and displacement African immigrants are stuck in Mexico with their American dreams on hold. IDPs need more protection in Africa. We are all migrants. Tech in Africa Africa’s mobile economy is booming. This is a nice summary of the political implications of tech in Africa. Chinese investments are driving the rise of AI surveillance on the continent. Africa’s rapid urbanization The Citified newsletter is great. Africa’s cities face the harshest outcomes of climate change. Africa’s tallest building will open in Johannesburg. There are some great fully funded graduate fellowships on urban mobility, temporality, and Africa’s future politics at the African Centre for Migration & Society. The South African military is deployed to Cape Town townships to curb gang violence. They are staying much longer than anticipated. Traffic jams cost Nairobi more than $1 billion a year. How can cities fight climate change? I look forward to reading The Wealth and Poverty of Cities. Public health Ethiopia must do more to stop chikungunya outbreaks. The World Health Organization is worried about possible Ebola cases in Tanzania. Check out this report on the future of African healthcare. And this is what happens when a global health campaign goes awry. The week in development The hypocrisy of Western aid. Government authorities make it difficult for humanitarian organizations to do their jobs. Protecting human capital is important across the continent. Elinor Ostrom explains the alternatives to privatization and nationalization. Results are in: the long-term (or at least 9-year) impacts of cash grants on the poor in Uganda. Cote d’Ivoire’s economy is booming but its politics are less stable. Regional dynamics complicate land certification in the country. These are some good reports about land rights across the continent. Check out the 2019 State of Social Assistance in Africa report. What do we know after eight years of the “Effective States and Inclusive Development” research project? What have we learned from Ghana’s “I am Aware” research project? What do locals think about industrial miners in Tanzania? Africa and the environment Africans marched for action on climate change this week. Climate change is now in South Africa. Norway will pay Gabon $150 million to preserve its forests. Edem Selormey and Carolyn Logan explain how African nations are the most vulnerable to climate change, but also the least prepared. The world’s oceans are in danger. The charcoal trade is decimating forests. What have we learned about Ghana’s Volta River project after 50 years? Research corner This article analyzes genocide and postcolonial literature. The Horn of Africa research initiative at the U of Washington looks great. Read this comment on African borders. This is a good article on geopolitics between the Gulf and the Horn. Check out “Institutionalising electoral uncertainty and regime survival.” Bruce Wydick discusses his new book Shrewd Samaritan on this podcast. Nigeria’s Soldiers of Fortune looks fascinating (see short post here). Sean Jacobs’ new book Media in Postapartheid South Africa is a must-read. I can’t keep up with all Anne Meng dropped this week: “Accessing the state: Executive constraints and credible commitment in dictatorship” and “Ruling parties in authoritarian regimes.” Adom Getachew explains Kwame Nkrumah and the quest for independence. Her new book Worldmaking after Empire looks awesome. This is a good review essay on the Mnangagwa era. This special issue examines research brokers in conflict zones. Does participatory planning promise too much? How does DR Congo deliver services amidst a weak state? New issue of Comparative Politics My article “Dignified public expression: A new logic of political accountability” is in the new issue of CP. Danielle Resnick has a cool article on “The politics of crackdowns on Africa’s informal vendors” (see short post here). And Nimmi Gowrinathan and Zachariah Mampilly have an article about resistance and rebellion in Sri Lanka that might have important insights into politics in Africa. Update on APCG initiatives The African Politics Conference Group has several exciting initiatives, including its online colloquium, Africa Research Development Group (RDG), and sponsored panels at conferences in Africa. If you’re interested in serving as a leader for the RDG, see the call here. If you participate in conferences in Africa that are of interest to APCG members, fill out this quick survey. Daily life Twitter provides us the best books by African authors. Does a restaurant celebrating French colonialism belong in San Francisco? Is Ethiopia the eighth wonder of the world? Trevor Noah’s take on trophy hunting enrages South Africans. The royal family tours Africa. France honors Ethiopia’s godfather of jazz. I want to read Chigozie Obioma’s An Orchestra of Minorities. Yaa Gyasi has a new book coming out and it will be epic. Comedian Gina Yashere jokes about growing up in an African family. Kokoko! is awesome! Salif Keita! Kwame Anthony Appiah asks: What does it mean to ‘look like me’? RIP Nigerian human rights activist Patrick Naagbanton.

[thisweekinafrica]

September 20, 2019

Quote of the week

“Dear social scientists, People are not just data points. They’re full human beings with purposes in life that extend far beyond helping you reach statistical significance. That’s all.”– Prof. Jonathan Collins

Xenophobia in South Africa Loren Landau has an excellent op-ed in the NY Times explaining what’s behind the deadly violence in South Africa. He emphasizes,  “The most violent and fraught displays of xenophobia are often rooted in local — municipal, township or even neighborhood — battles for land, jobs and political office.” This is the ugly truth about the new South Africa. Johannesburg is a city with migrant heritage and culture. President Ramaphosa sends emissaries to countries of migrants who were attacked in South Africa. South Africa apologized to Nigeria. Why was Nigeria so outraged this time around? Elections in Tunisia Tunisians went to the polls to vote in the presidential election. In an interesting development, political outsiders swept the polls. A little known academic and media mogul advance to the next round. The media mogul candidate Nabil Karoui is in jail after being arrested in August on money laundering and tax evasion charges. What does this result mean for Tunisia’s democracy? Governing Zimbabwe Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe remains mired in misery. A critic of the government was kidnapped hours after Mugabe’s funeral. Mugabe left behind a violent legacy. Old men still rule Southern Africa. Struggle for rights and freedom Get all your weekly Sahel news here. Gambia’s Justice Minister recommends charges to be filed against its former ruler. Citizens in Central African Republic gather for justice and reconciliation. Boko Haram is now using drones in its struggle to control parts of Northern Nigeria. 36 people are missing after a ferry sinks on the Congo River. 27 children die in a school fire in Liberia. Ethiopia’s Abiy tries to temper new push for breakaway region. This is what Ethiopians can learn from Sidama’s thorny statehood journey. This is why some African militaries support free elections and others favor autocracy. Joseph Kabila lost and then won DR Congo’s election. Tanzania’s President Magufili is widening a media crackdown. A new study hopes to break a chain of femicides in South Africa. What does it mean to be a refugee in South Sudan and Uganda? Why do protests persist in Algeria? Will Sudan become a democracy? Will South Sudan make a November deadline to form a unity government? The US has not done much to help. What’s next for Burkina Faso? How long must Eritrea wait for change? African international relations This is a good report about competition, cooperation, and security in the Red Sea. Who is policing the seas? The Middle East is playing a very important role in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia rejects Egypt’s plan for operating the giant dam on the Nile. Learn more about geopolitics and state making in Somaliland. Daniel Eizenga discusses the long-term trends across security and development in the Sahel. Africa’s rapid urbanization What can we learn from Ghana’s Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development? Nigerian cities can learn from the rest of the world. Namibia’s urban poor are stuck in limbo without land security or public services. This is a really interesting article about forms of clientelist statecraft on Zimbabwe’s “urban frontier.” Accra becomes a “city-region.” Does Accra’s expansion signal urban promise or urban peril? Tech in Africa This article applies a political settlements framework to Kenya’s M-Pesa success story. Steven Feldstein explains the global expansion of AI surveillance. Mobile credit expands mass surveillance of ordinary Kenyans. Andela is letting go nearly 400 developers in Africa. African digital businesses face more obstacles as “super platforms” dominate the Internet. Is mobile money just a “techno-market fix” and not a contributor to sustainable development? Meet the Quartz Africa Innovators 2019. They are leading the change for Africa’s future. The week in development Guangzhou is the city of choice for flights from China to Africa. Meet Somalia’s trailblazing female camel trader. Read the surprising story of Canada’s declining leadership in foreign aid. Learn more about the census technology being used in Ghana. The DR Congo continues to struggle with combating Ebola, drawing attention to the country’s uneven response. But the country also faces a deadly measles outbreak. Is Uhuru Kenyatta finally getting serious about combating corruption in Kenya? Africa and the environment Should nature have legal rights? Can Africa’s great green wall curb climate change on the continent? Botswana farmers want a permanent ban of vegetable imports. Sime Darby is leaving Liberia. Climate change is making it harder to reduce poverty in Malawi. Kenyan islanders demand a say in foreign-backed projects. Crippling energy cuts affect health care in Zambia. Heat waves hit South Africa. An Angolan woman wins a prestigious earth prize for her work in conservation. And the real threat: climate change is impacting cricket! Research corner Faith, Power and Family provides analysis of religion and social change in French Cameroon. Water Politics looks like a great volume with case studies about justice and the right to water across the globe. An Intimate Rebuke examines female genital power and politics in West Africa. Patchwork Leviathan uncovers pockets of bureaucratic effectiveness in developing states, including cases in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya. For Money and Elders analyzes ritual, sovereignty, and the sacred in Kenya (see a short overview here). And get your copy of Writing Transnational History. Anne Pitcher has a new encyclopedia entry on “Political parties and political economy in Africa’s democracies, 1990-2018.” Landry Signé explains how to make sure no one is left behind in a prosperous world. Historian Joseph Miller discusses the Atlantic Journey and the way of history. This article addresses the “local turn” in humanitarianism and peace building. This is a fascinating study of Al-Shabaab’s shifting relationship with Kenyan women. I am thrilled to be included in African Studies Review’s very cool virtual issue “Ghana, or Filtering the 21st Century through the Ordinary.” And The Monkey Cage summarizes the 6th Annual African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular! Update on APCG initiatives The African Politics Conference Group has several exciting initiatives, including its online colloquium, Africa Research Development Group (RDG), and sponsored panels at conferences in Africa. If you’re interested in serving as a leader for the RDG, see the call here. If you participate in conferences in Africa that are of interest to APCG members, fill out this quick survey. Daily life The Hosho guys at Mugabe’s funeral are pretty great. I’d like to read Petina Gappah’s Out of Darkness, Shining Light. Beyoncé and the heart of darkness. Paris has a taste of second-hand clothes from Africa. This is why Steve Biko’s black consciousness philosophy resonates with youth today. Get ready: Lupita Nyong’o will star in Adichie’s Americanah on HBO, and Danai Gurira will produce it. Sampa the Great finds her place. Wow, Geoffrey Kamworor is fast. Here are 25 amazing places to visit in Africa. And I can’t wait for Elnathan John’s forthcoming graphic novel.

[thisweekinafrica]

September 13, 2019

Quote of the week

"Right now we are literally assaulted by forces that want to retreat from the world and rebuild a certain idea of the nation, of the community, of identity and difference that is premised on the capacity to determine who belongs, who must be excluded and shouldn’t belong, who can settle where, why, how and for how long." – Achille Mbembe

Xenophobia in South Africa There was more xenophobic violence in Johannesburg this week. Nigeria is repatriating nearly 600 of its citizens after the attacks. This has set off a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Mozambique is repatriating citizens too. The attacks spur reprisals across the continent. Major damage has been done. Some residents are fighting back against xenophobic aggression. The situation is much more than a law-and-order issue. It is a national failure. Of course, the failing economy contributes to anger. The Chief Justice blames hunger. But more than economic anxiety is driving the attacks. This is what the research says. Ken Opalo points to a bigger structural point: “A sick manifestation of internalised anti-blackness among South Africans.” Nativist nationalism is fueling the violence. Loren Landau emphasizes the importance of space and belonging (tune into this program for more). And Nanjala Nyabola attributes the problem to failed decolonization in South African cities. Remembering Mugabe Robert Mugabe died last week. He liberated the country, ruled over it for 37 years, and left it in ruins. He leaves behind a conflicted legacy. Mugabe’s successes mean nothing to the youth of today. He betrayed his people. This is a personal history of growing up with Mugabe. While critics are right to point out the disaster he left behind, the West played an important role in his rise. He is the leader that should not have been. The institutional legacies that shaped his repressive regime live on, including big man politics. This is a telling account of his death, which really happened when he was forced out of power in 2017. This is a good, short biography of Mugabe. What went wrong with African liberation? What does Mugabe’s death say about the fate of democracy on the continent? Tunisia’s presidential election Tunisians go to the polls next week to elect a president. This is what to expect in the election. The polls put its young democracy to the test. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis President Paul Biya called for a National Dialogue to end the Anglophone Crisis. It is unclear what the dialogue will look like, and who will be a part of the process. Stay tuned. Potential peace in South Sudan South Sudan’s leaders agreed to form a unity government by November 12. Could peace be on the horizon? This is a very good interactive that examines the scale of the conflict. Sudan’s transition A social media campaign boosts Sudan’s military rulers. The Sudanese diaspora plays an important role in stabilizing the country. Sudan calls its Jews to return home. Sudanese are back on the streets calling for new judicial appointments. Migration and displacement Rwanda has struck a deal with the EU to house migrants while they find a home elsewhere. Hundreds will be evacuated to Rwanda. South Sudanese in Uganda turn a refugee camp into a city. This Afrobarometer report “updata-s” the narrative about African migration. Achille Mbembe offers his thoughts on the planetary. And Arjun Appadurai mourns the “age of citizenship.” Struggle for rights and freedom Rape is a weapon of war in Libya. A woman is murdered every three hours in South Africa. At least 50 people are dead after a train derails in the DR Congo. A survey of Nigerians shows a decrease in homophobic attitudes—kind of. Museveni has a new plan to fund taxi operators and boda boda drivers. A Liberian probe targets former officials. This is what must happen for Mozambique to have a lasting peace accord. This is why resource-exploiting rebels are more likely to recruit children. Africa is transforming the Catholic Church. Looming Mau forest evictions threaten stability in Kenya. What explains the rise of communal violence in Mali, Nigeria, and Ethiopia? Is one of the world’s biggest lawsuits built on a sham? Challenges of democratization Democracy in Africa continues to be threatened by self-interested elites, ideals of the “developmental autocrat,” and the disdain for democracy by leaders in the international system. Or maybe its just evil spirits that hinder good governance. President Edgar Lungu is eroding Zambia’s democracy. Read this fascinating account of how big data swung Senegal’s election. This is how to make democracy work for all Ghanaians (check out my book for insights into deepening democracy in its cities). This is a cool essay about efforts to rescue Nkrumah. And candidate debates can help deepen democracy. Research corner I am looking forward to Ramesh Srinivasan’s new book Beyond the Valley: How Innovators around the World are Overcoming Inequality and Creating the Technologies of Tomorrow. Secession and Separatist Conflicts in Postcolonial Africa looks great. Erin Hern’s book finds that when governments deliver services, they build a citizenry. Benjamin Talton’s book In this Land of Plenty: Mickey Leland and Africa in American Politics looks awesome. Catch up on the political history of the Gambia from 1816-1994. This book compares turbulence and order in economic development in Tanzania and Vietnam. The new Comparative Democratization newsletter asks: “Is poor service delivery a threat to contemporary democracies?” Check out this article on water service delivery and emerging state-society relations in Accra and Cape Town. David Mwambari discusses the ethics of research collaborations. The Salah Effect explains why Islamophobic tweets are on the rise in England but not among Liverpool supporters. What explains the persistence of war in the modern world? Africa’s rapid urbanization Uber is working to bring its bus system to Lagos. Meet Freetown’s mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyerr. This conference on African urbanisms and border towns looks great. This piece analyzes urban violence in Eastern Congo. The week in development A Nobel Prize winning economist goes to Burning Man. Zimbabwe is not able to achieve the economic success of other countries, like Ethiopia. This essay-for-hire cheating racket extends across the world, including to Kenya. This is what it is like to try to buy a ticket for Ethiopia’s celebrated new train. Kenya tries to make commercial sense of its Chinese-built train. This is the problem with microcredit in Africa. International carriers still dominate Africa’s most prosperous air routes. Central African Republic faces one of the largest education crises in Africa. This is how snakebites became an invisible health crisis in Congo. This is why Chinese are traveling to Africa and Africans are traveling to China. African countries are looking to tax mobile money transactions. Visas on arrival will make it much easier to visit Sierra Leone. And a medical school for the future that Africa needs. Immanuel Wallerstein recently died, and this is how Africa shaped his thinking. What does an African free trade deal mean for the world? Should we be celebrating big tech in Africa? Can African innovators help solve the continent’s political challenges? Africa and the environment The Pope goes to Africa to warn the world about climate change. Global energy inequality goes deeper than Bitcoin. Dangerous new hot zones are spreading around the world. Wildlife conservation in Africa requires radical rethinking. Ignoring Africa’s climate change problem could have devastating effects. Cape Town’s rivers are full of plastic. Farmers in Ghana are using drones for pest control. Horses versus motors in Senegal. And this is cool data on air quality across the world. Daily life Rage against the authority fuels Zimbabwe’s music industry. The skull of humanity’s oldest known ancestor is changing our understanding of evolution. A young woman grapples with her gender in this short story. Yoel Kenan is changing the way people listen to African music. I want to visit the new exhibit about Idi Amin in Uganda. The Senegalese are reclaiming African history and art. Are African artifacts safer in Europe? And the parable of the 11 stolen motorcycles in Central African Republic.

[thisweekinafrica]

September 6, 2019

Quote of the week

“Xenophobia is the match that lit the flames, but the fire is much bigger than that.” – South African car dealership owner Lenny Govender

Xenophobic attacks in South Africa South Africa is experiencing another wave of xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg. People have set fire to foreign-owned businesses and looted their shops. Fake news escalated the attacks (make sure to think before you share posts), which occurred right before regional leaders met in the country. Rwanda withdrew from the meetings, and there is a debate as to whether it was because of the attacks. Police have arrested more than 90 people for their role. The politics of belonging continues to threaten South Africa’s democratic project. Simon Allison explains that it is now a shame to be a South African in the rest of Africa. It’s time to build solidarity not silos. This is why we need to unsettle narratives about migrants in South Africa. One thing is clear: Foreigners do not cause South Africa’s problems. The political scapegoating of migrants has a long history. Go Home or Die Here: Violence, Xenophobia and the Reinvention of Difference in South Africa offers the best political, social, and historical analysis of the topic. Pair it with Exorcising the Demons Within. Africa is a Country published some excellent essays years ago (the problem does not go away). Sisonke Msimang writes “Belonging—Why South Africans refuse to let Africa in.” Achille Mbembe provided his take. Why is South Africa still so anti-black? Robert Gabriel Mugabe, 1914-2019 Former president of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe is dead. His life represents a political tragedy in three acts. He leaves behind a long, complicated legacy. He’s as divisive in death as he was in life. Ken Opalo sums it up: “He ruled Zimbabwe for almost four decades. He died in a Singaporean hospital.” The continent reacts to his death. Governing Zimbabwe Mugabe is now gone, but the troubles he left behind remain. Zimbabwe is cracking down on all forms of public organizing, and it appears to be working. But discontent swells in Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe. This prophetic novel predicted the troubles of modern day Zimbabwe. Is it time for a second government of national unity? Pope visits Mozambique A peace agreement offers hope for stability in Mozambique. To recognize the achievement, the Pope visited the country this week. In addition, the future of the Catholic Church is in Africa. Despite the peace agreement, some wonder whether Mozambique is creating the next Boko Haram. Cracks are already forming in Mozambique’s latest push for peace. Elections across the continent For the first time in decades, Botswana’s electoral politics are getting interesting. The country will hold elections on October 23 amidst a split in the governing party. Mozambique holds its election on October 15. Ethiopian opposition parties threaten an election boycott. What’s behind Ethiopia’s recent political violence? Is Alpha Conde clinging to power in Guinea? How did big data swing Senegal’s election? Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis takes its toll on professionals. The Anglophone regions have been declared “economically disaster stricken zones.” Some students risk being shot if they go back to school. Security and instability Al-Shabab tightens its grip on Somalia with a growing tax racket. The militant group is targeting businesses to raise money. The Pentagon needs to find an alternative to Djibouti. Fighting over grazing land is spreading to Southern Nigeria. Migration and displacement Tanzania faces big challenges as it tries to send Burundian refugees home. This article examines international migration and gentrification. Struggle for rights and freedom Sudan allows BBC radio broadcasts for the first time in ten years. Egypt is surprisingly absent in Sudan’s political transition. Tanzania’s attacks on free speech put a dent in Nyerere’s legacy. Now streaming on YouTube: Confessions from a presidential hit squad in Gambia. Learn about land expropriation through the eyes of South African farmers. There are reports that Gabon’s leader Ali Bongo had a stroke, but the government is denying it. Burkina coup leaders are given lengthy jail sentences. APSA Award winners Jana Krause’s book Resilient Communities won the Lee Ann Fujii book award. Fiona Shen Bayh’s article “Strategies of Repression: Judicial and Extrajudicial Methods of Autocratic Survival” won the best article award for the Comparative Democratization section. Justine Davis won APCG’s Ralph Bunche Best Graduate Student Paper for “Wartime Experiences of Civic Leaders: Legacies of Civil War, Rebel Control, and Democratization in Post-Conflict Africa.” Elizabeth Wellman’s paper “Enfranchisement of Citizens Abroad: Theory and Evidence from Africa” won Honorable Mention. A big congratulations to Modupe Oshikoya for winning the APCG-Lynne Rienner Best Dissertation in African Politics 2018 award for her study “Exploring the impact of insurgencies on gender-based violence and the Nigerian armed forces: The Boko Haram Case.” Congrats to all! Research corner I’m getting ready for the release of Gwyneth McClendon and Rachel Riedl’s new book From Pews to Politics: Religious Sermons and Political Participation in Africa. Check out this new encyclopedia entry on “Wars and Warlords.” Pick up The Puzzle of Ethiopian Politics (read a short overview here). This new article uses a conjoint experiment to understand the perceptions of bureaucrats in Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda. Children of Hope looks great. This study examines teacher pay and educational attainment in Zambia. Read this short history of Albert Luthuli. Learn more about the DR Congo-Angola offshore oil dispute, as well as property rights and artisanal mining in Africa. Single-donor studies of foreign aid seem to generalize pretty well across donors. This article examines local factionalism and electoral mobilization in Uganda. Democracy in Africa has open access to good articles on African politics every Friday. The new edition of Africa Since 1940 is out. And get your copy of the Routledge Handbook of Democratization in Africa. The week in development Uganda Airlines is back, but flying into very crowded skies. Africa can rise if it tackles inequality. This is what Uganda spends on debt and who gets paid. African universities are battling to attract postdoctoral researchers. An “Uber for trucks” reshapes Nigeria’s hauling market. Tesla batteries are keeping Zimbabwe’s economy up and running. More than a dozen people were killed in Mali after a building collapsed. Ethiopia destroys over seven hectares of cannabis farms. Japan promises $20 billion in investments to Africa. Here is more on Rwanda and how they “disguised poverty” in their statistical reporting. DR Congo continues to combat the Ebola virus. Curing Ebola will take more than a pill. When should we give cash rather than in-kind gifts to those in need? What is the state of healthcare in Uganda? Ken Opalo and Dan Honig discuss norms, state capacity, and elections on the “Rocking our Priors” podcast. Africa and the environment Several tourists drowned in Kenya’s Hell’s Gate National Park after flash floods. This is how satellites can help solve Africa’s eco-challenges. Kenya’s wind power project might be great for the environment but not for local communities. Kenyan farmers benefit from insured loans. Kenyans successfully blocked a China-backed coal plant at a world heritage site. Akon owns the first black solar energy company. Japan is trying to forge new energy ties with African countries. Daily life Meet the new guard of Nigerian musicians. The many spaces of South Africa. And what it's like to be a black traveler in Ghana. New partnership with APCG We are excited to announce our new partnership with the African Politics Conference Group (APCG). We are now the weekly news bulletin of APCG. Please note that any opinions or analyses offered in the bulletin do not reflect the perspectives of all our members nor the organization as a whole. We do not anticipate major changes to content, but look forward to mutually beneficial collaborations. APCG is now accepting expressions of interest for its October and November Online Colloquium. Sign up here!