Africa Up Close

Zanzibar’s picturesque, well-touristed exterior has contentious, tumultuous politics underneath. Photo by George Pauwels, via Flickr. Creative Commons

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

In Zanzibar, Democracy, Peace, and Unity Are at Stake after Annulled Elections
Washington Post Nov 1

In contrast to the rest of Tanzania’s smoothly executed elections, semi-autonomous Zanzibar’s elections were annulled in a controversial call by the ruling CCM. The opposition claims it was on the verge of winning, and this decision is a way of stealing the election. Talks to find a political solution to the crisis take place on the backdrop of Zanzibar’s thorny history with the mainland, and its citizens increasing desire for autonomy or even independence.

Are Ghanaians Fed-up with Democracy?
Wilson Center Africa Program Nov 3

Ghana has long been regarded as one of the success stories of liberal democracy in Africa, but recent Afrobarometer data suggests that Ghanaians themselves have increasingly deep satisfaction with their democracy’s ability to deliver the goods. Southern Voices Network scholar Isaac Debrah and [Kamissa Camara] of NED discuss at our Nov. 3 event, summarized and recorded here.

Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding

After Boko Haram
The Economist Oct 31st

As Idayat Hassan and others pointed out at [our event on armed groups last week], part of any counterterrorism strategy is planning for what comes next. Nigeia is going to be facing questions–what happens to refugees and displaced persons? Will there be compensation, or retraining and resettlement programs? What happens to captured or surrendering fighters?–soon and it needs to have a plan in place.

The Ivory-Funded Terrorism Myth
New York Times Oct 29

Contrary to much popular belief and even pronouncements from State Department officials, there’s very little evidence that poaching and the ivory trade are major sources of funding for Al-Shabaab. The ivory trade is now being militarized as national wildlife agencies gear up to fight terrorism.

Trade, Investment, and Sustainable Development

Obama Removes Burundi from Trade Program
Voice of America Oct 30

Obama announced he will drop Burundi from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on January 1st in response to President Nkurunziza’s controversial third term and the political crackdown he’s using to hang on to it. This marks only the fourth country to be suspended from the important AGOA framework, and a definite sign that international pressure is ratcheting up on Burundi.

These Cheap, Clean Stoves Were Supposed to Save Millions of Lives. What Happened?
Washington Post Oct 29

In retrospect (and to many at the time) it’s obvious that stoves are not just stoves, they’re a crucial part of cooking, one of the most important and culturally-specific acts across all cultures. Convincing a lot of people to change their cooking habits to use stoves that were expensive, poorly built, or unsuited to cooking the foods they ate was always going to be difficult. It also brings up deeper questions about how and when well-intentioned development projects work.

Africa’s Strategic Role in the Global Arena

India Leverages ‘Global South’ Credentials to Revive Africa Ties
World Politics Review Oct 30

Last week India hosted the India-Africa Forum summit as part of Prime Minister Modi’s attempts to strengthen Indian-African ties. India has ties to the continent through a shared history of colonization and independence movements, the Non-Aligned Movement, and peacekeeping, but Modi’s government is now seeking to leverage those ties for better economic engagement.

Madagascar: the Country That’s Poor But Not Poor Enough for Aid
Guardian  Nov 1

Madagascar, slammed by drought and food shortages, is poor yet often overlooked by donors and development agencies. The world’s fourth biggest island is stuck in the space between severe food insecurity and disaster bad enough for international press and major aid efforts.