Africa Up Close

Voters line up to vote in Guinea’s 2010 election. Photo by UN Development Programme, Creative Commons.

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

Guinea’s President Alpha Conde Easily Wins Re-election
Al-Jazeera Oct 17

Incumbent Alpha Conde glided to reelection, avoiding a run-off, in Guinea’s election. The opposition has refused to recognize the result and alleged fraud, but independent observers judged the vote generally sound. Observers are worried that protests could escalate into violence in the long-suffering country.

A Dud Return to Democracy: President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is Taking Egypt Down a Familiar Dead End
The Economist Oct 10

Egypt’s parliamentary elections just happened with a resounding whimper. Nobody expects the legislature to have much impact on Sisi’s authoritarian governing style, which seems to be taking the country down the well-worn path of military dictatorship. Despite that, his lack of economic chops and intense crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, other Islamists, and anyone who opposes him has failed to resolve the underlying issues that triggered Mubarak’s ouster in the first place.

Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding

African Governments Are Stepping Up Surveillance of Their Own People
Quartz Africa Oct 16

Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Africa, and Nigeria are all suspected of using some forms of online surveillance tools to track suspected militants, security threats, and in some cases anyone who the regime fears or dislikes. In all cases, watchdogs allege little oversight and lackluster privacy protection, a familiar complaint for privacy activists in the West.

Cracks Widen Within Burundi’s Army
IRIN News Oct 12

The ethnic unity of Burundi’s army, carefully balanced between Hutu and Tutsi influence after the civil war, is starting to break down. This is a worrying development, considering the continued deterioration of the situation in Burundi, and one that could point to potential for a re-ignition of violence.

Trade, Investment, and Sustainable Development

Chinese Firms Buy, Lease Far Less African Farmland Than Thought
Thomson Reuters Foundation Oct 12

Chinese firms, long thought to be leasing vast quantities of farmland for food production for China, have actually followed through on few of those plans. Deborah Braitugum’s new book, “Will Africa Feed China?” suggests that most of these projects fell through due to push-back from African populations, infrastructural challenges, and convoluted and uncertain land ownership laws.

India-Africa Relations: The Role of the Private Sector
Institute for Security Studies Oct 7

India is an increasingly important economic partner for African countries, with the relationship rooted in common development challenges and a history of South-South cooperation. This paper by Southern Voices Network affiliate ISS, examines the importance of the private sector in increasing trade ties between India and Africa.

Africa’s Strategic Role in the Global Arena

Frogs of War: Explaining the New French Military Interventionism
War on the Rocks Oct 14

In the last half decade, France has intervened militarily in conflicts in the Ivory Coast, Libya, Mali, the Sahel, the Central African Republic, Iraq, and Syria. French interventionism is nothing new, especially in former colonies, but the frequency of its involvement is increasing.

The Domestic Controversy Over China’s Foreign Aid, and the Implications for Africa
Brookings Oct 8

China’s splashy and substantial announcements at the UN for greater foreign assistance and investment in Africa, increased peacekeeping, and debt forgiveness has not been well-received at home. Chinese domestic commentators have criticized the moves as too expensive and an example of misplaced priorities, given China’s still-significant poverty. As China seeks to match the West in being a responsible and significant global actor, it finds itself encountering the same complaints that bedevil American foreign aid programs.

Bonus

The Chains of Mental Illness in West Africa
New York Times Oct 11

An excellent, intense long-read from the New York Times about the interplay of religious and traditional ideas of mental illness and the men and women suffering from these diseases. Mental health has long been a low priority for African governments and donors, compared to issues like infectious disease and violence, but that needs to change.