Africa Up Close

From September 12-16, 2022, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Africa Program hosted the 2022 Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) Annual Conference, “Business Unusual: A Rapidly Changing World Calls for Adapting Peacebuilding in Africa.”

The conference convened 26 members and representatives in Washington D.C. from 21 SVNP organizations, SVNP scholar alumni, members of the public, policymakers, practitioners, experts, and international stakeholders to assess the current state of peace and security in Africa and analyze how peacebuilding approaches can or should change to fit the current environment. 

From June 16-17, 2022, members of the Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) hosted the Regional Policy Conference, “Peacebuilding in the Great Lakes Region,” in Kampala, Uganda. The Women’s International Peace Centre (The Peace Centre), the Centre d’Etudes pour l’Action Sociale (CEPAS), the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR-Rwanda), and the Centre for Conflict Management (CCM) of the University of Rwanda co-hosted the conference.

Minibuses and cars pause on the road into Bujumbura, Burundi, in more peaceful times. Photo by Dave Proffer, via Flickr. Creative Commons.

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

Burkina Faso Coup Leader Charged Over Sankara Murder
Al-Jazeera – December 7

Burkina Faso’s civilian government, which carried out the country’s first free elections in decades, has charged General Diendere, the military leader behind September’s failed coup, in connection with the murder of Thomas Sankara. The general, who was a close supporter of longtime leader Blaise Compaoré, was linked in the death of legendary socialist hero Sankara before the coup, but these links are much more concrete.

Thousands of people packed Uhura Stadium to be present at President Magufuli’s inauguration.
Photo by GCIS South Africa, via Flickr. Creative Commons.

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

#WhatWouldMagufuliDo Sparks New Bout of Tanzaphilia
Arican Arguments Nov 30

Tanzania has long captivated Westerners and other East Africans eager for a success story, going back to the era of Nyere’s dynamic socialism. Newly-elected president John Magufuli’s bold promises and symbolic decision to cancel lavish independence day spending has reignited a new bout of Tanzaphilia for many, particularly Kenyans fed-up with their own politicians next door.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at a discussion at Chatham House, February 26, 2015. Photo by Chatham House. Creative Commons via Flickr.

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

Nigeria’s President Buhari: Ex-Officer Stole Billions in Arms Deals
Christian Science Monitor – November 18

President Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign is setting head’s rolling, as he orders the arrest of his predecessor’s national security advisor for defrauding the state of billions of dollars meant for the fight against Boko Haram. Soldiers in the army of Africa’s largest country regularly found themselves under-equipped and outgunned in firefights with Boko Haram, thanks in part to rampant graft.

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

Are Ghanaians Fed-up with Democracy?
Wilson Center NOW (video) November 5

Southern Voices Network Scholar Isaac Debrah discusses his research on dissatisfaction with democracy in Ghana with the Wilson Center’s John Milewski (video is above).

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.

Wits University in Johannesburg saw the birth of the protest movement that is currently roiling South African universities. Photo by Paul Saad, Flickr. Creative Commons.

Protests force South Africa’s president to scrap university fee increases—but this is what he missed
Quartz Africa – Oct 23

South Africa’s student protests, the #feesmustfall movement, has been perhaps the biggest news story of the week. Quartz argues it’s significance lies in the entry of the first post-Apartheid generation into political activism.

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.

Outgoing Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete speaking at the Wilson Center on April 3, 2015. Photo by Kaveh Sardari for the Wilson Center.

Inclusive Governance and Leadership

What’s In It For Me? Personalities, Enticements, and Party Loyalties in Tanzania’s Election – Africa Research Institute
Oct 1

In what is likely to be Tanzania’s closest election since the return to democracy, neither the opposition nor ruling parties are addressing the country’s pressing issues. Africa Research Institute provides some important background on the election’s major players.