Africa

By Ramesh Jaura BRUSSELS (IDN) – When the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed in July a peace deal after two decades of war and ensuing violent border clashes, “a new era of peace and friendship” was felt to have begun in the Horn of… »

In their talks at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Oslo on 10 December 2018, the co-laureates, Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege urged concerted global action to stop rape and sexual violence as weapons of war. Dr Denis Mukwege has become an eloquent spokesperson… »

Until a couple of weeks ago, there had never been so much talk of Tanzania in the Western media. Many people wonder if behind the scenes there is something more relevant than African homofobia. In fact, they invite you to follow the canonical path, that of… »

The official declaration by Federica Mogherini, head of the EU diplomacy, is known. The facts behind those statements are less clear. The interpretation probably most close to the factual reality is offered by Ansbert Ngurumo in Sauti Kubwa, Nov 2, 2018: “…TANZANIA President has ordered the Head… »

Once upon a time there was an African country, Tanzania, praised by the whole West as “peaceful, tolerant, hospitable, etc., etc., etc.” Thanks to its founding ‘father’ J. K. Nyerere, a primary school teacher, Tanzania gained independence from colonial rule in 1961 without spilling a drop of blood, unlike all… »

By Jonathan Pinckney In 2011, Egypt began a political transition following a nonviolent revolution. There was tremendous optimism both from within the country and abroad that the transition was likely to lead to a democratic outcome. In 2014, Burkina Faso also began a political transition after a nonviolent revolution overthrew longtime… »

Astrid Kause, University of Leeds for The Conversation Cape Town’s recent drought brought into sharp relief how people behave and the choices that they make when resources become scarce. The South African city was teetering on the brink: a sustained dry spell meant that residents were faced… »

I expect you are all familiar with the maps showing the radical shrinking of Palestinian land over 70 years due to the expansion of colonial Israeli settlement. Startling and appalling, yes, but to me they bring back strong memories of other maps, in a precisely analogous situation, which goes to… »

Based on compassion, respect for others and the belief in a common bond joining all of humanity, Ubuntu is a philosophy and a way of life in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its values – in different languages and dialects – have connected peoples such as the Bantu, the Bakongo, the South African… »

The Kingdom of Aksum (also known as Axum) was formed in the first century BC in the northern region of Ethiopia. Although Its origins remain unclear we know that it was the first Christian kingdom in Africa and one of the most powerful. At the height of its expansion, the… »