Editors Choice
- November 12, 2019
When news broke of an alleged attempt to remove the security detail of Oromo activist and media mogul Jawar Mohammed, hundreds of his supporters flocked to his residence in Addis Read More..
The threat of intraethnic strife in Ethiopia
When news broke of an alleged attempt to remove the security detail of Oromo activist and media mogul Jawar Mohammed, hundreds of his supporters flocked to his residence in Addis
Yes, study predicts smartphones to outstrip other information tech for carbon footprint
“Children must give up mobile phones,” urges a Facebook meme headed “climate emergency” and which shows a group of young people standing behind Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old global climate change activist. To support this
UN study narrows down why Africans make fraught journey to Europe
Migrants take dangerous routes from Africa to Europe not because they need protection or jobs but because their countries do not meet their aspirations quickly enough, a new study by the UN’s development agency
Meet Burna Boy, the “African Giant”
Burna Boy is on a mission to remind Africans everywhere about their roots in the continent, and Afrobeats is his tool. At a sold-out Wembley Arena, the triumphant tone is
Uganda police uses water canons to brutally arrest opposition leader Besigye
Uganda’s security agencies were kept busy on Monday as they deployed at the country’s leading university, clashed with journalists and arrested veteran opposition leader, Kizza Besigye. Kizza Besigye’s brutal arrest
Nigerian scientist develops cancer drugs from African plants
Mansurah Abdulazeez discusses how her visionary plant research could help in fight against tumours Mansurah Abdulazeez is a molecular biologist at the Center for Biotechnology Research, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.
Despite the African Union firing her, Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao says, “I will continue to tell the truth!”
The African Union (AU) is facing a backlash after sacking Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, its Ambassador to the United States of America. A Ghanaian national, Dr. Chihombori-Quao, has served in various
Mogadishu now has its first motorcycle hailing app
You can now hail a motorcycle service in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The Go! app launched in the Indian Ocean city today (May 1) promising affordable and convenient options in the city’s
West Africa’s cocoa farmers are trapped by the global chocolate industry
The chocolate industry is worth more than $80 billion a year. But some cocoa farmers in parts of West Africa are poorer now than they were in the 1970s or 1980s. In
Meet the Sudanese Filmmakers making International Headlines
The year 2019 has been monumental for Sudan and its people with a revolution that led to the fall of former Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, and is bringing about
Sex work legal in Senegal
Sex work was legalised in Senegal in 1969. Under Senegal’s Penal Code (articles 318 to 327) sex workers must be at least 21-years-old, register with the police, carry a valid sanitary card,
UN Assembly: Ethiopia’s president addresses Nile dam dispute
Every year in September, all 193 members of the United Nations meet at the General Assembly at the organisation’s headquarters in New York. The General Assembly is one of the
A pan-African perspective on Rwanda through a critical review of Judy Rever, In Praise of Blood: The Crimes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Canada, Random House, 2018
The author argues that the Rwanda-Burundi’s dark colonisation past helps us understand the deep-rooted causes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A common narrative about the genocide in Rwanda is that between 7 April
No Minister Cele: SA not only country in Africa giving out crime stats
While releasing South Africa’s annual crime statistics, police minister Bheki Cele said that his department had “dropped the ball” when it came to crime. The statistics, released on 12 September
It’s wrong to impose Western music business models on Africa’s fledgling industries
Music streaming services have generated years of consistent revenue growth for rights holders in developed countries, making them the dominant source of revenue for recordings worldwide. Global music companies and
What is really behind the crisis in Haiti?
For months now, Haiti has been shaken by intensifying protests. A deepening economic crisis and growing fuel and food shortages have sent people to the streets, demanding the resignation of US-backed President
Switzerland to auction cars seized from E Guinea leader’s son
An auction house in Switzerland is set to sell a collection of luxury cars seized by authorities from the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president in a money-laundering investigation. The 25 cars include Ferraris and
Letter to President of South Africa from Africans Rising
H.E Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, State House Pretoria, South Africa September 6th, 2019. Dear Mr. President: Africans Rising is a pan-African solidarity movement of people and organisations, working
No Evidence that 80% of Johannesburg’s inner city is inhabited by foreign nationals
In a video being shared briskly following a spate of attacks in South Africa by mobs targeting foreign-owned businesses, former deputy minister of police Bongani Mkongi claims thatJohannesburg is “80% foreign nationals”. This is “dangerous”,
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Legal Texts and Policy Documents
AfCFTA operational phase launched The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) entered into force on 30 May 2019 for the 24 countries that had deposited their instruments
Rest in peace, Robert Mugabe: Hero, villain, human
Robert Mugabe has died. May he rest in peace. He was one of the engineers who built the foundations of modern-day Zimbabwe. If you ever get the chance, please visit Zimbabwe. It
Opioid use, drug-related disorders on the rise: UN report
Synthetic opioid use is booming, the United Nations said on Wednesday, in a worldwide drug report that shows rising deaths in the United States from overdoses and a “crisis” of Tramadol use
The opioid epidemic you haven’t heard about
Ayao* is a tall and well-built 15-year-old, and like many his age, he is very particular about his appearance. He wears a white T-shirt with a colourful design on the
How many Nigerians are on prescription drugs?
After a BBC Africa Eye documentary exposed Nigeria’s codeine cough syrup crisis in April 2018, the government banned the import and production of the opioid-containing mixture. But this will only have short-term benefits, according
Belonging—why South Africans refuse to let Africa in
Any African who has ever tried to visit South Africa will know that the country is not an easy entry destination. South African embassies across the continent are almost as
Looking back to move forward: The first Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algeria, 1969
Fifty years ago, this year from 21-31 July 1969 in the capital of Algeria, thousands of people gathered for a ground-breaking Pan-African Cultural Festival (PACF). Official delegations were sent to
No, adolescents don’t account for half of new HIV infections in Kenya
Nearly half of new HIV infections in Kenya are among adolescents, a major drugmaker claimed during an international conference focused on the wellbeing of girls and young women. “In Kenya,
Xenophobia – Rep Calls for Immediate Reconvening of National Assembly
Kingsley Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, has called on the speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, to cut short the ongoing recess and attend
The 2019 Bay Area Afrobeats Concert Series confirms Nigerian star Tekno
This year marks the second edition of the Afrobeats Concert Series. The idea behind the series, according to Utake Ent Group’s DJay Slim, co-founder of the Afrobeats Concert Series, is
Haiti’s market women resist global forces
“On a plain high in the mountains of Haiti one day a week thousands of people still gather. This is the marketplace of my childhood…The sights and the smells and
We Want to Take Sudan From This Dark Corner to a Bright Future
On August 4, 2019, the Sudanese military council signed an agreement with Freedom and Change, a body representing the country’s mass protest movement. The agreement establishes the structures and powers of a
West Africa’s New Currency: The End of France’s dominance in Africa?
Just over 30 years after the idea was initially conceived, it appears that the whole of West Africa will now be adopting one currency. On the 29th of June 2019, the leaders
A fan pays tribute to the King of Coupé-Décalé
Ange Didier Huon, Ivorian musician better known to millions as DJ Arafat died at age 33, on August 12, after suffering injuries from a motorbike accident that occurred on Sunday,
Felabration Unveils Plan for 2019 Edition
Organisers of the annual week-long festivity to commemorate the life of the Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has unveiled plans for its 2019 edition. Usually held in October, this year’s celebration
Africa’s job market: what are the challenges?
The 2019 Ibrahim Forum Report highlighted the links between demography, economic prospects and mobility. In a context of a booming youth population and a decade of sustained economic growth, what are the
39 years since Walter Rodney fell; Andaiye, Walter Rodney’s colleague has rejoined the ancestors
This is a tribute of Eusi Kwayana to Andaiye, which captures her connection to the Rodney legacy, and the political and humanist traditions she shared with many others in Guyana and across
The fading pride of Amazigh tattoos
For Africa’s indigenous Amazighs, body art was more than mere images. They were a decisive social, almost poetic, marker for centuries. Berber woman wearing ethnic jewelry, Kairouan, Kairouan governorate (Al
“They don’t see us; they just don’t care” – Stories from Saharawi freedom fighters
The story of Western Sahara, “the last colony in Africa”, is one of flagrant international law violation, and four decades of persistent military occupation by an African country of another
Ethiopia plants world-record 350 million trees in a day, officials say
Volunteers in Ethiopia have planted more than 350 Million trees (353,633,660 seedlings) on Monday, July 28, 2019, to fight deforestation and climate change, officials announced. This national campaign is part
Ethiopia: At least 17 killed in violence over Sidama autonomy
At least 17 people have been killed in clashes between Ethiopian security forces and activists seeking a new autonomous region for their Sidama ethnic group, according to a local official
Ethiopia’s TPLF demands clarity on 2020 elections, blasts ADP over ‘coup’
All is not well in Ethiopia’s ruling coalition as one of the parties is accusing the Amhara Democratic Party (ADP) of not doing enough to prevent the recent high profile
Scenes of joy as Algeria wins Africa Cup of Nations
lgiers, Algeria – Football-crazed Algeria burst into a paroxysm of euphoria on Friday night as the country’s national team emerged triumphant at the Africa Cup of Nations final held in Egypt. Firecrackers lit up
Pentagon Document Shows U.S. Knew of “Credible” Report of Civilian Casualties After its Attacks in Somalia
ON APRIL 1, 2018, the U.S. military carried out an airstrike near El Buur, a town in central Somalia. A press release issued by U.S. Africa Command a day later announced
Brave, inspiring’ Somali-Canadian journalist killed in Kismayo
“Passionate”, “brave” and “a shining star who was a force for good” – these were just some of the tributes that poured in for Canadian-Somali journalist Hodan Nalayeh, who died
Africa’s challenge is the youth bulge currently stuck in ‘waithood’, the 2019 Ibrahim Forum Report says
The Foundation has been discussing African migrations and the calling for a repositioning of the debate in the past few months. As set out in the 2019 Ibrahim Forum Report, Africa’s
Remembering the time Nigerian music had meaning
Then, their music – which was mostly done in the genres of highlife, juju and apala – was resplendent with African proverbs and idioms, and served as a source of wisdom
Les Chaises Koubeyni is an artistic response to the concept of hospitality
Niger’s capital city of Niamey recently hosted an artistic intevention in which a group of artists and architects looked at ways to make a public intervention to reflect on the
Meet Kampire, an East African female DJ bringing new rhythms to dance music
On a Saturday night in Black Flamingo, a cramped basement venue in Brooklyn, New York City, Kampire is blasting out a set of body-shaking, high energy African electronic music. The
Nigeria ranked “7th in Africa” for suicide – but Lesotho tops List
Nigeria is ranked “15th in the world” and “top in Africa” for its suicide rate, according to an article on the link between trauma and suicide in the country. The June
Senegal and Tunisa Fight to Quell Thirst for Achievement
Senegal and Tunisia, Africa’s two highest ranked teams, enter their Cup of Nations semi-final on Sunday in Cairo with the tag of perennial underachievers. The Tunisians have not played in
Art & Film
- October 17, 2019
The year 2019 has been monumental for Sudan and its people with a revolution that led to the fall of former Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, and is bringing about Read More..
- November 29, 2018
On Saturday, 27th October 2018, Nigerian photographer, filmmaker, writer and visual artist, Emeka Okereke, was conferred France’s prestigious insignia of Chevalier De l’Ordre Des Arts et Des Lettres (Knight of Read More..
Culture & Life
- November 12, 2019
“Children must give up mobile phones,” urges a Facebook meme headed “climate emergency” and which shows a group of young people standing behind Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old global climate change activist. To support this Read More..
- October 17, 2019
You can now hail a motorcycle service in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The Go! app launched in the Indian Ocean city today (May 1) promising affordable and convenient options in the city’s Read More..
Political and Social Commentary
- November 12, 2019
When news broke of an alleged attempt to remove the security detail of Oromo activist and media mogul Jawar Mohammed, hundreds of his supporters flocked to his residence in Addis Read More..
- October 5, 2019
The author argues that the Rwanda-Burundi’s dark colonisation past helps us understand the deep-rooted causes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A common narrative about the genocide in Rwanda is that between 7 April Read More..
