Just days after a Nigerian court cleared President Goodluck Jonathan to run for a second term as his party’s candidate, a controversial circumstance because of his Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) policy of rotating its candidates between the North and South, he won the PDP primary and thus the party’s nomination to stand in April’s national […]
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is reported to have fled the country, a country he ruled for 23 years, amid anti-govt riots over soaring unemployment and corruption. His whereabouts is still unknown, but (as usual) I am suspecting that he may be headed for Europe. Ordinarily I am not a fan of this […]
Stalemate and tension continue to characterize the situation in Cote d’Ivoire, where incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has been unyielding in holding power despite a near-universal belief that his opponent, Alassane Ouattara, won the 28 November election. Gbagbo has access to and the loyalty of men with guns, who are working to isolate and seal off […]
Voting is ongoing in the South Sudanese referendum to determine whether the region will separate to form its own country. Thus far the voting process itself has been by-and-large peaceful, with an almost festive atmosphere prevailing in some circles, but there have been intermittent violent clashes pitting militias against civilians along the North-South border and […]
As the oil-rich Southern region of Sudan votes on a referendum for independence, George Clooney, Google, the United Nations, and the Harvard Human Initiative have jointly launched a Satellite Sentinel Project to watch the border area that splits north and south Sudan. According to a press release, the aim of the Satellite Sentinel Project is […]
I took a bit of a break over the last twelve days or so for some traveling, including to the American Historical Association’s annual meeting. regular posting will resume soon, especially with today’s referendum in Sudan. I wish you all a happy New Year and hope for the best for all of us in 2011.
I agree with the old adage that the more things change, the more they remain the same. Despite self-congratulatory speeches and political sloganeering, 2010 has not been the best year for Southern Africa in terms of problem solving, innovation, and policy entrepreneurship. Take for example (as I alluded in one of my previous blog entries): […]
Overview 2010 was a year of both change and continuity in African affairs. The changes were clear: Kenyans approved a new Constitution, though the implementation will take time. South Africa successfully hosted the football World Cup, confounding the naysayers and taking another huge step forward in the process of nation building. There were elections across […]
It’s been a month since the results of the contested November 28th presidential election were announced in Cote D’Ivoire, where things have taken a turn for the worse over the end-of-year holidays. As tensions and violence escalate – at least 170 people have been killed so far in post-election violence according to the UN — […]
The crisis in Cote d’Ivoire continues to accelerate. Laurent Gbagbo has dug in his heels, insisting he is the rightful president despite all indications being that the election results clearly favored his opponent Alassane Ouattara. Well more than 10,000 Ivorians have fled the country. As a result the presidents of three nearby countries — Benin, […]
Greetings and welcome to the African Union blog. This blog is being launched in coordination with the publication of the latest of FPA’s Headline Series, backgrounders produced for more than half a century. “The Quest for African Unity: 50 Years of Independence and Interdependence,” offers a short history of Pan-Africanism and the Organization of African […]
I want to wish all of my readers a happy holiday, Merry Christmas, and good tidings for the season. I also want to thank you for your readership, comments, and emails. I plan to post regularly next week, including the annual Year in Review post.
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