The shadow of the fatherland
Akinola Davies Jr’s feature-length debut traces how Nigeria’s military rule collapsed the boundary between political crisis and intimate life, leaving families to bear the cost of authoritarian power.
democracy
Grounded expectations
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations marks a transition period for the Nigerian men's national team. This could be good for them (and the nation).
After the coronation
In Tanzania, the Gen Z uprising meets a state whose old bargains have collapsed.
After Paul Biya
Cameroon’s president has ruled for over four decades by silence and survival. Now, with dynastic succession looming and no clear exit strategy, the country teeters between inertia and implosion.
Cameroon’s last election
The outcome of the October 12 elections may make or break the resource-rich Central African nation.
Back on track
A Johannesburg-Cape Town high-speed line could turn apartheid’s corridors of extraction into a green spine of connection, industry, and justice.
Biya forever
As Cameroon nears its presidential elections, a disintegrated opposition paves the way for the world’s oldest leader to claim a fresh mandate.
Nepal’s new reality
The youth-led uprising in Nepal has toppled the old guard, but its endurance depends on whether anger at corruption and inequality can be translated into lasting political change.
After the uprising
Following two years of mass protest, Kenya stands at a crossroads. A new generation of organizers is confronting an old question: how do you turn revolt into lasting change? Sungu Oyoo joins the AIAC podcast to discuss the vision of Kenya's radical left.
All pull together
The 2025 Kenyan protests once again declared themselves “tribeless, leaderless, partyless.” But what does the idiom of unity hide?
Paul Biya, the last Kaiser
A meditation on the oldest ruler in the world.
An undignified democracy
Three decades after apartheid, South Africans are still waiting for housing, land, and dignity — while elites ask for patience that serves only themselves.
The mustache that swung an election
In Mauritius, social media memes and leaks exposed corruption, galvanized youth, and reshaped the nation’s political landscape.
Enter the Povo
Mozambique’s disputed elections triggered a deadly uprising, as citizens resisted Frelimo’s rule and exposed the cracks in neoliberal policies.
The price of power
Ghana’s election has brought another handover between the country’s two main parties. Yet behind the scenes lies a flawed system where wealth can buy political office.
Growing but not maturing
As Ghana heads to the polls, its democratic promise fades amid economic turmoil, corruption, and disillusionment, leaving voters to choose between two flawed options.
The Nigerian people must own their resistance
When rising against ruling-class corruption, Nigerians must reject the hero culture that has historically undermined genuine activism.
Mozambique and the politics of popular uprising
On November 21st, 2024, we discussed the politics underlying the popular uprising in Mozambique with António Bai, Anne Pitcher, and José Jaime Macuane.
Ruto’s Kenya
Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for — a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.
Hopium kills but hope seeds
Reflections on Trump’s 2024 US presidential victory.