The Economist’s “Africa”
The Economist changed its verdict from "Hopeless Africa" to "Africa Rising" in eleven years. But few care about the latest verdict.
Politics
On Brand Nigeria
A quick read of comments to recent posts defending gay rights, point to how deep-seated and widespread homophobia is in Nigeria.
Something in the water
Africa's best football players come from West Africa. That's just facts.
The return of the one party state
The regime of Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, Liberia's first post-conflict president, is increasingly guilty of lack of accountability and abetting corruption.
Pizza Aid
What happens when humanitarian agencies ditch the tried-and-trusted fundraising method of splashing disaster porn across screens and news pages?
Parachute Journalism
Blind clichés, projections and stereotypes masquerading as analysis in Foreign Policy by Karen Leigh, Time Magazine’s correspondent for West Africa.
Malema Time
South African elites and their political parties and trade unions cannot claim to represent the masses anymore. This has created space for Julius Malema's brand of populist politics.
What Ugandans think of Obama’s “Special Forces”
For Ugandans the Americans are basically aiding a military infrastructure that will mostly terrorize local people and strengthen an unpopular dictator.
Uganda’s Guantánamo
If you're accused of 'terrorism' in Uganda, you end up at Luzira Prison, known for torture and its 5,000 prisoners in a place with a capacity of 500.
Ghanaians like sex too much to be homophobic
Kwame Anthony Appiah, the Ghanaian philosopher, talks about coming out as gay.
Gaddafi’s white African mercenaries
Muammar Gaddafi relied extensively on mercenaries from elsewhere in Africa to secure his rule. It is usually assumed they're black Africans. It turns out a lot of them come from South Africa. And they're white.
The Assault on Patriarchy in Tunisia
Women participated in all parties, and prominently so, including the party of the undecided and the party of those boycotting the election.
Revisiting the “Gay Marriage Map”
Homophobia in Africa often gets discussed as a one-size-fits-all, with little room for nuance.