Africa

Sudan’s PM resigns: How we got here, what comes next

Abdalla Hamdok’s resignation is the latest blow to Sudan’s transition to democracy since the Oct. 25, 2021, military coup. Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned late Sunday, Jan. 2, amid a political impasse with leaders of the country’s military junta and a crackdown on protesters calling for full civilian rule, …

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China’s Soft-Power Advantage in Africa

Beijing Isn’t Just Building Roads—It’s Making Friends When U.S. policymakers consider China’s influence in Africa, they often think of big-ticket infrastructure development programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past two decades, Beijing has spent billions building dams, highways, railways, and ports in countries from Egypt …

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Sahel Conflict Set To Worsen In 2022 – Analysis

Islamist militant attacks increased this past year in the Sahel region, leading to political instability that saw a coup in Mali, an attempted coup in Niger, and calls for Burkina Faso’s president to resign. Burkina Faso experienced the deadliest terrorist attacks since the conflict began, but analysts say the worst …

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Libya: Chaos Continues

Postponing elections in Libya means more chaos, as the Libyan parliament postponed a vote on how to deal with the repercussions of postponing national elections after a chaotic session that reflected the fabricated political crisis over the fate of the peace process and instability. The Libyan people still want the …

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China’s Soft-Power Advantage in Africa

Beijing Isn’t Just Building Roads—It’s Making Friends When U.S. policymakers consider China’s influence in Africa, they often think of big-ticket infrastructure development programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past two decades, Beijing has spent billions building dams, highways, railways, and ports in countries from Egypt …

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Can Ethiopia Survive?

What Might Happen If Abiy Ahmed Falls In October, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered an offensive against the Tigrayan rebel forces that control much of the country’s northern Tigray region and part of the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. His aim was to force the insurgents into a final …

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Egypt supports Cyprus against Turkey

Egypt has criticized Turkey’s plan for a two-state peace deal on ethnically divided Cyprus. Egyptian criticism of Turkey’s plan for a two-state solution peace deal on ethnically divided Cyprus has come as the latest sign of ongoing tension between Cairo and Ankara despite previous diplomatic efforts to rebuild their relations. …

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Death Toll Rises To 47 After Weekend Attacks in Nigeria

President Buhari said that security forces have turned the heat on terrorists “who are getting frustrated and are soft-targeting innocent citizens, looting their assets, burning their homes and killing them indiscriminately.” The death toll from weekend attacks on villages in Nigeria’s northern state of Kaduna has risen to 38 as …

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Turkey and Egypt Open the Door to a Diplomatic Thaw

In mid-March, Turkey and Egypt confirmed they’d had their first diplomatic contact since breaking off relations in 2013. Though the talks were described by Egyptian sources as preliminary, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying, “Contacts at the diplomatic level have started.” The thaw comes after a decade …

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Why Piracy Is a Growing Threat in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea

In early May, a high-speed boat pulled alongside the Rio Mitong, a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, just off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. Using ladders to board the ship, a group of assailants kidnapped two crew members, taking them back to the shore, where they subsequently held them for ransom. Another …

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