October 10, 2024
In a recent article, I argued that the M23 is the perfect buffer between Rwanda and Congo, given its ideological clarity and the fact that i…
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Change should not be an opportunity to set in motion the harmful game of musical chairs, which characterizes political systems that have term limits in most parts of Africa
The ability for Fintech startups to set up businesses with ease across the continent will rope in the unbanked population allowing them access to the financial sector and its perks
Because western politicians do not have the liberty to discuss freely what their judicial authorities do with regard to specific cases, they look for low hanging fruits
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, is in Africa visiting South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. In the announcement of
Very little effort is made to analyse what is at the root of the conflict, except to claim, in some instances, that it is all about Congo’s wealth
We are living in a strange miasma where the opposition have joined the government and shunted a part of the government aside.
The corruption that is undermining Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts reinforces the growing belief that the military campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency has become a multi-billion dollar industry
The safest way to ensure that Africa becomes an important global player is not to dance to the tunes of others
Robust discussions around the key challenges bedevilling Nigeria, such as insecurity, rising debt profile and energy crisis have been relegated to the background
In Rwanda, two broad schools of thought exist on what education is and what it ought to do. One says that teaching is for the market; another says teaching is for human development
Ugandan leaders who immediately replaced the Amin regime didn’t learn from the 1972 expulsion, that ethnic cleansing doesn’t solve problems
Professor Soludo and ndi Anambra can learn a couple of lessons from both the cultural practices and environmental cleaning strategies of Kigali, Rwanda, which is one of the cleanest cities in the world
Tropical diseases have historically been ignored by conventional medicine because they primarily affect impoverished communities
The incessant lectures on democracy and human rights are underlain by the assumption that Africans are caretakers of what belongs to others
A very important political activity is taking place across the East African community; the (s)election of members of the East African Legislative Assembly – EALA.
Europe has historically heaped the burden of its bad governance on the shoulders of Africans to carry
A succession of undisturbed elections is not the only marker of state stability or social progress, as casual observers without skin in the game looking from the outside may be inclined to believe
Approximately 3.9 million of the estimated 5.6 million abortions performed each year among teenage females aged 15–19 years are unsafe, contributing to maternal death, morbidity, and long-term health concerns
There are those who believe that the UK should be doing more to help than it is currently doing. But surely, this cannot be a justification for directing all the anger towards Rwanda
The law and freedom are two sides of the same coin.
Government intervention in the form of subsidy carries enormous dangers if not managed properly
The prestige that comes with pulling off a successful event where delegates unite in praising, not simply for formality’s sake, the quality of organization, cannot be under-estimated.
The Bible offers insights into what might be construed to be God’s ideal for how Africa should approach the global environmental sustainability conversations.
The increasing desperation for power by money-bag politicians is to allow them access to the enormous spoils and paraphernalia that are attached to political positions
There is always something fundamentally disturbing about the way in which colonialists and white supremacists sought to destroy Black bodies.
The advent of colonial rule weakened the informal land tenure system and resource use arrangement that was already in place, thereby undermining herder-farmer peaceful coexistence.
I looked forward to the experience of bathing with the loofah once again, especially with my deep convictions about the wisdom of our ancestors and their deep connections to the wisdom of nature.
A capitalistic ethic has turned Europe and North America into the most zombified non-neighbourly peoples in world history—at both personal and institutional levels.
The ANC’s positioning has emboldened those who seek to scapegoat immigrants for the socio-economic challenges South Africans face.
What the Rwandan nation has managed to build in less than 30 years after the genocide against the Tutsi is truly unbelievable. I have come
Les tensions diplomatiques et militaires sont des diversions auxquelles recourent souvent les autorités de Kinshasa pour survivre à une autre élection.
Why do Africans indulge in their own destruction as the west cheers them on and hails them as democrats in pursuit of freedom?
Diplomatic and military tensions with Rwanda are usually sufficient diversions for the authorities in Kinshasa to survive another election.
One option for Africa is to jump into the EVs manufacturing fray and start making African EVs. This is not entirely uncharted territory.
In Africa, identity comes out as the main topic around which to agitate and achieve political ambitions. This explains the destructive role of politics in African lives.
The inevitable has happened. Some countries can no longer raise enough revenue money to pay their debt.
In Zambia, corruption was paramount to writing the former ruling party’s downfall
While the primary objective of every electoral contest is victory, it should not be achieved at the expense of equity, fairness, justice and national unity
Failure to take into consideration South Africa’s concerns, and by extension the concerns of African countries, will only lead to more incomprehension.
Like the children who don’t want to know where the money for chocolate and school abroad comes from, the parents do not want to know where money in the Treasury comes from.
It is the responsibility of the government to bring a new paradigm to break Burundi’s vicious cycle of violence.
There is no need to re-invent the wheel. What took other developed countries centuries and decades to build can be done in a few years by those who invest resolutely and wisely.
Teaching students respect for every ethnic group in a country is foundational to the crafting of a curriculum in Ethnic Studies. At the core will be an appreciation of the contributions of different ethnic groups to national advancement, as well as debunking any form of stereotypes.
“There were many who worked hard to keep us at the bottom,” President Kagame described the journey that at one point required the breaking of diplomatic ties with France.
It is astonishing to realise that two powerful UN states — the UK and US – remain at odds with the word genocide — and continue themselves to contribute to the denial campaign the Security Council seeks to outlaw.
As the RPF appeals to the offspring of genocide perpetrators to dissociate themselves from the crimes of their parents, those who seek to demystify the RPF make the opposite appeal, calling on them to justify the actions of their parents and to even defend their “honour.”
“Any good-faith defender of free speech and freedom of the media ought to situate the discourse in relation to the relevant international instruments and domestic legislation, as well as their enforcement.”
Multilateral fora can’t be effective unless supplemented by a new way of thinking and doing.
France’s half-confession sets new terms of engagement with an African country; it’s a recognition that the colonial terms, which cannot
offer the kind of respect due to an exceptional adversary, are counterproductive
The status quo has kept Africa in a straitjacket of exploitation and interference, with charity covering it up in humanitarian garb
Pan African Review (PAR) Interview with Mr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor General of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) that took up functions
In addition to fostering inclusive and non-volatile growth, Africa needs to turn its challenges into opportunities for investment.
In regard to public health, our culture should be adjusted to the current needs and not past realities
There is one part that is said loudly and which has led to the current confrontation between Mali and France.
The saying “He may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch” is often credited to the celebrated American President
2020 has been a bizarre year, by any measure. The world has been changed dramatically by the rampaging coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than
Africa has been historically marginalized under the global trading regime represented by the World Trade Organization (WTO). This marginalization is not necessarily hatched in the
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereafter the Court) is responsible for ensuring that there is respect of human and peoples’ rights on
So, this is Democracy? A president loses an election, refuses to concede but, instead, catalogues multiple electoral violations. Uncertainty ensues while the world watches on,
Zambia’s latest fiasco, as the first country to default on its Eurobond repayment in the era of Covid-19, is just one episode in a long
The controversial election of Joe Biden – if certified – as President of the United States has been received by many pundits with a sense
The election of Donald Trump in 2016 was regarded as a fluke by most American mainstream media. A deeply flawed candidate (Hillary Clinton), a polarized
If you ever meet a rattlesnake, the rules are simple: remain calm, stay away, do not throw objects to chase it away, do not try
As America heads to elections on November 3, speculations have been mounting across the world around the most likely outcome and its implications for the
On the surface, the recent media onslaught against Rwanda is about Rusesabagina. Whereas the debate should have been whether or not he committed the crimes
When Donald Trump reportedly called African countries ‘shithole’ in a meeting with a bipartisan group of US senators in January 2018, the media was up
This oft-quoted statement by Toni Morrison, the American Nobel Laureate for Literature, is essential for anyone interested in understanding what’s going on with the media
My recent exchanges with some lawyers in town on the fact that corruption offences are imprescriptible in Rwanda seemed to raise some concerns, which I
Recently, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) wrote a pastoral letter expressing concerns about a “ multi-layered crisis of the convergence of economic collapse, deepening
As a popular African proverb tells us, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” However, going
In mid-April 2008, Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president and Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator in the political crisis engulfing Zimbabwe, was heavily
There are two views on women’s representation in political leadership in Rwanda. One view dismisses the contributions of women in leadership as being a cosmetic
Following the decision to include a genocide denier in the Group of Experts to assist the Parliamentary Commission on Belgium’s colonial past, Ingabire Victoire called
Recent developments in developments in which Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa signed a USD 3.5 billion compensation deal with the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) have
Rwanda’s criminal justice system stipulates that when sentencing a suspect in a criminal case, judges must base their decision on “reliable evidence proving beyond a
It was 31 July 2020. Harare was a ghost town. The bristling capital, known for its hive of activity, was “sleeping”. How ironic, considering that
I have been part of a never-ending debate amongst Africans on whether it is important to bring clarity around what colonialism was and its contribution
The tragic rise of the idea of man as an economic creature, which reduces a human being to a mere consumer while eulogizing competition as
It’s November 3, 2020, 11PM Eastern Time. CNN, ABC, CBS, and other major TV networks have called California for Joe Biden. With its 55 electoral
“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” goes an adage. However, in Zimbabwe things change and get worse. That seems a logical
I arrived in Burundi in 2010 during a tense election period when I was doing research involving Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC. I interviewed top
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates warned that 10 million Africans could die from the virus. Researchers at
During the period of Rwanda’s 26th anniversary commemoration of its liberation, I spared some time to share a coffee with a few friends. Among other
On Friday 26 June 2020, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in which some non-members were invited, and it
After the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the RPF pushed for equal representation of women in leadership. Inclusiveness was critical to ensuring that no
The RPF liberation would not have succeeded if it didn’t have a worthy moral cause. At the core of that cause was the desire to
The RPF executive committee meetings usually take place in the presence of members only. However, every once in a while they are opened up to
On 14 June 2020 a man was arrested in Kirehe District for sexually abusing his 10-year-old daughter. The following day, on June 15, a court
A Kenyan proverb says that a flea can cause a lion more trouble than a lion can cause a flea. The upheaval caused by Covid-19
Rwanda’s journalism has, time and again, decried the lack of support – usually financial – from the government. Similarly, complaints against government interference in the
African society needs journalism. However, journalism has failed to demonstrate relevance to African society. Most honest journalists agree to this failure, albeit by citing the
Journalism, like medicine, the armed forces, or teaching, are considered noble professions. Although nobody chooses to join them in order to be poor, the main
On 7 October 1957, a seemingly mundane errand in a Delaware restaurant became a major international incident that embarrassed the US President at the time,
It was with disbelief and mixed feelings that Burundians learned of the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Disbelief because for many Burundians the news of
Art sciences are despised in favor of the natural sciences in many African societies. In fact, this trend has been obvious during, and especially after,
I don’t know… I think we have been programmed to distrust or hate our leaders. We are more accustomed to the narrative of bad governance,
On 16 May 2020, the world was awash with the news that the most wanted fugitive suspected of financing the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi
This morning Burundians gathered to vote for their next president, members of parliament, and other local-level leaders who will represent them for the next seven
Last week, Zimbabwe’s President and current chair of the Southern Development African Community’s (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, Emmerson Mnangagwa met his counterpart,
A debate on identity has raged in much of post-colonial African political and intellectual discourse. Much of the debate centres on the culture and politics
The presence of Félicien Kabuga in Paris is an indictment against France that underscores its role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Two weeks ago, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa extended the national lockdown measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by another two weeks. This marked the
President Peter Nkurunziza’s obsession to stand for a third term in May 2015 despite strong popular mobilization against his project and the previous failure to
There are men and women across Africa who, though not widely celebrated in the media or popularized in history lessons across the continent, have made
An interview with Hon. Mugesera Antoine, former Senator, scholar and a Genocide survivor While the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is believed to be the
Democracy is a wide and complex subject. In this discussion I am limiting its meaning to “electing leaders” on a periodic basis. The beauty of
More than a century ago, at the height of a deadly war between the King of Burundi Mwezi Gisabo and the German occupying forces that
The right to ethnic politics is often defined as one of the crucial rights to be recognized for Rwanda to be a democracy. Stopping people
From the 2nd of August 2019, the conversation among people with interest in International Criminal Justice is the ongoing search for a new Chief Prosecutor
Every April, the genocide denialist movement rears its ugly head by engaging in denialist rhetoric that it tries to conceal as political criticism. It tries
A slew of emboldened anti-Rwanda Western academics and journalists are involved in a sinister campaign to revise, deny, and cast doubt
on one of the worst horrors of modern history, the genocide against Rwanda’s Tutsi.
Most societies have parameters of acceptable discourse. Almost all societies have fringe elements that operate from the gutter. However, these are often ignored, subjected to
Recently I spoke to a group of people about Rwanda. The conversation focused mainly on where Rwanda is right now, and where it may be
At the advent of colonialism, Europeans assumed that African societies were organized along ethnic lines. They thought that whenever these groups came into contact violence
In a February 2020 article in the Financial Times, a “specialist” in Africa casually wrote that in the 60s DRC was “unprepared for independence from
In 2016, I attended a major African Union (AU) conference, which was held in Rwanda at the Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) in the capital. In
The article I wrote on why the security sector should take up education elicited far greater controversies than I had imagined. I had expected there
Since the establishment of missionary education and its entrenchment under the colonial state, Africa’s education has never been organic. Education was in fact the last
In recent months, Zimbabwe has experienced massive shortages of the mealie meal. Maize is the staple food across Southern and Eastern Africa. So, Zimbabweans toil
Last week, Malawi’s constitutional court made a landmark ruling nullifying the Malawian Presidential Election of 21 May 2019. President Peter Mutharika was declared the winner
It is hard to imagine a bigger, more powerful and influential news agency than the Associated Press. The 174-year-old American newswire’s reports are published and
Recently, the UK-Africa investment summit was held in London. For British Prime Minister Borris Johnson, the event was of huge importance. The summit came a
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his tour of five Africas nations in Zimbabwe. Previously, Wang Yi had visited Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea and Burundi.
Zimbabweans are learning the hard way that a crocodile doesn’t really change its jaws I happened to be on a 3-week work mission to Zimbabwe
In case anyone has forgotten, here is a friendly reminder: Uncle Sam is not your uncle. He is not even your friend. Former British Prime
A week ago, I wrote about former South African president Thabo Mbeki’s visit to Zimbabwe, on a political dialogue mission, which saw him meeting President
When President Thomas Sankara’s bodyguards asked for permission to arrest his best friend, Blaise Compaore, after intelligence exposed his plan to oust the President through
Recently I attended the National Congress of Rwanda’s ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). It was the first time I was attending it. I
South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki was recently in Zimbabwe as part of efforts to facilitate a political dialogue in Harare. He separately met the
For decades now, Western merchants of democracy in Africa have spent hundreds of millions of dollars across the continent on ‘civic education’ and ‘voter education’
The media is at it again calling Johnson’s resounding victory in the 2019 UK general election some kind of shock. The reaction is similar to
Last week the American Academic, Dr. Emily O’Dell, took a seminar outside of the U.S in search of a environment where she could exercise freedom.
In a bid to lighten the nation’s huge debt burden, the government of Kenya recently announced a commercialization of its citizenship and immigrant status. Going
A fortnight ago, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague handed down its stiffest sentence of thirty years imprisonment of the DRC’s Bosco Ntaganda.
A system that places capital at the centre of economic activity – capitalism – has worked relatively well for almost all economically advanced societies. It
Karl Marx described religion as the opium of the masses, an illusion of happiness, the soul of a soulless nation and the heart of a
Africa’s local languages just won its very first Oscars award, the rejection of Nigeria’s blockbuster movie, Lionheart. The movie, which was Nigeria’s contender for the
A recent article by Reuters titled “What limits? How African leaders cling to power for decades,” and another by The East African’s Charles Onyango Obbo
It is fun to watch. The meltdown of western liberals over what they are desperately calling ‘the end of democracy.’ The rise of right-wing nationalist
The first call Bonja received the morning after he returned from France came from his only surviving sibling’s spouse. “Brother,” she had begun in a
Bonja looked at his watch and noted that the representative from Triang Square should be in his office in five minutes. He thought of sending
The idea that Tshisekedi could suddenly become a reliable partner simply has no basis in reality
Cape Town’s housing crisis is a human rights issue, and it requires urgent and meaningful action
In this episode, Fola Folayan hosts Lonzen Rugira, David Hundeyin, Levi Kabwato and our special guest Mohamed Kheir to discuss the responsibility of Africa’s
“There is something radically wrong with the African Union,” Thabo Mbeki said.
It would make more sense to consider redirecting the millions wasted on MONUSCO to a more efficient force, but sadly, we must stick to the single story: the M23 are the bad guys
In the second episode of our weekly podcast hosted by Fola Folayan, our panelists Lonzen Rugira, David Hundeyin, Levi Kabwato and special guest Rashid
If Africa can’t contribute to putting food on the world’s table, someone will buy or seize its lands by force and do so. You can take that to the bank
The forces at play simply do not want this cooperation to succeed, just as they undermined the partnership with Kabila a decade ago.
Change should not be an opportunity to set in motion the harmful game of musical chairs, which characterizes political systems that have term limits in most parts of Africa
The ability for Fintech startups to set up businesses with ease across the continent will rope in the unbanked population allowing them access to the financial sector and its perks
Because western politicians do not have the liberty to discuss freely what their judicial authorities do with regard to specific cases, they look for low hanging fruits
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, is in Africa visiting South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. In the announcement of
Very little effort is made to analyse what is at the root of the conflict, except to claim, in some instances, that it is all about Congo’s wealth
We are living in a strange miasma where the opposition have joined the government and shunted a part of the government aside.
The corruption that is undermining Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts reinforces the growing belief that the military campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency has become a multi-billion dollar industry
The safest way to ensure that Africa becomes an important global player is not to dance to the tunes of others
Robust discussions around the key challenges bedevilling Nigeria, such as insecurity, rising debt profile and energy crisis have been relegated to the background
In Rwanda, two broad schools of thought exist on what education is and what it ought to do. One says that teaching is for the market; another says teaching is for human development
Ugandan leaders who immediately replaced the Amin regime didn’t learn from the 1972 expulsion, that ethnic cleansing doesn’t solve problems
Professor Soludo and ndi Anambra can learn a couple of lessons from both the cultural practices and environmental cleaning strategies of Kigali, Rwanda, which is one of the cleanest cities in the world
Tropical diseases have historically been ignored by conventional medicine because they primarily affect impoverished communities
The incessant lectures on democracy and human rights are underlain by the assumption that Africans are caretakers of what belongs to others
A very important political activity is taking place across the East African community; the (s)election of members of the East African Legislative Assembly – EALA.
Europe has historically heaped the burden of its bad governance on the shoulders of Africans to carry
A succession of undisturbed elections is not the only marker of state stability or social progress, as casual observers without skin in the game looking from the outside may be inclined to believe
Approximately 3.9 million of the estimated 5.6 million abortions performed each year among teenage females aged 15–19 years are unsafe, contributing to maternal death, morbidity, and long-term health concerns
There are those who believe that the UK should be doing more to help than it is currently doing. But surely, this cannot be a justification for directing all the anger towards Rwanda
The law and freedom are two sides of the same coin.
Government intervention in the form of subsidy carries enormous dangers if not managed properly
The prestige that comes with pulling off a successful event where delegates unite in praising, not simply for formality’s sake, the quality of organization, cannot be under-estimated.
The Bible offers insights into what might be construed to be God’s ideal for how Africa should approach the global environmental sustainability conversations.
The increasing desperation for power by money-bag politicians is to allow them access to the enormous spoils and paraphernalia that are attached to political positions
There is always something fundamentally disturbing about the way in which colonialists and white supremacists sought to destroy Black bodies.
The advent of colonial rule weakened the informal land tenure system and resource use arrangement that was already in place, thereby undermining herder-farmer peaceful coexistence.
I looked forward to the experience of bathing with the loofah once again, especially with my deep convictions about the wisdom of our ancestors and their deep connections to the wisdom of nature.
A capitalistic ethic has turned Europe and North America into the most zombified non-neighbourly peoples in world history—at both personal and institutional levels.
The ANC’s positioning has emboldened those who seek to scapegoat immigrants for the socio-economic challenges South Africans face.
What the Rwandan nation has managed to build in less than 30 years after the genocide against the Tutsi is truly unbelievable. I have come
Les tensions diplomatiques et militaires sont des diversions auxquelles recourent souvent les autorités de Kinshasa pour survivre à une autre élection.
Why do Africans indulge in their own destruction as the west cheers them on and hails them as democrats in pursuit of freedom?
Diplomatic and military tensions with Rwanda are usually sufficient diversions for the authorities in Kinshasa to survive another election.
One option for Africa is to jump into the EVs manufacturing fray and start making African EVs. This is not entirely uncharted territory.
In Africa, identity comes out as the main topic around which to agitate and achieve political ambitions. This explains the destructive role of politics in African lives.
The inevitable has happened. Some countries can no longer raise enough revenue money to pay their debt.
In Zambia, corruption was paramount to writing the former ruling party’s downfall
While the primary objective of every electoral contest is victory, it should not be achieved at the expense of equity, fairness, justice and national unity
Failure to take into consideration South Africa’s concerns, and by extension the concerns of African countries, will only lead to more incomprehension.
Like the children who don’t want to know where the money for chocolate and school abroad comes from, the parents do not want to know where money in the Treasury comes from.
It is the responsibility of the government to bring a new paradigm to break Burundi’s vicious cycle of violence.
There is no need to re-invent the wheel. What took other developed countries centuries and decades to build can be done in a few years by those who invest resolutely and wisely.
Teaching students respect for every ethnic group in a country is foundational to the crafting of a curriculum in Ethnic Studies. At the core will be an appreciation of the contributions of different ethnic groups to national advancement, as well as debunking any form of stereotypes.
“There were many who worked hard to keep us at the bottom,” President Kagame described the journey that at one point required the breaking of diplomatic ties with France.
It is astonishing to realise that two powerful UN states — the UK and US – remain at odds with the word genocide — and continue themselves to contribute to the denial campaign the Security Council seeks to outlaw.
As the RPF appeals to the offspring of genocide perpetrators to dissociate themselves from the crimes of their parents, those who seek to demystify the RPF make the opposite appeal, calling on them to justify the actions of their parents and to even defend their “honour.”
“Any good-faith defender of free speech and freedom of the media ought to situate the discourse in relation to the relevant international instruments and domestic legislation, as well as their enforcement.”
Multilateral fora can’t be effective unless supplemented by a new way of thinking and doing.
France’s half-confession sets new terms of engagement with an African country; it’s a recognition that the colonial terms, which cannot
offer the kind of respect due to an exceptional adversary, are counterproductive
The status quo has kept Africa in a straitjacket of exploitation and interference, with charity covering it up in humanitarian garb
Pan African Review (PAR) Interview with Mr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor General of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) that took up functions
In addition to fostering inclusive and non-volatile growth, Africa needs to turn its challenges into opportunities for investment.
In regard to public health, our culture should be adjusted to the current needs and not past realities
There is one part that is said loudly and which has led to the current confrontation between Mali and France.
The saying “He may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch” is often credited to the celebrated American President
2020 has been a bizarre year, by any measure. The world has been changed dramatically by the rampaging coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than
Africa has been historically marginalized under the global trading regime represented by the World Trade Organization (WTO). This marginalization is not necessarily hatched in the
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereafter the Court) is responsible for ensuring that there is respect of human and peoples’ rights on
So, this is Democracy? A president loses an election, refuses to concede but, instead, catalogues multiple electoral violations. Uncertainty ensues while the world watches on,
Zambia’s latest fiasco, as the first country to default on its Eurobond repayment in the era of Covid-19, is just one episode in a long
The controversial election of Joe Biden – if certified – as President of the United States has been received by many pundits with a sense
The election of Donald Trump in 2016 was regarded as a fluke by most American mainstream media. A deeply flawed candidate (Hillary Clinton), a polarized
If you ever meet a rattlesnake, the rules are simple: remain calm, stay away, do not throw objects to chase it away, do not try
As America heads to elections on November 3, speculations have been mounting across the world around the most likely outcome and its implications for the
On the surface, the recent media onslaught against Rwanda is about Rusesabagina. Whereas the debate should have been whether or not he committed the crimes
When Donald Trump reportedly called African countries ‘shithole’ in a meeting with a bipartisan group of US senators in January 2018, the media was up
This oft-quoted statement by Toni Morrison, the American Nobel Laureate for Literature, is essential for anyone interested in understanding what’s going on with the media
My recent exchanges with some lawyers in town on the fact that corruption offences are imprescriptible in Rwanda seemed to raise some concerns, which I
Recently, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) wrote a pastoral letter expressing concerns about a “ multi-layered crisis of the convergence of economic collapse, deepening
As a popular African proverb tells us, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” However, going
In mid-April 2008, Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president and Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator in the political crisis engulfing Zimbabwe, was heavily
There are two views on women’s representation in political leadership in Rwanda. One view dismisses the contributions of women in leadership as being a cosmetic
Following the decision to include a genocide denier in the Group of Experts to assist the Parliamentary Commission on Belgium’s colonial past, Ingabire Victoire called
Recent developments in developments in which Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa signed a USD 3.5 billion compensation deal with the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) have
Rwanda’s criminal justice system stipulates that when sentencing a suspect in a criminal case, judges must base their decision on “reliable evidence proving beyond a
It was 31 July 2020. Harare was a ghost town. The bristling capital, known for its hive of activity, was “sleeping”. How ironic, considering that
I have been part of a never-ending debate amongst Africans on whether it is important to bring clarity around what colonialism was and its contribution
The tragic rise of the idea of man as an economic creature, which reduces a human being to a mere consumer while eulogizing competition as
It’s November 3, 2020, 11PM Eastern Time. CNN, ABC, CBS, and other major TV networks have called California for Joe Biden. With its 55 electoral
“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” goes an adage. However, in Zimbabwe things change and get worse. That seems a logical
I arrived in Burundi in 2010 during a tense election period when I was doing research involving Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC. I interviewed top
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates warned that 10 million Africans could die from the virus. Researchers at
During the period of Rwanda’s 26th anniversary commemoration of its liberation, I spared some time to share a coffee with a few friends. Among other
On Friday 26 June 2020, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in which some non-members were invited, and it
After the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the RPF pushed for equal representation of women in leadership. Inclusiveness was critical to ensuring that no
The RPF liberation would not have succeeded if it didn’t have a worthy moral cause. At the core of that cause was the desire to
The RPF executive committee meetings usually take place in the presence of members only. However, every once in a while they are opened up to
On 14 June 2020 a man was arrested in Kirehe District for sexually abusing his 10-year-old daughter. The following day, on June 15, a court
A Kenyan proverb says that a flea can cause a lion more trouble than a lion can cause a flea. The upheaval caused by Covid-19
Rwanda’s journalism has, time and again, decried the lack of support – usually financial – from the government. Similarly, complaints against government interference in the
African society needs journalism. However, journalism has failed to demonstrate relevance to African society. Most honest journalists agree to this failure, albeit by citing the
Journalism, like medicine, the armed forces, or teaching, are considered noble professions. Although nobody chooses to join them in order to be poor, the main
On 7 October 1957, a seemingly mundane errand in a Delaware restaurant became a major international incident that embarrassed the US President at the time,
It was with disbelief and mixed feelings that Burundians learned of the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Disbelief because for many Burundians the news of
Art sciences are despised in favor of the natural sciences in many African societies. In fact, this trend has been obvious during, and especially after,
I don’t know… I think we have been programmed to distrust or hate our leaders. We are more accustomed to the narrative of bad governance,
On 16 May 2020, the world was awash with the news that the most wanted fugitive suspected of financing the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi
This morning Burundians gathered to vote for their next president, members of parliament, and other local-level leaders who will represent them for the next seven
Last week, Zimbabwe’s President and current chair of the Southern Development African Community’s (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, Emmerson Mnangagwa met his counterpart,
A debate on identity has raged in much of post-colonial African political and intellectual discourse. Much of the debate centres on the culture and politics
The presence of Félicien Kabuga in Paris is an indictment against France that underscores its role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Two weeks ago, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa extended the national lockdown measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by another two weeks. This marked the
President Peter Nkurunziza’s obsession to stand for a third term in May 2015 despite strong popular mobilization against his project and the previous failure to
There are men and women across Africa who, though not widely celebrated in the media or popularized in history lessons across the continent, have made
An interview with Hon. Mugesera Antoine, former Senator, scholar and a Genocide survivor While the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is believed to be the
Democracy is a wide and complex subject. In this discussion I am limiting its meaning to “electing leaders” on a periodic basis. The beauty of
More than a century ago, at the height of a deadly war between the King of Burundi Mwezi Gisabo and the German occupying forces that
The right to ethnic politics is often defined as one of the crucial rights to be recognized for Rwanda to be a democracy. Stopping people
From the 2nd of August 2019, the conversation among people with interest in International Criminal Justice is the ongoing search for a new Chief Prosecutor
Every April, the genocide denialist movement rears its ugly head by engaging in denialist rhetoric that it tries to conceal as political criticism. It tries
A slew of emboldened anti-Rwanda Western academics and journalists are involved in a sinister campaign to revise, deny, and cast doubt
on one of the worst horrors of modern history, the genocide against Rwanda’s Tutsi.
Most societies have parameters of acceptable discourse. Almost all societies have fringe elements that operate from the gutter. However, these are often ignored, subjected to
Recently I spoke to a group of people about Rwanda. The conversation focused mainly on where Rwanda is right now, and where it may be
At the advent of colonialism, Europeans assumed that African societies were organized along ethnic lines. They thought that whenever these groups came into contact violence
In a February 2020 article in the Financial Times, a “specialist” in Africa casually wrote that in the 60s DRC was “unprepared for independence from
In 2016, I attended a major African Union (AU) conference, which was held in Rwanda at the Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) in the capital. In
The article I wrote on why the security sector should take up education elicited far greater controversies than I had imagined. I had expected there
Since the establishment of missionary education and its entrenchment under the colonial state, Africa’s education has never been organic. Education was in fact the last
In recent months, Zimbabwe has experienced massive shortages of the mealie meal. Maize is the staple food across Southern and Eastern Africa. So, Zimbabweans toil
Last week, Malawi’s constitutional court made a landmark ruling nullifying the Malawian Presidential Election of 21 May 2019. President Peter Mutharika was declared the winner
It is hard to imagine a bigger, more powerful and influential news agency than the Associated Press. The 174-year-old American newswire’s reports are published and
Recently, the UK-Africa investment summit was held in London. For British Prime Minister Borris Johnson, the event was of huge importance. The summit came a
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his tour of five Africas nations in Zimbabwe. Previously, Wang Yi had visited Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea and Burundi.
Zimbabweans are learning the hard way that a crocodile doesn’t really change its jaws I happened to be on a 3-week work mission to Zimbabwe
In case anyone has forgotten, here is a friendly reminder: Uncle Sam is not your uncle. He is not even your friend. Former British Prime
A week ago, I wrote about former South African president Thabo Mbeki’s visit to Zimbabwe, on a political dialogue mission, which saw him meeting President
When President Thomas Sankara’s bodyguards asked for permission to arrest his best friend, Blaise Compaore, after intelligence exposed his plan to oust the President through
Recently I attended the National Congress of Rwanda’s ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). It was the first time I was attending it. I
South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki was recently in Zimbabwe as part of efforts to facilitate a political dialogue in Harare. He separately met the
For decades now, Western merchants of democracy in Africa have spent hundreds of millions of dollars across the continent on ‘civic education’ and ‘voter education’
The media is at it again calling Johnson’s resounding victory in the 2019 UK general election some kind of shock. The reaction is similar to
Last week the American Academic, Dr. Emily O’Dell, took a seminar outside of the U.S in search of a environment where she could exercise freedom.
In a bid to lighten the nation’s huge debt burden, the government of Kenya recently announced a commercialization of its citizenship and immigrant status. Going
A fortnight ago, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague handed down its stiffest sentence of thirty years imprisonment of the DRC’s Bosco Ntaganda.
A system that places capital at the centre of economic activity – capitalism – has worked relatively well for almost all economically advanced societies. It
Karl Marx described religion as the opium of the masses, an illusion of happiness, the soul of a soulless nation and the heart of a
Africa’s local languages just won its very first Oscars award, the rejection of Nigeria’s blockbuster movie, Lionheart. The movie, which was Nigeria’s contender for the
A recent article by Reuters titled “What limits? How African leaders cling to power for decades,” and another by The East African’s Charles Onyango Obbo
It is fun to watch. The meltdown of western liberals over what they are desperately calling ‘the end of democracy.’ The rise of right-wing nationalist
The first call Bonja received the morning after he returned from France came from his only surviving sibling’s spouse. “Brother,” she had begun in a
Bonja looked at his watch and noted that the representative from Triang Square should be in his office in five minutes. He thought of sending
The idea that Tshisekedi could suddenly become a reliable partner simply has no basis in reality
Cape Town’s housing crisis is a human rights issue, and it requires urgent and meaningful action
In this episode, Fola Folayan hosts Lonzen Rugira, David Hundeyin, Levi Kabwato and our special guest Mohamed Kheir to discuss the responsibility of Africa’s
“There is something radically wrong with the African Union,” Thabo Mbeki said.
It would make more sense to consider redirecting the millions wasted on MONUSCO to a more efficient force, but sadly, we must stick to the single story: the M23 are the bad guys
In the second episode of our weekly podcast hosted by Fola Folayan, our panelists Lonzen Rugira, David Hundeyin, Levi Kabwato and special guest Rashid
If Africa can’t contribute to putting food on the world’s table, someone will buy or seize its lands by force and do so. You can take that to the bank
The forces at play simply do not want this cooperation to succeed, just as they undermined the partnership with Kabila a decade ago.
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Part of the problem facing Africa is that the agency to articulate the trials and tribulations of Africans has for long been usurped by foreigners. As a principle, everyone should get involved in debates on Africa, of course. However, rather than Read more