Algeria, in Northern Africa, is considered a hotbed of the so-called Arab Spring movement. The Arab Spring which came alive in the December 2010 period swept away legitimate, yet authoritarian governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen in a revolution by civil society movements. The movements are believed to have laid the foundation for civil wars…
Editor’s Note: On May 8 South Africans will go to the polls to elect parliamentarians and provincial legislators in the country’s General Elections. In this analysis, Uniqua Smith gives us a preview of the elections by taking a look at the major parties involved, the issues on the ballot, as well as how the election…
I stumbled upon this story about the chaotic situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) on TV Newswer, a website focused on things that are going on in the media and telecommunications landscape. Then I turned to the reporting that correspondent Cynthia McFadden had produced for NBC News pertaining to her recent trip to the…
If you are like me I am sure you’ve been wondering what is going on with recent news from the African continent. For example — I met a gentleman who I’ll refer to simply as a friend — at a restaurant in Aurora, Colorado on January 16. After a brief conversation, he quickly asked me…
Africa Agenda’s inaugural “Best in Africa Reporting” awards were announced during the organization’s 2018 Africa Summit on November 2, 2018. The awards were given, albeit symbolically, to two news organizations judged to have done an excellent job in their reportage of African news in a fair and unbiased way. Read more here. The second-place winner will be…
The battle to deal with deceit, misinformation, and its related ills, or fake news, has been on for many years. You’ll see me use the word “battle” many times in my writings on this subject. It’s a battle because the terrain is akin to warfare. In a battle where you either win or you lose,…
Editor’s Note: As the 2018 World Cup in Russia progressed we assigned Ife Nwosu to give us a scorecard of what was happening. Here you’ll find Ife’s observations, first recorded in July. This year’s World Cup is taking place in Russia. And as always, the competition is fierce, especially among the four African countries still participating.…
Recent happenings on the African continent, specifically in countries like Zimbabwe and Liberia prove that power can change hands peacefully, even democratically, in Africa. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents came under the spotlight in December 2017 when army chief of staff at the time, Constantino Chiwenga, flexed his muscle, rudely indicating…
Earlier during the U.S. primary elections, a prelude to the general election process, I said that with Donald Trump, the U.S. may be experiencing the bitter taste of its own democracy medicine. As you may know, with that democracy comes freedom of expression, freedom of choice, and assembly, all ingredients that make for a free…
As U.S. President Barack Obama’s presidency winds down, we at Africa Agenda feel it is important to look back at what he and his administration did — or didn’t do— for the African continent over the past 8 years or so. Obama himself is half African; born to a Kenyan father and an American mother. It…