Africa
Five potential global consequences of Sudan’s escalating conflict
In Sudan’s 67 years as an independent state, the country has known more times of war than peace. Half a million people died in the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972). Two…
Russia foreign policy: the search for new friends
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to its near-complete political and economic estrangement from the West. This has obliged Moscow to intensify reorientation of its foreign…
If you had 30 minutes with the PM, what would you ask?
“Right. So I’m going to pretend that you are the recently voted upon Prime Minister?”
Exactly, I reply, smiling across the screen to Dorcas Makgato, High Commissioner for…
Insights from Africa as China stumbles in the Pacific
Earlier this month, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded a 10-day tour of the Pacific, touching down in Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New…
Why was it left to Kenya to speak up for multilateralism?
In a long speech this week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin crossed the Rubicon by recognising the “independent” republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, creating…
The curious case of Blenheim Reef
A remote sandbank in the middle of the Indian Ocean, known as Blenheim Reef, is hitting the international news. The Mauritian government has sponsored an expedition to the reef to…
Mauritius sets sail to Chagos
On Tuesday, Mauritius made good on a long-standing threat to Britain and sent a boatload of officials to visit the Chagos Archipelago without permission. This action has placed…
Twenty years of BRICS
It is 20 years since Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill invented the BRIC economic grouping – Brazil, Russia, India and China – with South Africa added later to make up the…
FOCAC: No mention of controversies while China sticks to a game plan
From 29–30 November, the eighth edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together the foreign ministers and high-level…
Africa and the Caribbean, together, seek global bargaining power
On 7 September, leaders from the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convened the 1st Africa CARICOM Summit. This landmark event had been a long time coming, held…