Opinions

Rabah Arezki says US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will expose developing countries to a series of interconnected threats, hence, they must navigate today’s Trumpian chaos while still responding to their rapidly growing youth populations’ demand for decent jobs and opportunities. President Donald Trump of the United States of America…

Montek Singh Ahluwalia argues that while the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku fell short of what is needed to close the climate-finance gap faced by developing economies which underscore the need for major policy reforms ahead of this year’s COP30 in Brazil. Last year’s United Nations Climate Change…

Moses Chrispus Okello believes shifting military dynamics, political fragmentation and external interference could escalate clashes and push Sudan towards partition. Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) and RSF Commander General Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo [File: Ashraf Shazly/AFP] The war in Sudan has taken a dramatic turn for the…

Hippolyte Fofack argues: US President Donald Trump’s dismantling of America’s foreign-aid program and the end of USAID could galvanize African governments and leaders to confront their countries’ challenges head-on. President Donald Trump of the United States of America Back in 2015, then-Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta warned the Pan-African Parliament about the dangers of…

Jeremy Oronje analyzes the 8-year tour of duty of the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Mahamat Faki, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, particularly his achievements, setbacks, and challenges. Moussa Mahamat Faki, the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Mahamat Faki’s tenure as the Chairperson of…

Chukwuemeka Eze, Desire Assogbavi and Malick Fall argue that ECOWAS’s golden anniversary presents a unique opportunity for the regional bloc to embody the aspirations of its people and truly represent the diverse communities it serves. President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, the current ECOWAS chairman The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)…

Wafula Okumu says although the AU was hailed as “an elixir” for the continent’s challenges, it has progressively been rendered “powerless” and “forlorn” urging new AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to marshal the goodwill of African leaders and people to reverse these trends and restore the enthusiasm that welcomed…

As foreign aid is being slashed across the Global North Nilima Gulrajani thinks a Pearson Commission on International Development 2.0 has become necessary to explore new global institutional arrangements to minimize aid dependency and reduce fragmentation, while still providing for the most vulnerable and helping future generations prosper. Foreign aid…

Following seven rounds of balloting, 60-year-old diplomat Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected the sixth chair of the African Union Commission in February 2025. Politics professor Ulf Engel, the editor of the Yearbook on the African Union, explains the role and its challenges. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the incoming chair of the African Union Commission…

Against the backdrop of rapid changes in the Sahel, Janisha Patel says rather than deliver prescriptive diktats, Western governments must foster partnerships that respect the agency of African states and also buy into a collective vision for revitalizing regional cooperation. Left to Right: Alliance of Sahel States (AES) leaders Ibrahim…