Opinions

Adem K Abebe argues the African Union has a long and chequered history of advancing and protecting democracy and 2024 was no exception with the AU’s actions and omissions throughout the year having continued the pattern of limited advance, even regression, in pursuing its ambition of building a democratic, peaceful and prosperous…

Ueli Staeger argues the success of the recently held Mjadala Afrika, a public debate with candidates for the next Chairperson of the AU Commission, speaks to a broader phenomenon of the AU seeking to re-engage citizens, having lost its popular appeal over partially founded perceptions of ineffectiveness, mismanagement, and stasis. Left…

Karabo Mokgonyana says for African countries burdened by heavy debt to capitalise on International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) reforms they must introduce targeted financial instruments for renewable energy as well as strengthen regulatory frameworks to attract long-term green investment. The IMF’s decision to reduce borrowing costs by about 36%, or $1.2bn…

Tighisti Amare and Alex Vines argue African leaders have more options than ever, creating opportunities for triangulation – African nations can strategically engage multiple global powers to maximize their benefits.  A general view of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on 5…

Amidst the growing demand for Africa to have two permanent seats on the UN Security Council, Désiré Assogbavi wonders if the United States proposal for Africa to have two seats without veto rights is meaningless. There is a growing demand and an urgency to increase the effectiveness of the United Nations’…

Tim Murithi argues the US proposal that Africa gets two seats on the UN Security Council without veto powers would relegate the continent’s 1.4 billion people to permanent second-class citizens on a Security Council that allocates 60% of its agenda to issues relating to Africa. The opening session for the…

On the case for Africa’s permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Sithembile Mbete argues the nature of global threats and the definition of international security have changed dramatically since the creation of the UN in 1945, noting that such threats can only be resolved by a Security Council…

Sara Hamouda asks: what could be Africa’s gains from the Summit of the Future (SOTF) to nurture good governance on the continent? Sara Hamouda, Officer-in-Charge, the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 Continental Governance Programme at the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) A bold Pact for the Future will be adopted at…

Mr Raila Odinga argues the desire and enthusiasm for integration in Africa has never waned. However, this is possible if Member States can be persuaded to cede commensurate loyalty to the ideals of supranational authority and the long-term benefits of integration. Raila Odinga, a former Prime Minister of Kenya, is…

Richard Ponzio and Nudhara Yusuf posit the Summit of the Future (SOTF) represents both a milestone and another step in the long journey toward achieving human security for all, noting that the older generation owe this renewed commitment to collective global action to today’s younger generation and all succeeding generations…