Opinions

Carlos Lopes posits the debt situation in many African countries has escalated again to a critical juncture with twenty countries in, or at risk of, debt distress, due to three pivotal elements significantly contributing to this. Firstly, the rules governing the international banking system favour developed countries and work against the…

Rose Jaji argues the racialization of space thrives on the conflation of racial differences which generates a correspondingly racialized migration lexicon that positively depicts migrants from high income countries as expatriates, lifestyle migrants, cosmopolitans and assets to their host countries, while portraying migrants from low to high-income countries as asylum seekers…

Pamela Carslake argues the principles of equality, respect for sovereignty as well as mutual benefits are reasons for China’s acceptance by Africa and contends that although the contributions of external partners to Africa’s development alone will not solve the continent’s challenges, there is a need for concerted efforts from the…

Despite some progress, many reforms have stalled. Can Kenya’s President William Ruto get the process back on track? In 2016, African leaders recognised the imperative for a swift and substantial reform of the African Union (AU). The initiative led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame aimed to realign AU institutions for better service…

Loreen Katiyo and Leticia Ngorima argue that climatic factors are placing unprecedented pressure on water resources in the Southern Africa region, noting the necessity to prioritize transboundary water cooperation for not just economic prosperity but also stability and harmony throughout the region. The ministers of water for Mozambique and Zimbabwe…

Hippolyte Fofack argues the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could significantly transform Africa’s trade and economic landscape owing to its potential to significantly increase investment flows, with their composition and direction shifting away from natural resources towards labor-intensive manufacturing. In a sign of the stickiness of the colonial development model…

African heads of state are slated to meet this weekend [February 17 – 18] for the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union and they could be prompted to make an unforced error that could weigh heavily in the continent’s plans to promote digital industrialization and the…

Ueli Staeger and Babatunde Fagbayibo argue that the African Union is weak because its Member States want it to remain so. The African Union (AU) comes in for a lot of criticism. Most recently this is from within its own ranks. The AU Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, set out his frustrations after…

The decision of the India G20 summit last September admitting the African Union (AU) as a permanent member has been hailed as a historic development both continentally and globally. While it is not true that the benefit of AU membership to the global body is insignificant, there is merit to the view…