National Pride, Power and China’s Political Calculus in Ethiopia
Contrary to the predominant perception of all of China’s key partners in Africa being either resource rich or economic powerhouses, Ethiopia is neither.
A new champion for conflict prevention: but mindshifts won’t come easy
Just ten days into his tenure as United Nations’ Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres chose his first formal address to the UN to be about the importance of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. At a UN debate sponsored by the government of Sweden on 10 January, the new SG said, ‘Prevention is not just a priority, but the priority.’
Kenya’s Regional Diplomacy: Peripheral or Adaptive Pragmatism?
Kenya maintains close bilateral and multilateral relations with all its neighbouring states. However, analysts have argued that Kenya lags behind in taking up strong positions at the regional and international levels, unlike some other key states in the region.
Africa needs to manage food, water and energy in a way that connects all three
There is an increasing global demand for food, water and energy. All three are inter-linked, a fact that has increasingly become the focus of attention for policy makers and governments.
Emerging Trends in Africa’s Electoral Processes
The quest for competitive elections in Africa, with the modest gains made since the 1990s towards deepening democratisation, continues to underpin the continent’s efforts to create stable and growing democracies.
Zambia’s Constitutional Groundhog Day
Since independence, Zambia has had five major constitutional amendments (an average of one every 10 years), a fact that has raised concerns about the country’s constitutional foundations.
China’s ban on domestic ivory trade is huge, but the battle isn’t won
China has published a notice that the processing and sale of ivory and ivory products ‘will be stopped by December 31, 2017.’ Following a decision taken at the latest Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) conference to end all domestic trade in ivory, China has duly made a credible commitment to this end.
Regulations for foreign investor act weighted towards dispute settlement
On December 15 2015, President Jacob Zuma assented to the controversial Protection of Investment Act when much of the South African public was on a festive holiday break. This piece of legislation is meant to replace the bilateral investment treaties that SA terminated in 2012, resulting in consternation and outcry from the international investment community based in the country.
Chinese Medical Teams in the DRC: A Comparative Case Study
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is, by area, the largest Sub-Saharan African country, with a population of almost 100 million people. At the end of 2018, the DRC went through its first peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960.
Chinese Media, Kenyan Lives: An Ethnographic Inquiry Into CCTV Africa’s Head Offices
Since the launch of CCTV Africa in 2012, many academics from various disciplines have taken an interest in the role and impact of the Chinese state—run media outlet.