Commentary

Zambia Mourns Mwanawasa Zambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa should be remembered not just for his position on Zimbabwe, but also for his (occasionally dubious) anti-corruption stance, economic and agricultural policies and his encouragement of foreign investment, most notably from India and China. His successor will have to decide where to take these policies in the future, but first the question of who will inherit and how they inherit is of the most pressing concern.
22 Aug 2008

The Rwanda Report: A Clash of Truths? The 2008 Rwanda Commission Report on the 1994 Genocide, just released by the Rwandan government, alleges direct French complicity in the tragedy. Naming top French politicians, the Report could have repercussions far beyond the Kigali -Paris relationship
8 Aug 2008

Zimbabwe’s Silo-breaker: the Memorandum of Understanding The current talks between bitter rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe offer the best, perhaps the only chance, for a peaceful resolution to Zimbabwe’s crisis, but success is by no means guaranteed.
24 Jul 2008

The ICC vs. President Al-Bashir: A Necessary Precedent? As the International Criminal Courts takes the unprecedented decision to indict Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, critics claim that the decision will not be as straightforward as may be thought.
16 Jul 2008

Zimbabwe - Tsvangirai's new struggle Zimbabwe's opposition leader must convince his party he hasn't played into Mugabe's hands
25 Jun 2008

Brenthurst Discussion Paper 1/2008. Zimbabwe After the Election: A Path to Recovery, Stabilisation and Economic Growth This discussion paper looks to suggest viable options for economic recovery in Zimbabwe, with any kind of stabilisation needing to be preceded by a normalisation of the current political situation.
8 Apr 2008

RUSI Africa Programme on Al-Jazeera Knox Chitiyo, the head of RUSI's Africa Programme, gives his analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe after the general elections.
7 Apr 2008

Zimbabwe’s Election: Apocalypse or Rebirth? Robert Mugabe's options in Zimbabwe are narrowing by the day, and it is surely time for a negotiated settlement
3 Apr 2008

AFRICOM and US-Africa relations The RUSI conference on AFRICOM and US-Africa relations covered a broad range of topics on American relations with Africa, as well as other international actors. This report is a summary of the presentations and discussion.
20 Mar 2008

Zimbabwe: Crisis, Reconstruction and Security This report discusses the current crisis with a particular focus on the March 2008 elections and the prospects for reconstruction and improved security in their aftermath.
18 Mar 2008

Kenya in Crisis Kenya is unlikely to follow the genocidal trajectory of Rwanda, nevertheless international concern is justified because the country is essential to the stability of east and central Africa. Kenya lies athwart internal and regional faultlines of politics, ethnicity, religion and class and it is imperative that the crisis be resolved quickly.
4 Jan 2008

Jacob Zuma: after the 'Battle of Polokwane' As the ANC elects a new leader, South Africans will have to learn the language of Jacob Zuma -and brace themselves for a bumpy ride
24 Dec 2007

The Ides of December: Securing the 2007 Lisbon EU-AU Summit The 2007 European Union – African Union summit, which is scheduled to start in Lisbon on 12 November 2007, is already freighted with the weight of great expectations.
16 Oct 2007

Sierra Leone poised to stand alone The longer international assistance lasts, the more dependent the country will become, write Greg Mills and Terence McNamee
10 Sep 2007

Patriotic Blackness: Africa and the Crisis in Zimbabwe The concept of 'patriotic blackness' is crucial to any understanding of Africa's stance towards Robert Mugabe's regime.
13 Aug 2007

Somalia: Swimming with Crocodiles Somalia’s intrastate conflict has escalated and been manipulated into an interstate and intrastate conflict, which has in turn been folded into a global conflict.
30 May 2007

Zimbabwe’s Crisis: What Next? Although Zimbabwe’s problems are attributable to a multiplicity of internal and external factors, the real issue is the question of whether or not President Mugabe should step down; and if so, when?
30 May 2007