Sudan’s democratic transition remains in abeyance, the military needs domestic and foreign goodwill to rule
The Sudanese public has since October 24 coup demonstrated that they will not accept the new governing arrangement, despite Abdallah Hamdok’s reinstatement as prime minister. The military, therefore, faces the prospect of ongoing protests, strikes and other forms of civil disobedience that can cripple the military’s ability to govern. Unlike...
How international pressure forced Sudan’s refashioned military government to reappoint Hamdok
In the weeks following the October 25 coup there were numerous reports that the military was looking to name a civilian prime minister to head up the military’s refashioned government. Always high up on the list of candidates was the current transitional prime minister, Abdallah Hamdok, whom the military kept...
16 Days of Activism: What happens to gender-based violence survivors after the headlines fade?
It’s a scourge that never seems to stay out of the headlines for long: UN peacekeepers and aid workers accused of sexually abusing and exploiting women and children. Despite so-called “zero tolerance” policies and pledges from the UN and aid organisations to root out perpetrators, harrowing accounts from survivors keep...
Free speech: Alternative data is a powerful bulwark against attempts to erode the democratic space
On October 3 the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released the ‘Pandora Papers’ – a treasure trove of documents exposing attempts by wealthy elites to hide their assets and cash in offshore tax havens. Thirty-five current and former heads of state were named after 2.9 terabytes of leaked data that...
Research points to serious concerns about carbon emissions reduction despite signs of optimism
Some projections of climate change raise the possibility of even more carbon emission reductions. The Climate Action Tracker, a consortium of scientific and academic organisations, estimates that warming would be limited to 2.4 °C if countries follow through on their latest pledges under the Paris agreement. One of the goals of...
Top climate scientists are sceptical that nations will rein in global warming despite Glasgow meet agreements
As a leading climate scientist, Paola Arias doesn’t need to look far to see the world changing. Shifting rain patterns threaten water supplies in her home city of Medellín, Colombia, while rising sea levels endanger the country’s coastline. Arias isn’t confident that international leaders will slow global warming or that...
Kamiti jailbreak: Kenya likened to ‘one big prison’ in the grip of criminal gangs, where ‘state is eroded’
The recapture of three terrorism convicts may have saved face for the Kenyan government but will do little to turn the searchlight away from the pervasive laxity in the country’s security set up despite the ever-looming spectre of religious radicalism in the East Africa nation. Accustomed to the tired cliché...
Africa takes violence lessons from Kenya: How constitutional democracy has given way to ‘party militia’
When Kenya Deputy President William Ruto was stoned in opposition party ODM stronghold in western Kenya on November 10, he accused Raila Odinga supporters of instigating the attacks. This was barely two weeks after Mr Odinga, who addressed a well-attended political rally in Ruto’s Eldoret Town backyard. A few of...
Time to change hospital payment: It’s proven fact doctors are greedy in ‘fee-for-service’ billing model
Many health facilities were already in fiscal straits before Covid-19, except in Maryland. The state’s innovative and sound approach could be the answer to rescuing systems nationwide. The way the United States typically finances hospitals isn’t working. The coronavirus laid this bare, along with many other longstanding societal problems. Before...
Africa’s more democratic than other regions relative to its development, but still needs quality leadership
Do recent coups in Chad, Mali, Guinea and Sudan mean that democracy in Africa is failing? This notion is fuelled by internet shutdowns, muzzling of the opposition and rising third termism. But evidence suggests that while there are pockets of concern, a robust democratic culture is in fact growing in...
