Islamic States militia taking advantage of ethnic hostilities to fan atrocities in Niger Delta – reports
Niger government officials have sought to downplay the ethnic colouration of recent massacres in Niger Delta. Although Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) has recruited mostly from Fulani groups, officials point out that ethnic Zarma and members of other communities have also joined them. Still, local analysts and residents...
As extremism deepens, Americans consider ‘ranked-choice reforms’ to make politics less toxic
It is arguably the most important single question in US politics today: How can the United States halt its downward spiral into extremism, gridlock and cross-partisan hatred? For many advocates, a critical piece of the answer is the electoral reform known as ranked-choice voting. “It reduces the incentive to be...
Niger Conflict: Poorly armed farmers left to defend themselves against well-equipped terrorist fighters
Editor’s note: A regional franchise of the so-called Islamic State is stepping up attacks against civilians in western Niger. This article is the first of two reports exploring what’s driving the crisis and the limitations of efforts to address it. When a regional franchise of the so-called Islamic State pushed...
Arsenal’s ‘identity crisis’ is reason for their slump and sloppiness in premier league – club legend
Arsenal’s recruitment has been singled out as the biggest reason for the club’s current malaise by Gunners legend and former academy director Liam Brady. The Republic of Ireland great and Serie A legend emerged from Arsenal’s academy after moving to England, becoming one of the club’s most impressive youth products....
Although Khartoum has agreed to hand over Bashir to ICC, competing domestic interests remain a hurdle
The Sudanese government is performing a delicate balancing act in the interests of advancing justice during a complex political transition. The question when, where and how ousted President Omar al Bashir will face criminal justice crimes against humanity. In August, Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi announced that...
Biafra secession: ‘A significant majority of the people in the southeast are fed up with Nigeria’
As disaffection mounts in southeast Nigeria, many Igbos, who waged the Biafra secessionist war in the 1960s after independence, say they still feel as if they are treated as second-class citizens more than 50 years on – a sentiment they say has been aggravated by an aloof and unsympathetic President...
Nigerian separatist Kanu, once arrested in Kenya, has rekindled Biafran secessionism in southeast states
When President Muhammadu Buhari flew into southeastern Imo State last week to commission a handful of development projects, he was greeted by deserted streets and shuttered businesses: Residents were demonstrating against his leadership by staying at home. Dressed in traditional Igbo attire, matching the outfit of his host, Governor Hope...
China and Russia quickly fill the aid void left by the United States and its allies
As international donors gathered in Geneva this week to discuss humanitarian relief for Afghanistan under Taliban rule, neighbours China and Pakistan have already reached out with aid and discussions of future assistance. The economy in the war-torn country is in crisis and a humanitarian crisis is looming, experts say. Yet...
Ousted Guinea president Alpha Konde was victim of democracy eating its defenders and abusers
Guinea President Alpha Condé’s already tarnished democratic credentials took a further hit last year when he tweaked the country’s constitution to extend his decade in power. Now he has become the latest casualty of a wave of military takeovers sweeping a region that looked to have shed its “coup-belt” moniker....
Rejected ammunition request may have jettisoned Guinea president out of power
In 2016, Mamady Doumbouya, a commander in the Guinean army, asked his superiors if he could have ammunition to train his troops in marksmanship. He never received it, he said, because they feared he would use the rounds to launch a coup. Five years on, Doumbouya did just that. On...
