Vol 57 No 25 | SOMALIA Electoral process stumbles but stays on track 2nd December 2016 The tortuous parliamentary selection needs more time, but the chances are that Hassan Sheikh, despite losing international confidence, will win No Somali President was elected on 30 November, as scheduled, but it looks now as though the process will be brought to a conclusion by 15 December. It...
Vol 57 No 24 | ETHIOPIA New faces, old tactics 2nd December 2016 The government's response to a year of protest and calls for reform is unlikely to satisfy the opposition or lead to meaningful dialogue After a year of deep political crisis, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has reshuffled his cabinet. Yet just a year since the last such moves, these signify no major...
Vol 57 No 23 | KENYAAFRICAN UNION Nairobi flaunts its credentials 18th November 2016 The African Union instituted 'peer review' over a decade ago but the process stalled. Kenya is championing its return With Ghana, Mauritius and Rwanda, Kenya was one of the the first four countries to be subjected to 'peer review' by fellow African governments at the 2006 African...
Vol 57 No 23 | TANZANIA The bulldozer's light tread 18th November 2016 President Magufuli is sweeping out corruption but there are some corners the new broom cannot reach Many heads have rolled since President John Pombe Magufuli came to office just over a year ago. Those who have felt the new intolerance of waste and corruption...
Vol 57 No 23 | SOMALIA ISIS's Puntland stunt 18th November 2016 The brief seizure of Qandala by Da'ish supporters was made possible by a rupture in the clan alliances governing Puntland After long seeking a foothold in Somalia, ISIS's Somali followers finally pulled off a coup by seizing the port of Qandala on 26 October. Capturing the Puntland...
Vol 57 No 23 | KENYA Empty words on graft 18th November 2016 The President pledged to end corruption but a series of scandals in the press and the courts have been embarrassing him During the 2013 presidential election campaign, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his running-mate William Ruto promised Kenyans that they would end the corruption that had bedevilled previous governments. Despite...
Vol 57 No 23 | ETHIOPIASOMALIA Shabaab fills Ethiopian vacuum 18th November 2016 Ethiopia has been withdrawing forces from Somalia in order to help restore order at home, say military observers, and Al Haraka al Shabaab al Mujahideen has moved in...
Vol 57 No 22 | KENYAAFRICAN UNION Amina jumps to the front 4th November 2016 Kenya's foreign minister has taken the lead in the race to become the next leader of the African Union Commission As regional factions tussle for influence, finding a candidate to replace South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as Chairperson of the African Union Commission is proving a tortuous process. The...
Vol 57 No 22 | SUDAN The securocrats get stronger 4th November 2016 Under pressure, President Omer is cutting the power of the party and the army and relying more on his security agents and enforcers The regime's power-base is shrinking after the formal end of its National Dialogue initiative on 10 October. President Omer Hassan Ahmed el Beshir had hoped that the planned...
Vol 57 No 22 | KENYA More growth, more debt 4th November 2016 Although Kenya's economy will buck the regional trend of low growth, says the World Bank, there are serious problems with its rising debt burden and budget deficit. The...