Blue Lines
The explosion at the Al-Ahil Hospital in Gaza has underscored the limits on Israel's political support from African states just days after Hamas's 7 October attacks killed more than 1,400 people in southern Israel.AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahama...
Africa Confidential
Out of the phenomenon known as 'earthquake diplomacy' – as practised in Fukushima, Bali and l'Aquila – natural disasters have given grand multilateral meetings a shot in the arm and a sense of purpose. That is what the what the Moroccan government hopes w...
Blue Lines
The 40 African leaders at this week's UN General Assembly contrasts with the absence of four leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and points to an imbalance in multilateralism. Geopolitics helps explain it. Russia's invasion of...
Blue Lines
In the absence of Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, the European Union will hold an informal 'mini-summit' with the African Union on the margins of the G20's summit in New Delhi on 9-10 September. That is being marketed as a political win in...
Blue Lines
The crash of a plane on 23 August with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia's mercenary Wagner Group, said to be on board will do little to resolve the questions surrounding the company since its thwarted march on Moscow. Prigozhin and his deputy, Dmit...
Blue Lines
Niger's putsch of 26 July ousted the last but one elected president in the Sahel region. Only Mauritania retains an elected leader, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. All the other countries are run by military governments and are at war. The junta in Mali has lost ...
Blue Lines
The political costs of the financial crisis in developing economies are emerging centre stage but not in predictable places. Debt-laden Ghana and Zambia are nearing the end of their tortuous debt restructuring negotiations while citizens take the brunt of...
Blue Lines
The deal to restructure over US$6 billion of Zambia's foreign debt is a triumph for President Hakainde Hichilema, under whose government the country will save billions in repayments if, as is now much more likely, he secures a second term.
Much kudos shou...
Blue Lines
About 3.4 million Sierra Leoneans are expected to vote in a general election on 24 June in which incumbent President Julius Maada Bio is seeking a second and final term. Although 13 candidates will be on the ballot paper, the poll is widely expected to be...
Blue Lines
When Ajay Banga went on his campaign tour, government and financial leaders were keen to meet the former Mastercard chief executive and tout his credentials as the reformist needed to shake up a sclerotic World Bank. Now installed as President, Banga will...