Vol 58 No 11 | SOMALIA A hopeful view in London… 26th May 2017 The London Conference on Somalia opened with exhortations and hope for the future. Promises abounded President Mohamed Abdullah Mohamed 'Farmajo' joined a host of dignitaries at the third London Somalia Conference on 11 May to endorse and applaud his highly ambitious 'New Partners...
Vol 58 No 11 | SOMALIA …A harsher one in Mogadishu 26th May 2017 The future that the world laid out in London is already hitting obstacles in the Somali capital Many Somalis believe that whatever aid funds donors pledge during and after the London Somalia Conference on 11 May, first in the queue to receive them will be the African Union Mi...
Vol 58 No 11 | SOUTH SUDAN The fall of 'King Paul' 26th May 2017 This year's 16 May celebrations of the anniversary of the founding of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in 1983 were more than usually subdued. There was concern over an im...
Vol 58 No 10 | KENYA Uhuru spends, Raila promises 12th May 2017 Opposition and government are outbidding each other with their spending promises amid signs of electoral disillusionment President Uhuru Kenyatta is demanding that Parliament pass a supplementary budget bill to complete the near-impossible task of 'bringing down basic food prices and cost of living' ...
Vol 58 No 9 | KENYA Primary colours 28th April 2017 The Jubilee Party was left deeply embarrassed at having to rerun the primary elections to select parliamentary candidates in 21 of the country's 47 counties this month. Party membe...
Vol 58 No 8 | SOMALIA New populist hires old faces 14th April 2017 Few in the new cabinet were hired on their ability – instead they can thank Farmajo's highly effective political network Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire's plate is more than usually full. Not only must he demonstrate that his past involvement with the once predatory-seeming Soma Oil and Gas has no b...
Vol 58 No 8 | SOMALIA No pay, no ports, no deal 14th April 2017 Puntland's President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali 'Gaas' hopes he has struck Emirates gold after signing a 30-year contract worth US$336 million on 6 April with Dubai company P&O Ports...
Vol 58 No 8 | DJIBOUTI Guelleh quells opponents 14th April 2017 Human rights campaigners and a main opposition party are targeted by a severe crackdown overseen by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh amid apparent international indifference.
Vol 58 No 7 | ETHIOPIA Water emergency 31st March 2017 Activists from South Omo, in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia, say the government has been using the state of emergency to silence domestic crit...
Vol 58 No 7 | TANZANIA Magufuli backs hard man 31st March 2017 President John Pombe Magufuli is experiencing conflict between his campaign against corruption and his increasingly dictatorial methods. He has boosted the roles of Regional and Di...