On May 29th the French Assemblée Nationale took a vote that might have profound impact on whether Turkey joins the European Union in a few years, or not. Making good on what his predecessor Jacques Chirac had promised all along, President Sarkozy and his ruling UMP party introduced a constitutional amendment, which would put future […]
On this blog, we have discussed India's increasing economic and strategic presence in Central Asia. The reasons for this are many, as are the implications for the region. I have written a short piece describing and analyzing this geopolitical occurrence for the Foreign Policy Association that you can find on its homepage. Here is the […]
Since its birth, Hizballah sabotages the state of Lebanon, in all possible shapes and forms. That is why, Hizballah's latest stunt did not come as a surprise. Nassim Nisr, who served a six-year prison sentence in Israel on charges of spying for Hezbollah, is now a free man. After being released earlier today, he was […]
Amidst Thabo Mbeki's very bad few weeks let us not forget that Jacob Zuma has troubles of his own. The latest? Zuma's presumed choice for the country's chief justice slot, Cape Judge President John Hlophe, faces accusations that he lobbied at least two Constitutional Court judges for a pro-Zuma ruling. Hlophe now faces possible impeachment. He also […]
The United States has announced a fairly serious scaling-back of its plans for AFRICOM, the American African Command. Is the US finally responding to the will of Africans on the ground? Or is it merely taking the most expedient path? The answer is probably a combination of factors, but it is clear that the ambitious […]
In a short “Editorial Notebook” piece in The Boston Globe Donald MacGillis explores the problem of brain drain in Uganda, which is a nearly universal problem across the continent, and what the west might be able yo do to stanch the flow of talented doctors (and others) without limiting personal freedoms of those who so […]
Earlier I had written about the Russian aversion to seriousness, and now there is a pertinent article in the FT about the fine time-honoured tradition of Soviet gallows humour and its apogee, the Political Anekdot. Have a read… (Courtesy of the ever-intrepid Bradley Hope, founder-editor of the New York Moon)
More than a week ago I wrote the following: Yet another indicator of how bad things are in Zimbabwe? Even with the recent explosions of xenophobic violence aimed at foreigners and especially Zimbabweans in South Africa, huge numbers of immigrants continue to cross the border and head directly for the maelstrom in Johannesburg and its […]
It's June 1st and that leaves only a short twelve days for pro and con EU Treaty campaigners in Ireland. They have their work cut out for them, according to recent polls. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that “NO” campaigners are gaining ground, particularly among the conservative and the country's large farming population who see […]
The United States Congress is finally undertaking to remove the African National Congress from various terrorism watch lists in the United States — a status the ANC, or even Mkhonto we Sizwe, never should have suffered in the first place.
At The Mail & Guardian Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya undertakes a pretty sound (and enjoyable to behold) thrashing of Connie Mulder's Freedom Front Plus party's claims for special recognition for Afrikaners from the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO). Here is a taste: What freedom is Mulder and his chommies asking for? From whom? Freedom is the […]
The MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai has taken off the gloves against Robert Mugabe. In what he called a “State of the Nation” address, Tsvangirai pulled no punches in discussing Zimbabwe's “State of disrepair.” Perhaps more perilously, he also declared that there will be no amnesty for those who have engaged in political violence. Such a declaration […]
According to the latest statements by CIA director Michael Hayden in today's Washington Post, Al-Qaeda's influence and popularity is on the downturn. He says that they do not have the influence that they once had, and that the Iraq invasion providing a platform for increasing their popularity has degraded considerably. Although this blog focuses solely […]
The United States’ Government Accountability Office has issued a report indicating that food aid to sub-Saharan Africa is woefully insufficient. This comes as no surprise. The optimist in me sees the timing of the report — which comes on the eve of a United Nations summit in Rome to address the global food crisis — […]
