The leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were set to meet with those from Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF in order to hammer out an agreement on a power-sharing settlement. yet I still am unclear why, exactly, Mugabe would yield now on issues he was not inclined to yield on at any point in the […]
Over at The New Republic, Eric Reeves fears Another Bloodbath in Darfur. Reeves is deeply committed, incredibly passionate, and has been more right than wrong about Darfur in recent years. But he also can be a bit shrill, and among some prominent Sudan observers is not considered a particularly reliable voice, especially when it comes […]
How should you feel about the latest alleged deal in Zimbabwe? The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has apparently signed on, but at best cautious optimism seems wise. My bet? Within ten days the deal falls apart amidst Robert Mugabe's and ZANU-PF's double dealing, threats, thuggery, and general malfeasance.
The trajectory may not follow a straight upward angle, but generally speaking, the course of South African politics from now to the elections will generally increase in intensity on a near weekly basis. How that intensity manifests itself will make all the difference. It is one thing for parties to jockey for position. It is […]
Here are (relatively) comment free links to developing stories across Africa: It appears at least possible that terrorist organizations are recruiting Somalis living in the United States. (See also here.) Dozens died in unrest in Madagascar last week. A little more than a week ago I questioned what I saw as a too-hopeful narrative developing […]
The real status of events in Zimbabwe continues to be shrouded in a fog of obfuscation, misinformation, and disinformation. Despite reports apparently emanating from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state, the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have denied that they have agreed to form a unity government. MDC's unwillingness […]
A two-part prediction: The 2009 election might be the closest in South African history since the 1940s (which does not in and of itself mean that it will be very close — since 1948 South African national elections have been characterized by one party dominance, whether in the form of the National Party under Apartheid […]
Is ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, whose antics and outspokenness have aroused controversy for many months now, finally doing demonstrable harm to the ANC cause? In the Western cape, at least, it appears so. Malema has served as a lightning rod virtually since his ascent to national prominence. Now it appears that his controversial […]
Any signs of progress in Somalia are certainly welcome, and the upcoming parliamentary presidential elections provide at least a glint of hope, even if many of us reserve judgment until those elections come to pass and result in some sort of positive change for virtually stateless Somalia. Nonetheless, even the modest optimism that the presidential […]
As South Africa's political parties gear up for this year's likely epochal elections one of the key preparations is to begin to compile the lists of its parliamentary candidates and selection of those likely to serve in cabinet positions. The African National Congress (ANC) will warrant particular scrutiny as the party completes its transition from […]
Whatever one thinks of the recent coup in Guinea, it appears to be a fait accompli, and as a result, even those who loathe the method need to turn their focus toward making sure that its aftermath results in a better country. There will be lots of talk about how to accomplish this — democratization, […]
Zimbabweans have been ingenious in exercising the limited options available to facilitate survival. One of the main courses of action has been simply to escape from the country. Sometimes the emigrants have included children fleeing on their own, either as orphans or in hopes of supporting their families at home. But as this New York […]
The African National Congress (ANC) and the Congress of the People (COPE) have been girding themselves specifically for the coming election for weeks now. And while the divisions, political and otherwise, in the ANC created factions at least as far back as the run-up to Polokwane in December 2007, the parties are gearing themselves up in earnest for the […]
It is nearly impossible to trace causality to a global recession or depression. But we do know that a gaping chasm between the haves and have nots always exacerbates difficult economic times. Those gaps have long existed in South Africa and appear to be getting worse as the rich continue to flourish but the poor […]
Perhaps I was wrong a few days ago in expressing pessimism, indeed, cynicism, about both the prospects for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and what Rwanda's incursion into the troubled eastern part of that country meant. Late Thursday a joint Congolese-Rwandan force captured Congolese Tutsi rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, one of the main […]