One of the most difficult things for anyone or any thing to do is cede control … to give away your authority to someone or something else. South Africa did that, today, and the United States in an identical situation in March refused to. In my estimation, this makes South Africa more modern, more moral…Continue reading
Kenya’s battle with the World Court is the perfect example of how global institutions are losing relevancy in an increasingly conservative world. Around the world and especially in Africa societies are becoming conservative and authoritarian. Oligarchies are consolidating power. Minorities are growing submissive. Particularly in Africa this means the Strongman reemerges. Uhuru Kenyatta is such….Continue reading
The largest ever gathering of African leaders starts today in Washington at the invitation of President Obama. A year ago this would have been unthinkable. A year ago Obama would not have arranged this summit; his advisors would have considered it bad politics. But Obama is no longer playing to the vicious racism that has…Continue reading
Democracies are hardly well-oiled machines, but African courts – as in the U.S. – are pulling rank and calling all the important shots. There are a score of new, fresh democracies in Africa in the last generation. In South Africa, Kenya … but also in Zambia, Malawi, and most of the west African countries, democratic…Continue reading
By Conor Godfrey This past week the International Criminal Court (ICC) added genocide to the charges currently pending against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. This seemingly unenforceable addition has rekindled debate over the relevance of the ICC. In March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Bashir, to which the Sudanese president retorted, “Dissolve…Continue reading
By Conor Godfrey The feasibility studies are complete. The ore deposit in Simandou, Southern Guinea, is 66% iron (high quality), and is likely the largest undeveloped iron ore deposit in the world (110 km). One stockbroker interested in the project was quoted as saying– “It’s a world-class monster.” Over the next several years, mining giant…Continue reading
No surprise how thrilled I was at Trump’s ouster, but it can’t compare with how surprised, elated and so extremely happy I was yesterday when the U.S. announced it was supporting waving patents on Covid vaccines. This more than the Trump defeat resurrects American morality. But probably not exactly in the way you think.
Sudan is not crumbling and cracking, like the last precious monuments in its desert being pummeled to ash by global warming. It’s shedding its skin like a snake. A new reptile will emerge.
Trump is expected to lift sanctions on The Sudan today, in place for 20 years and indeed a complex policy with a checkered history. Trump’s move is bereft of any ideology intended simply to get government out of business. There’s oil there, you know. Whether this ideology-free policy, business first, policy will have any value…Continue reading
Trump dominated the news in Africa in 2016 in so many different ways, including expectations and predictions that were much more correct than those made in America. Had Trump not been around, the top news would have been the finally substantiated science of massive declines in Africa’s big animals. Many important events like this were…Continue reading
The success of childhood education is directly the result of how much tax payers will pay and how good the government is that implements it. Backpedaling in America and proudful politics in Kenya forecasts doom for those countries. Instability and war not only inhibits but defiles education. Massive government investments have assured Asia will become…Continue reading
Russia wasted no time using Trump’s election to increase its global power. Yesterday it thrust a masterful spear between Africa and the U.S. by aligning itself with African countries threatening to withdraw from the World Court. The renegade power’s lightning fast global moves have been reported this morning in Central America, Syria, and of course…Continue reading
America has never lacked of snake oil salesmen, but following South Africa’s banning of Steven Anderson it’s clear that we better start realizing they might be something dangerously more than just conmen. The Tempe, Arizona, Baptist minister decided if Barack Obama won’t cleanse South Africa of “sodomites .. drinking booze .. and terrorizing God’s people,”…Continue reading
What do Mother Jones and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) share in common? They’re always broke? Yesterday, tens of thousands of persons on Mother Jones’ mailing list received an appeal from AWF to add their signature to a petition against oil drilling in the Virunga mountains. Virunga is home to the endangered mountain gorilla and…Continue reading
South Africa moved yesterday to begin withdrawing from the World Court (ICC), which would effectively destroy the institution. Africans across the continent have been complaining for some time about The Court and serious threats to leave have come from such important countries as Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria. If South Africa leaves it’s over and done….Continue reading