Welcome the Good Authority fellows! Kim Yi Dionne and John Sides - April 16, 2024 Meet our six new fellows.
African politics in 2022: More than coups and conflict Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne - December 29, 2022 The TMC 2022 roundups: African politics
West Africa’s new regional peacekeeping force, explained Kim Yi Dionne - December 12, 2022 ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, engages in more than just economic activities. How will it implement the new initiative?
Why are people in West Africa waving Russian flags? Aoife McCullough - October 28, 2022 Russian propaganda has a wide reach. Here’s what else is boosting pro-Russian sentiment.
Can ECOWAS convince Burkina Faso to return to civilian rule? Madeline Fleishman and Jori Breslawski - October 14, 2022 Afrobarometer polls show strong support for the regional economic bloc. But protesters in Burkina Faso pushed back against ECOWAS diplomacy efforts.
How this wave of African coups differs from previous ones Maggie Dwyer and Erica De Bruin - February 25, 2022 To maintain power, military leaders are likely to turn to elections
Long-serving African presidents say the people want them to stay on. Is that true? Boniface Dulani - November 4, 2021 The third in Afrobarometer’s special democracy summit series on Africa.
Guinea’s citizens don’t want a corrupt government. They don’t want military rule either. Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye Sanny, Carolyn Logan, and Aliou Barry - September 12, 2021 Many Guineans felt their country was heading the wrong direction, Afrobarometer surveys show
Don’t expect regional organizations to rein in coups Emmanuel Balogun and Aarie Glas - July 13, 2021 Here’s why ASEAN and ECOWAS stumbled after recent coups in Mali and Myanmar.
Another coup in Mali? Here’s what you need to know. Susanna D. Wing - May 27, 2021 For the past decade, military officers and political leaders have been elbowing each other for political control and access to the spoils of power
Benin’s militant problem may worsen after last month’s election Christina Cottiero - May 3, 2021 The government focused on weeding out political opponents in recent years, rather than combating extremist and criminal groups
China’s Belt and Road Initiative invests in African infrastructure — and African military and police forces Natalie Herbert - April 29, 2021 China is looking to protect its economic investments and build its reputation as a world power
Africa launched its free trade zone in January. Here’s what Africans think about economic integration. Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye Sanny and Jaynisha Patel - March 25, 2021 Protectionism ranks high with many Africans, new survey results show
Guinea’s president claims he won reelection. Thousands of Guineans disagree. Lisa Mueller - October 30, 2020 Electoral protests in Africa rarely end up ousting an incumbent who defies term limits
The military has ousted Mali’s president. That raises questions about the country’s ongoing security challenges. William G. Nomikos, Rob Williams, Patrick Hunnicutt, and Melanie Sauter - August 25, 2020 How will the new government and U.N. peacekeepers work together?
Malians have been protesting for weeks. Here’s what you need to know. Susanna D. Wing - July 20, 2020 Economic and security concerns have led to political upheaval.
African countries are opening their borders. What does this mean for security, identity and trade? Lisa Mueller and Abhit Bhandari - August 12, 2019 People support free trade, but there are other bonds.
How will the African Union respond to the military overthrow in Sudan? Emmanuel Balogun and Anna Mwaba - April 24, 2019 It has not responded consistently to unconstitutional changes in government.
The African Union called on Congo to suspend its election’s results. That’s unprecedented. Anna Mwaba - January 21, 2019 After a contentious race, on Jan. 10, 2019, Democratic Republic
Are we witnessing the collapse of the global order? Probably not — yet. Julia Gray - May 18, 2018 [caption id="attachment_73581" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump meets with British Prime
Africa’s big new free trade agreement, explained Landry Signé - March 29, 2018 [caption id="attachment_71592" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Rwandan President Paul Kagame, chairman of
Could a power-sharing arrangement end protests in Togo? It’s complicated. Alexander Noyes - February 24, 2018 [caption id="attachment_69701" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A woman holds a sign that reads, “Faure!
Sierra Leone goes to the polls on March 7. Here are the 5 things you need to know. Luisa Enria and Jamie Hitchen - February 7, 2018 [caption id="attachment_68931" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In this 2012 photo, voters in
The same family has ruled Togo for 50 years. Will widespread protests change that? Joel Amegboh and Alexander Noyes - September 30, 2017 [caption id="attachment_64299" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Protesters call for reforms during an
Where do ousted dictators go? Fewer countries now offer a warm welcome. Daniel Krcmaric and Abel Escribà-Folch - January 30, 2017 [caption id="attachment_53276" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Gambia's defeated president, Yahya Jammeh, left
Here’s how African leaders stage ‘constitutional coups’: They tweak the constitution to stay in power. Kamissa Camara - September 16, 2016 [caption id="attachment_46354" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People wait outside a polling station
Africa is moving toward a massive and important free trade agreement Luke Warford - July 14, 2016 [caption id="attachment_43725" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Obama stands alongside workers at
The opposite of Brexit: African Union launches an all-Africa passport Anne Frugé - July 1, 2016 [caption id="attachment_38201" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Africa, from space. (NASA)[/caption] On June
Gambia’s president is under pressure to step down. Is it time for a change? Maggie Dwyer and Jeffrey Smith - May 17, 2016 [caption id="attachment_40626" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A giant billboard celebrating the long
4 things you should know about Niger’s recent elections Lisa Mueller and Lukas Matthews - April 17, 2016 [caption id="attachment_39161" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A banner of Niger's newly elected
Here’s why Benin’s election was a step forward for African democratic consolidation. And why it wasn’t. Tyson Roberts - March 22, 2016 [caption id="attachment_37700" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A picture taken in Cotonou shows
The upcoming Niger election and the drama surrounding it, explained Lisa Mueller and Lukas Matthews - February 17, 2016 [caption id="attachment_35758" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A picture taken on Feb. 2,
Burkina Faso elections mark turning point in country’s recent political turmoil Daniel Eizenga - December 6, 2015 On Nov. 29, Burkina Faso held presidential and legislative elections
The most interesting thing about Côte d’Ivoire’s election was that it wasn’t interesting Tyson Roberts - November 26, 2015 [caption id="attachment_32664" align="aligncenter" width="908"] People line up outside a polling station
5 things you should know about Guinea’s (peaceful!) election Tyson Roberts - October 20, 2015 [caption id="attachment_30861" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Supporters of Guinea President Alpha Conde
Here’s how you bring down a ‘strongman’ government (without a civil war) Daniel Eizenga - October 15, 2015 [caption id="attachment_30669" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Peaceful mass protests defeated a coup
What went wrong in Burkina Faso and what’s next? Landry Signé - September 22, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29717" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Lt. Col. Mamadou Bamba announced the
What went wrong in Burkina Faso and what's next? - September 22, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29717" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Lt. Col. Mamadou Bamba announced the
Can Burkina Faso — Africa’s most coup-prone state — become a stable democracy? Molly Ariotti and Naunihal Singh - September 21, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29688" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Men ride a motorcycle past a
Four reasons why Burkina Faso’s long-ruling dictator fell Landry Signé - November 10, 2014 [caption id="attachment_17927" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Former President of Burkina Faso, Blaise
Vibrant democracies emerging from power vacuums give hope for Burkina Faso Beatty Riedl - November 5, 2014 [caption id="attachment_17760" align="alignnone" width="620"] Opposition supporters, one holding up a
The multiple international dimensions of an election in a small African country Kim Yi Dionne - April 19, 2014 On April 13, Bissau Guineans went to the polls to
What Happened in Mali? Kim Yi Dionne - April 4, 2014 [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] French troops patrolling in the
Does the G-8’s suspension of Russia actually matter? Felicity Vabulas - April 3, 2014 [caption id="attachment_8935" align="aligncenter" width="830" special=""] President Obama and Russian President
Voices from Contested Territory: 531 Messages for President Obama from Northern Mali Joshua Tucker - January 17, 2013 The following is a guest post from University of Notre
Why Mali is making headlines (and why we should care) Joshua Tucker - June 6, 2012 The following is a guest post from Jessica Gottlieb, a