Written by Osetemega Iribiri March 5, 2023 On Wednesday March 1st, Nigeria's Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling APC, winner of the 2023 presidential elections. Constitutionally, the winner is expected to garner 25% of votes in at least twenty-four (24) states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. Tinubu got 25%... Continue Reading →
African Union 2023 Summit in Ethiopia: The removal of Israeli’s Ambassador
Written by Osetemega Iribiri In a two-day African Union summit, African leaders discussed many challenges facing the continent and jumpstarted a faltering free trade pact. Some of the challenges confronting the continent are a record drought in the Horn and deadly violence in the Sahel region and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), ceasefires... Continue Reading →
The Only Flower of the Arab Spring Has Died
Written by Jesse Moore The self-immolation of 26 year-old fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, in front of a government office set off the wave of pro-democracy protests called the Arab Spring that washed over North Africa and the Middle East. The protests initially showed promise by disrupting entrenched authoritarian regimes, eliciting high praise from Western leaders. Time, however, has shown... Continue Reading →
Morocco & Spain’s Reconciliation
Written by Jesse Moore February 11, 2023 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Moroccan counterparty Aziz Akhannouch met on February 2nd in Rabat to further settle their nation’s disagreements. The two countries have longstanding disputes on Spanish enclaves in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, and migrants reaching Spain through Morocco. At the summit in... Continue Reading →
Algeria Enjoys a European Embrace
Written by Jesse Moore February 5, 2023 Energy-hungry Europeans are keeping an ineffective regime afloat. Despite recent rows with Spain and its dark colonial past with France, relations between Algeria and major European powers are on the mend. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune last month, highlighting Algeria’s importance for... Continue Reading →
Scarcity, Protests, and the Many Intrigues Before Nigeria’s General Elections
Written by Osetemega Iribiri February 5, 2023 In November 2022, Nigeria's outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari, unveiled the newly designed naira denominations of N1000, N500, and N200 introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said significant cash withdrawals from financial institutions would be monitored and scrutinized. He affirmed that the... Continue Reading →
Mozambique: Global win & domestic setback
by Osetemega Iribiri Mozambique was inaugurated into the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member on January 24 when its ambassador, Pedro Comissário Afonso, installed its national flag with other members outside the council chambers. The country won the election in June 2022 to serve for two years, giving it a more significant voice in... Continue Reading →
Egypt’s Unfortunate Anniversary
by Jesse Moore The tenth anniversary of the coup that brought Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to power is approaching. Unfortunately for Egyptians, it won’t be an occasion for celebration. In the most populous Arab country, 60 million people live below or slightly above the poverty line. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has inflated the price... Continue Reading →
Tunisian Opposition Party Members Arrested and Awaiting Trial
Written by William Lucht September 26, 2022 In the continued epic of Tunisia’s rise from the Arab Spring to its now shaking democracy, Tunisia’s anti-terrorism police have detained Ali Laarayedh, a former senior official to the opposition party Ennahdha. It has been reported that Laarayedh, a former prime minister, was interrogated for 14 hours and... Continue Reading →
Welcome, Farewell, Sanctions and Negotiation – African leaders at UNGA 2022
Written by Osetemega Iribiri September 26, 2022 As African leaders converged in New York for the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), for one, it was his last, and another his first. Kenya’s new president, William Ruto, gave his debut speech at the UNGA. He drew attention to investment opportunities and the effects of climate... Continue Reading →
