Africa

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In his typically unhinged rant to a nearly empty stadium in Tulsa, OK, Trump attempted to use Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to denigrate his Democratic rival Joe Biden. He said, according to the WaPo, “Likewise, Representative Ilhan Omar is going to be very much involved in a Biden government . […]

Democracy

Sudan’s People Power Movement Forced the Military to Share Power, but is the Deal Falling Apart?

Middle East Monitor

Khalil Charles | @khalilcharles | – ( Middle East Monitor) – The gap between the military and civilian government in Sudan appears to be widening. The rift is threatening the political stability of the country and the power-sharing agreement. In less than ten days, three major disagreements have rocked the transitional government pitting the civilian […]

Africa

The 13 Countries on Trump’s (mostly) Muslim Ban are little Security Challenge to US, but White Nationalism Is

The Conversation

By Charles Kurzman | – Over the past two decades, how many people have been killed in the U.S. by extremists from the six countries on the Trump administration’s new travel ban list? The answer is zero, according to data I have collected from Department of Justice records and other sources. Immigrants from these countries […]

China

With Visa Ban, has Trump’s US just Lost Nigeria to China?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump and his white nationalist pet Stephen Miller have placed Nigeria on their racist visa ban. But Nigeria is not Chad, and there could be serious repercussions for the United States of slapping around Africa’s most important country. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country at over 200 million persons, and […]

Donald Trump

Back to 1924: Trump mulls adding Pure anti-African Racism to Visa ban, in Addition to anti-Muslim Hate

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Nicole Narea at Vox reports that Trump is considering adding some of Africa’s most important countries to his visa ban, in a transparent attempt to reduce African immigration to the United States. What is it about Africans, you might wonder that bothers Trump? Yomi Kazeem at Quartz adds that Trump […]

Pentagon

You Mean we’re at War in Somalia? The Hidden Costs of U.S. Airstrikes

The Conversation

By Bryce W. Reeder | The US is an active participant in the war against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, efforts that have increased in the last few years under the Trump Administration. The strategy involves using airstrikes to assist Somali ground forces in recapturing territory controlled by Al-Shabaab. In addition, there have been attempts to take […]

BDS

Nelson Mandela’s Church Joins Boycott, Divestment from Israel to Continue anti-Apartheid Struggle

Middle East Monitor

By Asa Winstanley | @AsaWinstanley | – Nelson Mandela’s church, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, this month endorsed Palestine’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS). At a recent conference in Cape Town, the church denounced “Israel’s ongoing ill-treatment and oppression of Palestinian people, and the historic prophetic role played by the church and international […]

Ethiopia

Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize for Freeing Ethiopia’s Dissidents, but Challenges still Await

The Conversation

By Mohammed Girma | – Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, has won the Nobel Peace Prize. He becomes the 100th Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the first Ethiopian to receive the accolade. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock Abiy is the 12th winner from Africa to be awarded the prize. Last year it […]

Sudan

Sudan’s new Shift toward Civilian Rule a Bitter Defeat for Saudi-UAE Authoritarianism

Middle East Monitor

By Thembisa Fakude | @fakudet| – “Sudanese are proud Arabs, they master the Arabic language and their firm Islamic adherence further emphasise their position as Arabs.” Most Sudanese are sceptical, for various reasons, of being referred to as Africans. Their political trajectory, therefore, over the years, has tended to mimic those of the Arab world. […]