Governance

Governance

ISS: Burkina Faso’s junta under pressure to deliver on security promises

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The junta in power in Ouagadougou justified the 24 January coup by citing the inability of former president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré’s government to...

ISS: Rising insecurity a setback for The Gambia’s transition

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After two decades of dictatorship, The Gambia embraced democracy with President Adama Barrow’s 2016 election victory. But as is often the case in transitions...

Defence Minister and her deputy no high flyers in the gifts and hospitality stakes

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The civilians appointed by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Commander-in-Chief, President Cyril Ramaphosa, are not high flyers in the accepted sense with both Minister...

Guilty verdict in Sankara trial shows power of activists to fight impunity in Burkina...

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On April 6, 2022, a military tribunal in Burkina Faso found 11 men, including the former president, Blaise Compaoré, guilty of “attacks on state...

Peace in South Sudan hinges on forging a unified military force: but it’s proving...

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Implementation of the 2018 peace agreement in South Sudan lags significantly behind its mandated schedule. One of the reasons for this slow progress is...

ISS: New SA police chief’s main test is winning public trust

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South Africa’s new national commissioner of police, General Fannie Masemola is by all accounts a competent career professional. When he took office on 1...

No signs of a true transition in Chad a year after Idriss Déby’s death

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Many Chadians are looking to the capital of Qatar where almost 50 political-military movements and representatives of the Chadian transitional government have been engaged...

Vigilantism, crime, illegal migration will be dealt with – President Ramaphosa

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his weekly newsletter to condemn anti-foreigner sentiments, acts of vigilantism and assure citizens that government is dealing with illegal...

Easter service address by Chief of the South African National Defence Force General Rudzani...

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The Chief of Staff of the SANDF Lt Gen L. Yam, Chiefs of Services and Divisions, Members of the Plenary Defence Staff Council, the...

Ramaphosa lifts national state of disaster

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Over two years of government imposed regulatory measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa ended on Monday when President Cyril Ramaphosa...

President Ramaphosa starts testimony at July unrest hearings

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country “stared into the heart of darkness” during the height of the July 2021 unrest. The President was giving his...

President Ramaphosa to present testimony at July unrest hearings

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President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to appear at the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) National Investigative Hearing into the July 2021 Unrest in...

DIRCO to appeal Cuba aid court order

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The South African government’s intention to donate R50 million for Cuba, temporarily on hold following a court order, was an agenda item at last...

ISS: Will SADC stand up to Mswati?

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While South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to be toying with the ambitious notion of mediating in Russia’s war against Ukraine, two more modest...

ISS: Senegal’s ambitious goals for its African Union presidency

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At the February African Union (AU) summit, President Macky Sall was sworn in as rotating chair of the continental body for 2022. The priorities...

ISS: Chad’s long road to reconciliation

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Since former president Idriss Déby Itno’s death on the battlefield in April 2021, Chad has been governed by a Transitional Military Council. Led by...

ISS: Burundi’s return to the international fold

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Since his inauguration in 2020, President Évariste Ndayishimiye has introduced a raft of foreign and domestic policy reforms to salvage Burundi’s international reputation and...

ISS: Democracy alone is no guarantee of development

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Until 1989, Africa was characterised by many authoritarian governments. After that, democracy took root as countries abolished military dictatorships, undertook constitutional reviews and embraced...

First part of Parliamentary fire report completed

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The bulk of a preliminary assessment and report on fire damage to two buildings in the Parliamentary precinct are complete according to Public Works...

Zondo Commission report delayed

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Denel watchers from – hopefully – former Cabinet ministers and board members through to employees as well as the wider South African defence community...

Africa is beset with coups and conflicts – how the trend can be reversed

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On the evening of 15 February 2022, reports emerged that key police and military officials in Djibouti were put under house arrest, reportedly amid...

Why West Africa has had so many coups and how to prevent more

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West Africa’s latest successful coup, in Burkina Faso on 24 January 2022, has renewed unease about coups “returning” and democracies “dying” in Africa. The...

Heat turned up for State Capture accused

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says discussions are underway with the Judiciary for the creation of special court rolls for state capture and corruption cases unearthed...

Wave of juntas in Africa and the worrisome celebratory reception by civilians

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Within the past 18 months, Africa has experienced six coups, with the most recent in Burkina Faso on 24 January, rekindling the debate regarding...

Good governance essential for peace and prosperity

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As South Africa’s two-year chairship of the African Peer Review Forum came to an end over the past weekend, South Africa has received favourable...

Support countries facing ‘unconstitutional’ takeovers – Ramaphosa

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the continued support for African countries facing the resurgence of “unconstitutional changes of government” on the continent. The President...

ISS: What caused the coup in Burkina Faso?

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The 24 January military coup that overthrew Burkina Faso’s president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré comes amid a deepening security crisis in the country. Both...

Public Works in the dock over poor court and prison maintenance

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Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola appears to have similar problems with Patricia de Lille’s Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) as...

ISS: Beyond ECOWAS sanctions, how can Mali overcome the crisis?

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On 14 January, huge crowds gathered in Mali’s capital Bamako and other towns to denounce sanctions imposed on the country by the Economic Community...

African Union opens post-conflict centre to help countries escape cycle of violence

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To improve the political stability of African nations, the African Union recently launched its Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD). The new agency is...

Presidency Minister now also SSA boss

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Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele has an added responsibility, that of “political responsibility for the control and direction of the State Security Agency...

ISS: Getting to grips with Ethiopia’s ethnic and political violence is vital for stability

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Ethiopia’s 2018 transition failed to bring stability to the country. On the contrary, sporadic ethnic and political violence since then has brought the nation...

Alleged Parliament arsonist charged with terrorism

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The man accused of starting the fire which gutted Parliament buildings, including the National Assembly last week, has been referred for mental observation following...

ISS: Hamdok’s departure should prompt a rethink

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Events leading up to the resignation on 2 January of civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok have returned Sudan’s rocky democratic transition to Square One....

Inspection of fire damaged Parliament once building declared safe

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Parliament’s presiding officers, National Assembly (NA) Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) chair Amos Masondo, are satisfied with progress containing the...

Ramaphosa receives Zondo Commission report part one

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The first part of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture report recommends establishment of a single, multi-functional, properly resourced and independent...

Government private security spend amounts to billions

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It’s common knowledge the physical security of many South African police stations is entrusted to private security companies and while nowhere near as prevalent,...

MK 60th anniversary

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The 60th anniversary of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) , once the armed wing of what is now South Africa’s ruling party, was marked by...

ISS: Will Sudan’s new agreement hold this time around?

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Managing the transitional pitfalls in Sudan’s post-coup agreement is vital for the country’s stability. Sudan’s 25 October coup was a miscalculation on the part of the military....

Military medics watching over COVID-19-infected Ramaphosa

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SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) personnel are monitoring President Cyril Ramaphosa and treating him for “mild COVID-19 symptoms” in Cape Town. A statement confirming South...

ISS: Lesotho government paralysed by in-fighting

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The Southern African Development Community’s six-year-old reform process is in jeopardy. Lesotho has seemed from the outside to be fairly quiet since Moeketsi Majoro took...

Burkina Faso president fires Prime Minister Dabire amid security crisis

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Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore fired his prime minister on Wednesday amid an escalating security crisis that has killed thousands and led to street...

ISS: Burkina Faso’s security sector reform can no longer wait

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With violence at a peak, the country needs to coordinate its structures and adopt a new vision to ensure the safety of its citizens. After...

Gambian President Barrow wins re-election; opposition cries foul

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Gambian President Adama Barrow has comfortably won re-election, the electoral commission said on Sunday, though he may face a legal challenge from opposition candidates...

Sudan’s Burhan says military will exit politics after 2023 elections

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Sudan's military will exit politics after elections scheduled for 2023, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told Reuters in an interview on Saturday, adding that the...

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, on frontline, urges troops to ‘destroy’ enemy

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his foes had been defeated and promised to recapture territory in the region of Amhara from rebellious Tigrayan...

Disgraced ex-president Jammeh looms over Gambia election

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At a pre-election rally last month, supporters of Gambia's main opposition coalition cheered the opening of the star attraction - a speech by former...

Sudan’s Burhan dismisses senior intelligence officers, sources say

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Sudan's military leader has overhauled top intelligence positions, dismissing at least eight general intelligence officers and replacing the head of military intelligence, two official...

Sudanese politicians released after beginning hunger strike

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Sudan's former minister of cabinet affairs Khalid Omer Yousif was released from detention along with others less than a day after beginning a hunger...

Ethiopia PM at frontline with army in Afar region – state-affiliated TV

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is on the frontline with the army fighting rebellious Tigrayan forces in the northeastern Afar region, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting...