On A DAY LIKE TODAY

Jefcoate O'Donnell, Robbie Gramer | October 22, 2018 | Foreign Policy One of the world’s most experienced autocrats has clinched another seven-year term by bending the rules of the game in his direction in ways both old and new. It’s no accident that Paul Biya is the second-longest-ruling head of state in the world who isn’t a monarch. Nor that Cameroon’s constitutional … [Read more...] about Cameroon’s Paul Biya Gives a Master Class in Fake Democracy

Agency Staff | 22 October 2018 | Business Day Addis Ababa — The Red Sea state of Eritrea may play a key role in DP World’s plans in the Horn of Africa, where a dozen ports could be needed to service the region, CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said. The Dubai-based state-controlled harbour operator is evaluating its strategy in the region after having its stake in a port … [Read more...] about DP World eyes Eritrean ports in region strategy

Simon Allison | 18 Oct 2018 | Mail & Guardian In a world where power is measured in Instagram likes, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian-West are royalty. They are celebrity supernovas blazing a trail through the social media firmament, demanding our attention and sucking us into their capricious orbit. Love them or hate them, you can’t avoid them. Donald Trump, the … [Read more...] about When Ye met Yoweri, and worlds collided

Simon Allison | 19 Oct 2018 | Mail & Guardian Ethiopia’s new prime minister is trying to do things differently. If he succeeds, the consequences will be felt beyond his borders Autocracy is trending around the world. From Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jair Bolsonaro, Rodrigo Duterte and Mohammed Bin Salman, a populist, … [Read more...] about Abiy Ahmed’s Ethiopian exceptionalism