Yohannes Gedamu | September 27, 2020 | The Conversation America’s Department of State recently suspended $130 million worth of aid to Ethiopia because of “a lack of progress” on negotiations pertaining to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the River Nile. According to state department officials, the decision to cut aid came as a result … [Read more...] about Suspension of US aid to Ethiopia is yet another example of Trump’s disregard for Africa
UPFRONT
The UN’s Unhappy Birthday
The United Nations is turning 75 but there is little to celebrate as the organization has fallen well short of its goals Richard N. Haass | September 10, 2020 | Council on Foreign Relations The United Nations turns 75 this autumn, and if this were a normal year, many of the world’s leaders would gather in New York City to celebrate this milestone and open the annual … [Read more...] about The UN’s Unhappy Birthday
Mining in Eritrea: could a new potash project spur sustainable growth?
Molly Lempriere |22 May 2019 (Last Updated June 11th, 2020) | Mining Technology The United Nations launched its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, with 193 countries agreeing to pursue the goals that form part of the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Many mining companies have embraced these goals, to a varying degree of success, in their … [Read more...] about Mining in Eritrea: could a new potash project spur sustainable growth?
After Two Decades of Rot, Zimbabwe Is Coming Apart at the Seams
Protest action over intolerable living conditions has been brutally quashed by the military. Antony Sguazzin, Ray Ndlovu, and Brian Latham | September 14, 2020 | Bloomberg In Zimbabwe, pregnant women are left alone in hospitals to give birth, taps have run dry in major urban centers, infrastructure has all but collapsed and more than half the population needs food … [Read more...] about After Two Decades of Rot, Zimbabwe Is Coming Apart at the Seams
The End of Hope in the Middle East
The region has always had problems—but it’s now almost past the point of recovery. STEVEN A. COOK | SEPTEMBER 5, 2020 | Foreign Policy Summer always seems to be the cruelest season in the Middle East. The examples include the June 1967 war, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847 in 1985, Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait … [Read more...] about The End of Hope in the Middle East
The Ideology Delusion
America’s Competition With China Is Not About Doctrine However natural China’s aspirations may be, the United States has a very clear, primary interest in preventing China from attaining them. This interest is cardinal for Americans: the ability to trade and otherwise economically engage with Asia. The United States simply cannot afford to be excluded from (or seriously … [Read more...] about The Ideology Delusion
American Christianity’s White-Supremacy Problem
History, theology, and culture all contribute to the racist attitudes embedded in the white church. Michael Luo | September 2, 2020 | The New Yorker Early on in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” the first of three autobiographies Douglass wrote over his lifetime, he recounts what happened—or, perhaps more accurately, what didn’t happen—after his master, … [Read more...] about American Christianity’s White-Supremacy Problem
Ethiopia’s political crisis plays out in the regions. Why it’s a federal problem
Mulugeta G Berhe | August 27, 2020 | The Conversation The political crisis in Ethiopia is not showing sings of abating. Ongoing riots in Oromia and Wolayta; state fragmentation in the Amhara region, and the standoff between the federal government and the Tigray region have put the survival of the government in question. To address this crisis, the African Union has … [Read more...] about Ethiopia’s political crisis plays out in the regions. Why it’s a federal problem
State of democracy in Africa: changing leaders doesn’t change politics
Nic Cheeseman |August 11, 2020 | The Conversation For the last few years the African political landscape has been dominated by high profile changes of leaders and governments. In Angola (2017), Ethiopia (2018), South Africa (2018), Sudan (2019) and Zimbabwe (2018), leadership change promised to bring about not only a new man at the top, but also a new political and … [Read more...] about State of democracy in Africa: changing leaders doesn’t change politics
Nile Be Dammed
Toxic Water Politics Threaten Democracy and Regional Stability Michael Woldemariam | August 10, 2020 | Foreign Affairs The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is now a fait accompli. Last month, Ethiopia began filling an enormous reservoir behind the $4.5 billion hydroelectric project, which promises to make the country an energy powerhouse. The megadam will bring … [Read more...] about Nile Be Dammed