THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Oct

03

2024

UN Security Council needs major changes – permanent seats for African countries is just one

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RECENTLY, the US ambassador to the United Nations announced America’s support for the creation of two new permanent UN Security Council seats for African states. Gary Wilson, a scholar of international law and relations – specifically issues related to the United Nations – argues that although Africa’s time may have come, there are still hurdles to overcome. What’s wrong with the way the UN Security Council is currently constructed? One of the most damning criticisms continuously levelled at the United Nations security council concerns its perceived lack of legitimacy. Its composition is increasingly seen as unrepresentative of the international community.…

Oct

03

2024

By J SIGURU WAHUTU and DAVID CHERUIYOT

Western media outlets are trying to fix their racist, stereotypical coverage of Africa. Is it time African media did the same?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

QUICK question: what do these titles have in common? A Dark Continent Seeking Light; Sure, Ebola is Bad. Africa has Worse, or; Magic and Cannibalism in the African Jungle. You guessed it – they’re all about Africa. But the most correct answer is they’re all headlines that have appeared in the prestigious New York Times newspaper. These are just some examples of the ways that many traditional news outlets in the West have historically reported about Africa. Today news reporting that reinforces negative perceptions, stereotyping and racial misrepresentation is declining. But the harms inflicted on the continent and its communities…

Oct

02

2024

By HAKEEM ONAPAJO

Calls to restructure Nigeria’s federal system are missing the point: the country needs good governance, not reform

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN Nigeria, a range of voices have called for the review of the federal system of government. They include former president Olusegun Obasanjo; an academic and former electoral agency chief, Mahmud Jega; and a coalition of ethnic nationalities. Nigeria’s federal system currently consists of a central government headed by a president, 36 states headed by governors, and 774 local governments. The Supreme Court recently granted autonomy to the local governments. They were previously under the control of state governments. Some of the political restructuring arguments have an ethnic colouration founded on grievances over perceived domination or marginalisation. The ethno-regional groupings…

Sep

30

2024

By MADHAV JOSHI and HALKANO BORU

Lasting peace in Ethiopia? More needs to be done to stop Tigray conflict from flaring up again

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IT has been nearly two years since the African Union brokered a peace deal that put an end to the war between the Ethiopian state and the Tigray regional government. The signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022 brought an end to a deadly two-year conflict. The agreement has achieved a number of outcomes. These include: an end to the fighting between Tigrayan and Ethiopian armed forces the creation of a transitional government in Tigray, run by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front the demobilisation of 50,000 Tigrayan troops the Tigray People’s Liberation Front regaining its legal status…

Sep

27

2024

By YUNIYA KHAN

Growing links with the diaspora – an interview with Almaz Negash

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WITH Africa experiencing rapid economic growth and technological advancement, and its cultural dynamism increasingly exposed to the world, the African diaspora is becoming increasingly important. Through investment, knowledge transfer and advocacy, the diaspora is helping to shape a new narrative for Africa - one characterised by innovation, creativity and resilience. Contributing to this powerful movement is Almaz Negash, the hard-charging founder and CEO of the African Diaspora Network, one of the leading organisations working to support and invest in Africa’s development. With nearly 15 years at the helm, Negash and the organisation have made significant strides in connecting and empowering…

Sep

26

2024

By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

The UN Security Council must be reformed as a matter of urgency – Ramaphosa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THIRTY years ago, South Africa was born as a new nation; equal, united and free from apartheid. We adopted a new constitution as the birth certificate of our new nation. Our first democratic elections brought the tyranny of apartheid to an end, a system that this General Assembly declared to be a crime against humanity. In adopting Resolution 2202 A (XXI) in 1966, the United Nations was a beacon of hope in our quest for justice. The great wave of solidarity of the peoples of the world led by the United Nations turned the tide against apartheid. Today democracy flourishes…

Sep

25

2024

By MIKE MULLER

Egypt’s fears about Ethiopia’s mega-dam haven’t come to pass: moving on from historical concerns would benefit the whole region

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

A new round of angry exchanges has broken out between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). On September 1, Cairo wrote to the UN Security Council to protest against Ethiopia’s continued filling of Africa’s second-largest reservoir and bringing two more power-generating turbines into operation. Egypt sees any new infrastructure development on the Nile as a potential threat since the river is the source of over 98% of the country’s water. Egypt calls this a violation of international law and Ethiopia’s obligations to “prevent significant harm”. Ethiopia’s policies, it says, could result in an existential threat to…

Sep

24

2024

By ABBEYMAKOE

China, Africa building bridges towards shared future – Chinese ambassador to SA

BRICS NEWS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AT the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in Beijing, 51 African heads of state or their delegations attended in person, signifying the importance of the occasion amidst the rapidly changing international world order. Also present were the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. FOCAC is one of the few geopolitical platforms that symbolize the changing landscape of global affairs, alongside BRICS. South-South relations have finally awakened from a long slumber. United in purpose, the Global South has begun to speak in unison without fear of reprisals, recognizing the strength…

Sep

20

2024

By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

SA President pays warm tribute to ex cabinet minister Pravin Gordhan: “His was a life fruitful in service”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE poet Rabindranath Tagore said: ‘We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.’ Today we bid farewell to a humble servant of the people, Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan. For all his achievements, despite his immense contribution to this country, Pravin was at all times a humble human being and activist. It was his humility as a person and as a leader that made him great. It was his unwavering belief that a political activist must serve no other cause than the cause of freedom that made PG exceptional. It is that which makes great all true servant…

Sep

20

2024

By JENNA RUSSO

Sudan’s civilians urgently need protection: the options for international peacekeeping

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN September 2024, the United Nations’ independent fact-finding mission to Sudan issued its first report. Citing grave human rights violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the report called for the immediate deployment of an independent and impartial force to protect civilians. Nearly 18 months after the outbreak of fighting, the humanitarian situation in Sudan has become dire, with nearly 25 million people in need of assistance. Is the deployment of a peacekeeping presence to protect civilians feasible or even advisable? Jenna Russo, whose research focuses on the protection of civilians in armed conflict settings and the UN’s…