THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Aug

28

2024

Al-Shabaab is 18 years old: six factors behind the Somali militant group’s resilience

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE United Nations Security Council unanimously voted on 15 August 2024 to extend the mandate of the 12,626 men and women of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis). The African mission has been stationed in Somalia for the past 17 years to support the government’s battle against the homegrown terrorist group al-Shabaab. Despite recent government successes, fighting continues in Somalia. Why has al-Shabaab proved such a hard nut to crack? It’s 18 years since the militant group Harakat al-Shabaab, as al-Shabaab refers to itself, rose out of the disintegrating Somali state. It emerged in 2006 from an existing…

Aug

24

2024

By JONATHAN BELOFF

Rwanda: Paul Kagame’s fourth term as president – what his agenda will need to cover

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

PAUL Kagame started his fourth term as Rwanda’s president in August 2024. He first became president in April 2000. However, as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, he has been the country’s de facto head since his rebel forces ended the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The Rwanda that Kagame now leads is significantly different from the one he took over in 2000. While economic challenges continue, the nation is largely more socially and politically stable and secure. Rwanda still has a long way to go in its public-sector-led development – the country has set out to become a…

Aug

23

2024

By STEPHEN MUTIE

Jomo Kenyatta, father of the nation? Kenya’s first president built up a myth which masked his faults

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KENYA’S legacy as a state is deeply intertwined with Jomo Kenyatta’s influence on the nation. Kenya’s founding president died on 22 August 1978 in his sleep at State House, Mombasa. Kenyatta is generally typecast as the “father of the nation”, guiding the newly independent Kenya onto the path of independence and development. It is an image he carefully crafted. Jomo Kenyatta was a writer. His body of work includes two historical books, a fable, essays and a semi-autobiography. In these works, he employed literary strategies to construct an identity and build mystique around his administration. He created the image of…

Aug

22

2024

By OLAYINKA AJALA

Russian flags waved during Nigeria protests: why it’s a cause for concern

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria from 1 August to 10 August took a rather unexpected dimension when some protesters in Kano and Kaduna states, both in the country’s northwest region, were seen waving and sharing Russian flags on the streets. In reaction, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu met with the country’s security chiefs and the police made a number of arrests. The Russian embassy in Abuja denied any meddling in Nigeria’s internal affairs. The concern is that Nigeria’s northern region shares a poorly policed 1,497km border with Niger Republic, where a pro-Russia military junta currently holds sway. The Conversation Africa asked…

Aug

20

2024

By YOSRA HAMID MOHAMMED ADAM

Host families are sheltering millions of Sudanese – but we need more support

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. By Yosra Hamid Mohammed Adam WHEN I was growing up, my father had a building in our house that was just for guests. It taught me something valuable: that it is very normal for Sudanese people to host, feed, and support others; that solidarity is a central part of our cultural heritage. Many years later, my country is at war and I am now a host. From a humble house in the eastern town of Kassala, I am supporting 12 displaced people, all of them family members uprooted by the fighting…

Aug

18

2024

By OLAYINKA AJALA

Russia-Ukraine war spills into west Africa: Mali attacks signal dangerous times ahead

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RUSSIA suffered significant blows to its reputation in mid-2024. An attack on its territory by Ukraine came as a surprise. In west Africa, the Wagner mercenary group, supported by Russia, suffered one of its heaviest fatalities in Mali. An alliance of Tuareg rebel groups known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad joined forces in late July with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, a coalition of four terrorist groups operating in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The rebel-terrorist alliance attacked a Malian army contingent which was supported by Wagner fighters. After three days of heavy fighting, dozens of Malian soldiers and Wagner fighters were either killed…

Aug

17

2024

By Jovial Rantao

Africa on the UN security council: why the continent should have two permanent seats

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

STHEMBELE MBETE AFRICA’s desire to be fully represented in all decision-making organs of the United Nations (UN), particularly in the security council, is informed by three factors. First, repairing the historical injustice of its underrepresentation in global governance. Second, recognising African contributions in shaping the contemporary world order. Third, the urgency of securing the legitimacy of the UN in the face of emerging threats to international peace and security. At the African Union’s fifth ordinary session held in Sirte, Libya in 2005, African leaders adopted the Ezulwini consensus. It expressed Africa’s desire to be fully represented in all decision-making organs of the UN, particularly in the…

Aug

14

2024

By TOYIN FALOLA

Young Nigerians’ push for change must go beyond street protests – historian

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NIGERIANS began a 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest on 1 August 2024 and are expected to continue until 10 August. They took to the streets to demand economic and political reforms, including the reversal of some government policies. Policies like the removal of petrol subsidies and the floating of the naira have led to Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation as prices of goods and services more than doubled. The protests began peacefully but have turned violent in some states like Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto, leading to deaths and destruction of property. The Conversation Africa asked historian Toyin Falola about how…

Aug

08

2024

By JOVIAL RANTAO

Sis Thoko Radebe: A legacy of love, style, and unwavering faith

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE passing of Sis Thoko leaves a void in our hearts that can only be filled with cherished memories of her boundless love and unwavering support. As the youngest sister to our mother Mosadiotsile Florence, Sis Thoko embodied the African principle that motherhood extends beyond biological ties, becoming a second mother to us all. Her impact on our lives was profound and far-reaching. With a keen eye for nurturing talent and a heart full of generosity, Sis Thoko played a pivotal role in shaping the futures of her nieces and nephews. Her gift of a Remington typewriter to me as…

Aug

07

2024

By ROGER SOUTHALL

South Africa’s unity government could see a continuation of the ANC’s political dominance – and hurt the DA

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE ANC’s loss of its majority in the recent election, and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s formation of a government of national unity, have been interpreted by some commentators as indicating the end of the ANC as a “dominant party”. That is, one which recurrently wins elections and hence dominates a political system. Their argument, and it is not unconvincing, is that the ANC vote share has consistently fallen since its high point in the 2009 election, when it won 66%, to its new low of 40%. This is taken to indicate an inexorable decline which the ANC appears unlikely or unable…