Simon Allison
Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - 07:23
With numerous conflicts happening on the African continent, crisis in Yemen might become another one of them. It is fast becoming an African war as nearly half of Saudi Arabia’s international coalition against the Houthi rebels comes from Africa.
Friday, May 8, 2015 - 05:22
At first glance, the constitutional crisis in Burundi appears to embody the very worst of African politics, to encapsulate all the negative stereotypes about leadership and power on this continent. The author of the article argues, that the situation is quite the opposite, and the events in Burundi show the progress of African civil society.
Friday, April 17, 2015 - 07:05
Between Ebola, terrorism, xenophobia and conflict fatigue, there are plenty of reasons why you haven’t heard much from the Central African Republic in the last few months. That doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Simon Allison assesses where the stricken country is, and where it’s going. The signs are not encouraging.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015 - 07:25
Somaliland should not exist. It’s anomalous in every respect: An island of stability in a sea of chaos; a democracy surrounded by authoritarian regimes; a real nation forged in spite of civil war, clan divisions, and religious tensions – all the usual rocks upon which developmental states wreck. So what makes it work? And why will no one give it the recognition it craves?
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 - 06:49
Terrorism does not happen in a vacuum, and Kenya urgently needs to review its counter-terrorism strategy. Not to prevent the next attack, but to start dealing with the roots of the problem rather than its manifestations.
Monday, March 2, 2015 - 07:22
Kenya is going to build a wall. Not just any wall, but a “separation barrier”, to employ the euphemism coined by Israel to describe the towering, snaking structure that now separates it from Palestine’s West Bank.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 - 06:48
A convoy of 400 Chadian military vehicles and hundreds of soldiers is en route to Cameroon and north-eastern Nigeria. The target: Boko Haram, which is running rings around Nigeria’s own security forces. But which Chad will turn up?
Monday, January 12, 2015 - 07:10
If you thought 17 dead in Paris was bad enough for one week, you were wrong. In Nigeria, more than 2,000 people are feared dead after Boko Haram launched its deadliest-ever attack on a strategic north-eastern town.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 07:42
Last month, Nigeria’s parliament gave President Goodluck Jonathan a $1 billion war chest. The money is to buy arms and equipment to help the army fight Boko Haram. Only problem: no one’s selling, at least not to Nigeria. South Africa and the USA have already said no. Since when did arms dealers develop a moral backbone?
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 06:18
As a continent with enough conflicts of its own, it's tempting to dismiss what's happening in Iraq and Syria as somebody else's problem. This is a mistake. As the Islamic State expands - and it's already doing so - Africa is a prime target, with the continent particularly vulnerable to its subversive ideology.