African Arguments
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 07:48
In northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), rural radio stations are used to protect civilians from violence. Part of a growing network of high frequency (HF) shortwave radios that connects rural villages in remote parts of the DRC and neighboring Central African Republic (CAR), these radios are switched on each day as local radio operators report their village’s status in relation to a widespread conflict in the region.
Monday, October 7, 2013 - 07:46
In Sudan – the once hoped-for breadbasket of the Arab world – deadly unrest, sparked by a hugely unpopular decision to lift fuel subsidies, has made it abundantly clear that the country is struggling to maintain its current political order.
Monday, October 7, 2013 - 07:43
Two weeks after Al-Shabaab militants murdered over 60 shoppers and diners and laid waste to one of Nairobi’s smartest malls, a reckoning has begun: how could an attack of such ferocious brutality happen in the heart of one of the city’s wealthiest enclaves? Could it happen again and, if so, how can an attack of a similar magnitude be prevented?
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - 09:19
Media commentary on the now-concluded siege of the Westgate mall in Nairobi demonstrates widespread recognition that a major shift has occurred in al Shabaab’s targets and threat-level. Where the media seems to slightly misinterpret the attack is explaining Westgate as a sudden dramatic increase in al Shabaab’s abilities. More than a dramatic jump in capacity, the attack shows a change in focus and motivation by al Shabaab’s core planners.
Monday, September 30, 2013 - 08:25
The news from Nairobi over the last few days has been appalling. But, given the frequency of Al Shabaab’s grenade-throwing over the past 18 months, the attack shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to watchers of the region. Yet, despite the magnitude of the death toll, the Kenyan government has shown a remarkable sangfroid, both in managing the crisis and taming the potential for ethnic flare-ups.
Monday, September 30, 2013 - 08:23
Richard Dowden’s last point in his blog posted on 27 September – that the Westgate massacres will spell the end of the International Criminal Court (ICC) – should not pass without challenge. Behind his prediction lies an argument often used before, eg during the Cold War, to justify support for or tolerance of poor governments and poor governance. Some infamous previous events in Kenya have accordingly not been resolved. Following the horror at Westgate, some seem to think a choice must be made between bolstering Kenya in its fight against terror and letting off its President and his deputy from their cases at the ICC.
Friday, September 27, 2013 - 08:22
What does the appalling attack on people at the Westgate Shopping Centre signify? Does it mean that Al Shabaab is getting stronger or weaker? Was it a show of strength, striking at a multinational target in the heart of Nairobi, or a desperate if spectacular attack on civilians at an easy, poorly-protected target? Is this the new Shabaab or was it an Al Qaeda operation using the Shabaab brand name?
Friday, September 27, 2013 - 08:14
Noman Benotman, President of the anti-radicalisation Quilliam Foundation, has told African Arguments that Al Shabaab’s Westgate attack has put it “to the top of the premier league” of global jihadists. Benotman, formerly a commander in the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, compared the Westgate events with those of the In Amenas Algerian hostage incident in January 2013: “It is almost exactly the same source of tactics as the In Amenas attack, the same planning – from a professional perspective.”
Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 09:06
With three quarters of the votes counted, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) is heading for an overwhelming victory in the legislative elections. The RPF has mobilised 76% of the voters, against 13 and 9.4 percent respectively for the Social Democratic Party and Liberal Party. These results deserve our respect and congratulations – perhaps not for their democratic quality, but for the event itself – impressive and perfectly directed as a mass scene in a better-than-average bible movie.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - 10:36
Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to the LRA’s involvement in ivory trade. This was sparked off by the Enough report ‘Kony’s ivory’ released in June, which described the LRA’s ivory activities in Garamba Park, North-Eastern DRC. The report was followed by a range of articles highlighting how ‘tusks fund terror’; and further elaborated in other reports. All of these highlight how the LRA “gains vital resources through its participation in the illegal ivory trade” – as the Enough report summarized (p.11).