By William Crawford Algeria’s constitutional court has certified the reelection of Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune. This certification comes after a recounting by the court after questions of the legitimacy of the election were raised. After recounting, the court determined that Tebboune has won a second term with 84.3% of the vote. This represents a victory... Continue Reading →
Not a Movie Heist: Artifacts Looted from Sudanese Museum
By William Crawford King Taharqa-Main Hall in Sudanese National Museum During fighting as part of the continuing civil war in the Sudanese city of Khartoum, the National Museum has reportedly been the victim of looting. An official for the museum has stated that tens of thousands of artefacts were stolen from the site, and as... Continue Reading →
Tunisia’s Democratic Decline: Electoral Exclusions and Authoritarian Grip
By William Crawford President Kais Saied Only two electoral challengers to current Tunisian President Kais Saied have been approved to run in Tunisia’s elections in October. The decision to allow just two challengers, made by the country’s electoral authorities, comes in direct opposition to a decision by the highest administrative court in Tunisia, which ruled... Continue Reading →
Ban Reversal in The Gambia: Parliament talks of overturning a ban on FGM
Written by James Kessler| March 25, 2024 President Adama Barrow This week, politicians in The Gambia have begun taking steps to repeal a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM). If successful, The Gambia would be the world’s first country to walk back this protection, possibly endangering the lives of millions. As it stands now,... Continue Reading →
Chad’s Power Play: Political Drama Amidst Tragedy and Tensions
Written by James Kessler | March 4, 2024 /// Mahamat Idriss Deby /// This week, Chadian interim leader and military chief, Mahamat Idriss Deby, has formally declared his candidacy for the country’s presidential elections. Elections are set to take place on May 6th. Deby came to power in 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno,... Continue Reading →
Democratic Instability in Senegal
Written by James Kessler | February 17, 2024 President Macky Sall On February 3rd Senegalese President Macky Sall canceled the upcoming elections just weeks before they were to take place on the 25th. The ballot was postponed by Sall after citing a dispute between the legislative and judicial bodies concerning potential candidates who have been... Continue Reading →
Egypt’s unfortunate trajectory
April 10, 2023 Written by Jesse Moore As I've described before, Egypt could be doing better. The turbulence of Covid-19, the war in Ukraine's effect on food and energy prices, and the long-running mismanagement of the country all contribute to Cairo's woes. While the government secured a $3 billion IMF loan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is courting... Continue Reading →
Tunisian President Distracts From His Poor Job Performance
Written by Jesse Moore March 12, 2023 Tunisia, once the only Arab country considered to have bloomed in the Arab Spring, is quickly wilting, as I’ve previously described. President Kais Saied, a former law professor, performed a coup in 2021 by suspending parliament and assuming executive power in order to ‘save’ the country from the... Continue Reading →
The Only Flower of the Arab Spring Has Died
Written by Jesse Moore The self-immolation of 26 year-old fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, in front of a government office set off the wave of pro-democracy protests called the Arab Spring that washed over North Africa and the Middle East. The protests initially showed promise by disrupting entrenched authoritarian regimes, eliciting high praise from Western leaders. Time, however, has shown... Continue Reading →
Morocco & Spain’s Reconciliation
Written by Jesse Moore February 11, 2023 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Moroccan counterparty Aziz Akhannouch met on February 2nd in Rabat to further settle their nation’s disagreements. The two countries have longstanding disputes on Spanish enclaves in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, and migrants reaching Spain through Morocco. At the summit in... Continue Reading →