African Union

Politics & Policy

Third-country deportations expose democratic costs of Africa’s deals with the US

US migration deals with African governments are prompting legal, political and human rights concerns across the continent
Close-up profile of the nose and engines of a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft on a sunny day. Markings on the fuselage identify the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings. On the tarmac below, a group of civilians and officials in high-visibility vests stand near the aircraft steps.
OpinionPolitics & Policy

China benefits most from its relations with Africa: where’s the imbalance?

The eight Focac summits since 2000 have not resulted in mutual gain, particularly in trade and industrialisation for Africa, with China reaping most of the benefits
Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects a guard of honour during a state visit to South Africa in July 2024.
Energy, Oil & GasOpinion

How green hydrogen can be made to work for Africa

Africa's limited energy infrastructure means that countries can leapfrog fossil fuels and build green economies based on renewable energy and designed to meet their needs
A plant owned by Hyphen Hydrogen Energy. Efforts to build Africa's nascent green hydrogen industry are underway, most notably in Namibia's Tsau Khaeb National Park. In May, the Namibian government signed a feasibility and implementation agreement with Hyphen Hydrogen Energy for a green hydrogen production and supply project near the coastal town of Lüderitz. In June, the government agreed to take a 24 per cent equity stake in the $10bn project, which is almost equal to Namibia's GDP.
Opinion

Africa’s escalating peacekeeping crisis

The premature withdrawal of peacekeepers from the DRC, Mali, and Somalia will exacerbate instability in Africa's most volatile regions
Amisom female peacekeepers from Uganda mounting an honour guard in Somalia
Opinion

EU/Africa: Modesty and realism should drive new partnership

The EU’s objective is to become Africa’s partner of choice, a goal set by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during our first visit to the AU’s headquarters in Addis Ababa in 2020
A young man welding items at a market in Bamako, Mali
HealthPolitics & Policy

Covid-19 pandemic reminds us that Africa must invest in human capital

It is human capital that will provide the strongest cushion in future crises, especially those that overwhelm social safety nets
Silhouette of people standing on a hill
OpinionPolitics & Policy

The case for an African alternative to the ICC

There’s a case to be made for Africa’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. This is because there are alternatives.
A sitting of the UN Security Council in New York, April 2017
Opinion

What’s stopping the African Union from opening up Africa’s borders?

There are major obstacles that need to be cleared before the ambition of free movement across the continent can be achieved, such as concerns raised by the continent’s major economies like South Africa where unemployment rates are high
A ferry in Mombasa.
Politics & Policy

Presidential term limits: slippery slope back to authoritarianism in Africa

There is mounting concern in Africa about a lack of leadership as well as an increasing trend of hard-won democratic rights being reversed. One way this is being done is through presidential term limits being abandoned, or extended. This in turn is leading to a reemergence of authoritarian politics, and political violence
Opinion

Why Africa’s free trade area offers so much promise

The free trade area aims to create a single market for goods and services in Africa. By 2030 the market size is expected to include 1.7 billion people with over USD$ 6.7 trillion of cumulative consumer and business spending – that’s if all African countries have joined the free trade area by then
12 Next