Politics – Views & Research

An African man in a smart shirt and waistcoat stands above a crowd of people who wave their arms and hold placards.

Zambia’s messy but decisive election: government shows strength; democracy shows weakness

Michael Wahman, The University of Texas at Austin and Lindsay Favero, Michigan State University

Governments shouldn’t rely on AI to decide who gets a social grant: inside a South African court case

Mark Richard Gaffley, University of the Witwatersrand

Millions of Africans are displaced without crossing a border – and their needs are often overlooked

David James Cantor, School of Advanced Study, University of London

People standing outside white tents marked UNHCR that have been erected on bare ground.

In Madagascar, Gen-Z overthrew a corrupt regime but the battle against state capture has barely begun

Tom Shipley, University of Sussex and Ketakandriana Rafitoson, University of Sussex

A crowd of people walking and riding on the side of a road blocked by a row of tyres that had been set alight

Nigeria’s border closure failed to stop smuggling. Here’s why

Onyekachi E. Nnabuihe, Caleb University

A group of women sitting in a street; motorbikes on the road

Lithium in the Sahel: how armed groups are exploiting the global scramble for the critical mineral

Bradley A. Mortin, King's College London

Men in reflective vests and hard hats on a construction site

Africans migrate for jobs mostly within the continent: why regional skills partnerships are needed

Amanda Bisong, European University Institute

Zambia votes: who’s who and what issues are shaping the elections?

Nicole Beardsworth, University of the Witwatersrand

Shadows of people on a wall, with the word "vote"

Running for parliament in Malawi costs a fortune: economic crisis undermines democracy

Michael Wahman, The University of Texas at Austin and Nicholas Kerr, University of Florida

A woman looking at a list of names pasted on a multicoloured wall

People looking out of bus windows as a person hands a loaf of bread up to them

Burundi refugees talk about life in South Africa after their long journey: hope and heartbreak side by side

Tackson Makandwa, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Maheshvari Naidu, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Africa shaped the global 2030 development agenda. How it can influence what comes next

Hafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet, University of Oslo; University of Cape Town and Dan Banik, University of Oslo

Map showing African continent and parts of Asia and Europe

Young Nigerian women want to go into politics – party rules and older men keep them out

Omomayowa Olawale Abati, University of Essex

Four women checking names displayed at a voting centre

Refugee camps explained: why South Africa has avoided them

Franzisca Zanker, Arnold Bergstraesser Institute and Ulrike Krause, University of Münster

A topshot of makeshift housing on dusty ground

Election misinformation spreads faster than facts can be checked: 3 insights from Kenya’s experience

Michael Asiedu, University of St.Gallen

A typewriter with a piece of paper poking out halfway written 'election fraud'

Nigeria’s conflict zones: why people stay even when they can leave

Ezenwa E. Olumba, Aston University

Thatched stalls along a rural roadside, with dense vegetation in the background

Nigeria’s federal police force has failed, but what does history say about local forces?

Saheed Balogun Amusa, Obafemi Awolowo University

Ugandan women work in the Middle East even though they face abuse. They told us why

Hanne O. Mogensen, University of Copenhagen and Julaina A. Obika, Gulu University

Women walking through a market, with some carrying bags on their heads

A man waving as he walks toward a transparent white box while surrounded by a small crowd of people

South Sudan’s first election won’t be perfect – but another delay could be even riskier

Jan Pospisil

Woman raising one fist and holding a sign that says 'stop the violence'

Gender-based violence survivors need more than justice: four keys to recovery

Azwihangwisi Judith Mphidi, University of South Africa

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In the news

Woman with bruises sitting on the floor at home

Why women sometimes stay with abusers: insights from a Nigerian study

Steven Kator Iorfa, University of Portsmouth; James Edem Effiong, University of Uyo, and Peace N. Ibeagha, University of Nigeria

Ceuta and Melilla: how the colonial legacies of these cities have shaped migration in the region

Parvati Nair, Queen Mary University of London

Many people crowded at a Moroccan coastal border.

Middle Eastern monarchies in Sudan’s war: what’s driving their interests

Federico Donelli, University of Trieste

An aerial shot of a dusty field dotted with several white tents with several people walking around

How white farmers still dominate land ownership in South Africa in spite of land reform – new research

Alex Dyzenhaus, University of St Andrews

A farm with rolling grasslands and a tractor

Al-Qaida and the Islamic State are both adopting AI – but differ in how they think about the technology

Sara Harmouch, George Washington University

Arabic writing is seen on a computer screen

Peace + Security

Shadows of past political violence shape the lives of young Africans for years – a study of nine countries

Tilman Brück, Humboldt University of Berlin; Karen Devries, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Marcella Vigneri, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Olusegun Fadare, University of Greenwich, and Vegard Iversen, University of Greenwich

Five men wearing army fatigues and blue helmets with the letters UN in white, seated on the back of a vehicle

Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive

Egodi Uchendu, University of Nigeria and Muhammed Sani Dangusau, Federal University Lokoja

A silhoutte image of a man next to a missile-firing gun that's on the ground

How to get away with mass murder: 4 tactics Ethiopia used to hide Tigray atrocities from the world

Teklehaymanot G. Weldemichel, University of Manchester

A group of people walking while holding up flags in front of buildings

Forced labour in west African cybercrime academies: how fear traps young men

Suleman Lazarus, London School of Economics and Political Science

Zambia votes: who’s who and what issues are shaping the elections?

Nicole Beardsworth, University of the Witwatersrand

Morocco using economic clout to strengthen grip on disputed Western Sahara territory

Andrea Maria Pelliconi, University of Southampton and Victor Kattan, University of Nottingham

A group of people hold banners as they demonstrate for the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.

How history explains election violence: Kenya and Zambia tell the story

Johan Brosché, Uppsala University; Hanne Fjelde, Uppsala University, and Kristine Höglund, Uppsala University

South Sudan is gearing up for its first election – 3 things it must get right

Luka Kuol, University of Juba

A man dressed in a shirt, blazer and a hat speaks at a podium written 'Republic of South Sudan' with microphones facing him. Another man in a suit stands behind him to his left, while a soldier in military fatigues stands at attention to his right

The challenges African election bodies face go beyond ‘democratic backsliding’ – analysis

Sonali Campion, University of East Anglia

A man wearing a Covid mask casts his vote.

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Migration

A composite image of a silhouette of a family at an airport

What is migration for? How national needs wrestle with a basic human desire

Alan Gamlen, Australian National University

After Ceuta, Europe is once again mired in migration chaos of its own making

Kelsey Norman, Rice University and Nicholas R. Micinski, American University School of International Service

Tunisia: President’s offensive statements targeted black migrants - with widespread fallout

Franzisca Zanker, Arnold Bergstraesser Institute

Two men in suits and ties pose for pictures holding hands.

Europe is spending billions on deporting migrants. Why the strategy isn’t working

Umutcan Yüksel, European University Institute and Amanda Bisong, European University Institute

Airport screen display with flights listed under the title Deportation Departures and the names of countries as destinations

Rich countries are paying poorer ones to manage their refugee crises: 3 reasons this is dangerous

Ali Bhagat, Simon Fraser University and Genevieve LeBaron, Simon Fraser University

Politics – Views & Research – The Conversation

Top stories

Zambia’s messy but decisive election: government shows strength; democracy shows weakness

Governments shouldn’t rely on AI to decide who gets a social grant: inside a South African court case

Millions of Africans are displaced without crossing a border – and their needs are often overlooked

In Madagascar, Gen-Z overthrew a corrupt regime but the battle against state capture has barely begun

Nigeria’s border closure failed to stop smuggling. Here’s why

Lithium in the Sahel: how armed groups are exploiting the global scramble for the critical mineral

Africans migrate for jobs mostly within the continent: why regional skills partnerships are needed

Zambia votes: who’s who and what issues are shaping the elections?

Running for parliament in Malawi costs a fortune: economic crisis undermines democracy

Burundi refugees talk about life in South Africa after their long journey: hope and heartbreak side by side

Africa shaped the global 2030 development agenda. How it can influence what comes next

Young Nigerian women want to go into politics – party rules and older men keep them out

Refugee camps explained: why South Africa has avoided them

Election misinformation spreads faster than facts can be checked: 3 insights from Kenya’s experience

Nigeria’s conflict zones: why people stay even when they can leave

Nigeria’s federal police force has failed, but what does history say about local forces?

Ugandan women work in the Middle East even though they face abuse. They told us why

South Sudan’s first election won’t be perfect – but another delay could be even riskier

Gender-based violence survivors need more than justice: four keys to recovery

Support evidence-based journalism. Journalism that you can trust.

In the news

Why women sometimes stay with abusers: insights from a Nigerian study

Ceuta and Melilla: how the colonial legacies of these cities have shaped migration in the region

Middle Eastern monarchies in Sudan’s war: what’s driving their interests

How white farmers still dominate land ownership in South Africa in spite of land reform – new research

Al-Qaida and the Islamic State are both adopting AI – but differ in how they think about the technology

Peace + Security

Shadows of past political violence shape the lives of young Africans for years – a study of nine countries

Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive

How to get away with mass murder: 4 tactics Ethiopia used to hide Tigray atrocities from the world

Forced labour in west African cybercrime academies: how fear traps young men

Elections + Governance

Zambia votes: who’s who and what issues are shaping the elections?

Morocco using economic clout to strengthen grip on disputed Western Sahara territory

How history explains election violence: Kenya and Zambia tell the story

South Sudan is gearing up for its first election – 3 things it must get right

The challenges African election bodies face go beyond ‘democratic backsliding’ – analysis

You can republish our articles online or in print for free

Migration

What is migration for? How national needs wrestle with a basic human desire

After Ceuta, Europe is once again mired in migration chaos of its own making

Tunisia: President’s offensive statements targeted black migrants - with widespread fallout

Europe is spending billions on deporting migrants. Why the strategy isn’t working

Rich countries are paying poorer ones to manage their refugee crises: 3 reasons this is dangerous

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