Sparked by the police killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in Minnesota and compounded by years of racial discrimination across the globe, African governments, civil society, and activist communities are fighting back.
Africa has been experiencing a wave of uprising recently that has brought attention to the consequences of bad governance. Governance and political leadership has been an area that the African continent has struggled with for quite some time. Since its “release” from colonization the continent has struggled with issues of exploitation, corruption, wars, and other destabilizing things. When it comes to governance in Nigeria, most say, it has been driven by self-interest. From not utilizing aid correctly to Boko Haram, most say that the Nigeria government does not have the interest of its citizens on its radar.
An analysis done by Akinola and Yagboyaju states that Nigeria fails in three major areas when it comes to governance and political leadership. These areas are security of lives and properties, promotion of the rule of law, and provision of visionary leadership . All three of these areas can be seen in the issue of police brutality in Nigeria. More specifically, the recent #ENDSars movement has highlighted, again, the presence of bad governance and the urgent need for improvement in the country.
Currently, women and girls in The Gambia are taking robust action to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) nationwide. This piece draws attention to the pivotal work of two women, Ramatoulie Jallow, a public health consultant, and Mam Yassin Sarr, founder of Starfish International, a non-profit organisation that focuses on leadership and education for girls. It will address the importance of inclusivity and civic participation of women and girls in fighting the global pandemic. Moreover, this paper sheds light on local efforts by Ramatoulie and Mam Yassin as they mitigate the spread of the pandemic by considering the socio-economic and cultural implications of their work at local and community levels.
Sudan’s Darfur states have seen a renewed escalation of intercommunal violence in the months of May-July 2020, representing the conflict’s deadliest three-month period since June 2017. While this intensification of hostilities reflects a pattern of violence observed in recent years, the looming departure of the UNAMID peacekeeping mission has heightened concerns over the ongoing state of insecurity and Protection of Civilian needs in western Sudan.
Neopatrimonialism is a universal concept, especially when placed in the context of African politics. However, there is no precise definition of the term, only a basic theory capable of explaining its general denomination. The neopatrimonialism regime is fundamentally based on a social hierarchy system, in which the sovereign uses the resources of the state to ensure the loyalty of his clients within the population. It is an informal type of sovereign-citizen relationship, which can go from the highest structures of the state to all the individuals of the villages. In Africa, this type of regime evolved extremely quickly because of colonialism. In fact, colonialism is sometimes considered a ‘must happen’ turning point for most African countries. This paper will explore the concept of neopatrimonialism while considering Africa as an explanatory focus. However, before dwelling on the application of the neopatrimonialism regime on the African continent, it is also important to analyze the roots of this regime-type and the defining characteristics.
Sparked by the police killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in Minnesota and compounded by years of racial discrimination across the globe, African governments, civil society, and activist communities are fighting back.
Working with Africa, not on Africa
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