29 Nov 2024

African Think Tank

Association For Strategic Culture and Research Foundation

African Think Tank

Mozambique Might Require Foreign Military Assistance To Clean Up Its Hybrid War Mess

Chronically impoverished and formerly civil war-torn Mozambique has the potential to become the world's fourth-largest natural gas exporter due to its vast offshore reserves in the extreme northeastern part of the country, but this Southern African state's ambitious plans are at risk of being derailed by the ever-intensifying Islamist-driven Hybrid War in that strategic corner of its territory, one which might ultimately require foreign military assistance to resolve after the national armed forces proved themselves incapable of containing this threat.

By Andrew Korybko

30 November, 2020

SADC: The Crisis of South Africa’s National Security Strategy Will Diminish What’s Left of BRIC“S” And Country’s Multipolar Dreams.

Without basic strategic planning document defining its National Interests and Strategic National Priorities, objectives, tasks, and measures in the sphere of national security, Republic of South Africa is unlikely to meet its stated goals in energy security, communications, finance, and state and public security.

By Lungile Cabangani II

21 May, 2021

The Strategic Consequences Of A Possible French Military Intervention In Mozambique

A publicly available expert-level newsletter on Mozambique news reports and clippings from the middle of May predicts that France might launch a limited military intervention in northern Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province in order to protect the offshore energy deposits of its national champion Total, which necessitates an analysis of such a move's strategic consequences if it does indeed come to pass.

By Andrew Korybko

8 June, 2021

SADC: Dr. Lawrence Stergomena Tax Says Goodbye, and Calls for Scaling Up Sustainable Development in Southern Africa.

Exclusive Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

2 August, 2021

African Leaders Must Prioritise Climate Risks – Verkooijen

In this insightful and wide-ranging interview, Professor Patrick Verkooijen, Chief Executive Officer of Global Center on Adaptation discusses the organization’s establishment, its main objectives, challenges and plans for the future.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

19 August, 2021

SADC Leadership Changes: the Challenges and Future Perspectives

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) held the 41st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Lilongwe, Malawi on 17 to 18 August 2021 with a limited number of participants. The modest symbolism associated with the gathering was to observe strictly the COVID-19 protocols

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

23 August, 2021

Russian Disinformation Popularizes Sputnik V Vaccine in Africa

In Africa, public opinion is often difficult to measure, whether due to conflict, undemocratic regimes, or a lack of administrative capacity.

By John Campbell, Michelle Gavin

16 September, 2021

Rwanda’s Military Is The French Proxy On African Soil

Why did Rwanda intervene in Mozambique in July 2021 to defend, essentially, two major energy companies? The answer lies in a very peculiar set of events that took place in the months before the troops left Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.

By Vijay Prashad

21 September, 2021

The Great Games of Diplomacy: Russia Sees Neocolonialism as An Investment Barrier in Africa

Some argue that the best way to fight neocolonialism is to invest in order to jostle for economic influence. Nevertheless, Russia has sought to convince Africans over the past years of the likely dangers of neocolonial tendencies perpetrated by the former colonial countries and the scramble for resources on the continent.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

30 September, 2021

Dynamics of Empowering Women in the Changing World

Throughout the world, there is a growing demand for female leadership. Research has shown that companies with women on their boards of directors enjoy better results.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

19 October, 2021

China Is the Biggest Winner From Africa’s New Free Trade Bloc

When the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was initially proposed at the African Union summit in 2012, it had two goals: First, build a pan-African agenda in trade and cooperation. Second, lift a large percentage of people out of poverty by instituting structural economic changes and cooperative legislation.

By Oluwatosin Adeshokan

9 November, 2021

Mozambique: Rule Of Law Prevails On Chang Extradition, But At A Price

Judge Margaret Victor overturned a decision by South Africa’s Justice Minister Ronald Lamola in August this year to send Chang to Mozambique to face similar charges in the US$2 billion ‘hidden debts’ scandal.

By Peter Fabricius

17 November, 2021

US Investors to Explore Opportunities in AfCFTA

United States investors are looking forward to exploring several opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a policy signed by African countries to make the continent a single market.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

17 November, 2021

US-Africa Relations: An Opportunity Lost Or Found

As Africa’s economies and middle class continue to grow, there is a tremendous market for American consumer goods. Consumer and business spending in Africa is expected to top $6.6 trillion by 2030, up from $4 trillion in 2015. Again, not only China, but also nations in every other region of the world, are looking to fill the continent’s need for consumer goods.

By Ambassador Charles R. Stith

22 November, 2021

The United States and Africa: Building a 21st Century Partnership

We welcome the African Continental Free Trade Area, because we want to see Africa’s economic power in the world grow. More consumers should gain access to African goods and services. More jobs must be created for Africa’s young people – the global workforce of the future.

By Antony J. Blinken

25 November, 2021

Russia-Africa Relations: “Geopolitical Arena with Many Players Operating”

Russia has to upgrade or scale up its collaborative engagement with Africa. It has to consider seriously launching more public outreach programmes, especially working with civil society to change public perceptions and the private sector to strengthen its partnership with Africa. In order to achieve this, it has to surmount the challenges, take up the courage and work consistently with both private and public sectors and with an effective Action Plan.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

8 December, 2021

China will donate 1 billion covid-19 vaccines to Africa

Apart from flagging the threats of China’s model of engagement with developing countries, the US and other countries have not been able to provide any tangible alternatives (US has sought to further increase its outreach vis-à-vis Africa in recent years, and it seeks to increase economic engagement under the umbrella of the Indo-Pacific.

By Tridivesh Singh Maini

9 December, 2021

Collective Sanctions Isolating Mali in the Sahel Sahara as Russia Rides the Wave of Anticolonialism

Over the past few years, Russian authorities have in their speeches expressed anti-colonial sentiments and openly declared unflinching support for fighting against what they referred to as neocolonial tendencies in Africa. Russia is particularly against France in French-speaking African countries in West Africa including the entire Sahel and Central African Republic.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

27 December, 2021

Africa in Review 2021 (Part I): Continuing Pandemic Highlights Public Health Crisis

A gathering entitled “1st International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA)” took place during mid-December organized by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) based at the African Union (AU) headquarters located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

31 December, 2021

Africa in Review 2021 (Part III) : Unification is Essential to Progress and Development

Of course, Dr. Nkrumah during the years between 1945-1972, wrote extensively on the necessity of African unification. The union of African governments and people would encompass the national economies, the trade unions, youth, women, military institutions and the establishment of a continental market based in socialist planning.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

1 January, 2022

Russia, Africa and the Sputnik V

On bilateral basis, Russia has made some vaccine deliveries, but only to its preferred countries including North Africa (Algeria Morocco and Egypt), in East Africa (Ethiopia), in Southern Africa (Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and West Africa (Guinea). Media reports say South Africa has rejected Sputnik V donation.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

5 January, 2022

Information operations: An understudied facet of Russian influence in Africa

Russia’s Evolving Information Operations

By Miriam Roday, Sarah Daly

20 January, 2022

What Does 2022 Have In Store For Africa?

Compared to other recent periods, the continent has relatively fewer conflict situations at the dawn of 2022 and a few conflicts that are quite deadly. Several states—Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria and Somalia—are experiencing a range of violent conflicts that are leaving much civilian suffering in their wake. Many have tended to privilege military approaches to ending them. A change in strategy in Ethiopia and states in the Sahel could move them closer to peace.

By Dr Issaka Souaré

12 February, 2022

Russia and the Maghreb: Future Geostrategic Perspectives?

Today, the Maghreb is not a fundamental interest for Russia, but rather a source of economic and political opportunities. The Russian redeployment in the Maghreb, which began during Vladimir Putin's second term in 2004 and has been over the last decade, relies on new vectors, distinct from the old anti-imperialist aura from which the Soviet Union had benefited in Algeria and Libya.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

23 February, 2022

Many Africans Reject Washington’s Position on Ukraine Crisis

Since the post-World War II period national liberation movements and independent countries in Africa have developed solid diplomatic and economic relations with the former Soviet Union and today’s Russian Federation.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

14 March, 2022

Climate Change Impacting Southern Africa from Malawi to Madagascar

The countries of Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar contribute almost nothing to the advent of climate disasters. These states should be assisted with relief efforts and the building of infrastructure designed to minimize the impact of cyclones and other serious weather disturbances.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

24 March, 2022

Derry Delegation Visits Detroit to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

This massacre became known as Bloody Sunday where the Catholic residents of Derry were protesting against the discrimination and oppression instituted by a British occupation of the territory which extended back several centuries.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

11 April, 2022

South African KwaZulu-Natal Province Imperiled by Flooding

These living arrangements are part and parcel of the continuing legacy of the former racist apartheid system which was rooted in segregation to facilitate the super-exploitation of African labor. Africans and other people of color communities were placed in areas of the country which were away from the central cities.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

28 April, 2022

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