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NL Where is the focus on Congo?
Recently, a viral internet trend emerged when more than 50 million Instagram users shared an image with the text 'All eyes on Rafah'. Soon other 'All eyes on ...' images also appeared, such as 'All eyes on Sudan,' but often 'All eyes on Congo.' This trend reflects a broader push that the war in [...]
Kidnappings galore: Nigeria's security crisis
Photo: #BringBackOurGirls mural in West Vale, UK - Flickr Nigeria is engulfed by a wave of kidnappings carried out by various armed groups that are tightening their grip on Nigerian society. The glaring problem of mass kidnappings came into the spotlight after Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, an act [...]
Where do the tensions within the Eritrean diaspora come from?
The clashes in The Hague between people from the Eritrean diaspora are not isolated incidents. Similar tensions occur in several countries. Dutch politicians advocate cracking down, without fully understanding the root causes, especially the role of the dictatorial Eritrean regime. Recently, tensions within the Eritrean diaspora escalated into [...]
7.5 million people on the run: the bloody struggle for power and gold in Sudan
Photo: Khartoum before the conflict broke out - Wikimedia Commons On 15 April 2023, there is great panic in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Armed men storm the city and tens of thousands of people are forced to leave their homes. What follows is a protracted battle between, on the one hand, the Sudanese government army (SAF), led [...]
Security in the Sahel: More soldiers or more development aid?
Photo: MINUSMA troops in 2018 (source: Flickr) In recent years, there have been coups in several countries in the Sahel. At the same time, a UN peacekeeping mission has failed and the security situation of the population is deteriorating. Less emphasis on military means and a renewed focus on development cooperation may offer a solution. In late July this year, a coup [...]
Uganda's extreme anti-lhbti law: Is the West part of the solution or the problem?
Photo: Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda. Via Wikimedia Commons In late May 2023, Uganda introduced one of the most extreme anti-LGBTi laws in the world. Now, more than four months later, the disastrous consequences of these measures are becoming increasingly clear. In response, several international sanctions have been imposed and the Constitutional Court of [...]
The Africa Day Youth Think Tank in action!
At the FMS, youth engagement is a high priority. For this reason, last summer we launched the Africa Day Youth Think Tank, a project in cooperation with Erasmus+. Thirty young people, from diverse educational and personal backgrounds, united around a shared interest: the African continent. Together, they have spent the past [...]
Gabon follows in series of coups in 'Françafrique' - trend or coincidence?
Photo: President Ali Bongo, deposed after 56 years of Bongo rule - Wikimedia Commons On 30 August, Gabon's military leadership announced through a televised address that it had assumed power in the country. Just before that, Ali Bongo was declared president for his third term. "On behalf of the people of Gabon, we have decided to [...]
African climate summit: much-discussed carbon credits are not a panacea
Photo: Attendees at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi - Flickr / Paul Kagame This month, African Union members met to form a common position on climate policy ahead of COP28. Carbon credits were a focus point. Governments see a lot of potential in this system, but there are many legitimate criticisms. [...]
Niger coup shows: fairer policies to Africa are needed
Photo: Wikimedia Commons The Nigerian presidential guard detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July, only to launch a military coup. In a television broadcast, senior officers from various branches of the defence and security forces announced that they had formed a junta. A Nigerian army spokesman shared, "The defence [...]
