Africa
Africa
Fair Observer provides insightful and informed analysis of important issues, events and trends on the African continent.
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360° Analysis / Bahrain / Iran / Islamists / Israel / Morsi / obama / Politics / United States / Middle East / AfricaThe following is the fourth of a series of excerpts that Fair Observer will be featuring from its first book, The Arab Uprisings: An Introduction. Read the first excerpt here. The Arab Uprisings have changed the political landscape in the region and created a new reality for the international community. Earlier, “a soft bigotry of lowered expectations in the West and among Arab elites,” assumed that democracy was not possible in the region. Stability was championed over democracy using the specter of an Islamist threat as an excuse to promote strategic interests. Arab countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to popular aspirations. Arab populations, in turn,...
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360° Analysis / Egypt / Egyptian Ultras / Morsi / Politics / Soccer / Middle East / AfricaThe recent court verdict and escalating violence puts the ball in Morsi’s court. Reform of law enforcement would open the road towards reducing political volatility and creating conditions for economic recovery. Escalating street violence in the wake of a partial verdict in the Port Said soccer brawl case pits arch enemies – militant soccer fans and Egypt’s security forces – against one another. The situation highlights the urgency of moves for reform of law enforcement in a bid to end the turmoil and return the country to a path of economic growth. The Verdict The violence that has already left at least 48 people dead and hundreds wounded, was sparked by the...
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360° Analysis / Egypt / Egyptian Revolution / Morsi / Muslim Brotherhood / Politics / Middle East / AfricaAs Egypt marks the second anniversary of its revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are at the base of a new "purgatory", argues Sarah Eltantawi. In Dante’s Purgatorio, the poets finally make their escape from hell just before Easter Sunday in the year 1300CE. Cato of Utica — purgatory’s gate keeper — at first regarded them as little more than unwanted refugees, therefore demanding to see evidence of their humility before they would be allowed to wash the grime of hell from their skin in the dew and rivers of purgatory. The poets acquiesced, soon finding themselves at a point near ground level on Purgatory’s slope, where they began to climb....
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360° Analysis / Arab Spring / Arab Uprisings / Egypt / Libya / Politics / Yemen / Middle East / AfricaThe following is the third of a series of excerpts that Fair Observer will be featuring from its first book, The Arab Uprisings: An Introduction. Read the first excerpt here. For decades, elites have captured the state to serve their interests in the Arab world. Institutions and the rule of law have been lacking. Transparency in government procedures and political pluralism has been absent. In Libya, “informal ties and a lack of institutions” have impaired the functional capacity of the state completely. Institutions are urgently needed in Libya but throughout the Arab world, major challenges in governance need to be addressed to create an effective state. This will only be...
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360° Analysis / Egypt / Inauguration / Israel / Netanyahu / obama / Palestine / Politics / Syria / United States / Middle East / AfricaObama's reelection provides the president with an opportunity to adapt to the changed environment in the Middle East and North Africa. On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama was reelected for a second term as President of the United States of America. Congress remains divided with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans presiding over a majority in the House of Representatives. What does this continuity in domestic politics mean for US foreign policy towards the Middle East and North Africa, in which major changes have occurred since Obama first entered the White House? Israel: Pressuring a Partner US-Israeli relations, rooted in material, cultural, political and historical...
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360° Analysis / Africa / Barack Obama / crisis / DRC / Mali / obama / Politics / Rwanda / United States / US / AfricaObama's second term in office will see new challenges in US' involvement with Africa. However, a major tactic switch seems unlikely. High hopes were held across the African continent when Barack Obama, the first US president with Kenyan roots, came into office for the first time in 2009. However, four years in office have significantly lowered expectations to a more realistic level. This may explain why most Africans greeted the president's second electoral victory with far less fervour. It is clear from the president's electoral campaign that this term, US domestic issues will trump foreign affairs, which includes US relations with Sub-Saharan Africa. This will come to no...
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United States / Europe / Focus Article / BRIC / Middle East / Americas / Africa / Asia / Oceania / Environment & SustainabilityIn the past few years, the political map of Antarctica, a region rich in mineral-fuel resources, has changed immensely. How can the ongoing geopolitical polarization in this region have unfavourable global effects in the long run? Even after 50 years of peaceful multilateral research initiatives, various nations would still like to seize Antarctica. Although annexation of the continent is now difficult, ongoing geopolitics might disable the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) after it expires in 2048, or even before that date. If Antarctica is seized, either by force or deception, this can lead to a global conflict. The ATS refers to extensive multilateral accords which came into force in 1961....
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360° Analysis / constitution / Egypt / Morsi / Politics / Middle East / AfricaBy Mina MonirA new phase of political conflict between the Islamist-bloc and the pro-civil state bloc has been launched in Egypt. The emergence of this phase is based on the results of the battles in the street, polling stations and in political headquarters; the result will be decisive for all parties. After the constitutional referendum battle between the adherents of the Islamist and the civil state blocs, much of what political analysts thought to be facts about the Egyptian political scene are subject to reconsideration. Some expectations were confirmed, others were deemed to be speculations. Egypt Demythologized If a phrase should be chosen for the recent political unrest in Egypt, it should be...
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Tontines in Cameroon are an important part of the informal financial sector that provides individuals who are unable to access money from formal financial sectors with cash. Although this has fostered development and helped individuals overcome extreme poverty, the IFS is yet to address macroeconomic problems. What is the Informal Financial Sector? The Informal Financial Sector (IFS) is a local traditional banking system. The IFS is a practice that is widely known in the majority of francophone Africa as Tontines, which derives from the name of Lorenzo Tonti who vulgarized a similar but not identical practice in France in 1653. In the IFS, individuals with a common social link gather...