Zambia’s national dialogue still on hold over leadership

Zambia’s national dialogue still on hold over leadership

Zambia’s national political dialogue has hit a few bumps since a June summit of party leaders in Siavonga agreed to a roadmap for an inclusive process ahead of presidential elections in 2021. The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has been working on the dialogue process since last year, under pressure…

SAPMIL won’t stay as Lesotho pressured on reforms

SAPMIL won’t stay as Lesotho pressured on reforms

In Lesotho, the Southern African Development Community’s peacekeeping forces will leave in November as planned despite the appeals from Prime Minister Tom Thabane for a three-month extension. The SAPMIL force has served a year in Lesotho, which includes a previous extension of an original mandate that ran through May. The…

Zambian political parties move forward with dialogue on reforms

Zambian political parties move forward with dialogue on reforms

Zambia is moving forward with plans for an inclusive political dialogue chaired by the country’s religious leaders, amid renewed concerns of political violence spurred by clashes earlier this month during a parliamentary by-election in Chilanga. The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has been working on the process since last…

South Africa anticipates UN Security Council vote

The election of non-permanent members to the United Nations Security Council is set for Friday morning in New York, with South Africa seeking to be elected to represent the African Group. The UN General Assembly will elect five members to two-year terms that begin in 2019. Ethiopia currently holds the…

Algeria: Budget plans add to political, economic tensions

Algerian teachers and medical workers are threatening strikes as the country’s economic woes linger amid low oil prices, and the government proposes tax hikes and salary freezes to stretch the budget. The three-year economic plan released last month also considers reduced food subsidies, with increases in bread and milk prices. Algerian…

Cameroon citizens join lawyers’ protest in streets of Bamenda

Lawyers in Cameroon occupied the court complex in Bamenda on Tuesday, demanding that their voices be heard in the ongoing battle over education and legal reforms. The protesting lawyers were met with a heavy security-force presence in and around the court building, the Cameroon Concord reports. Local media accounts also…

Reforming the African Union

The African Union (AU) is plagued by allegations of its ineffectiveness. From its inability to act against the Ebola crisis to the migrant problem in the Mediterranean Sea, AU has been constantly criticized. One can say that the union’s hands are tied. Given its unsustainable and problematic funding, AU is…