Often across the African continent it feels like one step forwards, two steps back when it comes to democracy. No sooner has progress been made in one area than it’s offset by unhelpful developments in another. Take the fragile political stakes for democratisation in Ivory Coast, where the sudden death of the prime minister, Gon Coulibaly, is threatening to unravel a carefully orchestrated presidential succession plan. This would have seen him replace the incumbent Alassane Ouattara. Adem K Abebe explains why, for the sake of democracy in the country, Ouattara should not run for a third term.
Somalia too was poised until recently to take its first tentative steps towards abandoning its undemocratic way of choosing leaders. The country hasn’t conducted a direct popular vote since 1969. But polling has been put on hold until next year. Fatuma Ahmed Ali and Doreen Muyonga set out what’s at stake.
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President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast.
Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty Images
Adem K Abebe, University of Pretoria
President Alassane Ouattara (78) has been blowing hot and cold on whether he'll be seeking a third term.
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Somalia’s incumbent president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Michele Spatari/AFP via Getty Images
Fatuma Ahmed Ali, United States International University; Doreen Muyonga, United States International University
As Somalia prepares to choose new leaders in 2021, questions remain around the viability of the country's clan-based electoral system.
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Business + Economy
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Mills Soko, University of the Witwatersrand; Mzukisi Qobo, University of the Witwatersrand
Africa accounts for nearly 27% of the World Trade Organisation's membership and 35% of members from developing countries, but an African has never run it.
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Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria
The deal that South Africa will get from the International Monetary Fund will in part depend on how well South Africa's representatives negotiate.
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Health + Medicine
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Ozayr Patel, The Conversation; Adejuwon Soyinka, The Conversation
Fake drugs are doing the rounds in Ghana and Nigeria. What can be done about this?
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Stephen Maluka, University of Dar es Salaam
Even though the spouse escort policy carries good intentions, we found during our study that it constituted a barrier to care in numerous ways.
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Politics + Society
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James Rodgers, City, University of London
The way foreign correspondents cover Russia tells the story of its relations with the rest of the world.
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Joseph Yaw Asomah, St. Thomas University (Canada)
The poor resourcing of media houses in Ghana has contributed to political corruption
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