This Week in Africa

January 9, 2026

Jan 09, 2026

"This is always a good roundup. "

Happy new year! A special thanks to Peter Lewis and his excellent team for all their accomplishments during his term as chair of the African Politics Conference Group, and good luck to incoming chair George Bob-Milliar. Here is the week in Africa:

Quote of the week

“The contemporary Africa crisis has nothing to do with democracy in its substantive form.” – Achille Mbembe

Guinea’s leader

Guineans voted in the recent presidential election. The junta used the elections to build legitimacy and neutralize rivals. Coup leader Mamady Doumbouya will be sworn in as President on January 17. This is what the recent election means for investments.

Sudan’s civil war

Women recount the horrors they faced from RSF soldiers. Osama Abuzaid argues that Sudan’s war risks becoming a permanent political system in 2026. This is how Sudan’s civil war halted the Abraham Accords. Resolving the Sudan War should be a global top priority in 2026.

Uganda after Museveni

Uganda has elections this year. The real question is who will succeed Museveni. Kristof Titeca examines Uganda after Museveni in this essay. Helen Epstein reviews Mahmood Mamdani’s and Derek Peterson’s books about Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni, and Uganda. Mamdani, one and only.

Security in northern Nigeria

The US attacked Jihadi outposts in northern Nigeria. Learn more about the group that Trump targeted in his military strike. Here are some stories from the ground. Here are some quick thoughts on ISIS in northwest Nigeria. James Barnett and Umar Musa examine Jihadi expansion and diffusion in Nigeria. Nina Wilén discusses these seven questions about European security programs in the Sahel with Alex Thurston.

West Africa is worth paying attention to.

Election in Central African Republic

Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera won a third term in office. Tim Glawion provides his reflections on the election.

Struggle for rights and freedom

Lesley Anne Warner discusses the Ethiopian diaspora in the US, and explains “how a diverse, decentralized diaspora coalesced around a single strategic objective at a specific political moment, targeted Congress’ pressure points, and had positive impact.” This post assesses South Africa’s by-elections of the past five years. The UN Expert Group provides this assessment of eastern DR Congo. Phase:Shift takes on repression in Tanzania. Dan Paget argues that Tanzania will never be the same. This report assesses Russia’s role in Africa. Ethiopia’s quest for sea access unsettles the Horn. Who’s who in Trump’s diplomatic line-up?

Africa’s rapid urbanization

Isma’il Kushkush: Leaving Khartoum.

Kelvin Leshan’s multimedia account of a changing Nairobi is remarkable. The World Bank report Banking on Cities provides insights into investments in resilient and low-carbon urbanization. Check out World Bank’s urban Nigeria report. Learn more about wetland regeneration in Kigali. Johannesburg has failed its informal traders. Fanny Voélin examines the politics of detailed urban planning in Madagascar. Abhas Jha outlines the geography of cities. This is a cool article on chiefs in Kinshasa.

Urban citizenship and national membership. And Abundance in Nigeria!

12 books about urban Africa from 2025

Jeffrey Paller

Jan 6

Read full story

Research corner

This looks good: Hossam el-Hamalawy’s Counterrevolution in Egypt: Sisi’s New Republic. Check out Carmela Garritano’s African Energy Worlds in Film and Media.

This is a cool article on the enduring effects of caste discrimination in Senegal. This article examines pastoralism and food sovereignty in the global south. Julio Ríos-Figueroa and Fiona Shen-Bayh review courts in the global south. This article examines the COVID-19 crisis in a Somali-Ugandan community. Folashadé Soulé analyzes the multiplexity of Africa’s digital partnerships amidst global rivalry. Christoph Vogel examines Kivu’s intractable security dilemma, redux. Andrew Cesare Miller examines police-citizen cooperation in communities with criminal groups in Lagos, Nigeria. This article examines forest conservation and frontiers’ violence in the Mau Forest in Kenya.

And Frantz Fanon at 100.

The week in development

The world needs a lot more copper. Zambia looks to reap the benefits of rising prices. Robert Kappel examines Africa’s uneven developmental paths since 2000. This report outlines challenges of securing community lands. Turkey plans its first overseas drilling next month in Somalia. D.S. Battistoli examines the drivers of international fraud. Railways are Africa’s next investment frontier. Cote d’Ivoire has quietly become Africa’s commercial engine. Achille Mbembe argues that Africa has failed to generate wealth, redistribute resources, and represent its citizens.

Isaac Samuel on the limits of geographic determinism.

Africa and the environment

Cheap solar is transforming lives and economies across Africa. More on African rivers. This article assesses increasing resilience through transformative adaption in Africa’s major river basins. South Africa’s last manganese smelter is on the brink. This article identifies South African marine protected areas that are at risk from marine heatwaves and cold-spells. Human-induced temperature rise is driving Africa towards drought-prone climatic conditions. Learn more about Mozambique’s drought recovery and agriculture resilience project. South Africa eases anti-trust rules for firms facing high power costs. And Trump pulls out of Global Climate Treaty.