Author: Nick Lancaster

Reports of Human Rights Abuses In Guinea As The Presidential Election Nears

In a damning report, human rights group Amnesty International has denounced a fundamental lack of accountability within Guinea’s security forces over the last year. A brutal repression of anti-government protests occurred between October 2019 and July 2020, as Guinean civilians took to the streets in opposition to Alpha Conde, the

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Ghana Faces Growing Vigilantism And Electoral Violence

The issue of vigilantism and electoral violence in Ghana continues to be at the forefront of Ghanaian political discourse. Most recently, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah (General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress) implored President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to seek justice for Silas Wulo Chameh, the teacher trainee graduate who

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Climate Change, COVID-19, And Violent Displacement In Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, recent reports released by national authorities have highlighted a surge in the number of people displaced from their homes in the last year. In total, a combination of a changing climate and escalating violence amid COVID-19 has seen a record one million Burkinabé internally displaced over the

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ECOWAS Intervenes In Mali, But Offers Few New Ideas

After an inflammation of tensions and protests in Mali, the nation’s neighbours have at last decided to intervene. West African leaders have come together to call for unity government in a bid to ease the country’s deepening political crisis. This call has been accompanied by a whispered threat: those that

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Political Unrest In Mali Spills Over Into Violence

A protest organised by what is becoming known as the “June 5th movement” in the Malian capital of Bamako has seen at least four people killed and twenty others wounded. In response to the protest, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has now dissolved the country’s constitutional court. The movement, with

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Political Unrest In Mali Spills Over Into Violence

A protest organized by what is becoming known as the “June 5th movement” in the Malian capital of Bamako has seen at least four people killed and twenty others wounded. And, in response to this instability and protest, Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has now dissolved the country’s constitutional court.

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Systemic Gender-Based Violence In South Africa

The gruesome murders of women witnessed by South Africa in the last few weeks has acted as a disturbing signal of the gender-based violence plaguing this country. South Africa has experienced a surge in rapes and killings of women with three high-profile cases sparking campaigns on Twitter. The first was Tshegofatso Pule.

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 Displacement And Civilian Deaths In The Sahel Region

The escalating violence in Africa’s Sahel region is beginning to have widespread consequences. Thousands of civilians, targeted by both terrorist organisations as well as military forces, have been forced to flee from their local communities for safety. The Sahel conflict is quickly becoming one of largest displacement crises in the

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Ethiopian-Sudan Relations Deteriorate Following Border clashes of Forces

Diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Sudan have become further inflamed after a deadly clash between armed forces along their common border last Thursday. Sudan responded by summoning the Ethiopian embassy’s charge d’affaires, as their army spokesperson General Amer Mohamed al-Hassan announced that “we decided to give a chance for diplomacy

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Tortured Members of the Zimbabwean Opposition now face Charges

Tortured Members of the Zimbabwean Opposition now face Charges Three members of the Zimbabwean opposition who have described suffering torture at the hands of state forces have now been charged with promoting public violence and ignoring coronavirus lockdown regulations. The charges relate to their organisation of a protest on 13th

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More Violence In The Sahel Region As Gunmen Kill 20 In Western Niger

At least 20 innocent civilians have been killed in a series of attacks across at least three different villages in Western Niger on Sunday evening. The raids were carried out by unidentified gunmen in the Tillaberi region of the country. The local governor, Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella, informed the national radio station

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Mozambique Silent On Missing Journalist As Insurgent Threat Grows

In the last week, a complex and violent conflict developing in the northern Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique has caught international attention. On one side, the shadowy armed Islamist group coordinating attacks on the region since October 2017 has become increasingly emboldened. Meanwhile, on the other, international rights groups and media have

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Where Are We With The Peace Deal In South Sudan?

In the last week, fault lines have reappeared within the political negotiations in Juba as the completion of South Sudan’s peace deal stalls. One major hurdle is the allocation of state governments across the coalition parties. As a consequence, the “Transitional Government of National Unity” (TGONU) is still not yet

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