"Why have liberation movements failed"? Honoured to be part of a brainstorming exercise with such legends as Kifefe Kizza-Besigye, Tundu Antiphas Lissu, Tendai Biti or Afrobarometer's Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, by courtesy of Adenauer-Stiftung & The Brenthurst Foundation; Book with my chapter on S.Sudan on the way

The future of South Sudan 🇸🇸 basketball is very bright and it will take over the world soon.

Thoughts on #Tinzaouaten defeat of Wagner. - it is a result of of antagonising everyone around + overconfidence; - it’ll push some in FAMa (and in Burkina and Niger) to think again about the path the juntas go - Afr Corps internal frictions accelerate, recruitment threatened

My small recap of the #Mali, #Burkina, #Niger alliance/confederation. 👉 It primarily serves fragile juntas' survival 👉 Some real and promising initiatives (e.g. training local oil/gas engineers) 👉 More symbolic confrontations anticipated More in the PISM bulletin 👇

Glad to be part of a great documentary on mercenaries produced by TikTok/Instagram-focused Explore Media, speaking along Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito (UN Human Rights Working group on mercenaries) and Cyril Magnon-Pujo (Sciences Po Université Lumière Lyon 2). Full video: youtu.be/uZ7lytQwSRc?si…

I spoke to Latvian state radio LSM ziņu portāls on what is a Russian disinformation and what isn't in the context of #Mali/#Niger breaking ties with #Ukraine. 👉 role of the key narrative of ​​#Russia as a "respectful" partner 👉 how it accelerated pre-existing local conspiracy beliefs

With Africa-China summit #FOCAC launched, Beijing points to an interesting thing to note on... notes. A telling indicator of CN footprint amid growing competition (see mineral railways: Lobito (US) vs Tezera (CN); nuclear coopoeration deals : Uganda (CN) vs Ghana (US), etc.)

After 2022 Yusuf Anka film for BBC News Africa this investigation by Aliyu عَلِيُّ is another eye-opening piece exposing the nature and dynamics of the so called "banditry" kidnapping crisis in N-W #Nigeria. How non-ideological terrorist gangs build popularity using TikTok? See👇

After pseudo-observations of elections in occupied #Ukraine,we now have African journos on guided war-zones tours. I talked to BBC News (World)'s disinfo unit on the "African Initiative" (post-Prigozhin RU umbrella in the infosphere). Thx Chiagozie Fred Nwonwu, @fawzeyah, Olaronke Alo, Maria Korenyuk

Goncharova said her son flew to #Mali after struggling with survivor's guilt from #Ukraine. "I discouraged him," she said. "I told him 'fate has given you a once-in-a-million chance. You can start your life again, you've won such a crazy lottery'." reuters.com/world/africa/w…

Two months ago #Russian #Wagner/#AfricaCorps mercenaries suffered their biggest defeat in #Africa (Tinzaouaten, #Mali). How do family members of the deceased, Malian army, or #Touareg rebel representatives see it now? Happy to have contributed to the story by Reuters jessdonati

Check video to the new Reuters story on #Wagner's #Mali defeat for some previously unpublished footage as well as identities of fallen fighters. Both young adventurers and experienced veterans wrongly believed they would be safer in #Africa than in #Ukraine. My comments included

In the ancient Ethiopian city of Harar, girls enjoy skating through the narrow lanes and cobblestone paths of the old quarter.

Neo-cold-war approach by US, Russia, China & others in Africa results in overlooking root causes of problems, erosion of standards, acceptance of UAE's menace (as balancing China) etc. But there are positive effects - competition translates into better offers. Here's a proof.