African history, culture & futures — told by us
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Long reads on African history, governance, economics, culture, and what comes next.

All eras Ancient (before 500 CE) Medieval (500–1500 CE) Pre-colonial (1500–1884) Colonial era (1884–1960s) Independence era (1960s–2000) Contemporary (2000–present) Future systems & solutions
Governance & Political Systems Contemporary (2000–present)

ECOWAS, the Niger coup, and the AES exit — the unraveling of West African collective security

On 26 July 2023 the Niger Presidential Guard detained Mohamed Bazoum and announced the Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie. ECOWAS responded with the most aggressive …

1 min read · West Africa, Sahel · 23 views
Governance & Political Systems Contemporary (2000–present)

AU institutional reform under Moussa Faki Mahamat — what was attempted, what stuck

Moussa Faki Mahamat completed his second four-year term as African Union Commission Chairperson in March 2025, after eight years that included the formal AfCFTA launch, the Common African …

2 min read · Pan-African · 23 views
Governance & Political Systems Contemporary (2000–present)

Botswana's 2024 election — what 58 years of BDP rule produced and how it ended

On 30 October 2024 the Botswana Democratic Party, in power since the country's independence in September 1966, lost the general election. Duma Boko's Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) …

2 min read · Southern Africa, Botswana · 19 views
Governance & Political Systems Contemporary (2000–present)

Ethiopian federalism after Tigray — what survives, what needs rebuilding

The 1995 Ethiopian constitution organised the federation along ethno-linguistic lines: nine regional states and two chartered cities, each region nominally dominated by one or more 'nations, nationalities, and …

2 min read · Horn of Africa, Ethiopia · 19 views