Tanzania’s post-independence foreign policy was modeled on “liberation diplomacy.” As a result, the country and its leadership have played a critical role in regional and continental affairs.
Essays
Essays present critical analysis and debate on a pressing issue in African peacebuilding.
Ethiopia’s Political Transition at a Crossroads

Authorities should adopt a participatory and transparent approach in demarcating the boundary between Oromia and Addis Ababa, and in renegotiating relations between the regions and the political center within the country’s federal framework.
Renegotiating Gender during Fieldwork in Conflict-Affected Settings: Overcoming Some Challenges

Despite the ethical challenges that conflict settings pose, conducting fieldwork in such places provides great opportunities to generate data essential for designing post-conflict peacebuilding activities.
In Memoriam: Professor Pius Adesanmi

He was a thorn in the flesh of Africa’s political class, especially the Nigerian political elite. Everyone who knew him was struck by his decency, humor, intellect, and capacity to connect with others.
Understanding Selfhood among Young People Who Were Born Out of Genocide Rape in Rwanda

One Saturday afternoon in 2013, I was at home in Kigali, Rwanda watching television when I randomly came across a documentary by filmmaker Ingeborg Beugel on Al Jazeera English. The film, titled “Rwanda: Children of Bad Memories,” was a poignant and moving story about a 12-year-old Rwandan boy named Shyaka. Shyaka’s mother, Goretti, was gang-raped […]
Zimbabwe’s Cyber-Shutdown: A Counterproductive Economic Decision or a Politically Retrogressive Move?

Not only has it recently become more difficult for Zimbabweans to meet their basic needs, but the government has also prevented them from exercising their human rights.
Special Issue: Perspectives on the Postponement of Nigeria’s 2019 Elections

The postponement of Nigeria’s elections, just hours before the commencement of voting on Saturday last week, sent shockwaves across the country and beyond. Many people were concerned not just about the readiness of the country’s electoral management institution but also about the fate of democratic peace and security in Africa’s most populous country. Nigerians vote […]
The Challenge of Electoral Management in Nigeria

Why did INEC not anticipate the challenges facing the long-scheduled elections in advance and respond proactively to avoid a last-minute postponement? Its failure to do so suggests an avoidable lapse in judgment and an inability to read the situation accurately.
The Postponement of the 2019 Nigerian Elections: Implications for Democracy, Peace, and Security

This article explores the implications—for democracy, peace, and security—of the postponement of Nigeria’s 2019 elections, initially set for February 16 (presidential and national assembly) and March 2 (governor and state assembly). Both elections have now been rescheduled to February 23 and March 11, respectively. Nigeria’s electoral history is replete with poll postponements since the military […]
Repeating Past Failures: Nigeria’s Election Umpire and the Legacy of Poll Cancellations

By 2:30 am in the morning of February 16, 2019, less than six hours before the polls were scheduled to open, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, announced the postponement of presidential and national assembly elections citing logistical and operational problems. Predictably, INEC’s decision was widely condemned by Nigerians who […]