Union

African Union to get a new chair: 6 key tasks they must tackle

African Union to get a new chair: 6 key tasks they must tackle: The African Union (AU) member states will elect a new senior leadership of the AU Commission in February 2025. The commission was originally conceived as the secretariat of the AU. Over the years it has become the driving force behind the pan-African …

Tanganyika and Zanzibar: Tanzania’s 60-year-old union may need a restructure

Tanganyika and Zanzibar: Tanzania’s 60-year-old union may need a restructure: On 26 April 2024, Tanzania celebrated 60 years of the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The union, which created the present-day United Republic of Tanzania, stands out among the longest lasting political arrangements of its kind in Africa, and has shaped the country’s construction of …

Niger coup: west African union has pledged to intervene – but some members support the plotters

Niger coup: west African union has pledged to intervene – but some members support the plotters: When the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, was elected as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on July 10, he asserted that the organisation would no longer be a “toothless bulldog”. Tinubu insisted that Ecowas would …

Sudan’s peace mediation should be led by the African Union: 3 reasons why

Sudan’s peace mediation should be led by the African Union: 3 reasons why: Sudanese protesters in Khartoum. Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Questions about who mediates in a conflict – and when – are crucial. Mediation is about trust, an awareness of regional realities and insights into complex politics. It should happen before conflict …

Brexit didn’t trigger the mass exodus from the EU that was once feared – but nor did it leave Europeans wanting more from their union

Brexit didn’t trigger the mass exodus from the EU that was once feared – but nor did it leave Europeans wanting more from their union: The British vote to leave the European Union in 2016 sent a shockwave across the European continent. With a large member state turning its back on the union, it seemed …

LGBTQ+ rights: African Union watchdog goes back on its own word

LGBTQ+ rights: African Union watchdog goes back on its own word: Denial of observer status robs the three NGOs of a voice. Getty images The primary human rights watchdog in Africa recently made a decision that departed from its existing practice. The African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights, an independent expert body within the …

Pan-Africanism remains a dream – 4 key issues the African Union must tackle

Pan-Africanism remains a dream – 4 key issues the African Union must tackle: Delegates at an African Union summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in 2022. AFP via Getty Images The African Union (AU) – made up of 55 member countries – has made significant progress with integrating the countries of the continent and giving them …

State of the Union: ‘bipartisan’ Biden’s landmark speech sounds like a campaign launch for 2024

State of the Union: ‘bipartisan’ Biden’s landmark speech sounds like a campaign launch for 2024: The US president Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address with a message of optimism, declaring – as is customary – that “the state of the union is strong”. With newly elected Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy and …

How the UK government’s veto of Scotland’s gender recognition bill brought tensions in the union to the surface

How the UK government’s veto of Scotland’s gender recognition bill brought tensions in the union to the surface: From calls for a second Scottish independence referendum and speculation about “indy-curiousity” in Wales, to the collapse of the power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland, the state of the UK union has been the subject of much political …