Dossier articles from the past 3 months
The country has long been going through a phase of instability and violence that threatens its survival. The rise to power of the military has not improved the situation. On the contrary, it has actually worsened it by aggravating a series of pre-existing problems. At this moment, there is no way out of this state…
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Distrust seems to be growing not only among ethnic groups but also among religious communities. And this translates into attacks against the faithful gathered to pray in churches or mosques. And the junta bears its share of responsibility in all this. To stay in power, Traoré, in addition to the measures seen above, frequently resorts…
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In Burkina Faso, the terrorist threat emerged after 2015, the year in which the first president after the lengthy period of the Compaoré regime was democratically elected. In 2016 jihadists started to penetrate the country from Mali. Since then, the situation has steadily worsened. According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED, that…
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Each of these three ‘rebel states’ has forged more or less strong ties with Russia, the global player that has been most active and unscrupulous in Africa in recent years. This growth in influence has been primarily at the expense of France, the colonial power. In some ways, ties with Paris remain strong. Suffice it…
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The Muslim religion is the unifying feature of Mauritanian culture and society which, however, presents notable differences in other aspects. To fully understand the extent of Islam’s role in the country, we must start from the decision taken in 1958 when it was not yet independent, to define itself as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.…
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The presidential elections, scheduled for June 22, constitute a test for the Mauritanian political system. The outgoing president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, elected for the first time in 2019, is widely expected to win. The majority parties have designated him as their candidate ever since the announcement of the elections last December by the Independent National…
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Nouakchott has not suffered large-scale attacks for 12 years. There are three reasons: collaboration with neighbouring countries, the intervention of religious authorities and having “institutionalised” the demands of Islamist parties and movements. The Sahel is an endemically poor region and Mauritania struggled significantly after independence, to achieve economic development that lived up to expectations. Over…
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The government is focusing on green hydrogen to diversify the rapidly growing economy, aiming for growth in the renewable energy sector. The country is among those most suffering from the climate crisis with increasingly frequent and destructive floods and longer periods of drought. On the one hand, the prospect of becoming Africa’s third largest gas…
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Under the Pol Pot regime, the Church lost everything: bishops, priests, men and women religious and catechists. Since the 90s it has emerged from the catacombs and is slowly growing in numbers as well as in social commitment. Monday, April 14, 1975, was an overcast afternoon. From his window, Father Joseph Chhmar Salas watched as…
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Still traumatised by the bloody Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia is struggling to recover its economic strength, which is leading to a real social “cultural revolution” for the seventeen million inhabitants of the Land of Smiles. Cambodia is one of the oldest empires in the world. Throughout its history, it has been marked externally by wars…
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The onset of industrialization brought about the brutal decomposition of rural Cambodian families since poverty and indebtedness led to the emigration of an unskilled workforce from the countryside especially to the capital, Phnom Penh. The first clothing factories started up here and were followed by many others. They are run by Chinese, South Korean, Bangladeshi…
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Pol Pot’s regime caused one million seven hundred thousand deaths, devastating families and the entire country. Being a French protectorate brought no significant changes in Cambodian life or economy except for introduction of more formal rules for civil registration and education. Thus, the pagoda monks retained responsibility for primary schools but were required to obtain…
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“What we would like to achieve when we talk about peace. Peace means self-determination. Peace means biological conservation. Peace means revitalization of our culture and…
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At that time Viracocha, the creator God, looked down upon the earth. He saw it was bare, shrouded in impenetrable darkness, for daylight did not yet…
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“Young Africans are playing an active role in bringing social change in the continent. They are contributing daily to the benefit of their communities and nations…
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