Creator
Liesl Louw-Vaudran is an independent journalist and Africa expert. She lived in Senegal for many years and has reported from over 20 African countries. She is a regular commentator on African issues in the local and international media. From 2002 to 2008 she was the Africa Editor at Media24 newspapers in South Africa and still contributes to newspapers such as the Mail&Guardian in Johannesburg. Liesl also works as a consultant for the Institute for Security Studies, notably as editor of the African Union Peace and Security Council Report.
Jakkie Cilliers’s book about igniting a growth revolution in Africa has some timely lessons as we seek ways to mitigate the economic effects of Covid-19
South Africa’s foreign policy performance, over its first quarter-century democratic governance, is put under the spotlight
Rwanda’s president put everything into reforming the organisation, with mixed results
Ntombi Msiza claims to represent SA interests in the North African state, despite frosty relations.
Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has tried to improve it, but the AU is saddled with systemic problems.
If she brokers peace in Burundi her return to domestic politics will be triumphant.
But the continent does not speak with one voice when meeting and dealing with the Asian giant.
Mani Djelassem works in a centre that helps children with HIV
Military intervention may not be the best answer to terrorism in nations such as Mali.
Migration and its effects are under the spotlight again
Stephen McGowan’s family have been asked to keep a low profile after French forces rescued one of his fellow al-Qaeda hostages.
Stephen McGowan’s whereabouts are unknown despite the release of the Dutch national who was kidnapped alongside him in Timbuktu in 2011.
South Africa has many attributes that make it a worthy representative of Africa on the world stage, but is set to lose its first place.
Civil society activists are calling on the African Union to make public the findings of an inquiry into human rights abuses in South Sudan.
Many of the nations fighting the terror group have themselves been accused of human rights abuses and even of war crimes.
But fears of civilian casualties could see the army renege on a commitment to disarm combatants.
Elections and Abuja’s need to lead are hindering AU efforts to take on the militants.
The reaction in Africa to last week’s massacre of civilians in the northeast of Nigeria has been described as long overdue.
There are 15 key pointers to watch this year that will indicate the direction in which Africa is heading.
African leaders reprimand the West, particularly France, for its intervention in Libya, which they say has left Africa rife with terrorism.
