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A peek into SA’s foreign policy black box

South Africa’s foreign policy performance, over its first quarter-century democratic governance, is put under the spotlight

As chair of the AU, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame tried to up the ante, but some of his efforts were thwarted. This was nowhere more evident than in his failed AU intervention after the DRC’s flawed elections. (Marco Longari/AFP)

AU weathers Kagame whirlwind

Rwanda’s president put everything into reforming the organisation, with mixed results

Claim to fame: Ntombi Msiza

Zuma ‘daughter’ courts Morocco

Ntombi Msiza claims to represent SA interests in the North African state, despite frosty relations.

President Jacob Zuma and President Xi Jinping of China arrive at the Union Buildings for bilateral talks on trade links.

Africa seeks better deals with China

But the continent does not speak with one voice when meeting and dealing with the Asian giant.

As Tanzania prepares to vote in its upcoming elections, the rest of the continent must exhibit pan-African solidarity and support the fight against political oppression.

Temporary shadow cast over Africa’s ‘rise’

Migration and its effects are under the spotlight again

The whereabouts of a South African kidnapped in Mali is still unknown.

Fate of SA hostage captured in Mali remains unclear

Stephen McGowan’s whereabouts are unknown despite the release of the Dutch national who was kidnapped alongside him in Timbuktu in 2011.

Activists call for release of South Sudan report

Civil society activists are calling on the African Union to make public the findings of an inquiry into human rights abuses in South Sudan.

Tackling terror: France’s Prime Minister Manuel Valls

Africa ‘ready’ to fight its own battles

The continent is hoping a new crisis response force will help lessen its reliance on foreign help.

Secure learning: A Nigerian army vehicle guards LEA primary school in Angwan Gata in Kaduna state.

War on Nigerian schoolchildren escalates

Attacks on pupils are inflicting dreadful damage on Nigeria’s already precarious education systems.

Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.

Complex politics, unchecked army a recipe for disaster in Lesotho

Many have been left wondering why the Lesotho army interferes in politics time and again.

Black smoke billows across the sky when a petrol depot was set ablaze after a rocket assault. The attack

No Nato deed goes unpunished

Diplomats warned chaos and violence would follow a Libya intervention. They were right.

The gay

Pressure on SA to host talks to end gay persecution

Rights groups are putting pressure on SA to hold an Africa-wide seminar on discrimination and violence that has been postponed several times.

Blaise Compaore’s former chief-of-staff declared announced a night-time curfew across the west African state

Until death do us part from power

Obama may struggle to persuade African leaders to step down timeously at leadership summit.

Women ­demonstrate for the release of several political prisoners

The Hague ‘targets Africa’

Leaders push for ‘local’ solutions to prevent the judicial system from preying on the weak. "All the statistics show only Africa is targeted."

The idea behind Acirc came in reaction to French military intervention in Mali last year. African leaders were shocked at the lack of readiness of the regional West African force  when al-Qaeda-linked groups threatened to take over the capital.

Concerns over readiness of new African strike force

A new African rapid intervention force is expected to be launched by October – but concerns remain about funding.

Nigerian protesters carry signs as they attend a rally in Lagos last week

Nigeria: West  ’rescue’ may ignite entire region

Some welcome foreign intervention in Nigeria; others believe Africa must sort out its own issues.

A labourer works at the construction site of the Africa pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai. Chinese business in Africa has drawn a lot of criticism.

SA leads Africa in anti-Chinese sentiment

But Kenya is second to none in its enthusiasm for doing business with China.

Aid workers have increased warnings of a worsening crisis for civilians affected by the still ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

Efforts to develop South Sudan

Africa’s newest state struggles to find balance while securing its identity.

A Somali woman

Fighting sexual abuse by soldiers

Security forces may be trying to silence both rape survivors and the organisations that assist them.

Sudanese journalists protect censorship.

Sudan grapples with protests

It is not the Arab Spring, but it looks a lot like it.