18/8/2020
One of the main trends throughout Africa in 2019 was that people across African countries were starting to insist their voice be heard by their governments. In Sudan, Algeria, Uganda, Togo, Ethiopia, it was clear that “the people’s voice is growing louder” (see Director’s introduction to the RAS Annual Report for 2019). This trend …
In January this year, the British Government hosted an Africa Investment Summit at which the Prime Minister, fresh from his election victory, promised to prioritise Britain’s relations with the continent. At the time, I set out some suggestions for how that ...
13/7/2020
The Government’s decision to merge the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, whatever the claimed advantages in terms of policy coherence, Whitehall reorganisation and cost saving, does serious damage to Britain...
24/6/2020
These are uncertain times, for Africa as much as for Britain. Will they prove each others’ friend in need? Or will circumstances pull the UK and African countries apart? It will all depend on what priority each gives to the other. For many years follo...
28/5/2020
Photo credit: GCIS Throughout the world, the coronavirus pandemic is testing political as well as medical systems. Some will survive, some may not. But everywhere, the strain it is putting on politics is accelerating a number of processes of change that...
11/5/2020
Africa has already been severely impacted by the economic side-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, whether the virus spreads more extensively there or not. This risks knocking years off Africa’s growth, exacerbating poverty and precipitating an African debt cr...
14/4/2020
Dear members and friends, Like everyone, the Royal African Society has been impacted by the coronavirus Covid-19. I thought it sensible to let you know how we will be operating and what we will be doing as long as the emergency lasts. Fortunatel...
23/3/2020
The coronavirus Covid-19 has delivered a massive shock to the world. We will all be adjusting to it not just for months but for years. It has major implications for Britain, for Africa and for the whole world, and it is not too soon to start thinking about the...
17/3/2020
2019 was a pretty mixed year both in Africa and the UK. In Africa, there were bright spots like Senegal and Ghana; some dark spots, like Cameroon and Zimbabwe where problems are festering; and a lot of dappled spots in between from Sudan and Ethiopia, w...
09/1/2020