A theoretical analysis of corruption in Sudan: Causes, diagnostics, consequences, and remedies
March 2019
This study is a descriptive and a theoretical analysis of corruption in Sudan. Given the causes and current level of corruption in the country, the current paper aims to determine some of the possible remedies of corruption. The study investigates the political, economic, social and legislative factors that contribute to the spread of corruption in the county. It analyzes—based on the literature—whether...
Pan-Africanism or Pragmatism? Lessons of Tanganyika-Zanzibar Union
January 2019
In his book on, “Pan-Africanism or Pragmatism? Lessons of Tanganyika-Zanzibar Union”, Shivji presents an account of issues, dramas, and politics surrounding the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. He also includes an account of the January 1984 Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)’s Conference held in Dodoma that toppled President of Zanzibar, then Aboud Jumbe Mwinyi. This book brings back the debate on...
The ‘Significance of Elections’ in Africa: 2015 elections and democratic consolidation in Nigeria
December 2018
While it can be argued that elections are not enough for the consolidation of democracy, elections are fast emerging as a significant component of democratization. Not least, because their regularity has enhanced freedom and liberalization, but also because they have been the cause and/or effect of democratic consolidation. As a key component of democracy, elections have become the barometer and template upon...
Corruption and fiscal federalism in Nigeria: Analysis of the federal budgetary process, 1999 – 2016
December 2018
Corruption is perhaps the biggest challenge to Nigeria’s development and the integrity of the country’s fiscal monetary system. Since independence in 1960, corruption has been a destabilizing factor in the country’s progress. It however gained pronounced ascendancy during the Second Republic, forcing a greater percentage of the country’s population into serious economic hardship leading to the...
Dictatorship, bad governance and their impact on public need and social development: A comparative public administration (CPA) study on the evidence of Togo
November 2018
This study aimed to investigate the major challenges facing Togolese State government in public administration, and to provide some policy recommendation that can be applied to overcome these threats. In order to look into Togolese government managerial capacity in the implementation of national development initiatives and deliver the necessary public services efficiently and effectively, comparative public...
Imaginary nature of political power in Africa: The sovereignty of orality
November 2018
The reflections we present in this article are a fundamental philosophical contribution to African politics and governance. We propose a political thought, based on the imaginary power of the African peoples, coupled with the principles of modern power from Western Europe; and analyzed sovereignty, both national and popular, based on speech or oral expression. We thus suggest an ethics of the...
Why Equatoria Region in South Sudan may opt to secede
October 2018
Since the founding of Southern Sudan, first as a region and later as a country, the Dinka tribe has continued to exercise absolute control and domination. Following secession of South Sudan, tribalism got elevated to a level that threatens the very unity of the new country. This study was therefore based on the hypothesis that Dinka lead governments in South Sudan cannot accept any system of governance which will not...
A critical review of Agenda 2063: Business as usual?
October 2018
This paper sets out to review and critically examine the Agenda 2063, a strategic long term planning instrument for the development of Africa in the next fifty years, prepared by the African Union Commission on the occasion of celebrating the OAU/AU golden jubilee in 2013. The objectives of this paper were to examine the viability of the agenda, to elucidate critical issues underpinning its successful implementation, to...
Changing aid and diplomatic relations: New development actors and Norway in Africa
September 2018
Increased engagements of New Development Actors in Africa since the turn of the millennium have attracted a lot of scholars’ and policy-makers’ attention. While the direct effects of new development actors’ relation with Africa have been examined by many researchers, not much researched work on the indirect effects via the response of third countries have been done. This article explores whether and...
Civil society under assault in Ethiopia
September 2018
Since the enactment of the Charities and Societies Proclamation 621/2009 in Ethiopia, civil societies were not performing their proper role for the advancement of the country’s democracy. The proclamation places excessive restrictions on the work of civil society organizations in the country. This, in turn, makes the public passive to engage in the politics of the country, rather the law gives ultimate power for...
Demystifying the concept of state or regulatory capture from a theoretical public economics perspective
September 2018
State capture is one form of corruption that has received very little research interest over the years. This could be attributed to the fact that many societies particularly in the developing world seem to have institutionalized it. State capture is a manifestation of government failure which involves the manipulation of bureaucratic rule and formal procedures by business and political elites through family ties,...
Political trust in Botswana’s executive presidency: The Khama era
August 2018
This article examines political trust in the institution of the presidency. It focuses on the Khama era and aims to find out the underlying motivations to trust the president. Using the Afrobarometer surveys, the paper finds that Batswana are more likely to distrust the president if they perceive high levels of corruption, poor government performance and are dissatisfied with democracy. Partisanship is important in...
Analysis of the pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial bureaucracy of Buganda: The major milestones in its development
August 2018
Bureaucracy in Buganda polity transcended the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial era. During each era, the principles which underpin the Weberian bureaucracy manifested variously. Pre-colonial bureaucracy manifested as a strong chain of command through the hierarchical kingdom structure; and centralized control by the King through the chiefs. During the colonial times, bureaucracy had duality in the chain of...
Old habits die hard: Resistensia Nacional Mozambicana (RENAMO) propensity for military confrontation against its professed embracement of peaceful conflict resolution, 1976 to 2017
July 2018
This article reviews Tavuyanago’s publication entitled Resistensia Nacional Mozambicana (RENAMO): from military confrontation to peaceful engagement, 1976 to 2009’. In this article, Tavuyanago gave much credit to Renamo for the creation of democratic space in Mozambique’s post-civil war political landscape. RENAMO had waged a brutal guerrilla war against Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)...
Why is Tanzanian opposition weak twenty five years since its re-introduction?
July 2018
This paper examines the performance of opposition parties and the prospects of multiparty politics in Tanzania. At independence in 1961 and during Colonial Rule, Tanganyika now Tanzania Mainland was enjoying a multiparty democracy but moved to one party state during 1970s. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has won all elections since re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1992. The debate now is on the performance of...
Identity conflicts as challenge to political stability in West Africa
June 2018
This paper concerns itself with establishing the nexus between identity conflict and its impacts on socio-economic and political relations in the West African context. The effort is motivated by the observable incidences of incessant violent conflicts and wars, all fought on the basis of ethnic and religious fault lines that threaten the stability and cohesion of the sub region in its evolution towards becoming...
Strategic dynamic thinking to manage public order: A systemic approach
June 2018
Security in post-conflict zones is a priority. However, strategists find it difficult to understand how to keep low Public Order Incidents. System Dynamics and a Strategic Point of View were used to develop a frame to learn about Public Order Incidents applied to the Colombian Case. A Working Dynamic Hypothesis and Simulation Model were developed to advance understanding of the problem. It was discovered that Public...
The role of group solidarity in conflict between farmers and Fulani pastoralists: A case study of Northern Nigeria
May 2018
In recent years, conflict between farmers and pastoralists has been one among the frontline threats to sustainable peace and development in Nigeria. More worrisome is the incessant upsurge of these violent conflicts with group solidarity. The existence of these conflicts is not in dispute, but continues climax of group solidarity, has added an impetus to the complexities and veracity of these conflict involving larger...
Decentralisation and good governance in Africa: A critical review
February 2018
This review essay outlines and discusses the conceptual and empirical dimensions of decentralisation in Africa. It examines the link between decentralisation, development and good governance. The essay contends that even if decentralisation has been embraced by several countries as an institutional reform capable of transforming intergovernmental relations, fiscal arrangements in local governments, increasing...
The Beijing consensus versus the Washington consensus: The dilemma of Chinese engagement in Africa
January 2018
This study discusses the reason behind the Chinese hastened engagement in Africa. The study particularly emphasizes debates surrounding such massive involvements from the African, European and Chinese point of view focusing on the main tenets of Washington and Beijing consensuses. The study shows that Beijing consensus has been perceived cynically by traditional western power contending that Chinese involvement in...
When party policies do not matter: Examination, the ambivalence of voting behaviors in the Zambian presidential elections
January 2018
Debates on whether people in Zambia cast their votes for a presidential candidate based on the good policies of the party or the qualifications of their candidate are peppered with tales of ethnicity, tribalism, corruption, and the education levels of the voters. These problems have undermined the credibility of the winning candidates as being put into office based not on their qualifications, but on the desire for...
Dynastic rule in Equatorial Guinea
December 2017
The emergence of hereditary republican dynasties is part of a regional trend, raising concerns about the decline in democracy, government accountability, nepotism, and grand corruption. Second generation dynasts now rule in Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, and Togo. Often treated as exceptional aberrations, or theorized under other conceptual tools, this article examines Equatorial Guinea as a case study...
The U.S informal empire: US African Command (AFRICOM) expanding the US economic-frontier by discursively securitizing Africa using exceptional speech acts
November 2017
The mission statement of US African Command (AFRICOM), articulated by President George Bush in 2007, declared African underdevelopment and human insecurities as a threat to US national security. Since 10 years have elapsed from the time of AFRICOM’s inauguration, this paper seeks to highlight that the organization has fallen short in realizing its mission statement. This unnerving reality has given credence to...
Barotseland and the advocacy for statehood: A case entailing the complexities of statehood and state recognition in public international law
November 2017
This paper discussed the Barotseland claim for statehood from the republic of Zambia with respect to the Barotseland Agreement (1964) signed between the Northern Rhodesian government and the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) in April 1964. In discussing the Barotseland question, using a qualitative approach, this paper considered the sentiments that fuel the reasons for seeking separate statehood by Barotseland...
The internal and external roles of Iraqi popular mobilization forces
October 2017
This paper empirically examines the internal and external roles of the popular mobilization forces (PMF) or al-Hashd al-Shaabi. First, the paper examines the PMF’s role in the fight against the Islamic State/Daesh and governance in Iraq. Second, it highlights the PMF’s external links with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The question of whether the PMF is a tool of...
The status of political parties’ in using social media for campaigns during the 2015 general election of Ethiopia
October 2017
Electoral campaigns are essential aspects of election. However, opposition political parties in Ethiopia have been challenged due to limited media alternative. In the 2015 general election, some political parties were using social media to conduct campaigns. Hence, this case study aimed to describe the status of these parties in the use of social media. The research utilized a qualitative approach as dominant method....
Ethnic federal system and conflict in the post-1995 Ethiopia: The case of southern regional state
September 2017
The study investigated the practice of ethnic federal system along with ethnic rights to self-determination and associated conflicts in the context of Southern Regional state of Ethiopia. This study is a qualitative research that employed both primary and secondary sources. The federal system is based on the constitutional conviction that ethnic groups in Ethiopia have the right to self-determination up to...
The protection of minority rights under regional constitutions in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: The case of Tigray
September 2017
The issues of minority rights have been given a significant concentration in the political discourses of today. In traditional literatures and policy packages, the issues have been given a special emphasis pertaining to the protection of minority rights. Since the end of the World War II, many international instruments are adopted, declarations are domesticated; Ethiopia is a case in point. After the downfall of...
China's non-intervention policy in Africa: Principle versus pragmatism
September 2017
China’s adherence to its policy of non-intervention in its engagement in Africa has sparked a lot of debate. A closer examination will however reveal some inconsistencies with Beijing’s official pronouncements versus its actions on the ground. This study seeks to explore this contradiction in China's nonintervention policy in Africa. Through a focused case study on China’s actions in Sudan and...
Economic relations of Ethiopia and India: Trade and agricultural investments after 1991
August 2017
The main objective of this article is to critically examine the Post-1991 bilateral trade relations between the two countries and Indian agricultural investments in Ethiopia. To achieve the objective of this article, the study used qualitative research methodology. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Available literature was also reviewed. For the collection of primary data, in-depth interviews...
Liberia'S TRC: The road to rule of law or a dead end?
August 2017
After two civil wars Liberia’s warring sides signed a peace agreement in 2003 providing for, among other things, the creation of a truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) to help it on the path to reconciliation. After public hearings in all fifteen counties in Liberia and extensive input from Liberians out of the country, Liberia’s TRC concluded its proceedings in 2009 with recommendations for improvement...
The value of indigenous social knowledge* in managing intra and inter-group conflicts: Experience from South East Tigray, Ethiopia
August 2017
This article portrays the importance of home-grown cultural values and institutions in addressing intra and inter-group conflicts in South East Tigray, Ethiopia with particular reference to Wejerat community. The paper draws that indigenous social institutions in the community provide an opportunity to maintain peace, justice, order and security within and outside the community with minimum cost by the application of...
The political economy of recession in Nigeria’s fourth republic
July 2017
In recent times, an exceptionally large and virulent recession engulfed the Nigerian State that had for the previous two and half decades experienced sustained growth at unprecedented levels. The causes as well as sense of threat and uncertainty induced by the crisis have been differently interpreted, particularly from the macro-economic, leadership and strategic standpoints. This paper offers a political economy...
Berbera basing politics: Understanding actors, interests, and animosities
July 2017
The presence of forward forces in foreign soil is not a modern notion, but is thought-provoking when a small state projects its military might in multiple locations of a similar strategic importance. The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) base lease in Berbera is a case in point which attracted a reproach from the public, and politicians. The joint parliament sitting to approve the draft agreement further complicated the...
Opposition political parties’ coalition in Zimbabwe: Challenges and possibilities
July 2017
This paper discusses the prevalent view among ordinary Zimbabweans that only a grand coalition among select opposition political parties could potentially unseat the ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) from power in the upcoming 2018 general elections. The paper argues that the prospects for such a grand coalition are only possible if select parties coalesce around the major...
Ethiopia’s growth and transformation plan and its implications for synergic sum effect contextualized into regional cooperation in the horn of Africa
June 2017
The East African region, in which Ethiopia is located, is commonly known as the Horn of Africa. It is branded for its economic underdevelopment and political instability. The region is economically poor, politically unstable and very volatile security wise. In lieu of this, it is prudent to describe the region as one that represents one of the most complex sub-regions in Africa. To resolve these and associated problems,...
Route for sustainable development in Ethiopia: Opportunities and braves of good governance
June 2017
The landmark of good governance in order to bring sustainable development in Ethiopia was the ratification of 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution. Within this constitution, the individual and group rights of people were protected, indicators of good governance was identified and mentioned and recognitions for different institutions were given. Even though the constitution was drafted with...
Minority rights protection under the second house: The Ethiopian federal experience
June 2017
Right after the overthrow of dictatorial military regime since 1991, Ethiopia underwent a remarkable change of political system. It has restructured the society based on federal state arrangement which creates nine self-administered regional government taking linguistic, settlement pattern, and consent of the governed into consideration. Addis Ababa and although not mentioned in the constitution, Dire Dawa become...
The impact of federal-states intergovernmental relations on regional states autonomy in Ethiopian Federal System
May 2017
From its nature, federal system not only stands for the distribution of powers between federal and state governments, but also requests relations between the two in order to ensure coordination and effective achievements of powers and responsibility divided. Ethiopian Federal-States intergovernmental relations are dominated by the federal government and its executive institution because of ruling political party,...
Eritrea’s national security predicaments: Post-colonial African syndrome
May 2017
The post-2001 Eritrea is repeatedly viewed as North Korea of Africa: small state with isolationist foreign policy that could not burden totalitarianism, that the critical young generation is leaving the state and the remaining population is in a military uniform waiting for an imaginary enemy, that all the critical state institutions are decayed, that the port-based (Massawa and Assab) national economy lost its economic...
An examination of the Sierra Leone war
May 2017
This study is a historical analysis of Sierra Leone’s state structure in the 20th and 21st centuries. This period was marked by defective leadership and insatiable greed that created political failure at both the national and regional level. The absence of a long-term democratic leader, coupled with the lack of institutions aimed at guiding effective resource distribution enabled the gradual collapse of the state...
Brazil’s African policy and the experience of the first Lula government (2003 to 2006)
May 2017
This article aims to analyze Brazil-Africa relations in the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government (2003 to 2006). The hypothesis supported is that Brazil-Africa relations 2 can be characterized as a varying intensity process, declining sharply in the 1980 to 1990 period and gaining momentum from 2003 to 2006. Structurally, the text is organized as follows: In the first section, a brief characterization of...
Ethiopia’s armed entry into Somalia in 2006: Projection of its foreign policy or aspiration for hegemony?
April 2017
Ethiopia’s armed entry into Somalia in 2006 has been subjected to heated academic and policy debate. Some take it as part of the effort of Ethiopia’s aspiration to hegemony in the Horn of Africa region, while others link it to the old-fashioned thinking of Christian Ethiopia’s animosity to Islamic Somalia. The Ethiopian government defended it in terms of protecting its national interest. Ethiopia also...
Assessing the causes and effects of social exclusion: The case of ‘pot makers’ in Yem Special Woreda in Sothern Nation, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State in Ethiopia
April 2017
This study was conducted to assess the causes and effects of social exclusion of ‘Pot Makers’ in Yem Special Woreda in Southern Nation Nationalities and Peoples Regional State in Ethiopia. Cross sectional survey research design was used to conduct the research because it would help the researcher to investigate the causes and effects of social exclusion in the case of ‘pot makers’ in Yem Special...
The Struggle for Hegemony in Africa: Nigeria and South Africa Relations in Perspectives, 1999-2014
March 2017
This article examines Nigeria-South Africa relations with emphasis on political, trade and economic engagements. It investigates the consistencies and changing patterns in Nigeria and South Africa relations that are partly linked to the failure of Nigeria to diversify its economy and South Africa’s unwillingness to provide enabling environment for Nigerians in its economic domain. It argues that Nigeria and South...
Dennis Kucinich and expansion of the chief executive’s war power: A unique legacy of checking the commander in chief
March 2017
Since the Second World War, many analysts agree that the influence and power of the United States’ commander in chief has grown substantially. This trend of presidential empowerment continues in the Post-Cold War presidency and into the aftermath of the terrorist strikes on September 11, 2001, as commanders in chief have continued to assert wide and nearly unilateral war authority. Few members of congress have...
The determinants of institutional trust in Botswana’s liberal democracy
March 2017
Botswana is considered as a hub of good governance, and one of the least corrupt countries in Africa. Yet empirical evidence based on the Afrobarometer perception surveys from 2008 to 2014 suggests a decline in institutional trust. This study uses the 2014 Afrobarometer survey to explain trust in four political institutions namely the presidency, the ruling party, parliament and local council authorities. Theories of...
The rise of China and conflicts in Africa: The case of Sudan
February 2017
As China’s economy rise in the world order, there is a higher demand for more resources in Africa. China has relative scarcity of crucial resources notably oil, gas, and minerals. The growing China-Africa relation is seen by some international relation scholars as part of the “foundation” on which their broader strategic ambitions are built. It is from this perspective that the growing relation seems...
Dialectics and social transformation in modern political thought: A comparative study of Hegel and Marx
February 2017
Whereas Hegel and Marx subscribed to the central role of the dialectics in the historical development of society, they held different standpoints on certain fundamental issues. This study identifies and examines the critical issues and how they contribute to the development of the duo’s respective ideas on social transformation. In doing this, the study relies on documentary instrument of data generation and the...
Election observation and its political impact in Southern Africa
February 2017
This paper is on election observation and its political impact in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It seeks to make a connection between election observation, the importance of political reforms and the declining levels of electoral violence. It argues that extensive election observation and the elaborate reportage that it produces has the potential in the short term, to lead to extensive...
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