Will the African Union silence all guns by 2020?

The African Union’s (AU) move to declare the year 2014 as a “Year of Agriculture and Food Security” reflects its desperate desire to go beyond the complex web of political crises that have long tied its hands.

Embroiled in a series of deadly conflicts, the AU is finding it difficult to maintain law and order on its soil. This perceived lassitude has prompted world powers such as France, Germany and the United States to want to step in—at last. These arrivals should indeed give the AU the much needed support to implement its ambitious project to silence all guns by 2020, but will it? Read full article on Africa Review

South Africa: Is there any alternative to the ANC?

This is no time to leave the ANC alone. NO. Not when its controversial legacy is giving rise to so many legitimate concerns. As the 2014 election is up in the offing for the nation to set the sail for a new chapter in the country’s democracy, the natural question  for many  South Africans has been whether the ANC leadership can still be trusted after so many failures. Read full article on News24

IS THERE ANY WAY OUT OF AFRICA’S WARS?

In his 1992 book entitled The End of History and the Last Men, Francis Fukuyama  made the bold claim that with the proliferation of liberal democracy, wars between nations would decline. Indeed, we are witnessing a sharp decline in inter-state wars in the world today. A result of the proliferation of democracy?–Who knows.

In any case, the decline in inter-state wars has been welcomed in the world as a sign of hope. Unfortunately, however, this hope is quickly compromised by the emergence of several new wars. Read more from News24

Egypt: Should the Islamists still believe in democracy?

The political crisis in Egypt has entered a new phase—a full- blown conflagration with heavy human and material losses. With now more than 700 deaths—still rolling, and thousands of people injured, some of whom are in critical condition, the reactions of the international community, long delayed, have been rushing in.

These reactions that range from condemnations to sanctions are mostly disabling, not enabling for Egypt. Read full article on News24