International Affairs

image of Guinea-Bissau's ousted president and military leader on a backdrop of the country's map

A Troubling Message from Guinea-Bissau

International Affairs, politics /

“He started well, under the rallying cry of ‘Embaloism,’ which was supposed to rid the country of corruption, poor governance and instil discipline. He also attempted to rebuild confidence with regional allies and powerhouses, including Nigeria, and subsequently reached out to Portugal and the IMF to repair the country’s badly damaged economy…However, it didn’t take long before Embaloism gave way to ‘Embalomylitis,’ a condition that has left citizens poorer and poorer, eventually ranking 177th out of 191 on the UN Human Development Index”

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An image of Putin and Trump on a backdrop of the Russian and American flags, with Trump clapping

Putin As the President’s Medicine

International Affairs, politics /

When Putin came, it was different. Not only did Trump wait for him on the tarmac, applauding as the Russian president walked the red carpet to meet him, they both travelled in the Beast, a rare privilege that bypassed a carefully planned last-minute attempt to prevent a one-on-one summit.
For Putin, the special one, Trump wangled a one-on-one….What is it about Putin that fascinates Trump so much?

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Two images of Trump, with one side directed at the BRICS coalition, and the other directed at the 5 West African countries visiting the white house

Again, Trump’s Way or the Highway

Africa, International Affairs, politics /

A global trading system dominated by the dollar is no longer fit for purpose. Trump doesn’t think so. He believes the US can continue to eat its cake, preferring bullying and unilateralism to dialogue and multilateralism. The BRICS (now BRIC+) has a combined GDP that is two and a half times larger than the EU’s. It would be foolish of BRICS to underestimate its advantage or indulge Trump’s tantrums

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AI-generated image of stylised, landscape-mode political cartoon, depicting President Trump aggressively shouting “WHITE GENOCIDE”—emphasized by bold exclamation marks—contrasted with President Ramaphosa’s more subdued, explanatory posture

Inside the Oval Office, Trump’s new Lair

International Affairs, politics /

Trump wanted only one thing. He wasn’t interested in resetting trade talks or bilateral issues. He wasn’t interested in repairing ties between South Africa and the US or hearing firsthand the other view about the so-called genocide against white farmers. He wasn’t interested in conciliation. He was interested in only one thing: having Ramaphosa for lunch

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Image of Rasool and Trump on a backdrop of AU leaders

Rasool’s Expulsion Was Africa’s Missed Opportunity to Tackle the US Bully

Africa, International Affairs, politics /

During my visit to Israel last December, the talk at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs was that South Africa took a bribe of $2 billion from Iran to mount a case against the Benjamin Netanyahu government at the International Criminal Court (ICC), an allegation that diplomatic sources in Pretoria have denied

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