Zero Tariffs, One Strategy: China Lets the US Lose Africa
China’s May 1 zero-tariff regime for 53 African countries arrives precisely as Trump’s tariff whiplash drives the continent’s trade calculus eastward.
M23 Pulls Back From Ruzizi: A Tactical Retreat, Not a Peace
M23 fighters withdrew from South Kivu’s Ruzizi Plain on May 9 — a Washington-brokered choreography, not a defeat. The eastern DRC’s strategic geography remains intact.
Sudan’s Drone War: How a Cheap, Imported Weapon Became the Country’s Biggest Civilian Killer
Armed drones now account for over 80 per cent of civilian deaths in Sudan’s war. The supply chains run through the Gulf, Iran and Turkey — and Africa has no answer yet.
A Shilling at 180: Mbadi’s Warning and the Finance Bill That Could Decide Ruto’s Year
Treasury CS John Mbadi warned the shilling could weaken to KSh 180 against the dollar — and the Finance Bill 2026 arrives in Parliament at the worst possible moment.
Ruto’s Mombasa Bargain: How a Matatu Strike Forced State House to Blink
President William Ruto did what he insisted he would never do — negotiate under duress. A KSh 10 diesel cut bought peace, but the political arithmetic remains brutal.
China Just Zeroed Its Tariffs on All of Africa. Trump Just Raised His. Africa Will Notice.
Beijing’s May 1 decision to extend zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties is not a trade gesture. It is a strategic positioning move — and one Washington has handed to it free of charge.
When an RSF General Walks, Hemedti Has a Problem — And the Continent Should Pay Attention
Brigadier Ali Rizqallah’s defection on May 11 is the third senior desertion from the Rapid Support Forces since 2024. Stack them up, and the picture is no longer of an RSF on the verge of victory.
Somaliland’s First Recognised Independence Day Is a Problem the AU Cannot Keep Pretending Is Not Happening
When Hargeisa marched its troops down the avenues on May 18, it was no longer celebrating an aspiration. It was celebrating a fact one foreign capital, Jerusalem, has agreed to call by its name.
The Fuel Strike Did Not Just Expose ODM’s Experts. It Exposed the Broad-Based Bargain.
Kenya’s two-day national transport strike in mid-May did more than strand commuters. It put a price tag on the broad-based government’s most expensive political compromise.
Pulling Orengo’s Guards Was a Message — And Every Kenyan Should Read It
The state’s abrupt withdrawal of Siaya Governor James Orengo’s security detail on the evening of May 19 was not bureaucratic housekeeping. It was a signal — and an ugly one.