A resurrected peace plan is the best hope for ending South Sudan’s brutal war
Negotiations to bring peace to South Sudan have restarted in earnest, with the parties circulating a power-sharing plan that has failed once before. It is unclear if negotiators have a new strategy to successfully resurrect that agreement or if they are simply out of ideas. Read more.
Will Germany’s Social Democrats take one more chance on a grand coalition?
After a bruising round of negotiations that went days over deadline, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats struck a deal last week with the center-left Social Democrats to extend the coalition that has governed Germany for the past four years. Read more.
Why the problems for Germany’s centrists are only beginning
Two months after Germany’s federal elections, the country is on the brink of an unexpected political crisis. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats ran first in the vote, but they finished without an outright majority. Since election night, they have been casting about for coalition partners — a process that has proven surprisingly more difficult […]
With U.S. sanctions on Sudan finally lifted, how will Khartoum act?
After several false starts over the past decade, the United States finally lifted sanctions it first levied against Sudan nearly two decades ago. Read more.
Germany’s Anti-Climactic Election Masks Problems for Merkel Down the Line
The unusual harmony between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her main opponents may mask future problems for the country. Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have not been pushed to articulate detailed positions on issues like the future of Germany’s economy, including growing inequality, or the German role on the international stage. The anti-climactic […]
How Merkel’s migration gamble transformed Germany’s Africa policy
While stemming the flow of Africans fleeing to Europe has always been an aspect of Germany’s approach to the continent, the 2015 influx elevated it to an almost singular goal. Aid and development assistance are now increasingly linked to efforts to reduce migration. And Germany has demonstrated a willingness to strike or be party to […]
Will Uganda’s open-door refugee policy survive South Sudan’s endless war?
Uganda has been celebrated for its progressive approach toward refugees. But its open-door policy is being tested by the ongoing flood of arrivals from neighboring South Sudan. Read more.
The ICC is flawed. Is it still Africa’s best hope for justice?
More than 11 years after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Dominic Ongwen’s arrest, and nearly two years after he was captured and transferred to The Hague, his prosecution finally began in December. Ongwen’s will not be the only trial unfolding over the coming months. The years since the unsealing of the warrant […]
Is Sudan coming in from the cold?
One of the more unexpected decisions to emerge in the waning days of Barack Obama’s presidency was his move last week to ease U.S. sanctions against Sudan that have been in place for nearly two decades. The move to open up Sudan’s economy might encourage the reforms that 20 years of sanctions have not. Read […]
Does any party in South Sudan have the will to prevent genocide?
The third anniversary last week of the start of South Sudan’s ongoing civil war served only to reinforce how intractable that conflict has become. A peace deal is in tatters, along with the country’s economy. With the return of the dry season, the combatants appear to be preparing for another round of fighting. And the […]