Africa
November 2018 – As Belgium’s revamped Africa museum prepares to re-open its doors, Christian Nielsen checks out its glistening new restaurant.
Prisoners of our guilty consciences
July 2018 – The intensifying crackdown on the media and civil society in Egypt leaves Egyptians who are out of the country feeling powerless to help and guilty about the freedoms they enjoy.
February 2018 – While the Egyptian regime battles for its survival, Egypt itself may not survive as a viable state, as it faces a ‘plague’ of potentially crippling environmental, economic and social challenges.
The truth about Islamic reformations
January 2018 – Islam needs a reformation for Muslim societies to develop and prosper, is one of those rare convictions shared by both Islamophiles and Islamophobes. Tunisia has done just that: radically reformed its brand of Islam and established a vibrant democracy to boot, yet prosperity eludes it. Why?
Muslim women in short skirts and the Tunisia paradox
September 2017 – Bombing Afghanistan will not bring back women in short skirts, rather it will only empower men in short skirts (beards and long trousers). The path to gender equality lies in internal reform, as Tunisia demonstrates.
Uganda’s refugee crisis, part 2: The world’s largest refugee camp
July 2017 – Uganda’s open door policy has created Bidibidi, the world’s largest refugee camp, of which few outsiders have heard. The strain of housing so many refugee has placed an unbearable strain on this poor country, yet no help is forthcoming.
Uganda’s refugee crisis, part 1: “Back home, all we could hear were guns and screaming”
June 2017 – Northern Uganda houses more refugees than entered the European Union during the peak of the “refugee crisis”. And Uganda has only 8% of the EU’s population and a fraction of its resources.
March 2016 – The world is paying the price for Boutros Boutros-Ghali’s foiled attempts to reform the United Nations into an effective force to resolve conflicts.
November 2015 – Despite the racism contained in Tintin and other classic children’s tales, I believe that children should be exposed to them.
Circassian beauties and the ugly face of race
July 2015 – The curious cases of Rachel Dolezal and the Circassian ladies show just how meaningless race is, while Dylann Roof underlines the dangers of racism.
May 2015 – Failing to acknowledge the legacy of slavery on all our modern societies makes the present an unnecessary slave to history.
Dispelling the curse of the Nile
April 2015 – Conflict between Nile basin countries has been averted. But unless effective action is taken, a water war remains a distinct future possibility.
Send Qatar off and bring on Tunisia for 2022 World Cup
June 2014 – If Qatar gets a red card for the 2022 World Cup, Arabs should enter a joint bid to host it in Tunisia, regional role model for revolution and reform.
Can the boycott against Israel succeed… and how?
February 2014 – The furore surrounding Scarlett Johansson’s SodaStream endorsement raises the question to what extent BDS can help end the occupation… and how.
The Arabs, apartheid South Africa and Israel
December 2013 – Reactions to apartheid South Africa differed across the Arab world and were coloured both by anti-colonial solidarity and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The trials and tribulations of a Palestinian Mandela
December 2013 – Although I wish there were a Palestinian Nelson, I suspect that Israel–Palestine is not ready for someone like him… not yet, at least.
December 2012 – Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) brings joy to millions in the Low Countries. But his dark-faced helpers, Zwarte Pieten, are racist and a colonial throwback.
Aanslag op Amerikaans consulaat in Benghazi valt niet uit de lucht
September 2012 – De aanslag op het consulaat in Benghazi was geen verrassing. De voortekens waren al lang zichtbaar.
Robert Mugabe and ethical tourism
June 2012 – Was Robert Mugabe’s appointment as UN ‘tourism ambassador’ an unforgivable travesty or can ‘guilt-edged tourism’ trigger reform in dictatorships?
March 2012 – Africans in the Holy Land are challenging the whitewashing of their identities and are taking greater pride in their heritage.
October 2011 – Muammar Gaddafi once lived above the law, but his killers must not be permitted the same impunity to get away with murder. Justice must be done, even for fallen despots.
October 2011 – Gaddafi and his corrupt ‘jamahiriya’ may be gone, but Libyans should not give up on the dream of a direct democracy for the masses.
Are we now ‘friends’ of al-Qaeda in Libya?
September 2011 – Belgium was one of the ‘Friends of Libya’ in Paris. But does the prime minister realise that these Libyan ‘friends’ include a former al-Qaeda fighter?
How African is the Arab revolution?
April 2011 – Though the ‘Arab’ revolution started in North Africa, most debate has focused on the Arab world, but what about the rest of Africa?
Mobile revolution in the Middle East
March 2011 – “You won’t fool the children of the revolution.” Especially not if they’re Twittering away on their mobile phones.
The death throes of Arab dictatorships
February 2011 – Will the unfolding popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt lead to the region’s dictators falling one after the other like dominos?
February 2011 – Tunisia’s revolution will spread the scent of its jasmine to oppressed nations all over the region.
December 2010 – Egypt is certainly the gift of the Nile, but the great river could become east Africa’s curse. What are the chances of a future ‘water war’?
Deserts, desolation and development
October 2010 – Amid the sweltering heat and omnipresent dust, Andrew Eatwell discovers Sudan’s hospitable and friendly face – and its rapidly developing capital.
More to Sudan than meets the West’s eye
September 2010 – Despite its reputation for war and violence, there is more to Sudan than meets the West’s eye.
July 2010 – A return to an ancestral homeland is a dream that’s long inspired diasporas – often with troubling results.
April 2010 – As we approach the 50th anniversary of independence, how successful has Congo’s post-colonial experience been?
February 2010 – Big corporations are using the banking crisis as an excuse for exploiting cheap labour. Is it time for a global minimum wage?
The wealth of nations revisited
January 2010 – Natural wealth is so undervalued that countries believe they are getting richer when they are poorer. Can economists see green beyond the greenback?
November 2009 – Reckless journalism is held responsible for the violence and tensions following the Algeria-Egypt World Cup playoffs.
Algeria and Egypt play political football
November 2009 – Preparations for a World Cup showdown are getting heated, but does the animosity between Algeria and Egypt run deeper?
August 2009 – The case of Caster Semenya is not about racism, rather it has highlighted the need to end gender apartheid in sport.
September 2008 – The ICC indictment of Sudan’s leadership merits a balanced appraisal.
