South Sudan Comics
Alex de Waal teamed up with Kenyan artist Victor Ndula to create two series depicting what de Waal calls the
Read morepolitical marketplace
Political Markets and Conflict Research
The concept of a ‘political marketplace’, developed by Alex de Waal, is gaining currency among diplomats, peacemakers, aid workers and
Read moreTowards an American Political Marketplace?
As my framework of the “political marketplace” becomes more widely referenced among people who study Africa and the Middle East,
Read more‘The Big Man’ a review of Guichaoua’s ‘From War to Politics’ by Alex de Waal
In the of the 3 November 2016 edition of the London Review of Books, Alex de Waal reviews From War
Read moreLegend of Tarzan: Profiling a tough Somalian mayor
The Times Literary Supplement of October 14, 2016 includes both a review of Alex de Waal’s The Real Politics of
Read moreBankrupting Kleptocracies is a Dangerously Bad Idea
Kleptocracies are bad. A kleptocracy going bankrupt is dangerous. The Enough Project should know better than to advocate it. One
Read moreOutlining a research agenda on private militarism and political markets in Africa
This note briefly outlines a research agenda on mercenaries and private military companies (PMC’s)[1] in Africa’s political marketplaces. It is
Read morePolitics of Fear in South Sudan
Recommended reading from Open Democracy, Daniel Akech Thiong’s essay, “The politics of fear in South Sudan,” published July 22, 2016. The South
Read moreSouth Sudan’s corrupt elite have driven a debt-free and oil-rich country to ruin
The South Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations, Akuei Bona Malwal, described the violence as part of his country’s ‘learning curve.’ It’s his job to put a brave face on disaster. But the learning curve surely needs to be that South Sudanese citizens can no longer afford a political elite whose greed, ambition and bellicosity have driven their country to ruin. The long-suffering people of South Sudan need to have their own voices heard directly in the next peace process, so that they can find ways to bend that curve towards peace.
Read moreInterview with Alex de Waal in Addis Fortune
Ethiopia is at a very critical moment. There is the potential for it to go in a highly marketized and monetized political direction. There is also the potential, if the EPRDF leadership responds to the current situation with what I see as the appropriate measures to consolidate, to turn the developmental successes into a politically solid democratization project.
What is interesting about Sudan, particularly with the squeeze from the oil revenue, is that the Sudanese business class is beginning to assert itself, and that has the potential for stabilizing politics in northern Sudan. There are some very immediate dangers of democracy, to do with Sudan’s engagement with the wider politics of the Middle East and the growth of the defense and security establishments.
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