Afrika Nå

Den Rwanda-støttede væpnede gruppen M23 har tatt kontroll over store områder i den mineralrike østlige delen av Den demokratiske republikken Kongo. Offensiven har kostet titusenvis av liv og fordrevet et stort antall mennesker. Hva er det som skjer i DR Kongo nå og hvem er de ulike aktørene involvert? Hvilken rolle spiller tilgangen på naturressurser som landområder og viktige mineraler? Selv om v...

A wave of youth and student-led protests have swept across the African continent the last year; from Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique to Senegal, Togo and Comoros. At the same time, the state of civic space is deteriorating globally and the same is true for many African countries. Student activists and other human rights defenders who try to hold their governments accountable and demand that human rig...

30 years ago - in 1994, the first mixed-race election in South Africa's history was held. The African National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela, won in a landslide. Since then, the ANC has continued to win the elections, and has remained the ruling party in South Africa. In May this year, the dissatisfaction over lack of progress led to the ANC for the first time ever receiving less than 50%...

Join us for a discussion on Africa’s critical role in the fight against climate change! Although Africa is not a driver of the climate crisis, it bears a huge burden of the consequences. Simultaneously, Africa's wealth of natural resources, expansive forests, and abundant renewable energy potential, position Africa as a vital player in the fight against climate change. New strategies to achieve “n...

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is the last absolute monarchy in Africa. King Mswati has ruled the country since 1986 and has been greatly criticized for closing the democratic space through banning political parties, crushing opposition and excessive state violence. As political parties are banned, people can only contest for parliament seats as individuals. The parliament only exists to p...

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently in the process of developing a new Norwegian strategy for Africa. Africa, with its 55 states, is developing fast and the changing geopolitical situation in the world is also an important backdrop. Many countries in the world are now intensifying their diplomatic ties with African countries. For the last decade the African continent has seen ec...

The Niger Delta in Nigeria has endured extensive environmental degradation due to decades of oil exploration activities. One of the major companies to have operated in the region is Shell. Communities in the Niger Delta have faced pollution, loss of livelihoods and health crises and Shell's operation in the country have been mired in some of the most serious human rights violations and ecological...

Human rights violations against East African migrant workers in the Gulf States have prompted growing concern. Human Rights Watch recently reported a tragic incident where hundreds of Ethiopians lost their lives while attempting to cross the border into Saudi Arabia. The pervasive Kafala system, binding workers to their employers, further exacerbates the challenges faced by migrant workers in the...

Michelle Bachelet, former UN high commissioner for human rights, said: "young people are always at the forefront of crisis - and fighting for a better future." This is also true in African countries, where young activists have led big movements such as #EndSARS and Fridays for Future. Come join us in celebrating five young human rights defenders working on climate, debt issues and student activism...

In August Zimbabwe headed to the polls again and on the 26th of August the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that Emmerson Mnangagwa had been re-elected after gaining a majority of votes. The opposition 'Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)' refused this victory, stating instead that they, with leader Nelson Chamisa, had won. The opposition also accused ZANU-PF of rigging and voter suppressio...

According to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2023 Eritrea's government is continuing to severely repress its population and imposing restrictions on freedom of expression, opinion and faith. At the end of 2021 there were almost 600 000 Eritreans refugees and asylum seekers abroad. We have seen clashes between Eritreans in several European cities, including in Bergen and Oslo. Why are Eritreans...

Despite much change in the past decades, society often looks to the media for information and education. Meanwhile, the 2023 index published by Reporters without Borders reports that responders reported that political actors in their countries were often or systematically involved in massive disinformation or propaganda campaigns. The difference between true and false, real and artificial, facts a...

On the 26th of July a coup d'état took place in the Republic of Niger when the country's presidential guard detained president Mohamed Bazoum. The coup has been condemned by both the United States and former colonizer France, and the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, has threatened to intervene militarily. What caused the coup in Niger? What does it mean for democratization in the country and fo...

A new report to be launched on 27 April reveals a trend that has received little attention in Norway: the large number of old Norwegian fishing vessels in West African waters. After having been used for decades in Norwegian waters, fishing companies along the west coast of Norway export their old ships to Africa, where they are used to catch fish stocks that are highly fragile, often in countries...

I oktober fant Høyesterett at Europas største landbaserte vindkraftverk var satt opp ulovlig på vinterbeitene til den sørsamiske reindrifta på Fosen, i strid med Norges internasjonale forpliktelser ovenfor urfolk. Norske Statkraft og Trønder Energi eier 60% av prosjektet. I okkuperte Vest-Sahara bygger marokkanske myndigheter vindmøller i strid med folkeretten. Oljefondets investeringer i selskape...

The last week the world has witnessed a tight presidential race between Deputy President William Ruto and Kenyatta endorsed Raila Odinga. Kenya's electoral chairman declared Ruto the winner on 15th of August with 50.49% of the vote against Odinga's 48.85%. Odinga's supporters are urging him to challenge the result and the country is waiting to see what he will do. Four out of seven election commis...

Farmaajo's term as President in Somalia ended in February 2021 and there have been several attempts to hold the delayed presidential election. Currently the election is scheduled to take place in May. The continuous delay of the election, combined with the dispute between the allied opposition group and the federal government have left the country in a democratic pickle. The increasing presence of...

Ukraine was home to over 76 000 foreign students when Russia invaded Ukraine. Approximately a quarter of the foreign students in the country were from Africa, with the largest numbers coming from Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt. More than 10 000 African students have managed to flee the conflict since the beginning of the war, but only after facing racism and discrimination when trying to cross the bor...

In 2020 Norway gave 39.5 billion Norwegian Kroner to aid in the development assistance budget. How the development assistance funds are distributed and further used, have been on the public discourse in 2021. The debate centered around whether aid works, how it is organised, and what needs to be prioritised. The Director for Norad’s department for Knowledge, Håvard Mokleiv Nygård wrote in an artic...

The Gulf states are expanding their role in the Horn of Africa and broadening its ties to the region. The Emirates and Saudi Arabia helped broker the peace deal that ended the 20 year war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the establishment of a new Red Sea security alliance is on the steps, the UAE has a military base in Eritrea and building another one in Somaliland, while Qatar and Turkey are refurb...

In 2017, the majority of international migrants resided in a country in their region of birth. The same is true for Africa. But how does African migration on the continent look like? What opportunities do migrants have in their home countries and what are the perceived opportunities in the host countries? How do migrants take on new identities in their host communities and navigate a new life in a...

Although Africa's contribution to greenhouse emissions globally is small, countries on the continent are among the most vulnerable to climate change, according to the UN panel on climate. They predict that millions of people will be affected by drought, floods, landslides and lack of water and food. What will this mean for the peace, stability, migration patterns and development on the continent?...

The results from the general election held on the 8th of May in South Africa is clear. The ruling African National Congress is once again reelected, but they are weakened and the opposition is strengthened. The people are demanding a change. Corruption scandals and an unstable economy are key issues to address. How will ANC with president Cyril Ramaphosa utilize opportunities for the people in one...

On April 2nd 2019 The Gambia ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, reaching the threshold of 22 countries needed to put the agreement into force. This agreement is a step towards the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will be the largest free-trade area in the world. Is this heading towards Kwame Nkrumah's dream of a United States of Africa or is it a neoliberal p...

Africa's last absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III since 1986 celebrates 51 years of independence this year. 38% of the population in Swaziland is living in extreme poverty (World Bank). The country has also continued to repress political dissent and disregard human rights and rule of law. What is going on in Swaziland? According to Human Rights Watch, political parties in the country have b...