Ethiopia

Music of the Nile

The Nile Project was a multinational music collective inspired by a river. It sang songs in a variety of styles and languages about life along and with the Nile. Like many projects in the region, it failed because of politics. By Katharina Wilhelm Otieno

Saudi border guards killed hundreds of migrants, says HRW report

“They Fired on Us Like Rain”: between March 2022 and June 2023, Saudi border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants attempting to cross the border from Yemen

No hope for peace as fighting intensifies

With peace talks running into a dead end, the UN is warning of destabilisation in Sudan. According to experts, the warring parties have no interest in reaching a truce but seek to consolidate their respective power. By Martina Schwikowski

"Exploiting women is becoming the norm"

Due to the current crisis, the situation of female labour migrants in Lebanon is deteriorating dramatically, says feminist Ghina al Andary. In interview with Andrea Backhaus in Beirut, she talks about how the kafala system is driving more and more women into prostitution

The cross-border fight for water

The development of a trade hub in the Horn of Africa

Dubai-based DP World is expanding its operations in Somaliland as part of a plan to turn the breakaway region into a major trade hub. Though Somaliland has relinquished commercial power, it may gain political weight. By Jonas Gerding

No more lethargy – Algiers’ passive foreign policy is over

For the first time since 1989, Algeria‘s authoritarian regime has sent a military parade marching through Algiers. A formidable show of strength designed to impress rival regional powers, the event also sought to highlight the country’s own stance on Israel and Palestine. By Sofian Philip Naceur

Ancient 'zar' ritual puts exorcism on stage

A stage, lights, a mesmerised audience: it looks like an Egyptian folkloric concert, but Umm Sameh is singing to heal the sick by driving out the demons that possess them

Water resources – another conflict trigger?

From the Euphrates to the Mekong, dams that ensure one country's water supply risk leaving others parched. But shared water resources can be a source of peace as well as conflict. By Ruby Russell

Not just a Western problem

Racism exists in the Arab world. People with dark skin are discriminated against and often see their rights curtailed. Activists have had enough of such treatment and are starting to rise up. The greatest progress has been made in Tunisia. By Mona Naggar

Egypt 2021, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s search for a fig leaf

Hosting major sports tournaments can confer prestige on a country, but in the case of Egypt, the 2021 Handball World Championship will do little to repair relations with either the United States, Italy, or the Arab Gulf states, argues James M. Dorsey

Ethiopia's dam: blessing or curse for downstream Sudan?