Africa

The battle for Africa
The battle for Africa
In his first overseas trip as US President, Joe Biden has flagged he intends to rally European allies in a critical “battle between democracies and autocracies”, and “make it…
An unwelcome wake up call
An unwelcome wake up call
Australia’s chief spy-catcher revealed in March that a “nest” of foreign agents had infiltrated the community – chasing secrets, cultivating local politicians, and monitoring …
The Mozambique Channel is the next security hotspot
The Mozambique Channel is the next security hotspot
The waters off Mozambique are becoming a major new security hotspot in the Indian Ocean. An Islamist insurrection in northern Mozambique that the government seems powerless to…
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the WTO, and what’s next?
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the WTO, and what’s next?
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari fully supported the candidature of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. Even though the two are the…
Agalega: A glimpse of India’s remote island military base
Agalega: A glimpse of India’s remote island military base
The small, remote Mauritian island of North Agalega, located in the south-western Indian Ocean, 1,122 kilometres north of Mauritius, is currently a hive of construction activity…
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Australia’s defence of the rules-based international order is based on enlightened self-interest. As the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper made plain: “We will act on the principle…
The power of example: America’s presence in Diego Garcia
The power of example: America’s presence in Diego Garcia
In remarks delivered at the US State Department in early February, President Joe Biden championed the rule of law as part of “America’s abiding advantage” and spelled out his…
Chagos: A boundary dispute tips over a sovereignty ruling
Chagos: A boundary dispute tips over a sovereignty ruling
The decision last month of a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea on a maritime boundary dispute between Mauritius and the Maldives reflects two…
The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace
The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace
The dispute over the ownership of Diego Garcia and the rest of the Chagos Archipelago involves a complex array of legal, human rights, security and geopolitical issues. The United…
Artefacts paving France’s return to Africa
Artefacts paving France’s return to Africa
In November, the French Senate unanimously voted to return a small selection of pre-colonial African artefacts to Benin and Senegal that were looted by colonial forces. Benin will…