grey dynamics

The Destabilising Effect of Water Scarcity in Egypt

March 7, 2019

Fredrik Hellem

  Egypt’s water problem is domestic, regional, and global. The Nile supplies Egypt with more than 90% of its freshwater. The Nile is made up of two main tributaries - the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The Blue Nile originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and merge with the White Nile in Khartoum. From Khartoum, the river flows into Egypt where it fertilizes the surrounding land and Nile Delta. The Nile has been central to Egyptian society and identity…

Lesotho’s ‘Green New Deal’
: The legalization of medicinal marijuana in Africa

March 5, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

    In 2017, Lesotho became the first African country to make a move to cash-in on the legal cannabis market. It granted its first licenses for the legal cultivation, manufacture, supply, export, transport of medicinal cannabis and cannabis products. Zimbabwe quickly followed suit, which could be a regional trend. More than 10,000 tons of cannabis are produced in Africa each year, according to a UN survey. Advocates believe this expanding market could be worth billions of dollars. However, for…

Libya’s Faith at the Hands of Haftar

March 1, 2019

Fredrik Hellem

  Following the death of Gaddafi in 2011 Libya has been in turmoil. The country has been a victim of much violence resulting from local power struggles between factions attempting to establish themselves as the legitimate power over people, land, or resources in the vacuum that has haunted Libya for years. Yet, local militias and groupings are increasingly unifying and fighting under two banners – the east and the west. The international community and the UN have been active in…

A Failed Military Coup in Gabon
: A foiled plan or a sign of more to come?

February 27, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

        After decades of political stability, the central African nation of Gabon, has entered a period of political flux after an attempted military coup on Jan 7th, 2018. Although, the uprising was quickly repressed, ithas raised questions about the current leadership. At the time, President Ali Bongo was recuperating in Morocco from a stroke, suffered while in Saudi Arabia in October, but has since returned to his home country.               The…

Better the Devil You Know Than the Devil You Don’t

February 20, 2019

Fredrik Hellem

    Omar al-Bashir has been in power in Sudan since the self-arranged coup d’etat in 1989. Since then he has been re-elected four times, latest in 2015. The results prompted allegations of both corruption and fraud. In 2009, Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his campaign in Darfur in which war crimes such as mass killing, pillage, rape, and genocide. The indictment was condemned by both the Arab League and the African Union. Bashir was…

Sanctions and a Military Coup?
: Uncertainty and potential civil war in Venezuela

February 14, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

  The confrontation on multiple fronts is ramping up in Venezuela with a peaceful solution more in doubt. Opposition protests to the Maduro government are becoming more frequent after Juan Guaidó, President of the National Assembly announced himself to be the legitimate president of the country. He also has received official support from the US, Canada, and most of the EU. There was an indication last week from National Security Advisor John Bolton that the US was considering the escalation…