Radical Rudeness
[hr] By Paula Akugizibwe[hr] In Seeing, Jose Saramago’s novel about the death of democracy, citizens in the capital city of an unnamed country calmly disengage from the ritual of elections, in which they have lost faith. The state retaliates by sealing off the city and withdrawing all public services, and in response residents organise themselves […]
Q&A with Mehari Taddele Maru
By Paula Akugizibwe and Mehari Maru Mehari Maru is an Addis Ababa-based consultant on international law, security and governance. He previously worked at the African Union Commission as Legal Expert, and as Coordinator of the AU’s Programme on Migration. CHRONIC: Two things stand out about the AU compared to the OAU – one is […]
My Life as a Seventh Day Adventist
By Paula Akugizibwe Jesus waits in the swimming pool. The tenth commandment lies in pieces all over my sinful heart as our queue snakes towards salvation. We are facing the pastor one by one, waist-deep in water warm and dirty from all the sinners that went before. Around the pool, the congregation is gathered, singing […]
Beasts of No Nation
Whether immigrating, emigrating or just passing through, Africans suffer among the greatest indignities of cross-border travel, abroad and on the continent. Paula Akugizibwe recounts how the hand-me-down tools of divide and rule perpetuate the abuse. Historical clarity is the talk of the week at the 20th commemoration of the genocide in Rwanda. Where did the vision of division come […]
The End of Elections
by Paula Akugizibwe Jose Saramago’s Seeing is no Arab spring. Revolutionary rhetoric is merely seasoning to the brew of drama stirred up by a government after residents of its capital city paralyse the democratic system by casting an avalanche of blank votes. Politicians are perplexed by this deplorable disregard for democracy. A cascade of […]