Policing the flowers of paradise
James Jeffrey examines the domestic wars over khat consumption.
East Africa
RSS 2 
What prospects for a lasting peace in South Sudan?
South Sudan, Africa’s youngest nation, is yearning for a lasting peace after two and a half years of civil war. Fred Oluoch reports from Juba.
Why does al-Shabaab still exist?
Almost a decade since the African Union military intervention in Somalia, the antagonists have fought to a standstill. Or maybe not. All things considered, explains Ben Rawlence, it could well be in East Africa’s interest to keep al-Shabaab alive.
Digital radicals on the Swahili coast
Youth radicalisation and recruitment into jihadist groups is on the rise. Little is said about the histories of exclusion and marginalisation fuelling recruitment, argues Paul Goldsmith.
Kenya elections: turbulence ahead
The outcome of two bruising recent by-elections may be a sign of things to come as the rival coalitions gear up for the 2017 elections – and the Electoral Commission, worryingly, fumbles. By Dauti Kahura in Nairobi.
Somaliland’s quest for recognition goes on
Somaliland’s relative peace and stability place it on the cusp of transformation.