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By Bitange Ndemo, Ambassador of Kenya to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union and Sébastien Brack, Representative of the Kofi Annan Foundation to the European Union, and a Senior Advisor to African Political Outlook Africa and Europe share a common past and, whether they like it or not, a common…
EU-AU Summit 2025: “Europe’s and Africa’s futures are not parallel; they are complementary.”
By Bitange Ndemo, Ambassador of Kenya to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union and Sébastien Brack, Representative of the Kofi Annan Foundation to the European Union, and a Senior Advisor to African Political Outlook Africa and Europe share a common past and, whether they like it or not, a common destiny. Yet as European and African leaders prepare to meet in Luanda for the 25th anniversary of the AU-EU partnership, the distance between the two continents feels broader than the sea that separates them. Across Africa, there is a growing sense of disinterest. Brussels’ attention seems fixated on…
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In an series of articles for The Elephant, Kofi Annan Foundation consultant Abdulmalik Sugow discusses the place of multistakeholder collaboration in addressing the information disorder. Specifically, its importance and how to bring collectives together. In a prior article, Abdulmalik Sugow, lawyer, legal researcher and consultant for the Kofi Annan Foundation, discussed the…
OpEd | Addressing the Information Disorder: Building and Sustaining Collaboration
In an series of articles for The Elephant, Kofi Annan Foundation consultant Abdulmalik Sugow discusses the place of multistakeholder collaboration in addressing the information disorder. Specifically, its importance and how to bring collectives together. In a prior article, Abdulmalik Sugow, lawyer, legal researcher and consultant for the Kofi Annan Foundation, discussed the need to address the information disorder (defined as mis- and disinformation) through collaborative multistakeholder collectives such as Fumbua Kenya. As a follow-up, he takes the next step of envisioning the ideal composition for such collectives with a two-part op-ed for The Elephant. In part one, Sugow briefly explores…
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The responses to the information disorder adopted in Kenya have been largely ineffective. Multidisciplinary stakeholders working collaboratively stand a higher chance of success and will result in a more informed audience that is less susceptible to mis- and disinformation. In an article for The Elephant, Kofi Annan Foundation Consultant Abdulmalik Sugow argues…
OpEd | The Information Disorder Calls for Multidisciplinary Collaboration
The responses to the information disorder adopted in Kenya have been largely ineffective. Multidisciplinary stakeholders working collaboratively stand a higher chance of success and will result in a more informed audience that is less susceptible to mis- and disinformation. In an article for The Elephant, Kofi Annan Foundation Consultant Abdulmalik Sugow argues that the current “information disorder” requires multidisciplinary collaboration. The following article was originally published on 3 February 2023. The information disorder (i.e., mis- and disinformation) pervasive on social media has arguably interfered with democratic processes across the world. As public authorities and political actors continue to embrace social…
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At the 2021 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit, national and global stakeholders made significant new policy and financial commitments to help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2: Ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. For its part, the African Union designated 2022 the Year of Nutrition, sending a powerful signal to its 55 member…
OpEd | Nutritious school meals are the key for Africa's children
At the 2021 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit, national and global stakeholders made significant new policy and financial commitments to help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2: Ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. For its part, the African Union designated 2022 the Year of Nutrition, sending a powerful signal to its 55 member states to prioritize better nutrition and health for their citizens — especially for children, who are most vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition. This article was originally published by Dexex on 1 March, 2022 On March 1, the AU marks the 7th African Day of School Feeding to highlight the essential…
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West Africa is at a turning point: its democracies are in jeopardy. How can the region recommit to democracy? Kofi Annan Foundation Special Adviser Sebastien F. Brack shares his thoughts. This article was originally published on the European Council on Foreign Affairs ecfr.eu. The coup d’état in Burkina Faso this week –…
OpEd | Beyond sanctions: Recommitting West Africa to democracy
West Africa is at a turning point: its democracies are in jeopardy. How can the region recommit to democracy? Kofi Annan Foundation Special Adviser Sebastien F. Brack shares his thoughts. This article was originally published on the European Council on Foreign Affairs ecfr.eu. The coup d’état in Burkina Faso this week – the third in less than two years in west Africa – is an unwelcome sign of the weakness of democratic governance in the region. Like previous coups in Mali and Guinea, the overthrow of the government in Burkina Faso appears to have been led by a mid-level officer…
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Ory Okolloh, a member of the Kofi Annan Commission on Elections and Democracy in the Digital Age, and Abdulmalik Sugow, a legal researcher and consultant, co-authored an opinion piece on the topic of safeguarding Kenya’s electoral freedoms in the digital age. The article was originally published in Business Daily Africa on the…
Oped: Safeguarding Kenya’s Electoral freedoms in the Digital Age
Ory Okolloh, a member of the Kofi Annan Commission on Elections and Democracy in the Digital Age, and Abdulmalik Sugow, a legal researcher and consultant, co-authored an opinion piece on the topic of safeguarding Kenya’s electoral freedoms in the digital age. The article was originally published in Business Daily Africa on the 5th of January 2022. “Preparations to safeguard the credibility of Kenya’s upcoming 2022 general elections are underway. Relative to previous election cycles, stakeholders have increased their focus on the role played by digital technologies in various democratic processes and for a good reason. From a more-connected- than-ever voter…
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The Kofi Annan Foundation has supported the publication of a five-part op-ed series on the Pan-African digital platform The Elephant. The series seeks to explore the use of personal data in campaigns, the spread of misinformation and disinformation, social media censorship, and incitement to violence and hate speech, and the practical measures…
Oped Series: Securing Kenya’s Electoral Integrity in the Digital Age
The Kofi Annan Foundation has supported the publication of a five-part op-ed series on the Pan-African digital platform The Elephant. The series seeks to explore the use of personal data in campaigns, the spread of misinformation and disinformation, social media censorship, and incitement to violence and hate speech, and the practical measures various stakeholders can adopt to safeguard Kenya’s electoral integrity in the digital age ahead of the 2022 elections. This op-ed series is made possible through the support of the United Nations Democracy Fund. Oped 1: Securing Kenya’s Electoral Integrity in the Digital Age Published 17 September 2021.…
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Sebastien Brack writes about the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the efforts by stakeholders in Nigeria to strengthen the electoral process in the country. This OpEd was published in Legit and The Cable. The Nigerian National Assembly has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after both the Senate and the House of…
Opinion | A Victory for Nigeria’s democracy
Sebastien Brack writes about the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the efforts by stakeholders in Nigeria to strengthen the electoral process in the country. This OpEd was published in Legit and The Cable. The Nigerian National Assembly has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after both the Senate and the House of Representatives deliberated extensively on the report of the Conference Committee. It is due to be signed this week by the President of the Republic. “Democracy is always work in progress, and the Electoral Act Amendment Bill unquestionably marks progress for Nigerian democracy,” said El Hadj As Sy, the…
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As angry mobs storm the US Capitol or rampage through the streets of Rotterdam, as China boasts of its success against Covid-19, ageing leaders in Africa ignore their young population’s aspirations for change and the Arab spring is succeeded by a winter of violence, disillusionment and repression, should we dismiss democracy as…
OPINION: Is American Democracy in decline or in recovery?
As angry mobs storm the US Capitol or rampage through the streets of Rotterdam, as China boasts of its success against Covid-19, ageing leaders in Africa ignore their young population’s aspirations for change and the Arab spring is succeeded by a winter of violence, disillusionment and repression, should we dismiss democracy as a quaint idea of the past? Sebastien Brack, Head of the Elections and Democracy Programme at the Kofi Annan Foundation argues that recent events in the US have in fact shown the resilience of democracy. He outlines a roadmap out of populism and back to democracy, which Kofi…
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Though many were relieved when Twitter and Facebook removed outgoing President Donald Trump from their platforms on 7 January, the move raises concerns about the implications for free speech. Sébastien Brack, Head of Elections & Democracy at the Kofi Annan Foundation, examines if social media is a threat to free speech. Donald…
OPINION: Social media: a threat to free speech?
Though many were relieved when Twitter and Facebook removed outgoing President Donald Trump from their platforms on 7 January, the move raises concerns about the implications for free speech. Sébastien Brack, Head of Elections & Democracy at the Kofi Annan Foundation, examines if social media is a threat to free speech. Donald Trump criticised “the efforts to censor, cancel and blacklist our fellow citizens.” What right do tech sector executives have to decide who can and cannot speak on their platforms? Under US law – as private companies – social media platforms are free to decide on the content they…
