Editor's note

Swiss authorities have struck a deal with the Nigerian government on repatriating money stolen during former president Sani Abacha’s regime. The Nigerian government has said it will give the money to poor families in small cash disbursements over six years. Tolu Olarewaju argues that there are better uses for the money than making cash payments. Also from Nigeria, Dimeji Togunde looks at the high rates of child labour and the huge challenges facing these children in urban Nigeria.

The scenes of joy when the first Ethiopian flight in 20 years landed in Eritrea spoke volumes about how people have responded to the end of hostilities between the neighbouring countries. Martin Plaut explains that change will help overcome many challenges.

The International Criminal Court’s appeals chamber has acquitted Jean-Pierre Bemba two years after it sentenced him to 18 years’ for his role, as military commander, for atrocities committed in Central African Republic. Kerstin Carlson explains the significance of the acquittal.

And we end the week with articles that analysed the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, including Barak Obama’s significant lecture to mark the South African icon.

Julie Masiga

Peace + Security Editor

Top stories

Nigeria's plan to redistribute recovered corruption money needs a rethink

Tolu Olarewaju, Staffordshire University

Millions of dollars have been repatriated to Nigeria by Swiss authorities, but there are better ways to spend it than what the government is proposing.

Nigerian children recount the challenges they face working in a city

Prof. 'Dimeji Togunde, Spelman College

About 15 million Nigerian children work - the highest rate in West Africa.

What peace will mean for Eritrea -- Africa's 'North Korea'

Martin Plaut, School of Advanced Study

The Eritrean ports of Massawa and Assab will hum with life once more as trade flows through them.

Bemba acquittal overturns important victory for sexual violence victims

Kerstin Carlson, University of Southern Denmark

Sexual violence, a staple of war, has long been absent from international criminal law’s charge sheets.

Mandela centenary

Obama pays tribute to Mandela: and invites the world to find its better angels

Cheryl Hendricks, Human Sciences Research Council; Keith Gottschalk, University of the Western Cape

Barack Obama was asked to give the Mandela Lecture because he represents what the global liberation struggle icon stood for. He struck the right chord.

Centenary of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela's birth: a tribute in poems

Louise Bethlehem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Karin Berkman, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Nelson Mandela's release in 1990 was met by an outpouring of poetic celebration both within South Africa and globally.

Blame politicians, not Mandela, for South Africa's unfinished business

Matthew Graham, University of Dundee

Mandela continues to serve as a rare example of a principled politician committed to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Obama and active citizenship: why his Mandela address matters

Aaron X. Smith, Temple University

Barack Obama is delivering the Nelson Mandela lecture in a changing world dominated by the often outrageous utterances of his successor, US President Donald Trump.

Politics and Society

Biya must stop the killings in Cameroon and lead the search for peace

Julius A. Amin, University of Dayton

Cameroon is facing daunting challenges and the president and his team must mobilise the country to find solutions.

Can Zimbabwe finally ditch a history of violence and media repression?

Brooks Marmon, University of Edinburgh

The credibility of Zimbabwe's elections will depend on issues like political violence and media freedom.

Health + Medicine

Cracking the cold chain challenge is key to making vaccines ubiquitous

Jackson Thomas, University of Canberra; Gregory Peterson, University of Tasmania; Mark Naunton, University of Canberra; Sam Kosari, University of Canberra; Yap Boum, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Vaccines need to be kept cold to remain effective. A lack of power in remote areas makes this difficult, reducing the reach of the life-saving pharmaceuticals.

South Africa is starting to accept public breastfeeding. But change is slow

Chantell Witten, North-West University

South Africa is still lagging behind when it comes to support for breastfeeding in the workplace.

Science

Can't focus? Addicted to your online world? There's an app for that

Craig Blewett, University of KwaZulu-Natal

If innovations of our digital age are largely to blame for decreasing attention spans, don't they also hold possible solutions?

Many South African jobs could soon be automated, and the country isn't prepared

Daniel B. le Roux, Stellenbosch University

There seems to be very limited high-level discourse about how South Africa plans to navigate this wave of technological advancement.

Arts + Culture

Cape hip-hop keeps alive tradition of rapping in the voices of the 'less thans'

Quentin Williams, University of the Western Cape

One of South Africa's finest hip-hop crews message was that you couldn't box identities forged through multilingual living in the ghettos.

African countries are losing out on their football talent. They need to figure out why

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

It's time Africa's top administrators tried to find out why top African players are choosing to represent European countries, so that they can work to rectify the situation.

Education

Why moot courts can play a valuable role in teaching kids about human rights

Christof Heyns, University of Pretoria

School moots are becoming an increasingly popular way to teach young people about the value of human rights.

Why Kenyan students are cheating in their exams and what can be done

Callen Nyamwange, Kisii University

The impact of cheating is that students aren't properly assessed, don't perform, don't get into university and aren't skilled.

Business + Economy

  • Finding ways to keep communities alive after mine closures

    Bernelle Verster, University of Cape Town; Cheri-Leigh Young, University of Cape Town; Francois Steenkamp, University of Cape Town; Jennifer Lee Broadhurst, University of Cape Town; Sue Harrison, University of Cape Town

    The devastating impact of mine closures could be avoided with economic and scientific interventions.

Environment + Energy