Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondima has been in power since he took over from his late father Omar Bongo, who ran the small oil-rich country for 42 years. Now, fresh constitutional amendments have opened the way for Bongo junior to rule for life. As David Kiwawa sees it, this strategy might be less than wise; far from ensuring the dynasty stays on top, it could trigger a wave of resistance.
Elsewhere, read about the multiple new fronts opening up in Syria, how anthropology can help catch a murderer, and Cape Town's innovative strategies to get its citizens to save water.
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Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, wants to be president for life.
Thorston Wagner/EPA
David E Kiwuwa, Princeton University
Gabon's Ali Bongo Ondimba has watched over constitutional changes that have given him far reaching powers.
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Environment + Energy
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Leila Harris, University of British Columbia; Jiaying Zhao, University of British Columbia; Martine Visser, University of Cape Town
Cape Town is testing new strategies to nudge domestic users into reducing their water use.
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Politics + Society
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Kat Eghdamian, UCL
Refugees hold religious prejudices against each other too – separating them by religion is not the answer.
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Moritz Pieper, University of Salford
Even if Syria's armed conflict is somehow resolved, new proxy conflicts between regional actors are emerging on the country's soil.
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Science + Technology
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Jessica Leigh Thornton, Nelson Mandela University
Insights and approaches drawn from anthropology could be a useful part of the toolkit for a cop trying to catch a killer.
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Fiona Suwana, Queensland University of Technology
Increased foreign investment in the digital economy means a national conversation is needed to ensure that citizens don't get exploited.
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