A political union for east Africa?
Regional leaders have big ambitions but short tempers
AFRICA’S REGIONAL institutions do not lack ambition. The African Union’s master plan promises a rich, peaceful continent criss-crossed by high-speed trains. Eventually. Its target is 2063, a date well past the likely retirement date of all the bigwigs who signed the plan.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “East African rifts”
From the February 9th 2019 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
Hamas’s pick of Yahya Sinwar as leader makes a ceasefire less likely
The appointment of the architect of October 7th ties the group closer to Iran
The Middle East braces for wider war as Iran weighs its response
After Israeli strikes, America is rushing troops to the region and airlines are steering clear
Ethiopia is in the midst of a kidnapping epidemic
As the government hails a new IMF deal, lawlessness is spreading
Somaliland’s camel herders are milking it
Commercial dairies are scaling up an old trade
Will Hamas turn from war to politics?
The assassination of its political leader poses a string of dilemmas
Israeli strikes on Beirut and Tehran could intensify a regional war
At the very least, they will delay talks over a ceasefire in Gaza