confidentially speaking

The Africa Confidential Blog

• MONDAY 11th February 2008

Nigeria: Courtroom ballots

By Elephant

Nigeria's post-election crisis has taken a very different turn from Kenya's. Unlike Kenya's thwarted politicians, Nigeria's opposition leaders are contesting the election results through the courts and this time se...

• WEDNESDAY 16th January 2008

Kenya special alert

By Elephant

Wednesday 16 January 2008 The AC OfficeFarringdon Road,London Dear Confidentialers,As you all will have read, the New Year has started badly in Kenya. Breaking with tradition, I am writing this letter ...

• TUESDAY 23rd October 2007

A peek through the war on terror viewfinder

By Elephant

Tuesday 23 October 2007 United Nations SecretariatNew York CityUSA Dear Confidentialers,A whirlwind trip through New York and Washington this week shows that Africa has moved up the diplomatic and economic a...

• THURSDAY 11th October 2007

Recently in New York

By Elephant

Recently in New York,11 October 2007Dear Confidentialers,In those days when grown hacks used to fight over datelines and the scrupulousness of sub-editors ruled, a favorite dateline would start with the words 'recently in...'...

• MONDAY 27th August 2007

SA/Nigeria: on parallel tracks?

By Elephant

27 August 2007 Lagos Dear Confidentialers,First of all, a belated apology for the long time, no write. Back at maison Africa C...

• FRIDAY 6th July 2007

The debate is far from over

By Elephant

Black Star SquareAccraGhanaDear Confidentialers,This is where it all started just over 50 years ago with Ghana's declaration of independence from the British colonial authorities and founding President ...

• THURSDAY 14th June 2007

A political soap opera

By Elephant

Volume 48 No 12 Paris,Thursday Dear Confidentialers, Here in the city of light, the most dramatic news about last week's G8 summit in Heiligendamm was the release on the internet of a video showing Fran...

• SUNDAY 20th May 2007

Supersonic statistics and global asymmetry

By Elephant

20 May 2007 Shangcheng RoadPu Dong

• MONDAY 14th May 2007

We don't do apologies

By Elephant

Luxembourg GardensParis,France Dear Confidentialers, After sending another Africa Confidential to the printers in the smallish hours of Thursday morning, I jumpe...

• MONDAY 23rd April 2007

Occidental tourist

By Elephant

The Occidental GrillPennsylvania AvenueWashington DCDear Confidentialers, Viewed from the reassuringly stolid interior of the Occidental Grill ­ 'Where statesmen dine', it says...