michelawrong
@michelawrong
Journalist and author of four non-fiction books on Africa, plus a novel.
Je suis extrêmement reconnaissant à MaxMilo Éditions et Lucie Delplanque, ma brillante traductrice, d'avoir publié la traduction française de mon livre sur Mobutu Sese Seko, l'inoubliable président de la République Démocratique du Congo pendant 32 ans. maxmilo.com/products/la-ch… 1/2
Victoire not involved organisation workshop that led 2 arrest&detention of attendees,inclu her supporters(3yrs ago). UN Group on Arbitrary Detention condemned detention as violation of international law &demanded immediate release.Clearly political trial. hrf.org/latest/hrf-suc…
The UK government has announced plans to cut foreign aid spending by 40%, with support for children’s education and women’s health in Africa facing the biggest reductions. bbc.in/4f4mMSA
After a very, very long delay, the UN Group of Experts has finally published their eagerly-awaited report on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It would be interesting to know what held it up, given the absolutely crucial timing. docs.un.org/en/s/2025/446
Kenya has charged 70+ protesters with terrorism. I've covered actual terrorism. These charges trivialize the losses many Kenyan families have suffered. It's a "weaponization of the criminal justice system" to silent dissent. And @bonifacemwangi says he will not be intimidated
Extraordinary that the situation should have reached this point in Gaza. euronews.com/2025/07/22/afp…
Boniface Mwangi's arrest is just the latest in a pattern of escalating state repression across East Africa. nation.africa/kenya/news/pol…
An entirely fitting tribute to Chan Bahal, who runs the best bookshop not just in Nairobi but in East Africa. Delighted to see "It's Our Turn to Eat" mentioned in the feature. english.theafricanists.info/arts/the-books…
“The expected outcome is undoubtedly the restoration of the authority of the State over its entire territory, and that is normal for any country, regardless of who the president, the administration, or the leadership is. This is an issue that concerns every country, but it is…
Sometimes you wonder why these guys even bother turing up for peace talks....
Additionally, head of the #M23 delegation in #Doha stated that “The M23 will not withdraw, not even by a single meter. We are staying where we are. ” x.com/FMLarousse/sta…
Great. Now let the various parties actually do what they signed up for. rfi.fr/fr/afrique/202…
Great. But "principles" are just intentions. Let's see some action on the ground.
#RDC: Kinshasa et l’AFC/M23 ont signé à Doha, une déclaration de principe.
An excellent, very detailed exposition from Al Jazeera of the contents of the UN Group of Exports report on eastern DRC. Why on earth hasn't this key, now much-leaked report been officially published yet? aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/18…
Covid closed Africa's literary festivals, many never reopened. Now the few that survived are struggling. Cape Town's Open Book is a goodie - interesting writers from across Africa and a great, diverse audience. It's in trouble now. Donate if you can. booklounge.co.za/product/open-b…
Interesting overview of where British aid stands: prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/economic…
African politics' age problem.
Cameroon's nonagenarian head of state, Paul Biya, will run for re-election in this year's presidential vote expected on October 12, a post on the president's X account said on Sunday. reuters.com/world/africa/c…
Breaking: Former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has died in a London clinic at the age of 82, his family has said. The country’s immediate past president was reported to have travelled to the UK in April for a routine medical check-up but subsequently fell ill.
"Tradecraft", a collection of essays by writers who worked with novelist John le Carré (aka David Cornwell), can be pre-ordered. I contributed a chapter on the week I spent with the author researching "The Mission Song" in Bukavu, DRC. bodleianshop.co.uk/products/trade…
"Tradecraft", an exhibition dedicated to the novelist John le Carré, opens in Oxford on October 1. I was lucky enough to work with him on The Mission Song, about the DRC, and I've contributed a chapter to the book which comes out at the same time. theguardian.com/books/2025/jul…
Recent events in East Africa can't be seen in isolation - governments are linking up to crack down on protest: theafricareport.com/387688/east-af…
The Human Rights Foundation has submitted formal representations to the UN Human Rights Council bringing urgent attention to deteriorating human rights conditions in Rwanda and Georgia. Here's the one on Rwanda. hrf.org/latest/rwanda-…
