Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has officially handed over the chairmanship of the African Union to his Equatorial Guinea colleague Theodore Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. As President Obiang takes over, many must be wondering the wisdom of the African leaders in their selection of the boss of the continental body.

Close to 99 per cent of south Sudanese chose to secede from the north in a landmark January 9-15 referendum, according to the first complete preliminary results announced on Sunday. Earlier partial results had put the outcome of the vote beyond doubt but official figures were announced publicly for the first time during a ceremony attended by president Salva Kiir in the southern capital Juba. Chan Reec, the chairman of the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau in charge of polling in the south, said a whopping 99.57 per cent of those who voted in the south chose secession.

Sham elections across Africa have been a major cause of insecurity, instability and violent conflict; recent examples include Kenya, Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast. The Africa Union (AU) must be robust and resolute in promoting shared values and best practices in the management of elections for purposes of political stability, good governance and sustainable socio-economic development. As representatives of Zimbabwe’s civil society, we are convinced that at present, the country has not carried out sufficient institutional and legislative reforms to enable the country to hold credible elections free of violence and intimidation.

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) member states are set to discuss the human right situation in Rwanda for the first time, at the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR), that will be held on 24 January 2011 in Geneva. ARTICLE 19’s submission to the UN Human Rights Council in July 2010 highlights three areas of concern which the organisation hopes to see reflected in the upcoming review. These include (1) limits on freedom of expression through restrictive media law and criminal defamation (2) harassment and attacks on journalists; (3) genocide ideology legislation.

In the aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, and the beginning of a popular uprising in Egypt, more than 2,200 Arab scholars, politicians, and activists - from over 20 Arab countries - have issued an appeal for the defense and consolidation of human rights and democracy in the Arab World.

In the wake of the ousting of entrenched Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Horace Campbell reflects on events in the country, regional implications and the inspirational example of the Tunisian people in organising for a new future.

‘Like most Kenyans, the chilling sight of plainclothes policemen gunning down three unarmed “gangsters” at close range and in cold blood… left my stomach turning,’ writes H. Nanjala Nyabola. ‘Is this how low we’ve sunk as a nation?'

Alarmed by the increase in piracy, the United Nations has proposed the establishment - for a transitional period - of a Somali extra-territorial jurisdiction court in the Tanzanian city of Arusha to deal just with piracy cases. Jack Lang, the Special Adviser on Legal Issues related to Piracy, told reporters the estimated costs of setting up a court would be around 25 million dollars. This, he pointed out, was 'a relatively modest expense compared to the estimated seven billion dollars' that is the current cost of piracy, including the multi-million-dollar ransoms extracted by pirates in the high seas.

In a speech given at the first national conference of the Democratic Left, Vishwas Satgar sets out what it stands for, why it is needed and the role it will play in ensuring ‘a collective wisdom frames a new South African future.’

It is now official that almost half of Tanzania’s public servants and politicians are yet to declare their wealth as required by the law. According to the 1995 public servants ethics code and act all public servants are required to declare their wealth 30 days within their election and appointment. Thereafter they are required to continue declaring their wealth annually.

Consultations on the post-transitional government process in Somalia have started, and will involve all stakeholders and the international community, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to Somalia said. 'There was unanimous agreement, both inside and outside Somalia, that the transitional period has to end in August as envisaged under the Djibouti Peace Agreement,' Augustine Mahiga told a news conference in Nairobi. 'In the meantime, consultations are under way to develop a consensus on how to end the transition and on the nature of post-transition political arrangements.'

The United Nations and the African Union will hold a high-level meeting in a few days to review efforts to achieve peace, security and reconciliation in strife-torn Somalia, which has been suffering through two decades of conflict and numerous humanitarian challenges. The meeting will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the African Union Summit.

What is at stake in Côte d’Ivoire ‘are the consequences of French on-going colonisation and ruthless exploitation in connivance with unscrupulous local leaders of swathes of west and central Africa’, writes Sanou Mbaye, in an analysis of the five parties affected by the country’s post-election crisis.

With Zanzibar celebrating 47 years since its 1964 revolution on 12 January, Salma Maoulidi discusses current political developments and asks which literary script might best capture the island’s experience.

Mphutlane wa Bofelo explores the role of the newly-established Democratic Left Front in dealing ‘creatively and proactively’ with the challenges of neo-apartheid and neoliberal capitalism in South Africa.

‘Can democracy be imposed from abroad, and moreover through foreign armed forces? And what would be the cost for the populations, the country, and our region?’ That is ‘the challenge for African leaders and intellectuals alike’, writes Pierre Sane.

Samir Amin discusses the Tunisian uprising and the country’s prospects for building ‘a democratic government supported by the people’, in an interview with Aydinlik Magazine.

As a wave of protests sweeps Egypt inspired by Tunisia’s uprising, Africa’s bloggers ask if Algeria and Mauritania too will stand up to their oppressive governments, writes Dibussi Tande.

In the wake of Tunisia’s popular uprising that last week displaced former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Alemayehu G. Mariam looks to Mohandas 'Mahatma' Gandhi for lessons in how to bring down dictatorships.

In the State of the Union speech, Barack Obama did get applause for saying that the US stands with the people of Tunisia. Now, he didn’t mention the two decades of support the US had given the dictatorship, notes this article from Alternet. The President did not have anything to say about Egypt - where thousands of people, inspired by Tunisia, were taking to the streets to protest their own repressive government - another one the US has backed for years. Secretary of State Clinton’s official word is that the Egyptian government was 'stable'.