Mensenrechten

Interview

‘There is a lack of empathy for vulnerable people and for the nature that gives life’

25 March 2023 -

She is 27 and one of the global faces of the climate youth movement. Kenyan Elizabeth Wathuti is an outspoken global advocate for local climate solutions. ‘Transition should make people's lives better.’ Defending nature and defending human rights are deeply interwoven, she believes.

Analysis

‘If I want to, I can change my identity tomorrow’

21 March 2023 -

Congo’s official documents exist in a virtual reality. It takes a lot of time and money to obtain them. The failing administration widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Blog Post

What about humanitarian aid for northwest Syria? Five questions and answers

10 February 2023 -

In the northwest of Syria the earthquake is just another humanitarian catastrophe after another. Shaymaa Mosatafa, project coordinator for the Belgian ngo 11.11.11 in the Middle East, stresses the importance and urgency of international solidarity for Syrian civilians. 'The clock is ticking.'

Interview

"I was a rebel from the very beginning": Libya through the eyes of journalist Taziri al-Omrani

10 February 2023 -

She grew up in Libya in a conservative family and was the only girl in class wearing a hijab. Today, journalist and television pioneer Taziri al-Omrani lives in Belgium, from where she continues defending the rights of Libyan women and minorities. "I was a revolutionary from a young age," she says.

Interview

‘The super-rich choose their own place in the world — and pay for it’

6 January 2023 -

Who among us can truly become a global citizen? Journalist Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, herself the holder of three nationalities from three different continents, takes a unique look at what citizenship means in the 21st century.

Editorial

‘We must not get used to the horror in eastern Congo’

30 December 2022 -

On 29 November, yet another massacre took place in eastern Congo. The region has been plagued by ruthless violence for decades. Often the perpetrators are known, but they are rarely brought to justice. MO* contributor Kris Berwouts wonders who will stop this impunity.

Analysis

Russian mercenaries in exchange for African natural resources

12 December 2022 -

Two phenomena have been on the rise in recent years: privatised warfare and ultra-nationalist extremism in Russia. Its outflow is the infamous Wagner Group, the private military company that does not even officially exist. In recent years, Wagner has occupied more and more space in Africa.

Report

The French colonial who fell in love with Morocco

28 November 2022 -

He is buried next to his compatriot Napoleon, but his name still only rings a bell with few Europeans: Hubert Lyautey, France's first resident-general in Morocco. The French colonial left a special mark on Morocco a hundred years ago, which still lingers today.

Longread

On the other side of the bars: the broken families of el-Sisi's Egypt

4 November 2022 -

Egypt is holding 60,000 political prisoners in inhumane detention conditions. MO* spoke to their relatives, in Europe and in Egypt.

Analysis

Why African countries prefer not to get embroiled in Russia's war

18 May 2022 -

Africa voted very divided on the UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion in the Ukraine. What is the political impact of the conflict on Africa’s cohesion?

Editorial

What does Rwanda gain from the refugee deal with the UK?

26 April 2022 -

The United Kingdom aims to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, where they will be subject to the local asylum procedures. Boris Johnson wants the British electorate to forget party gate. But what does Rwanda gain from it?

Column

Let’s fight to change who does the gatekeeping, not who does the translations of our works

1 April 2022 -

A year ago, the young Amanda Gorman recited her The Hill We Climb for the new US President Joe Biden. When that poem was translated into Dutch, there was a heated discussion about who was most suitable for this. Author and MO* columnist Chika Unigwe looks back on the debate.