Each December, Liberia experiences a seasonal shift. Monrovia gets louder. Music spills into the streets. Clubs are packed, and events pile up. Members of the diaspora return in large numbers, and social media fills with images of nightlife, reunions, fashion, and celebration. December feels energetic, social, and alive, but it also becomes a moment of heightened attention, when Liberia is seen, shared, and discussed more than at any other time of the year. For many Liberians, especially those visiting for a short stay, this season becomes the dominant reference point for experiencing and understanding the country. It is the period through which impressions are formed and narratives are reinforced. But December is not how Liberia operates for the rest of the year. December offers a curated version of Liberia…Read More

This week’s recipient of the “Palava Praise” commemoration is Melody Barry-Yobo, an inspirational environmental advocate challenging devastating oil mining practices in the Delta region of Nigeria. “Where oil flows, the soil bleeds…” Her transparent and bold renouncing of Shell’s predatory mining in Ogoniland has shaped conversations about pollution and profit, and recently, her participation in the COP30 Panel hosted by the Freedom Flotilla, has brought attention to systemic issues affecting unheard Nigerians and Africans as a whole. You can watch a clip of her speech here. We thank you for your bravery, Melody!

In Liberia’s State of the Nation Address, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai renewed his government’s pledge to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court, emphasizing that justice for atrocities and economic plunder is essential for genuine reconciliation and lasting peace.

Draft legislation for the court has been completed and is expected to be submitted for legislative review, reflecting an effort to move beyond symbolic gestures toward institutional accountability for Liberia’s brutal civil wars (1989–2003), which saw heinous crimes against humanity go largely unaddressed.

Renewed commitment is a welcome step, but civil society and human rights advocates stress the need for sustainable funding, inclusive public engagement, and safeguards against political elites shielding themselves from accountability. Will this administration prioritize justice?

This week brought the violent killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, in Zintan, Libya. Reports indicate he was shot by unidentified gunmen in his home, with conflicting accounts about the circumstances still emerging. Libyan prosecutors have formally launched an investigation into the assassination.

Saif al-Islam’s life mirrored Libya’s long, painful entanglement with both domestic authoritarian rule and international intervention. Once a potential symbol of continuity from his father’s regime — with some initial outreach to the West in the 2000s — he later became associated with brutal repression during the 2011 uprising and was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

This event underscores how foreign interventions and fractured internal power structures have perpetuated instability in Libya. Some commentators allege that foreign powers benefited from continued chaos in Libya after the NATO campaign in 2011 and may have interests in preventing a unifying Libyan political figure from emerging. 

Last week saw a major ISIS-linked assault on the Diori Hamani International Airport and Air Base in Niamey, Niger, claimed by the Islamic State’s Sahel and West Africa provinces. The attack briefly breached part of the airport before being repelled by Nigerien forces and reportedly Russian troops assisting on the ground.

Niger’s military reported that 20 insurgents were killed and 11 captured in the attack. Western and regional powers, including former colonial forces and current European economic interests, have long shaped Sahel security policies, often undermining local governance and fueling cycles of conflict in the region.

What stories are missing from your country? Want to write an opinion piece? Who deserves Palava Praise next week? Contact our team here!