François Misser
Francois MIsser is a Brussels-based journalist. He has covered central Africa since 1981 and European-African relations since 1984 for the BBC, Afrique Asie magazine, African Energy, the Italian monthly magazine Nigrizia, and Germany’s Die Tageszeitung newspaper. He has written books on Rwanda and the DRC. His last book, on the Congo River dams, is La Saga d’Inga
Gone for good

Gone for good

Sub-Saharan Africa: the medical brain drain Doctors and other medical professionals migrate for many reasons, but their absence seriously compromises health service delivery A brain drain of African medical staff over several decades has significantly depleted the...

Rivers of arms

Rivers of arms

Democratic Republic of Congo: arms flow Despite an arms embargo, a constant flow of weapons into the DRC from around the globe ensures that peace remains elusive Since the withdrawal of foreign troops in 2003, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been...

The facts are stubborn

The facts are stubborn

Rwanda: the genocide archives Amid mounting calls for an honest investigation into the Rwandan genocide, the UN and certain governments appear to be opposing full disclosure “Everyday we learn to forgive,” President Paul Kagame told a commemoration of the 25th...

More haste, less speed

More haste, less speed

DRC: hasty electoral reforms Decentralisation threatens to create more instability in this central African country by François Misser On March 2nd 2015, President Joseph Kabila promulgated a law creating 15 new provinces, bringing the total to 26 as against 11. Five...

Sub-Saharan Africa: Islamic investment

Sub-Saharan Africa: Islamic investment

  The Islamic world is increasingly seeing Africa as a destination for foreign investment, both on the institutional and corporate fronts. One sign of such interest was the recent forum on investments in Africa, held in Marrakech from December 17-19 2015 and...

Crisis mode

Crisis mode

Democratic Republic of the Congo: economy Slowing growth and growing political uncertainty spell difficult times ahead for this central African country By François Misser After five years of robust economic growth registered since the beginning of the decade, the...

Up close and personal

Up close and personal

Africa's leaders: psychology matters   By Francois Misser   “Africa doesn’t need strongmen. It needs strong institutions,” said former US president Barack Obama during a visit to Ghana in July 2009. Yet the work of building strong institutions is not easy on...

Deep-sea mining: Africa’s new frontier

Deep-sea mining: Africa’s new frontier

Despite environmental concerns, deep-sea mining will be a reality by 2030 and African countries with coasts, including Namibia and Nigeria, want to ensure they will benefit from the ‘new gold rush’ Globally, mining companies are eyeing a new source of mineral...

Mining money

Mining money

  While other countries’ attitudes towards Africa waver, China is seizing the opportunity to snap up the continent’s mining assets On 17 January this year, any remaining uncertainty over one of the largest transactions in the mining monopoly in the Democratic Republic...

François Misser
Francois MIsser is a Brussels-based journalist. He has covered central Africa since 1981 and European-African relations since 1984 for the BBC, Afrique Asie magazine, African Energy, the Italian monthly magazine Nigrizia, and Germany’s Die Tageszeitung newspaper. He has written books on Rwanda and the DRC. His last book, on the Congo River dams, is La Saga d’Inga
Gone for good

Gone for good

Sub-Saharan Africa: the medical brain drain Doctors and other medical professionals migrate for many reasons, but their absence seriously compromises health service delivery A brain drain of African medical staff over several decades has significantly depleted the...

Rivers of arms

Rivers of arms

Democratic Republic of Congo: arms flow Despite an arms embargo, a constant flow of weapons into the DRC from around the globe ensures that peace remains elusive Since the withdrawal of foreign troops in 2003, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been...

The facts are stubborn

The facts are stubborn

Rwanda: the genocide archives Amid mounting calls for an honest investigation into the Rwandan genocide, the UN and certain governments appear to be opposing full disclosure “Everyday we learn to forgive,” President Paul Kagame told a commemoration of the 25th...

More haste, less speed

More haste, less speed

DRC: hasty electoral reforms Decentralisation threatens to create more instability in this central African country by François Misser On March 2nd 2015, President Joseph Kabila promulgated a law creating 15 new provinces, bringing the total to 26 as against 11. Five...

Crisis mode

Crisis mode

Democratic Republic of the Congo: economy Slowing growth and growing political uncertainty spell difficult times ahead for this central African country By François Misser After five years of robust economic growth registered since the beginning of the decade, the...

Up close and personal

Up close and personal

Africa's leaders: psychology matters   By Francois Misser   “Africa doesn’t need strongmen. It needs strong institutions,” said former US president Barack Obama during a visit to Ghana in July 2009. Yet the work of building strong institutions is not easy on...

Deep-sea mining: Africa’s new frontier

Deep-sea mining: Africa’s new frontier

Despite environmental concerns, deep-sea mining will be a reality by 2030 and African countries with coasts, including Namibia and Nigeria, want to ensure they will benefit from the ‘new gold rush’ Globally, mining companies are eyeing a new source of mineral...

Mining money

Mining money

  While other countries’ attitudes towards Africa waver, China is seizing the opportunity to snap up the continent’s mining assets On 17 January this year, any remaining uncertainty over one of the largest transactions in the mining monopoly in the Democratic Republic...