© Belgaimage / Benoît Doppagne
Analysis

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

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.
Ipsita Divedi (CC-BY-NC-SA)
Opinion

‘As a feminist I didn't realise other women felt underrepresented in our movement’

This International Women’s Day Maëlle Salzinger would like to hold a plea towards her fellow white feminists. ‘We should allow women’s rights advocates across the globe to develop their version of feminism according to their challenges and needs.’
Blog Post

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

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

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

Comic book author Barrack Rima: “Liberation is a path that never ends, we are never completely free”

With "Dans le taxi" Belgian-Lebanese comic book author Barrack Rima pays homage to her hometown of Tripoli. It is the place where she first learned about Sufism, but also where she had to oppress her gender identity. “I don’t want to end up like Salman Rushdie or the editors of Charlie Hebdo.”
Rawpixel (CC0)
The Developers

Where is that master plan to phase out fossil fuels?

Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, the energy crisis or climate disruption: economist Jonas van der Slycken sees countless reasons for phasing out our use of fossil fuels. What could a bold, social and just policy look like? ‘We can afford less and less the usual policy of delay.’
© Reuters
Review

Give Africa the place it deserves

Looking for strong arguments in the decolonisation debate, MO* journalist Kris Berwouts stumbled upon three books in different languages, by authors from different backgrounds (an African, a European, and an African-American). All three want to put Africa back at the centre of its history.
© Xander Stockmans
Report

How Viktor Orbán is annexing the Hungarian minority in Romania

Viktor Orbán is incorporating Hungarian minorities abroad into his sphere of influence. MO* journalist Pieter Stockmans cycled through Székely Land, a Hungarian enclave in the heart of Romania.
Interview

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

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.
Opinion

‘Stop the impunity in eastern Congo’

Following the recent massacre in eastern Congo, former minister Réginald Moreels, author David Van Reybrouck, political scientist and author Nadia Nsayi and others are calling for independent investigations to find out 'exactly what happened, and who is responsible for what crimes'.
Editorial

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

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.
© Belgaimage / Florent Vergnes
Analysis

Russian mercenaries in exchange for African natural resources

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.

Pages