By Joseph Siegle, Africa Center for Strategic Studies. One Blog - February, 2011
Historic events in Egypt and Tunisia in recent weeks have fed speculation over whether the demands for change will spread to other closed regimes in the Arab world. However, reverberations from Egypt may also be felt throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, where the Egyptian protests have drawn a rapt following. ACSS Director of Research, Joseph Siegle, assesses the potential implications in the attached blog posting, arguing that while its culture, history, and geo-strategic role differ significantly from Sub-Saharan Africa, many of the frustrations faced by Egyptian youth – illegitimate government, corruption, growing inequality, and despair – resonate deeply throughout the continent. This coincides with a dramatic upsurge in the accessibility of cell phones and social media in the region – and the demands for greater accountability. [LINK]
