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Defend Truth

Phillip van Niekerk

Phillip van Niekerk is managing partner of Calabar Consulting, a political risk consulting firm.

Latest Work

War in eastern DRC — the Rumble in the Jungle that keeps rumbling

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OP-ED

22 March 2026

War in eastern DRC — the Rumble in the Jungle that keeps rumbling

Phillip van Niekerk

9 min

0

From Minnesota to the Red Sea — how Somalis became the front line of global politics

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OP-ED

18 January 2026

From Minnesota to the Red Sea — how Somalis became the front line of global politics

Phillip van Niekerk

10 min

0

The Empire state of mind — Africa has seen this movie before

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OP-ED

16 December 2025

The Empire state of mind — Africa has seen this movie before

Phillip van Niekerk

5 min

3

Who is the rogue state now after America’s G20 snub?

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OP-ED

23 November 2025

Who is the rogue state now after America’s G20 snub?

Phillip van Niekerk

5 min

3

If 10,000 Tanzanians really are dead, international apathy is not an option

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OPED

13 November 2025

If 10,000 Tanzanians really are dead, international apathy is not an option

Phillip van Niekerk

5 min

2

Trump’s outburst about a ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria is as dangerous as it is absurd

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OP-ED

2 November 2025

Trump’s outburst about a ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria is as dangerous as it is absurd

Phillip van Niekerk

4 min

8

Tanzania’s ruling party seeks to rid itself of the ‘troublesome’ Tundu Lissu

AFRICA UNSCRAMBLED OP-ED

11 August 2025

Tanzania’s ruling party seeks to rid itself of the ‘troublesome’ Tundu Lissu

Phillip van Niekerk

7 min

0

Phillip van Niekerk

6 November 2024

Letter from DC: The United States doubles down on the devil it knows

Phillip van Niekerk

3 min

74

Phillip van Niekerk

3 November 2024

Letter from DC: A revolution of women poised to dump Trump into the garbage can

Phillip van Niekerk

6 min

52

Phillip van Niekerk

14 October 2024

Letter from DC — 22 days to go before Trump-Kamala showdown, no fingernails left to bite

Phillip van Niekerk

5 min

114

Phillip van Niekerk

20 September 2024

Letter from DC: ‘A historic election by any measure’ just got a lot more sleazy

Phillip van Niekerk

5 min

12

Phillip van Niekerk

12 September 2024

Letter from DC: A broken, failing Trump is beaten by the voice of a new generation

Phillip van Niekerk

6 min

42