Africa

All Africa

Somalia: A timeline of change in a troubled country

Here is a timeline of changes, intervention, and mediation in 5 bite-sized bits.
Africa Monitor
Instability in Nigeria hurts neighboring economies

Boko Haram violence in Nigeria is negatively impacting the economy of drought-stricken neighbor, Niger, writes guest blogger Alex Thurston.
African droughts: Could insurance schemes help out?

Aid groups are appealing for proactive action, as Horn of Africa drought persists. Could insurance schemes for poor farmers and drought-prone nations provide the answer?
Africa Monitor
Diplomats meet in London to talk Somalia, but where are the women?

If women aren't part of the political process in Somalia, they can't be a part of the outcome, notes guest blogger Jina Moore.
Somalia: For once, some optimism

The UN beefs up an African Union-led peacekeeper mission and Ethiopian troops take the town of Baidoa, as delegates at a London conference contemplate the future of Somalia.
Will a London conference help set Somalia on path to peace?

Somalia aid groups and experts welcome renewed international attention, but warn that a focus on either state-building or military action alone could make things worse rather than better.
Islamist attacks draw Nigeria and US military closer

Dealing with Islamist groups such as Nigeria's Boko Haram will require more than a purely military approach, although Nigeria welcomes training from the US military's Africa Command.
Johannesburg no longer a no-go for tourists, investors

Johannesburg has a reputation for high crime, but efforts to rejuvenate the South African city are having an impact.
Africa Monitor
Eritrean opposition takes its politics online

Opposition leader Mohammed Ali Ibrahim disappeared this week, and opposition-run websites wasted little time in disseminating information in multiple languages.
Will 2012 be the Year of the African Despot, again?

Senegal's Wade plans to run for president, despite a constitutional ban. Zimbabwe's Mugabe is banning NGOs ahead of presidential polls in 2013.
Africa Monitor
Congo army reclaims two mines from rebel groups

Congolese civil society and mining associations say these mines should now be guarded by specially trained mining police to better guarantee the end of conflict minerals.
Africa Rising: Ethiopia moves to diversify exports

In an effort to move beyond just coffee, Ethiopia now exports leather, vegetables, flowers, and yes, the occasional bottle of wine.
Ugandan minister raids gay-rights workshop

Uganda's parliament has taken up once more a bill that imposes tough sentences on homosexuals. A raid on a gay-rights workshop may show government support for the bill.
Did Qaddafi downfall prompt Mali's Tuareg revolt?

Mali's military has been training to take on Al Qaeda insurgents, but the latest revolt by Mali's nomadic Tuareg people seems inspired by an influx of former Qaddafi fighters and arms.
Nigeria's new police chief vows crackdown on corruption

Nigeria's acting inspector general Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar admits that Nigerian police have committed extrajudicial killings and run criminal rackets. That will change, he says.
Africa Monitor
Will President Wade push Senegal toward an uprising?

Abdoulaye Wade's bid for a third term as Senegal's president has raised the possibility of a popular uprising or violence in a country previously seen as one of Africa's greatest success stories. 
Africa Monitor
Rumblings of renewed militancy continue in Bayelsa, Nigeria

The violence seen in the lead-up to the gubernatorial election could be just the beginning of trouble in the Niger Delta, says guest blogger Alex Thurston.
Why Ethiopia's authoritarian style gets a Western nod

Ethiopia is a geostrategically important ally in the West's efforts to battle extremism in the Horn of Africa. Western leaders have also emphasized its progress in battling poverty.
Africa Monitor
Rapper 50 Cent joins battle against Somali hunger

The multimillionaire rap star 50 Cent took a tour of a displacement camp inside Somalia to raise awareness on hunger. Does it help when celebrities do good?
Africa Monitor
Nigeria: is the recent oil violence connected to upcoming elections?

Group known for bombing oil pipelines has allegedly returned to the Niger Delta, just in time for Saturday's gubernatorial elections in President Goodluck Jonathan's home state.