Topic: Djibouti

Is Al Qaeda in Yemen connected to Al Qaeda in Somalia?

In the wake of the Christmas Day Northwest airlines bombing attempt, some are wondering if the Al Qaeda branches in Yemen and Somalia are linked. Most experts don't see evidence of coordination – not yet.

Climate change: Are women the solution?

A new UN report says that women are the key to helping countries prepare for climate change and mitigating the damage.

Eritrea: Africa's version of North Korea?

In a rare interview, Eritrea's president Isaias Afwerki denies helping Islamic militants in Somalia, and says his country doesn't need elections.

Hillary Clinton, in Liberia, targets good government

The country, led by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has made significant strides since its brutal civil war ended in 2003.

For some Comorians, the Yemenia Airways crash is no surprise

Warnings were raised two years ago about the downed Airbus. According to an immigrant safety advocate, 'We are put in trashy planes that do not meet the norms.'

Islamists battle for Somalia

Pirates, Inc.: Inside the booming Somali business

Meet the modern-day brigands behind the sometimes sophisticated, always risky operations that raked in an estimated $80 million in ransoms in 2008.

Somali government encircled by hardline Islamists

After five days of assault by better-armed Al Shabab militiamen, pro-government fighters have apparently begun to retreat.

In soccer, Somalis find a link to home

The national team unites a scattered diaspora and provides a reason to cheer for war-torn Somalia.

World

World

The Arab world's (uneven) progress

A knowledge society is budding. But further reform is needed, for the sake of American security, global prosperity, and Arab dignity.

International news roundup

Islamist militias clash in Somalia as Ethiopian troops withdraw

As 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers depart, militia groups are battling to take more control from the weak transitional government.

World

Piracy raises pressure for new international tack on Somalia

The world is not willing to allow this strategic nation to remain ungoverned. Can a coordinated effort create a stable government?

Ethiopian troops launch major offensives against Islamist insurgents in Somalia

The action raises questions about whether troops will withdraw, as planned, by the end of the year.

Thabo Mbeki: the fall of Africa's Shakespearean figure

South Africa's president was ousted by his own party this weekend.

Pirates help fund Somali warlords

Gunmen hijacked four ship within 48 hours last week. Cash retrieved from ransoms is paying for weapons and salaries of fighters on both sides of Somalia's conflict.

War-torn Somalia braces for fresh violence amid shaky peace accord

Failed talks and the killing of yet another aid worker highlight the growing humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Somali bomb attack targets president Abdullahi Yusuf

The attack undermines a UN-mediated cease-fire signed last week between the government and opposition groups as the country's humanitarian crisis worsens.

Shaky peace accord in Somalia

Monday, the government and an opposition bloc signed a UN-brokered peace deal. But Tuesday, Islamist hard-liners said they would continue to fight.

Somalia violence flares in the wake of U.S. airstrike

Mogadishu's recent outbreak of violence appeared linked to a May airstrike that killed Hashi Aden Ayro, a Somali Islamist leader who the US says has links to Al Qaeda.

Reporters on the Job

U.S. military expands role in West Africa

The USS Fort McHenry is traveling the coast – training soldiers and providing relief.