Topic: Horn of Africa

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South Sudan set to join ranks of five of the world's newest countries

The South Sudan referendum ended with an overwhelming vote for independence – 99.57 percent of those polled voted for it – and put the region officially on track to become independent in July.
How often is a country born? Here’s a look at five of the most recent declarations of independence:
World Toilet Day: Top 10 nations lacking toilets

See a lot of people squatting in the open today? Don't be offended: It's the 10th annual World Toilet Day, an initiative to bring awareness to the need for adequate sanitary facilities.
The 8 worst countries on Transparency International's list

Nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the annual Corruption Perceptions Index has a ranking below five, meaning that not just the following five countries have a corruption problem.

All Content

At Chicago summit, NATO must take stock of its big shoulders

The NATO summit in Chicago can overcome the alliance's current woes about Afghanistan and defense cuts by remembering how unique NATO is in history as a club of democracies with shared principles and interests.
Keep Calm
Does a military solution for Somali piracy work?

Somali pirate attacks have dropped, from 45 in 2010 to 24 in 2011, but there's no evidence that more naval patrols and aggressive private security firms are actually keeping pirates ashore. 
Focus
As war wanes, how will US military retain its best warriors?

Today’s troops have acquired invaluable experience in battle. But when the fighting ends, the US military must find ways to keep the force engaged or risk losing all that expertise.
Report: Ethiopians could still go hungry despite economic gains

With its population of 91 million expected to double in the next 22 years, and a drier climate, Ethiopia will have trouble feeding its people, a new report says.
Detentions display UN's impotence in Ethiopia

Ethiopia's government has held one United Nations employee in jail without charges for well over a year, while another is facing prosecution under a notorious anti-terrorism law.
Africa Monitor
Bombers coopt the 'symbol' of Mogadishu's National Theater

Mogadishu's National Theater has been used as a symbol in Somali politics and the western press, but others used it as a symbol of their own during Wednesday's bombing, writes a guest blogger.
Terrorism & Security
Deadly blast at Somali theater mars Mogadishu's budding peace

At least 10 people were killed in a suicide bombing at Somalia's national theater in Mogadishu. The capital of the wartorn country had been experiencing a revival of sorts.
Suicide bomber kills six in Somali capital

The militant Islamist group Al Shabab is claiming responsibility for the attack that targeted senior government officials Wednesday.
Afghan shooting spree: What did Sgt. Robert Bales's commander know?

The top US commander in Afghanistan says the shooting spree in which Robert Bales has been charged, as well as a recent Quran burning and a video of Marines urinating on dead Taliban are all examples of a failure of good oversight from commanders.
Keep Calm
Invisible Children responds to critics of Joseph Kony 2012 campaign

Invisible Children's chief executive defended his NGO's 'thoughtful and strategic' campaign against the murderous militia leader Joseph Kony.
Africa Monitor
Joseph Kony 2012: It's fine to 'Stop Kony' and the LRA. But Learn to Respect Africans.

Invisible Children's viral campaign to 'Stop Kony' is a powerful use of social media in activism. But by focusing on what Americans can do, they are undermining the role of Africans.
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?
Nations must learn from past mistakes in helping Somalia

This week Britain led another international attempt to help Somalia, a dysfunctional state plagued by piracy and terrorism. Nations must learn from the past that trying to build up a central government in Somalia won't work. It's the regions and sub-clans that need bolstering.
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.
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?
Somalia's Al Shabab launches suicide attack ahead of talks

Car bomb kills 15 in the government-controlled center of Mogadishu just weeks before Somali officials attend a London conference on long-term solutions to country's unrest.
Famine ends in Somalia, as drought looms in West Africa

Aid groups say that improved harvests and food donations have ended risk of starvation, but warn that ongoing war in Somalia could still reverse gains made.
Change Agent
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman urge fans to help Africa

In a show of corporate social responsibility, DC Comics unleashes its superheroes on the problems in the Horn of Africa
Africa asks itself: Where is the aid money?

African nations pledged five months ago to do more to help each other when famine and disaster strike. But so far, they haven't come up with the promised cash.
SEAL Team 6 rescue in Somalia frees two from pirates' lair (+video)

SEAL Team 6 members raided a compound in Somalia early Wednesday to free two hostages held by pirates since October. The raid signals that US 'will not tolerate' abductions of Americans, Obama said.
Global News Blog
Aid groups: With new Africa drought looming, donors must speed response

Aid groups warned that a drought was coming to the Horn of Africa in 2011, and say now that a late response by donor nations unnecessarily cost thousands of lives. 
Global News Blog
World reacts to Obama's new military focus on Asia

Chinese newspapers call on China to assert itself, while India and African nations ponder the implications of becoming 'strategic partners' with the US. 
Is Indian investment in Ethiopian farms a 'land grab?' (VIDEO)

Investment by Indian-owned Karuturi Global has raised questions about whether Ethiopia is literally giving away the farm, or conversely, launching a 'green revolution' to help Ethiopia feed itself.