AFRICA :

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Jul 10, by Laura Seay
Why recent US 'conflict minerals' legislation may not help in eastern Congo
'The advocates arguing that recent US 'conflict minerals' legislation will help bring peace to eastern Congo are operating on a flawed understanding of the violence and the logic that motivates the fighters.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jul 10, by Max Delany
Uganda bombings: Somalis in Uganda's capital now fear reprisal attacks
'Less than 48 hours after twin Uganda bombings claimed by Somalia's Al Shabab militants killed 76 people, the Somali community in Uganda is now worried about being attacked. An unexploded suicide vest was found Monday and four foreigners arrested.'

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Jul 10, by Mike Pflanz
At last, a court to try Somali pirates
'Most navies catch and release Somali pirates. But Kenya's new pirate court, funded by the UN, aims to bring legal clarity to a complex international crime.'

New York Times, 13 Jun 10, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Children Carry Guns for a U.S. Ally, Somalia
'According to Somali human rights groups and United Nations officials, the Somali government, which relies on assistance from the West to survive, is fielding hundreds of children or more on the front lines, some as young as 9.'

New York Times, 04 Jun 10, by Adam Nossiter
African States Weigh 50 Bittersweet Years of Independence
'The notion of independence itself — in a context of bad governance, economic inequality, poverty and dependence on foreign aid — has been called into question by some African intellectuals.'

Washington Post, 27 May 10, by Sudarsan Raghavan
In Somalia's war, a new challenger is pushing back radical al-Shabab militia
'Sufis are suceeding in taking on al-Shabab, an extremist group with ties to al-Qaeda.'

Washington Post, 24 May 10, by Craig Whitlock
Lack of prosecution poses challenge for foreign navies that catch Somali pirates
'The United States and more than 20 allied countries have captured hundreds of pirates since launching joint operations in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden last year. But catching the pirates -- almost all from Somalia, a failed state on the Horn of Africa -- has been the easy part. Finding a place to hold them has proved far more complicated.'

Washington Post, 13 May 10, by Mary Beth Sheridan
U.S. envoy Gration says Sudan's peace accord is in peril
'Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. J. Scott Gration, the special envoy to Sudan, acknowledged to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that preparations for a critical element of the peace accord -- a referendum on independence for southern Sudan -- are behind schedule. Many analysts fear that southern Sudan's secession could result in renewed fighting.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr 10, by Scott Baldauf
Sudan 101: Could the war over South Sudan spark up again?
'Polls suggest that most southerners will vote for secession in the 2011 referendum, thereby reducing Khartoum's oil revenues. The division of Sudan's oil resources could cause a return to war.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr 10, by Scott Baldauf
Sudan 101: What is the Darfur war about?
'In 2003, rebels in Darfur took up arms to force President Omar al-Bashir's Arab-dominated government to deliver greater autonomy and better governance to the neglected region.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr 10, by Scott Baldauf
Sudan 101: Is the Darfur conflict a fight between Arabs and Africans?
'Racial tension between ethnic groups fuels the conflict in Darfur, as many nomadic herdsmen consider themselves to be Arabs while many farmers consider themselves to be African.'

Washington Post, 26 Apr 10, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Sudan's first multiparty elections in more than 2 decades maintain status quo
'Bashir will not earn any more legitimacy from his victory: The elections were marred from the start by allegations of vote-rigging, and the main opposition parties boycotted the ballot. Bashir becomes the first head of state charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to be reelected.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr 10, by Scott Baldauf and Alan Boswell
Sudan election problems: few enough to be legitimate?
'As voting ended today in Sudan's election, voters in the south complained about being unable to find their names on the voter rolls. Jimmy Carter says the election is a major stepping stone in the peace process.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr 10, by Scott Baldauf
Sudan election: Is Khartoum stealing South Sudan's oil?
'As people vote in the Sudan election, a recent report says that $700 million – perhaps much more – may have been underpaid to South Sudan since a 2005 peace agreement mandated the sharing of oil revenues with Khartoum in the North.'

The National Interest, 09 Apr 10, by J. Peter Pham
Sudan’s Election Fiasco
'It goes without saying that things have not quite work out as planned. Of course, it was never going to be easy. The logistics alone are daunting ...'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Apr 10, by Scott Baldauf
Bashir: The only choice left in Sudan elections
'In the Sudan elections that should have offered a choice between unity or southern secession, political Islam or secular governance, only President Omar Al-Bashir's party is running. Twelve parties are boycotting the vote.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Apr 10, by Matthew Clark
Somali pirates: Why don’t more ships have private security?
'Somali pirates have been attacking farther out into the Indian Ocean for months, but many ships – such as the South Korean supertanker nabbed this weekend – still do not travel with a private security detail. Why not?'

Christian Science Monitor, 16 Mar 10, by Scott Baldauf
Inside Al Shabab: How the Somalia militant group rules through fear
'As the Somalia government fends off militant group Al Shabab, the Al Qaeda-linked insurgency shows its power through intimidation of a whistle-blower.'

New York Times, 16 Mar 10, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Somalia’s President Assails U.N. Report on Corruption
'Somalia’s president on Tuesday blasted a recent United Nations report that characterized the government’s security forces as ineffective and corrupt and said that as much as half the food aid to the country was routinely stolen.'

Stars and Stripes, 23 Mar 10, by John Vandiver
U.S. contractor flies AU peacekeepers to Somalia
'State department says U.S. has no plans to increase military’s role'

New York Times, 05 Mar 10, by Jeffrey Gettleman
U.S. Aiding Somalia in Its Plan to Retake Its Capital
'... American assistance could be crucial to the effort by Somalia’s government to finally reassert its control over the capital and bring a semblance of order to a country that has been steeped in anarchy for two decades.'

Washington Post, 10 Mar 10, by Sudarsan Raghavan
U.S. envoy pushes for Darfur peace deal before Sudanese elections
'The U.S. special envoy to Sudan warned Wednesday that efforts to bring peace to the country's troubled Darfur region could become less of a priority for the Obama administration if a full-fledged peace agreement is not reached before Sudanese elections scheduled for mid-April.'

• Crimes of War Project : War in Africa
• Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers

See Africa archive for past stories.

"Hunt for the Somali Pirates" airs soon on the National Geographic Channel.
When Somali pirates hijack the Maersk Alabama -- and international headlines -- Navy SEALs launch a sneak attack to rescue the ship's American captain. Pirate Hunters recounts the harrowing five days from hijack to final fatal shots, and reveals sophisticated Navy SEAL training methods that prepare the world's most elite reconnaissance teams for daring missions with no second chances.