2007 AFRICA ARCHIVE :

Please note : Most publications move older stories into their archives which may require a fee to view the full story. Some stories listed below may no longer be available online.

International Herald Tribune, 19 Dec 07, by Lydia Polgreen
Resolving crisis in Congo hinges on foreign forces
'Congo's civil war, a complex and seemingly endless conflict that drew in neighboring countries and killed as many as four million people, is inextricably tied to the Rwandan genocide. The Hutu militia and soldiers who led the genocide fled into Congo, then called Zaire, in 1994 when a Tutsi-led rebel force toppled the Rwandan government. How to deal with these foreign fighters has been at the root of the humanitarian emergency in Congo.'

International Herald Tribune, 14 Dec 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Civilians are forced to fight Ethiopian rebels
'The Ethiopian government, one of the United States's top allies in Africa, is forcing untrained civilians - including doctors, teachers, office clerks and employees of development programs financed by the World Bank and United Nations - to fight rebels in the desolate Ogaden region, according to Western officials, refugees and Ethiopian administrators who recently defected to avoid being conscripted.'

BBC News 19 Dec 07
Darfur peace force 'set to fail'
'The hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur in Sudan is "being set up to fail", a report by 35 aid organisations warns.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Dec 07, by Lydia Polgreen
A battered Congo Republic again in convulsions
'A major confrontation between the Congolese Army and a renegade Tutsi general is plunging the country back toward war, threatening to undermine the fledgling democratic state and set off a new regional conflict on a scale not seen here in years.'

Washington Post, 05 Dec 07, by Nora Boustany
Group Urges Swift Dispatch of U.N.-African Force to Darfur
'Thirteen former world leaders and present-day activists led by Nelson Mandela called yesterday for the swift supplying and dispatch of a 26,000-member U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force to bring security to the western Sudanese region of Darfur and end the killing, rape and pillaging there.'

Washington Post, 04 Dec 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
U.S. Debating Shift of Support in Somali Conflict
'The escalating conflict in Somalia is generating debate inside the Bush administration over whether the United States should continue to back the shaky transitional government in Mogadishu or shift support to the less volatile region of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, U.S. defense and military officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov 07, by Stephanie Hanes and Scott Baldauf
Southern Africa moves past liberation heroes
'... a group of former SWAPO politicians launched [Namibia's] first major opposition party – a move that continues the region's tentative shift toward multiparty democracies, and one that could have strong reverberations in neighboring South Africa, considered the region's keystone country.'

BBC News, 19 Nov 07
South Sudan fears return to war
'Former rebels in South Sudan have strongly criticised President Omar al-Bashir, after he threatened to rearm northern militias despite a peace deal.'

International Herald Tribune, 15 Nov 07, by Sharon LaFraniere
World Bank reports progress in sub-Saharan Africa
'The report attributed Africa's progress over the past decade in part to smarter economic policies, better government and fewer armed conflicts. The strong global economy, trade expansion and greater foreign investment have also helped the region.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Oct 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Somali leader resigns, ending long power struggle
'The departure of Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi was greeted by cheers from his colleagues. Meanwhile, insurgents battled Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Oct 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
New violence plagues eastern Congo
'Eastern Congo continues to be afflicted by horrendous violence, and battles between rival militias are driving thousands of beleaguered villagers from their homes, complicating the government's efforts to strike a truce, according to United Nations officials.'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Oct 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Resentment and rations as Eritrea nears a crisis
'Facing rising prospects of war with Ethiopia and increasing tensions with the West, Eritrea has hit its most difficult point since winning its hard-fought independence 14 years ago.'

AllAfrica.com, 16 Oct 07, by Andrew Oota
Nigeria: Country Signs Military Pact With India
'Nigeria and India yesterday signed four agreements covering relations, capacity building, consultations and defence co-operation.'

Voice of America, 03 Oct 07, by Kari Barber
African Reactions Mixed on New American Military Presence
When the United States officially launched a new military command for Africa several countries on the continent reacted positively to the new post. But other countries are positioning themselves against heightened U.S. military presence.

BBC News, 10 Oct 07
Congo battle hampers refugee aid
'Aid agencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they are struggling to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by fighting.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Oct 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Darfur rebels find refuge in Eritrea, but little hope
'An alliance of rebel leaders from Darfur said that unless something changed quickly, the much anticipated peace talks scheduled for later this month would probably fail.'

BBC News, 04 Oct 07
US targets Ethiopia for sanctions
'US congressmen are defending a bill threatening to impose sanctions on Ethiopian officials and stop military aid unless democratic reforms are made.'

New York Times, 02 Oct 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
A Calm Voice From Embattled Eritrea
'For a man who many people say has been backed into a corner, Isaias Afewerki, the president of Eritrea, actually looks pretty relaxed. The Bush administration has threatened to designate his nation a terrorist state. Eritrea is nearing war again with its neighbor, Ethiopia, which is 15 times as populous. And on top of everything else, his country is struggling with thorny development issues, like how to feed itself.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Oct 07, by Scott Baldauf and Rob Crilly
Can world's 'Elders' help solve Darfur?
'Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, and other respected international leaders join forces to push for peace in Sudan.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Oct 07, by Scott Baldauf
U.S. steps up its military presence in Africa
'It launches an Africa command this week, reflecting the region's growing importance.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Oct 07, by Lydia Polgreen
Attack on African Union forces in Darfur threatens to undermine peace talks
'The deadly attack on an African Union peacekeeping base by rebels in Darfur over the weekend brought the credibility of the rebel forces to a low point.'

BBC News, 02 Oct 07
DR Congo Hutu front 'helps' army
'The BBC has uncovered evidence that the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo is working with Hutu militias. The UN and the army deny co-operating with the rebel groups in North Kivu.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 Sep 07, by Howard W. French
The Chinese and Congo take a giant leap of faith
'The entire world may not have sat up and taken notice in the last week, and that is probably just fine with China, which has just made a major move into central Africa.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep 07, by Peter Kagwanja
Why Mugabe attracts Africans and repels the West
'As Africa applauds its oldest ruling freedom fighter, Zimbabwe teeters on economic ruin.'

Diplomatic Courier, Fall 07, by Jed Levine
One Nation under Ellen
'Liberia's post conflict rebuilding is off to a good start, but where is it going?'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Sep 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Chaos in Darfur on rise as Arabs fight with Arabs
'Some of the same Arab tribes accused of massacring civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan are now unleashing their considerable firepower against each other in a battle over the spoils of war that is killing hundreds of people and displacing tens of thousands.'

Washington Post, 24 Aug 07, by Nora Boustany
New Photos Indicate Arms Flow to Darfur
'Recent photographs purportedly showing Sudanese soldiers in the Darfur region moving containers from a Russian-made Antonov cargo plane onto military trucks reinforce suspicions that Sudan continues to violate a U.N.-imposed arms embargo, the London-based human rights group Amnesty International said.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Aug 07, by Michael Wines
African allies not likely to push Mugabe to change
'Southern Africa's political leaders gathered Thursday in Lusaka, Zambia, to discuss Zimbabwe's political and economic collapse, but it appeared unlikely that they would press its president, Robert Mugabe, to change any of the policies that critics said had brought his nation to ruin.'

International Herald Tribune, 14 Aug 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Report blames both government and insurgents for bloodshed in Somalia
'Human Rights Watch accused the transitional government in Somalia and the Ethiopian troops that helped bring it to power of war crimes in Somalia, saying Ethiopian troops had shelled hospitals, Somali officials had blocked aid convoys and both forces had shown wanton indifference toward civilians.

Washington Post, 14 Aug 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Civilian Toll Cited In Somali Conflict
'Ethiopian, Somali and insurgent forces rampantly violated the laws of war during heavy fighting in the Somali capital of Mogadishu earlier this year, resulting in a "catastrophic" toll on civilians, according to a report released Monday by the advocacy group Human Rights Watch.'

BBC News, 13 Aug 07, by Grant Ferrett
What next for chaotic Zimbabwe?
'The gaping holes in the security fence between Zimbabwe and South Africa give a hint of the determination of many Zimbabweans to leave their country.'

Washington Post, 08 Aug 07, by Nora Boustany
Activists Urge Sudan To Release Key Rebel
'U.S. legislators and activists intensified their appeals for the release of a key west Sudan rebel leader and humanitarian coordinator who was once a vital link between relief organizations and insurgents.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug 07, by Tristan McConnell
Sierra Leone vote a test of self-rule
'The war-torn country holds its first election without foreign peacekeepers on Saturday.'

Washington Post, 06 Aug 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
For Tutsis of Eastern Congo, Protector, Exploiter or Both?
'... U.N. officials blame [Gen. Laurent Nkunda] for forcing an estimated 230,000 people from their homes since January and creating the worst humanitarian disaster Congo has experienced since the peak of its decade of civil war.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Aug 07, by Michael Wines
Mysterious 'accident' offers window on Zimbabwe politics
'Brigadier General Gunda, 50, was the commander of President Robert Mugabe's presidential security guard. And barely six days before his death, members of the guard were publicly accused by the government of plotting to end Mugabe's 27-year reign.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Aug 07, by Daniel B. Schneider
Darfur rebels agree on approach to peace talks, UN says
'Eight rebel groups from the chaotic Sudanese region of Darfur agreed Monday on a common platform for peace talks with the government, the United Nations announced. After three days of talks in Arusha, Tanzania, the rebel factions reached a framework on "power-sharing, wealth-sharing, security arrangements, land and humanitarian issues, for the final negotiations" with the government, which could begin with two or three months, according to a statement from the United Nations and the African Union.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Aug 07, by editorial staff
The UN blinks on Darfur
'Rather than plan for an invasion of Darfur to end a genocide, the UN Security Council decided Tuesday to send in 20,000 peacekeepers – not peacemakers. And the Blue Helmets will operate only without usurping Sudanese authority. Why the compromises? Two reasons: China and Iraq.'

BBC News 27 Jul 07
Eritrea 'arming' Somali militia
'Insurgents in Somalia have received huge numbers of weapons in secret shipments from Eritrea, the UN says.'

PBS 'NewsHour', 24 Jul 07
Zimbabwe President to Move Toward Nationalizing Foreign Firms
'In an effort to revive the suffering economy in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe announced plans to push toward nationalizing foreign firms. A professor and African policy expert consider the impacts on the African country.'

BBC News, 24 Jul 07
Rogue general threatens DRC peace
'Forces allied to renegade General Laurent Nkunda pose a serious threat to stability in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN says.'

Washington Post, 20 Jul 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Somali Peace Conference Begins Amid Violence
'The first full day of Somalia's much-delayed reconciliation conference opened Thursday in the broken capital of Mogadishu with faint hopes, much quarreling and a barrage of mortar explosions not too far away.'

Voice of America, 18 Jul 07, by Alisha Ryu
Peace Talks Slow to Develop in Somalia
'In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, insurgent violence is continuing to cause delays in the start of peace talks to end 16 years of factional strife. As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi, the reconciliation process is also being severely tested by increasing criticisms about the performance of Somalia's top interim government leaders and allegations that they are pursuing their own agendas.'

BBC News, 20 Jul 07
Military service for all Ugandans
'Military training is to be made compulsory for all Ugandans, the ruling party has announced. Anyone who failed to undertake the training would be punished, said National Resistance Movement Secretary General Amama Mbabazi.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jul 07, by Blake Lambert
Chocolate now fuels war in West Africa?
'Government and rebel forces in Ivory Coast used the cocoa trade to fund war, says a new report.'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Jul 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
No-shows delay Somali reconciliation conference
'A national reconciliation conference that diplomats have described as a make-or-break opportunity for Somalia's troubled transitional government has opened in Mogadishu. But it barely got off the ground. Top opposition leaders did not show up and the session was quickly postponed.'

Washington Post, 17 Jul 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Ethiopian Opposition Figures Get Life Terms in Widely Faulted Case
'Even as the prisoners' trial has carried on, U.S. officials have been negotiating behind the scenes for the prisoners' release -- efforts that some of their relatives said were compromised because of Ethiopia's alliance with the United States in fighting terrorism in the Horn of Africa.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 12 Jul 07
Pirate attacks up sharply worldwide, maritime watchdog says
'Pirate attacks have increased sharply worldwide in the past three months — especially in Somalia and Nigeria — an international maritime watchdog agency said Thursday.'

BBC News, 13 Jul 07
Militants in first Nigeria talks
'Nigeria's most prominent oil militant leader has held his first talks with the new government and promised to help end the violence in the Niger Delta.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jul 07, by Blake Lambert
A tentative peace breaks out in war-torn Ivory Coast
'A homegrown peace agreement this spring has led to a softening of rhetoric on all sides.'

Washington Post, 11 Jul 07, by Nora Boustany
Bombs, Bandits Hinder Aid to Somalia
'Rising insecurity in Somalia is hampering delivery of humanitarian aid to people who need it most, an adviser to the Oxfam relief agency said Tuesday.'

Washington Post, 11 Jul 07, by Nora Boustany
The Woman Behind Uganda's Peace Hopes
'Betty Bigombe Put Life on Hold to Intercede in Northern War'

Stars and Stripes, 10 Jul 07, by Charlie Coon
AFRICOM struggles to improve image of U.S.
'Improving the United States' image in Africa was a prime topic as 80 people gathered Monday to discuss plans for the new U.S. Africa Command. The command is scheduled to launch, at least partially, in October, when it would begin coordinating its military efforts on the continent.'

The Statesman (Ghana), 03 Jul 07
Ghana in the liberation struggle of Africa
'With the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia, all other states in Africa went through some form of imperialist and or colonial domination. ... The significance of Ghana's independence was the tremendous impetus that it brought to bear on the rest of Africa.'

Forbes/AP, 29 Jun 07, by Edward Harris
Oil Boom, Politics Shape Africa's Future
'Europe's great powers once scrambled for dominance across vast, underdeveloped African lands rich in raw resources, including the scarlet palm oil used to grease the first cogs of the industrial revolution. A century later, a new group of nations are competing for a different valuable, viscous material, with Sub-Saharan Africa closing in on the Persian Gulf as the prime overseas supplier of oil to the last remaining superpower.'

Washington Post, 24 Jun 07, by Craig Whitlock
North Africa Reluctant to Host U.S. Command
'Algeria and Libya reject Pentagon's AFRICOM proposal; Morocco signals its lack of enthusiasm'

Washington Post, 29 Jun 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Ethiopian Premier Admits Errors on Somalia
'Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Thursday that his government "made a wrong political calculation" when it intervened in Somalia, where Ethiopian troops are bogged down in a fight against a growing insurgency.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jun 07, by Danna Harman
How China's support of Sudan shields a regime called 'genocidal'
'Despite instability in the south and the crisis in Darfur, China continues to offer political and military backing.'

BBC News, 26 Jun 07
Gaddafi urges pan-African state
'Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi has described the African Union as a failure and vowed to press ahead with plans for a single African government.'

Globe and Mail, 26 Jun 07, by Stephanie Nolen
Taylor war crimes trial unhinged by false start
'Liberia's former president refused to appear in court in The Hague yesterday. His trial has made it more difficult to act against other African dictators and war criminals, critics say.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jun 07, by Ginny Hill
Military focuses on development in Africa
'In Djibouti, US forces combat terrorism with civil affairs work. Will this be a model for a future US military command in Africa?'

BBC News, 22 Jun 07
US says Zimbabwe change is afoot
'Zimbabwe's hyperinflation will force President Robert Mugabe from power, the US ambassador to the country has said.'

Washington Post, 14 Jun 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Somali Reconciliation Talks Are Delayed Another Month
'A reconciliation conference intended to lay the groundwork for political stability in Somalia has been postponed again ...'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Jun 07, by Michael Wines
Zimbabwe government and opposition hold talks
'Members of the Zimbabwean government and the nation's political opposition have met in Pretoria for their first face-to-face talks since South Africa was asked in March to mediate between the two sides.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jun 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
In Ethiopian desert, horrors of a hidden war
'... an emerging concern for American officials is the way the Ethiopian military operates inside its own borders, especially in war zones like the Ogaden.'

The Guardian, 19 Jun 07, by Simon Tisdall
US failure to pay 'threatens Darfur peacekeeping'
'A breakthrough agreement to deploy a United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur risks being undermined by a shortfall of up to $1bn (£504m) in US contributions to the costs of global peacekeeping, campaigners said yesterday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Jun 07, by Sarah Simpson
Niger Delta's window for change
'The largest militant group in Nigeria's volatile oil-rich region called for a truce this week after the country's new president promised improvements for the people.'

Voice of America, 07 Jun 07, by Peter Heinlein
UN, AU Agree on Joint Darfur Force
'The United Nations and the African Union have tentatively agreed on the outline of a joint peacekeeping operation for Darfur. But ... the 23,000 strong force faces several obstacles that will delay deployment until at least the middle of next year.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 07, by Mark Trumbull
How US sanctions in Sudan will work
'President Bush moves this week to squeeze the regime, but what can blacklisting 30 companies achieve?'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jun 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
U.S. forces hit militants in Somalia
'Somali officials said over the weekend that U.S. forces struck inside Somalia on Friday, bombarding a mountainous area where suspected militants were hiding. The attack was the third known U.S. strike on Somali soil this year.'

BBC News, 04 Jun 07, by Paul Reynolds
Charles Taylor - the trial begins
'The trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor in The Hague, starting on Monday, marks another stage in the world's efforts to bring crimes against humanity to book.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Jun 07, by Tristan McConnell
Charles Taylor's trial puts dictators on notice
'Liberia's former president becomes the first African head of state to go on trial for war crimes Monday.'

Washington Post, 30 May 07, by Michael Abramowitz and Colum Lynch
President Imposes New Sanctions on Sudan
'In announcing new U.S. sanctions on Sudan yesterday, President Bush made clear his frustration with the inability of his administration and the United Nations to halt the violence in Darfur, which he has described as ongoing "genocide."'

Washington Post, 28 May 07, by Walter Pincus
U.S. Africa Command Brings New Concerns
'The creation of the Defense Department Africa Command, with responsibilities to promote security and government stability in the region, has heightened concerns among African countries and in the U.S. government over the militarization of U.S. foreign policy, according to a newly released study by the Congressional Research Service.'

Washington Post, 29 May 07, by Michael Abramowitz
Bush Looks To Intensify Pressure On Sudan
'President Bush has decided to implement a plan to pressure Sudan's government into cooperating with international efforts to halt the violence in its troubled Darfur region, where his administration said almost three years ago that genocide was taking place.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 07, by Stephanie Hanes
ICC path to justice tested in Congo
'Investigations for the International Criminal Court's first trial face serious logistical and security obstacles as well as charges of selective justice.'

The Scotsman/Reuters, 23 May 07, by Joe Bavier
Rights groups say U.N. Congo troops traded arms for gold
'U.N. peacekeepers from Pakistan trafficked arms for gold with an eastern militia in Democratic Republic of Congo, human rights groups said on Wednesday, adding a U.N. inquiry into the affair was deliberately slowed. The United Nations denied any arms were handed over ...'

Washington Post, 18 May 07, by Nora Boustany
Moves by Sri Lanka Military Worry Human Rights Group
'A leading human rights activist expressed fears that a northbound mobilization of troops in Sri Lanka indicated the Colombo government was planning to open another front in its push into Tamil Tiger territory, in retaliation for increasingly brazen rebel attacks involving airstrikes against military air bases.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 20 May 07
U.S. Navy warns ships to stay clear of Somalia's lawless coast
'The U.N. World Food Program has appealed for high-level international action to secure the waters off the coast, saying piracy is threatening aid deliveries to a country trying to recover from the worst fighting in more than a decade.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 07, by Rob Crilly
In Darfur, some Arabs now fight alongside rebels
'Some Arabs fighters are growing so disenchanted with unfulfilled promises from Sudan's government that they're switching sides in the conflict.'

BBC News, 19 May 07, by James Copnall
Ivorian militias start to disarm
'Militia groups have started to disarm in Ivory Coast, in accordance with the terms of the country's peace deal.'

BBC News, 17 May 07
War-hit Uganda to lag for 'years'
'It will take up to four years to rebuild northern Uganda after two decades of rebellion, even if peace talks succeed, a top UN official says.'

Washington Post, 17 May 07, by Nora Boustany
Talks May Help Unite Rebel Forces In Darfur
'The regional government of southern Sudan plans to bring together Darfur rebel factions for a meeting in preparation for future peace talks with Sudan's central government, said the U.N. special envoy to Sudan, Jan Eliasson.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 07, by Scott Baldauf and Alexis Okeowo
AU peacekeepers tested in Somalia
'Even before a roadside bomb killed four Ugandan peacekeepers in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday, convincing other African nations to support the mission was a tough sell.'

BBC News, 10 May 07
Row over Africa peacekeeper money
'The African Union (AU) has defended its method of funding peacekeeping forces following complaints from the Ugandan peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The Ugandan army, which arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in March, says it has not received money promised to it by the AU since its deployment.'

BBC News, 10 May 07
Fears of top UN role for Zimbabwe
'Western countries are concerned about the expected appointment of Zimbabwe to head a key UN body, the Commission on Sustainable Development. Western diplomats said Zimbabwe, which is in the midst of an economic and political crisis, was hardly a good example of development.'

BBC News, 08 May 07
China, Russia deny weapons breach
'China and Russia have denied claims by Amnesty International that they are supplying arms to Sudan for use in Darfur, in breach of a UN arms embargo. A report by the rights group says the weapons end up in the hands of the government-backed Janjaweed militia.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 May 07, by Lydia Polgreen
Elections not the only test of Nigeria's burgeoning democracy
'Measured one way, Nigeria's democracy took a giant step backward in April. Its state and national elections displayed a disastrous mix of fraud and bungling, managing to be worse, by most accounts, than the seriously marred elections in 1999 and 2003.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 May 07, by Scott Baldauf
Deep inside Nigeria's violent oil region
'Militants are stepping up attacks in the wake of the country's fraudulent elections.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr 07, by Rob Crilly and Will Connors
Somali conflict crosses borders
'As the initial shock of this week's rebel raid on a Chinese oil installation in Ethiopia begins to fade, there is a growing realization that Somalia's increasingly brutal insurgency is starting to seep across the Horn of Africa.'

Washington Post, 26 Apr 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Ethiopia Finds Itself Ensnared in Somalia
'Four months after Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi declared his own "war on terror" against an Islamic movement in Somalia, Ethiopia remains entangled in a situation that analysts and critics are comparing to the U.S. experience in Iraq.'

PBS 'NewsHour', 26 Apr 07
Uganda Attempts to End Decades' Long Civil War
'The Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army rebels, which have been mired in civil war for more than 21 years, agreed to resume peace talks Thursday. A report explores international attempts to end the conflict.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Apr 07, by Lydia Polgreen
Africa's crisis of democracy, with Nigeria at forefront
'Nigeria's troubled presidential election, which came under fire on Sunday from local and international observers and was rejected by two leading opposition candidates, represents a significant setback for democracy in sub-Saharan Africa at a time when voters in countries across the continent are becoming more disillusioned with the way democracy is practiced.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Apr 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Somalia on verge of worst crisis ever, UN officials say
'United Nations officials say that Somalia, which has gone 16 years without a central government, is headed toward its worst crisis ever. More than 320,000 people have fled Mogadishu, the capital, since heavy fighting erupted in February. ... Government forces and insurgents in Somalia blasted each other for a fifth successive day Sunday, killing scores of civilians and plunging the country deeper into chaos.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 20 Apr 07
Sudan responds defiantly to threat of new sanctions
'Sudan has dismissed as unjustifiable the threat of slapping new sanctions because of the Darfur conflict, vowing to do everything it can to protect what it sees as its national security.'

National Public Radio, 19 Apr 07
Report: Sudanese Planes Strike Under U.N. Guise
[audio] 'A United Nations report, first published in the New York Times, details the use of Sudanese government planes and helicopters in strikes on Darfur. The aircraft have been painted to look like U.N. vehicles and are being used for bombing runs and surveillance.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 16 Apr 07
U.S. says Sudan aids janjaweed militia
'The janjaweed militia that is accused of widespread atrocities in Darfur is actively supported by the Sudanese government, the U.S. deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte, said Monday.'

Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr 07, by Maggie Farley
Sudan accepts limited U.N. role in Darfur
'Diplomats reacted with cautious optimism Monday to Sudan's grudging agreement to allow U.N. attack helicopters and 3,000 international peacekeepers into Darfur to protect civilians caught in the conflict there.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 11 Apr 07
Pending new talks, U.S. delays sanctions on Sudan
'The United States is holding off on imposing unilateral sanctions against Sudan so negotiations can take place on Sudanese acceptance to deploy international peacekeepers in Darfur, Andrew Natsios, special U.S. envoy to Sudan, said Wednesday.'

BBC News, 12 Apr 07
Ivory Coast moves to end division
'Rival Ivory Coast military commanders have agreed to dismantle a buffer zone separating their forces, starting on Monday, as part of a peace deal.'

BBC News, 10 Apr 07
Chad army 'attacked Sudan forces'
'Sudan says its armed forces have clashed with the Chadian army in the western region of Darfur, with 17 of its soldiers killed and 40 injured.'

BBC News, 10 Apr 07, by Amber Henshaw
Ethiopia admits terror detentions
'Ethiopia's government has admitted that it detained 41 "terror suspects" who were captured in neighbouring Somalia. The ministry of foreign affairs said the detainees were from 17 countries including America, Canada and Sweden.'

International Herald Tribune, 08 Apr 07, by Michael R. Gordon and Mark Mazzetti
Ethiopia bought arms from North Korea with U.S. assent
'Three months after the United States successfully pressed the United Nations to impose strict sanctions on North Korea because of that country's nuclear test, officials in the Bush administration allowed Ethiopia to complete a secret arms purchase from Pyongyang in what appears to be a violation of the restrictions, according to senior U.S. officials.'

Washington Post, 03 Apr 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Somalis Flee Capital As Official Warns Of a New Offensive
'A Somali government official warned exhausted Mogadishu residents Monday that another military offensive against insurgents was on the way, as more people joined the exodus from the capital.'

BBC News, 03 Apr 07
Fleeing Somali refugees stranded
'Hundreds of Somali refugees who fled heavy fighting in the capital, Mogadishu, are stranded near the Kenyan border in a desperate condition.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Apr 07, by Rob Crilly
Truce aims to stem Somalia's bloodshed
'Recent fighting between Ethopian troops and insurgents was intense even by Mogadishu's skewed standards.'

Washington Post, 03 Apr 07, by Craig Timberg
Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Ready for Talks With Mugabe
'Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Monday he is ready to negotiate with President Robert Mugabe without any preconditions, despite ongoing abductions and beatings of anti-government activists there.'

BBC News, 03 Apr 07
Darfur peace force 'needed now'
'The African Union has called on Sudan to speed up plans for a new AU/UN peace force in Darfur where five Senegalese soldier were killed on Sunday.'

Washington Post, 03 Apr 07, by Colum Lynch
U.N. Chief Seeks to Delay Sanctions Against Sudan
'U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Monday urged the United States and Britain to delay plans to press for sanctions against Sudan, saying he needs more time to persuade Khartoum to allow more U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar 07, by Stephanie Hanes
Congo tense as UN mandate set to expire
'By April 15, the UN will decide whether to scale back the world's largest peacekeeping mission in volatile Congo.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Mar 07, by Michael Wines, Reuters, AP
Crackdown on opposition widens in Zimbabwe
'Hundreds of Zimbabwe political and civic activists, and in some cases their families, have been abducted and severely beaten in recent days by unidentified assailants, a string of dead-of-night assaults that appear part of a new government campaign to smother rising unrest.'

New York Times, 29 Mar 07, by Warren Hoge
Arabs and U.N. Chief Press Sudan's Leader to End Darfur Crisis
'The president of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, came under pressure Thursday from Arab leaders to end the crisis in Darfur.'

Washington Post, 24 Mar 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
A Darfur Village Bears Up Under Janjaweed Yoke
'Since arriving four years ago in a herd of horses and camels and guns, the militiamen known as Janjaweed have killed several of the 500 people who live here, villagers said, beaten others and generally menaced the population into believing that their village could be destroyed at any moment, like hundreds of others across the Darfur region of western Sudan.'

BBC News, 22 Mar 07
Battles resume in Somali capital
'Fighting has resumed in Somalia, a day after 16 people died during clashes between Ethiopian-backed government forces and insurgents.'

Reuters, 22 Mar 07, by Cris Chinaka
Zimbabwe pleads for African solidarity
'Zimbabwe's government asked for the support of other African countries on Thursday as cracks began emerging in the region over President Robert Mugabe's increasingly controversial rule.'

BBC News, 22 Mar 07
Zimbabwe reaching 'turning point'
'The US envoy to Zimbabwe has said he believes opposition to President Robert Mugabe has reached a turning point.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar 07, by Scott Baldauf
Zimbabwe crackdown leads to crisis
'Pressure is mounting on Robert Mugabe's regime after opposition leaders were brutally beaten last week.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 17 Mar 07
Ivory Coast forms joint military-rebel command
'President Laurent Gbagbo has signed a decree creating a joint military command center, the first step toward unifying government and rebel forces in this West African country.'

Washington Post, 15 Mar 07, by Craig Timberg
Arrests Energize Zimbabwe Opposition
'Two harrowing days in police custody have left Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai with serious physical injuries but also renewed standing as head of an anti-government movement that is showing more energy than it has in years.'

The Guardian, 15 Mar 07, by Julian Borger
Bush and Blair threaten new Sudan sanctions
'Sudan was confronted yesterday with the prospect of stiffer sanctions over its failure to allow UN peacekeepers in Darfur, after Tony Blair threatened tougher action and a top US official warned of measures targeting the country's economic interests.'

BBC News, 13 Mar 07
Sudan sued over USS Cole attack
'Families of American sailors killed in the suicide bombing of the USS Cole warship are suing the government of Sudan, accusing it of aiding terrorism.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Mar 07, by Michael Wines
The police violently crush protest in Zimbabwe
'Hundreds of riot officers in Zimbabwe on Sunday violently crushed an attempt by protesters to hold what they called a prayer meeting in one of the capital's largest townships to express opposition to President Robert Mugabe's rule.'

BBC News, 08 Mar 07
Sudan 'paralysing' aid to Darfur
'The Sudanese government is "paralysing" the aid operation in its conflict-torn western region of Darfur, the US special envoy to Sudan has said.'

Washington Post, 08 Mar 07, by Travis Fox
At a Camp In Chad, Hope Wanes
'Food aid for displaced is imperiled by surge in violence and banditry.'

San Jose Mercury News, 05 Mar 07, by Shashank Bengali, McClatchy Newspapers
Somalia's Islamist militias may be plotting comeback
'Barely two months after they were toppled by a U.S.-backed military operation, militant Islamist leaders and hundreds of fighters have returned to the country's capital and are quietly preparing to make a comeback, according to militia members and Somali community leaders.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb 07, by Robert Marquand
World court's big move on Darfur
'Darfur is widely regarded as the highest profile case in international justice circles, and a possible turning point in efforts to establish a global criminal tribunal – though ICC investigations into Darfur have proceeded during the conflict, and without cooperation by Sudan.'

Sky Valley Journal/AP, 27 Feb 07, by Anthony Mitchell
4 suspected Somali pirates arrested
'Somali authorities have arrested four suspects in the hijacking of a U.N.-chartered cargo ship delivering food aid, the U.N. said Tuesday. The MV Rozen, however, was still under the control of four pirates who remained aboard with 12 crew members as hostage, said the U.N's food agency.'

BBC News, 01 Mar 07
First peacekeepers are in Somalia
'A small advance team of African Union troops has arrived in Somalia, say officials in the country.'

BBC News, 01 Mar 07
No renewal of truce in Uganda
'A cessation of hostilities in the 20-year civil war between the Ugandan government and Lord's Resistance Army has expired, with no new deal in sight.'

New York Times, 23 Feb 07, by Michael R. Gordon and Mark Mazzetti
U.S. Used Base in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda
'The American military quietly waged a campaign from Ethiopia last month to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, including the use of an airstrip in eastern Ethiopia to mount airstrikes against Islamic militants in neighboring Somalia, according to American officials.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Feb 07, by Craig S. Smith
Tunisia is feared to be a new base for Islamists
'Counterterrorism officials on three continents say the trouble in Tunisia is the latest evidence that a brutal Algerian group with a long history of violence is acting on its promise to organize extremists across North Africa and join the remnants of Al Qaeda to become a new international force for jihad.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Feb 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
News Analysis: Somalia moving closer to total collapse
'Somalia seems to be just shy of total collapse -- again -- because the Ethiopian troops who provided the muscle to throw out the Islamists have already begun to withdraw, while none of the peacekeepers promised from other African countries have arrived.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
In Somalia, violence is status quo, dashing hopes
'Nearly every day, government forces and insurgents shell each other across the already dilapidated neighborhoods of the capital, Mogadishu, scattering limbs and any remaining traces of hope. Gun prices are soaring and more clans are joining the underground, while an outbreak of cholera sweeps the countryside.'

BBC News, 19 Feb 07
'Anti-terror force' for Somalia
'Somalia's transitional government has set up a joint police and military unit to counter attacks by suspected Islamists in the capital, Mogadishu.'

New York Times, 20 Feb 07, by Lydia Polgreen
Discontent in Guinea Nears Boiling Point
'Across Africa, autocracy and one-party rule have slowly yielded to open, multiparty democracy. Guinea, one of the last bastions of one-man rule, now seems on the verge of insurrection. No one knows what kind of change will come -- a military coup, a people's uprising, a brutal civil war or some grim combination.'

Gulf Times, 14 Feb 07
Guinea army is deployed to quash unrest
'Guinea's military yesterday enforced draconian martial law measures across the West African state, quashing protests and arresting curfew-breakers to halt a widening revolt against President Lansana Conte's rule.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb 07, by Scott Baldauf and Joseph J. Schatz
Chinese leader's almost triumphal trip to Africa
'Growing skepticism met President Hu the further south he went as leaders signaled the end of the China-Africa honeymoon.'

Middle East Report Online, 11 Feb 07, by Ken Menkhaus
There and Back Again in Somalia
'... calls by top al-Qaeda figures for jihad against Ethiopia, and two January 2007 US airstrikes aimed at three foreign al-Qaeda operatives believed to have orchestrated the 1998 Nairobi embassy bombings, serve as reminders that the Somali crisis is part of a much wider global confrontation and will continue to be understood by most outside actors through the prism of the war on terror.'

News24.com (Southern Africa)/AP, 29 Jan 07
Somalia may 'revert to chaos'
'United States military officials say Somalia could return to chaos in four months if international peacekeepers don't quickly replace departing Ethiopian troops - now propping up the country's weak government.'

NewsHour, 26 Jan 07, by Lea Winerman
Somalia's Relationship with Ethiopia and Eritrea
'When Ethiopian forces entered Somalia in December 2006 to support the embattled transitional government against the Islamic Courts Union, the incursion was only the latest event in a decades-long history of conflict between the two countries.'

Reuters, 29 Jan 07
FACTBOX: Sudan's bid to chair the African Union
'An African Union summit opened on Monday with the stage set for a battle over Sudan's determination to assume the chair, as promised a year ago, despite fierce criticism of continuing bloodshed in its Darfur region. Here are some key facts on the controversy surrounding the Sudanese bid to chair the AU.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters/AP, 24 Jan 07
U.S. launches airstrike in Somalia against suspected terrorist targets
'The United States launched an airstrike in Somalia against suspected terrorist targets — the second such attack this month, defense officials said Wednesday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the action was carried out in secret, provided few details about the strike by an air force AC-130 gunship earlier this week and were uncertain whether the intended target was killed.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jan 07, by Howard W. French
China seeks solution to Darfur crisis
'In recent months, China has faced widespread criticism for its economic engagement with Sudan at a time when government-allied militias, known as the janjaweed, have mounted frequent attacks on civilian populations in Sudan's western Darfur region.'

New York Times, 22 Jan 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
New Somali Government Faces Old Problem: Clans
'... whether Somalia pulls itself together now or explodes into bloodshed again depends not on American troops, foreign peacekeepers, investment or aid. It depends on clans.'

The Sunday Times, 14 Jan 07, by Hala Jaber in Nairobi and Michael Smith
SAS hunts fleeing Al-Qaeda Africans
'An SAS team is hunting down Al-Qaeda terror suspects as they try to flee war-torn Somalia after the crushing defeat of the country's Islamist forces last week.'

BBC News, 09 Jan 07, by Paul Reynolds
Twin US aims in Somalia
'By attacking Islamist fighters in Somalia the United States is trying to achieve two objectives. It wants to intervene decisively on the side of the transitional government now back in Mogadishu and to get at three al-Qaeda suspects linked to bombings of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and attacks on an Israeli-owned hotel and airliner in Kenya in 2002.'

Washington Post, 12 Jan 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
U.S. Troops Went Into Somalia After Raid
'A small team of American military personnel entered southern Somalia to try to determine exactly who was killed in a U.S. airstrike Monday that targeted suspected al-Qaeda figures thought to be hiding in swampy mangrove forests along the Indian Ocean, U.S. sources said Thursday.'

AllAfrica.com, 11 Jan 07, by Chika Amanze-Nwachuku, Paul Ohia and Segun James
Nigeria: Militants Kidnap 9 Koreans, 1 Nigerian At Bayelsa Oil Base
'A United States defence analyst, J. Peter Pham, also yesterday warned that Nigeria could become a new theatre for terrorist activities and therefore called for a close monitoring of trends in the country by the US.'

Voice of America, 10 Jan 07, by Kari Barber
Analysts: Nigeria May Be Hot Spot For Terrorism in West Africa
'International policy analyst J. Peter Pham has written columns for a defense publication warning that West Africa could provide a welcoming terrain for international terrorism. Pham says he believes violence in the Niger Delta is taking on a radical Islamic dimension.'

Washington Post, 11 Jan 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Somali Capital Awash in Anger At Ethiopia, U.S., Interim Leaders
'The situation is so confused and the city so fractured and armed that the attacks, recounted by witnesses, could have come from any number of groups frustrated with the presence of Ethiopian troops, who last month swept a popular Islamic movement from power on behalf of the weak, U.S.-backed transitional government that is now struggling to assert control.'

Washington Post, 10 Jan 07, by Karen DeYoung and Stephanie McCrummen
U.S. Is Not Saying Who, or What, Was Hit in Somalia Raid
'Two days after the United States launched an airstrike against alleged al-Qaeda terrorists in southern Somalia, U.S. officials declined yesterday to provide details of who, or what, was hit.'

New York Times, 08 Jan 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Islamists Out, Somalia Tries to Rise From Chaos
'The road ahead for Somalia begins in places like Kismayo, dusty, chaotic, forlorn wrecks of cities where the list of dire needs like food, water, shelter, a fire department, law, order — and hope — is so overwhelming that people just shake their heads and smile when asked where they would begin.'

New York Times, 07 Jan 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Violence in Somalia Over Disarmament
'Hundreds of Somalis stormed Saturday into the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia's already unsteady capital, to hurl rocks at Ethiopian troops allied with the government and to protest a disarmament program that Somali leaders ended up scrapping.'

San Francisco Chronicle, 05 Jan 07, by Anna Badkhen
A shot at creating a vital state in Somalia
'... without a concentrated push for a coalition government that would represent all elements of Somalia's deeply fragmented society, the country probably will plunge into renewed clan warfare, paving the way for Islamists to return to power and establish a Taliban-like state that could serve as a haven for international terrorists ...'

BBC News, 05 Jan 07
Somalia 'needs force quickly'
'The international contact group on Somalia has called for urgent funding for a peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Jan 07, by Rob Crilly
Somalis loath to disarm
'Only a handful turned in weapons by the time a 72-hour amnesty ended Thursday. Tension grips the capital.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jan 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Kenya shuts border with Somalia
'Kenyan officials announced Wednesday that they were closing their country's northern border because of the conflict in Somalia, but denied that they had turned back hundreds of refugees.'

Washington Post, 05 Jan 07, by Stephanie McCrummen
Somalis Adapt Warily, Pragmatically to New Order in Capital
'Fear of warlords returns after rout of Islamic forces'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jan 07, by Jeffrey Gettleman
After 15 years, someone's in charge in Somalia, if barely
'After Somalia's Islamist forces abandoned their final outpost on Monday, the transitional government moved aggressively to assert control, setting a three-day deadline for all weapons to be turned in and calling for international peacekeeping troops to be sent immediately.'