AFRICA ARCHIVE :

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International Herald Tribune, 29 Dec 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Somalia's president resigns
'Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Somalia's combative ex-warlord of a president who has been widely blamed for his country's deepening crisis, resigned on Monday, casting Somalia into a deeper political abyss, but at the same time possibly creating an opportunity. ... His exit will most likely kick off an intense, clan-based scramble for his post, which in reality has become increasingly irrelevant as the government has veered toward collapse.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Dec 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Islamist militants in Somalia begin to fight one another
'Somalia's Islamist militants, long a bane of the country's weakening government, are now officially fighting one another. On Sunday, a powerful, newly militarized Islamist group declared a "holy war" against other Islamist factions, and it seems to have the muscle to back up its intentions.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Dec 08, by Neil MacFarquhar
Sudan's north-south war still smolders
'While much of the world's attention has been focused on the crisis in Darfur, the stakes are much higher in southern Sudan. At more than 40 years, the war in the south lasted longer and was far more brutal than what Darfur has endured. An estimated two million people were killed and four million displaced in the 15 years before the 2005 treaty.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Dec 08, by Alan Cowell
Stand-off after coup claim in Guinea
'A day after a junior army officer announced a coup attempt in the West African state of Guinea, the country was locked in a stand-off between mutinous soldiers and the government, both seeking to control a land that is both impoverished and potentially rich from minerals, according to news reports on Wednesday.'

Washington Post, 23 Dec 08, by Samson Haile, AP
AU extends Somalia mandate, will impose sanctions
'The African Union will keep its peacekeeping force in Somalia for two more months, an official said, but there was little hope of deploying extra soldiers before Ethiopian troops pull out at the end of the year.'

Washington Post, 22 Dec 08, by Karin Brulliard
U.S. Won't Support Zimbabwe if Mugabe Stays On, Envoy Says
'A power-sharing agreement between Zimbabwe's opposition parties and Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe with increasing severity for 28 years, is "not credible with Mugabe as president" because he appears unwilling to share control, said Jendayi Frazer, U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Dec 08, by Lydia Polgreen
From inside, Ghana's stellar image questioned
'Ghana has been a favorite of Western governments in a region often known for brutal civil wars, corruption and tyranny, yet just below the surface, tensions are roiling.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Dec 08, by Lydia Polgreen
Massacre unfurls in Congo, despite nearby aid
'... the killings and the stumbling response to the rebel advance were symptomatic of problems that have plagued the United Nations peacekeeping force in Congo for years ...'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Dec 08, by Scott Baldauf
Last-minute shift could jeopardize Congo peace talks
'Gen. Laurent Nkunda's rebel group says Congo's move to invite 20 other rebel groups could scupper bilateral talks that began Monday.'

New York Times, 09 Dec 08, by Mark McDonald
Array of Strategies Are Tried to Turn Back Pirates at Sea
'On Monday, the European Union began a yearlong naval operation in the Gulf of Aden, where 14 ships are being held for ransom, including a Saudi supertanker and a Ukrainian ship with tanks and other military equipment aboard. ... The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution last week that allows navies to breach the 12-mile territorial limit to enter Somali waters in pursuit of pirates.'

CNN, 09 Dec 08, by Mike Steere
How to solve the pirate problem
'... the pirates are hard to stop due to a lack of effective authorities in Somalia, limits in terms of how patrolling navies can act, and the vast expanses of water in which the pirates are operating. ... the long term solution is a stable, functioning and effective government in Somalia. ... In the shorter term, solving the problem, or at least minimizing it, depends upon the actions of the navies patrolling the area.'

International Herald Tribune, 08 Dec 08, by Mark McDonald
Shipowners losing this battle of wits
'A nightmare scenario has shipowners, insurers, seafarers and naval officers in something of a panic, given a sharp increase in brazen pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.'

International Herald Tribune, 07 Dec 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Future of Somalia's transitional government looks bleak
'Somalia's transitional government looks as if it is about to flatline. The Ethiopians who have been keeping it alive for two years say they are leaving the country, essentially pulling the plug on their military support.'

Washington Post, 07 Dec 08, by Stephanie McCrummen and Colum Lynch
Sudan's Leaders Brace for U.S. Shift
'So far, Obama has been more cautious on Darfur than some of his appointees, advocating tougher sanctions against Khartoum and a no-fly zone that might be enforced with U.S. "help." He has not called for direct U.S. intervention.'

The Times (London), 11 Dec 08, by Richard Beeston
Analysis: absurd cholera declaration reveals Mugabe's fear
'Do not make the mistake of thinking the Zimbabwe president is unhinged - he is simply trying to avert a war of his own making.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Dec 08, by Bernd Debusmann, Reuters
The problem with piracy is, it's just too easy
'As far as illicit businesses with low risk and high rewards go, it doesn't get much better than piracy on the high seas. The profit margins can easily surpass those of the cocaine trade. The risks? "There is no reason not to be a pirate," according to Vice Admiral William Gortney, who commands the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Dec 08, by Will Connors
Counting the bodies in the aftermath of clashes in Nigeria
'At least 400 people were killed on Friday after angry Christian and Muslim mobs protested what they said were rigged local election results.'

The Guardian, 02 Dec 08, by Chris McGreal
Mugabe's power under threat as troops riot over pay
'Dozens of Zimbabwean soldiers rioted in Harare yesterday, attacking banks after they were unable to withdraw their near worthless pay, in a further sign that Robert Mugabe may be losing control over the forces that have kept him in power.'

BBC News, 20 Nov 08
Crisis meeting over Somali piracy
'A spate of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia has prompted an emergency meeting between nations bordering the Red Sea to deal with the problem.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Nov 08, by Thom Shanker
Allied forces train merchant seamen to counter piracy
'The commander of U.S. and allied naval forces off the coast of Somalia has begun efforts to halt a spike in piracy, urging merchant vessels to sail with armed guards on board and to travel only within lanes now patrolled by warships.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Nov 08, by Hari Kumar and Alan Cowell
International concern grows over piracy
'Days after pirates seized a Saudi-owned supertanker carrying more than $100 million worth of crude oil, the Indian Navy said on Wednesday that one of its warships had fought a four-to-five-hour battle at sea with would-be hijackers in the Gulf of Aden ...'

Xinhua, 19 Nov 08
Somali pirates wreak havoc along key shipping route
'Attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia have fiercely intensified, with five vessels reportedly hijacked in the past week, including Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star, the largest vessel ever seized at sea.'

NPR, 18 Nov 08
Lucrative Piracy Business Thrives Off Somali Coast
'The magnitude of recent piracy attacks is rising ... Many are focused around the eastern Horn of Africa, but piracy in the waters around Indonesia also has been frequent. J. Peter Pham, director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University, says the recent spikes in piracy are "a crime of both opportunity and expediency."'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov 08, by Scott Baldauf
Oil capture spotlights Somali pirates' reach
'The capture of the Sirius Star ... raises concern from some Western analysts that the pirates' spoils could help fund a growing Islamist insurgency in Somalia, although there is little evidence of that so far.'

BBC News, 18 Nov 08, by Paul Reynolds
Rules frustrate anti-piracy efforts
'The international effort to stop piracy off Somalia has not worked and the effort clearly needs to be stepped up into a higher gear.'

BBC News, 18 Nov 08
Congo rebels 'to withdraw troops'
'Rebels loyal to Laurent Nkunda in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they are withdrawing from two fronts to create humanitarian corridors. The news came after the army chief of staff was sacked following the recent rebel advances in the east.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 16 Nov 08
Somali president says Islamists control most of country
President Abdullahi Yusuf has admitted Islamist insurgents now control most of Somalia, and he raised the prospect that his government could completely collapse. ... Islamists ruled Mogadishu and most of south Somalia for half of 2006. Allied Ethiopian and Somali government forces toppled them but they have waged an Iraq-style guerrilla campaign since then, gradually taking back territory.'

BBC News, 13 Nov 08
Foreign troops 'drawn into Congo'
'Evidence is increasing that foreign forces are being drawn into the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.'

Washington Post, 13 Nov 08, by Stephanie McCrummen
Rebels Press Young Men to Join Fight in Congo
'On Wednesday, Angola announced that it was sending troops to Congo to help Kabila, raising fears that the fighting could spawn a wider conflict similar to the one that devastated the region from 1998 to 2002. That fighting eventually involved more than six countries in a mad scramble for diamonds, gold, copper, tin and other minerals and came to be called Africa's World War.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Nov 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Another city in Somalia falls to Islamist insurgents
'The Islamists are now in control of a large - and rapidly growing - swath of south-central Somalia, and the weak transitional government seems too paralyzed by infighting to do much about it. The government has repeatedly asked the United Nations to send peacekeeping troops, but because of the continuing conflicts in eastern Congo and Darfur, that seems unlikely at the moment.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Nov 08, by Celia W. Dugger
Neighbors call on Zimbabwe rivals to form joint government
'Southern African leaders called Monday for political rivals in Zimbabwe to share control of the crucial ministry that oversees the police and to form a joint government immediately, but the opposition flatly rejected the proposal as unworkable and unfair.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 06 Nov 08
Congo fighting spreads
'[Rebel leader] Nkunda's men wrested control of Kiwanja Wednesday following heavy fighting with a pro-government militia called Mai Mai, one of many signs that the conflict is spreading in eastern Congo and a fragile cease-fire is close to unraveling.'

BBC News, 07 Nov 08, by Mark Doyle
Rwanda's role in DR Congo conflict
'... President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, lambasted DR Congo and the international community for, in his words, failing to deal with what he said was the principal cause of the fighting around the eastern Congolese city of Goma. Paul Kagame said that the "root cause" was the Hutu militia responsible for the genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994 in Rwanda - and still present in the forests around eastern DR Congo.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Nov 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
In Congo, fighting brings fear that chaos will return
'When Congo shakes, Africa trembles. ... When the Congolese state began to collapse in 1996, it set off a regional war. When it imploded again in 1998, it dragged in armies from a half-dozen other African countries. The two wars and the mayhem since have killed possibly five million people, a death toll that human rights groups say is the worst related to any conflict since World War II.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Nov 08, by Scott Baldauf
Congo's riches fuel its war
'... top European, US, and UN envoys continue to discuss how best to prevent the latest crisis from spiraling out of control. But many attempts to end Congo's conflict have failed, in part because wars that appear to be all about ethnicity are also about business.'

Deutsche Welle, 01 Nov 08
International Diplomats to Intervene in Congo Crisis
'Western leaders are headed to Africa on Saturday, Nov. 1, to push diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a humanitarian disaster in DR Congo. Use of military force has to remain an option, a British official said.'

Washington Post, 30 Oct 08, by Stephanie McCrummen
Embers of Rwandan Genocide Flare
'Congo Faces Threat of War as Rebels Advance, Soldiers Leave Posts and Villagers Flee'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Oct 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Somalia's pirates flourish in a lawless nation
'The country is in chaos, countless children are starving and people are killing one another in the streets of Mogadishu, the capital, for a handful of grain. But one particular line of work – piracy – seems to be benefiting quite openly from all this lawlessness and desperation. This year, Somali officials say, pirate profits are on track to reach a record $50 million, all of it tax free.'

New York Times/AP, 22 Oct 08
NATO Fleet Sails Toward Somalia to Guard Against Piracy
'A NATO flotilla sailing toward the Somali coast will begin antipiracy operations within the next few days, but officials said Wednesday that the alliance was still working out the ships' rules of engagement.'

Voice of America, 21 Oct 08, by David Gollust
Rice, Zuma Agree on Need to Complete Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Deal
'US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the situation in Zimbabwe Tuesday with Jacob Zuma, leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress party, the ANC.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct 08, by Scott Baldauf
Can a Regional Summit Break Zimbabwe's Crisis Deadlock?
'Leaders from Southern Africa began emergency talks in Swaziland on Monday.'

New York Times, 14 Oct 08, by Celia W. Dugger
Zimbabwe Generals' Fears of Prosecution Threaten Deal
'Zimbabwe's military commanders have pressed President Robert Mugabe to shield them from prosecution for the violent crackdown on his political foes this year, senior government officials say, and his response is threatening to derail a power-sharing deal that was supposed to halt the country's dizzying downward economic spiral.'

International Herald Tribune, 14 Oct 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Sudan arrests militia chief facing trial
'The move is widely being interpreted as a way for Sudan to improve its image abroad and try to head off the possible genocide prosecution of the country's president.'

Christian Science Monitor, 11 Oct 08, by Scott Baldauf
Congo blames Rwanda for fresh fighting
'Clashes between government forces and Tutsi rebels could force 30,000 people from their homes in eastern Congo.'

AFP, 11 Oct 08
Somali pirates target tanker, UN food ship in new attacks
'According to the IMB, 69 ships have been attacked off Somalia since January, 27 were hijacked and 11 are still being held for ransom. Pirates are holding more than 200 crew members from various nationalities.'

International Herald Tribune, 08 Oct 08, by Barry Bearak
Rift threatens South African ruling party
'A well-known stalwart of the governing African National Congress took steps Wednesday to break with the party and launch another, arguing that the ANC had turned its back on democracy.'

Washington Post, 02 Oct 08, by Ellen Knickmeyer
Somalia Embraces Foreign Assistance Against Pirates
'With U.S. warships offshore and a Russian missile frigate on the way, Somalia's president, Abdullahi Yusuf, said Wednesday that he welcomed international intervention against Somali pirates roaming a main East-West shipping route.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Sep 08, by Rob Crilly
Stolen tanks add urgency to piracy fight
'U.S. warships surrounded the hijacked MV Faina and its military cargo off Somalia's coast Monday.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 30 Sep 08
Russian warship demonstrates Moscow's global reach
'Russia's decision to dispatch a warship to pirate-infested waters off Somalia reflects its determination to project power worldwide. But it remains unclear what role the vessel might play in the latest hostage crisis there.'

NPR 'All things Considered', 29 Sep 08, by Ivan Watson
Authorities Struggle To Thwart Pirates' Plundering
'Russian and American warships have been dispatched to the coast of Somalia to monitor a cargo ship full of dozens of Ukrainian tanks and other weapons that was hijacked by pirates Thursday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep 08, by Rob Crilly
Getting food ships past Somalian pirates
'Attacks at sea force a UN aid agency to rely on naval guards.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Sep 08, by Scott Baldauf
Thabo Mbeki: The Fall of Africa's Shakespearean Figure
'South Africa's president was ousted by his own party this weekend.'

BBC News, 23 Sep 08
Resignations rock SA government
'Eleven members of the South African cabinet say they are resigning, along with President Thabo Mbeki, who is to step down on Thursday.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Sep 08, by Barry Bearak and Alan Cowell
Key South African ministers resign
'The South Africa president's office, still controlled by the ousted Thabo Mbeki, announced on Tuesday that 10 ministers, the deputy president and three deputy ministers had tendered their resignations, including Trevor Manuel, the powerful finance minister regarded as an anchor of the country's reputation for economic management.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Sep 08, by Sarah Simpson
In Nigeria 'Oil War,' Militants Step Up Attacks
'MEND militants have united against foreign oil interests in the wake of a military crackdown.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Sep 08, by Scott Baldauf
Zimbabwe: Latest Test of Africa's Power-Sharing Model
'Zimbabwe follows Kenya's path. Will international donors be as supportive?'

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Middle East Times, 06 Aug 08, by Sana Abdallah
Army Stages Bloodless Coup in Mauritania
'The army in Mauritania has returned to power after staging a bloodless military coup, arresting the president and prime minister after the elected head-of-state dismissed top army generals following a major political crisis in this Arab-African country.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 06 Aug 08, by
Both sides in Zimbabwe condemn violence
'In an agreement signed July 21 providing a framework for the power-sharing talks, both opposition factions and ZANU-PF pledged to issue statements that would condemn "the promotion and use of violence and call for peace in the country." The negotiations started three days later, briefly broke down and then resumed Sunday. They have been held at a secret location in South Africa, mediated by a team led by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Aug 08, by Scott Baldauf
In Kenya, two protagonists and the conciliators
'In January, one of Africa's most stable democracies was violently ripping itself apart. How was it saved? In Part 3 of a four-part special report, the key players tell what happened.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jul 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Arrest warrant looming, Sudanese president goes on tour
'With an international indictment looming on charges of genocide, Bashir returned to the scene of the war crimes he is accused of committing in Darfur - this time on an uncharacteristic charm offensive.'

BBC News, 08 Jul 08
Africans reject Mugabe sanctions
'Africa leaders have told the G8 group of nations meeting in Japan that they oppose sanctions being imposed on Zimbabwe following controversial polls.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Jul 08, by Jonathan Adams
How much of a threat is Al Qaeda in North Africa?
'Despite Algerian insurgents' stated intentions to strike in Europe, some officials remain skeptical that an attack outside Africa is possible.'

New York Times, 01 Jul 08, by Souad Mekhennet, Michael Moss, Eric Schmitt, Elaine Sciolino and Margot Williams
A Threat Renewed : A Ragtag Insurgency Gains a Qaeda Lifeline
'Today, as Islamist violence wanes in some parts of the world, the Algerian militants – renamed Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – have grown into one of the most potent Osama bin Laden affiliates, reinvigorated with fresh recruits and a zeal for Western targets.'
• Timeline: Islamists in Algeria

New York Times, 02 Jul 08, by Kennedy Abwao and Alan Cowell
African Leaders Seek Solution to Zimbabwe Impasse
'Facing pressure from the United States for expanded sanctions against President Robert Mugabe, African leaders gathered here for a second day on Tuesday to seek a less confrontational way out of Zimbabwe’s political impasse following elections widely condemned as a sham.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jun 08, by Alan Cowell and Celia W. Dugger
ANC rejects outside pressure on Zimbabwe
'Despite an increasingly thunderous chorus of complaints that Zimbabwe's presidential runoff will be neither free nor fair, the African National Congress, South Africa's governing party, rejected any outside diplomatic intervention in the matter on Tuesday, arguing that "any attempts by outside players to impose regime change will merely deepen the crisis."'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Jun 08, by Scott Baldauf
Mugabe more isolated
'Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's decision Sunday to pull out of Friday's runoff election is increasing international pressure on President Robert Mugabe to stop the violence and allow a peaceful transfer of power in Zimbabwe.'

AllAfrica.com, 23 Jun 08, by Ochereome Nnanna
Nigeria: The Case Against Gambari
'Those who do not understand the deeper meaning of the Niger Delta crisis will be surprised that an international diplomat and scholar of Professor Ibrahim Gambari's standing would be considered a misfit by his own countrymen to preside over a [Niger Delta] summit in which white collar diplomatic skills will be called to play.'

Washington Post, 18 Jun 08, by Colum Lynch
Conflicts Displacing More People
'The war in Iraq and the conflicts in Colombia, Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan have driven an increase in the global population of refugees and the displaced, according to a report by the U.N.'s chief refugee agency.'

AllAfrica.com, 13 Jun 08, by Shabelle Media Network
Somalia: Scholars Skeptical About Recent Djibouti Agreement
'Idris Hasan Farah said it is not clear whether Ethiopian troops will withdraw when UN peacekeepers are deployed in the country because the number of troops required to maintain peace in the country have not been specified and was only vaguely stated that peace keepers will be deployed.'

BBC News, 12 Jun 08, by Ian Pannell
Military 'runs Mugabe campaign'
'The BBC has obtained documents suggesting that Zimbabwe's military is actively involved in running Robert Mugabe's re-election campaign.'

Time Magazine, 11 Jun 08, by Megan Lindow
Zimbabwe Under Military Rule?
'... say many analysts and diplomats, a powerful cadre of generals determined to preserve their own grip on power through a sweeping campaign of terror stepped up – and supposedly convinced their faltering leader [Mugabe] to stay on. On Tuesday, the charge that a military junta has effectively supplanted Mugabe was repeated by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai ...'

New York Times, 12 Jun 08, by Will Connors
Pirates Terrorize Nigeria's Fishing Fleet
'The waters off the 530-mile Nigerian coastline have been called the most dangerous in the world by a maritime watchdog group after a precipitous rise in the number of attacks over the past year. And while kidnappings of foreigners and attacks on oil installations in Nigeria have gained international attention, it is often those with a far lower profile who bear the greatest burden of the lawlessness at sea.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Jun 08, by Cara Buckley
Refugees of a tangled, forgotten conflict in Western Sahara
'Sahrawi refugees from Western Sahara, products of a 35-year conflict between Morocco and a Sahrawi rebel group, the Polisario Front, depict a horrifying picture of refugee camps.'

Washington Post, 26 May 08, by Stephanie McCrummen
New Civil War Feared in Sudan As Town Empties
'Analysts have long warned that if the civil war resumed, it would probably start in Abyei, whose boundaries remain one of the most explosive unresolved issues of the peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 Nov 08, by Sarah Simpson
Nigeria militants step up oil attacks
'One year after President Umaru Yar' Adua took power, vowing to bring stability to the oil-rich Niger Delta region, observers say little progress has been made.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 08, by Scott Baldauf
Attacks on foreigners spread in S. Africa
'African immigrants may soon be forced to fight back against attacks by South African mobs.'

Christian Science Monitor, 20 May 08, by David Montero
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.'

Washington Post, 21 May 08, by Nora Boustany
Ugandan Rebels Seizing More Children
'Abductions on rise in 3 nations used as bases, investigators say'

New York Times, 01 May 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman and Eric Schmitt
U.S. Airstrike Kills Top Qaeda Agent in Somalia
'Aden Hashi Ayro, one of Al Qaeda's top agents in East Africa and the leader of the Islamist comeback in Somalia, was killed Thursday morning by an American airstrike, according to American and Somali officials. Mr. Ayro was one of the most feared and notorious figures in Somalia ...'

Reuters, 01 May 08
Factbox - Key facts on hunted al Qaeda militants in Somalia
'Aden Hashi Ayro was among six al Qaeda operatives or associates that Washington said were in the Horn of Africa nation ...'

Washington Post, 01 May 08, by Nora Boustany
Intensified Fighting, Inadequate Aid Mar Return of Refugees to S. Sudan
'Clashes between southern Sudanese troops and tribal militias in a contested oil-rich region of Sudan are intensifying, and the return of thousands of war refugees is fueling friction in the absence of adequate relief and basic services, according to the aid group Doctors Without Borders.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Apr 08, by Warren Hoge and Celia W. Dugger
UN voices reluctance to act on Zimbabwe
'The Security Council heard on Tuesday what an American official called a "sobering" account of electoral stalemate and violence in Zimbabwe, but ended up discouraging proposals for direct United Nations involvement in the crisis.'

Washington Post, 23 Apr 08, by Craig Timberg
Delivery of Weapons to Zimbabwe Thwarted
'A Chinese ship carrying weapons and ammunition for Zimbabwe's military may be headed back home, reports said, after repeated attempts to deliver its cargo were frustrated by a coalition of legal activists, union workers and human rights groups.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Apr 08, by Celia W. Dugger and Alan Cowell
Rift over Zimbabwe unity plan
'As Zimbabwe's political impasse drags into its fourth week, talk of a power-sharing deal between the governing party and the opposition came to the fore Wednesday, though both sides indicated they were unprepared for the compromises that would be required.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Apr 08, by Celia W. Dugger
Accounts of violence spread in Zimbabwe
'Ten days after Zimbabwe voted and by most accounts rejected its long-serving, autocratic president, Robert Mugabe, the mood of the country grew more ominous on Tuesday, with the opposition reporting widespread attacks on its supporters, black youths driving white farmers off their land and elections officials arrested for vote tampering.'

New York Times, 03 Apr 08, by Barry Bearak
Mugabe Foes Win Majority in Zimbabwe
'President Robert G. Mugabe and his party have lost control of the nation’s Parliament, official election returns showed Wednesday, giving new impetus to the bigger question: Does that foretell a loss of the presidency itself, the job he has held tightly for the past 28 years?'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Apr 08, by Scott Baldauf
Mugabe era's end may be near
'Army chiefs loyal to President Robert Mugabe now meet with opposition leaders looking for a smooth end to his ruinous – and often brutal – 28-year reign. Official results from Saturday's elections show he's lost his parliamentary majority. And the opposition has declared an outright win in the presidential race, claiming a razor-thin majority of 50.3 percent of the vote. ... The question observers now ask is not whether this is the end of his rule, but how he'll go out.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Mar 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Somali town falls to insurgent Raid
'Islamist insurgents overpowered Somali government troops Monday, seizing a strategic town and continuing their steady march across the war-ravaged country.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Mar 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Islamists gain ground in Somalia
'By its own admission, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia is on life support. ... its leaders say that unless they get more help - international peacekeepers, weapons, training and money to pay their soldiers, among other things - this transitional government will fall, just like the 13 governments that came before it.'

Washington Post, 27 Mar 08, by Stephanie McCrummen
Somalia's Crisis : Insurgents Briefly Capture Key Town in Show of Defiance
'Islamist insurgents battling for control of Somalia briefly seized a strategic town Wednesday, the latest sign of how feeble the country's internationally backed transitional government has become.'

Washington Post, 13 Mar 08, by Craig Timberg
Democracy Ascendant In States of West Africa
Coups, Civil Wars End, Multiparty Politics Rise

Human Events, 05 Mar 08, by W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
U.S. Navy Strikes Inside Somalia
'It wasn't the first time American air or naval forces had attacked enemy positions in Somalia. It was the fourth such attack in 14 months on the lawless East African nation: a result of the increasing expansion of Islamic extremism onto the African continent.'

BBC News, 28 Feb 08
France to change African links
'France will renegotiate its defence deals with African countries, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said. It has military accords with several of its former colonies and recently helped the Chad government repulse rebels. The changes would mark a "major turning point", he said, with further details to be announced in a speech to the South African parliament.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb 08, by Scott Baldauf
In Sudan, another conflict could eclipse Darfur
'The oil-rich region of Abyei could become the next flash point between Arab and African Sudanese.'

Washington Post, 22 Feb 08, by Stephanie McCrummen
U.S. Policy in Africa Faulted on Priorities
' "While democratization has clearly been one of the three major stated objectives of the Bush administration -- the others being security and development -- democratization probably ranks third," said Joel Barkan, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "You can see it in several ways, but it's mainly the subordination of democratization to the so-called war on terror."'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 20 Feb 08
In Africa, Bush denies intent to build bases
'President George W. Bush reassured Africa on Wednesday that the United States was not planning to build new military bases there and played down the risk of rivalry with China for influence on the continent.'

International Herald Tribune, 15 Feb 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
In Kenya's peace process, devils in the details
'Despite soothing words from Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general who is trying to mediate a solution to the Kenyan political crisis, one thing seemed clear on Friday: Kenya is stuck.'

International Herald Tribune, 07 Feb 08, by Lydia Polgreen
Fighting in Chad's capital ebbs, but big problems loom
'The clash has heightened tensions between Chad and Sudan, threatening to pull the two neighbors deeper into each another's vexing problems.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Feb 08, by Scott Baldauf and Susan Sachs
As fighting rages in Chad, France's new role revealed
'France did not repel this weekend's coup attempt on its former colony as it has in the past, but the UN Monday approved unilateral French action to support Chad's government.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 05 Feb 08
Sarkozy says France ready for military intervention in Chad if necessary
'... But the government stressed that France had no immediate plans to step up its military involvement, saying the fighting appeared to be abating.'

New York Times, 31 Jan 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Official Sees Kenyan Ethnic Cleansing
'The top American diplomat for Africa said Wednesday that some of the violence that has swept across Kenya in the past month has been ethnic cleansing intended to drive people from their homes, but that it should not be considered genocide.'

AllAfrica.com/Inter Press Service, 24 Jan 08, by Najum Mushtaq
Kenya: State Overpowering People
'Post-election politics in Kenya has become a war of attrition, and President Mwai Kibaki seems to be winning it, the cost to the image and economy of the country notwithstanding.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jan 08, by Jeffrey Gettleman
Protests bring new violence in Kenya
'Opposition protests resumed in Kenya on Wednesday, and as many people here feared, violence erupted across the country once again. ... Opposition leaders have vowed to carry on protests for two more days, and it seems that Kenya's security forces, which have deemed all protests illegal, are cracking down harshly.'

2007 Africa archive

"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.