Africa
Niger: Can Political Changes Help Alleviate Food Crisis?
On Feb. 18, 2010, what has been referred to as a “textbook coup” took place in Niger. President Mamadou Tandja – who had been in power for more than a decade, was widely criticized for his poor management of a chronic food crisis in his country and for his lack of transparency – was ousted by Major Salou Djibo.
A Documentary on Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe that forced the Filmmaker into Hiding.
In 2008, a tribunal of the South African Development Community (SADC) ruled that the Zimbabwean government’s policy of taking over white-owned farms was illegal. Despite the ruling, official harassment of white farm owners and the thousands of workers employed at their farms continued. This 25 minute film, titled “House of Justice,” documents the farmers and farm workers struggle against the government of Zimbabwe. It also shows, in stark terms, how top government officials used torture to intimidate farm owners and their workers.
Are Groups like the LRA Really Spreading Across Africa?
In a Foreign Policy feature, Jeffrey Gettleman describes the kind of roving banditry practiced by the LRA and in Eastern Congo as “Africa’s un-Wars.”
One Senator is Blocking a Bill to Support Peace Efforts in Northern Uganda
Courtesy of Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky, millions of Americans have seen how a single United States senator can use procedural chicanery to prevent important legislation from moving forward. By withholding his “consent” from a resolution extending unemployment benefits to out of work Americans last week, Bunning prevented social security checks from reaching many thousands of people in need.
Kenyan VP In D.C. To “Raise The Red Flag” on Somalia
Steve Clemons lands a really great interview with Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo “Steven” Musyoka, who was in Washington, D.C. this week for the National Prayer Breakfast. Anyone interested in Somalia and the politics of East Africa should spend the next 8 minutes watching this video.
An Evolution of Threats Against UN Aid Workers in Somalia
Somalia has long been one of the most dangerous places in the world for UN-affiliated aid workers. Beyond the general lawlessness of the place is the fact that one of the main insurgent groups, al Shabaab, has specificily targeted aid workers and UN agencies as enemies.
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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