Why Somalia Needs Your Aid Money Elizabeth Dickinson December 16, 2011The price of helping Somalia is high—the highest in the world, says the resident UN coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden. But it’s hard to imagine how it wouldn’t be: By almost every measure, this country is not just the neediest, but also the most complicated operating environment for aid anywhere on Earth
Nervously Watching the DRC Elections from Burundi Elizabeth Dickinson December 9, 2011As the result of DRC’s election are announced, there is an acute understanding that what happens there may have a dramatic impact on whether this tiny country of just over 8 million continues down a path toward long-sought peace—or whether insecurity creeps back into daily life.
The curious case of Kenya in Somalia Elizabeth Dickinson October 17, 2011It was probably only a matter of time. After years of consternation about the crisis unfolding on its northern border, yesterday Kenyan troops at last made their move and entered Somalia, chasing down the militants who allegedly kidnapped aid workers in a refugee camp earlier this week.
Bombshell Report Describes How Shell Fueled Armed Conflict in Nigeria Elizabeth Dickinson October 5, 2011This is not news--but a report released this week by a consortium of NGOs and led by Platform, a British based non-profit--laid out the names, numbers, and details of the misconduct in a way that has transformed the conventional wisdom into unavoidable fact.
An Epidemic of Gun Violence in Latin America Elizabeth Dickinson October 4, 2011As the drug trade—and the organized crime it spawns—spread through Latin America, the region is facing a surge in gun violence, according to new U.N. data
Africa’s Most Unexpected Star Economic Performer Elizabeth Dickinson September 8, 2011Namibia ranks surprisingly high on the newly released Global Competitiveness Report. Here's how the country is turning its economy around.
Huge Rise in the Number of African Born Immigrants in the USA Elizabeth Dickinson September 1, 2011Will this new constituency result in better Africa policy? Perhaps. One thing that’s certainly clear is that policymakers are having to listen up and take advice from the diaspora community.
Details about the U.N. Compound in Abuja Elizabeth Dickinson August 26, 2011The terrible news that a bomb exploded in the U.N. compound in Abuja, Nigeria today sent my mind racing back three years, when I used to visit the building often...
Looking for a Financial Bright Spot? Here it is. Elizabeth Dickinson August 8, 2011Some 2,500 miles from the panic that is hitting the New York Stock Exchange today, there is an odd sense of optimism pervading economic circles. Welcome to Latin America.
