Scarce water the root cause of Darfur conflict?
If one looks to the Council on Foreign Relations to define the tragedy that has been Darfur you initially get: “Farmers and Arabic nomads have long competed for limited resources in western Sudan's Darfur region, particularly following a prolonged drought in 1983.” Taking a closer look at this position suggests, “the crises in Darfur stems in part from disputes...
Serious questions about politics in Sudan and North Africa
Seccession or Destabilization? President Obama's recently released Sudan strategy that tries to be all things to all people gives America and her interest groups needed instant gratification, but fails in addressing instability that a divided Sudan would engender and the possible destabilization of an entire region. Is this the process towards peace that Obama is trying to use to justify...
Africom: President Obama’s Bush inheritance, challenge
(FinalCall.com) - Among the many things the Obama administration has inherited from Bush II is an unwieldy colonialist-lite intervention mechanism, masquerading protectionist-likeand called Africom. The fact that the Noble Peace Prize winner known for his candor and willingness to discuss complex issues has rarely, if ever, mentioned this behemoth is telling. According to the four part series “Africom or...
International media and Obama’s message to the Muslim world
(FinalCall.com) - Pre- and post-reaction to President Obama's speech delivered in Cairo to the Muslim world was overwhelmingly favorable and seemed to take on new meaning as time progressed. According to the British daily, The Guardian, though the president didn't reveal any new policy programs June 4, the speech will go down in history for its tone–the vocabulary–he used...
Zimbabwean farm case moved to July 16
Zimbabwe Ambassador: Self-determination is at root of conflict (FCN, 04-22-2008)Activists: Fast track is right track in Zim land redistribution plan (FCN, 02-13-2003)Special Report on Zimbabwe land crisis (FCN, 10-13-2002) WINDHOEK, Namibia (PANA) - The South African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal has moved the hearing of Zimbabwe’s land case, in which 78 White commercial farmers are challenging the expropriation of...
Anger, condemnation follow South Africa violence
LAGOS, Nigeria (PANA) - Widespread and varying reactions have greeted the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, with Africans and non-Africans alike pondering what could have led to African-on-African violence at a time the continent is pushing on with plans to form the United States of Africa. Though Zimbabweans, Malawians, Mozambicans and Nigerians have borne the brunt of the...
Kenya’s economy to pick up after unrest?
New cabinet faces tough road in Kenya (FCN, 05-05-2008)Economic inequality fuels Kenya’s violence (FCN, 02-15-2008) NAIROBI, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya’s economy is expected to accelerate its growth from the depressed focus rate of 4.6 percent upwards as the economy picks up activity months after violence erupted following the East African nation’s disputed presidential polls. Kenya’s Finance Minister Amos Kimunya said...
Nigeria moves to tackle food crisis
Could the global food crisis impact America? (FCN, 04-30-2008) ABUJA, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria has announced plans to import 500,000 metric tons of rice and release an additional 11,000 metric tons of grains from its strategic reserve to cushion the effect of the global food crisis. Already, the government has allocated about $678 billion for the massive rice importation. The decisions...
AU plans investment bank to bolster industrialization in Africa
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (PANA)–The African Union (AU) recently announced plans to create an investment bank to finance private sector developments within the continent, as part of efforts to put the continent on a sound growth path towards its industrialization. AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Maxwell Mkwezalamba said talks on the formation of the continental development bank were underway to...
Kenya: Kofi Annan to lead African Union’s mediation
Election violence rocks Kenya (FCN, 01-13-2008) Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will take over the mediation efforts in the Kenyan post-electoral crisis with his immediate mandate being to tackle constitutional and electoral reforms in the East African country, reports PANA Thursday. African Union (AU) chairman John Kufuor, who is also the Ghanaian President, jet ted...