In 2009 and 2010, I had the great opportunity to be involved with the Burundi Leadership Training Program (BLTP) in the development of a conflict resolution curriculum designed to instill a culture of dialogue and non-violent conflict management among secondary school students in Burundi. Funded by USAID East Africa at the request of the Burundian Minister of Education, through both the Wilson Center’s Africa Program and CMPartners, this initiative’s main goal was to complement efforts already underway within the Ministry to promote citizenship and human rights education through its national civic education curriculum. Tested in ten secondary schools, the conflict resolution module received very positive feedback from students and teachers. Consequently, the Minister of Education endorsed the module and requested BLTP’s collaboration for the extension of the program to all secondary schools in Burundi, with the hope that it would be a robust asset to post-conflict reconstruction and the future of the country.

The key to the consolidation of Burundi’s tenuous peace lies with its youth. Youth (ages 7-19 years) comprise more than 32% of Burundi’s fast growing population and they are potentially volatile and easily influenced. Inheriting a country still beset with division and uneven resource distribution, Burundi’s youth will be at the forefront of the transition from post-conflict peace consolidation to sustainable economic development. A program focused on secondary schools is particularly important in Burundi given that schools were often sources of child soldier recruitment and served as the incubators of ethnic polarization, with outbreaks of inter-communal violence during the war. Yet the BLTP and the Ministry of Education did not forget the primary schools, recognizing that less than 30% of Burundi children reach secondary schools. Ultimately, they decided that the program targeting secondary schools would be a first step towards a broader future implementation.

The theory of change in such education programs is often described as follows: if, thanks to peace education, youth develop not only a new way of thinking and seeing conflict, but also a new behavior that could give them the ability to work better together, then they will contribute to changing the structures and cultural practices in their communities or societies, and enjoy sustainable peace and development in their country in the future. Unfortunately, national school-based peace education programs are still rare in fragile states. The practitioners in this field are facing political and technical challenges in the design and the implementation of such programs. But most of all, they are confronted with a lack of funding available for these initiatives because of the competition with other peace-building programs on the one hand, and with other educational programs that are considered a higher priority on the other hand. Additionally, there are significant challenges in assessing the long-term impacts of such programs, especially in fragile contexts. This lack of tangible evidence of peace education’s long term impact does not encourage donors and policymakers to place these programs higher on their peacebuilding agenda.

Still, various scholars argue that peace education is a “component of a child’s right to education” and that the first fundamental recognition of peace education lies within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Education shall be directed … to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship … and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.” The Declaration of the Rights of the Child reaffirms this idea by stating that a child has the right to an education that will develop a “sense of moral and social responsibility.”

The commitment of the United Nations to peace education has increased gradually over the years and reached a certain momentum with the proclamation of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace. As the principal UN agencies with a mandate for education and children, UNESCO and UNICEF are the most involved in peace education programs. UNESCO promotes peace education activities by helping its Member States “integrate a holistic vision of quality education that promotes the values of a culture of peace at all levels of their education systems.” UNICEF adopted peace education as part of its antiwar agenda: “Disputes may be inevitable, but violence is not. To prevent continued cycles of conflict, education must seek to promote peace and tolerance, not fuel hatred and suspicion.”

This relative gap between the UN’s commitment and practice on the ground has been noted, especially by the Education for All Global Monitoring Report published annually by UNESCO. While the 2008 report called for the prioritization of peace education programs,^[5] the 2011 version regretted the still widely neglected role of education in “preventing armed conflict and promoting rebuilding of societies,” because this neglect increases the “risk of a return to violence.”

However, it seems that 2012 has been a good year so far for peace education. Last February, UNICEF published a key report on the role of education in peacebuilding. In addition to several recommendations, the report concludes that education can play a crucial role in peacebuilding during all phases of conflict, outlining how education can help prevent conflict and contribute to long-term peace; therefore, access to quality education is a right that should be maintained even in the most complex conditions. UNICEF will use the recommendations of this study for its four-year Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy Programme that will further test various approaches in fourteen countries, including Burundi. The most recent sign of the UN’s commitment to peace education is their Education First initiative, launched by UN. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 26, 2012 in the margins of the 67^th session of the UN.  General Assembly. The good news for our field is that the UN. Secretary-General secured over US$1.5 billion in commitments for this initiative. The main objective is to make education a top priority of the global political agenda and to boost progress towards the Millennium Development Goal on education. This initiative also places the promotion of Global Citizenship as one of its top three priorities. Fostering Global Citizenship implies “transforming the way people think and act;” giving Education a “central role in helping people to forge more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies;” and providing people with “the understanding, skills and values they need to cooperate in resolving the interconnected challenges of the 21st Century.”This is what peace education is about! Peace education is only one aspect of the peacebuilding puzzle, but it is a necessary one, and our field is more and more invested in the search for tangible evidence that will make this assertion harder to contest.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9^th
Toward a Democratic Ethiopia
Hosted by: National Endowment for Democracy
Location: Suite 800, 1025 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Summary: A half-day conference will be hosted by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. The Conference will include the following panels: Civil society, Media and Political Space; and Strategic Opportunities and Policy Challenges. Panelists include the following: Dawit Kebede, Editor-in-Chief, Awramba Times; Mahdere Paulos, former Executive Director, Ethiopian Women’s Lawyers Association; Prof. Terrence Lyons, George Mason University; Amb. David Shinn, George Washington University; Berhanu Mengistu, Old Dominion University; with moderators Abdulwahab Alkebsi, Director, Middle East and Africa, Center for International Private Enterprise; Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs, Congressional Research Service; and remarks from Gregory Simpkins, U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights; and a representative of the United States Department of State, to be determined.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ned.org/events/toward-a-democratic-ethiopia
To RSVP: http://toward-a-democratic-ethiopia.eventbrite.com/# by Friday, October 5^th

Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum: The Global Power of Talk: Lessons of Diplomacy and Negotiation
Hosted by: Search for Common Ground
Location: Kenney Auditorium, Johns Hopkins SAIS, 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Summary: The Forum will draw from the new book by I William Zartman and Fen Osler Hampson, which lays out the different ways Talk can be used to accomplish foreign policy purposes that military might can never reach. It identifies 14 forms of negotiation and then applies them to current situations where diplomacy is needed. The discussants will help develop the theme and reflect on lessons learned in the field of diplomacy and negotiation. In the current juncture of events, the global power of talk is more needed to be deployed. Speakers include: Chester A. Crocker, the James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service; Fen Osler Hampson,  Distinguished Fellow and Director of Global Security at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario; David E. Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent for the New York Times, lecturer in public policy and senior fellow for National Security and the Press at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government;I. William Zartman, the Jacob Blaustein Professor Emeritus at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University, and member of the Processes of International Negotiation (PIN) Program at Clingendael, Netherlands; and moderated by: Paul B. Stares, the General John W. Vessey senior fellow for conflict prevention and director of the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
For more information, please visit: http://www.sfcg.org/events/forums_conflict.html
To RSVP: http://salsa.sfcg.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=98956

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10^th
Preventing Electoral Violence:
Hosted by: Friends Committee on National Legislation
Location: 7^th Floor, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
Time: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Summary: Getry Agizah is the Coordinator of a Kenyan NGO focused on electoral violence prevention and peacebuilding in the Rift Valley’s volatile Turbo Division. Since Kenya’s devastating crisis in 2007-2008, Getry’s organization has trained more than 1,500 young people in programs including transformative mediation, trauma healing and reconciliation, and non-violence for social change, as well as convened a local Interfaith Peace Taskforce. In anticipation of Kenya’s next elections in March of 2013, she has also begun leading civic education workshops and is piloting a grassroots election monitoring and early warning system. Please join us as Getry shares her extensive experience in rural and community-based peacebuilding and reflects on how the U.S. government can help support Kenyan peace over the upcoming months. Diane Randall, Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, will introduce Getry and the Friends Committee’s related work.
For more information, please visit:http://fcnl.org/about/events/preventing_electoral_violence/  
To RSVP, please email Cassidy Regan by 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9^th, at cassidy@fcnl.org

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11^th
Young Voices and New Visions from Africa
Hosted by: Institute for Policy Studies
Location: 1112 16^th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Summary: In a public discussion with young bloggers, students, and activists from Africa, IPS Associate Fellow and American University Professor Carl LeVan will ask: is there a generation gap in Africa today? Please join the Institute for Policy Studies for a roundtable discussion on African diaspora democracy. Is the real significance of the so-called ‘youth bulge’ an emerging generation gap between citizens and leaders? How do young people confront negative stereotypes of Africa in the US, while also challenging hard political realities back home? The dialogue will include Jumoke Balogun, a Nigerian-American blogger and public relations expert in the union movement; Mame-Khady Diouf, a Senegalese intellectual from the Woodrow Wilson Center; Kizito Byenkya from the Open Society Institute and co-publisher of Compareafrique.com; Michael Appau, a Ghanaian student at Georgetown University; and Estelle Bounga Fomeju, a Cameroonian student at Sciences Po in Paris
For more information, please visit: http://www.ips-dc.org/events/young_voices_and_new_visions_from_africa

AFRICAN INTERNAL RELATIONS

Al Jazeera: “Kenyan and Somali troops surround Kismayo” (October 1, 2012)
Forces advance on port city after Somalia’s rebel group al-Shabab, which has been in control, is forced to pull out.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/10/2012101112944964743.html

The Guardian: “Bring down the African big wigs” (October 3, 2012)
‘Traditional’ head gear worn by judges in most Commonwealth countries is expensive, uncomfortable and overtly colonial.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/03/malawi-uganda

allAfrica News: “Ghana: Les anciens réfugiés libériens vivent dans l’incertitude” (October 4, 2012)
Thousands of former Liberian refugees still live in Ghana, but what do their sociopolitical and economic futures hold?
http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/201210041063.html

SAFPI: “Africa’s industrial policies key to sustained growth” (October 5, 2012)
There is an urgent need for Africa to develop industrial policies which will underpin the diversification of production structures, raise competitiveness levels and expand the continent’s export basket.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/africas-industrial-policies-key-sustained-growth

AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

VOA News: “US Calls on Rwanda to Denounce Congolese Rebels” (September 30, 2012)
The United States says Rwanda should denounce a rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo that is accused of using rape and murder in a campaign of terror.  The United Nations says Rwandan defense officials are backing the militia.  Rwanda denies the allegation.
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-calls-on-rwanda-to-denounce-congolese-rebels/1517874.html

Jeune Afrique: “ONU – Sahel : le Ghanéen Mohamed Ibn Chambas pressenti au poste d’envoyé spécial de Ban Ki-moon” (October 1, 2012)
Former Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mohame Chambas, seems to be Ban Ki-moon’s pick for the role of Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the UN for the Sahel region and the crisis in Mali.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121001115250/onu-mali-acp-ban-ki-moononu-sahel-le-ghaneen-mohamed-ibn-chambas-pressenti-au-poste-d-envoye-special-de-ban-ki-moon.html

Jeune Afrique: “Crise au Mali : Abdou Diouf pour une intervention militaire, Africom pour une solution politique” (October 1, 2012)
During a visit to Algiers, General Carter Ham, commander of the top U.S. military forces in Africa (AFRICOM), said he was opposed to any military intervention in northern Mali. “The situation (…) that can be resolved through diplomacy or politics,” he said. At the same time, Abdou Diouf said that “the only way to solve [these attacks] was through the “military.”
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121001085329/abdou-diouf-abdelaziz-bouteflika-cedeao-africomcrise-au-mali-abdou-diouf-pour-une-intervention-militaire-africom-pour-une-solution-politique.html

SAFPI: “Mozambique Foreign Minister highlights need for UN reform” (October 1, 2012)
Citing a range of challenges to peace in Africa and elsewhere around the world, in his address to the General Assembly, Mozambique’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Oldemiro Baloi, highlighted the need for reform of the United Nations, as well as the revitalization of the Assembly itself.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/mozambique-foreign-minister-highlights-need-un-reform

allAfrica News: “Benoît XVI prêche pour la protection des réfugiés en RDC” (October 2, 2012)
Religious leaders, like the international community, want to play their part in resolving the political and military crisis raging in eastern Congo. Pope Benedict XVI is currently preaching about strengthening the fraternal cooperation in order to save these people.
http://fr.allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00019737.html

Al Jazeera: “Amnesty urges S Sudan to probe army abuses” (October 3, 2012)
Rights group calls on authorities to end torture, shootings and sexual violence by security forces in Jonglei state.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/10/201210310415822436.html

Jeune Afrique: “RDC : tête-à-tête Hollande-Tshisekedi lors du sommet de la Francophonie” (October 3, 2012)
A meeting between the French President, François Hollande, and Congolese opposition leader, Etienne Tshisekedi, will take place in Kinshasa, October 13, on the sidelines of the Francophonie summit.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2699p006-007.xml7/france-diplomatie-rd-congo-sommet-de-la-francophonierdc-tete-a-tete-hollande-tshisekedi-lors-du-sommet-de-la-francophonie.html

SAFPI: “BRICS struggle to create their own risk assessment agency” (October 3, 2012)
Economists from Argentina, Brazil, and Russia have begun evaluating the possibility of creating their own risk assessment agency to analyze economic development in emerging economies, such as those that make up BRICS: Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/brics-struggle-create-their-own-risk-assessment-agency

Jeune Afrique: “ONU : le Conseil de sécurité se penche sur la demande d’intervention malienne” (October 3, 2012)
“Preliminary” meetings among members of the UN Security Council begin in response to the request for assistance made by Mali. A second meeting will follow in the coming weeks during which ECOWAS will be asked to specify the proposed measures to be taken.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121003082635/onu-mali-islamisme-cedeaoonu-le-conseil-de-securite-se-penche-sur-la-demande-d-intervention-malienne.html

VOA News: “US Expands Military Operations in Africa” (October 3, 2012)
The United States is expanding its military presence in Africa to counter the growing influence of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and other militant groups throughout North and West Africa.
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-expands-military-operations-in-africa/1519891.html

BBC News: “Mo Ibrahim Foundation: Desmond Tutu awarded $1 million” (October 4, 2012)
Veteran peace campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been awarded $1 million by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for “speaking truth to power.”
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19833837

Jeune Afrique: “Togo – France : Loïk Le Floch-Prigent dans un état de santé ‘catastrophique’ selon Me Klugman” (October 4, 2012)
Involved in a case of a Nigerian scam and detained in Lomé, Loïk Le Floch-Prigent is in a state of “extremely” poor health, according to his lawyers. Based on a medical certificate they produced, his defense demanded his immediate repatriation to France. At the same time, the Togolese justice department still has not addressed the request for release from September 14.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121004130317/sante-togo-escroquerie-elftogo-france-loik-le-floch-prigent-dans-un-etat-de-sante-catastrophique-selon-me-klugman.html

Reuters Africa: “EU team arrives to oversee Sierra Leone elections” (October 4, 2012)
A team of EU observers has flown into Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown to monitor upcoming elections, whose success is viewed as crucial to recovery in the nation scarred by civil war.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE89300F20121004

Reuters Africa: “World Bank trims Africa 2012 growth forecast” (October 4, 2012)
The economies of Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to grow 4.8 percent overall in 2012, the World Bank said on Thursday, cutting its forecast from the 5.2 percent projected earlier in the year.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE89301Z20121004

RFI: “Affaire Chebeya: l’ex-chef de la police congolaise débouté de sa plainte contre le réalisateur Thierry Michel” (October 4, 2012)
The judge of the court in Liège, Belgium, dealt with a complaint by General John Numbi, former police chief of the Democratic Republic of Congo, against Thierry Michel, the director of the documentary about the murder of human rights advocate, Floribert Chebeya, and the trial of this case before the military court of Kinshasa. In its ordinance, the Court considers the case unfounded, that is to say, it dismisses the complaint of General Numbi. But further legal proceedings are still possible.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121004-affaire-chebeya-ancien-chef-police-congolaise-numbi-deboute-plainte-contre-realisateur-thierry-michel

VOA News: “World Bank: Young Work Force Becomes Asset, Challenge for Africa” (October 4, 2012)
The World Bank says a lack of good jobs for an increasing number of young people in sub-Saharan Africa threatens the continent’s recent economic growth. The Bank says sustainable economic development is key to the continent’s future success.
http://www.voanews.com/content/world_bank_young_work_force_is_greatest_asset_and_challange_for_africa/1520401.html

BBC: “Mau Mau uprising: Kenyans win UK torture ruling” (October 5, 2012)
Three Kenyans who were tortured by British colonial authorities can proceed with their legal claims against the UK government, a court has ruled.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-19843719

SAFPI: “Federal Government moves to appeal Bakassi judgment” (October 5, 2012)
President Goodluck Jonathan has finally bowed to the preponderance of opinion to challenge the October 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that made Nigeria cede the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/fg-moves-appeal-bakassi-judgment

SAFPI: “Canning SA-EU treaties ‘will raise cost of investment’” (October 5, 2012)
Relations between the European Union (EU) and South Africa have soured since the government indicated last month that it was cancelling bilateral investment treaties with the bloc’s member states. The government argues that the treaties restrict its ability to transform the country’s economy.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/canning-sa-eu-treaties-will-raise-cost-investment

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

RFI: “Centrafrique: apparition d’un nouveau groupe armé dans l’Ouest” (October 4, 2012)
A new armed group could be forming in the north-western region of the CAR, near the border with Cameroon. This group began to operate in this area in June and last took hostage the border region in Cameroon.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121004-centrafrique-bangui-cameroun-garoua-boulai-tchad-kabo-rebellion

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

RFI: “Côte d’Ivoire : après une bataille de procédure, le procès des militaires pro-Gbagbo a finalement commencé” (October 3, 2012)
The judge decided to reject the request of the defense of the former commander of the Republican Guard, General Dogbo Blé Brunot, who had demanded to be tried in a new court, claiming that his case was being presented before an incompetent judge.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121003-cote-ivoire-apres-bataille-procedure-proces-militaires-pro-gbagbo-finalement-commence-ouattara

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

allAfrica News: “Congo-Kinshasa: Battle Over DRC’s Electoral Commission” (October 1, 2012)
“As predicted by many people, the government colluded with the Bureau of the National Assembly to play a dirty trick and present a hastily drafted government bill in preference to a better and more carefully prepared bill that was drafted by a civil society expert committee (under the auspices of AETA – Act for Transparent and Peaceful Elections) with OSISA’s support and was endorsed by an opposition MP as a private members bill.”
http://allafrica.com/stories/201210010926.html

Jeune Afrique: “RDC : le M23 menace de prendre Goma, au prétexte de la défense de ses habitants” (October 2, 2012)
Suspected of being behind recent gun and grenade attacks on Goma, M23 continues in its violent ways. For this group, these are aggressions by the regular army. M23 is now threatening to take control over Goma to ensure the safety of people there.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121001171527/onu-rwanda-rebellion-rdcrdc-le-m23-menace-de-prendre-goma-au-pretexte-de-la-defense-de-ses-habitants.html

allAfrica News: “Congo-Kinshasa: Nord-Kivu – La situation sécuritaire demeure tendue” (October 3, 2012)
During a weekly press briefing, the military spokesman for MONUSCO, Lieutenant-Colonel Felix Prosper Basse, confirmed that the security situation remains tense in the North Kivu province. According to him, this is the result of several acts of violation of human rights by the rebellion of M 23.
http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/201210040895.html

The Guardian: “’Congo rebels have legitimate concerns’” (October 3, 2012)
The west has effectively indicted M23 for crimes against humanity, but is this a deliberate misinterpretation of the crisis in the DRC?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/03/drc-m23-rebels-rwanda

DJIBOUTI

Jeune Afrique: “Djibouti : révolution de velours” (October 5, 2012)
Following its electoral setbacks early in the year, Popular Rally for Progress Party in Djibouti has succumbed to the pressures to change party policies and renewed two-thirds of its political bureau.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2699p018.xml0/ismail-omar-guelleh-djibouti-rpp-ilyas-moussa-dawalehdjibouti-revolution-de-velours.html

ETHIOPIA

SAFPI: “Ethiopia charts a Chinese course” (October 3, 2012)
The death of Ethiopia’s leader of 21 years has raised fears of instability in one of Africa’s fastest-growing non-oil producing nations, which could potentially slow investment activity. Former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who passed away in August, saw foreign direct investment (FDI) as key to his development plan for Ethiopia. This attitude helped shift Ethiopia’s economy from being wholly reliant on the export of agricultural commodities to, for example, utilizing abundant labor and cheap power to begin developing a manufacturing industry.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/ethiopia-charts-chinese-course

GUINEA-BISSAU

allAfrica News: “Guinea Bissau: A First Step Towards the End of Crisis” (October 3, 2012)
The African Union Commission (AUC) has facilitated the first meeting of the leaders of Guinea Bissau, which took place at the headquarters of the African Union in New York.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201210051412.html

GUINEA

VOA News: “Remembering Guinea Stadium Massacre Brings New Violence” (September 29, 2012)
The third anniversary of Guinea’s stadium massacre falls during a period of political deadlock and serious civil unrest. A day that started with a commemoration ceremony ended with fresh clashes in the streets.
http://www.voanews.com/content/remembering-guinea-stadium-massacre-brings-new-violence/1517400.html

KENYA

CNN: “Attack on Sunday school leaves child dead, others wounded, Red Cross says” (September 30, 2012)
One child died and several others were hurt in a grenade attack on a children’s Sunday-school class in Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross said. A Kenyan hospital reported seven children wounded.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/30/world/africa/africa-violence/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

LIBERIA

VOA News: “Liberia’s Weah: CDC Strategizing for Next Election” (October 1, 2012)
Liberian football legend and politician George Oppong Weah says his Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party remains committed to the fight for political and economic changes that will bring about improvement in the quality of life for all Liberians.
http://www.voanews.com/content/george-weah-of-liberia-turns-46/1517909.html

VOA News: “Liberia’s Senator Taylor Wants to be Judged on Character” (October 3, 2012)
The former wife of ex-Liberian president and convicted war criminal Charles Taylor says the “Taylor” name has its negatives and positives. But Senator Jewel Howard Taylor said she bears the name with honor and that people should judge her for her character and not on the basis of what her former husband might have done or did not do.
http://www.voanews.com/content/liberian-former-first-lady-on-first-us-visit-after-nine-years-of-sactions/1519310.html

BBC News: “Liberia: Mass jailbreak in Zwedru near Ivorian border” (October 4, 2012)
A group of prisoners has escaped from a jail in Liberia’s south-eastern city of Zwedru.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19828657

MALAWI

allAfrica News: “Malawi: President Slashes Her Own Salary” (October 4, 2012)
Malawian President Joyce Banda has decided to cut her salary by 30% in support of her government’s austerity measures.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201210041137.html

MALI

Le Monde: “Nouvelle destruction d’un mausolée par les islamistes dans le nord du Mali” (September 29, 2012)
Islamist gunmen destroyed with axes, Saturday, Sept. 29, the mausoleum of a Muslim saint in Goundam, a town in northern Mali, nearly three months after causing similar damage to Timbuktu.
http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2012/09/29/nouvelle-destruction-d-un-mausolee-par-les-islamistes-dans-le-nord-du-mali_1767828_3212.html

BBC News: “Mali Islamists kill man by firing squad in Timbuktu” (October 3, 2012)
Militant Islamists in northern Mali have publicly killed a man accused of murder.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19811210

RFI: “ Mali: aux Assises de l’occupation, les ressortissants du Nord témoignent de leur humiliation” (October 5, 2012)
The foundations for occupation were set in Bamako. They were organized by the Coalition for Mali, an initiative that combines elected representatives of the North and the civil society. For two days, Northern nationals came to witness their daily under occupation Islamist groups. They also offered their vision of a crisis.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121005-mali-assises-occupation-ressortissants-nord-imams-chefs-traditionnels-dialogue-

Jeune Afrique: “Mali : opération Tombouctou” (October 5, 2012)
International intervention in northern Mali seems inevitable. Does it take the form of targeted strikes or conventional war? What are the means implemented strategies planned and countries willing to lend a hand to the Malian army?
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2699p008-010.xml0/onu-mali-armee-cedeaomali-operation-tombouctou.html

NIGERIA

VOA News: “Islamic Sect Says No Peace Talks With Nigerian Government” (October 1, 2012)
The suspected leader of the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram is denying government claims that the group is involved in peace talks.
http://www.voanews.com/content/islamic-sect-says-no-peace-talks-with-nigerian-government/1518503.html

VOA News: “Students Among the Dead in Attack on Nigerian School” (October 2, 2012)
At least 25 people were killed late Monday in what appears to be a systematic slaughter in Adamawa State in northern Nigeria.  Locals say the victims, mostly college students, were individually questioned before being attacked.
http://www.voanews.com/content/gunman-attack-northern-nigeria-students-10-dead/1518816.html

Al Jazeera: “Nigeria hunts suspects in student killings” (October 3, 2012)
Soldiers search house-to-house for attackers who killed 25 people in college housing area in Adamawa state.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/10/201210385018517901.html

SENEGAL

RFI: “Sénégal : à l’approche de la rentrée, les sinistrés des inondations évacuent les écoles” (October 1, 2012)
In Dakar, the victims who have taken refuge in classrooms after particularly severe flooding that hit the country in late August and early September began to leave schools yesterday on government orders. Students make their return next Thursday and Monday was the start of work for teachers.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121001-senegal-rentree-approche-sinistres-obliges-quitter-ecoles-inondations

Jeune Afrique: “Macky Sall peut-il changer le Sénégal ? | Sénégal : Macky Sall, une rentrée dans le vif du sujet” (October 2, 2012)
A little more than six months after his election, Senegalese President Macky Sall is expected to turn. Good governance, economic recovery, improvement of living conditions … The population wants to see the country change rapidly and thoroughly.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Articles/Dossier/JA2698p066-068.xml0/diplomatie-senegal-politique-gambiesenegal-macky-sall-une-rentree-dans-le-vif-du-sujet.html

Jeune Afrique: “Sénégal : Malick Noël Seck exclu du PS pour des raisons ‘crypto-personnelles’” (October 4, 2012)
Malick Seck Noël is no longer a member of the Senegalese Socialist Party. The Secretary General of Socialist Convergence was expelled by the political bureau of the party.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121004120144/senegal-abdoulaye-wade-ousmane-tanor-dieng-parti-socialiste-senegalaissenegal-malick-noel-seck-exclu-du-ps-pour-des-raisons-crypto-personnelles.html

SOMALIA

Al Jazeera: “Explosions rock Somalia’s Kismayo” (October 2, 2012)
Al-Shabab claims responsibility but AU peacekeepers say they carried out two controlled explosions near airport.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/10/201210253950687422.html

SOUTH AFRICA

Al Jazeera: “Inquiry to begin on S African miners’ deaths” (October 1, 2012)
An official inquiry is set to open investigating the deaths of at least 34 miners who were killed by police in Marikana.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/10/201210163944710465.html

BBC News: “Marikana mine shootings: South African inquiry delayed” (October 3, 2012)
A South African inquiry into the deaths of 44 people, including 34 miners shot dead by police, has been delayed to let lawyers consult the clients.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19811217

Reuters: “South Africa mines say no to reopening wage talks” (October 4, 2012)
South Africa’s Chamber of Mines said on Thursday it was not planning to reopen wage talks for existing agreements in the gold and coal sectors, rebuffing a union report.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/04/us-safrica-strikes-talks-idUSBRE8930G320121004

BBC News: “Amplats fires 12,000 South African platinum miners” (October 5, 2012)
The world’s biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, has fired 12,000 striking South African miners after a protracted strike over wages.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19848915

Reuters: “S. African strikers say police kill another miner” (October 5, 2012)
South African police shot and killed a striking miner when they used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up a crowd of demonstrators gathered overnight on a hill near a Rustenburg area platinum mine.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE89402420121005

SUDAN / SOUTH SUDAN

CNN: “4 peacekeepers dead in attack on U.N. mission in Darfur” (October 3, 2012)
Four peacekeepers with the African Union-United Nations Mission in the Darfur region of Sudan were killed and eight injured in an ambush by unidentified attackers, the group said.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/03/world/africa/sudan-peacekeepers-killed/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Reuters Africa: “Sudan’s deal with South will not end conflict: opposition” (October 4, 2012)
Sudan and South Sudan will remain locked in conflict despite reaching a border security deal last week because they do not trust each other enough to resolve their biggest disputes, leading Sudanese opposition figure Hassan al-Turabi said.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE89301T20121004

TANZANIA

VOA News “Tanzania Seeks Help with High Maternal Mortality Rate” (October 2, 2012)
Tanzania’s president says his country needs more money to fight maternal mortality and reach Millennium Development Goal targets by 2015.
http://www.voanews.com/content/tanzania-seeks-help-with-high-maternal-mortality-rate/1519187.html

UGANDA

allAfrica News: “Uganda: FDC’s Kizza Besigye Arrested” (October 1, 2012)
Police have arrested Forum for Democratic Change leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye and is now being held at the Central Police Station in Kampala.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201210011085.html

VOA News: “Ugandan Opposition Leader Arrested, Released” (October 5, 2012)
Ugandan police Thursday arrested Forum for Democratic Change leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.  He was later released without charge.
http://www.voanews.com/content/kizza-besigye-of-uganda-arrested/1520823.html

ZIMBABWE

Reuters Africa: “Zimbabwe’s Mugabe wants elections in March” (September 27, 2012)
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe wants to hold elections in March, court papers showed on Thursday, a timetable that could cause tension with his coalition partners and regional leaders who first want reforms to avoid a repeat of 2008 poll violence.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE88Q01720120927

SAFPI: “Mugabe’s poll timetable ‘impossible’” (September 30, 2012)
A Zimbabwean independent monitoring group says it will be impossible to hold free and fair elections in March when President Robert Mugabe wants the polls. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network said on Sunday the call by Mugabe for full elections in the last week of March doesn’t allow enough time to establish conditions for a free vote.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/mugabe-s-poll-timetable-impossible

SAFPI: “Zimbabwe: Security sector reform key to peaceful elections” (October 1, 2012)
An attack on a political rally by uniformed soldiers is stoking fears of a reprise of state-sponsored violence against NGOs, human rights activists and parties opposed to President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF in the lead-up to a referendum on a draft constitution and scheduled parliamentary and presidential elections in 2013.
http://www.safpi.org/news/article/2012/zimbabwe-security-sector-reform-key-peaceful-elections

VOA News: “Court Rules Zimbabwe Too Broke to Hold By-Elections” (October 2, 2012)
Zimbabwe’s High Court ruled that President Robert Mugabe does not have to immediately call by-elections, which a superior court had ordered the government to do. The ruling follows Mugabe’s argument the county does not have enough money to run the polls.
http://www.voanews.com/content/court-rules-zimbabwe-too-broke-to-hold-by-elections/1519005.html

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1^st 
Wither Somalia?
Hosted by: United States Institute of Peace
Location: 2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20037
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Summary: With a new president and government taking office, Somalia continues to try to escape state failure. In her new book, ‘Getting Somalia Wrong? Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State,’ author and journalist Mary Harper examines Somalia’s culture and history and raises critical questions about international engagement and its impact on Somalis. Please join USIP on October 1 for a robust discussion with the author and two prominent experts about this important book and the country’s changing dynamics. Panelists include: Mary Harper, Africa Editor, BBC World Service; Sadia Ali Aden, Human Rights Advocate and Freelance Writer; and Bronwyn Bruton, Deputy Director, Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center; with Moderator Jon Temin, Director, Sudan & South Sudan Program, U.S. Institute of Peace.
For more information, please visit: http://www.usip.org/events/whither-somalia
To RSVP, please visit: http://whither-somalia.eventbrite.com/

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2^nd
Democracy for All: Empowering Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations
Hosted by: International Foundation for Electoral Systems
Location: 5^th Floor, 1850 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Summary: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees all individuals the freedom to take part in their nation’s government and political processes, including elections. However, in almost every nation, economic, ethnic and social inequalities prevent some citizens from participating fully in public life. From the Dalits and Kamaiyas of Nepal, and Muslims and Tribals in India; to the American Indians in the United States, and indigenous and minority populations of Latin America; vulnerable and marginalized groups face obstacles when registering to vote, learning about the political process or making their voice heard in government. Please join IFES for a discussion on the focused, innovative approaches used to empower citizens, communities and civil society organizations to achieve inclusive societies. Experts will discuss challenges and solutions for reaching traditionally disenfranchised populations. Speakers include: Ana Santos, IFES Senior Program Officer for the Americas; Alan Wall, IFES Country Director in Nepal; and moderated by Vasu Mohan, IFES Deputy Director for Europe and Asia. Lunch will be provided.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ifes.org/Content/Events/2012/Democracy-for-All-Empowering-Vulnerable-and-Marginalized-Populations.aspx
To RSVP, please visit: http://www.ifes.org/Events/Registration.aspx

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3^rd
Breeding the Phoenix: An Analysis of the Military’s Role in Peacebuilding
Hosted by: George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR)
Location: Truland Building, Room 555, Arlington Campus, 3301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Summary: This study focuses on the military’s role in peacebuilding. In the last twenty years, post-war peacebuilding has emerged as a powerful method that helps nations recover from war. Soldiers, whether they are part of an international intervention attempting to end the war or a member of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, have an important role to play. Today, soldiers do more than win their nation’s wars; they also help other nations and their citizens recover from war. In the last few decades, civilians from organizations like the United Nations, other intergovernmental organizations, other governments and nongovernmental organizations have responded to help nations recover from war or a violent conflict. There is no argument that civilians are better at peacebuilding than the military, yet the military is moving into this realm more and more. This research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how security impacts the role of the military in peacebuilding. Qualitatively, two case studies are explored, post-World War II Germany and Kosovo. Quantitatively, this research explored the issue through a questionnaire that was taken by 579 soldiers, civilians and experts in peacebuilding. In the end, the hypothesis was proven that the military’s role in peacebuilding is inversely linked to the level of security. If security is sufficient, civilians do the work; and if security is deficient, then the military’s role is larger. Speakers include:George F. Oliver., Professor, U.S. Naval War College, S-CAR; Ho Won Jeong, Professor, S-CAR; Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor, S-CAR; and Dennis Sandole, Professor, S-CAR.
For more information, please visit: http://scar.gmu.edu/event/14714

Elections, Constitution, and Politics in Kenya
Hosted by: Georgetown University
Location: Leavey Program Room, Leavey Center, 3800 Reservoir Rd., NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Summary: Ken Okoth is an international educator and children’s advocate changing the lives of orphaned and vulnerable youth in the Kibera slums of Nairobi where he was born in 1978. Kibera’s one million residents have minimal access to medical care, quality education, or jobs. Although Ken grew up in a one-room shack with his mother, five siblings and other relatives, the importance of education is a key value he learned quickly. Ken graduated with honors from St. Lawrence University in 2001 and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 2005. Ken’s life trajectory first changed when he won a scholarship from Save the Children Fund to attend Starehe Boys Center, a leading national boarding school in Nairobi that focuses on educating boys from underprivileged family backgrounds, and that has produced many leaders in business, civil society, and government in Kenya. At Starehe, Ken was immersed in the ethos of leadership and service. Ken’s path out of Kibera through Starehe led him to other lucrative opportunities all over the world, but he has found ways to return to the slums as a compassionate advocate to improve lives of children facing the same problems he faced before attending Starehe. In 2006, Ken founded the Children of Kibera Foundation (COKF), using his life story to inspire others and improve educational opportunities for the marginalized youth in Kibera. Ken believes that a good education is vital to help Kibera’s children realize their full potential and escape the cycle of poverty, disease, violence, and other indignities that plague this community.
For more information, please visit:http://guevents.georgetown.edu/event/elections_constitutionalism_and_politics_in_kenya

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5^th
Corruption, Human Rights, and Democracy in Angola: A discussion with Rafael Marques de Morais
Hosted by: National Endowment for Democracy
Location: Suite 800, 1025 F Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Summary: Rafael Marques de Morais currently faces legal action due to a complaint he filed against the shareholders of three private Angolan diamond mining companies for crimes against humanity. Rafael has published a book on corruption in Angola documenting over 100 cases of mass murder and over 500 cases of torture and other crimes committed by the diamond companies and the private security companies hired to protect their business interests. The shareholders include some of the country’s most influential generals who have countersued him, not in Angola where the process started, but in Portugal where Rafael cannot bring witnesses.  On August 31, Angola held national elections.  Although not quite the 82% landslide of 2008, the results showed the ruling MPLA earning more than 70% of the votes, ensuring the party would retain an absolute majority in the National Assembly.  As was expected, the election environment was very tense and opposition parties have brought complaints of fraud.  Criticism of the government has increased steadily in the past year as more revelations about human rights abuses and corruption come to light, and as the vast majority of Angolans continue to be deprived of any benefit from the country’s enormous oil wealth. The discussion with Rafael Marques de Morais will focus on developments in the area of human rights and the challenges of democracy in Angola. Moderated by Sarah Margon, Deputy Washington Director for Human Rights Watch.
For more information and to RSVP, please visit: http://democracyangola.eventbrite.com/

October 10, 2012
Ivory Coast exiles set up strategic command in Ghana: UN panel
“Exiles supporting Ivory Coast’s former President Laurent Gbagbo have established a base in neighboring Ghana from which they are working to destabilize the current Ivorian government, according to excerpts from a new report by a U.N. expert panel…”
To read the full article, visit the Kenyan Standard site here

October 9, 2012

Mkapa to help in Kenyan poll preps
“Mr Mkapa, who played an important role in mediating peace talks between ODM and PNU at the height of post-poll upheavals in 2008, is visiting the neighboring country as it prepares to go to the elections…”
To read the full article, visit the Tanzanian Daily News site here

Pan-African Parliament wants AU to talk to it
“After eight years languishing in impotent obscurity, Africa’s parliament appealed to continental leaders on Monday to start taking it seriously by giving it the powers to do the real work of legislation and oversight that it was created to do…”
To read the full article, visit the South African Business Day site here

A weight of contradiction
“Criticism of the Constituent Assembly tasked with writing Egypt’s new constitution continues apace. It has been accused of betraying the democratic ideals of the revolution and drafting a constitution that turns Egypt into a religious state, with the assembly’s chairman Hossam Al-Ghiriani singled out for particular opprobrium…”
To read the full article, visit the Al-Ahram Weekly here

We’re Not Fools – Amidu Fires John Mahama
“Ghana’s de facto whistleblower, Martin Alamisi B.K. Amidu and former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has described as “hollow,” President John Mahama’s call for evidence of corruption against him to be taken to appropriate agencies to deal with the issue, reminding the president that Ghanaians are not fools…”
To read the full article, visit Ghana’s Daily Guide site here

Liberian Nobel laureate quits over government corruption
“NOBEL prize-winning rights advocate Leymah Gbowee has quit her post in Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s government, criticising her fellow laureate for corruption and nepotism, her spokesman said on Monday…”
To read the full article, visit the South African Business Day here

Cross border cereals trade makes headway
“Former cross-border trade in commodities could be one of the biggest economic activities in East Africa, which has combined population of more than 150 million people, who need to eat hundreds of tonnes of food daily…”
To read the full article, visit the Tanzanian Daily News site here

If there is one thing that the Senegalese will never again accept, it is deception. The wax waxeet (“say and retract what was said” in Wolof) is finished. It is important to remember the hope that embodied the sopi (“change”) of Abdoulaye Wade in 2000. To recall the popular fervor in the aftermath of a victory that already constituted a lesson in democracy so rare on the continent. The fruits of this, however, have never passed the promise of flowers. And the Wade style, a complicated mix of determination and vision, but also arrogance and erratic governance where all shots are allowed, eventually convinced the Senegalese it was time to turn a page, which should have been turned five years earlier.

Macky Sall, who knows his country well- its political classes, its administration, and the pitfalls that are sure to stand in his way- knows very well that he is not entitled to error and that the patience of his compatriots has been reduced to almost nothing. But knowledge and ability are two different things. He needs time, resources, and also men and women around him who will prioritize the public interest, all of which are rare commodities these days …

An Opposite Approach
During his first six months as the head of the state, “Macky” essentially installed his base of his power. Once again, he took the opposite approach of his predecessor and former mentor, establishing dialogue and shared responsibility with his allies as the mode of governance, often to the detriment of his own party. Wade had broken the chain alliances one by one, which was the inevitable constraint of a man convinced of his superiority and unwilling to make concessions.

The head of state also imposed a style in keeping with that which had captivated the Senegalese during his crossing of the desert and then his rise to power – sober, calm and consistent – and took drastic measures intended to give substance to his policy of breaking with the past, including the reduction of the lifestyle of the State (to try to recover the money that had “evaporated”) and social measures, through the highly symbolic Habré case. However, he is not anti-Wade at all costs: Contrary to popular belief, he has retained some skills from Wade, sending the message that he remains a man of no compromise, obsessed with settling accounts, for which the transition does not necessarily make a clean sweep of the past. Senegal cannot afford to begin again twenty times on a project that has never accomplished.

A Complex Equation
Macky has acted patiently so far, without any real missteps. His natural reserve gives some the impression he does not know where he is going. Others accuse him of not having a “great vision” for his country, unlike Wade. Like François Hollande in France, his qualities of yesterday could become his weaknesses of tomorrow in the eyes of an impatient opinion.

Macky therefore has no alternative but to solve an equation: profoundly reform a country that has long been contented with short-term solutions, rather than the decidedly more complex remedies they require, while setting a course in the medium and long term to finally place Senegal on the African scene for what it is – economically, culturally and diplomatically – rather than merely due to the personality of its leader. A challenge, certainly, but also a necessity. One term is obviously not enough. The Senegalese must therefore decide in 2017 if the path is correct and if it is worth pursuing. More reason not to disappoint.

To read the original French text of this article, visit the Jeune Afrique site here

Africa: South Africa Gets Ready for HIV Vaccine Trial
“A vaccine candidate which showed that it can protect against HIV infection by up to 31% when tested in Thailand three years ago will be further tested in South Africa as soon as next year…” 
To read the full article, visit the AllAfrica site here

Is it true democracy or is it fragmentation?
“on Monday this week a 19th party came to existence in the Tanzania’s political scene, the ADC is more of the break away from the Civic United Front (CUF), one time second to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). This event comes about few months after another party the CCK had received a registration as 18th party in series…”
To read the full article, visit the Tanzanian Express site here

Malawi Out of Dialogue with Tanzania
“Incensed by the recent behavior of the Tanzanian Government over the Lake Malawi dispute, President Joyce Banda on Tuesday ordered that dialogue between the two countries be put on hold…”
To read the full article, visit the Nation site here

LETTER FROM AMERICA: Budding women entrepreneurs are touch points for building SA brand
“A nation’s brand is made or broken by its touch points. Not all of SA’s touch points reinforce our value proposition. I have just spent several days with eight who definitely do.
Sindi Sabela, Millicent Kobo, Mapula Rampedi, Grace Mushwana, Rose Mote, Mercy Ramabuda, Makgethwa Mphogo and Felicity Fillies are not household names, but they deserve to be and some of them some day could be. They are farmers with a strong entrepreneurial bent, and most are new to the game…”
To read the full article, visit the South African Business Day site here 

Nightmare of run-off awaits Raila in race
“The presidential race has narrowed down to Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy, Uhuru Kenyatta, who have emerged as the leading aspirants. According to an Ipsos Synovate opinion poll, if elections were conducted today, Raila would beat Uhuru in the first round, but fail to garner the 50 per cent plus one needed to secure State House…”
To read the full article, visit the Kenyan Standard site here

Liberia: Transformation – From Fragile State to Competitive State
“Statement by H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on “The Challenges of Transformation in a Fragile State: The Case of Liberia” at Columbia University’s World Leaders Forum.”
To view the complete article, visit the AllAfrica site here

Grave mistake to downplay landmark African agreement
“The pioneering inclusive co-operation agreement signed in Addis Ababa by Presidents Omar al-Bashir and Salva Kiir Mayardit…sets a unique benchmark between two African sovereign states about how African neighbours should construct relations, to give concrete reality to the objectives shared by the peoples of our continent of African integration, unity, solidarity and mutually beneficial co-operation…”
To view the full article, visit the South African Business Day here

Mudavadi wants ICC cases tried locally
“Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has touched off a fresh controversy over the Kenyan situation before the International Criminal Court…”
To view the full article, visit the Kenyan Standard here