Reuters
March 13, 2010
WASHINGTON – The United States on Friday denied coordinating plans by Somalia’s embattled government to launch an offensive against Islamist fighters, saying it had no plans to “Americanize” the conflict.
Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson described as inaccurate reports suggesting that U.S. officials were ready to get more militarily involved as Somalia’s government [...]
Category Archives: Regional
U.S. has no plan to “Americanize” Somalia conflict
March 14, 2010 – 8:33 am
Israel eyes new alliances in Africa
March 12, 2010 – 8:23 am
UPI
March 9, 2010
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel is struggling to keep its diplomatic friends in Africa as Iran makes a determined effort to expand its influence there, making the continent an emerging theater in the Iran-Israel confrontation.
But these days the Jewish state has a new ally, Kenya, which wants Israeli help to fight the growing [...]
Israel eyes new alliances in Africa
March 11, 2010 – 8:31 pm
UPI
March 9, 2010
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel is struggling to keep its diplomatic friends in Africa as Iran makes a determined effort to expand its influence there, making the continent an emerging theater in the Iran-Israel confrontation.
But these days the Jewish state has a new ally, Kenya, which wants Israeli help to fight the growing [...]
East Africa is next hot oil zone
March 11, 2010 – 5:43 pm
UPI
March 10, 2010
NAIROBI, Kenya — East Africa is emerging as the next oil boom following a big strike in Uganda’s
Lake Albert Basin. Other oil and natural gas reserves have been found in Tanzania and Mozambique and exploration is under way in Ethiopia and even war-torn Somalia.
The region, until recently largely ignored by the energy industry, [...]
Gulf of Aden pirates are having less success
March 10, 2010 – 6:57 pm
Los Angeles Times
March 10, 2010
Tony Perry
As shipping companies employ defensive tactics, the percentage of successful attacks falls slightly despite a 62% increase in the number of attempts in the Gulf of Aden in 2009.
A U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team heads to investigate a Somali skiff. (Elizabeth Allen / U.S. Navy)
Reporting from Manama, [...]
How food and water are driving a 21st-century African land grab
March 8, 2010 – 3:25 pm
Guardian, UK
March 7, 2010
An Observer investigation reveals how rich countries faced by a global food shortage now farm an area double the size of the UK to guarantee supplies for their citizens
A woman tends vegetables at a giant Saudi-financed farm in Ethiopia.
We turned off the main road to Awassa, talked our way past security guards [...]
Ethiopia-Kenya power grid link to go live this year despite protests
March 8, 2010 – 3:20 pm
The East African, Kenya
March 7, 2010
ARGAW ASHINE
Kenya and Ethiopia, two nations that have co-existed peacefully for five decades in one of Africa’s toughest neighbourhood, last week deepened their economic ties with a major energy-sharing deal.
Meeting on the sidelines of the African Union conference, President Mwai Kibaki and his counterpart, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles [...]
Pirates hijack Norwegian oil tanker
March 6, 2010 – 11:28 am
BBC
March 5, 2010
Pirates have seized a tanker off Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and are sailing it towards the Somali coast, the ship’s Norwegian owners have said.
The UBT Ocean was carrying oil from the United Arab Emirates to Tanzania, Svenn Pedersen, of owners Brovigtank, told Reuters news agency.
Piracy has made the seas off the Horn [...]
Somali pirates, security personnel in 4 shootouts
March 6, 2010 – 11:19 am
AP
March 5, 2010
KATHARINE HOURELD
Piracy around the world
NAIROBI, Kenya — Swarms of Somali pirates are moving into the waters off East Africa, triggering four shootouts Friday including a skirmish with French military personnel that sunk a pirate skiff, officials said.
The end of the monsoon season and the resulting calmer waters signal the beginning of [...]
Feingold Statement on the Fragile State of Democracy in Africa
March 5, 2010 – 4:43 pm
Office of Senator Russell Feingold, US Senate
March 2, 2010
For the Congressional Record
Mr. President, I’d like to note the many challenges to democracy we are seeing across Africa today. I have long said that promoting and supporting democratic institutions should be a key tenet of our engagement with Africa, as good governance is essential to [...]
