The Kaleidoscope View of African Heroes

A Change in the Approach of the International Community to Zimbabwe’s Mugabe Robert Frost was correct (and thank goodness) when he wrote: “George Washington was one of the few men in all of human history who was not carried away by power.” George Washington was...

Wolf Can Live, But Can Darfurians?

In an April 19 article in the Washington Post , Rep Frank Wolf (R-Va) was reported as saying that “he could live with a few more weeks to see if Bashir is willing to cooperate.” This was in reference to President Bush’s announcement of and delay of...

Reconsidering Methods of Peacebuilding in Africa

Within the field of conflict resolution and peacebuilding, there exists a question of how present the international community ought to be in negotiations. In a recent analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations, author Stephanie Hanson summarizes a number of...

AFRICOM: Wrong for Liberia, Disastrous for Africa

by Ezekiel Pajibo and Emira Woods  Just two months after U.S. aerial bombardments began in Somalia, the Bush administration solidified its militaristic engagement with Africa. In February 2007, the Department of Defense announced the creation of a new U.S. Africa...

AGOA: Growth and Opportunities for Africa?

On Thursday, July 12th, the US House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health held a hearing on the future of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). While the meeting usefully articulated possible policies, it also ignored many of AGOA’s problems. Recognition...

A Devil’s Bargain in Somalia?

Like the Israelites after the fall of the first Temple (recorded in the book of Lamentations), Somalia’s people suffer innumerable woes. With residents fleeing in the hundreds of thousands, their Jerusalem lies deserted and destroyed (Mogadishu), and many believe that...

South Africa’’s Ongoing Quest for Reconciliation

The Future is Certain: It is the Past that is Unpredictable Ten years ago  the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (known as the TRC) handed over its final report to the then State President Nelson Mandela. The TRC continues to be viewed by many around...

US Military Strikes Again in Somalia

In early June, the United States intervened militarily in Somalia for the third time this year, striking a group of alleged terrorists with cruise missiles. The men targeted had come ashore in northern Somalia two days earlier and were hiding in nearby mountains....