On May 14th, the Nigerian Joint Military Task Force (JTF), laid siege to towns along the coast, attacking from air, land, and sea. Although the Nigerian government maintains that the attack was targeting militant groups that obstruct oil flows, what transpired was a...
June 2, 2009 The persistence and the complication of wars in Africa are partially due to small arms proliferation. The consequences of small arms on African people due to international conflicts within Africa, rebel group activities, mercenary groups, and...
This article was originally published in Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF) on April 20th, 2009. In early February, The New York Times released information detailing the involvement of the U.S. military in the bungled Ugandan mission to oust the rebel Lord’s...
Posted April 8th, 2009. Adapted from an article originally written for the US Catholic Missions Association.On March 19th, at the end of the Mass celebrated in the National Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon on the feast of St. Joseph, Pope Benedict XVI presented the...
As one of its principal missions, AFRICOM states (africom.mil/AboutAFRICOM.asp) that it will offer “the kind of support that will enable African governments and existing regional organizations… to have greater capacity to provide security and respond in...
As one of its principal missions, AFRICOM states that it will offer “the kind of support that will enable African governments and existing regional organizations… to have greater capacity to provide security and respond in times of need.”...
Last week, Caritas reported on the first-ever gathering of religious leaders from the numerous communities affected by the continued aggression of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a gathering focused on finding a regional solution to the violence. This three-day...
In a statement released Tuesday, January 27th, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) noted the “important and strategic roles that AFRICOM can play” in boosting the security of Africa’s young democracies. Although he recognized the flaws within AFRICOM and...
Just when we thought the situation in Somalia couldn’t possibly get any worse, recent weeks have shown that Somalia will likely deteriorate further before stabilizing. From piracy to militancy to displacement and starvation of the local population, Somalia needs...
Within the African community, both in the US and on the continent, many have speculated about what an Obama presidency will mean for Africa. As the son of a Kenyan man with family still in Kenya, expectations tend to run high. Still, some have cautioned against such...
