In yet another sign that Turkmenistan is coming out of its isolationist shell, Ashgabat just finished hosting a meeting between the European Union's Troika and Central Asia's foreign ministers. The Troika is headed by Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, EU External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and the EU's special representative for […]
At The Washington Realist Nikolas Gvosdev makes a salient point about how the Western powers have a tendency to blame China for the instability in the Sudan (and to a lesser extent places such as Zimbabwe) and then use China's (admittedly noxious) behaviors as a cover for their own inaction.
Michael Gerson of The Washington Post has an op-ed in which he shows how an initiative to address the AIDS crisis in Zambia has met with remarkable results. Gerson's conclusion? That programs such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) reveal that “that the next step in the AIDS crisis is not only […]
The Los Angeles Timeshas an excellent blog on the Middle East, Babylon and Beyond, and I am not just saying that because they have added this to their blogroll. I am reasonably sure the Times will do fine without my endorsement. I am linking it because of an interesting article on the death of Hezbollah […]
Kenya (more famously) and Nigeria have both been dealing with fraught internal negotiations regarding the inner workings of government. The stalemate over the composition of the cabinet (and thus the dynamics of power) continues in Kenya. Outside observers, including the British, have advised that Mwai Kibaki's side be willing to give up some seats in […]
As most Zimbabweans still struggle to survive and to access the basics — bread, toilet paper, and the like, the prospect of chaos hovers around them. The story remains largely the same — lots of news, little actual information. The Southern African Development Community plans to meet to address the Zimbabwe situation. Zambia's Levy Mwanawasa, […]
Has anti-immigrant xenophobia reached new lows in South Africa? Attacks on migrants have increased in recent months and many worry that this marks a disturbing trend. IRIN has a report.
It is the most potent and dangerous arrow remaining in Mugabe's quiver. More daunting than corruption, more destructive than his alliances with the power structure, Mugabe's ability to marshal violence is the biggest remaining X-factor remaining in whether or not he clings tenaciously to power. That violence might come in the myriad security forces at […]
Unrest and fear of worse to come has again taken hold in Kenya as the country's political stalemate has again spilled out into the streets. While some commentators have taken to dreaming of future hopes, such as Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Jomo Kenyatta, most Kenyans are caught up in the here and now. I wrote […]
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), an organization dedicated to poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific, has come out with their Asian Development Outlook 2008 report, analyzing the Central Asian and Caucasus economies. Overall, the report finds that the states of these regions have had significant economic growth in the past few years, but […]
[Zapiro, Mail & Guardian, 4 April 2008] One clear division between Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma (and as stark as the political and personal conflicts are between the two men and their supporters, when it comes to policies and platforms most people could not stake out clear and categorical differences between them) comes on the Zimbabwe […]
Stan Abram's China Heresay blog led me to this James Fallows' article for theAtlantic.com, recounting his personal experience in China with middle school girls, who he describes as "charming" and "open-spirited." A reminder that despite its unfortunate portrayal as a looming military and economic threat, China is doing its best to address domestic concerns, be it managing its massive and […]
The largest transaction to occur under the auspices of South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment program appears set to go through, and most observers are lavishing praise on the deal and its ramifications. The Economist has the details.
I’m going to quibble here with an article I really enjoyed and found useful. I hope you don't mind. I don't want to leave the impression that it was a bad article. It is one you should read, if you have the time. And time is the most important thing here. The Carnegie Endowment has […]
It appears that India's engagement with Africa has the potential to yield fruit. Indian officials have announced “duty free preferential market exports” from developing nations, including 34 in Africa. While Africans have every right to be skeptical of any such deals with the outside world, this deal appears to represent a vital moment for African […]