May 2009

Obama’s Africa Agenda
by Jennifer Cooke
“The Obama administration needs to persuade a potentially skeptical Congress and public that Africa warrants investment; that the gains of the past decade should not be put at risk. . . .”

In Congo’s Conflict, a Surprising Twist
by Jason Stearns
“It would be foolhardy to believe . . . that a deal between Kigali and Kinshasa will bring an end to battles for power in North Kivu province.”

Sudan: A State on the Brink?
by John Prendergast and Colin Thomas-Jensen
“If the international community takes advantage of its newfound leverage, Khartoum’s increased isolation, and discontent within the ruling party, Bashir’s end may well be in sight.”

Labor Markets in Africa: Multiple Challenges, Limited Opportunities
by Scott D. Taylor
“Even before the global economic downturn, the structural problems in African labor markets were daunting.”

Civil-Military Power Struggles: The Case of Mauritania
by Dafna Hochman
“Is it possible for a civilian president to manage a pluralistic parliamentary democracy, particularly one open to populist Islamist parties, while, under the watchful eye of a strong military, also countering terrorism?”

Somali Piracy: A Nasty Problem, a Web of Responses
by James Kraska and Brian Wilson
“In a surprising way, piracy provides an opportunity to harness the collective strength of states. . . .”

Perspective: Africa’s Leadership Vacuum
by Phillip Van Niekerk
Muammar el-Qaddafi, the African Union’s new chairman, and Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s incoming president, aren’t worried about a leadership deficit on the continent. But others are.

Book Reviews: Hearts of Darkness
by William W. Finan Jr.
Gérard Prunier in a new book searches for the catalyst that helped ignite eastern Congo’s terrible violence. He finds the culprit in Rwanda’s legacy of genocide.

The Month in Review
by the editors of Current History
March 2009

Map Of Africa
by the editors of Current History
Map of Africa