Two bombings of churches in Kenya pointed to the resurgence al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in East Africa. But a TIME investigation into how the region’s countries (and the U.S.) are handling groups like Somalia’s al-Shabab …
Nigeria
A Nigerian Dies in China—and Racial Tensions Heat Up
The death of a Nigerian man in the southern Chinese megacity of Guangzhou — allegedly when he was in police custody — sparked a protest by Africans living there, raising tensions in a country still uncomfortable with racial difference
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 18, 2012
In today’s required reading: evidence of Iranian subterfuge, power plays in Pakistani and more communal clashes in Nigeria’s divided Kaduna state.
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 3, 2012
Dependent Dissident – As Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng undergoes medical procedures at a Beijing hospital after leaving his refuge at the U.S. Embassy in China, the Washington Post poses questions about the deal brokered …
Must Reads from Around the World: Jan. 25, 2012
Daring Raid — U.S. Special Forces swooped into Somalia on Wednesday, and rescued two hostages, including an American woman, who had been kidnapped by pirates. The New York Times pieces together the details, noting that it …
Nigeria’s Rulers Reap Rewards of Corruption with Sudden Descent Into Chaos
The killing of more than 178 people by Islamic militants in a series of attacks on state buildings in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, underlines how one of Africa’s most corrupt nations is reaping the rewards of decades of …
Old Man vs Rude Kid: South Africa’s (Poor) Substitute Democracy
If ever proof was needed that competition – and its political manifestation, democracy – is as humanly innate as Darwin claimed, it is in the constant, sometimes violent challenges that confront one-party states. The Arab world is experiencing the ultimate expression of the universal opposition to a life without choice and the desire …
No Bikes for You: Nigeria Bans Motorcycles in Terror-Struck City
Officials in Maiduguri, Nigeria’s seventh largest city and capital of northeastern Borno State, banned motorbikes earlier this week in a bid to curb militant activities borne on the backs of these ubiquitous vehicles.
Yet even though nearly 7,000 innocent Nigerians have now found their livelihoods on the wrong side of the law, the …
Two Nigerias?
Nigeria is in the midst of its cleanest election ever. Ironic, then, that it should also be one of its most violent – with hundreds dead in the run-up to this month’s vote, and scores more in its aftermath.
Opposition claims that the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan rigged the polls to ensure his overwhelmingly victory in the presidential …
Global Briefing, Mar. 22, 2011: Battles and Bad Bromance
Leading from the Back — Obama’s approach to Libya shows that “multilateralism can serve American interests,” argues Romesh Ratnesar in his weekly column for TIME.
India’s Future — The FT compares India to Russia, arguing that world’s largest democracy is sinking into crony capitalism.
Counterpoint — In the Guardian, George …
Lagos, Nigeria: Blind in Africa’s Mega-City
Imagine being blind in Lagos. It is Africa’s megacity, an endless, dirty, malarial metropolis of somewhere between 10 and 17.5 million people – no one seems quite sure – a figure predicted to reach 25 million by 2015 and 35 million by 2025. It’s a place of constant gridlock and giant holes in the sidewalks. It is a nightmare to …