Nigerian authorities are holding 12 foreign oil executives in a $100 million bribery case—but last month settled with Halliburton, dropping charges against Dick Cheney.
With forces loyal to ex-president Laurent Gbagbo fighting with rivals and UN troops in Abidjan, Ivory Coast is divided into hostile camps and Nigeria is threatening military intervention.
As South Sudan voted in its independence referendum, clashes between Dinka tribesmen and Arab militias left more than 60 dead in the disputed Abyei border enclave.
Violence has rocked the Nigerian city of Jos since Christmas eve bombings left 32 dead. Riots have pitted Christians against Muslims, with both churches and mosques vandalized.
Somalia’s parliament approved new Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, after several delays due to a dispute over the confirmation procedure. Much of the country remains controlled by insurgents.
The Ninth Circuit appeals court upheld a verdict in favor of Royal Dutch Shell in a case brought by families of Ogoni protesters executed by the Nigerian government in 1995.
Hundreds of protesters marched in Galkayo, a town in Somalia’s northern enclave of Puntland, against plans by a southern preacher in the US to hold a mass Koran-burning.
A spike in food prices has triggered deadly riots in Mozambique this week, with unrest over price hikes also reported in Egypt, Pakistan and Serbia—leading to fears of a new global food crisis.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on the government of Sudan to protect its people's rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in the face of mounting violence. Anti-government protests have swept across Sudan for weeks. Over 800 have been arrested, including "journalists, opposition leaders, protestors and representatives of civil society." The government has confirmed 24 deaths but other reports place the number at double that. There have also been reports of security forces following protesters into hospitals and firing tear-gas and live ammunition inside. (Photo via Sudan Tribune)
The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression called for the restoration of telecommunication services in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Internet continues to be shut down across the DRC in the wake of Dec. 30 general elections. Authorities ordered closure of net the day after the vote due to "fictitious results" circulating on social media. The results of the election have now been postponed and the shutdown extends past its original end date. Both the opposition and ruling coalition say they are on track to win the election. Many citizens were not able to vote due to an Ebola outbreak, and the delay led to protests in the east of the country. The opposition has alleged irregularities and fraud, and there have been reports of militias forcing voters to vote for the ruling coalition. The election commission dismissed any problems as minor. (Photo via SoftPower)
Protests have been mounting across Sudan in response to the nation’s acute economic crisis. Inflation reached 70% in November and many have been forced to spend significant portions of their income on bread, leading to local media designating the demonstrations as "bread protests." Protesters have repeatedly called for President Omar al-Bashir, who has been in power since 1993, to step down. The protests have been organized by professional organizations and trade unions as well as Sudan's principal opposition group, the Umma Party. Sudan's government has shut off internet access to prevent the protesters from organizing via social media. According to Amnesty International, at least 37 protesters have been killed so far as Sudanese authorities attempt to quell the demonstrations by releasing tear-gas and firing live ammunition. (Photo via Middle East Eye)
The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) is on the defensive following reports of mass rapes a few kilometers from a MONUSCO base.
