Nigeria: town under curfew following sectarian violence

Nigerian authorities imposed a curfew in the north-central city of Jos after four days of fighting between Muslims and Christians killed at least 200 people.

Somalia: displaced people on the run again as fighting hits Beletweyne

Thousands of internally displaced in Somalia’s central town of Beletweyne are on the move again following 10 days of fighting between rival Islamist militias.

US prosecutors charge suspected Somali pirate with hijacking more ships

The US filed a new indictment against alleged Somali pirate Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, claiming that he led the takeover of two additional ships. Muse pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Nigeria: militants blow up Chevron pipeline —again

The Nigerian army confirmed that a Chevron pipeline had been sabotaged, leading to the shutdown of 20,000 barrels a day in the Niger Delta.

Dennis Vincent Brutus, 1924-2009

World-renowned political organizer and one of Africa’s most celebrated poets, Dennis Brutus, died early on Dec. 26 in Cape Town, in his sleep, aged 85.

Nigeria: children killed in new sectarian fighting

The Red Cross says that of the 39 killed in a clash between government forces and the Yan Kala-Kato Islamic sect in the Nigerian state of Bauchi, some 60% were children.

Chad war heats up again; Sudan supresses protests

Chad launched air-strikes against rebels supposedly backed by Sudan, while Sudanese security forces used tear gas to break up opposition protests in Khartoum.

Human Rights Watch charges massacres in eastern Congo

A new Human Rights Watch report documents in detail the deliberate killing of more than 1,400 civilians during Congolese army operations against a Rwandan Hutu militia this year.

Family of Gitmo detainee files lawsuit against Kenyan government

The family of Kenyan Guantánamo Bay detainee Mohamed Abdulmalik filed suit against the Kenyan government claiming he was illegally detained, tortured and renditioned to US authorities.

More than 65,000 Eritrean refugees languish in Sudan

Sudan hosts more than 66,000 Eritrean refugees, the first of whom arrived in 1968 during the war of independence against Ethiopia. They say they now fear persecution in Eritrea and refuse repatriation.

Global warming will increase war in Africa: study

Climate change could increase the likelihood of civil war in sub-Saharan Africa by over 50% within the next two decades, according to a new study by leading researchers.

ICC begins trial for Congolese nationals accused of war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague opened the trial of two Congolese militia leaders charged in the killings of more than 200 men, women, and children.