PBS NewsHour: Africa Archive | 2007

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AFRICA


	2007 DECEMBER Dec. 31, 2007 Hundreds Dead as Election Riots Flare in Kenya Mwai Kibaki was sworn in Sunday as Kenya's president after three days of violent riots following last week's controversial elections. A Kenyan elections observer and an official from the National Democratic Institute provide insight on the conflict.

	Dec. 28, 2007 South Africa's New Ruling Party Leader Zuma Charged with Corruption In a yet another twist to South Africa's political scene, Jacob Zuma, the recently elected leader of the country's ruling party, has been charged in a corruption case that could jeopardize his chances of becoming president.

	Dec. 25, 2007 Graduate Students Recount Experiences with Globalization In the final installment of his series on globalization, Paul Solman talks with four graduate students at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government for their take on the issue.

	Dec. 20, 2007 New S. African Leader Emerges Amid Corruption Controversy South Africa's top prosecutor said that he plans to bring corruption charges against Jacob Zuma, the newly elected leader of the African National Congress. A reporter looks at the man likely to become South Africa's next president.

	Dec. 18, 2007 Zuma Ousts Mbeki as ANC Leader in South Africa South Africa's ruling African National Congress elected former deputy president Jacob Zuma as its leader Tuesday, making him almost certain to succeed President Thabo Mbeki in 2009.

	Dec. 12, 2007 Attack in Algeria Reopens Country's War Wounds, Stirs Terror Fears Two truck bombs exploded in Algiers, Algeria, Tuesday, causing heavy damage to U.N. offices and killing more than 31. A branch of terror group al-Qaida claimed responsibility. Experts assess what the attacks mean for Algeria, Northern Africa and the West.

	Dec. 11, 2007 Experimental Malaria Vaccine Shows Promise in Africa Malaria kills one African child about every 30 seconds. Now, a vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows promise in reducing the rate of severe malaria by as much as 50 percent. Susan Dentzer reports from Tanzania.

	Dec. 11, 2007 Blasts Kill Scores at U.N. Buildings in Algiers The North African wing of al-Qaida is suspected of detonating twin car bombs that killed as many as 67 people near U.N. buildings in the Algerian capital Tuesday.

	Dec. 3, 2007 Sudanese President Pardons British Teacher A British teacher who was jailed in Sudan for allowing her students to name their class teddy bear "Muhammad" left the country on Monday after she was pardoned by the Sudanese president and released from jail.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 30, 2007 Tanzania Implements HIV Prevention Measures as World Marks AIDS Day As part of a U.S.-backed fight against HIV infection in Tanzania, student groups perform plays and stage other events in a bid to develop new techniques that will help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Susan Dentzer examines these programs on the eve of World AIDS Day.

	Nov. 30, 2007 Sudanese Protest British Teacher's Sentence A day after a British teacher was convicted of insulting Islam in a Sudanese court by letting her young students name a teddy bear "Muhammad" as part of a lesson, thousands of protesters called for more severe punishment - including her execution.

	Nov. 26, 2007 Violence, Humanitarian Crisis Continues to Grip Somalia Ongoing violence in Somalia has worsened the humanitarian situation in the war-torn East African country with disease, displacement and hunger among the problems. Two Somalia experts examine the crisis and the international community's response.

	Nov. 20, 2007 U.N. Report Reduces AIDS Estimates by Millions UNAIDS, the United Nation's group working on the AIDS epidemic, released a report Tuesday admitting that figures on the spread of HIV were over-estimated for the past decade.

	Nov. 14, 2007 Finding New Solutions to Africa's AIDS Crisis The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, is designed to funnel $15 billion over five years toward HIV prevention and treatment efforts in Africa and other countries. Ambassador Mark Dybul, U.S. global AIDS coordinator and Paul Zeitz of Global AIDS Alliance answered your questions.

	Nov. 7, 2007 U.S.-Backed HIV Services Help Boost Rwandan Health Care System A U.S. program to curb AIDS in Africa is working to build the capacity of Rwanda's health care system by training doctors and equiping health facilities. Health correspondent Susan Dentzer continues a series of reports examining the impact of the American effort.

	Nov. 6, 2007 In Rwanda, U.S.-Backed Program Improves Access to AIDS Drugs A U.S. program to curb AIDS in Africa is having success providing antiretroviral drugs to AIDS patients in Rwanda -- particularly pregnant women and newborns. Health correspondent Susan Dentzer begins a series of reports examining the impact of the American effort.

	Nov. 6, 2007 Extended Interview: U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Mark Dybul Ambassador Mark Dybul, U.S. Global AIDS coordinator of the president's AIDS initiative known as PEPFAR, talks about the program's impacts, challenges and future.



	OCTOBER Oct. 29, 2007 Rebel Groups Boycott Darfur Peace Talks Three main Darfur rebel factions boycotted peace talks with the Sudanese government over the weekend in Libya, throwing into doubt that any substantive progress would be made at the summit.

	Oct. 23, 2007 People and Places of Rwanda and Tanzania The NewsHour's journey to Rwanda and Tanzania brought the reporting team face-to-face with families coping with HIV and remnants of the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

	Oct. 16, 2007 African Expert Offers Closer Look at Darfur Crisis An estimated 200,000 people have been killed in Sudan's Darfur region since a brutal civil war erupted in 2003. Millions have been forced to flee their homes and live in refugee camps. Sarjoh Bah, with Global Peace Operations at NYU's Center on International Cooperation, answered your questions on the crisis.

	Oct. 15, 2007 Tensions Among Troops, Insurgents Fuel Further Violence in Somalia Unrest in violence-plagued Somalia continues amid tensions over the presence of Ethiopian troops who entered the country last year to oust an Islamic government. Independent Television News reports on the military and humanitarian situation in the East African nation.

	Oct. 11, 2007 U.N. Chief Forging New Solutions on Climate, Conflicts United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has faced a long list of priorities since he took over the U.N.'s top job from Kofi Annan 10 months ago. He discusses the issues that are shaping his tenure, including concerns over the situation in Darfur, climate change and the U.N.'s role in Iraq.

	Oct. 11, 2007 Former President Carter Reflects on His New Book, Recent Trip to Darfur Former President Jimmy Carter was in the news again this week with his new book, "Beyond the White House," and a recent trip to the Darfur region of Sudan. He discusses his impressions of Darfur and themes in his new book.

	Oct. 1, 2007 AU Peacekeepers Missing After Rebel Attack in Darfur A weekend attack on an African Union base in Northern Darfur, Sudan, left at least 10 peacekeepers dead and 20 missing. From Khartoum, Charlayne Hunter-Gault provides an update on the search for the missing troops and the AU's role in the troubled region.

	Oct. 1, 2007 AU Peacekeepers Killed in Rebel Attack in Darfur At least 10 African Union peacekeepers were killed and more than 20 declared missing after rebels overran their base in northern Darfur over the weekend, in the worst attack on AU forces since they were deployed in 2004.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 19, 2007 Zimbabwe's High Inflation Takes Toll on Population Zimbabwe government programs and private businesses are suffering from a severe increase in the country's inflation. Independent Television News reports on the effects on the population.



	AUGUST Aug. 17, 2007 Military Hopes Djibouti Humanitarian Work Will Combat Terror American troops have been stationed in the African nation of Djibouti to engage in humanitarian work that the Bush administration hopes will prevent terrorist groups from taking hold. Special correspondent Simon Marks provides a report.

	Aug. 14, 2007 Author Uncovers Stories of Arabs Helping Jews During Holocaust There have been few books written about the Holocaust's impact in the Arab world. Margaret Warner speaks with author Robert Satloff about how Arabs saved some Jews during the Holocaust.

	Aug. 3, 2007 U.N.-AU Peacekeepers Face Challenges in Darfur The U.N. Security Council authorized a 26,000-member peacekeeping force in the Darfur region of Sudan. Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations and a Darfur advocate discuss the conflict-ridden region.



	JULY July 31, 2007 U.N. Approves Peacekeeping Force in Darfur The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution to send a peacekeeping force of up to 26,000 troops and police to Sudan's conflict-ridden Darfur region.

	July 27, 2007 Poverty and Crime Flourish in Oil-Rich Niger Delta Beset by poverty, corruption, violent political agitation and rampant lawlessness, the Niger Delta region continues to languish, despite being one of the most oil-rich regions in the world.

	July 24, 2007 Foreign Captives Released After Eight Years in Libyan Prison The NewsHour presents a report from Independent Television News about the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who were in Libya on an AIDS mission and imprisoned for eight years.

	July 24, 2007 Zimbabwe President to Move Toward Nationalizing Foreign Firms In an effort to revive the suffering economy in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe announced plans to push toward nationalizing foreign firms. A professor and African policy expert consider the impacts on the African country.

	July 13, 2007 Sudan Bombs Rebel, Civilian Targets in Darfur, Envoy Says The Sudanese government has resumed bombing civilian targets in the war-torn region of Darfur after a short-lived period of quiet, the U.S. special envoy for Darfur said Friday.



	JUNE June 27, 2007 Nigerian Leader Seeks Unity Government with Main Opposition Since the controversial election of Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua in April, leaders in the Nigerian government have been feuding over the electoral process and oil decisions made by the outgoing administration.

	June 21, 2007 Wildlife Thrives in Southern Sudan, Surveys Reveal The first aerial wildlife survey of southern Sudan in 25 years revealed that the herds of migrating gazelles, antelopes and other animals have managed to survive the country's decades of civil war. The Wildlife Conservation Society's Michael Fay discusses the survey.

	June 20, 2007 Nigerian Oil Workers Strike over Fuel Prices The Nigerian government, facing a potentially economically crippling work stoppage, agreed to hold negotiations with oil workers who went on strike Wednesday in response to an increase in fuel prices.

	June 15, 2007 Victims of Sexual Violence in Darfur Face Stigma, Unresponsive Justice System Reports of women raped during militia raids or while seeking supplies are widespread in the Darfur conflict, yet Sudan's government has denied it occurs and prosecuting the crime has remained virtually impossible in the Muslim country.

	June 12, 2007 Sudan Accepts Joint U.N.-African Union Peacekeeping Force The Sudanese government tentatively approved the deployment of a joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping force to the conflict-ridden Darfur region Tuesday, ending months of wrangling over the presence of international troops in the area.

	June 4, 2007 Former Liberian Leader Boycotts War Crimes Trial Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who has been charged with atrocities in Sierra Leone, did not show up for the start of his trial in The Hague on Monday, saying he would not get a fair hearing in the U.N.-backed court.

	June 1, 2007 Graduate Students Recount Experiences with Globalization In the final installment of his series on globalization, Paul Solman talks with four graduate students at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government for their take on the issue.



	MAY May 30, 2007 President Bush Proposes Doubling Money to Fight AIDS to $30 Billion President Bush on Wednesday asked Congress for $30 billion to renew and double the funding to combat the global spread of AIDS, calling the disease a "modern-day plague."

	May 29, 2007 President Bush Levies New Sanctions Against Sudan In an attempt to help end the bloodshed in Darfur, President Bush announced new U.S. sanctions Tuesday that targeted the oil industry and Sudanese individuals involved in the region's violence. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte provides details.

	May 29, 2007 Nigerian President Sworn In Following Controversial Election Even as opposition parties continued calls for a new election, Nigeria's new president Umaru Yar'Adua was inaugurated Tuesday following elections in April that international observers derided as being largely rigged.



	APRIL April 26, 2007 Uganda Attempts to End Decades' Long Civil War The Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army rebels, which have been mired in civil war for more than 21 years, agreed to resume peace talks Thursday. A report explores international attempts to end the conflict.

	April 26, 2007 Somali Leader Declares Victory in War with Militants Despite Violence After a nine-day offensive by Ethiopian and Somali forces to clear Islamic militants from the capital city Mogadishu, Somalia's prime minister declared victory over the insurgents Thursday.

	April 24, 2007 Negroponte Outlines Latest Efforts to Deal with Darfur Crisis An estimated 200,000 people have died in the fighting in Darfur, Sudan. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who recently returned from a tour of the region, discusses the newest political and diplomatic efforts to mitigate the violence.

	April 23, 2007 Ruling Party Candidate Declared President in Disputed Election Umaru Yar'Adua was named the victor of Nigeria's presidential election Monday, as election observers continued to criticize the fairness of the polls and the legitimacy of the results.

	April 20, 2007 Militia Stages Attacks in Niger Delta Seeking Local Control of Oil The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, first emerged in January 2006 when it launched coordinated attacks on oil installations and kidnapped four oil workers to protest the Nigerian government and foreign oil companies.

	April 18, 2007 U.S. Warns of New Sanctions Against Sudan if Darfur Violence Continues President Bush said Wednesday the United States would seek to tighten economic sanctions and impose new ones on the Sudanese government if it does not take firm steps to end the fighting in Darfur.

	April 16, 2007 Nigerian Court Reinstates Key Opposition Candidate as Election Looms Nigeria's Supreme Court on Monday cleared Vice President Atiku Abubakar as a valid presidential candidate, less than a week before elections are set to take place.

	April 13, 2007 Suicide Bombers Span World, Classes of Potential Terrorists Suicide bombers make the news almost daily in Iraq, but the tactic has long been employed elsewhere around the world. NewsHour analysts explain how recruitment for suicide bombers has become easier and why people would kill themselves for a cause.

	April 11, 2007 Senate Panel Considers Ways to End Darfur Crisis At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday, senators expressed impatience with the lack of progress in curbing violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The panel discussed the possibilities of military force or economic sanctions against Sudan.

	April 11, 2007 Fighting in Western Sudan Spreads to Neighboring Chad The fighting in Darfur in western Sudan has spread to neighboring Chad, where the United Nations says hundreds have been killed and villages burned. Independent Television News reports on the tension between the two countries.

	April 11, 2007 Suicide Bombers Strike Algerian Capital A North African al-Qaida affiliate claimed responsibility for the Wednesday bombings of the Algerian prime minister's office and a police station that left at least 23 people dead and injured more than 160.

	April 6, 2007 Climate Change Will Hit Poor Hardest, U.N. Panel Says Changes to Earth's climate and ecosystems will hit the world's poor the hardest, according to a report released Friday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Two of the report's lead authors, Michael Oppenheimer and Joel Smith, discuss the science and politics behind the findings.

	April 5, 2007 Former Child Soldier Recalls Experiences in Sierra Leone Ishmael Beah, who spent three years as a child soldier in his native Sierra Leone before being rescued by UNICEF, recounts his experiences in his new memoir, "A Long Way Gone."

	April 5, 2007 Doubts Persist over Nigerian Presidential Election Process Amid voter registration delays and a dispute over the exclusion of a major candidate, Nigeria prepares for a historic presidential election that could see the country's first handoff of power from one elected civilian leader to the next.



	MARCH March 30, 2007 Somali Rebels Shoot Down Ethiopian Helicopter as Clashes Worsen In Somalia's most violent clashes in months, Islamic insurgents and clan militias battled Ethiopian and Somali government forces, hitting an Ethiopian helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade on Friday.

	March 23, 2007 Plane Aiding AU Peacekeepers Shot Down A cargo plane taking off from Mogadishu was shot down Friday, after delivering equipment to Ugandan peacekeepers in Somalia's capitol.

	March 21, 2007 Militants Set Bodies on Fire in Mogadishu Streets Somali insurgents dragged the bodies of two soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu and set them on fire Wednesday during heavy fighting with Somali and Ethiopian forces.

	March 19, 2007 Zimbabwe Government Threatens to Expel Western Diplomats The government of Zimbabwe warned Western diplomats Monday that they would be expelled from the country if they encourage the political opposition to President Robert Mugabe. NPR correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault details the recent political unrest and violence.

	March 12, 2007 U.N. Report Blames Sudanese Government for War Crimes A U.N. human rights investigative team accused the government of Sudan Monday of planning and participating in international crimes in Darfur, and called for a more aggressive international response.

	March 6, 2007 U.N. Envoy to Darfur Discusses Continuing Crisis The genocide in Sudan's Darfur region was named the worst human rights abuse of 2006, according to a U.S. government report released Tuesday. Jan Eliasson, who has served as the U.N. envoy to Darfur since December, discusses the crisis.

	March 6, 2007 First African Union Peacekeepers Encounter Mortar Fire Just hours after African Union peacekeepers from Uganda landed in Mogadishu Tuesday, insurgents launched mortar attacks on the airport and on Somali government targets.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 27, 2007 Somali Author Reflects on Conflict in Native Country Somali author Nuruddin Farah, who recently published a novel about post-civil war Mogadishu, speaks with Jeffrey Brown about the recent conflicts in the Horn of Africa.

	Feb. 27, 2007 First Darfur War Crimes Suspects Announced International Criminal Court prosecutors on Tuesday named a Sudanese minister and a militia leader as the first two official suspects of war crimes in Darfur.

	Feb. 21, 2007 U.N. Security Council Approves AU Force in Somalia The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved an African Union peacekeeping mission for Somalia on Tuesday, after a day of mortar attacks left at least 15 people dead in the capital.

	Feb. 16, 2007 Darfur Crisis Escalating, U.S. Envoy Says The United States urged African nations Thursday to offer troops for a joint U.N.-African Union force in Darfur as nongovernmental groups have threatened to leave because of escalating violence. Andrew Natsios, the U.S. envoy to Darfur, discusses the ongoing crisis.

	Feb. 1, 2007 South Africa Steps Up Fight Against AIDS Critics blame South Africa's high HIV infection rates on government inaction and mixed messages. Recently, however, the deputy president of the country has called for intensification of the fight against AIDS. Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports from Johannesburg.



	JANUARY Jan. 31, 2007 Somali Warlords Warlords have been vying with each other for power in Somalia over the past two decades, causing catastrophes and hindering efforts to develop a sustainable central government.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Guerilla Groups Attack Nigerian Oil Resources, Affecting World Market Oil pipelines in Nigeria, the fifth-largest provider of oil to the United States, have been the targets of guerilla groups recently, contributing to last year's gas price surges. Margaret Warner talks with author Sebastian Junger about the latest activity in the region.

	Jan. 26, 2007 U.S. Involvement in Somalia As part of the global war on terror, the United States has followed a policy in Somalia -- through both military operations and diplomatic efforts with the international community -- to prevent the lawless country from becoming a haven for terrorists.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Local Dynamics Drive Somalia-Ethiopia Conflict Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's transitional government drove the Islamic Courts Union out of Somalia in December. The incursion was only the latest event in a decades-long history of conflict between the two countries, a history that experts say is the key to understanding the current situation.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Al-Qaida in Somalia The United States has suspected Islamic militant activity in Somalia for over a decade, but it was after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,that the State Department placed the East African country on its list of states that sponsor terrorism and began a concerted effort to eliminate al-Qaida operations there.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Transitional Government Since its formation in 2004, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has struggled to overcome rifts within its ranks and win support from a public that has witnessed 15 years of violence and failed governments.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Somalia's Islamist Groups While several Islamic groups have tried to take a stand in the lawless climate that has marked Somalia in the past 15 years, few have managed to gain a foothold in the country and only one major group -- the Union of Islamic Courts -- has garnered broad support from the country's mostly moderate Muslims.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Political Timeline of Somalia Track what has happened in Somalia since the United States peace-keeping force entered the country in late 1992.

	Jan. 26, 2007 Violence in Somalia Furthers Humanitarian Crisis The ongoing conflict between Somalia's transitional government and Islamist groups has exacerbated an already desperate humanitarian crisis in the country due to drought and flooding.

	Jan. 17, 2007 Essayist Reflects on Africa's Place in the Movie Theaters From "The African Queen" to "Hotel Rwanda," Africa has served as both a distant backdrop for story lines with diverse themes as well home to intricate characters who make difficult choices. Essayist Clarence Page reflects on the evolving stream of movies set in the continent.

	Jan. 17, 2007 U.N. Agencies Say Aid Efforts in Darfur Could Collapse Fifteen U.N. agencies warned Wednesday that their relief operations in the volatile Darfur region of Sudan may collapse unless the government and rebel groups end the violence there.

	Jan. 9, 2007 U.S. Launches Airstrikes in Southern Somalia The United States has launched airstrikes against suspected al-Qaida forces in southern Somalia, the first acknowledged American military action inside the country since 1994. Two regional experts assess the U.S. operation and targets.

	Jan. 8, 2007 Somali President Returns Government to Embattled Capital Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf returned to Mogadishu on Monday, reclaiming the capital as the seat of his government for the first time since taking office in 2004.

	Jan. 3, 2007 African Countries Plead for International Aid in Somalia Ethiopian and Somali leaders are calling for international peacekeepers to help stabilize Somalia. Meanwhile, Kenya bolstered border security to keep fleeing Islamists from entering the country. Experts discuss what comes next for Somalia and the region.

	Jan. 1, 2007 Ethiopian Backed Troops Take Last Major City from Somali Islamists After two weeks of clashes, troops of Somalia's fledgling U.N.-organized government swept into the southern city of Kismayo with the help of Ethiopian firepower Monday, taking back the final major city controlled by Islamic militias.