Africa
Perilous Times for Kenya’s Somalis

Perilous Times for Kenya’s Somalis

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent fell victim to a wave of racially and religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States. In one of the most egregious cases, a Sikh man in Mesa, Arizona—who was neither Muslim nor...

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The Pentagon’s Italian Job

The Pentagon’s Italian Job

The Pentagon has spent the last two decades plowing hundreds of millions of tax dollars into military bases in Italy, turning the country into an increasingly important center for U.S. military power. Especially since the start of the Global War on Terror in 2001, the...

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Ghana’s Chinese Gold Rush

Ghana’s Chinese Gold Rush

Compared to the West’s neoliberalism, China’s approach to investment in Africa has often been somewhat idealized as more of a “partnership” with the host country, with less moralizing by the Chinese over human rights practices and fewer strings attached economically....

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Bashir Embarrassment Avoided. Now What?

Bashir Embarrassment Avoided. Now What?

Cross-posted from the United to End Genocide blog. A colossal embarrassment was avoided when Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, apparently changed his mind about coming to the United States to address...

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No “Cake Walk” for Kenya in Somalia

No “Cake Walk” for Kenya in Somalia

When Kenya invaded Somalia in October 2011, it overturned a wise, 48-year-old policy of not involving itself in the armed conflicts of its neighbors—and Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia have all had times of conflict. In the best cases—as with South...

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Reducing the Nairobi Attacks to a Hashtag

Reducing the Nairobi Attacks to a Hashtag

For the New York Times, Nicholas Kulish reported yesterday that a representative of al Shabaab tweeted: Kenyan forces who’ve just attempted a roof landing must know that they are jeopardizing the lives of all the hostages at #Westgate It’s beyond offensive to see an...

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