One side effect of the American/British occupation of Iraq is that it sparked public debate on a dark secret of international finance: the debts taken on by odious regimes. As Iraq's new rulers debate what to do about the billions of dollars in foreign debts inherited...
International
US-backed Egyptian junta massacres peaceful protesters | By Johannes Stern
On Sunday evening the Egyptian military launched a brutal attack on protesters in Cairo, killing at least 36 and injuring hundreds. The crackdown happened after a peaceful demonstration by 10,000 protesters headed from Shubra, a working class suburb of Cairo, to the...
‘Somalia on Verge of Worst Humanitarian Tragedy’ | by Yohannan Chemarapally
WAR torn Somalia faces yet another grave threat as the worst drought in decades devastates vast expanses of land in the Horn of Africa region. The other countries affected to a lesser extent are Ethiopia and Kenya. By early August, according to reports by...
Scorecard: Egypt’s army and the revolution | by Evan Hill
Five months after protests broke out, has the military met demands for political reform and social justice? When Egypt's youth-led "January 25th Revolution" forced long-serving President Hosni Mubarak to resign on February 11, Mubarak handed the reins of power to the...
Egypt’s sectarian playing field | by Asef Bayat
Many no doubt wondered what had happened to the celebrated revolution of civility, to the Tahrir of sacrifice and solidarity, as they watched the violent collisions between Christians and Muslims in Egypt over the past few weeks. Disturbing certainly, but they were...
Africa: New Economic Crisis on the Way | by Dr Charles Soludo
"It is now clear that the world is slipping -- or has already slipped -- into a new economic downturn, and that this will have serious consequences for the developing countries. Indeed, some prominent economists have warned that this time the crisis will be more...
The ties that bind: China, Angola and Zimbabwe | by Khadija Sharife
What does Manuel Vicente’s rise to top office in Angola mean for Zimbabwe, and what role does China play in all of this? Vicente is believed to be pegged at vice president by José Eduardo dos Santos – one of Africa’s longest running dictators, bound to win the next...
Zimbabwe: A tale of two Chinas | by Khadija Sharife
‘The last time I spoke to my mum, she said “mwanangu tichiri musango” – meaning my son, we are still in the bush,’ said 'China', a Zimbabwean civil society activist based in South Africa.In late March this year, China's mother was forced to flee death in Mbare, on the...
The new scramble for Africa | by Conn Hallinan
Are we witnessing a new "scramble for Africa?" Conn Hallinan presents his view of the current resource scramble for oil and other energy sources led by the United States, linking it to the war in Libya, rivalry with China and the African Contingency Operation Training...





