Mali: Benchmarks Needed To Hold Elections in July

[Bridges Institute]Mali burst onto the international scene in January 2012 when disgruntled fighters returning from Libya renewed their interest in a separate state carved from territory in northern Mali.  Their success in destabilizing the north led to a March coup, UN resolutions, the formation of an ECOWAS force, a French intervention, kidnapping and chaos in Amenas, Algeria, internal displacement of more than 204,000 persons, plus refugee flows of more than 200,000 to Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger—and tha

Nigeria: Nigerians On the Run As Military Combats Boko Haram

[IRIN]Kano -Tens of thousands of residents of northeastern Nigeria's Borno State have fled their homes - thousands of them into neighbouring Niger and Cameroon - following airstrikes by Nigerian fighter jets on Boko Haram (BH) camps from 15 May.

Congo-Kinshasa: South African Peacekeepers Chase Away Refugees - Report

[News of Rwanda]Dozens of crying children and women have been locked out of a UN base manned by South African peacekeepers outside Goma in eastern Congo, despite a barrage of shooting and bombing close by.

Sierra Leone: Not All Sierra Leoneans Enjoy Economic Growth Benefits

[Deutsche Welle]Sierra Leone has one of the world's fastest growing economies, according to an International Monetary Fund report. But the post-civil war boom has not yet brought benefits for everyone.

Chad: Wave of Arrests in Chad

[Deutsche Welle]Chad has Africa's largest contingent of troops in Mali. It is fighting alongside French forces to flush out Islamist groups. But at home, the government is cracking down on opposition activists and journalists.