Countering Extremism in Africa

From The Official Blog of Amb. David H. Shinn Fri Aug 15 2014, 17:39:00

The New York Times published on 15 August 2014 an important op-ed titled "Handmaiden to Africa's Generals" by Alex de Waal, director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, and Abdul Mohammed, chairman of the InterAfrica Group in Ethiopia.  They focus especially on US policy and the situation in South Sudan and Nigeria.

I have a high regard for both authors.  They make a critically important point that the policy response to extremism and terrorism in Africa needs to focus more on addressing the root causes of the problem rather than military support for Africa's strong men.  Where I think the op-ed tends to veer off track is the implication that somehow Washington is responsible for significant fraud or the improper allocation of resources by certain African governments, even in countries where the United States provides little or no military assistance. 

[view whole blog post ]
 See More    |     Report Abuse


You might also be interested in the following news stories:

Afrique:  Revue de presse de l'Afrique Francophone du 23 Avril 2024 (news)
allAfrica.com
23 April 2024

Togo : Naufrage tragique sur le lac Nokoué - Six personnes décédées dans le chavirement d’une barque motorisée Le dimanche 21 avril 2024, un drame a ... [read more]

Nigeria:  Govt Announces 18 Years As Minimum Age for Tertiary Education (news)
Premium Times
22 April 2024

"The minimum age of entry into the university is 18, but we have seen students who are 15, 16 years going in for the entrance examination." The federal government has directed that admission to ... [read more]

Nigeria:  In Final Report, Commonwealth Identifies Factors That Undermined Nigeria's 2023 Elections (news)
Premium Times
22 April 2024

The Commonwealth observers said institutional and legal reform is necessary if Nigeria is to make lasting progress on issues such as campaign finance, electoral offences and inclusion. The ... [read more]



blogAfrica is allAfrica.com's platform to help you keep an ear on the African blogosphere. We draw diverse voices from around the world who post regularly and insightfully about African issues. Bloggers, submit your blog's rss-feed!