All Africa
Elections, ethnic tensions, and aid: Mali faces its future after the headlinesThe world watched French troops summarily turn back rebel fighters in northern Mali, but the future remains grim for millions of Malians affected by the fighting, writes Alex Thurston.- Campaign against female genital mutilation gaining ground support, resultsNearly 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation. But experts say there is reason to believe the practice is waning in many of the 29 countries where it is most widespread.
- Black billionaire in South Africa pledges to give away half his fortuneThe ruling party praised the mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe, and said he was part of a 'patriotic bourgeoisie' of rich black South Africans with a social conscience.
After a devastating market fire, Burundi's economy hobbles forwardA week ago, the capital's Central Market burned to the ground. Now the tiny East African nation is struggling with rapid inflation and price hikes as rumors circle about the cause of the fire.聽
Top Kenyan presidential contender faces trial at HagueLeading Kenyan presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta faces trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Can Timbuktu stay pacified after Islamist rebels are run out?With gun caches still to round up and ethnic rivalries to negotiate as thousands of residents return, can Timbuktu avoid spasms of 'vengeance'?- In Salafis wake, charred Malian heritage in TimbuktuShortly before being driven from Mali's ancient city of Timbuktu, the salafi jihadis who'd occupied the city lit a bonfire with some of its ancient manuscripts.
French will 'quickly' exit Mali after mop up, leaving vacuumAfter launching a full scale military intervention on Jan. 11, French forces in Mali faced little hard fighting and set to turn security over to African and local authorities.- In Timbuktu, a giant task of reconnecting a remote city to the worldBefore they left, Islamists in northern Mali cut Internet and phone connections. Restoring them is just the first step toward piecing Mali back together.
Mugabe talks up reconciliation, but is it just 'lipstick on a frog'?The Zimbabwean hardliner utters fine words and a new constitution is near at hand. But on the ground, repression is ongoing.
In liberated Timbuktu, new rains begin to wash away harsh rule of rebelsAfter months of blasphemy laws, destruction of precious monuments, and brutal punishments, locals dance at arrival of French and nature's cloudbursts.
French take airport at Timbuktu as Islamist forces disappearThe聽12th-century iconic city of Islamic learning and trade is both strategic and symbolic. French forces are punching north into the area held for the past year by Islamist forces.聽
For French troops nearing rebel ground, Mali fight is no ordinary missionOn the road in central Mali: French soldiers say they are 'doing their duty,' while watching soccer and eating cassoulet. But they know Islamist fighters have advantage with terrain.- On North Africa's western flank, long-simmering conflict causes uneaseMorocco has strengthened its hold on the contested 鈥� and resource-rich 鈥� Western Sahara. But efforts to maintain the status quo could renew unrest, adding to the current instability across North Africa.
With France bearing down, key rebel in Mali splits from IslamistsA prominent member of Ansar Dine, an Islamist militant group that recently overran northern Mali, announced that he and his fighters were breaking with the group.
In remote Western Sahara, prized phosphate drives controversial investmentsMorocco's mining of the lucrative fertilizer ingredient in occupied Western Sahara has sparked charges it is violating international law 鈥撀燼nd that global customers are looking the other way.
Can Mali use surge of patriotism to heal its political divides?Patriotism is surging in Mali with a military campaign to oust Islamist gunmen from the north. Whether the feeling lasts could be vital to the country鈥檚 future, say observers.聽- Along Sudan's border, old disputes trigger new violence, hungerOil and ethnic rivalries are behind Sudanese military strikes in the sensitive South Kordofan-Blue Nile region along the new border between Sudan and South Sudan. At this week's African Union summit in Ethiopia, leaders are calling for a halt to the bombing and aid for civilians.
No terrorist 'safe haven' in North Africa? That's a tall order.The attack on the gas plant in Algeria took place in the middle of a complex, sprawling desert region the size of the continental United States.聽
Same players, different ties: France's delicate role in MaliFor Malians, the French-led intervention has been an emotional roller-coaster. At times critical of their former colonizer in the past, many are now cheering French troops.