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‘We have no means to close the border… It is too big’: Niger and Gadaffi – fallout out from the Libyan crisis – By Celeste Hicks http://tinyurl.com/3dsp9bz

The longer term for Libya’s neighbours – By Richard Dowden http://tinyurl.com/3e3v5wj

‘Whether you liked him or not, Gadaffi used to fix a lot of holes’ – Tuareg insurgencies in Mali and Niger and the war in Libya – By Frédéric Deycard and Yvan Guichaoua http://tinyurl.com/42qt7gn

Kenya and the ICC

The International Criminal Court and Kenya: ‘Ocampo’s Six’ an important hurdle for ICC – By Charlie Warren http://tinyurl.com/3ue5p33

The International Criminal Court and Kenya: ‘The Half Made Place’ – the ICC and elections, 2012 – By Dan Branch http://tinyurl.com/44g59nm

The International Criminal Court and Kenya: time for cooperation? – By Sabine Hoehn http://tinyurl.com/3tbotzy

Conflict Minerals and the Congo

Conflict Minerals, Dodd-Frank and due diligence – Get on With It – By Mark Taylor http://tinyurl.com/3zuu7n4

Peter Gill - Ethiopia and the BBC: The politics of development assistance http://tinyurl.com/3jfrprp

Harry Verhoeven - When an African Giant Falls Apart: Review of Jasons Stearns’ ‘Dancing In the Glory of Monsters: the Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa’ http://tinyurl.com/3q24ahf

Richard Trillo - Terrorism in the Sahara and Sahel: A ‘false flag’ in the War on Terror? http://tinyurl.com/3h48d4s

SOUTH SUDAN INDEPENDENCE

John Campbell (Council on Foreign Relations, US) Juba and Khartoum – No Velvet Divorce http://tinyurl.com/6b8k84o

FOOD CRISIS IN THE HORN

Peter Gill (Author of Famine and Foreigners: Ethiopia Since Live Aid) - Food Crisis in the Horn: International Response Driven By Image of Africa http://tinyurl.com/63uznr6

SOMALILAND STATEHOOD

Mohamed A Omar (Foreign Minister, Somaliland) – Recognise Somaliland as an independent state http://tinyurl.com/5uxv5fr

Myles Wickstead Head of Secretariat, Commission for Africa - COALITION STAYS STRONG ON INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS - http://tinyurl.com/3l8er7h

Elizabeth Ohene BBC, THE AU AND GADAFFI - TOO MUCH RESPECT FOR THE OLD MAN - http://tinyurl.com/3kagp2l

Richard Dowden on Saving the Africa Centre http://tinyurl.com/5sfwpba


Dr Tom Young - Interventions: bad them, bad for us, bad for everybody http://tinyurl.com/6326g3q


Angelo Izama What next for Uganda’s Opposition? http://tinyurl.com/6hbjybt

Sir Edward Clay – Review of Seasons of Rain: Africa and the world by Stephen Ellis http://tinyurl.com/68bchdr

Charlie Clements - Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School

Abyei: A Land Grab and a Humanitarian Crisis - http://tinyurl.com/4ygzlms

'In the end, it appears the Abyei region will be subject to the government of Sudan, which is successfully holding it, without major protests from the international community. President al-Bashir has seemingly given the finger to the so-called ‘community of civilized nations.’ His calculations were astute regardless of whether his actions were criminal.'

Tom Minney - African Markets Must Modernise - http://tinyurl.com/3hafppf

'Sunil Benimadhu, President of the African Securities Exchanges Association and CEO of SEM said in November 2010 that world investors see the continent as “a very promising investment destination with tremendous present and future growth potential”. African countries have achieved growth rates exceeding 5% in recent years after embracing fundamental structural reform programmes. The growth is set to continue but it must be fuelled with capital, skills and improvements in the investment and business climate.

African capital markets have an opportunity and a challenge.'

New Analysis from the RAS

Renee Horne on the South African Municipal Elections: ANC takes a kicking for not listening http://tinyurl.com/6hckf5r

Tony O.Otoa Jr on ‘walking to work’ in Uganda – revolution afoot? http://tinyurl.com/5vyqp3b

Description

Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan have all recently experienced democratic elections be they Presidential, representative or in the case of South Sudan, a referendum on its secession from the North. However, does the existence of elections across the region (Burundi and DRC could also be included in this analysis) mean that good democratic practises are being embedded in the fabric of political society? Are elections to be celebrated when they do not see a transfer of power from ruling parties which appear increasingly dominant?

Join our panel of speakers to consider what role elections play in the region, whether they are worthwhile, and what are prospects for Presidential succession and the opening up of civil society in the near future.

Speakers

Phil Clark on Rwanda (Lecturer in Comparative and International Politics, with reference to Africa, SOAS)

Zachary Lomo on Uganda (Former Director, refugee Law Project, Makerere)

Mareike Schomerus on South Sudan (Research Consortium Director, The Justice and Security Research Programme, LSE.)

Chair

Thomas Mawan Muortat, Sudanese Political Commentator

Venue

Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS

Date/Time

Tues 17th May, 2011 at 6pm

Please RSVP to RSVP@royalafricansociety.org

The rise and fall of Laurent Gbagbo - Véronique Tadjo - Of saviours, gods and domination http://tinyurl.com/6akntrj

The Return of the French policeman - Richard Banegas - Yo-Yo foreign policy in Libya and Cote d'Ivoire http://tinyurl.com/686te2p

At the World Economic Forum - Richard Dowden http://tinyurl.com/5vfj596

Why we went to Africa - Stephen Jennings, Renaissance Capital http://tinyurl.com/4ywpf76

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=218246534868489

The Royal African Society invite you to the launch of Father Matthew Hassan Kukah's book, Witness to Justice: An Insider's Account of Nigeria's Truth Commission, 6pm, 13th May.

The Author

Along with his work on the Truth Commission, Father Kukah has served on the Electoral Reform Committee, the Political Reform Committee, and has been the Chairman of the committee overseeing reconciliations between Shell and Nigeria’s Ogoni commu...nity.

The Book

This important and timely book takes a serious look at the systematic devaluation of human life in Nigeria since Independence, especially under the years of military rule.

In June 1999, President Obasanjo appointed the author to a truth commission (also known as the Oputa panel) but whose official name was ‘The Judicial Commission for the Investigation of Human Rights Violations’. The commission’s mandate was to: establish the causes, nature, and extent of human rights violations - in particular the assassinations and attempted killings - between January 15, 1966 and May 28, 1999, to identify perpetrators (individuals or institutions), determine the role of the state in the violations, and to recommend means to pursue justice and prevent future abuses.

‘Witness to Justice’ is a personal account of the author’s time on that commission. Using issues of human rights violations as a backdrop, the author examines various implications of military rule and the culture of impunity that emerged over a thirty- year period.

Respondents

Dele Ogun (author of Identity and Development: lessons from Nigeria for Africa and Europe)

Peter Cunliffe-Jones (Authour of My Niger: Five Decades of Independence/London-based online editor of AFP news agency)

Chair

Titi Banjoko (Director, Africa Recruit)

The launch will be followed by a drinks reception

Please RSVP for all RAS events at RSVP@royalafricansociety.org

To purchase a copy of the book contact Dipo Salimonu - diposalimonu@gmail.com.

Thanks to all who attended the latest RAS meeting:

Cote d'Ivoire: a new model of intervention.

To read a report of what was a lively meeting click here http://tinyurl.com/3tkpqzy

The latest RAS analysis piece looks at current French foreign policy in Africa:

Return of the French policeman http://tinyurl.com/686te2p

Richard Dowden's Blog:

Warfare and independence in the Horn http://tinyurl.com/3bgf3oz

Also, 'South Africa: state of the nation ' series:

Features essays by Hein Willemse South Africa: following the North African path? http://tinyurl.com/43ou67g

and William Gumede 'Corruption, Impunity and Democratic Drift' http://tinyurl.com/4xo4jsj

To find out more about joining the RAS visit http://www.royalafricansociety.org/join-us.html

RAS Analysis - New Interventionism in Cote d'Ivoire and Libya http://tinyurl.com/5vvzlsc by Paul Moorcraft


Also, please like our new facebook page to beupdated more easily:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Royal-African-Society/117195364972283

Dear All,

I have just created a new RAS page on facebook to post articles from our 2 forums - RAS Analysis and African Arguments.

Please 'like' the page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Royal-African-Society/117195364972283?v=wall

This will allow you to view articles and events posted on the RAS page. You'll also be helping spread the word about writing and events on Africa from the RAS.

Best Wishes,

Magnus Taylor

Royal African Society

Sunday

I am woken by a frantic voice blaring from a coarse loudspeaker, demanding, pleading, insisting. The voice rises to a hysterical shriek, then breaks into slow mournful song backed by a wailing choir. The hymns rise and fall then the ranting begins again. I can hear others more distant...

Read in full:

http://www.royalafricansociety.org/richard-dowdens-africa-blog/856.html

Cote d'Ivoire and Ouatarra - The man Ivorian Presidents love to hate http://tinyurl.com/4j5qwas

The African Union - compromised from all sides http://tinyurl.com/4w28au6

More from RAS Analysis - http://tinyurl.com/6xu42ek

North Africa/Zimbabwe/MauMau

Check out the latest writing on Africa from the RAS:

Sub-Saharan Africa no match for excitement in the North http://tinyurl.com/63qq3vd

Is the MDC’s star waning? http://tinyurl.com/62sn3rj

Litigating Colonial Atrocity - Mau Mau and Hereo http://tinyurl.com/4mhmdnn

Dear All,

Check out the latest RAS Analysis of Libya's anti-Gadaffi protests and regime violence:

Richard Dowden - Gadaffi: King of Kings http://tinyurl.com/6jolcd5

George Joffe - Libya: the internal dynamics of collapse http://tinyurl.com/69bhhcs

For more RAS Analysis pieces http://tinyurl.com/6herevn

Best Wishes,

RAS

Richard Dowden Blog: Back to Somaliland http://tinyurl.com/49hyu29

RAS Event - South Sudan: referendum is your golden chance for independence http://tinyurl.com/49yx4pt

Best wishes,

RAS