Africa Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Africa

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    Human Rights Watch: Abuses by All Sides Fueling Crisis in Somalia

    A new report by Human Rights Watch accuses all sides in the Somali conflict of committing war crimes. The report, "'You Don't Know Who to Blame’: War Crimes in Somalia," calls on all sides to immediately end abuses against civilians, hold those responsible to account, and ensure access to aid and free movement of people fleeing conflict and drought. The report is highly critical of the Islamist group al-Shabab, as well...
    Aug 17, 2011 | Story
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    Libyan Rebels Try to Stabilize Tripoli as Weapons from Gaddafi Compounds Go Missing

    In Libya, rebel forces say Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s stronghold of Bani Walid is ready to come under the National Transitional Council’s authority, despite pockets of resistance. Meanwhile, rebel troops say they have advanced about five miles towards Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte in heavy fighting today. Reuters reports the U.S. government has urged Niger to detain senior officials from the Gaddafi government who it believes crossed...
    Sep 07, 2011 | Story
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    Discovered Files Show U.S., Britain Had Extensive Ties with Gaddafi Regime on Rendition, Torture

    Human Rights Watch has uncovered hundreds of letters in the Libyan foreign ministry proving the Gaddafi government directly aided the extraordinary rendition program carried out by the CIA and the MI6 in Britain after the 9/11 attacks. The documents expose how the CIA rendered suspects to Libyan authorities knowing they would be tortured. One of the most prominent suspects rendered to Libya was an Islamic militant named Abdelhakim Belhaj, who...
    Sep 07, 2011 | Story
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    Pt. 2: Noam Chomsky on Libya, Israel & GOP Presidential Candidates' "Utterly Outlandish" Positions

    In our extended interview with Noam Chomsky, he discusses the case against participating in Libya’s civil war, the increasing isolation of Israel in the Middle East, and his shock at the Republican presidential candidates’ positions on issues such as climate change. [includes rush transcript]
    Sep 13, 2011 | Web Exclusive
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    After Gaddafi's Fall, A Revitalized Libya Tackles Militarization, Reconciliation & NATO's Presence

    As Libya’s former rebels begin to govern the country after the ouster of longtime leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi, we look at those who remain. Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat has just spent 10 days crossing Libya, speaking with fighters, former political prisoners, journalists, and advisers to the new government. "Even though Gaddafi’s whereabouts remain unknown and his sons’ whereabouts remain unknown, in a sense,...
    Sep 14, 2011 | Story
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    Mahmood Mamdani on Libya, an African Union in "Crisis" & the Outlook for South Sudan

    As the African Union meets today, Columbia University professor and Africa scholar Mahmood Mamdani joins us to give his take on the regional and global implications of NATO’s intervention in Libya, which he says threatens to increase the militarization of the African continent. Mamdani is the author of several books, including "Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror" and "Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America,...
    Sep 14, 2011 | Story
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    Noam Chomsky on the Legality of NATO’s Bombing of Libya and the Scramble for Oil

    As the manhunt for Col. Muammar Gaddafi continues, MIT Professor Emeritus Noam Chomsky questions the legality of the continued NATO bombing campaign. "My own feeling was that you could have made a case for a no-fly zone and protection of civilians, but I think it’s much harder to make a case for direct participation in a civil war and undercutting of possible options that were supported by almost the entire world," Chomsky says....
    Sep 19, 2011 | Story
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    Video Report from Libya: "I Never Expected We Would Be Free"

    In Libya, a brigade commander of Libyan revolutionary fighters says his forces are communicating with families stuck inside of Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s besieged hometown to try to secure a way out. More than one month after seizing Tripoli and effectively ending Gaddafi’s rule, revolutionary forces still face fierce resistance from Gaddafi loyalists in the towns of Sirte, Bani Walid and in pockets in the country’s desert south....
    Sep 27, 2011 | Story
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    Nobel Peace Prize, Right Livelihood Winner Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

    The Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, died on Sunday at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. In 1977, she spearheaded the struggle against state-backed deforestation in Kenya and founded the Green Belt Movement, which has planted tens of millions of trees in the country. She has also been an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and democratic development. In 1984 ,she won...
    Sep 29, 2011 | Story
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    With Death of Anwar al-Awlaki, Has U.S. Launched New Era of Killing U.S. Citizens Without Charge?

    The United States has confirmed the killing of the radical Yemeni-American cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, in northern Yemen. The Obama administration says al-Awlaki is one of the most influential al-Qaeda operatives on its "most wanted" list. In response to news of al-Awlaki’s death, constitutional scholar Glenn Greenwald and others argue the assassination of U.S. citizens without due process has now has become a reality. "One of...
    Sep 30, 2011 | Story