Africa
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Snapshot,
April 24, 2013
For the second time in less than six months, polio vaccine workers in Pakistan have come under fire. For the gunmen, killing health care workers has been seen as a legitimate response to a nefarious extension of Western power. And, for the CIA, faux vaccine campaigns have sometimes been justified as part of the war on terror. Both sides are wrong: denying or providing health care should never be an instrument of statecraft.
Snapshot,
April 4, 2013
Despite the claims of its champions, the fair-trade movement doesn't help alleviate poverty in developing countries. Even worse, it is just another direct farm subsidy of the kind most conscientious consumers despise. In the long term, the world needs free trade, not fair trade.
Essay,
May/June
2013
Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP has grown five percent a year since 2000 and is expected to grow even faster in the future. Although pessimists are quick to point out that this growth has followed increases in commodities prices, the success of recent political reforms and the increased openness of African societies give the region a good chance of sustaining its boom for years to come.
Snapshot,
March 8, 2013
Citizens of São Tomé and Príncipe have been waiting for their territorial waters to yield oil for over a decade. Today, there are high hopes that the country will finally become an energy producer in the next few years. But expectations are likely to be disappointed once again.
Snapshot,
March 3, 2013
As Kenyans go to the polls, the race for the presidency between Ralia Odinga, the current prime minister, and Uhuru Kenyatta, the current deputy prime minister who was indicted by the ICC for war crimes, is too close to call. The contest will likely be drawn out and could be violent. Here's how the United States should respond to each possible outcome.
Snapshot,
February 20, 2013
France's intervention in Mali has so far succeeded, but expelling Islamist militants was the easy part. Now Paris must turn its tactical achievements into a lasting victory -- which will require a light but enduring presence in the country.
Snapshot,
February 12, 2013
Although France quickly achieved its goals in Mali, the Islamist and Tuareg militants it fought are still at large, having swiftly retreated into the northeastern part of the country. The most likely outcome of the French operation, therefore, is not an end to West Africa's problems but their spread into neighboring Niger.
Snapshot,
February 7, 2013
After one of the largest economic contractions in history, South Sudan is ready to make a comeback. Bringing the country's oil rigs back online will result in some immediate gains. Since oil production might have already reached its peak, however, long-term growth will likely come from exploiting the country's vast agricultural land.
Snapshot,
January 20, 2013
Recent reports have oversimplified the conflict in Mali, hinting that the country hosts a coherent Tuareg separatist bloc and a popular radical Islamist movement. In fact, mainstream Malians love neither. Most of them just want a return to democracy with broader participation and more freedoms -- the precise opposite of what they fear the separatists and Islamists would bring. As long as French assistance helps hold those groups off, it will be welcome.
Snapshot,
January 10, 2013
Until recently, experts assumed that al-Shabaab’s recruitment in Kenya was limited to the country’s Somali minority, which numbers roughly a million people. But recent attacks have forced a reassessment; as ex-members testify, now Kenyans are joining up as well.
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