News Summary Of Wars And Conflicts In Africa -- May 20, 2008

SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa seeks to end anti-foreigner attacks -- Yahoo News
Xenophobia violence spirals -- Iafrica
Racial violence spreads in S Africa -- Video Report From Reuters
South Africans attack foreigners -- MSNBC
Foreigners Attacked in S. Africa -- Time Magzine
South African mobs hunt down immigrants -- The Guardian
13 Refugees Murdered In South Africa Violence -- Times Online
South African Mobs Massacre Zimbabwean Immigrants -- Gateway Pundit
Mbeki condemns 'shameful' attacks -- BBC News

ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe Army Accused Of Sniper Plot To Kill Morgan Tsvangirai -- Times Online
Tsvangirai calls off return after 'credible' assassination warning -- Independent
Zimbabwe regime 'has received weapons shipment from China' -- Telegraph

SOMALIA
Somali talks end with no meeting -- BBC News
Aid vessel hijacked off Somalia -- BBC

SUDAN
Sudan opposition leader fears more violence -- MSNBC
UN begins relief operation in Sudan flashpoint -- Yahoo News

My Comment: The South African crisis is no surprise. Mbeki's South African government has been blind to the horrors that are occurring in Zimbabwe. This is his wake-up call.

War And Conflicts In Central Africa -- May 18, 2008

The following six stories from the BBC sum up the state of Central Africa:

Charges Urged For Kenya 'Torture'
Kenyan Refugees Fear Going Home
Ugandan Army Kills Congo Rebels
Sudan Clashes Prompt UN Pull-Out
Somali Talks End With No Meeting
Burundi Rebels Arrive For Talks

My Comment: For everyone's info, and to put everything into perspective, the population numbers for these countries are the following:

Sudan: 37 million
Burundi: 8 million
Rwanda: 10 million
Kenya: 35 million
Ethiopia: 75 million
Somalia: 10 million
Dem. Of Congo: 63 million
Uganda: 31 million

Total: 269 million

269 million people living in a society with no proper legal system, limited free press, almost no outside investment, limited economic activity, little if any tolerance for democratic institutions or free elections, hundreds of different ethnic groups who are openly suspicious of those who are not part of their "tribe".

Limited roads, limited communications, limited schools and education, limited medical facilities, but plenty ... and I mean plenty .... of guns.

Rwanda has had a genocide. Kenya is breaking down along tribal loyalties. Somalia has had no functional government since god knows when. Sudan if it is not busy exterminating its people is getting involved in the external affairs of others. Ethiopia is in Somalia. Ethiopia is threatening Eritrea. Uganda with a history of Idi Amin and its own history of internal strife. And the Congo with its history of continuous wars and internal conflicts.

269 million people living in hell.