Sub-Saharan Africa

Boko Haram attacks in northern Nigeria have dominated African headlines since the Islamist militants kidnapped over 200 girls in Chibok in April 2014. But there is a lesser known group of rebels, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), who have been intimidating the local population, albeit on a different scale, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for over 20 years.

Deux ans après la signature de l’accord-cadre d’Addis-Abeba pour la paix et la sécurité en RDC, le coordonnateur national du mécanisme de suivi de cet accord, affirme que la RDC a réalisé la majeure partie de ses engagements.

Lit l'article entier et ecoutez au dialogue par Radio Okapi Bilan de la mise en oeuvre de l’accord-cadre d’Addis-Abeba

Jason Stearns along with 22 organizations and various individuals who advocate for peace in the DRC and the entire Great Lakes Region of Africa signed a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to appoint a new, high-level Special Envoy to continue the great work of Senator Feingold.

Read the full Enough Project letter Coalition Sign-On for Appointment of New Special Envoy for Great Lakes Region and DRC

Earlier this month, Kenya suspended the licenses of 13 Somali money transfer agencies operating in Nairobi in a bid to limit funding to al-Shabab militants. In an email interview, Sarah Hearn, CIC associate director and senior fellow, discussed the role of remittances in Somalia’s economy.

Read the full World Politcs Review inteview Suspending Money Transfers to Somalia Hurts the Poor, Not Terrorists

Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is about to step down as U.S. Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa. At a time when the Obama administration’s foreign policy appears frustrated in the Middle East and stymied in Eastern Europe, Feingold has played an important role for the U.S. government in addressing one of the world’s worst human rights and humanitarian crises. The Obama administration needs to keep the momentum going.