Algeria
Algeria has been in an official state of emergency since 1992, as part of a war against Islamic groups in the country. Martial law was lifted on Feb 24, 2011, in response to large-scale protests that threatened to topple President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Angola
Small groups of protesters have been arrested recently; the big events of Egypt and elsewhere don't seem to have arrived in Angola. Angola adopted a new constitution in January 2010, but the government may be ignoring key provisions, in particular those guaranteeing the right to peacefully protest. One provision of the new constitution is that the President is limited to two 5-year terms; but this will only start to take effect in the 2012 elections. And so, President José Eduardo dos Santos may continue his 30-year rule, potentially until 2022.
Benin
Elections have been delayed twice so far in February and March, but President Thomas Boni Yayi says the new date of March 13 will not be delayed again. Opposition leaders claim that not enough citizens have been registered to vote.
The country has had three successful transitions of power since 1991, and seems to be a successful democracy. This year has been particularly difficult, because flooding has left 150,000 people homeless, and a pyramid scheme has defrauded investors of the equivalent of 5% of Benin's GDP.
Botswana
Because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, Botswana cannot receive hoofed animals or milk products from South Africa, and so is expected to face a milk shortage in the near future. There is also the danger that the illness may spread.
President Ian Khama recently officiated the 5th Global Electoral Organization Conference, held for the first time in Africa. He spoke of the need for democratic elections, and for African dictators to step down and allow free elections in their countries.
Burkina Faso
According to the UN, this is the world's 3rd poorest nation. Some students have demonstrated recently, in protest of the deaths of a student in police custody, and of other protesters during subsequent demonstrations.
Burkina Faso has also become a place for families in Ghana to send their daughters for circumcision, now that genital mutilation has been outlawed in Ghana.
It also recently hosted Africa's largest film festival, the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, where the Moroccan film Pegase won the top prize.
Burundi
Burundi has recently joined Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, in signing the Nile Basin Initiative, a treaty that would replace the 1929 treaty that gave Egypt the right to veto Nile river projects proposed by other countries. Under the terms of the new treaty, various countries would share control of the Nile. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also expected to sign the treaty in the near future. Egypt and the Sudan remain concerned that the agreement might leave them with water shortages.
Burundi continues to recover from a civil war that lasted from 1993 to 2005, but still faces high food prices and malnutrition. La Niña has also had a strong negative effect on the country's agricultural prospects.
Cameroon
The Cameroonian government has limited citizens' access to social media like Twitter, in response to attempts to create protests on a similar scale as in Egypt and Tunisia. A large police presence has also helped prevent such protests from arising. President Paul Biya has ruled the country since 1982, and has broad powers over all aspects of government.
Cameroon and its neighbor Gabon have created a Joint Commission on security issues, to solve cross-border problems, and to initiate a wider array of cooperative ventures.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde's tourism trade is growing; its hotel sector grew 2.9% in 2010. Representatives of the Danish Parliament will also be visiting soon, to talk about cooperative ventures in tourism, renewable energy, and the sea.
Central African Republic
President Francois Bozize was reelected in February, in a vote denounced as fraudulent by the opposition; but upheld by the constitutional court. President Bozize has been reelected twice in this way, after seizing power via military coup in 2003. Western observers report his governing style favors his own ethnic group, his clan, and his family. Rebel groups continue to clash violently with government forces as they have for years. The country is also suspected of providing arms and mercenaries to Lybia during that country's recent upheaval.
Chad
Lake Chad, which spans the borders between Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger, is one twentieth the size it was fifty years ago. Twenty million people depend on this body of water, the only large body of water in the region, and especially important for landlocked Chad and Cameroon. Some local groups have begun planting trees in the worst-hit villages, as a way to slow the desert's encroachment, and to provide some type of workable land in the event that Lake Chad disappears entirely.
Chad is already one of the poorest nations, and is suspected of providing mercenaries to Lybia.
Comoros
This island nation gained its independence from France in 1996, but the neighboring island of Mayotte, which speaks Comoran and shares the Comoran culture, voted overwhelmingly in 2008 to become a tightly integrated part of France; and on March 1 of this year, that change took effect. The government of Comoros has protested this, claiming that Mayotte is part of their country, and should be ceded to them as part of their independence from France, and in accordance with rights provided by the UN and the African Union.
Since achieving independence, Comoros has suffered from economic problems, as well as a steady flow of migrants illegally crossing the sea from Comoros to Mayotte.
Republic of Congo
The Congolese Parliament has approved the terms of a contract giving the vast majority of revenue from an oil well to the private contractor managing the well. President Denis Sassou Nguesso approved the deal. He has been president from 1979 to 1992, and from 1997 to the present, returning to power after a civil war in which his forces ousted President Pascal Lissouba.
Although a Marxist, President Nguesso seems to be a dictator interested in self-enrichment. In 2006 on a trip to the United Nations, he spent more money on a hotel room for himself and his family than the £106,000 of humanitarian aid given to his country by Britain. His son is also suspected of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on shopping sprees in Paris and Dubai in 2007.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Formerly Zaire)
DR Congo has lifted a ban, imposed in September 2010, against mining tin, gold, and coltan ore in several of its provinces. The government claims the military has defeated the forces that were illegally mining in those provinces; but a fresh gold smuggling route has already been discovered between DR Congo and neighboring Kenya, casting doubt on the success of the ban.
The United States has passed legislation that will go into effect on April 1 of this year, requiring electronics manufactures to be able to fully certify that they are building with only legally produced ore. This may effectively kill all ore exports from DR Congo, because Mining Minster Martin Kabwelulu claims there is no way to guarantee the traceability of the ore.
DR Congo was devastated by regional wars that killed millions of people between 1998 and 2002; and continues to suffer from conflict, hunger, and disease that still kills 45,000 people each month.
Cote d'Ivoire
The Ivory Coast is in a crisis because President Laurent Gbagbo has refused to abdicate after being voted out of office. The new, internationally recognized leader, President Alassane Ouattara, has yet to assume office. Representatives of the African Union have met to discuss the situation, but President Gbagbo has refused to attend.
Protesters marching in favor of President Ouattara have been shot and killed by military forces. In America, President Obama cautions that this could escalate to full civil war, if President Gbagbo refuses to step down.
Over 75,000 refugees have fled the country because of the recent unrest, and President Obama's administration has committed $12.6 million for humanitarian aid, to non-governmental organizations in the region.
Djibouti
Djibouti, home to the only US military base in Africa, suppressed a planned protest recently. President Ismail Omar Guelleh faces an election in April, but critics complain that he recently altered the Constitution, to remove a two-term limit. Djibouti government forces have also arrested opposition leaders.
There have been accusations that Djibouti worked in cooperation with the CIA, to torture prisoners on behalf of the US government. Djibouti's ambassador to the United Nations, Roble Olhaye, denies these allegations.
Egypt
Amr Moussa has announced his intention to run for President in the upcoming elections. The former Foreign Minister under Mubarak has said that it will be important to maintain good relations with the United States, and to accept the reality of Israel.
Nobel peace prize laureate, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and current head of the National Coalition for Change, Mohamed ElBaradei, has also announced his intention to run for President of Egypt; but only if the military revises their proposed constitutional changes. ElBaradei feels the proposed changes are superficial, and will not result in a strong Democracy.
Equatorial Guinea
President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea met recently with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon at the UN, to discuss long-standing disputed island territories. The two countries have operated these islands cooperatively for years, managing the petroleum and natural gas resources there.
The only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, Equatorial Guinea will host the 2011 Summit of the African Union.
While the President rose to power via a bloody coup in 1979 and is granted broad powers by the Constitution, he was reelected in 2009 in an election blessed by the African Union. He has improved the country's infrastructure, paving roads and making other improvements.
The US Senate has accused President Obiang of stealing $35 million in oil revenues for himself, his family, and senior government officials.
Eritrea
The border between Eritrea and Ethiopia is still not resolved, over a decade after the war between those two countries came to an end. After supporting Islamic rebels in Somalia, it became the target of UN sanctions, and resigned its membership in the African Union in protest.
Eritrea is also apparently holding four British citizens, and refusing to give them consular access. The country has not responded to those allegations. The US State Department has issued warnings urging Americans to avoid traveling there because of increasing violence.
Ethiopia
Ethiopian and Kenyan forces are engaged in battles on their respective Somalian borders, as Islamic rebel militias try to take control of the country. Ethiopian troops have crossed into Somalian territory, engaging the rebel forces on that ground.
In Ethiopia itself, dozens of Christian churches and homes have been burnt down, possibly in response to a Christian tearing up a copy of the Koran. The country is about 60% Christian and 40% Muslim.
Turkey and Ethiopia recently signed an agreement for Turkey to lend $100 million to Turkish businesses, to invest in enterprises in Ethiopia. A total investment outlay of $1.4 billion is expected to result.
Gabon
President Omar Bongo, who died in 2009 after a 40 year rule, was succeeded by his son Ali Bongo Ondimba in a controversial election. Gabon is one of the leading oil producers in sub-Saharan Africa, producing 230,000 barrels of crude oil per day. This is controlled mostly by foreign investors.
Gabon is also encouraging Malaysian investment in its various natural resources, including timber.
The opposition leader Andre Mba Obame declared himself President after the 2009 election, and went into exile. The Gabon government disbanded his party and charged his supporters with treason.
The Gambia
The smallest country in mainland Africa, The Gambia was recently praised by the IMF for its economic progress during the global economic downturn.
A military coup in 1994 replaced the constitution in 1996 and held elections. The most recent election in 2006 has been regarded as free and fair, although President Yahya Jammeh has said, "I will develop the areas that vote for me, but if you don't vote for me, don't expect anything."
Ghana
The government of Ghana is about to reach an agreement on teacher salaries for the several hundred thousand teachers in that country.
Oil smugglers may have come into Ghana as an extension of their smuggling operations in Nigeria. The government is considering laws and amendments to laws, that would address the issue. But the legislature appears divided on which laws to support.
Although the World Bank has praised Ghana's insurance-based health care system, an Oxfam report claims the system favors the rich over the poor, and fails to provide universal health care. The report claims that less than 20% of Ghanaians are covered.
Ghana recently commissioned a new oil field off its shores, and the initial result has been millions of barrels of crude oil, divvied up amongst the various private owners with stake in the project.
Guinea
President Alpha Conde was elected in November, in the country's first democratic election since winning independence from France in 1958. But the economy under the new leader is worse than it was under the former dictator. Partly this seems to be the result of mismanagement by the military transition government, who printed a lot of new money in order to pay off debts; but there are also scandals surrounding personal expenditures by the military transition leaders themselves. The country's economy appears to be in ruins.
Citizens began protesting in March, not against the elected government, but against the military who damaged their economy.
Guinea is mineral-rich, producing bauxite, diamonds, and gold. President Conde is reviewing all foreign contracts, and is apparently not hesitating to cancel any contracts signed by the previous leaders, that seem bad for Guinea. He recently canceled a French contract with the Getma International corporation. The company had already invested over $37 million in the project.
The country will also close all foreign currency exchanges, in an effort to start to regulate its own currency, and recover from the inflation resulting from the previous military rule.
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau is rife with drug trafficking by its military, who can operate with impunity and exploit the many small islands off its shores. Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior recently urged the European Union not to impose sanctions, as this could make the situation worse.
The government of Guinea-Bissau is reaching out to form diplomatic ties and trade agreements with other countries, including Georgia and China. They have also confiscated airplanes, closed the country's airport, and burned confiscated narcotics; but this, the Prime Minister says, may put the country's leaders at great risk from the military who controls the drug trafficking.
Kenya
The election in 2007 had a disputed result, when opposition members accused the vote of being rigged in favor of President Mwai Kibaki. The dispute resulted in violence that killed 1,500 people and displaced 300,000. President Kibaki signed a power-sharing agreement, making his opponent, Raila Odinga, Prime Minister; at which point the violent uprisings ended. In August 2010 the country adopted a new Constitution, providing a bill of rights to all Kenyans, and delegating increased authority to local governments.
Kenya is currently embroiled in a scandal surrounding the violence following the 2007 elections. Six Kenyan officials have been accused by the International Criminal Court of masterminding the violence. The government of Kenya wants to handle the matter within its own borders, and claims that involving the ICC sends a signal that Kenya is a failed state.
Lesotho
Lesotho is a parliamentary democracy, with a symbolic monarch who has no executive power. It is geographically fully surrounded by South Africa, where it exports fresh water collected from its highlands. It is also rich in diamonds, which it exports to the world.
In spite of the diamonds, the Lesotho population is impoverished; child labor is common; and HIV/AIDS is rampant, as it is throughout much of Africa. Recently England decided to reduce the aid it would provide to Lesotho; but this decision is being appealed.
Liberia
Liberia is experiencing a huge influx of refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, who are fleeing the strife created by their recent disputed election. At least one artillery shell has landed on the Liberian side of the border; and there are fears that the violence in Cote d'Ivoire may spread to other West African countries, and reignite the civil wars that have raged in many of those countries, including Liberia, within the last ten years.
The Liberian government is actively engaged in building up its infrastructure, especially the roadways, and road accessibility. The World Bank, the African Development Bank, and other organizations are working with a number of Liberian government agencies to accomplish this. Schools and health clinics are also receiving attention.
Japan recently canceled Liberia's $149 million debt. Japan continues to participate in aid to Liberia, in the form of rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers; increasing telecommunications infrastructure, and other emergency and humanitarian areas.
Libya
Secretary Clinton is going to meet with representatives of the rebel forces. The European Union has initiated a Libyan crisis summit in Brussels, and French President Sarkozy has met with leaders of the rebel forces. The rebels have created the Libyan National Council in Benghazi; President Sarkozy and the British Prime Minister David Cameron are urging their EU partners to recognize the body. But Germany's Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, argues that the EU should consult the Arab League, and the other countries in the region, before deciding to officially recognize the rebel forces.
Madagascar
The government of President Andry Rajoelina has stepped down, including all his ministers, and has initiated a transitional phase, intended to lead to free elections. President Rajoelina had originally seized power in a military coup in 2009. As part of an agreement with a number of opposition parties, he will remain nominally in power, with a ministry selected by those opposition parties, until elections can be held.
Malawi
The corruption trial of former President Bakili Muluzi began on Tuesday; but the former President's ill health has caused delays in the trial.
The current President Bingu wa Mutharika announced recently that in spite of the constitutional right of citizens to peacefully protest, there would be a required payment of $13,000 in cash, from all groups wishing to protest. He said this would cover the cost of any potential property damage.
There are also allegations that the government is cracking down on dissenters in other ways; meanwhile there have been protests against fuel shortages in the capital. The protests were broken up by police, and the protest organizers were arrested.
Mali
The US State Department has issued a warning that a terrorist attack against US targets in Mali may be imminent.
Humanitarian grants have been suspended, due to allegations of misuse of those funds. HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis grants have all been suspended recently for that reason, costing the country millions of dollars. So far 16 people have been arrested in connection with the misuse of these funds.
West Africa's regional stock market is being relocated to Bamako, Mali, from the Cote d'Ivoire, because of the violence in that country following its disputed elections. The relocation is intended to be temporary.
Mauritania
Health workers have gone on strike, asking for more money to compensate the risks they run in their work. A pro-democracy youth movement has organized peaceful protests that have been violently put down by police. The protest organizers are using facebook to publish a record of the police abuses. In January a man set himself on fire in front of the Presidential palace. There have been multiple military coups in the country since 2005; and former General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz now serves as President.
Mauritius
Mauritius has implemented free education and health care, and is seeing an improving economy; but inflation is rising, and there is still a large wealth disparity.
Bangladesh and Mauritius are forming trade agreements, and Mauritius has approved the creation of a Bangladeshi embassy.
Joseph Stiglitz calls the progress of Mauritius in the recent past, "miraculous."
Morocco
Moroccan King Mohammed VI has announced a broad range of reforms that will limit his own power, and bring more governmental controls into local areas. This will include drafting a new constitution, which is expected to be done by June, although a referendum to approve it has not yet been scheduled.
Mozambique
Thirteen Mozambican police generals have been charged with corruption and theft of state funds. The former Interior Minister Almerino Manhenje has already been tried for abusing his position and committing budget irregularities. He refused to answer questions due to concerns for "national security". A judge is expected to issue a ruling in March.
There have been recent food riots in the country, and tourism is reportedly down by 28% over the previous year.
Self-Energy Mozambique, a private corporation, is investing $42 million in renewable energy projects throughout the country, and has participated in negotiations between Mozambique and Portugal to accomplish this. The goal is to provide energy to communities that have no power cables running nearby.
Namibia
The results of Namibia's National Assembly election in late 2009 have been challenged by nine opposition parties, who claimed that unrealistically high turnout indicated ballot-stuffing. The courts dismissed the challenge in February of this year, and the opposition groups have filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
The country gained its independence from South Africa in 1990 after 23 years of war; and by some measures is highly successful, ranking high in civil rights and political rights measurements, as conducted by the US-based Freedom House organization.
Niger
The military, after a successful coup in February 2010, has stepped down from power after holding Presidential elections on Saturday. The new President is expected to be sworn in in April of this year. In spite of the elections, the country remains prone to military coups, from which it has suffered many times in the 50 years since gaining its independence from France.
Nigeria
Ethnic strife has resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries in Tafawa Balewa, as the ethnic Fulani group allegedly attacked members of the majority Sayawa group. A similar attack earlier in the year led to 18 deaths. Several houses, churches, and mosques have been burnt down in the fighting.
Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer and most populous country, with 140 million people.
Recently a dispute has arisen between political factions who want to change the timetable of the upcoming 2011 elections, and those who want to keep it as it is. The dispute is over whether to hold Presidential and Parliamentary elections before or after state and local elections. A court has issued an order saying that if the Presidential and Parliamentary elections continue to be held first, it would unfairly favor the current ruling party. Opponents of the change claim that the groups who sought the court order are trying to weaken the Nigerian democracy, and make it more susceptible to military takeover.
Rwanda
At the recent UN forum on forests, the Rwandan Minister of Land and Environment, Stanislas Kamanzi, said that by 2035 Rwanda will have reversed the soil, land, water, and forest degradation it has experienced.
The "one cow per family" government program expects to provide cows to 350,000 Rwandan families by 2017.
The Minister of Education, Dr Charles Murigande, has announced plans to merge Rukara and Kavumu Colleges of education, to produce a single Rwanda Teachers' College that will increase by a third the number of new teachers receiving training, from 650 per year to 1000. The goal is to reduce the shortage of teachers at secondary level schools.
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé plans to legalize homosexuality. The law against gay sex has been on the books for a long time, but representatives of the country at the United Nations Universal Periodic Review session said that the country has not enforced those laws for a long time; and they will be removed as part of an upcoming review of existing law.
Senegal
Japan will give $38.5 million to Senegal, to stabilize food supplies, and to improve primary and vocational education in that country.
Elections are due to be held in February 2012, but President Abdoulaye Wade is facing a difficult bid for reelection to a third term, due to protests over power outages and high cost of living. Police clashed with protesters in January outside the home of some relatives of President Wade; the police fired tear-gas while the protesters responded by throwing stones.
In February, Senegal severed diplomatic ties with Iran, claiming that Iran was supplying weapons to separatist rebels in the Casamance region.
Also in February, a man set himself on fire outside the Presidential palace.
Seychelles
The Emirates airline has announced that they are increasing the frequency of their flights to Seychelles by 100%, in an effort to support tourism in that country. Last year 175,000 tourists visited the island, a record number. After difficult economic conditions, and dire predictions by the International Monetary Fund, the country's economy seems to be improving more rapidly that expected, with 6.2% economic growth in 2010.
President James Michel recently met with the Vice President of the European Investment Bank about a grant to be given for the "Internet submarine cable project", which will reduce the cost of Internet connectivity by a seventh of what it is. They also discussed the need to increase Seychelles' ability to store fresh water, especially in light of the recent drought in the country.
Seychelles has also convicted 10 Somalis of piracy, and sentenced them to 20 years in prison. The trials were held in Seychelles because Somalia lacks the legal infrastructure to hold them itself. Other countries in the region also participate in trying Somali pirates.
Sierra Leone
Deforestation is creating water supply problems in Sierra Leone, but there doesn't seem to be much that can be done. Trees are cut down for logs, or to clear areas for farmland or the construction of new homes; and these things make more immediate sense to the people doing them than keeping the trees in order to prevent deforestation.
The African continent as a whole is losing almost 10 million hectares of forest each year, according to a 2008 UN report. This is twice the world average.
Sierra Leone gets 3000 milliliters of rain per year, but without the forests to hold it in, most of that rainfall flows directly into the ocean.
The Stellar Diamond corporation announced recently that it had raised nearly $10 million to mine diamonds in Sierra Leone as well as Guinea.
Somalia
Somalia is embroiled in violent civil war, with a fragile transitional government occupying the capital, and African Union troops doing battle with insurgence. Neighboring countries Ethiopia and Kenya are also fighting to control the borders.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told the UN Security Council that the international community must act to preserve recent gains made against the insurgence, if there is to be hope of ending two decades of violence and lawlessness.
The transition government is due to expire in August.
South Africa
In spite of the fact that the ruling African National Congress has called for the country to nationalize its mining industry, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu has said this will not happen.
South Africa's mineral reserves are valued at $2.5 trillion, in platinum, palladium, gold, and other minerals; yet the country has 24% unemployment. The ANC Youth League has called for the government to own 60% of the country's mineral assets.
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease in South Africa has halted exports of hoofed animals and dairy, producing dangerous food shortages in neighboring countries.
Sudan
Civil war has resulted in 300,000 deaths since it began in 2003, and has forced about 2.7 million people to flee their homes. Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes. He denies the charges.
In a January vote, Southern Sudan chose to secede and form their own country. This will take effect in July, resulting in Sudan and South Sudan. Many aspects of the relationship between the two new countries remain to be settled, including the final border and the rights to natural resources.
Satellite images show instances of whole villages being burnt to the ground. A recent image showed 300 buildings burnt down in one area. The disputes over borders and resource management are part of the cause of continuing violence in the area.
Swaziland
The teachers union is mobilizing to protest the government freezing civil servant salaries for three years.
Swaziland, a monarchy with allegations of corruption, seems to have fewer people living in poverty than it did a decade ago. But while the government claims this statistic shows that their poverty-reduction efforts are working, critics say this is just due to a high death rate among the poor.
AIDS remains a huge problem in Swaziland, with 26% of the adult population infected. An estimated 30% of the population is also undernourished.
Tanzania
A new pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic has opened in Mbeya, and expects to be caring for at least 5,000 HIV-infected infants and their families by 2013.
The United Nations is joining with the African Development Bank and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, to lend $90 million to Tanzania to provide better access to rural financial services and markets, and to promote private sector development. More than 500,000 rural households are expected to benefit directly from these programs.
The Tanzania Minerals Corp has begun drilling its property in northern Tanzania, exploring for valuable deposits.
Local carpenters are banding together to form a large association, with the goal of achieving mass production, high quality products, and control over the haphazard competition that currently exists. The government supports this move, as it will result in higher quality exports, which will increase demand from other countries.
A Turkish bank, Eximbank, supported by its government, is offering $50 million in credit to Turkish business people, to invest in Tanzania.
Tanzanian cashew nut production rose 60% in 2010 due to good rains, producing 120,000 metric tons, as compared with 75,000 tons the previous year. Tanzania is the third largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa, after Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire.
Togo
The Togolese government's attempts to regulate protest have been met with criticism by opposition leaders, who claim that the changes occurring in Egypt and elsewhere may arrive in Togo as well.
Togo has granted refugee status to people fleeing the violence surrounding the disputed election in Cote d'Ivoire.
Togo is creating a new court system, specifically to arbitrate business disputes in the country. This is part of a series of economic reforms that has resulted in the International Monetary Fund declaring Togo eligible for $1.8 billion in debt relief. This would amount to 82% of the country's total debt.
Tunisia
The courts have disbanded the political party of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, and ordered all its assets seized.
Tourists appear to be returning to Tunisia after the recent civil unrest that toppled the government.
Some freshly legalized political parties, including Hizb At-Tahrir, are planning to run in the upcoming elections, on a platform of instituting Sharia law and banning all other political parties.
Uganda
Protesters claiming that last month's elections were rigged have been dispersed by police with tear gas. The government denies the charge, and says that tear gas was only used because the protesters refused to register the demonstration with the police beforehand.
Uganda's national health policy is changing. The Ugandan Ministry of Health announced that community health workers will now be allowed to provide injectable contraceptives to women in rural areas. By increasing access to these contraceptive options, the government hopes to enable women in rural areas to engage in the kind of family planning they would like to do, but that has been very difficult before this intiative.
Zambia
China is expected to invest about $2.4 billion in Zambia this year, and continues to be the world's largest investor in Africa as a whole.
The Zambian government intends to hire an additional 20,000 health workers, as part of a 2005 strategic plan that created over 50,000 new positions. But while the government continues to build health facilities throughout the country, there is a shortage of skilled workers able to staff them.
The Ministry of Education has begun building technical schools for girls, to increase the number of female scientists in the country, and to improve the opportunities for Zambian women.
Zimbabwe
The government of Zimbabwe is sending mixed messages about the mining industry. Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has said that the government will force mine owners to sell 51% stake in all Zimbabwean mining operations to the government. But Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has denied that the government is doing this.
The International Monetary Fund is planning a visit to the country to discuss its $7 billion debt, which represents over 100% of the country's GDP; and to push for reforms that would make it eligible to access further development funds from its creditors.
A dry spell lasting over a month came at a crucial time for farmers, and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network does not expect a good crop production for Zimbabwe this year.
