Continent's New Oil Hotspots
The power balance in Africa's crude oil production landscape is set to shift in the near future as a number of new oilfields come online. Crude oil has in recent years been discovered in many countries such as Sierra Leone, São Tomé & Príncipe and Ethiopia but it is currently the nations of Ghana and Uganda that are attracting the most attention.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201003110118.html
Ex-rebels Accused of Extortion in DR Congo Mines
Former rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo who now serve in the army are running mafia-style extortion rackets in the mines, campaigners say. The country has some of the world's richest mines, which provide minerals to the global electronics industry. Ex-rebels of the CNDP group are said to have gained far greater control of the mines than they did as insurgents.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8561330.stm
Civilians Killed in Somali Fighting
More than 20 civilians have been killed in a second day of intense fighting between Somali government troops and opposition forces in the capital Mogadishu. The deaths occurred after government troops backed by African Union peacekeepers raided a position held by armed opposition in the north of the war-torn capital.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/03/2010311131747654331.html
U.S. Envoy Pushes for Darfur Peace Deal before Sudanese Elections
The U.S. special envoy to Sudan warned Wednesday that efforts to bring peace to the country's troubled Darfur region could become less of a priority for the Obama administration if a full-fledged peace agreement is not reached before Sudanese elections scheduled for mid-April.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/10/AR2010031003105.html
