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The recruitment and arming of dissident groups in neighboring countries has been one of Africa's most significant causes of humanitarian disasters since the end of colonialism. Liberia, Rwanda, and Côte d'Ivoire have been particularly hard hit by externally driven "insurgencies." The African Union and the international community consistently consider these conflicts to be "civil wars" requiring conflict resolution. What is really needed is heavy international pressure to force the perpetrators to cease and desist and to refrain from interfering in the affairs of neighboring countries through the support of surrogate rebels. Particularly egregious have been the actions of presidents Museveni of Uganda and Compaore of Burkina Faso. The United States tends to follow the lead of the Africans in ignoring the illegitimate surrogate nature of some civil conflicts, thereby indirectly encouraging others with evil intent. The cost of humanitarian emergencies, of course, is borne mainly by the United States and other international donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article traces the history of 50 years of relations between various African nations and the U.S. It discusses the establishment of the Bureau of African Affairs in the U.S. in 1958 and the policy towards Africa under former U.S. Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush. The author states that the 2008 Presidential election is being closely followed by the Africans.

Presents a statement by State Department Assistant Secretary for African Affairs before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Washington, D.C., March 1993, concerning resolution of Africa's conflicts necessary for stability, economic reform, democratization and better governance. Four way approach; Areas of extensive US engagement: Namibia, Angola, Liberia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa; Conflict resolution lessons learned; Improving process; Conclusion.

The article focuses on first anniversary of republic South Sudan. Topics discussed include challenges the country is facing related to corruption, ethnic strife and deadly cattle raids in villages and towns; stealing of oil revenues by officials and leaders of party the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) and decline in oil revenue leads to financial loss for Khartoum, Sudan.

The article focuses on the stability operations of the United Nations (U.N.) in Africa. It notes that the budget of the U.N. peacekeeping and stabilization support on Africa reached to 4.7 billion dollars which are intended for internal conflict management. It mentions that the U.N. missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Darfur, Sudan are moving against active fighting which are permitted to utilize lethal force to protect U.N. personnel and civilians.

The article offers information on the author's views about whether elections are solutions in the deep seated conflicts in Africa. According to the author, elections can make matters worse since the core reasons for the conflicts were not settled by using negotiations. The article also highlights the Côte d'Ivoire which was also affected with this issue.

The article evaluates the progress in the African countries for the past 10 years. It focuses on the developments in Africa's economic condition, politics, and international relations and its efforts to combat poverty, increase export production, and end internal conflicts. It contrasts the developments in Africa with other regions including China, India, and Canada.

The article reports on the impact of the increase in world food prices on African nations that can least afford to spend more for their essentials. It states that the upward trends in world food prices are caused by the two billion people in China and India who earn more money, eat more grain and feed more gain to their livestock and global warming that affects major grain-producing countries. It notes that the increase in oil prices also affects the development of African nations.

The article reports that 2011 will be the significant year for the Sudan because it is the sixth and final year of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2006 (CPA) signed by the central Government of Sudan and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM). It states that the international community has to prepare for the worst that could happen in 2011 while working with care and persistence to maintain stability, as the independent southern state faces both internal and external challenges.

The author reflects on the significant of the African continent to the foreign interests of the U.S. He claims that Africa has been particularly productive under U.S. President George W. Bush administration. He stresses that Bush administration has underscored the continent's economic expansion, wealth creation and democracy. Indeed, he recommends that the U.S. must take advantage to the good opportunities that the area has possessed including its abundant energy resources.