What We’re Reading 7/28/09

Jul 28th, 2009 1:00 PM UTC
By Grace Lamb-Atkinson

Reuters: Clinton to Meet Somali President in Africa Trip
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to meet the president of Somalia’s transitional government during a seven-nation trip to Africa next week. She will be the highest-ranking U.S. official to meet Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, signaling the Obama administration’s strong wish to bolster Somalia’s fragile government. Clinton will travel to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde, where she is expected to reinforce President Barack Obama’s message that aid must be matched by good governance.

The Guardian (UK): The Race for Influence in Zimbabwe
Op-ed contributor Francois Grignon writes that Chinese investment is growing in influence in Zimbabwe, due to a recent deal negotiated by Robert Mugabe. The deal followed Prime Minister Morgan Zvangirai’s failure to bring back aid promises from his recent visit to Western governments. Grignon says that while China’s interest could give the struggling transitional coalition government “breathing room,” it does not equally benefit Tsvangirai and Mugabe. the ability to engineer financial aid for the inclusive government puts Mugabe in a very strong position to manipulate the pace of reform to his advantage and could strengthen his quest to perpetuate his dictatorial reign.

Bloomberg: South African Jobless Give up Hope as Economy Shrinks
Bloomberg reports that South Africa’s unemployment rate has reached 23.6% (about 13 million unemployed), with many people giving up looking for work as the country’s economy sinks deeper into recession. President Jacob Zuma is facing mounting pressure to deliver on his election promises to boost jobs and reduce poverty as protests fueled by the economic situation continue. Yesterday thousands of council workers on strike marched through Johannesburg, dumping trash in the street and disrupting local businesses.

New York Times: Scores Die as Sect Fights Nigeria Police
Security forces erected roadblocks and enforced curfews in towns across in northern Nigeria Tuesday after scores were killed in two days of clashes between the police and members of a fundamentalist Islamic sect. The violence has roiled a predominantly Muslim region of Nigeria that has had regular and often bloody outbreaks of sectarian unrest.

-Grace Lamb-Atkinson

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