In The News

Attackers stormed a luxury Radisson Hotel in Bamako with reports suggesting 170 hostages taken. The Washington Post reports no immediate claims of responsibility or motivation, but extremists vie for attention with attacks on soft targets. “Mali – home to the famous ancient city of Timbuktu – has been at the center of a French-backed effort to drive back Islamist rebels that once had control over...

Europe lacks coherent policies on the refugee crisis as thousands flee conflict in the Middle East and poverty in Africa. The desperate pay smugglers for transportation. The report from Reuters suggests that at least 2,500 died since January, but the numbers are likely much higher with more than 10 million displaced people in Syria and Iraq alone. “As bodies pile up, so does criticism of Europe...

Burundi, landlocked, poor and one of Africa’s smallest nations, battles corruption and ethnic tensions. The re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza, in defiance of the nation’s constitutional limit of two terms, may compound the challenges. “Ethnic violence could spread, threatening foreign aid, foreign investment and the credibility of international peacekeeping in Africa and destabilizing...