The Great Lakes Research Journal

On October 24th in Burundi, the body of young albino was found in a river near the Burundi-Tanzania border reports say. Age nine the boy was trafficked across the border by a gang. The remains were recovered and given a formal burial. In parts of Africa body parts of albinos are prized by witch-doctors.  They claim these albino parts have special powers and often use them in potions they make for clients that they claim will make them rich or healthy.  Dozens of albinos have been killed in Tanzania and this has recently spread to the neighboring Burundi. Tanzanian authorities have promised to crack down on albino traffickers, and several persons have been sentenced to death in connection with these killings

In a recent article by Inter Press Service News Agency, Congolese human rights organizations are applauding the release of a report that detailed various violent and sexual transgressions during the 1990s. The report outlines many cases of sexual and physical abuse by the Ugandan and Rwandan militias during the tumultuous 1990s. Though the respective governments condemned the report, the civil organizations are relieved these events are finally being addressed and hopefully punished.

“This is an occasion to say never again to such crimes,” said civil group member Dieudonne Sango.

One of the civil organizations pursuing justice from details of the report, the South Kivu Civil Society Coordinating Group, says they plan to take time to read the report then make recommendations to the government and U.N. However, many in the civil groups feel that the horrific crimes might require punishment that the Congolese courts just don’t have the authority to enact. Because of this, the civil groups must look to the international community for empathy and support. Some say this is the whole reason the civil action groups pursued the report’s release in the first place. Though this will be an ongoing struggle, the coalitions and groups fighting for the victims of the report have all promised to keep pursuing justice.

I completely support the vigilance that the civil groups are using to pursue justice. The crimes committed by these militia members is a black spot in the history of the countries mentioned and should be punished. These countries are attempting to move on and heal from this tumultuous time, and I think bringing the people responsible for these crimes to trial is the only way to do this. I hope that the truth prevails in the coming months concerning this troubling matter.

Much of Africa is recovering fast from the global financial crisis and the region will register the second-highest growth rates in the world, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

The Washington-based institution said in its 2010 economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa that the region’s economic growth will be 5 per cent this year, compared with 2.5 per cent in 2009. That growth will put the region in second place internationally, behind Asia.

But the region has still not recovered fully from the crisis, IMF officials said on Monday while releasing the report in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Next year the region’s economic growth is projected to be 5.5 per cent and this will bring sub-Saharan Africa closer to the high average rates of 6 to 6.5 per cent it registered between 2004 and 2008, said Abebe Selassie of the IMF’s African Department.

“Overall, we are not expecting any country to experience negative growth next year, but that doesn’t always pan out,” said Abebe, who is the chief of the department’s regional studies division.

The report also said the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, off Africa’s southeast coast, may register negative growth because of political instability there.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s recovery is faster than during the previous global economic crises of the 1980s and 1970s because it recorded high economic growth rates before the latest crisis and had lower budget deficits, said Abebe.

He said that there had been worries African economies will experience “a delayed effect” from the global financial crisis, but key trade and other indicators collected on a monthly or quarterly basis show recovery is on the way.

“So we are fairly confident there is not going to be a delayed effect from the global financial crisis,” Abebe said.

But he warned countries that rely heavily on foreign loans and grants to fund their budgets and grow their economies need that they need to cut back on such dependance.

“There is a risk going forward that this (aid) could fall off if advanced countries start cutting aid budgets in the coming years,” Abebe said.

This article is about the attacks in Maiduguri, Nigeria that happened a couple weeks ago. There are sources that are saying that they are linked to the Islamic Sect. The residents are very scared here and as it states in the article, “Soldiers have been deployed here again, a curfew has been imposed and many residents worry about bold daylight attacks that officials call a renewal of the anti-Western sect’s strikes on police stations and soldiers that took place last year.”

It seems like the attacks were because Nigeria is one of the world’s top oil producers and a major supplier to the United States. The residents blame the government for all of these attacks as well. One person being interviewed for the article said, “If government money was equally shared, there would not be this problem.” The attacks are nothing small, there are cannons going off in peoples villages.

This is a sad event that is still going on, to me it does not sound like anyone is safe, there have even been reports that police are being taken down. Innocent people are being killed for no reason. A 13 year old had to watch his teacher and one of his classmates be killed, that is something a child should never have to see.