[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, Djibouti, and Comoros Islands and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the On the Margins Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each month`s roundup to info@jadaliyya.com.]
Mauritania
Biram : les raisons du succès The author examines the reasons for Biram Ould Abeid’s success in fighting for human rights in Mauritania.
Mauritania to set up slavery tribunal A judicial committee chaired by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to create a court to try crimes of slavery.
Quand les Nations-unies nous font honte! “When the United Nations make us ashamed!”
Mauritanie : bientôt une Bourse à Nouakchott ? The Central Bank of Mauritania expecting a growth of over six percent in 2014, plans to launch the first stock market in the country.
La Mauritanie "s`enfonce dans la crise", selon l`opposition Mauritania "sinks into crisis," according to the opposition.
Le Sahel face au salafisme conquérant The author describes how the rapid spread of salafism threatens the Sahel.
موريتانيا : الشركاتالأجنبيةتتسابقفيفصلالموريتانيين Ahmed Jedou discusses how foreign mining companies in Mauritania have been laying off workers.
Somalia
U.S. Advisers Sent to Help Somalia Fight the Shabab The United States sent a team of uniformed military advisers to Somalia, the first American troops assigned there since the failed “Black Hawk Down” mission in 1993.
Constitutional crisis, another PM ousted, what`s next? A discussion of Somalia’s constitutional crisis resulting in the ouster of Prime Minister Shirdon after only a few months in office.
Political infighting threatens Somalia’s government According to the Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS), “another phase of infighting could lead to a collapse of this government.”
Banking on Somalia Somalia’s informal banking system is one of the only coherent institutions in the country—so why is United States policy undermining it?
Dealing with Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and in the Gulf Of Guinea Brookings senior fellow, Vanda Felbab-Brown, reviews the latest trends in maritime piracy off the coasts of Somalia and Nigeria.
This guy discovered that dry cleaning could prevent terrorism in Somalia Mohamed Ali is a young Somali-American with a mission to help youth in Somalia steer clear of extremist groups.
Sentencing in New Rape-Journalist Case Raises Legal, Political Questions in Somalia. A female journalist convicted of defamation for false rape allegations may be telling the truth.
A series of photographs from Hobyo, Harardhere, and Eyl coastal areas in Central Somalia from Discover Somalia portray life in a tense period.
Renowned Somali historian dies in Djibouti at the age of 91. Aw Jamac Omar Isse was a prominent historian of modern Somalia living in Djibouti since 1991.
Mine, not thine: Somalia`s Al Shabaab bans the Internet Al Shabaab has reportedly gives telecommunications companies fifteen days to comply with the order.
Kenya air strike in Somalia `kills al-Shabaab militants` Kenyan military says dozens of terrorists were killed in its attack on a rebel meeting at a camp in southern Somalia.
South Sudan
This map drives home how bad things are getting in South Sudan South Sudan`s crisis is only three weeks old, but it has already displaced 189,000 people, according to the United Nations refugees agency.
South Sudan: internally displaced people flee Bor region – in pictures 80,000 people are seeking refuge from fierce clashes between army units loyal to the president and those loyal to the former vice president.
Donor-Driven Technical Fixes Failed South Sudan While pundits argue about who or what is most at fault for South Sudan`s return to conflict, one thing is clear: the international community is not free from blame.
Self-destruct mode A violent internal conflict sparked by a power struggle between two of South Sudan`s leaders threatens to destroy the young country`s hopes of peaceful independence.
African leaders broker South Sudan government ceasefire - video
Juba reprend aux rebelles Bentiu, la capitale pétrolière Bentiu, the town which concentrates most of the oil wells in South Sudan was taken back by the army from the rebels.
Soudan du Sud : qui sont les mystérieux combattants de l’Armée blanche ? The author reports on the “White Army,” a mysterious militia taking part in the violent clashes in South Sudan.
"La partition du Soudan, voulue par Washington, est une catastrophe" Michel Raimbaud, former ambassador of France in Sudan on the reasons why the United States pushed for the split of Sudan.
How Hollywood cloaked South Sudan in celebrity and fell for the "big lie" Film stars have been speaking from a flawed script about the newest nation.
The Crisis in South Sudan: Swapping Partners. Magdi El-Gizali argues that Kiir and Bashir are allying in this bloody conflict to attack their respective domestic enemies.
Understanding the Suicidal War in South Sudan. Gerald Prunier gives a sobering assessment of both the prospects for peace in South Sudan and the motives of the actors in the civil war.
United States Mission in South Sudan Shows Limits of Military Weak leadership and rivalry between states have hampered African efforts to bring security to the conflict-hit continent.
Was South Sudan a mistake? With the world`s newest country on the brink of collapse, the wisdom of separating north and south Sudan is in question.
South Sudan Finance Minister: Will Borrow to Cover Lost Oil Revenue "I will be searching the whole world for loans and I will take the loans that are good for South Sudan from any source."
Mali
Mali: ex-Libyens et pro-Bamako... ces Touaregs qui en 2011 ne voulaient que la paix “All Tuareg fighters that returned from Libya do not opt for the insurgency.”
Nord-Mali: éradiquer Aqmi, la nouvelle priorité de l`opération Serval Eradicating Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is the new priority of the operation Serval.
Mali - Serval: la France a-t-elle piégé les jihadistes en janvier 2013? “Has France trapped the jihadists in January 2013?”
Mali : ATT seul à porter le chapeau ? Bamako wants to try the former president, Amadou Toumani Toure, for high treason.
François Hollande précise le calendrier de désengagement français du Mali French president, Francois Hollande announces the timetable for French withdrawal from Mali.
African Union missing in action in conflicts from Mali to South Sudan Weak leadership and rivalry between states have hampered African efforts to bring security to the conflict-hit continent.
A year of hunting jihadists in West Africa France 24 takes a look back at the key moments of France’s intervention in Mali.
Innovation: A Solar Powered PC in Mali. Two groups of Malians have developed a type of PC highly useful in countries like Mali because it requires only a limited amount of solar power.
2014 année du changement? Askia Mohamed discusses the prospects for change in Malian society this year and the enduring challenge of corruption.
Comoros
US Consortium to Exploit Oil in Comoros. The United States-based private equity firm Carlyle group announced that it will be investing two hundred million dollars in oil exploration efforts in the Comoros.
Fighting Corruption in Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar The Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index shows that faith in the honesty and integrity of the public sector is low.
Three Prisoners Deny Molesting Fellow Inmate in Dubai Centrail Jail Three inmates were accused of assaulting a Comorian held in the same prison, who had an arson complaint against one of them.
Djibouti
Reporters Without Borders Concerned Over Arrests of Journalists in Djibouti. Reporters Without Borders accuses the regime of targeting journalists covering street vendor evictions.
Violation sans précédent du domicile du président du MRD et porte-parole de l`USN, Daher Ahmed Farah Police raided the home of prominent opposition leader, Daher Ahmed Farah, arresting twenty-nine people.
Searching for Signals Impoverished African migrants crowd the night shore of Djibouti city, trying to capture inexpensive cell signals from neighboring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad.
Base restriction lifted in Djibouti A four-month order that restricted Djibouti-based troops to Camp Lemonnier for protection was lifted.
Djibouti to Send More Troops to Somalia Djibouti`s President Ismail Omar Guelleh says his country will send more troops to violence-ridden Somalia.
Djibouti Gives Landlocked Ethiopia Cargo Ultimatum Land-locked Ethiopia is now forced to pay tiny Djibouti with two billion birr annually for port services.