The Nigerian government's efforts to secure peace in the oil heartlands of the Niger Delta are empty promises, community leaders say, threatening a return to violence that would derail any broader recovery in the crude-dependent economy. - Reuters
Eromo Egbejule writes: As a people, we need to discuss the feasibility of Nigeria continuing as one “indivisible” state. Otherwise, if we continue to ignore the lessons of history, we will keep the country locked in an endless cycle of tragedy that could one day lead to renewed civil war. Is this a risk that Africa’s most populous country can afford to take again? – Washington Post
East Asia
Three elections defeats would be enough to send most politicians into retirement. But Raila Odinga, Kenya’s veteran opposition leader, is gearing up for his fourth bid for the presidency at elections next month, convinced that momentum is shifting in his favour. – Financial Times
Extremists from neighboring Somalia beheaded nine civilians in an early morning attack on a southeastern village in Kenya, government officials said on Saturday, as concerns grew that the group known as the Shabab has taken up a bloody new strategy. – Associated Press
Somali security forces said on Sunday they had killed 18 Islamist insurgents during an operation in the northern region of Puntland, although the militants denied sustaining any casualties. - Reuters
Central/Southern Africa
Congolese President Joseph Kabila wants to organize overdue elections to pick a successor by the end of the year, but outsiders should not underestimate the logistical hurdles the country faces in trying to secure a fair vote, a top adviser to Mr. Kabila said in an interview. – Washington Times
The president of Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission said on Sunday that a vote to replace President Joseph Kabila will probably not be possible this year, violating a deal that let Kabila stay on past the end of his mandate. - Reuters
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is in Singapore for medical treatment, in his third such visit this year, a newspaper reported on Sunday. - Reuters
Report: South Africa is a key U.S. partner in the region and it is in the U.S. national interest that South Africa remain a strong, stable democracy. South Africa could serve as a powerful model for the continent and play a more influential diplomatic role in pressing other countries on democracy and human rights concerns, but its inward focus and distraction with its own challenges (which pale in comparison to some other countries in the region) leave it underperforming regionally. – McCain Institute