Turmoil in Africa

Are we seeing a turning point in African stability? Yes, there’s plenty of relatively safe countries in Africa to visit, but the news trickling in haven’t been particularly good for many others. First, there was the brouhaha over the British teacher in Sudan; it doesn’t help the 20,000+ UN peacekeepers don’t seem to be stabilizing the region as much as everyone thought.

Then there’s news today that Ethiopia is pressing untrained civilians, including doctors, teachers and office workers, to battle rebels in the Ogaden region. Most ominously, yesterday it was reported that Congo might be plunging back into Civil War. The picture above is from a village in Congo where families, particularly kids, have been forced to hide in an almost completely destroyed Catholic church as fighting between the government and the rebels continue.

Is this a trend we’re seeing? Or unrelated events that happened to coincide in one unfortunate month?