Most Recent Five Issues http://www.africafocus.org/ http://www.africafocus.org/images/aflogo.gif http://www.africafocus.org en-us http://www.africafocus.org/docs12/hf1202.php 3, Feb 012 Feb 3, 2012 - "Simply put, if we allow the fund to fail, many people will die, and we will forfeit the chance at the "AIDS-free generation" that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for in November. This is no time to step back." - Paul Farmer

http://www.africafocus.org/docs12/sud1201.php 30 Jan 2012 Jan 30, 2012 - Sudan and South Sudan seem to have entered a "lose-lose" scenario, precipitated by failure to agree on payments for transport of oil from fields in South Sudan through the pipeline in the north to the Red Sea. Despite African Union mediation and pressure for compromise not only from Africa but also from the United Nations, China, and the United States, South Sudan has closed the oil fields, with likely disastrous economic and humanitarian consequences for both countries.

http://www.africafocus.org/docs12/ken1201b.php 23 Jan 2012 Jan 23, 2012 - "The promulgation of the constitution on 27 August 2010, was a historic moment in our country. The constitution was a culmination of the work of a lifetime for most people in this gathering and many other Kenyans not at this meeting. It may also stand out in history as the singular achievement of Kenyans in this time. ... Yet, my concern is that there appears not to have been a proper appreciation of the essence of this constitution after its promulgation. ... I have come to the inescapable conclusion that there are Kenyans at all levels who are yet to make the mental shift to the national and individual conduct that the constitution heralds." - Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, December 2011

http://www.africafocus.org/docs12/ken1201a.php 23 Jan 2012 Jan 23, 2012 - "Public support for the ICC remains high. A majority of the respondents - 64 per cent - are happy that the ICC is pursuing the six suspects. ... the perception that the government is unlikely to conduct genuine investigations, or prosecute powerful individuals, has sustained high support for the ICC as the justice mechanism of last resort." - Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation (KNDR) Monitoring Project, January 2012

http://www.africafocus.org/docs11/rev2011.php 30 Dec 2011 Dec 30, 2011 - As regular readers know, AfricaFocus averages between 6 and 7 issues a month (a total of 77 this year). So there is no way that it can cover the full range of issues and countries around the continent. Nor am I inclined to venture into the popular attempt to name "the top ten issues" of the year. But I am confident you will agree that AfricaFocus has provided you and other readers with a wide range of useful analyses this year.