Africa

DRC Rebels' Surrender Could Mark New Chapter In U.N. Peacekeeping

There's been a rare bit of good news in Eastern Congo this month. One of the rebel groups that have terrorized civilians in the mineral rich part of the the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to end its rebellion. There's still a lot of work to do to disarm the M23 and to keep other rebel movements in check. But this small victory is a boost for U.N. peacekeepers, who are under a new, tougher mandate to protect civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some experts wonder if this could be a new model for peacekeeping.

In Libya, The Militias Rule While Government Founders

More than two years since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya is growing more chaotic. Analysts describe a nation awash with heavy weapons in the hands of militias divided by tribe, ideology and region. The central government has little power over the gunmen, and leaders worry their country could become another Somalia or Afghanistan.