Africa

An Egyptian man delivering bread rides through Cairo's Tahrir Square last year. Couriers are taking great risks as they work around Egypt's capital.

World News

Dodging Clashes, Cairo's Deliverymen Take Big Risks

10:14pm February 02, 2013

by Merrit Kennedy

In Cairo you can get just about anything delivered at almost any hour of the night. Have the flu? You can order vitamin C and meds from the pharmacy at 2 a.m. One deliveryman has been dodging tear gas and clashes to get Lebanese takeout to people's doors.

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Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law?

8:36am January 29, 2013

by Leila Fadel

Critics call the country's Salafis a threat to the ideals of economic prosperity, civil liberties and gender equality. The Salafis insist that only their rigid interpretation of Islamic law can govern Muslims. Their stand puts Tunisia's moderate Islamist leaders in a difficult position.

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World News

Timbuktu Freed From Islamist Fighters

8:36am January 29, 2013

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

In the West African nation of Mali, residents of Timbuktu were cheering in the streets Monday, after the city was liberated by French and Malian forces after months under the harsh rule of Islamist fighters. In a final act of cultural warfare before fleeing Timbuktu, the rebels are reported to have set fire to libraries housing priceless manuscripts.

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Egypt's Morsi Declares State Of Emergency

10:11am January 28, 2013

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has declared a state of emergency after a deadly bout of violence over the weekend left at least 50 dead in three cities the Suez Canal.

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Algeria Attack A 'Wake-Up Call' For Energy Companies

1:19pm January 24, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

Investors didn't panic after last week's attack, and oil and gas prices held steady. But if the attack on the gas complex signals the beginning of a new phase of terrorism in North Africa, energy companies and governments will need to make new assessments of the risks and benefits of investments.

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Gen. Carter Ham, who heads the U.S. Africa Command, meets with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika last September. Amid upheaval in the region, AFRICOM is still attempting to define its mission.

U.S. Military Seeks Its Role In Troubled North Africa

8:53pm January 23, 2013

by Tom Bowman

The U.S. Africa Command, designed to strengthen defense relationships in Africa, is still trying to define its mission. African states have been wary, while the State Department and aid groups also express concerns. But growing conflicts in the region may soon put AFRICOM to the test.

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World News

Ambassador Huddleston: U.S. Must Save Mali

10:01am January 21, 2013

The casualties are still being counted from last week's attack on an Algerian gas plant by Islamist militants. The four-day siege left dozens of people dead. The group warned of more such attacks against any country backing France's military intervention in neighboring Mali. For a perspective on Mali, Renee Montagne talks to Vickie Huddleston, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Mali from 2002 to 2005.

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World News

Nightmare Details Emerge After Siege Ends In Algeria

10:01am January 21, 2013

After the four-day hostage crisis in Algeria, the death toll has risen to at least 81. Algerian forces that were searching the natural gas plant in the Sahara that was taken over by Islamist militants found at least 25 more bodies on Sunday.

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World News

Kenyans Expect More From U.S. President With African Roots

9:11am January 18, 2013

by Gregory Warner

As President Obama prepares to start another term next week, Morning Edition has asked NPR's foreign correspondents to gauge worldwide expectations for the president's next four years. In Kenya, where pride still runs deep for the president with Kenyan roots, expectations of America's role have shifted from donor aid, to partner in trade.

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Algeria Hostage-Taking Could Be Retaliation For France's Actions In Mali

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

Islamist militants attacked and seized a gas field in Algeria on Wednesday and said they were holding dozens of foreign workers hostage, including seven Americans. The militants said the attack is retaliation for France's military intervention in Mali.

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