Another Strike Against Boko Haram

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34986146


The Cameroon military has reportedly saved 900 hostages from the Islamic group Boko Haram as well as munitions and flags. It is unknown where the operation took place as there has been no third party confirmation of the details of the situation. Cameroon, along with Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Benin, have formed a coalition which this year has retaken most territory that Boko Haram had seized in north-eastern Nigeria.

A Ban in Senegal

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/18/senegal-bans-burqa-stop-terrorists-disquising-islamic-dress

Senegal has decided to ban the burqa, the Islamic dress covering the body. The reasons behind the ban were fighting terrorists. Senegal's neighbors had conflict with Islamic militants, but Senegal has not yet experienced such attacks. However, with the ban, it is said that they will prevent any attack that would happen.

El Niño in Africa

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34779447

El Niño, the storm that has people in South America afraid, has had devastating effects in Africa. In Ethiopia alone, severe drought has rocked the country which has left many starving. Neighboring Kenya and Somalia are expected to be hit with flash floods and dried up river beds and many other countries are preparing for the worst. The southern states, like South Africa, have been rocked with draught which has killed livestock and crops alike.

Emperor and Messiah: Haile Selassie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie

Known as the "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah," "King of Kings," and "Elect of God," Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia as emperor for nearly 40 years in the 20th century. Born as Lij Tafari Makonnen in 1892, the man who came to be known as Haile Selassie spent his life serving the interests of Ethiopia and bringing his nation to the forefront of African politics. Best known for reforming the ancient feudal practices of Ethiopia through his attempts at modernizing the nation, Haile Selassie worked tirelessly to gain international recognition for Ethiopia on the world stage. His legacy in global politics has been surpassed only by his role as the messiah of the Rastafari religion, among whose followers he is venerated as the god who will lead the Rastas back to their homeland of Ethiopia.

Scramble for Africa

Now that we have begun to see the beginning of the Scramble for Africa, let us see colonialism at its peak before WWI. Notice the different European Powers at work throughout the continent. The large areas under control of France and Britain show the supremacy of the powers and the after effects of their imperialism. The only major country to not fall under colonialism is Ethiopia, who kept the title of being unconquered until the time of Mussolini. One can definitely see why the modern countries of Africa, especially North Africa, have nice clean borders. These were the lines that were drawn by Europeans to mark their zones of control.

U.S. Enters Cameroon to fight Boko Haram

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34533820

The U.S. has landed about 300 troops in Cameroon in order to help fight Boko Haram. Though the U.S. has helped against the Islamic group, this is the first time that they have used U.S. troops to fight directly against them. This decision  was made after the group declared its absorption into the Islamic State. The U.S. sees this as a threat to its interests in West Africa and has plans to keep the troops there until "they are no longer needed". This shows a great initiative for combating the problematic group since allying with the Islamic State could potentially make it more deadly.

Challenging Imperialism: Shaka of the Zulus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka

"Strike an enemy once and for all. Let him cease to exist as a tribe, or he will live to fly at your throat again." 

      A Quote from one of the most famous Africans. According to the diary of H.F. Flynn, Shaka voiced this edict to his ally Dingiswayo concerning a defeated enemy. These words certainly summarized Shaka's philosophy. Bastard son of a tribal chieftain, Shaka kaSenzangahona would oust his half-brother in 1816 AD to claim leadership of the Zulus. He is credited with unifying the Nguni tribes into the Zulu Kingdom. Although called a military genius for his reforms and innovations, he has also been condemned for the brutality of his reign. Whatever the judgment, Shaka laid the foundation for an imposing Zulu state. Upon his assassination in 1828, the Zulu were poised to challenge even the Europeans for control of southern Africa.

Destruction of the Past

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34398899

Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi is on trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for destroying cultural sites in Timbuktu during the unrest in Mali in 2012 and 2013. He was part of the Islamic group Ansar Dine that destroyed many ancient ruins during the unrest. The destruction destroyed mosques, mausoleums, and burnt tens of thousands of ancient manuscripts.

The destruction of ancient ruins, even Islamic ones, by Islamic groups has become frequently more common in recent years. Whether they find them guilty of idol worship or just don't like them, the destruction of history is something that should not be tolerated. While the mausoleums were able to be saved by rebuilding them, ancient texts that were destroyed cannot be so easily remade. While these group's other crimes are unforgivable, this destruction of history and culture cannot be ignored.

Failed Coup in Africa

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34334430

President Michel Kafando, president of Burkina Faso, was reinstated as president after a failed coup attempt that began last week. The coup, led by the presidential guard of the last president, seized power last week but were met with fierce resistance by the populace. With assistance from other West African leaders, a ceasefire and eventual return of the President was achieved.

Instability in African countries is common with military coups being the nastiest. However, not only did the coup fail but the populace was completely against it and were glad with the presidents return. This shows that even when coups happen, it is capable of an African country to recover peacefully. This precedent is promising for stability in the region and Continent.

Acid River

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34173746

As though growing things in Africa was hard enough, a village in Zambian has had its water supply polluted with run off from a copper mine. The communities of Hippo Pool, Kakosa, Shimulala and Hellen have taken the Vedanta Resources Plc mine to court due to the poisoning of the water. Not only is their drinking water polluted, these communities have now been denied farming land due to the runoff polluting the area. Peoples health have also began to take a turn for the worse due to the dirty water.

A whistle blower for the Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) that owns the mine has stated how the company has cut various corners and dumped various toxins in the water. The company has stated that they have been careful but previous cases against them have proven elsewhere. The company was sued successfully in 2011 under a similar case in Chingola. While careless polluting is harmful by itself, the fact that it can ruin the livelihoods of the residents make these cases fatal to African communities.

Forgotten Empires

When people think of Africa, many picture a region that is filled with poverty, ignorance, and unstable regions. Many also believe that it was always like this, that European colonizers brought greatness to the region. This however is false as many great empires were of African origin and design. To name a few, these empires were Egypt, Mali, Songhai, and Axum. In terms of Egypt, many people think of the ancient Egyptians that had many gods and built pyramids. While this is true, Egypt had a few great Empires and dynasties that would form from their conversion to Islam such as the Fatimid Caliphate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatimid_Caliphate

Mali and Songhai were Sub-Saharan Empires that become incredible wealthy states and important places for Islamic learning.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_Empire

Axum was an ancient mercantile empire that held large trading ties with great empires such as Rome and India, adopted Christianity very early, and would later become known as Ethiopia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Aksum

Overall, if one were to look past assumptions and prejudices, one can find many great and powerful Empires within Africa that could even rival the well known ones in Western memory.