Nigerian Times

Nigerian soldiers on patrol in an area of conflict. Security Challenges In Nigeria ~ By Albert Akpor Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says he is determined to improve security in the country with a new administration that takes power with Sunday's inauguration. Security was a driving issue in the presidential campaign following bomb blasts by militants from the oil-rich Niger Delta and attacks on police by members of an extremist Islamic group in the north. President Jonathan campaigned hard to convince Nigerians that his government was meeting those security challenges. But rioting that immediately followed his election raised anew questions about security preparedness. The New York-based rights organization Human Rights Watch says Muslim-Christian electoral violence in northern states killed at least 800 people. President Jonathan says he is determined to protect Nigerians wherever they live. “As president, it is my solemn duty to defend the constitution of this country. That...

21 Apr 2008 19:01 Africa/Lagos Kenya's Crisis: Lack of Land Rights Contributes to Conflict in East Africa, Say Natural Resource Experts at Wilson Center WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lack of land and property rights are key factors in East African conflicts -- including the current political crisis in Kenya -- where ethnic rivalries are often rooted in battles over land. But securing access to land can help prevent violence and promote peace, as well as improve a country's environmental, social, and economic prospects. At the Wilson Center on April 23rd, Peter Hetz and Gregory Myers will examine land and conflict in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Sudan, with a special focus on Kenya. Peter Hetz, the vice president for technical operations at ARD, Inc., will discuss the relationship between property rights and conflict. Gregory Myers, a natural resource management specialist at the U.S. Agency for International Development, will focus on natural resource manageme...