Angola Rising
Angolans headed to the polls on September 5 for their first election in sixteen years. The country is in the midst of a remarkable oil boom,...
Interviewee: Jamie Ekern, Assistant Director, Center for Preventive Action
Interviewer: Stephanie Hanson
September 9, 2008
Angola held its first election in sixteen years on September 5. The country is flush with oil money, but most of its citizens remain impoverished. Jamie Ekern, assistant director of the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, traveled to the Angolan capital of Luanda to observe the elections. During the polls, she was in the Kazenga neighborhood, an area with high crime and poverty levels. Speaking from Luanda, Ekern said that people there turned out in large numbers to vote but voting materials were not available at many stations. When materials still hadn't arrived by late afternoon, the election commission decided to extend voting into Saturday, September 6.
Ekern also noted:
Terms of Use: I understand that I may access this audio and/or video file solely for my personal use. Any other use of the file and its content, including display, distribution, reproduction, or alteration in any form for any purpose, whether commercial, noncommercial, educational, or promotional, is expressly prohibited without the written permission of the copyright owner, the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information, write publications@cfr.org.
What are the implications of growing Pakistan-China commercial relations for the United States?
The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces
Special operations play a critical role in how the United States confronts irregular threats, but to have long-term strategic impact, the author argues, numerous shortfalls must be addressed.
Reforming U.S. Drone Strike Policies
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
Angolans headed to the polls on September 5 for their first election in sixteen years. The country is in the midst of a remarkable oil boom,...
CFR's Princeton Lyman says deep economic challenges confront South Africa's presumed next president, Jacob Zuma, but there are also...
Two Africa experts urge the incoming Obama administration to focus on resolving Africa's disastrous conflicts, and finding a way to sustain...
After a year of electoral turmoil in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Guinea, tiny Ghana managed to run a free and fair presidential election. Is it an...