John Campbell says that as oil-rich Nigeria continues to suffer from decades-long dysfunctional governance and tensions between the Christian South and the Muslim North are rising, Nigeria is in need of creative American diplomacy.

NATO's operation in Libya has rightly been hailed as a model intervention.

The Darfur Genocide Accountability Act of 2005 (H.R. 1424) was a proposed bill to "impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and for other purposes". It was introduced on March 17, 2005; the bill did not become law though parts of it appeared in the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127/S. 1462), that was signed into law in 2006.

China has increased its economic ties with Africa as it seeks to fulfill its growing energy demands. But China's way of doing business has prompted international criticism, even as its policy of noninterference faces new challenges.

CFR's James M. Lindsay discusses Nelson Mandela's release from prison in February 1990 and his subsequent rise to the presidency to show how individuals shape history.

Obiageli Ezekwesili discusses the rise of Africa as a frontier market, the prospects for growth in coming years, the emergence of new players in African economies, and the World Bank's most innovative projects in the region.

Ambassador David Scheffer and former State Department legal adviser John Bellinger discuss how international justice over the last two decades has affected international politics, including the U.S. role in assisting local war crimes prosecutions in Libya and elsewhere.

Founded as a loose confederation of states in 1945, the Arab League has struggled to overcome dysfunction and disunity among its members. The Arab revolts of 2011 offer the League a new opportunity to pursue necessary reforms, increase legitimacy, and prove its relevance.

John Campbell argues, "Only genuine reform of Nigeria's political economy can pull it back from the brink."

Obiageli Ezekwesili discusses the rise of Africa as a frontier market, the prospects for growth in coming years, the emergence of new players in African economies, and the World Bank's most innovative projects in the region.

Obiageli Ezekwesili discusses the rise of Africa as a frontier market, the prospects for growth in coming years, the emergence of new players in African economies, and the World Bank's most innovative projects in the region.

Colonel Gregory K. James, USA; Colonel Larry Holcomb, USMC; and Colonel Chad T. Manske, USAF argue that the success of Operation ODYSSEY DAWN, despite its complexity, validates joint planning processes, joint education foundations, joint training opportunities, and joint exercises.

This report of the United Nations Assessment Mission on Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea was released on January 18, 2012. The document was mandated by the UN Secretary-General, to report the "mission to the Gulf of Guinea to assess the scope of the threat of piracy in the region, and take stock of national and regional capacities to ensure maritime safety and security in the region and make recommendations for a possible United Nations response".

This proposed anti-homosexualitybill was introduced in Uganda's Parliament in October 2009; among its provisions, it states that "A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death." The bill has not been voted upon.

Micah Zenko says requests for humanitarian intervention by foreign governments and peoples happen all the time, and he examines why some requests are granted while others are ignored.

Nikolas Gvosdev and Ray Takeyh argue that the justifying of America's Libya campaign solely on humanitarian grounds marked a fundamental break with past U.S. policy prescriptions for such military interventions.

While widening violence by Nigeria's Islamist group Boko Haram has caused concerns about its possible links to international terrorist groups, some experts argue it's best to focus on addressing the crippling poverty, political corruption, and police abuses that are at the root of the violence.

Richard N. Haass says many of the world's bad guys departed the scene this past year, but looking back, 2011 was a year of great transition—not of transformation.

Isobel Coleman argues that in Libya, Egypt, and elsewhere, overthrowing male dominance could be harder than overthrowing a dictator.

The United States should withhold its support for the Kabila government until the situation in Congo clarifies, says CFR's Africa expert John Campbell.