A battle over water has turned into a war of colorful rhetoric between Ethiopia and Egypt over the flow of the Nile, which begins in the African highlands but keeps Egypt from being swallowed entirely by desert.
An ambitious Ethiopian dam project is diverting Nile waters that Cairo says will reduce the river’s northward flow. The Egyptians have stumbled into crisis mode: At a meeting hosted by President Mohamed Morsi this week, several politicians, unaware TV cameras were rolling, suggested sabotaging or threatening to bomb the dam.
IRIN: “[Central African Republic] Crisis Remains Dire – and Neglected.”
El Watan (French):
Gao, Kidal, Anefis… Six mois après le lancement de l’opération Serval, que deviennent les villes du Nord-Mali ? Notre envoyée spéciale a échappé à un attentat kamikaze et a vécu des accrochages entre l’armée malienne et le MNLA. Elle témoigne de la peur et de la précarité dans lesquelles vivent les populations.
BBC:
Seven people have died in the Somali port of Kismayo in fighting between two self-declared leaders of the strategic city and surrounding area.
Residents told the BBC the clashes began in the town centre at midday and lasted for about 40 minutes.
They broke out after one of the leaders tried to meet the defence minister who is attempting to resolve the crisis.
VOA: “South Sudan Switches from Arabic Textbooks to English.”
From May (missed it then), Luke Balleny: “What Impact Has the EITI Transparency Initiative Had on Nigeria?”
The Economist: “Could Political Demonstrations in Ethiopia Herald Greater Freedom?”
Wall Street Journal: “Chad’s President Warns of Islamist Threat in Libya.”
What else is happening?
Sahel Blog 