The assumption that once the civil war in Angola ended democracy would start up was always naive. Instead the ruling MPLA party has asserted itself as the dominant political force, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has hovered on his apparent decision to leave his post, and the erstwhile rebel movement Unita is still licking its wounds. It has only been in the violence-ridden enclave of Cabinda, ironically, that there have been signs of an effective democratic movement beginning, says a report from Southscan.

Australia's Somali community in Melbourne appears divided on how it wants to deal with allegations of police racism and brutality. The Somali Community Association met with senior police this week to demand answers, after a 23-year-old Somali man alleged he was beaten up last month at Footscray police station in Melbourne's inner west.

The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, a US-based non-governmental organisation working to promote and protect human rights around the world, says it is "extremely concerned" by reports of recent threats against and the vilification of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), in Namibia. "In particular, we are disturbed to learn of public statements made by officials in your government attacking the NSHR and targeting its Executive Director, Mr. Phil ya Nangoloh. Such verbal attacks are in stark contradiction of your obligations under international human rights law and contained in instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to respect and ensure respect for basic rights in Namibia," the organisation said in a letter.

The journalist Linda Melvern, through unprecedented access to both the UN files and the files of the Rwandan Government from prior and during the genocide, has produced an excellent expose of the Security Council's role and how it knew that genocide was happening at the time.

The Humanitas Global Commission for Africa has urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, European Union, ECOWAS, the United States, Britain, France and others to critically evaluate and reconsider financial and technical support until fundamental improvement is made in the structure and composition of the transitional government.

Is there a risk that established analyses of the causes of conflict in Africa are shaping inappropriate, idealistic or cynical policy responses? Is the currently in-vogue political economy of violence perspective the key to understanding the causes of Africa's many conflicts? Could 'track two' diplomacy contribute to more creative initiatives to terminate conflicts?

Exiled former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, is alleged to be staying in Nigeria on a $1 million (about N140 million) annual lifeline from the South African government.

Concern continued to mount this week over increased displacement and a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Darfur, western Sudan. The UN warned that the situation in Darfur may emerge as the worst humanitarian crisis in Sudan since 1998, owing to rising displacement and declining access to the area because of insecurity. In a statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that insecurity had continued to cause displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and had hampered relief operations.

More than 100 teachers absorbed by the UNHCR Education Assistance Program for refugees have benefited from an "All Teachers" training program intended to enhance their classroom performance. The exercise was simultaneously held at the VOA and Banjor Refugee Camps, from November 13-15. The training was organized by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an implementing partner of the UNHCR.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the voluntary repatriation of more than 100 high-level members of the rebel Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) and called on other armed Rwandans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to seize the opportunity to return home. He congratulated Rwanda and the FDLR leaders "for the strength of the political will demonstrated by them to negotiate this repatriation, and to end the long-standing conflict through peaceful means," a UN spokesperson, Marie Okabe, told the daily news briefing. "This development represents a major breakthrough in the peace process," she said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers assured Eritrean President Isiais Afewerki on 14 November that the UNHCR would step up efforts to conclude its repatriation programme from neighbouring Sudan. However, he also called for more support for reintegration projects to ensure that the returns are sustainable.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will neither authorise joint patrols with nor grant a military corridor to the Ugandan army for pursuit of Ugandan rebels based in northeastern Congo, Mulegwa Zihindula, spokesman of DRC President Joseph Kabila, said on Thursday. "If the Ugandan army returns to our territory, we will consider this an act of aggression and will take the necessary action," Mulegwa said at a news conference in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.

Burundi's government signed a comprehensive power-sharing plan with the country's largest rebel group on Sunday, a major step toward ending a 10-year war that has killed at least 200,000 people. The peace agreement gives majority Hutus more weight in the security forces as well as bigger role in both the executive and legislative branches of government, long dominated by minority Tutsis. It incorporates cease-fires that have been largely ignored.

Three days of heavy fighting in the northwest of Galgadud Region have left at least 50 people dead and over 150 wounded, local sources in the regional capital, Dusa-Mareb, told IRIN on Monday.

Swedish Christian groups and the opposition Green Party have called for an inquiry into allegations of bribery in South Africa's multibillion rand arms deal. They have urged Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson to launch an official probe into claims that the partly-Swedish consortium BAE/Saab bribed government and ANC officials to secure the contract to sell JAS Gripen fighter jets to SA.

The Mozambican embassy in South Africa confirmed on Wednesday that it was trying to renegotiate a recently passed immigration law with authorities in Pretoria, claiming that the legislation discriminated against migrant mine workers.

A new Zimbabwean resistance has been created to overthrow current leader Robert Mugabe's regime by force. The Zimbabwe Freedom Movement is a network of underground cells made up of guerrilla fighters, soldiers and spies who believe Mugabe should be deposed and then tried for genocide.

A special edition of This Day newspaper distributed on the streets of Harare this week lambastes South Africa's "shameful silence" on the crisis in its northern neighbour. An editorial in the edition says: "Mugabe must free himself of power. Zimbabweans of all classes, allegiances and hues should help him out."

Nigeria has reacted furiously to reports that the US has posted a $2m bounty for the capture of Liberia's exiled former leader, Charles Taylor. A Nigerian spokesman said the US offer verged on state-sponsored terrorism and they would resist any attempts to seize Mr Taylor. He went into exile in Nigeria as part of a plan to end Liberia's civil war.

Guinea's diabetic leader looks set to secure another seven years in office in presidential elections next month. The Supreme Court announced that only President Lansana Conte and one other candidate met the requirements to contest the 21 December poll.