Fwd- Think Africa Press Weekly Newsletter April 8, 2012

Dear Reader,
 
It is believed that ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, will impose sanctions on Mali after the new leadership failed to meet its 72-hour deadline for soldiers to start returning to their barracks. Meanwhile, the Tuareg rebellion in the north continues to progress and protests in Bamako are predicted to escalate in the coming week. Not a lot is known about Mali’s coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo or his ability to deal with these serious challenges, but an examination of his clothing and appearance suggests that he is trying to project traditional forms of power.
 
The UN Security Council have called on Guinea-Bissau’s political parties to engage in dialogue to ensure the upcoming run-off elections conclude peacefully. The first round was marred by the assassination of an army colonel and rumours of vote-rigging, and second-placed Kumba Yala vowed to boycott the run-off against first-placed Carlos Gomes Junior.
 
Egypt’s constitutional reform has so far served to exacerbate social and ideological tensions as secular liberals refused to participate in the assembly, claiming it was not representative and inclusive. Amidst this political discord, there are fears that the country’s natural gas industry is under threat due to importers taking business elsewhere and major new gas discoveries by Israel.

	"This Needs to Stop": Tempers Flare over the Practice of Female Circumcision in Liberia
	Breaking the Drought Cycle in the Western Sahel
	Captain Amadou Sanogo: Power is his Middle Name
	Asamoah Gyan: In Danger of a Legacy Lost
	Tukur Becomes PDP National Chairman

All the best,

The Team at Think Africa Press