Africa and its troubles...

The true story of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 can be glimpsed from the heart-aching book by Immaculee Ilibagiza "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan genocide." It is startling to read the account of this Catholic woman, born in the province of Kibuye, in the village of Mataba, who hid in a secret bathroom from the killers and survived to tell the story of her family, her friends and country enmeshed in inhuman violence... It is also revealing to read how she learned to forgive and heal guided by her new-founded faith in God.
... Wangari Muta Maathai (above) was born on April 1, 1940 in Ihithe village, Tetu division, Nyeri District of Kenya. In 2004 she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her political and environmental activism...

Rwanda

It seems, the reverberations from the Rwandan genocide of 1994 are still strong... Click here. The extremist Hutus (Interahamwe) who carried out the genocide resulting in deaths of almost a million of Tutsis, have taken shelter in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwandan government, understandably concerned with such a group of people gaining strength across the border, has put pressure on the DR Congo to allow them to wipe out these 'rebels.' Well, 'wiping out' will result in more violence and less hopes for reconciliation. But not dealing with these military groups will further destabilize the area and invite more extremism and terrorism. It would seem, the UN peacekeeping operations should be enhanced precisely in this type of a place. The Rwandan genocide was one of the worst modern massacres and its causes are still live and flourishing in the region... The world focus on the Middle East and Iraq has left this region pretty much unattended...