January 11: Chad

The European Union approves a peacekeeping force for Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) to protect internally displaced persons, Darfur refugees, and aid workers, as violence between Chadian forces and Darfur rebels escalates. Camps in Chad host about 240,000 refugees from Sudan’s region of Darfur, along with 180,000 displaced Chadians, and 45,000 Central Africans. The force, known as Eufor Chad/CAR, will consist of 3,700 troops, more than half French. The operation is separate from the United Nations’ ongoing mission in Darfur.

January 23: Democratic Republic of Congo

The Congolese government and rebel groups sign a peace pact aimed at ending years of bloody insurgency in the country’s eastern region. The deal includes a ceasefire, provisions for the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers, and promises of financial aid for reconstruction. The agreement also offers partial amnesty to key rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda, dependent on the disarming of his group. Still unresolved is the related issue of disarming another rebel militia, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The FDLR is opposed to the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) of General Nkunda.

January 29: Kenya

The killing of opposition parliament member, Mugabe Were, sparks fresh fighting in Kenya, where weeks of intense violence were triggered by the disputed December 27th presidential election. Hundreds have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by ethnically driven revenge and reprisal attacks between President Mwai Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe and the Luos and Kalenjins, who back opposition leader Raila Odinga. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is mediating talks to try to end the crisis.

February 28: Kenya

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agree to share power in an effort to end the political crisis and intense violence that have dominated Kenya since last December’s disputed election. Under the agreement reached with help of international mediators, Odinga will take a newly created position of prime minister.

March 25: Comoros/African Union

An African Union force of 1,350 troops invades the rebel-held island of Anjouan, one of three islands that make up the Comoros, and topples its renegade leader, Mohamed Bacar. Bacar, who unilaterally declared himself president of the semi-autonomous Anjouan, had threatened to turn it into a microstate.

April 26: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission confirms President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party’s defeat in the March parliamentary elections. The party lost its majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time since independence in 1980. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 99 out of 210 seats. The MDC also claims that its leader, Morgan Tsavangirai, has won the presidential election; however, independent election observers say Tsavangirai might have gotten just below a 50 percent threshold, which will force him into a run-off. Official results from the presidential election have yet to be announced.

May 2: Zimbabwe

More than a month after the March 29th presidential election, Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission announces that incumbent President Robert Mugabe has gathered 43 percent of the vote, while his challenger, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, has won 48 percent. The Commission also says that both contenders will have to face a run-off election in June. The opposition claims that the government tampered with the votes and Tsvangirai won an outright victory. However, projections by independent monitors were close to the official results. It is expected that government repression against supporters of the opposition will increase, making it hard for Tsvangirai to contest the second round.

May 21 — South Africa

South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki approves deployment of the army to quell a wave of xenophobic attacks against foreigners in South Africa. It is the first time that troops have been used to control unrest since the end of apartheid in 1994. The violence, which began in Alexandra on May 11th before spreading to other towns, has left at least 42 people dead and displaced an estimated 20,000. Gangs of poor South Africans accuse the immigrants, mainly from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi, of stealing their jobs, undercutting wages, and of being criminals.

June 2: Somalia

The UN Security Council votes unanimously to allow countries to use their naval ships for the next six months to fight pirates in Somalia’s territorial waters. The Somali government has been unable to control its 1,800-mile long coast. In the past year, pirates have attacked 26 ships. Simultaneously, the UN launches peace talks with various groups involved in Somalia’s conflict.

June 19: Nigeria

In two separate incidents, militant groups in Nigeria blow up a Chevron oil pipeline and attack an offshore production and storage vessel owned by Royal Dutch Shell. The incidents temporarily halt oil production by both producers in Nigeria. The attacks on the Niger Delta have caused the reduction of Nigeria’s oil output by at least 20 percent in recent years, and have helped drive up oil prices.

June 21: Central African Republic

The government of the Central African Republic signs a peace deal with the country’s two main rebel groups: the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy and the Republic, and the Union of Democratic Forces Coalition. The deal calls for the disarmament and demobilization of rebel fighters in exchange for amnesty. The Central African Republic has experienced years of low-level violence since its independence in 1960.

June 27: Zimbabwe

Incumbent Robert Mugabe wins Zimbabwe’s controversial presidential run-off election after the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, withdraws from the race. Tsvangirai says that government-sponsored, violent intimidation of opposition supporters has made free and fair elections impossible. This is Mugabe’s sixth term as president.

July 1: Somalia

Al-Shabab, a radical wing of the Islamist Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia opposition group, attacks Somali, Ethiopian, and African Union forces in the country’s capital, Mogadishu. The ensuing fighting results in the deaths of at least 39 people. Al-Shabab refuses to recognize a three-month ceasefire agreement between the Islamist Alliance and the Somali government until Ethiopia withdraws its troops from the country. Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that acute food shortages in Somalia, a nation plagued by uninterrupted civil war since 1991, are creating a worse humanitarian situation than the war in Darfur.

July 9: Sudan

Suspected Janjaweed militiamen ambush a UN convoy in Sudan’s region of Darfur, killing seven peacekeepers and wounding 22. The joint UN-African Union force, called UNAMID, which took over from the African Union mission in December 2007 is meant to have 26,000 troops, but has struggled to protect civilians and itself with only about 9,000 soldiers and police officers, mostly former members of the AU force.

July 14: Sudan

The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor accuses Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Sudan’s region, Darfur, and calls for his arrest. This is the first time a sitting president is wanted for war crimes. Sudan rejects the charges, and says that any indictment could delay peace talks.

July 23: Cape Verde

The African island state of Cape Verde joins the World Trade Organization (WTO), becoming its 153rd member. While many businesspeople in Cape Verde agree that the membership will strengthen the competitiveness of their businesses, some worry that the country is not capable of competing in the international arena.

August 1: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s central bank revalues the country’s currency in order to ease hyperinflation. While the official rate is 2 million percent, other estimates are as high as nine million percent. The bank cuts ten zeros, making 10 billion Zimbabwe dollars equal to one new dollar. However, because the move does not address the causes of the inflation, it is expected that the new notes will devalue as quickly as the old ones.

August 11: African Union/Mauritania

The African Union suspends Mauritania’s membership in the organization soon after the military overthrow of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, who came to power in 2007 as Mauritania’s first democratically elected leader. The coup came after President’s dismissal of several senior army officers, including coup leader General Ould Abdelaziz.

August 14: Cameroon/Nigeria

Nigeria cedes the potentially oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in deference to a 2002 International Court of Justice ruling, ending a long dispute over the territory. Although the majority of the local population identify themselves as Nigerians, the Court ruled in favor of Cameroon, basing its decision on a 19th century colonial agreement between Britain and Germany. So far, at least 100,000 people have moved from Bakassi to Nigeria.

August 19: Algeria

A suicide car bombing outside a police training school in Issers, Algeria, kills 48 people. Al Qaeda’s North African wing, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), claims responsibility for the attack. Recently, the group has become more active in Algeria, carrying out numerous suicide bombings and attacks against targets such as the country’s police and military posts.

September 5: Angola

Angola’s ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) wins the country’s first multi-party election in 16 years. The MPLA gains nearly 82 percent of the votes, while the main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) wins only 10 percent. The election campaign was generally peaceful.

September 12: South Africa

South Africa’s High Court judge dismisses a corruption case against African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma due to evidence that the investigation was politically compromised. The ruling clears the way for Zuma to become South Africa’s next president in 2009. (Sept. 21): Under pressure from his ANC party, South Africa’s President, Thabo Mbeki, resigns over accusations that he interfered in the corruption case against Jacob Zuma. He denies the allegations. (Sept. 25): South Africa’s parliament elects ANC deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe as the country’s caretaker president. He will hold the post until elections in May 2009.South Africa’s High Court judge dismisses a corruption case against African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma due to evidence that the investigation was politically compromised. The ruling clears the way for Zuma to become South Africa’s next president in 2009. (Sept. 21): Under pressure from his ANC party, South Africa’s President, Thabo Mbeki, resigns over accusations that he interfered in the corruption case against Jacob Zuma. He denies the allegations. (Sept. 25): South Africa’s parliament elects ANC deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe as the country’s caretaker president. He will hold the post until elections in May 2009.

September 15: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and his bitter opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, sign a historic power-sharing agreement. The deal provides that Mugabe will stay on as president and Tsvangirai will take the post of prime minister. The agreement also divides cabinet posts between the two main parties, Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Other stipulations include free political activity, press freedom, and carrying out a land audit.

September 26: Somalia

Somali pirates seize a Ukrainian ship off the coast of Somalia and demand a ransom of $35 million for its release. The ship carried military supplies destined for Kenya. Piracy has become a big business for Somalis who have not had a functioning government for 17 years. It is estimated that pirates earn more than $100 million a year from hijacking ships.

October 9: Democratic Republic of Congo

General Laurent Nkunda’s rebel forces capture the major army base of Rumangabo, a strategically located village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo near the border with Rwanda. The rebels seize weapons and supplies. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels, but Rwanda denies the claim. (October 27): UN peacekeeping forces join the Congolese army in fighting the rebels advancing towards the provincial capital of Goma. In Goma, civilians attack the UN base because they are angry that peacekeepers have failed to protect them. Tens of thousands of people flee the area amid the upsurge in fighting.

November 6: Democratic Republic of Congo

After two days of clashes between the Tutsi rebels under the leadership of Lauren Nkunda and pro-government militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the rebels take the town of Kiwanja, prompting a new wave of 35,000 refugees. (November 7): UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon begins talks with DRC’s President Joseph Kabila and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in an effort to revive a peace agreement signed in January. (November 14): The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda agree to cooperate to defeat the Hutu fighters living in eastern DRC since 1994, who have been the main reason of the instability in the region. (November 27): UN Security Council approves a temporary increase of 3,000 troops to DRC, in addition to 17,000 already in place, to boost the UN peacekeeping effort.

November 18: Somalia

Somali pirates seize a Saudi supertanker in the Indian Ocean, which was on its way to the United States via the Cape of Good Hope in Southern Africa. The size of a U.S. aircraft carrier, the tanker carried more than 2 million barrels of oil, more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s daily output. The capture of a supertanker shows the improved capabilities and tactics of the Somali pirates.

December 1: Nigeria

About 200 people die in sectarian violence in a Nigerian city of Jos, the capital of Plateau State. The fighting was triggered by claims of fraud in local elections after it was announced that the mostly Christian People’s Democratic Party defeated the predominantly Muslim All Nigeria People’s Party. Usually, however, the real reason for this kind of violence in Nigeria is the competition between various social groups for resources.

December 4: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe declares a national emergency over cholera outbreak, which began in August. The epidemic has been exacerbated by the collapse of the country’s health system, its sanitation, and water services. Since the beginning of the outbreak more than 29,000 people have contracted the disease and more than 1,500 have died.

December 23: Guinea

Guinea’s despotic president, Lansana Conte, dies after 24 years in power. Within hours, the army takes over the country, dissolves the government and suspends the constitution.  A junior army officer Captain Moussa Camara declares himself president and announces that the newly formed National Council for Democracy and Development will rule the country until elections are held in two years. The coup is condemned by the international community, but many people in Guinea support the change after years of tyranny. (December 29): The African Union suspends Guinea’s membership. (December 30): The military junta appoints a banker Kabine Komara prime minister.