Current Events Summary

The prime minster of India Manmohan Singh has announced that the country will be investing in African development projects in order to build economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries. The first summit was held in Delhi, and it was reported that India will spend more than $500 million in contribution to projects. This would be hugely beneficial to the development of these projects in Africa, and Singh says that India will help with easier exports out of Africa's poorest countries. (BBCnews.com)
It is being reported by BBCnews.com that if the UN continues to withdraw its peacekeepers in Ethiopia and Eritrea war could break out between the feuding countries. Ethiopia and Eritrea have been unable to cooperate since their border war that went from 1998 to 2000 in which tens of thousands of people died. After the war was stopped, there were about 17000 UN troops monitoring the borders, but the number is now 164, and the remaining troops may be removed because Eritrea is refusing to supply food and fuel to the mission on the grounds that the UN is allowing Ethiopia to occupy Eritrean territory. Eritrea's ambassador Araya Desta has said that although Eritrea is not planning to attack Ethiopia, the country is prepared to fend off an invasion. "If the Ethiopians invade us, we'll be forced to defend ourselves". The UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon warns that the war could restart if UN troops are completely removed, and has also said that it will set a bad precedent if countries see that the UN can be bullied into leaving an area. (BBCnews.com)
Rising food prices caused by poor crop growing weather, increased demand and reduced production have caused riots to start in African countries such as Egypt and in others, including Haiti and the Philippines. In response to this, President George W. Bush has ordered $200 million in aid to be sent to countries experiencing food shortages. "This additional food aid will address the impact of rising commodity prices on US emergency food aid programmes and be used to meet unanticipated food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere," the White House said in a statement. The food crisis seems to be growing exponentially worse, and so the UN's World Food Program is making an appeal for $500 million as an emergency measure to prevent the starvation of thousands of people in impoverished countries. (BBCnews.com)
The U.S. has confessed to carrying out a missile strike that killed a leader of a Somali-based Islamist militant group. It was disclosed only that the target of the attack was an al-Qaeda leader in the town of Dusamareb; it was not said who the intended victim was. The missile hit the home of Aden Hashi Ayro, who is the military head of the militant group that controls most of Somalia, al-Shabab, who was killed along with another military leader of al-Shabab and at least 10 other people. "It was an attack. If we say too much then we give away platforms and things that we use," CentCom spokesman Bob Prucha said, and " "It was an attack against a known al-Qaeda target and militia leader in Somalia". (BBCnews.com)
In response to the rising threat of piracy in Somalia, France and the U.S. have introduced to the UN a "draft resolution" (co sponsored by Britain and Panama), which if passed would give the countries the right to use "all necessary means" to combat piracy of the Somalian coast. In the past year there have been 12 pirate attacks in the area, the most recent being the robbing of Spanish fishing boat and the kidnapping of its 26 crewman, who were held for a $1.2. million ransom. The passing of the resolution would allow the use of boarding, searching and seizing potential pirate ships. (BBCnews.com)