....and still waiting

In 2007 Nigeria took part in a highly controversial and condemned General Election that was marred with corruption. There is much argument as to who should have been able to have run a campaign and if the country even had the technology or know how to hold an election of this magnitude. Voter fraud was rampant and bribed officials let many serious issues go unnoticed. Many members of prominent global institutions have declared that the results are not credible and should not be considered valid.

The Niger Delta has also been the focus of increasing violence and unrest in the recent past due to the growing demand for oil in foreign developed nations. While there is a "democracy" in place in the area, growing conflicts in the area has resulted in an increasing military force to help protect some of the economic interests of the country. Many Nigerians are upset because they have not seen the economic impact of the money made form the oil the country has exported and many local ethnic groups continue to feud over land rights in certain areas of the Niger Delta.

In Darfur there is a continuing conflict between governments and tribes and death tolls are estimated in the hundreds of thousands. The Sudanese government is responsible for many of these atrocities including the arrest of many journalists and activists.

There has been an effort by some in the international community to help bring an end to this but there seems to be no real end in sight. The president has been charged with crimes but the trouble has become evidence and how to go about detaining someone of that position.