Africa is a continent fraught with problems. This series spotlights five former Western colonies, putting in clear perspective the gravity of the situration that wars, refugees, famina and disease have taken their tolls. GLobalization has forced some African nations into heavy debt. While industrial nations argue for human tights, the series shows taht theree are survival issues that may be even more pressing.
1. Somalia - The Neglected Civil War
Independent since 1960, Somalia has seen virtually constant olitical upheaval. Chaos still reigns in the capitol, Mogadishu, and throughout Somalia. Some eighty percent of the nation is under the power of guerrillas and local warlords. Taking advantage of the chaos, Islamic fundamentalist groups such as al Qaeda frequently infiltrate. Suspected to be the main financial source for al Qaeda, all assets in the al Barakaat Bank, the country's main bank, were frozen and remittances from workers abroad to their families at home were stopped, which aggravated the confusion and deepened poverty in the nation. Finally, Somalia has become a target in the post-Afghanistan "war against terrorism."