Events relating to africa

US cruise missiles attack al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical factory in Khartoum

Steps are taken to end Sudan's fifteen-year civil war, with an undated government promise of a referendum in the south

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the new president of Algeria, reveals that as many as 100,000 people have died in seven years of civil war and massacre

UNITA's widespread advance in Angola's long civil war brings terror and starvation

The death of Jonas Savimbi is soon followed by the disbanding of UNITA and the end of 27 years of Angolan civil war

The African Union (AU) is established as a successor to the African Economic Community and the Organization of African Unity

Michael Rogers, in a team led by Sileshi Semaw, discovers the world's oldest known chipped stone tool, at Gona in Ethiopia

Civil war breaks out in the Darfur region of the Sudan, resulting in large numbers of civilian deaths and accusations of government-sponsored genocide

The UN Security Council and the Polisario accept a plan for the future of Western Sahara, proposed by James Baker, but it is rejected by Morocco

Jacob Zuma is elected president of the African National Congress in South Africa, in place of Thabo Mbeki

Robert Mugabe wins the second round in Zimbabwe's presidential election after Morgan Tsvangirai has withdrawn from the contest due to widespread violence against his supporters

Thabo Mbeki resigns as President of South Africa, after losing the support of his party, the African National Congress

Kgalema Motlanthe is elected temporary President of the Republic of South Africa after the resignation of Mbeki

Democratic candidate Barack Obama defeats John McCain to become the first African-American to be elected President of the USA

Morgan Tsvangirai becomes prime minister of Zimbabwe, six months after agreeing to share power with Robert Mugabe

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, convicted in 2001 for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, is released as being terminally ill and returns from Scotland to Libya

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