Advanced search Help
Searching for terms: EXACT: "Cook, Nicolas" in: author
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa: The FY2012 Request [May 20, 2011]
"The Obama Administration has identified a number of other policy objectives in Africa, including food security, democracy, economic growth, conflict prevention and mitigation, and addressing transnational threats. This range of objectives reflects the continent's size and diversity. It also challenges policy makers to balance foreign aid priorities and achieve strategic focus. While health programs represent the bulk of U.S. bilateral spending, other types of assistance, such as democracy promotion and security cooperation, may be more powerful in defining U.S. bilateral relations with African countries and in achieving U.S. diplomatic leverage. Given the inability of many African countries to meet basic development and governance criteria, policy makers often debate whether poor performance justifies terminating or, rather, continuing aid. Analysts, practitioners, and aid advocates have long debated the value and design of aid programs in Africa. Critics allege that aid has done little to improve socioeconomic outcomes in Africa, and that in some cases it may serve to prolong conflicts or empower undemocratic regimes or rebel groups. Aid advocates counter that programs should be reformed or scaled up, not terminated, and that seeking to improve the welfare of impoverished populations abroad is both a humanitarian imperative and in the U.S. national interest. The methods and metrics for evaluating the effectiveness and impact of aid programs are also a topic of debate. Congress authorizes, appropriates funding for, and oversees aid programs in Africa. U.S. assistance is also subject to a number of legislative restrictions imposed by Congress, including some which directly or indirectly pertain to African countries."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Blanchard, Lauren Ploch; Arieff, Alexis
2011-05-20
-
Guinea: Background and Relations with the United States [November 24, 2010]
"The past two years have seen a series of deep changes in Guinea's political landscape, a new experience for a country that had only two presidents in the first 50 years after independence in 1958. In June 2010, Guineans voted in the country's first presidential election organized by an independent electoral commission and without an incumbent candidate. A presidential run-off poll was held in early November, but provisional results have yet to be certified by the Supreme Court. The election is expected to bring an end to two years of military rule, which began after a junta seized power in December 2008 following the death of Guinea's long-time president, Lansana Conté. Many Guineans and foreign diplomats also expect the election to provide a stepping-stone toward reforming state institutions and implementing the rule of law, considered a prerequisite for greater private sector investment and increased respect for human rights. At the same time, the election has sparked incidents of ethnic violence and reported abuses by security forces that could threaten the political transition. [...] U.S. interests and associated policy challenges in Guinea center on democratization and good governance; counternarcotics issues; security sector reform; bilateral economic interests and relations; regional peace and stability; and socioeconomic and institutional development. The United States suspended some development aid and all security assistance to Guinea in the wake of the 2008 coup. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) governance and humanitarian assistance programs, which comprised a substantial portion of the U.S. aid budget in Guinea before the coup, were not affected by the suspension; nor were U.S. contributions toward Guinea's electoral process. In response to a military crackdown on opposition supporters in September 2009, the United States called for Dadis Camara to step down and announced targeted travel restrictions against National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) members and selected associates. After a military-led transitional government was formed in January 2010, some U.S. restrictions on security assistance were rolled back, and bilateral aid is expected to increase if the transition to elected government is completed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Arieff, Alexis
2010-11-24
-
Guinea: Background and Relations with the United States [March 22, 2010]
"This report analyzes developments in Guinea, a poor West African country, following the death of longtime president and former military leader Lansana Conté in December 2008. It focuses on the military's seizure of power after Conté's death, U.S.-Guinea bilateral relations, and U.S. policy in the wake of the coup. It also provides background on Guinean history and politics. [...] On December 23, 2008, following the death of President Conté, a military junta calling itself the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD, after its French acronym) seized power. It named as interim national president a previously relatively unknown figure, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara. [...] Following the coup in December 2008, the United States suspended some bilateral development aid and all security assistance to Guinea. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) governance and humanitarian assistance programs, which comprised a substantial portion of the U.S. aid budget in Guinea before the coup, were not affected by the suspension, nor were U.S. contributions toward Guinea's electoral process. After the September 28 crackdown, the United States called for Dadis Camara to step down and announced targeted travel restrictions against CNDD members and selected associates. The African Union (AU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and European Union (EU) imposed an arms embargo. The AU and EU also imposed additional targeted sanctions on CNDD members and associates. Legislation related to Guinea in the 111th Congress has included H.Res. 1013 (Ros-Lehtinen); S.Res. 345 (Boxer); and H.R. 3288 (Olver), which was signed into law as P.L. 111-117 on December 16, 2009. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Arieff, Alexis
2010-03-22
-
Liberia's Post War Development: Key Issues and U.S. Assistance [May 25, 2010]
"This report covers developments in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. Liberia held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. The war also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. [...] The next election is scheduled for 2011, and President Sirleaf has announced that she will seek reelection. Liberia's security situation is stable but subject to periodic volatility. Progress in governance under the interim government that preceded that of President Sirleaf was mixed; widespread corruption within it was widely reported. Liberia's economy and state structures remain devastated by war but, along with humanitarian conditions, are improving. Liberia has received extensive U.S. post-war reconstruction and security sector reform assistance. In March 2006, former President Taylor was arrested in Nigeria and transferred to the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) to face war crimes charges. He was later transferred to The Hague, the Netherlands, where he is on trial by the SCSL. In addition to providing substantial support for Liberia's post-war peace and reconstruction processes, Congress has maintained a continuing interest in the status of Charles Taylor and in ensuring funding for the SCSL. Other legislation proposed in the 109th and 110th Congresses centered on immigration, debt, and tax haven issues, and the commendation of Liberia for successfully holding elections. Liberia-specific legislation introduced or acted upon in the 111th Congress has included H.R. 1105 (Obey); H.R. 3288 (Olver); S. 656 (Reed); H.R. 2258 (Kennedy); H.R. 2410 (Berman); H.R. 2475 (Ros-Lehtinen); S. 1434 (Leahy); and H.R. 2346 (Obey)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2010-05-25
-
Côte d'Ivoire Post-Gbagbo: Crisis Recovery [April 20, 2011]
"Côte d'Ivoire, a West African country of 21.5 million people that is nearly as large as New Mexico and is the world's leading cocoa producer, is emerging from a severe political crisis. It grew out of a disputed November 28, 2010 presidential runoff election between former president Laurent Gbagbo (baag-boh) and his opponent, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara (wahtah- rah), who both claimed electoral victory and formed opposing governments. Their rivalry erupted into a full-scale civil military conflict between their armed supporters in early March 2011, after three months of growing political volatility and violence. After the election, the United States, together with most governments around the world, had endorsed Ouattara as the legally elected president and pressed for Gbagbo to cede the presidency to him, in accordance with United Nations (U.N.)-certified run-off results announced by the Ivoirian Independent Electoral Commission. Key multilateral institutions that pushed for this end included the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the U.N. Security Council. A range of multilateral and bilateral measures were also pursued in order to pressure Gbagbo to step down and to restrict his government's access to financial resources and operational funding. These included sovereign credit restrictions and a range of multilateral and bilateral targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel-related, among other sanctions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2011-04-20
-
Illegal Drug Trade in Africa: Trends and U.S. Policy [September 30, 2009]
"Africa has historically held a peripheral role in the transnational illicit drug trade, but in recent years has increasingly become a locus for drug trafficking, particularly of cocaine [...]. The growth of drug trafficking through Africa poses new challenges to international counternarcotics efforts, as well as a variety of emergent threats to the United States [...]. While most of the cocaine transiting Africa is destined for Europe, and little of it enters the United States, other illicit substances trafficked through the region, notably heroin and illegally traded chemical precursors used to produce illicit drugs, do enter the United States. The growing drug trade in Africa also poses other threats to U.S. interests. These include the reported involvement of Latin American criminal groups, including elements of at least one U.S.-designated terrorist organization, that are targets of U.S. counternarcotics or military operations. Other challenges include threats to U.S. policy interests and assistance programs in Africa, such as efforts to advance good governance, political stability, rule of law, and human rights, and programs to build African law enforcement and counternarcotics capacities. U.S. counternarcotics policy responses to the rise in trans-Africa drug trafficking are in the formative stages. Several U.S. agencies are evaluating the scope of the problem and identifying short-term remedies, such as efforts to expand drug monitoring and interdiction in Africa, and long-term efforts designed to strengthen local capacity to combat drugs in the region. In recent years, U.S. agencies have begun to devote greater resources to combating the drug trade in Africa."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Wyler, Liana Sun
2009-09-30
-
Guinea's 2008 Military Coup and Relations with the United States [September 30, 2009]
"This report analyzes developments since the military's seizure of power in December 2008, Guinea's relations with the United States, and U.S. policy in the wake of the coup. It also provides background on Guinean history and politics." More Specifically, "the junta appointed a civilian prime minister, promised to hold presidential and legislative elections, and stated that its members would not become candidates in those elections. In August 2009, however, the elections were postponed from late 2009 to early 2010 and Dadis Camara publicly suggested that he may run for president, contradicting his repeated previous pledges not to prolong his presidential tenure and the CNDD ban on its members running for office[...]. The United States condemned the coup and suspended some bilateral development aid and all security assistance to Guinea, signaling a hiatus in what had been a cordial bilateral relationship during much of the Conté period. Prior to the coup, [...]. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)'s governance and humanitarian assistance programs, which comprised a substantial portion of the U.S. aid budget in Guinea before the coup, were not affected by the suspension. Both the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Guinea's membership in response to the coup, but did not place sanctions on the CNDD. There is disagreement within Guinean political circles and among members of the international community over the relative utility and effects of suspending aid and, more generally, about what policies should define foreign governments' and multilateral bodies' relations with the junta."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Arieff, Alexis
2009-09-30
-
Diamonds and Conflict: Background, Policy, and Legislation [Updated July 16, 2003]
"In several diamond-rich countries affected by armed conflict, notably in Africa, belligerents have funded their military activities by mining and selling diamonds, and competition over the use and control of diamond wealth has contributed significantly to the depth and extended duration of these conflicts. Diamonds used in this fashion, labeled 'conflict diamonds,' were estimated to have comprised an estimated 3.7 % to 15% of the value of the global diamond trade in 2000. The present volume of such trade appears is difficult to estimate. Policy makers' attention has also increasingly focused on the possible role that diamonds may play in the financing of terrorist operations. In response to public pressure to halt trade in conflict diamonds, and due to the persistence of several diamond-related conflicts, governments and multilateral organizations have pursued efforts to end such trade. Several international policy forums, national legislatures, and diverse private parties have proposed various reforms and legislation to achieve such goals. Effective regulation of the diamond trade is difficult. Diamonds are a highly fungible, concentrated form of wealth, and the global diamond industry is historically insular and self-regulating. The United States participates in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a global diamond trade regulation framework. The Administration began implementing the Scheme in the United States with voluntary interim compliance measures, prior to the passage of H.R. 1584 (see below). Several congressional hearings have addressed trade in conflict diamonds. Potential links between terrorism financing and trade in diamonds have garnered increasing congressional attention."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2003-07-16
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [February 19, 2009]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, an economist, won the presidential runoff vote, with 59.4% of votes cast and took office in mid-January 2006, becoming the first female president of an African country. Her runoff rival, George Weah, a former star soccer player, conceded Sirleaf's win after initially contesting it. Most observers viewed the vote as orderly, free and fair. It fulfilled a key goal of an August 2003 peace accord that had ended the second civil war and led to an ongoing, U.S.-aided post-war transition process, which is bolstered by the multifaceted peacekeeping and development-focused U.N. Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Liberia's security situation is stable but subject to periodic volatility. Progress in governance under the interim government that preceded that of President Sirleaf was mixed; widespread corruption within it was widely reported."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2009-02-19
-
Comparing Global Influence: China's and U.S. Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Trade, and Investment in the Developing World [August 15, 2008]
"This report compares the People's Republic of China's (PRC) and U.S. projections of global influence, with an emphasis on non-coercive means or 'soft power,' and suggests ways to think about U.S. foreign policy options in light of China's emergence. Part One discusses U.S. foreign policy interests, China's rising influence, and its implications for the United States. Part Two compares the global public images of the two countries and describes PRC and U.S. uses of soft power tools, such as public diplomacy, state diplomacy, and foreign assistance. It also examines other forms of soft power such as military diplomacy, global trade and investment, and sovereign wealth funds. In Part Three, the report analyzes PRC and U.S. diplomatic and economic activities in five developing regions -- Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lum, Thomas G. (Thomas Gong), 1961-; Cook, Nicolas; Blanchard, Christopher M.
2008-08-15
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated January 30, 2008]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, an economist, won the presidential runoff vote, with 59.4% of votes cast and took office in mid-January 2006, becoming the first female president of an African country. […]. Most observers viewed the vote as orderly, free and fair. It fulfilled a key goal of an August 2003 peace accord that had ended the second civil war and led to an ongoing, U.S.-aided post-war transition process, which is bolstered by the multifaceted peacekeeping and development-focused U.N. Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Liberia's security situation is stable but subject to periodic volatility. Progress in governance under the interim government that preceded that of President Sirleaf was mixed; widespread corruption within it was widely reported. Liberia's economy and state structures remain devastated by war. Humanitarian conditions are improving. Liberia receives extensive U.S. post-war reconstruction and security sector reform assistance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2008-01-30
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [December 13, 2005]
"This long report describes recent developments in Liberia, a small, poor West African country that is undergoing a post-conflict transition and peace-building process after its second civil war in a decade. The latter war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also affected neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of armed aggression by the Taylor regime. This report will be updated as events warrant. Liberia held post-war elections in October 2005, with a presidential run-off vote in November. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, an economist with Liberian government and multinational organization experience, won with 59.4%. She is the first female president of an African country. Her run-off opponent was George Weah, a former soccer player whose star status and rags-to riches history make him a hero to Liberian youth. Weah is contesting the election, contending fraud. Most election observers characterized the process as orderly, generally well-administered, and free and fair."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2005-12-13
-
Liberia: Current Issues and United States Policy [Updated February 6, 2001]
"Liberia, a small West African country, was established in 1847 by freed American slaves. In December 1989, Liberia plunged into civil war. Factional conflict raged for 7 years, despite a dozen peace agreements, the deployment of U.N. observers, and a regional intervention force of the Economic Community of West African States. The conflict caused over 150,000 deaths, and displaced much of the population. The warring factions committed numerous atrocities and forcibly enlisted thousands of children as fighters. Throughout the conflict,Congress and successive administrations sought to ensure adequate assistance for the Liberian people, thus maintaining a long-standing relationship with Liberia. The United States had been Liberia's leading pre-war trading partner and a major aid donor. In July 2000, in a resolution banning trade in 'conflict diamonds' from Sierra Leone, the U.N. Security Council singled out the actions of the Liberian government in promoting this trade, thus fueling the conflict in Sierra Leone. On October 10, 2000, President Clinton barred Mr. Taylor and members of his government from entering the United States. In December 2000, a U.N. Panel of Experts submitted a report implicating the Liberian government, among others, in participating in United Nations (U.N.)-embargoed arms and diamonds trade with Sierra Leonean rebels. It also recommended measures to prevent such activities. Liberia strongly rejected the report and its recommendations. In late January2001, the United States introduced a U.N. Security Council resolution, targeted at Liberia, based on the report's findings. Two 1999 armed incursions by anti-Taylor forces into Liberia's Lofa County near Guinea were defeated. A third began in July 2000. Fighting in that incident lasted until late October 2000. The Liberian government blamed the attacks on rebels aided by, and entering from, Guinea. It, in turn, has attributed to Liberia rapidly increasing armed conflict in southern Guinea; it began in September 2000 and has continued. Guinea asserts that the conflict has resulted in at least 900 deaths and massive civilian displacements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2001-02-06
-
Liberia: 1989-1997 Civil War, Post-War Developments, and U.S. Relations [Updated December 31, 2003]
"This report covers Liberia's first civil conflict (1989-1997), post-war developments until roughly 2001, and the history of U.S.-Liberian relations and U.S. policy toward Liberia. Subsequent, more recent events are covered in CRS Report RS21525, 'Liberia: Transition to Peace'. The modern Liberian state was founded by Americo-Liberians, black freemen and former slaves from the Americas who settled in Liberia beginning in 1821. State structure and society in contemporary Liberia reflect a blending of indigenous and Americo-Liberian cultural and political influences, but the latter historically exercised extensive control over Liberia's economy and central government. Americo-Liberian rule persisted until December 1989, when after nearly a decade under the corrupt rule of Samuel K. Doe, who seized power in a 1980 coup, Liberia plunged into civil war. Factional conflict raged for 7 years, despite the signing of multiple peace agreements, the presence of U.N. observers, and the deployment of a regional intervention force dispatched by the Economic Community of West African States. The conflict caused between 150,000 and 200,000 deaths, and displaced much of the population."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2003-12-31
-
Liberia: Transition to Peace [Updated October 28, 2004]
"This report, which is updated periodically, covers recent events in Liberia and related U.S. policy. In 2003, Liberia began a post-conflict transition process to achieve enduring peace, socio-economic reconstruction and democratic governance. This process resulted from the signing of a peace accord and the resignation of then-president Charles Taylor in August 2003, after months of international mediation. The accord ended a civil war that burgeoned in 2000 which pitted the forces of Taylor against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. The war led to an extreme deterioration in political, economic, humanitarian, and human rights conditions in Liberia. It also affected neighboring states, from which anti-Taylor forces operated; against which the Taylor regime sponsored acts of armed aggression; and in which large numbers of Liberians sought refuge."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2004-10-28
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated January 30, 2006]
"This long report describes recent developments in Liberia, a small, poor West African country that is undergoing a post-conflict transition and peace-building process after its second civil war in a decade. The latter war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also affected neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of armed aggression by the Taylor regime. This report will be updated as events warrant. Liberia held post-war elections in October 2005, with a presidential run-off vote in November. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, an economist with Liberian government and multinational organization experience, won with 59.4%. She is the first female president of an African country. Her run-off opponent was George Weah, a former soccer player whose star status and rags-to riches history make him a hero to Liberian youth. Weah is contesting the election, contending fraud. Most election observers characterized the process as orderly, generally well-administered, and free and fair."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-01-30
-
International Efforts to Control the Spread of the Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus: Affected Countries' Responses [April 5, 2006]
"A strain of the avian influenza virus known as H5N1 threatens to develop into a human pandemic. First appearing in birds and humans in Hong Kong in 1997, the virus re-surfaced in late 2003 and since has spread throughout Asia, causing over 100 reported human deaths from Vietnam to Turkey and appearing in birds in Africa and Europe. The strain is considered particularly dangerous because of its human fatality rate to date of over 50% and because of the risk that the virus may develop the ability to pass efficiently between humans. This report focuses on the efforts of overseas governments to combat the spread of avian influenza, specifically on the response of those countries which have confirmed human deaths from the virus. As of April 2006, the vast majority of fatal and total cases have been in East Asia, including Vietnam (42/93), Indonesia (23/30), Thailand (14/22), China (11/16), and Cambodia (5/5). In 2006, human cases and deaths from H5N1 were newly reported in Azerbaijan (5/7), Turkey (4/12), Egypt (2/4) and Iraq (2/2). Appearance of the disease in animals has spurred prevention efforts on three continents, including the slaughter or vaccination of millions of domestic poultry."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Dumbaugh, Kerry; Chanlett-Avery, Emma
2006-04-05
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated March 21, 2006]
"This report covers recent developments in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. Liberia held elections in October 2005, with a presidential run-off in November - a key step in a post-conflict transition and peace-building process that began following its second civil war in a decade. The latter war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also affected neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of armed aggression by the Taylor regime."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-03-21
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated May 5, 2006]
"This report, which will be updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential run-off in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-05-05
-
AIDS in Africa [Updated May 5, 2006]
"Sub-Saharan Africa ('Africa' hereafter) has been more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. In 2005, the United Nations reports, there were about 25.8 million HIV-positive adults and children in the region, which has about 11.3% of the world's population but over 64% of the worldwide total of infected persons. The overall adult rate of infection in Africa is 7.2%, compared with 1.1% worldwide. Nine southern Africa countries have infection rates above 10%. Ten African countries with the largest infected populations account for over 50% of infected adults worldwide. By the end of 2005, an estimated 27.5 million Africans had died of AIDS since 1982, including 2.4 million in 2005. AIDS has surpassed malaria as the leading cause of death in Africa, and it kills many times more Africans than war. In Africa, 57% of those infected are women."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-05-05
-
AIDS in Africa [Updated November 24, 2006]
"U.S. concern over AIDS in Africa grew in the 1980s, as the epidemic's severity became apparent. Legislation enacted in the 106th and the 107th Congresses increased funding for worldwide AIDS programs. P.L. 108-25, signed into law on May 27, 2003, authorized $15 billion over five years for international AIDS programs. President Bush announced his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in his 2003 State of the Union message. Twelve of 15 PEPFAR 'focus countries' are in Africa. Under the FY2007 budget request, the 12 countries would receive a 61% boost in AIDS-related aid, to $1.99 billion, under the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative account. Nonetheless, activists and others urge that more be done, given the scale of the African pandemic. This CRS report replaces CRS Issue Brief IB10050, AIDS in Africa, by Nicolas Cook. It will be updated as circumstances warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-11-24
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated December 18, 2006]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-12-18
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated April 26, 2007]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2007-04-26
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [Updated August 30, 2007]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. In addition to providing substantial support for Liberia's post-war peace and reconstruction processes, the 109th and preceding Congresses maintained continuing interest in the status of Charles Taylor. The 109th Congress passed laws and resolutions urging that SCSL indictees, like Taylor, face trial at the court. The 109th Congress and its predecessors provided $35 million in assistance to the SCSL through FY2006. Other legislation proposed in the 109th Congress centered on immigration, debt, and tax haven issues, and the commendation of Liberia for successfully holding elections. The 110th Congress has continued to provide support to the SCSL and for Liberia's efforts to consolidate its post-war governance and economic rebuilding processes."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2007-08-30
-
International Efforts to Control the Spread of the Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus: Affected Countries' Responses [Updated August 24, 2006]
"A strain of the avian influenza virus known as H5N1 threatens to develop into a human pandemic. First appearing in birds and humans in Hong Kong in 1997, the virus re-surfaced in late 2003 and since has spread throughout Asia, causing over 100 reported human deaths from Vietnam to Turkey and appearing in birds in Africa and Europe. The strain is considered particularly dangerous because of its human fatality rate to date of over 50% and because of the risk that the virus may develop the ability to pass efficiently between humans. This report focuses on the efforts of overseas governments to combat the spread of avian influenza, specifically on the response of those countries which have confirmed human deaths from the virus. As of August 2006, the vast majority of fatal and total cases have been in East Asia, including Vietnam (42/93), Indonesia (44/57), Thailand (16/24), China (14/21), and Cambodia (6/6). In 2006, human cases and deaths from H5N1 were newly reported in Azerbaijan (5/8), Turkey (4/12), Egypt (6/14), Iraq (2/2), and Djibouti (0/1). Appearance of the disease in animals has spurred prevention efforts on three continents, including the slaughter or vaccination of millions of domestic poultry."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Dumbaugh, Kerry; Chanlett-Avery, Emma
2006-08-24
-
Guinea's 2008 Military Coup and Relations with the United States [November 5, 2009]
"Guinea is a Francophone West African country on the Atlantic coast, with a population of about 10 million. It is rich in natural resources but characterized by widespread poverty and limited socioeconomic growth and development. While Guinea has experienced regular episodes of internal political turmoil, it was considered a locus of relative stability over the past two decades, a period during which each of its six neighbors suffered one or more armed internal conflicts. Guinea entered a new period of political uncertainty on December 23, 2008, when a group of junior and mid-level military officers seized power, hours after the death of longtime president and former military leader Lansana Conté. The junta, calling itself the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD, after its French acronym), named as the interim national president a previously relatively unknown figure, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara. [...] This report analyzes developments since the military's seizure of power in December 2008, Guinea's relations with the United States, and U.S. policy in the wake of the coup. It also provides background on Guinean history and politics."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Arieff, Alexis
2009-11-05
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [May 7, 2007]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. […] The 110th Congress has continued to provide support to the SCSL and for Liberia's efforts to consolidate its post-war governance and economic rebuilding processes. FY2007 funds for such purposes were contained in temporary continuing resolutions passed by the 109th Congress that provided FY2007 foreign operations appropriations through February 15, 2007. The 110th Congress passed a final continuing resolution, P.L. 110-5, which appropriated foreign operations for the balance of FY2007. Specific final FY2007 allocations for Liberia and the SCSL will be set through a process of consultation between the Administration and Congress, as provided for under Section 113 of P.L. 110-5 and other provisions of law. Other Liberia-related legislation introduced in the 110th Congress has included H.R. 1591 (Obey); S. 965 (Byrd); S. 656 (Reed); H.R. 1941 (Kennedy); S. 396 (Dorgan); and S. 554 (Dorgan)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2007-05-07
-
Liberia's Post-War Recovery: Key Issues and Developments [May 29, 2007]
"This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. […] Other legislation proposed in the 109th Congress centered on immigration, debt, and tax haven issues, and the commendation of Liberia for successfully holding elections. The 110th Congress has continued to provide support to the SCSL and for Liberia's efforts to consolidate its post-war governance and economic rebuilding processes. FY2007 funds for such purposes were contained in temporary continuing resolutions passed by the 109th Congress that provided FY2007 foreign operations appropriations through February 15, 2007. The 110th Congress passed a final continuing resolution, P.L. 110-5, which appropriated foreign operations for the balance of FY2007. Specific final FY2007 allocations for Liberia and the SCSL will be set through a process of consultation between the Administration and Congress, as provided for under Section 113 of P.L. 110-5 and other provisions of law. Other Liberia-related legislation introduced in the 110th Congress has included H.R. 1591 (Obey); H.R. 2206 (Obey); S. 965 (Byrd); S. 656 (Reed); H.R. 1941 (Kennedy); S. 396 (Dorgan); and S. 554 (Dorgan)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2007-05-29
-
Madagascar's Political Crisis [June 18, 2012]
"Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island country, ranks among the world's poorest countries, is the world's fourth largest island and is extremely biologically diverse, with thousands of unique species of flora and fauna. It has experienced political instability since early 2009, initiated by tensions between the country's last elected president, Marc Ravalomanana, and an opposition movement led by Andry Rajoelina, then the mayor of the capital city, Antananarivo. Mass protests in early 2009 and eventual military support for the ouster of President Ravalomanana culminated in his forced resignation from office. Rajoelina then seized power and, with other leaders, formed an interim self-declared transitional government, the High Transitional Authority (HAT, after its French acronym). Ravalomanana now lives in exile in South Africa. [...] Madagascar faces a host of environmental pressures, however, and illegal logging and endangered wildlife exports have reportedly substantially increased under the HAT. Congress has expressed concern with threats to Madagascar's unique ecosystem, as well as with the country's ongoing political and development challenges. The House of Representatives passed legislation in
2009, H.Res. 839, condemning the 2009 coup and the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural resources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchard, Lauren Ploch; Cook, Nicolas
2012-06-18
-
AIDS in Africa [March 9, 2006]
"Sub-Saharan Africa ('Africa' hereafter) has been more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. In 2005, the United Nations reports, there were about 25.8 million HIV-positive adults and children in the region, which has about 11.3% of the world's population but over 64% of the worldwide total of infected persons. The overall adult rate of infection in Africa is 7.2%, compared with 1.1% worldwide. Nine southern Africa countries have infection rates above 10%. Ten African countries with the largest infected populations account for over 50% of infected adults worldwide. By the end of 2005, an estimated 27.5 million Africans had died of AIDS since 1982, including 2.4 million in 2005. AIDS has surpassed malaria as the leading cause of death in Africa, and it kills many times more Africans than war. In Africa, 57% of those infected are women. […] U.S. concern over AIDS in Africa grew in the 1980s, as the epidemic's severity became apparent. Legislation enacted in the 106th and the 107th Congresses increased funding for worldwide AIDS programs. P.L. 108-25, signed into law on May 27, 2003, authorized $15 billion over five years for international AIDS programs. President Bush announced his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in his 2003 State of the Union message. Twelve of 15 PEPFAR 'focus countries' are in Africa. Under the FY2007 budget request, the 12 countries would receive a 61% boost in AIDS-related aid, to $1.99 billion, under the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative account. Nonetheless, activists and others urge that more be done, given the scale of the African pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2006-03-09
