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REUTERS When Namibians voted in November 2014, it marked a historic event as Africa’s first electronic election. Despite an 11th-hour challenge from the opposition party over the devices, the election commission used 4,000 voting machines for the presidential and parliamentary vote instead of paper ballots. In the booth, voters found a gray electronic device with pictures or logos of the candidates and a green button next to each one. Instead of marking a cross on paper, voters selected their choice by pressing the button. “It is way better and faster,” said voter Sara Isaacs. Although there is no history of…

Zakariya Ismail Hersi, a former senior al-Shabaab commander, speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Somalia. [THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] VOICE OF AMERICA Somalia’s president has renewed an offer of amnesty to members of the al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabaab. In January 2015, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his government will ensure the safety of al-Shabaab members who acknowledge their crimes, reject the militant group, and embrace Somalia’s peace-and-reconciliation process. Mohamud also said his government will help defectors learn a trade or find a job. The announcement came after the defection of al-Shabaab’s former intelligence chief, Zakariya Ismail…

[MOBIUS MOTORS] REUTERS On the edge of Nairobi, two doors down from a gleaming display of Germany’s luxury Porsche cars, another showroom offers Africa’s answer to the continent’s potholed roads. It’s called the Mobius. It has no flashy dials, alloy wheels or electric windows. In fact, it has no windows at all except for the windshield. Instead, the square car-cum-pickup with its aluminum panels has been stripped of extras to make it sturdy and cheap. “We are not trying to reinvent the wheel; we are just trying to make one that is a bit tougher,” says sales manager Aman Ghai…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE In the blue waters off Cape Town, South Africa, a revolutionary experiment with an electronic barrier seeks to exploit the supersensitivity of sharks’ snouts to keep swimmers safe. The technology has been developed by South African experts who invented the electronic “shark pod” for use by surfers and divers — now marketed by an Australian company — and could be applied globally if successful. Years of research have shown that sharks will turn away when they encounter an electrical current. That fact has prompted this experiment on a much larger scale. A 100-meter cable with vertical “risers” designed…

Julia Rainer/IPS With annual economic growth rates of more than 10 percent and attractive investment conditions due to low infrastructural and labor costs, Ethiopia is eagerly trying to rise from the status of a low-income to a middle-income country in the next 10 years. Ethiopia, with 94 million inhabitants, is the second-most-populous country in Africa after Nigeria, but it remains predominantly rural. Only 17.5 percent of the population lives in cities, and most are in Addis Ababa. It also is one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies. Between 2015 and 2018, growth is expected to average 7.3 percent, according to a…

In the short history of Burkina Faso, one name towers above the rest: Thomas Sankara. Born into a working-class Catholic family in the northern town of Yako, Sankara entered the military at age 19. He rose through the ranks, impressing his fellow Soldiers with his charisma and work ethic. At 26, he took command of the nation’s prestigious Commando Training Centre, where he taught an elite fighting force. Later, he became a government information minister. He was known for the peculiar habit of riding to work on a bicycle and the even stranger habit of encouraging journalists to write critical…

CLUES This former Roman colony was founded in the first century, during the reign of the Emperor Nerva. The site has a large collection of mosaic pavings, illustrating myths and daily life. At 900 meters above sea level, the site is an example of Roman urban planning adapted for a mountain location. The well-preserved site includes an amphitheater that can accommodate 3,000 people. ANSWER: The Roman ruins of Djémila near Setif, Algeria

For decades, Africa has been host to many of the world’s peacekeeping missions. This has been challenging, but one benefit is that African nations now boast some of the world’s most experienced and well-trained peacekeepers. Year after year, these men and women are setting the standard for how to intervene in crisis zones. In 2013, more than 70,000 African peacekeepers served in African Union and United Nations peacekeeping missions. Nearly three-quarters of African nations –– 39 –– had peacekeepers deployed somewhere on the globe. Among the military leadership in African nations, peacekeeping is typically at the top of resumes, and…

In September 2014, Ugandan authorities discovered an al-Shabaab terrorist cell operating in our biggest city, Kampala. Explosives were discovered in the raid, and there is little doubt that this group of terrorists had no other intention but to cause carnage on the streets of the city. It was only four years ago when bombs planted by extremists ripped through two locations as crowds gathered peacefully to watch the football World Cup. Now, almost a year from the barbaric events of the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, these latest developments show that governments throughout East Africa can never let their guard…

REUTERS Côte d’Ivoire is increasing rice production and processing in hopes of beginning exports in 2018 and generating more than a million jobs. The country, better known as the world’s biggest cocoa producer, is investing about $4 billion on the regional staple food as part of a program to diversify its agricultural sector. The nation’s economy grew 9.8 percent in 2012, but unemployment among its 20 million people remains high, especially among the young. Although the nation currently is a rice importer, Yacouba Dembele, director of the National Rice Development Office, is targeting self-sufficiency within two years. “We want to…