Somalia

President Robert Mugabe can't believe his luck. At the beginning of September, he faced humiliating public criticism and an ultimatum for the first time from fellow African leaders.

Washington, D.C. — Already notorious as the world’s only state without a functioning government, Somalia may be about to deteriorate even further. The country is rapidly sliding back toward war. As an Islamist militia, the Council of Somali Islamic Courts, consolidates control over large swathes of southern Somalia, neighboring Ethiopia has sent thousands of troops over the border, and both sides are preparing for a showdown. A return to war could bring about the same horrific famine conditions that precipitated a US military intervention 14 years ago, and damage rather than advance US counter terrorism objectives in a vulnerable region.

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George Clooney's meeting to discuss Darfur with Vice President Joe Biden and with President Barack Obama Monday night at the White House provided one of the first glimmers of Africa involvement from the top echelon of the new administration.

Eleven African Union peacekeepers were killed in a brutal attack in Mogadishu, Somalia on Sunday. Witnesses described hearing two massive explosions.

A spokesperson for the Shabaab, a radical yet powerful Somali militia that the United States labels a terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The spokesperson warned more is yet to come.

This weekend's tragedy makes the title of Jeffrey Gettleman's new piece on Somalia - "The Most Dangerous Place in the World" - particularly pertinent. Gettleman, the East African bureau chief for the New York Times, writes in Foreign Policy that even after reporting in Afghanistan and Iraq, "nowhere was I more afraid than in today's Somalia."

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The 25-minute audio recording, titled "From Kabul to Mogadishu," focuses primarily on the "important developments" in Somalia, which al-Zawahiri called "a step on the path of victory of Islam."

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 February 20, 2009: Somalia headed the list last month in my annual review of what would likely be Africa’s most significant conflicts or flash-points this year.