Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for September 25th

Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are updates on the al-Shabab attack in Nairobi, the US-Nigeria bilateral meeting, the tracking of Joseph Kony, a critique of Rwanda's Kagame, terrorism trends in the region, new guidelines to combat malaria, Guinean parliamentary polls, and US action to appease Djibouti's security concerns.

Kenyan officials say Nairobi mall siege is over; attack may bolster al-Shabab in jihadists' eyes
The bloody siege of an upscale mall by Islamist militants ended Tuesday with five of the attackers dead and 11 taken into custody, amid fears that the death toll of more than 60 civilians could substantially rise when authorities begin searching through the wreckage. "As a nation, our head is bloodied but unbowed," Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a televised address, declaring three days of mourning. "We have ashamed and defeated our attackers." – Washington Post
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Remarks by President Obama before bilateral meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria
Well, I appreciate very much the opportunity to meet once again with President Jonathan and his delegation. Obviously, Nigeria is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing countries in the world. I think that's testified by the fact that President Jonathan is going to have the opportunity to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. (Laughter.) I think it signifies how important Nigeria is becoming in the global economy.  We have a very strong relationship between the United States and Nigeria. It's not just based on government-to-government relations, but also people-to-people relations. And we have an outstanding Nigerian-American community here in the United States that is making incredible contributions in every field every single day. – The White House
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More aircraft on tap to help African nations track Kony
The Pentagon will add to its fleet of aircraft aiding the fight against Africa warlord Joseph Kony, military records show, in an effort that U.S. officials claim has the head of the Lord's Resistance Army on the run. – USA Today
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Paul Kagame, plus fort que jamais au Rwanda, critiqué pour son rôle dans la région
Le 16 septembre, pour la troisième fois depuis le génocide de 1994, les Rwandais étaient appelés aux urnes pour élire leurs députés. Comme prévu, le score est sans appel : le Front patriotique rwandais (FPR) remporte 76,22 % des suffrages exprimés et par la même écrase tous les autres partis en présence. Aussi, nombre d'observateurs ont trop vite admis que ce scrutin était sans enjeux.  Il faut dire que le régime du président Paul Kagamé a prouvé son efficacité à contrôler la scène politique nationale tant le FPR perpétue une forme de monopartisme démocratique grâce à la coalition qu'il a mis en place. Pourtant, ces élections revêtaient tous les apparats de la démocratie dans le cadre d'un multipartisme... de façade. – Le Monde
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Why Africa is the new terrorism hub
The horrific assault by al-Shabaab, a Somali militant group with ties to al-Qaeda, in an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi this week might have seemed like it was happening in an unexpected country. After all, Kenya is a stable, relatively prosperous tourist destination that rarely makes headlines for terror incidents. But several analysts have suggested that the attack is part of a broader spread of extremist groups throughout Africa. – The Atlantic
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Africa: New guidelines aim to coordinate fight against malaria
Leaders in the fight against malaria have launched a new set of inclusive guidelines to combat the disease, which still kills an estimated 660,000 people each year, many in Africa, and leaves hundreds of thousands of impoverished children too weak to resist the effects of malnutrition and other diseases. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released a "Multi-sectoral Action Framework for Malaria" on the sidelines of the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The framework calls for greater coordinated action among different development sectors to tackle the disease. – allAfrica
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Clashes precede Guinea parliamentary polls
Protesters in the Guinean capital of Conakry have shot dead a trainee policemen, as renewed violence has broken out ahead of long-delayed elections in the former military dictatorship, the government says. The clashes, in which 51 people were wounded, came after the United Nations said parliamentary polls scheduled for Tuesday would be put back four days amid concerns by opposition activists over the organisation of the vote. – Al Jazeera
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U.S. moves drone fleet from Camp Lemonnier to ease Djibouti's safety concerns
The U.S. military has been forced to relocate a large fleet of drones from a key counterterrorism base on the Horn of Africa after a string of crashes fanned local fears that the unmanned aircraft were at risk of colliding with passenger planes, according to documents and interviews. – The Washington Post
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