CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Genocide imminent in CAR

The United Nations has warned that the recent surge of violence in the Central African Republic may lead to genocide if left unchecked. “The early warning signs of genocide are there,” said the UN’s aid chief Stephen O’Brien. “We must act now, not pare down the UN’s effort, and pray we don’t live to regret it.” O’Brien has called for more peacekeepers to be despatched as soon as possible.

Drive like an Egyptian

A 35-year-old entrepreneur in Cairo has started production of Minicar Egypt, a tiny vehicle designed to compete with tuk-tuks for the country’s lucrative taxi business. The Minicar isn’t pretty — it looks like a boxy golf cart — but packs nearly double a tuk-tuk’s power, as well as a much sturdier frame. Ahmed Saeed el-Feki has secured a deal to produce the vehicles in an army factory, and eventually plans to export them. He declined an offer to manufacture in Mozambique because he wants to create jobs at home.

Learning from Uncle Bob

Zimbabwe plans to open a new university named after President Robert Mugabe. An $800-million campus will be built in Mazowe, just outside Harare, and another $200-million has been set aside for a research endowment. “There can be no better recognition of Mugabe’s commitment to education and his exemplary leadership,” said the tertiary education minister, Jonathan Moyo. Moyo neglected to mention that — thanks to the president’s “exemplary leadership” — there is no money in state coffers to pay for this extravagant gesture.

Senegal’s scoundrel-in-chief