Nigeria

• Abiola's blogging about attempts to eradicate polio in Nigeria.

• AfricaBlog notes that despite current vaccination efforts, polio may actually be making a comeback in parts of West Africa.

• Evidence has surfaced indicating that a company now owned by Halliburton may have paid bribes to Nigerian government officials in order to win government contracts.

• In other Nigerian oil industry news, Royal Dutch Shell was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to the Ijaw people of Nigeria as compensation for environmental damage.

Zimbabwe

• Who's the world's third greatest African? According to New Africa magazine, it's Robert Mugabe!

• Mugabe also shows up on a different list: The world's top ten tyrants. Unfortunately, Africa is well-represented.

• The U.S. ambassador to South Africa recently raised the issue of "regime change" in Zimbabwe. Faster, please.

Equatorial Guinea

• Interesting revelation: Margaret Thatcher's son was involved in last spring's attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea. [N.B. -- Equatorial Guinea's "president" is on the above-mentioned list of the world's top ten tyrants.]

• More on Mark Thatcher here.

Central Africa

• Tutsi refugees were massacred in Burundi during August, threatening to split Congo's fledgling transitional government.

• Any fears of a return to all-out civil war were quelled (at least for now) by the RCD's announcement that it would remain part of the Congolese government.

Sudan

• For the latest news on the genocide in Sudan, keep checking Passion of the Present.

• Also, here's the latest Darfur news update from Rajan Rishyakaran.

Finally

• Watch out for the locusts!