There were 9.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Central and Eastern Africa region as of December 2008.

A French warship Sunday foiled attempts by Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden to seize two cargo vessels and intercepted 19 Pirates.

Two journalists who were kidnapped in Somalia while covering the Somali piracy on November 26th of 2008 have been released. There are limited details on their physical conditions and the release itself.

The French Navy on patrol in The Gulf of Aden has prevented the hijacking of a Panamanian registered cargo ship. The pirates fled at first sight of the warship, but were brazen enough to attempt a second attack.

A Canadian soldier has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of an unarmed Afghan man last fall.

Somali pirates have captured an Egyptian cargo ship with 28 crew members aboard. The ship, the Blue Star was carrying fertilizer.

The president of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf has resigned in the face of international pressure. The move could add in more chaos as the Islamic insurgency aims to take more power.

Japan is the only member of the Group of 8 Industrial Powers which has not sent naval forces to protect it's commercial ships against attacks off Somalia. The Japanese face a dilemma between their Pacifist Constitution and international criticism.

United Nations agencies in Somalia have launched a multi-million dollar campaign aimed at reaching more than 1.5 million children .

Begining a new era in world naval history and ending 500 years of tradition, The Chinese Navy has set sail for waters far from it's territorial shores.