Director of the Center for African Studies at UC Berkeley
Director of the Center for African Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and a scholar of Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, its major oil-producing region
PROFILE
Michael Watts
Guest
FROM Michael Watts
Which Way, L.A.?
Shell Oil Pays $15.5M for Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria In 1995, Nigerian author Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other anti-oil activists were convicted and hanged in Nigeria. A court case scheduled to begin in the US next week alleged that Royal Dutch Shell helped the Nigerian government capture and hang the men. Without admitting any wrongdoing, the oil giant announced yesterday that it will pay $15.5 million as compensation in the deaths of the protestors. Human rights activists are hailing the decision as a victory in an oil-rich region that continues to be plagued by corruption and violence. Michael Watts, Director of the Center for African Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, has more on the story.
To the Point
Shell Oil Pays $15.5M for Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria In 1995, Nigerian author Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other anti-oil activists were convicted and hanged in Nigeria. A court case scheduled to begin in the US next week alleged that Royal Dutch Shell helped the Nigerian government capture and hang the men. Without admitting any wrongdoing, the oil giant announced yesterday that it will pay $15.5 million as compensation in the deaths of the protestors. Human rights activists are hailing the decision as a victory in an oil-rich region that continues to be plagued by corruption and violence. Michael Watts, Director of the Center for African Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, has more on the story.
To the Point
Can Nigeria's New President Bring Reform and Stability? Nigerians witnessed an historic first this week, the peaceful transfer of power from one civilian president to another. Despite this first after the nation 's long history of coups and military rule, the election process that brought Umaru Yar'Adua to power has been widely criticized as fraudulent and will most likely result in legal challenges to his victory. What will be on his agenda as he tries to govern the second-wealthiest country in Africa, where half the population lives in poverty? Can he build on the anti-corruption successes of his predecessor? Will the new president be able to persuade rebels in the oil-rich south to stop their attacks, which have cut the country's oil production by one-third? What about the expectations of average Nigerians? Sara Terry guest hosts.
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To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.