Bruce Wharton... said that by inviting the four presidents to Washington, the Obama administration is highlighting the importance of "holding credible elections, building strong democratic institutions and fostering economic development."

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is expected to arrive in South Africa on Monday to meet with women's groups, speak about the importance of education and youth leadership, as well as take in the sights. Yet many say there's another unstated aspect of the trip: soothing prickly ties between the U.S. and South Africa.

With its aircraft in the skies of Libya and Ivory Coast, France has suddenly escaped diplomatic obscurity to find itself taking a leading role in two military ventures that have arguably tipped the scales on behalf of civilians. This comes after France was embarrassingly late in embracing pro-democracy protests that successfully ousted its old allies in Egypt and Tunisia.

How much of a role does the media play in shaping the discourse of international diplomacy? As Cote d'Ivoire's bloody leadership contest draws to a close and the surrender of Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent president, seems imminent, a long list of atrocities and electoral irregularities mark the records of both him and his opponent, Alassane Ouattara.

In the midst of this turmoil, the Twitter hashtag #civ2010 has been providing an essential source of information in the country. However, many Twitter users have raised their voices to complain that the hashtag is fast becoming a virtual means for supporters of both camps to confront each other.

The government of Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has officially banned UN radio broadcasts. Mr Gbagbo has refused to stand down following polls in November, which the UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast say was won by Alassane Ouattara.

The new African Union (AU) team of experts left Addis Ababa on Sunday for Abidjan in a fresh bid to resolve Côte d’Ivoire’s political crisis.