Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi votes in referendum XINHUA/AP

Egypt back to conflict

Egypt and South Sudan saw the ouster of long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak (in Egypt) and successful secession and birth of a new republic (in South Sudan) in 2011, but all that good news was somewhat worrisome in 2012.

Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi pledged to rule the country well and even ensured that freedom, justice and democracy are entrenched in the system. He promised jobs and business, and even went to China to secure investment. However, Morsi appeared to roll back nearly all the gains and public goodwill with a controversial decree that elevated the presidency above the legislature and the Judiciary.

The year closed with Egyptians in full protest against their leader. The country's hopes rest in a referendum on a new Constitution. But analyst, Issandr El Amrani, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, is not optimistic and said, "Lasting damage to the civility of Egyptian politics will be the main outcome of the current path Morsi has set Egypt on."

South Sudan's conflict with Sudan over the revenue from oil meant the country would run short on revenue, given that 98 percent of its budget is dependent on oil revenues. With dollars in high demand, the country decided to stop investors from getting their dollars out of the country. That was bad for business. There were also cases of human rights abuses and conflict. It was not a good year for that country's economy.

After suffering a two-decade conflict, Somalia received new leadership. It was a welcome start for the Somalis, though the threat of Al Qaeda-backed Al Shabaab militants has been gnawing at the new government's push for stability and development. Resettling its massive refugee population and ensuring that Al Shabaab is crushed totally are top priorities of the Somali Government going forward.

Kenyan forces, who had vanquished the above mentioned militants, found their actions brought a different kind of threat in Kenya – grenade attacks on churches, bus terminals and other public places are almost becoming commonplace in that country.

Deaths and conflicts also dominated news headlines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the M23 rebels fought their way to Goma. About 500,000 people have been displaced by the rebellion since it began in April, with the formation of M23 after a mutiny in the army. The M23's gains have raised fears of renewed war in DRC, where some 5 million people died in the conflicts from 1997 to 2003.