Trafficking and poaching wildlife are a growing scourge for Africa, posing a threat to governance and even security for some nations, write CFR’s John Campbell and Allen Grane.

The Arab world’s stirring for political change in 2011 failed dramatically, but support for building democratic institutions still represents one of the region’s best hopes for reform.

This month’s vote will be the first conducted while Russia is involved in a major war, and Vladimir Putin is counting on a strong show of national unity and highlighting support in occupied Ukraine.

The upcoming soccer World Cup brings enormous prestige to South Africa’s still-emerging democracy. But for all its post-apartheid progress, the country still must fix deep-rooted economic and politic…