Guinea: Bought by Beijing

In January, there was a rare event in Africa. Military rulers agreed voluntarily to hand over power to civilians, under pressure from donors but not under force of arms. The full transfer of power in the West African nation of Guinea has to wait until elections, set for June, although a transitional government of civilians and the military is already being formed. If things go well, Guinea could be governed by a democratic administration for the first time in its history. But there might be a spoiler: Chinese interests have sealed huge mineral deals.