In Somalia, pirates have released a German container ship and its crew. The ship was captured 400 miles off the coast of Somalia and the crew was held for ransom. On Monday, the owners of the ship paid the pirates almost $3 million.

Sarjoh Bah, a senior fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the chaos in Somalia, Somali militants abroad and Hillary Clinton’s expected visit with the president of Somalia.

For more, read our Q&A: Somalia’s state of emergency and listen to our online radio show on lawlessness in Somalia.

See Obama’s policy statement on Africa on his Web site.

Sarjoh Bah, a research associate with New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, speaks with Martin Savidge about challenges in Africa, from Darfur to the crisis in eastern Congo. He says that Africans want a strategic relationship with the U.S., boosted by the opportunities of Africa’s growing middle class, its young population and its oil exports to the U.S.

Below, bloggers in Africa and around the world discuss the future of U.S.-Africa relations.

Prior to the election, bloggers Merle Bowen and William Minter argued that the U.S. needs to radically transform its Africa policy, moving from simply humanitarian and AIDS work — “a narrow view of Africa as a recipient of charity” – to multilateral cooperation and increasingly open trade.

Peter Pham outlines a comprehensive Africa strategy for Barack Obama at the “World Defense Review” blog, including high-level dialogue that could prove mutually beneficial.

Citizen journalist Gibbs Dube writes at “OhMyNews” that Obama will likely directly engage with African leaders much more than his predecessor, particularly in Zimbabwe where political upheaval continues.

Workers at a gorilla park in Congo — recently besieged by violence — share varying opinions of Obama at the “Virunga Park” blog. One hopes that Obama will encourage international intervention in the country, while another doubts that the new U.S. president will have any practical impact on the Congo.

Sarjoh Bah, Ph.D., a research associate for New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, speaks with Martin Savidge about the chaos on the ground in Somalia. He calls the country the “world’s longest running failed state” and discusses the U.S.’s role in stabilizing the country.