I'm not entirely sure what to make of this article- a bunch of anecdotes about African airline service being sub-par isn't exactly the sort of reporting one ass

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this article- a bunch of anecdotes about African airline service being sub-par isn't exactly the sort of reporting one associates with the NYT. And at the same time, it just glosses over the line "A hearty four-wheel drive could take [bad African roads] on, but the threat of kidnapping-prone terrorist groups has made some road travel extremely dangerous." Is the threat of organized violence prevalent enough to impact road travel on a substantial portion of the continent? That would be a big deal!