1) What were some early civilizations in East Africa?  Why were these civilizations important?
The Masai and Mau Mau groups. They helped form Africa and how it is today.
2) What happened at the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885?
It was a conference used to prevent the European wars on Africa.
3) What African countries managed to remain free of European control?
Ethiopia and Liberia 
4) How did colonialism cause conflicts in East Africa after independence?
Cultural divisions.
5) How did Ethiopia manage to defeat Italy in 1896?
They had a greater knowledge of the area's geography.
6) What are some cash crops of East Africa?
Coffee, tea and sugar.
7) What is East Africa's most critical health-care problem.
AIDS
8) Research the Rwanda massacre (genocide?) and briefly discuss what happened and why.
It was a mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority because they were opposed to the killing campaign.