Stories from Quick Reads and Somaliland
Should Africa Learn From the Crimea Referendum?
“Is Crimea referendum a good model for Africa?” asks Richard Dowden: Africa’s arbitrary borders, mostly drawn by people who had never set foot in the continent, have always been an obvious target for renegotiation. But Africa’s first rulers, who foresaw chaos and disintegration if the nation states were reconfigured, ruled...
Somaliland: Sectors for Potential Investment
John identifies sectors in Somaliland that are attractive for potential investment: “Although not blessed with mineral wealth, arable land, or a large population, Somaliland does have a few sectors that might interest seasoned investors or savvy entrepreneurs. Infrastructure is one major area.”
Somaliland: Challenge for openly gay president
Sokari's reaction to the news that Somaliland's President is openly gay: “Roll on the next AU [African Union] meeting. Will he stand up for LGBTI Rights?…If not and his identity becomes silent then he betrays his own self as well as the people who voted for him.”
Somaliland ready to join international community
“Successful Presidential election means the country is now in a position to move forward and join the other independent states of the world,” reads a press release from Somaliland Forum.
Somaliland: Elections in Hargeisa
Doreen blogs from Hargeisa, the unofficial capital of Somaliland: “There are swathes of colour everywhere, from the hotel lobby to the streets to the market place to the campaign trail.”
Macedonia: Singing Skopjans Cover Footbal World Cup Anthem
Singing Skopjans celebrated [MKD] the start of the Football World Cup in South Africa by singing its anthem, “Waving Flag,” because they “realized that the Somali K'naan managed to slip a powerful social song to FIFA and Coca-Cola, which fits perfectly with the current situation in Skopje.”
Somaliland: Arrest of opposition politicians condemned
The Voice of Somaliland publishes a statement from the Qaran Party:”It is regrettable that at this day and age, having all experienced the horrors of bad regimes in the past, the people of S/Land are once again reliving the abusive powers of yet another callous regime.”
Somaliland: sign of order and normalcy
A sign of order and normalcy in Hargeysa, the capital of the Republic of Somaliland.
Somaliland: we cannot be fooled
Ahmed Quick warns the President of Somaliland, “Mr. President, your clandestine activities and subversive strategy are out there in the open for all to see. And the citizenry of Somaliland are an intelligent; politically conscious, and visionary people that cannot be fooled by a despotic tin pot dictator in sheep’s...
Africa: renewable technologies
Africa Unchained writes, “Karekezi, S…surveys (PDF) the dissemination of renewable technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa…and attempts to evaluate the potential for these technologies to meet the energy needs of Africa’s poor…“
Africa: Moving on from the digital indaba
Meskel Square on “Moving on from the Digital Indaba“: “Overall it was a huge success. One way of judging that is to look at all the discussions that are still carrying on in posts and comments and Technorati links. The discussions started with the race debate which I now wish...
Africa: Is the Battle against AIDS Lost?
Forum Realisance believes (Fr) former colonial powers and pharmaceutical companies are partially to blame for the AIDS crisis but saves harsher words for Africans and failed African leaders: ” Ignorance and illiteracy reproduce AIDS blindly without the least use for reason. Isn't it sacred and legitimate to protect oneself? Why...
Somaliland, Somalia: Journalistic criticism
Guest-blogging on the Voice of Somaliland Diaspora, Faysal Diriye launches an attack on journalistic standards among Somali Web sites which he describes as Siadist. “Cheap shot journalism! Too subjective, too emotional, and as boring as hell! They often shed more tears than thunder clouds could spill,” he writes.
Africa: Lessons Learned from Mittal Steel
Lessons drawn by Le Pangolin from the recent acquisition by Indian-owned steel company Mittal Steel of European-owned Arcelor (Fr): ” Economic actors of developing countries can really change the world if they are so inclined. (…) The West is not invincible.”
Somaliland: Is the Army Fit?
Ahmed Quick, at the Voice of Somaliland Diaspora, asks if the government of the emerging democracy of Somaliland has given enough thought to the state of the country's armed forces.
Africa: World Cup Report Card
Says Senegalese blogger Seckasysteme (Fr): “African football is not up to par and its presence in the World Cup is mostly symbolic. Too bad that the numerous individual African talents could not orchestrate a comeback. (…) Why couldn't such talented African football players achieve the same performance in their national...
Somalia: Last act of desperation
Voice of Somalialand Diaspora – Ottawa comments on Somalia's “last act of desperation”………….the left over of the Siad Barre’s Nazi government are on a full swing campaign to rewrite the history of the dark ages. The politics of the spleen are on the rise again and in full bloom; there...
Africa: What Internet Brings
Generation Consciente, Une Autre Afrique writes: (Fr)“A book by Cameroonian Jacques Bonjawo, Internet, a Chance for Africa [L'Internet, Une Chance Pour l'Afrique in French] talks about the benefits of new information and communication technologies for Africa. However, the Internet promotes extraversion even if it is a way to make local...
Somaliland: Unitary Government
The Voice of Somaliland Diaspora-Ottawa posts on the case for a Unitary Government By “Mrs. Edna Adan Ismail, Mnister Of Foreign Affairs Republic Of Somaliland”
Reunion: Chikungunya Epidemic Confirmed
LSZ Blog, a health-related blog covering Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, writes (Fr): “It seems that Chikungunya fever has reached a quasi-pandemic dimension with more than a million people infected during the past 24 months in a large geographic area encompassing the East-African equatorial coasts, the Indian Ocean islands...
Somaliland: Attacks by Somalia
The Voice of Somaliland – Diaspora Ottawa writes on the attacks on Somaliland by supporters of former Somali leader Siad Barre. He believes the supporters are using the present instablility in Somalia to undermine the gains made by Somaliland towards global recognition
