Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from September, 2005
Nigeria: Variation on a theme of scam
Via lustig at del.icio.us, a hoax warning about an old Nigerian scam wrapped up in a Palestinian headscarf.
South Africa: Fasten your seatbelts
Says commentary.co.za: “There's a very well-sourced rumour flying about the South African aviation world at the moment about the South African Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and its alleged failure to meet the standards of the last regular six month safety check up by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”
Sudan: Death toll rises
The Passion of the Present posts a comprehensive round-up of news out of the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur, where mounted Arab militia gangs are stepping up their attacks on villages and camps.
Zimbabwe: Whither democratic change?
Top opposition political adviser Eddie Cross, guest-blogging on Zimbabwean Pundit, looks at the moribund state of the political opposition in Burma (Myanmar) after 17 years of campaigning for change, and wonders: “Are we destined for a similar fate?”
Katrina: An African writes
africa-aphukira highlights a commentary by African author Mukoma Wa Ngugi on comparisons in mainstream media between New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and “The Third World”.
Ethiopia: Blame Lord Voldemort
Ethiopundit writes a detailed and hugely entertaining update on the withdrawal of the Ethiopian government's lawsuit in a Virginia court against Tensae Radio, which reported that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his officials had deposited millions of dollars in foreign banks.
Chad: Belgian court rules on Habre
A Belgian judge has issued an international arrest warrant charging Chad’s former dictator Hissène Habré with atrocities during his 1982-90 rule, reports Human Rights Watch.
Nigeria: Can this be democracy?
Chippla comments on parliamentary democracy, Nigerian style: “This crisis of Nigerian society lies in the fact that its ruling class sees no reason why it shouldn't live like the ruling class anywhere else in the world. The truth however is that Nigeria is not like ‘anywhere else in the world’...
D.R. Congo: Harder than bullets
Jewels in the Jungle warns us why diamonds–especially those mined in the D.R. of Congo–are not a girl's best friend. Via Congo Watch.
Sudan: Well, duh.
So the U.N. continues to say things are getting worse in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur. “What would really be news is if someone actually prosecuted the people behind the violence for their crimes,” writes a furious and on-the-spot Sleepless in Sudan. And until the international community actually gets...
Uganda: New IDP camps
Two new camps for internally displaced persons (IDP) are planned to cope with the humanitarian disaster in northern Uganda, reports UgandaCAN, adding that more than 1,000 people die each week in existing camps from disease, starvation, and violence.
African Aid: An anti-utopian view
African Bullets and Honey posts a self-styled anti-Western aid screed, citing a recent article on utopianism in the Foreign Affairs journal, and sparking debate in the comments section.
D.R. Congo: What shall we do with the Lord's Resistance?
Congo Watch picks up a report saying that the Congolese army has vowed to disarm 400 Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) fighters who have crossed their border and were last seen subsisting in a national park. S/he also notes a recent post by Ngomrom mentioned on GV last week.
Kenya: Visit to the British High Commission
What an African Woman Thinks has a beautifully written account of a recent visit to the British High Commission in Nairobi, in quest of a visa. Via Kenyan Pundit, who thought so too.
Equatorial Guinea/Nigeria: Disappearances, torture
Amnesty International is concerned about allegations of torture and the unfair trial of about 70 people charged with offences related to an alleged coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea on 8 October 2004. The organization is also concerned that three of those convicted in absentia risk “disappearing” or being subjected to...
Somaliland: Suspects apprehended
Inside Somaliland picks up on a triumphant report from Awdal News, lauding the unrecognized country's police force for the prompt arrest of a group of suspected terrorists: “Somaliland has dissipated the misconception of being a no-man's land like its neighbor Somalia where international terrorists come and go at will,” the...
Sudan: Gallows humour
To an aid worker in Darfur whose boyfriend hasn't e-mailed her for a week: “It's not you, he's probably just been abducted by rebels.” This, reports Sleepless in Sudan, became a running joke among NGO workers for a while–until someone's boyfriend was abducted by rebels.
Sudan: Darfur problems worsen
The United Nations does little more than wring its hands as fighting intensifies in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur; thousands more civilians flee their homes as U.N. officials admit they haven't addressed the problems there, reports Coalition for Darfur.
Zimbabwe: Senate elections
Zimpundit comments on the decision of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to field candidates for forthcoming senate elections in Zimbabwe; gloomily he cites a proverb from his birthplace about “cows that defiantly rush to a river/watering hole with little regard for how many of their kin crocodiles have...
South Africa: News values questioned
The Fish Bowl notices starkly different treatment given in the South African media to murder stories, depending on whether the victim is black or white.
Sudan: Darfur update
Sleepless in Sudan fleshes out her report of a military build-up in the northern Darfur town of El Fasher with the latest official news dispatch from the United Nations.
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