Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from October, 2005
From the African women's blogsphere
On 26 October, Togo became the 15th country to ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa thus ensuring the ratification of the Protocol within 30 days, writes Black Looks. The protocol is groundbreaking and far-reaching says Black Looks,...
Malawi: Crime and Cost of Living
Geeta, an aid worker in Malawi, writes about robberies of expatriates’ houses in Lilongwe, with more than a little sympathy for the robbers, who face rising food costs due to widespread crop failure. Another expat in Lilongwe, Mike McKay, documents the cost of living in Malawi.
KenyanSphere This Week
Sidaki has a very interesting analysis of events in America and comes to the conclusion that among the things Americans are reluctant to receive on their soils are British beef, British chicken and most recently, a certain Kenyan politician, Christopher Murungaru who just a few months ago was also curtly informed by the British...
Africa: Debt & resources
Pambazuka News has an essay on “Dispossessing Africa's wealth” “Exactly how much wealth does Africa lose every year? Third World repayments of $340 billion each year flow northwards to service a $2.2 trillion debt, more than five times the G8's development aid budget”. And then there is the depletion of...
Namibia: Lesbian/Gay rights
Black Star Journal has a report on “fighting homophobia” in Namibia by the Namibia Rainbow Project which has joined with other groups to lobby for rights in the country.
Somaliland: UN interview
Inside Somaliland posts an interview with Maxwell Gaylard, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia
Nigeria: ICTs
Nigerian blogger, Gbenga welcomes the recognition that the youth in Nigeria and elsewhere are receiving from local technology stakeholders and the birth of a dynamic youth movement around ICT issues in Nigeria
Africa: FGM
Mzansi Afrika reports on FGM where she believes “some promising developments have taken place”. One such develoment is “a group of prominent muslim clerics in Somalia have issued a fatwa against female genital mutilation. They have condemned the custom as being against the Islamic religion, and say that it should...
Zimbabwe: demolitions continue
Sokwanele – Civil Action Support Group - posts on the continued harassement of Zimbabwe's poorest of the poor by the authorities and that demolitions are continuing, as out of desperation, displaced people return to the orignal sites of their homes to try and rebuild them again. The group reports that...
Voices from South Africa
South Africa has been painted as being a political wonder, and our transition to democracy is often described as a miracle. The country tries very hard to present an image of wellbeing and success in order to attract much needed tourism and overseas investment. There is no doubt that remarkable...
South Africa: Jacob Zuma
South African blog Commentary discusses the left's support for disgraced South African politician Jacob Zuma, who is presently on trial for corruption, which they are equating with “real” democracy.
Tanzania: Agricultural investment
Tanzanian blog Agricultural Information posts about a survey of potential investment farmland which will also be used for research & training. The survey was undertaken in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania.
Kenya: colonial portrayal of africa
What an African Woman Wants takes non-African authors (Ryszard Kapuscinski, Karen Blixen and Shiva Naipaul) to task on their portrayal of Africa and African life and their “puzzling lack of understanding of the depth of offense and injury” their writings cause to Africans.
Cameroon: Life with mice and roaches
Jennifer Kennedy is spending two years working as a teacher in Cameroon. Her blog Life in Cameroon chronicles her daily experiences which in this case is trying to come to terms with roaches and mice and having her friend who is Japanese being identified as Chinese –
Ethiopia: Trafficking to Bahrain
Friends of Ethiopia has a post about an Ethiopian woman who has gone public with her story about being trafficked to Bahrain. Her story has been made into a film by the International Organisaiton of Migration in order to end the silence around the trafficking of Ethiopian women.
Nigeria: Ministerial celebrations
Eseme Udoekong's My Africa gives us the opportunity of witnessing (text & photos) the ceremony to celebrate the appointment of a Nigerian Minister, in this case Mrs Helen Esuene, the new Minister of Health. The celebration was sponsored by the International Christian Chambers of Commerce (ICCC) and Intercessors For Nigeria...
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Detention center blaze
Somali/Dutch blog ayaan hirsi ali – has a report on the fire in a Netherlands detention center for illegal immigrants and drug dealers which resulted in the death of 1o people and a further 15 injured. Prisoners have accused the guards of a slow response despite cries for help.
Burundi: Agathon Rwasa
Agathon Rwasa - the blog set up to highlight the atrocities committed by Burundi rebel group, the FNL and to ensure their leader Agathon Rwasa is brought to justice – reports that even Rwandan genocidaires the FDLR (Democratic Forces for Rwanda Liberation) are denying collaborating with the FNL to destablise...
Kiswahili Bloggers this week
Tanzanian Kiswahili bloggers continue to write about the presidential and parliamentary elections taking at the end of the month. Mwandani comes across an open letter of advice addressed to the “incoming president,” Jakaya Kikwete. Although Tanzanians have not yet cast their votes to elect the new president, the ruling party’s...
This weeks voices from Nigeria and Ghana
Chippla reports on the Belleveiw plane crash in Nigeria last weekend. He talks about the first few hours after the plane crashed. He gave an account of Nigerian's perception of Bellview Airlines and why Nigerians considered it the safest, until that black Sunday. UKNaija raises questions about the Nigerian search...
Uganda: LRA militias
Jewels in the Jungle introduces us to the “night commuters” the children and adults that parade every night on the rural roads of Northern Uganda to seek shelter from marauding bands of armed militias.
About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage
