Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from February, 2007
Burundi: Where No means Yes
Expat blogger BeneBurundi is learning about local culture (Fr): “Communicating with people from Burundi is all about subtlety and interpretation; for example if you're proposed to and you decline with a ‘no’, it is highly possible that what will be heard will be ‘yes, maybe one day if you insist’....
Senegal: Youssou N'Dour Cinematic Debut
California-based Congolese blogger Alain Mabanckou has nothing but praise for Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour's big screen debut in Amazing Grace (Fr):”to see the few clips featuring Youssou N'dour, I think we'll need to to follow him closely. His future is bright if he chooses to concentrate exclusively in this direction...
Sudan: names of genocide suspects
Black Cush does not think the release of the names of genocide suspects in Darfur will improve the situation, “I just have a feeling it is going to have the reverse effect . . .”
The Voice of Somaliland Diaspora-Ottawa writes about the foreign occupation of Somalia and “hatemonger websites”: Overall, it is clear that the foreign occupation and possible recolinization of Somalia has dawned on the so-called leaders of “Transitional Federal Government” (TFG)—a euphemism of “Tigre Founded Government” (TFG) as well as their shadowy...
D.R. of Congo: new travel guide
Extra Extra interviews the author of a new travel guide to the Democratic Republic of Congo, “Visiting in the 1920’s, Grace Flandrau may have been unimpressed by the cuisine, but she had fewer difficulties getting around Ituri than she would if she could return today. The likes of Joseph Conrad,...
Madagascar: Expulsions in France questioned
(courtesy of sarkostique) Stemming from ongoing racial tensions and amplified by the riots of last summer, fear of immigrants led the French ministry of homeland security to crack down on illegal immigration. Immigrants of Malagasy origins were also affected by the new emphasis on expelling any immigrants without proper accreditation....
Sudan: Diversity And Identity Crisis
Many of the posts on the Sudanese blogosphere during the past 2 weeks discussed Sudan's diversity and also revolved around the issue of identity. Sudanese Thinker had an interesting post entitled “Sudan: Arab or African?” He was responding to a question posted on Sudan Watch: Since Sudan belongs to both...
Senegal: Thumbs Down for the Minister of Justice
Semett alleges that (Fr): “The justice minister … has unjustly broken into the voting center at Ndatté Yalla, in Saint Louis, while votes were being counted and his men have spread chaos in this republican space. They have pushed around the center's managing team and this, in front of police...
Senegal: Voting Process Report Card
Semett ‘s voting process report card (Fr): “The Presidential election took place peacefully and with a participation rate estimated at 70% by the vote's organizers. The electoral body went from 2 to 5 million. More than 2,000 observers were deployed. Generally, the voting process has been positively evaluated and Senegalese...
Botswana: working with children with HIV/AIDS
Dr. Tamara Todd blogs about her experience as a pediatrician working with children with HIV/AIDS in Botswana, “My days are filled with patient rounds, counseling parents, teaching the medical officers and interns, running around the hospital tracking down x-rays and lab results, and reading up furiously to gain insight into...
Uganda: a preventable tragedy
Head Heeb analyzes the state of peace talks between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army, “Given the volatility of the situation in the north, however, a state of “no war, no peace” is inherently unstable, and unless talks resume, it will only be a matter of time...
Guinea: general strike suspended
Friends of Guinea blog has a post about the latest turn of events in Guinea, “Guinean unions will again suspend the general strike after the head of state Gen. Lansana Conté agreed to name a prime minister from a list of names proposed by the labor organizations. His previous choice,...
Ghana: not happy with South Africa's investments
Emmanuel Bensah has problems with South Africa's investments in Ghana, “Let me be clear: I have a problem with the increasing number of South African interests in Ghana. From the so-called Accra Mall–set to be ready by May 2007, to the very expensive Woolworths, and Stanbic Bank, these are all...
Zambia: village nicknames
Zambian Fish blogs about village nicknames, “Ba Yehwa (Mr. Yelling): one of my farmers got stuck with this one because he has a tendency to yell at people when conversing with them. Ba Ndeke (Mr. Airplane): one of my neighbors got this one for his drunken antics. Apparently he flaps...
Zambia: adventures in Zambia
Laura, a peace corps volunteer, blogs about her adventures in Zambia, “My women's group is finally back on track and things are going swimmingly. We are going to start to keep bees and I have a local expert coming to teach the women how to do it. He's very local-...
Lesotho: stolen election
Idland blogs about election results in Lesotho: It is disturbingly impressive to read how Lesotho's two major political parties have exploited the electoral rules to earn themselves about a third more seats in parliament than they were due.
Senegal Elections: Towards Another Wade Term?
“Senegal Wants Its Freedom Back” headline. By R-Nesto. Yesterday was election day in Senegal. A campaign marked by some violent clashes started about a month ago and most of the Senegalese bloggers were hoping to see the incumbent, PDS [Social Democratic Party] leader Abdoulaye Wade, defeated. Wade has been in...
Zimbabwe: Mugabe in 1980
Kubatana blogs posts Robert Mugabe's inspiring speech, which was delivered in 1980: Yesterday The Herald published a compilation of speeches made by Robert Mugabe during his extended stay in power. Mugabe’s address to the nation on the eve of Zimbabwe’s independence was included under the title “An enduring legacy of...
Ethiopia: plight of Tigrayans
Ethiopundit writes about the plight of Tigrayans in Ethiopia, “What Meles is describing is not a relationship with Tigrayans based on loyalty or common interest or affection but one based on coercion, fear and contempt. That is the only way that such absolute obedience can be rationally expected from any...
Uganda: Special Report on Best of Blogs
Last week, Uganda bloggers descended on Mateo's bar in Kampala for the second Uganda Bloggers Happy Hour. In addition to catching up with friends and discussing the main challenges facing the nation, the group made nominations for the first Uganda Best of Blog Awards. In a way, 2006 was the...
Love troubles female blogger; floods, politics and petty jobs worry Malawians
Based in the UK and studying Information Systems, Mercy Gondwe might be the only female Malawian blogger noted so far. While she has not been active she woke up on a day before Valentine's day to reflect on the day of romance. Mercy says she had to be careful with...