· February, 2013

Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from February, 2013

Burundi: Violent Suppression of Demonstration Support for Imprisoned Journalist

The Court of Burundi revised the life sentence for journalist and Radio France International correspondent Hassan Ruvakuki on appeal, reducing his sentence to three years imprisonment. Media professionals demonstrated in sympathy weekly outside the Bujumbura Court building since the sentence was handed down until violent suppression of a march by the authorities.

28 February 2013

Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe Make Music

Until March 1, 2013, Pantalassa, a cultural association working with Portuguese language countries, is organizing a multidisciplinary program of artistic residences in the “marvelous islands” of São Tomé and Príncipe, together...

28 February 2013

Kallun: A Platform of Angolan Slang

  The Plataform KALLUN (meaning slang), founded by Leocarpo Mário, is a recent collaborative project with the ultimate goal of gathering in just one place all the slang with Angolan origins. Kallun enables...

27 February 2013

Monitoring Dangerous Speech in Kenya

Umati is a project that seeks to monitor and report the role of new media on an election: “Our Kenya-based project has citizens at its core and uses relevant technologies...

27 February 2013

The Land Problem in Kenya

Chrenyan discusses the land problem, which has become an election issue in Kenya: “It is a historical injustice for the Kenyatta family to own (it is said) half a million...

27 February 2013

Nationwide Strike Delivers Blow to Malawi's President

Malawi's President Joyce Banda is beating back calls for her to resign after hundreds of thousands of civil servants demanding a wage increase went on a two-week long strike, shuttering the country's international airport and paralyzing hospitals and schools

25 February 2013

How Would Africans Feel about A Black Pope ?

Following the surprise resignation, the debate on Benedict XVI's succession was immediately launched. In particular, Africans, on the basis of the fastest growing contingent of Catholics on their continent, began to put forward the names of their favourites among the 18 cardinal Africans who are part of the College of Cardinal and who will meet in conclave to elect the new pope.

25 February 2013

Journalists Under Pressure in the Gambia Turn to Blogs

The hostile media landscape in the Gambia, marred by aggressive laws and regulatory measures that have almost crippled mainstream outlets, has some journalists in the country turning to blogs to report the news. Here is a guide to some of the most active and popular blogs.

22 February 2013

A First for Africa: Ex-Dictator to be Judged on the Continent

A new court system, the Extraordinary African Chambers has recently been set up to allow the first ever trial of one of its own dictators on the continent. The tribunal to judge Hissène Habré, former president of Chad, opened in Senegal on February 8, 2013. Human Rights Watch has been working since 1999 with victims of the ex-dictator, currently in exile in Senegal, in order to bring him to justice.

22 February 2013

Pope’s Resignation Echoes in Africa

The announcement by Pope Benedict XVI of his intention to resign with effect from February 28, 2013 provoked many reactions in Francophone Africa, both in traditional media and on social networks. Admiration for the Pope predominated, and was combined with the desire that certain African leaders would follow his example.

19 February 2013

New UN Envoy Blogs from Guinea-Bissau

Ex-President of East Timor, UN representative and Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta is blogging from Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. He writes of his warm reception by people at...

19 February 2013

State-Sponsored Violence in Angola

Blogger Claudio Silva argues on Africa Is a Country that a deeper look at state-sponsored violence (urban evictions and crackdowns on protest) is needed to put into perspective two viral...

16 February 2013

Mozambique: Mouthwatering Zambezian cuisine

Afreaka blog [pt] pays homage to food from central Mozambique, from Zambézia Province. They write, besides spice, the secret is “lots of coconut milk, made fresh, grating coconut into hot...

16 February 2013

Kenya's Presidential Debate Ends on TV, Continues on Twitter

With only three weeks until Kenya's presidential elections, technology continues to change how the country participates in the electoral process. Kenyans submitted questions via Twitter for the first ever presidential debate on February 11, and an online election monitoring meant to keep the upcoming elections fair launched the same day.

15 February 2013

About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage

Zita Zage
Zita Zage is the Anglophone Africa Editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Jean Sovon
Jean Sovon is the Francophone Africa. Editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.