Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from August, 2017
Is Cameroonian Journalist Ahmed Abba’s Imprisonment Because of Security, or Is It an Attack on the Press?
"This is an attack on the press. It's as if they want to criminalize journalism as an occupation in Cameroon. All they're accusing Ahmed Abba of is being a professional."
‘Massacre’ of Suspected Gang Members Has Mozambicans Asking: What's the Role of Police?
Police maintained their intention was "to neutralize" the men, who died in a shootout. Some Mozambicans were quick to say police shouldn't be in the business of killing people.
Provisional Election Results Show Angola's Longtime Ruling Party Is Staying Put
On 23 August, more than 9 million Angolans were called to elect the new president.
Nigeria's President Surprises With a Speech Not About His Health, but About Ethnic Tensions
President Muhammadu Buhari finally returned after three months in the UK on medical vacation, and his first public address flagged online comments that "question[ed] our collective existence as a nation."
Shanty Towns in Conakry and Freetown: Mismanagement and Vulnerability in Africa's Booming Capitals
For several days now, bulldozers have been demolishing houses in Démoudoula, Conakry, leaving men, women and children on the streets.
Residents of Ethiopia's Oromia Region Strike to Demand Release of Political Prisoners
Normally crowded streets and shops were empty as Oromos stayed home from work.
Dear Tanzanian Cinephiles, Your Local Film Industry Needs Your Support
Tanzania is blessed with countless stories and young people who are craving to tell them. But they need their compatriots' support in order to succeed.
A Kenyan artist designs revolutionary ‘kanga’ celebrating queer love around the world
"We need to open up a space to talk more about sex, and then artists like me want to open that up even more, to talk about queerness."
History Repeats Itself, Violently, in Burkina Faso
"Every time, they come to kill our brothers. Those are two restaurants beloved of Burkinabe that have been targeted."
Banning School-Going Mums Probably Won't Reduce Teen Pregnancy in Tanzania
President John Magufuli has chastised NGOs in Tanzania for encouraging teenage mothers to go back to school, stating that they were leading to a state of "moral decay" in Tanzania.
China’s Taobao Faces Storm For Selling Personalised Messages Delivered by African Children
"Disgraceful! Taobao should put an end to these shops and investigate vendors for false advertising and malicious anti-black racism!"
A Young Engineer From Niger Is Taking on Industrial Air Pollution With His Invention
The T-shaped device captures the CO2-containing heavy substances from the fumes via an affinity-based chemical assay that binds CO2 particles.
Record-Breaking Action Movie ‘Wolf Warriors 2′ Takes Chinese Nationalism to a New Level
"This movie is horrible and unreasonable, a dream of idiotic patriotism."
Jokes, Hashtags and Fake News: The Story of Social Media in Kenya's Closely Contested Election
This year’s campaign has made history as the most affected by the spread of fake news, a recent study showed.
Guinean Filmmaker Paul Théa Speaks About His ‘Slave Route’ Project
"We are the first to propose a museum about slavery in Guinea, and to include the story of the slaves in South Carolina," says the filmmaker.
Angolan Activists Create a Platform To Monitor Presidential Elections
"...All of us complain of malpractice and electoral irregularities, so it is necessary that everybody acts as election monitors and remains alert."
What Once Was the Main Slave Port in the Americas Is Now a World Heritage Site
The recognition forces Brazil to acknowledge a period of its history that it still struggles to fully confront.
Even the Best Dancer Leaves the Dance Floor: African Strongmen and Political Transition
"The fear of challenging leaders who cling to power is, for some Africans, rooted in anxiety about alternatives—alternatives which remain unknown because they are never allowed to emerge and develop."
Ethiopia’s Anti-Graft Campaign is Rife with Ethnic Tensions
"There are practically no non-corrupt officials. Those arrested are corrupt, and most of the top officials who are leading the anti-corruption campaigns are also corrupt."
Some in Kenya Point to a Recent Hailstorm as a Sign of Climate Change
While some tweets on the Nyahururu hailstorm were of excitement, there are those who did not see the joke, especially when it came to the implications of the incident.
About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage
Amanda Lichtenstein is the Sub-Saharan Africa editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
