Stories about Mali from October, 2010
Evacuation of The Former “House of West African Students” in Paris
Ménilmuche writes on his blog [fr] about the evacuation of “La Maison des Étudiants de l’Ouest Africain” [fr]. In 1950 [Colonial period], French West Africa (AOF) purchased this building to house the elected West African representatives. The building became a student dormitory in the 1960's when the countries reached independence....
Africa: Ancient African Writing Systems
Did Africans use any writing systems before foreigners came to the continent?: “The truth of the matter is that ancient Africans were writing and there are several African writing systems even though most of them may be forgotten now…And we cannot forget the Ethiopian script, Ge’ez used in community that...
Sahel Region: On Paying Ransom for Hostages
Hostage-taking by a militant Islamist group called Al-Qaeda in The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is on the rise in the Sahel region which spans across several countries in the north of Africa. In order to free hostages, governments and companies have put political pressure on the African nations involved, or opted to pay ransoms directly. However, the strategy of paying ransom is often decried as ineffective and dangerous in the long run.
