Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa
Kenya police turn to Twitter PR as the arrest of a blogger goes against public opinion
“Somehow, the [Directorate of Criminal Investigations] believes that PR, and specifically ‘live-tweeting,’ will change Kenyans' perception without bringing about the much needed reforms within the force.”
How a youth movement is challenging the political old guard in Namibia
Job Amupanda, university teacher and leader of the Affirmative Repositioning movement went from advocating for land reform to being elected as mayor of Namibia's capital city, Windhoek.
Personal attacks follow Burundi human rights defender into exile in Uganda
The harassment began in September 2017 after the release of a “hugely damning” UN Commission of Inquiry report on human rights abuses in Burundi, and Chantal Mutamuriza was "singled out...
A plan to allow logging in Cameroon’s biologically rich Ebo Forest was halted, but the area remains vulnerable
“Here you have the trees, the gorillas and chimpanzees. Our parents are buried there. We have our sacred places...,” laments a local chief resisting the exploitation of Ebo forest.
After 28 years, Kenya qualifies for major African basketball tournament, led by record-breaking female coach
Liz Mills, the Australia-born coach made history as the first woman coach to lead an African team to the AfroBasket tournament
Africa adrift, and awaiting Nigeria’s leadership?
African countries need a synergy for peace and development of the continent, without external interference. The Nigeria-led intervention in The Gambia is an example of how this can be achieved.
Sudan's revised cybercrime law falls short on its promise
Political activist Owar Alsadig’s lawsuit sparked controversy over the nature of Sudan’s current information and cybercrime laws, and the potential to abuse these laws to limit freedom of expression.
African media perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the continent, report finds
The report released in February 2021 offers a deeper understanding of why poverty, war, disease and failed elections continue to dominate media coverage of Africa.
Nigerian politician arrested for condemning the kidnap of schoolchildren
Salihu Tanko Yakasi’s tweets came after the kidnapping of about 300 school girls at Government Girls Secondary School inJangebe, north-western Nigeria, on February 26, 2021.
Mozambique’s President pardons young men who insulted him in viral video
One of the men was even arrested, and the case was widely discussed on social media.
Angolans furious after protesters killed in rally by self-determination movement
Movement demanding autonomy for the eastern half of Angola claims police fired indiscriminately at protesters attending a rally in the mining village of Cafunfo on January 30.
Will Burundi's new government lift restrictions on its once-lively press?
Burundi's new president has recently offered an olive branch to suspended media as the government seeks to improve the country's international reputation.
Freedom of expression in a downward spiral in Southern Africa, says new study
Outdated laws, exorbitant fees, and stifling of dissent have ramped up violations to the right of free expression in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Nigerian protesters arrested for resisting reopening of the Lagos Lekki toll gate
The protest came on the heels of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry's decision to reopen the toll gate— a move perceived as insensitive to victims of the Lekki shootings.
Is Mozambique trying to expel a foreign journalist?
Bowker is the founder of the news website Zitamar News, which in recent years has been praised for its coverage of the armed conflict in the Cabo Delgado province.
COVID-19 vaccine in Africa: Caught between China’s soft-power diplomacy and the West’s vaccine nationalism, Part II
Is it not hypocritical to heckle China for their soft-power vaccine diplomacy in Africa while Western governments conveniently pursue vaccine nationalism?
COVID-19 vaccine in Africa: Caught between China’s soft-power diplomacy and the West’s vaccine nationalism, Part I
The storage of Chinese Sinovac’s CoronaVac and Sinopharm are more suited for Africa’s hot temperatures, unlike those produced in the West, which require deep-freezer temps.
A social media blackout persists in Uganda, weeks after the election
Uganda's longtime leader Yoweri Museveni was reelected for a sixth term, as rival Bobi Wine alleges massive irregularities, state inspired violence, intimidation and harassment.
Mozambican football back in action with the debut of all-women referee trio
Known as Moçambola, Mozambique's main professional football league restarted on 16 January after 10 months' suspension due to the pandemic.
In Tanzania, full-throttle COVID-19 denial leaves citizens without access to public health information
Since March 2020, the Tanzanian government has gone silent on the coronavirus with no data released to the public on infections or deaths.
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