Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from May, 2006
Togo: Books by Blogger's Friends
Kangni Alem directs us (Fr) to novels recently released by his friends Sara Vidal, Amba Till and Adelaide Fassinou on topics such as love and the border between Benin and Togo.
Ethiopia: More websites barred.
RSF report that three more Ethiopian blogs have been barred Ethiomedia.com, Freeourleaders.org and Nazret.com
Rock Steady: Desmond Dekker
Mshairi remembers Rock Steady great, Desmond Dekker who passed away recently. Who can ever forget “Israelites”
Africa: Slavery & colonisation
Afrikan Eye has an informative and extensive piece on Slavery and Colonisation in Africa.
DRC: Mining industry
Peaceful Rising, a blog about Chinese influence in the developing world comments the state of the DRC cobalt mining industry which has run into decay “Since the Gecamines went bankrupt in 1990, its open mines have been invaded by thousands of self-employed hand-diggers and artisan miners, known in French as...
Sudan: Refugees in Israel
Passion of the Present comments on the uncertain life of Sudanese refugees in Israel
Kenya: Conversation on Freedom
As Kenyans move to celebrate independence Gukira comments that “freedom (in Africa) remains tethered”…..”Even as we celebrate—or at least remember—madaraka of years gone by, we must ask, as I continue to ask, what forms of un-freedom do we sanction? What forms of freedom must we advance? How can we make...
African football: No world cup winners
African Shirts points to an editorial piece in the New Statesman (to which he contributed) on African Football ….“African countries won't win this World Cup, or the next one, writes David Runciman. The reason? For all the money splashing around, nothing is changing at the grass roots///”
Uganda: Hummers go home
Ernest Bazanye is outraged at the presence of a “Humer2″ on the streets of Kampala….”It isn’t just tacky and in very poor taste, it is downright immoral.”
Namibia: Going for a song
Diary of a Mad Kenyan Woman comments on the Namibian governments granting “Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt the rights of ownership (or lease?) over its borders and its airspace, so that this couple, who are accomplished enough to have arranged their genetics so as to have the requisite good looks”
Ethiopia: Shortsighted government
CoffeeChillinsun comments on the short sightedness of Ethiopia's government in expelling journalist, AddisFerenj two months ago. She is not travelling throughout Europe and speaking on the human rights situation in Ethiopia.
African women’s voices this week
Now and again, the question ‘where are African women bloggers?’ is asked by people who, despite the proliferation of African women’s blogs and the weekly updates on Global Voices, do not seem to be aware that African women are blogging and have been doing so for several years. For people...
Eritera: Political prisoners
EMDHR Reads and Writes! points to an article in the UK Guardian about an Eritrean singer, Helen Berhane who has spent most of the past two years locked inside a shipping container….”Her crime? Angering the Eritrean regime by refusing to stop producing gospel music.”
Voices from Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes
Zimbabwe: The first anniversary of Zimbabwe's notorious “cleanup” operation, Operation Murambatsvina passed recently. There was a marked reticence among Zimbabwean bloggers towards organized commerations. Accoustic Motorbike explains her reasons; Marking the “one year” anniversary of this destruction ignores the fact that Murambatsvina is on going. It’s become a verb, a...
Senegal: Conversations on Drowned Migrants
Senegalese blogger Seckasysteme has been keeping a close eye on thousands of migrants from Senegal who have attempted to reach Europe on clandestine rafts since the beginning of the year. Last week the blogger explained that 23 migrant hopefuls had been intercepted by Senegalese authorities on their way to the...
Up close with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
One of Africa's most powerful women
Lesotho: News roundup
Sotho has a roundup of news from Lesotho for the month of May.
Sudan: UN Assessement in Darfur
The Sudanese Thinker reports that Sudan has finally agreed to a UN Assessment Mission to go to Darfur
Afrobarometer: measuring change in Africa
African Unchained points to the “Afrobarometer” an independent,nonpartisan research project that measures the social and political and economic atmosphere in Africa
South AFrica: CD/DVD piracy
Singing South Africanness comments on the rampant DVD and CD piracy that takes place in South Africa and asks why the original disks are so expensive and beyond the means of most SA…”if some people can produce pirated CDs and DVDs at such low prices, why can't the originators of...
Zambia: violence against women
Zambian blog, Real Life of a Journalist writes on “the undeniable fear of men by women“Men that inflict suffering through pain or other forms of abuse on women only show their level of fear of womens power over them. Most abusers are cowards and liars, wanting to project an image...
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