Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from April, 2007
Somalia: Mogadishu Tech Massacre
Espresso Royale Commentaries discusses “Mogadishu tech massacre”: The Mogadishu massacre was bigger in number but lesser known to most people because it didn’t make to be a prime media piece. This massacre was even worse. It was Virginia Tech shooting multiplied by 100 and it is repeated daily and ongoing....
Kenya: Kenyan film wins African award
“Last month Nigerian films made a sweep at the African Movie Academy Awards. Incidentally, only one film from Kenya was nominated, Voice in the Bin for Best Film,” writes KenyaImagine.
Uganda: Uganda ratifies Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Jackie Tumwine reports that the Uganda government has ratified Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC): “Uganda signed this first ever global public health treaty back in March 2004- the same month that the national ban on smoking in public places came into force.”
Africa: the cultural construction of African homosexuality
Gukira discusses “the cultural construction of African homosexuality”: If we are to understand the cultural construction of African homosexuality, it must be from within the prison. Once we understand sodomy as a tool of political repression, or, more precisely, as being intertwined with political repression, then we can understand, if...
Cameroon: Autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs from Cameroon
Dibussi Tande on Cameroonian national figures with autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs: “For example, Albert Mukong and Christian Tobie Kuo both wrote two volumes of their memoirs. Same with Jean Martin Tchaptchet (who shared that infamous last meal with nationalist leader Felix Moumie in Geneva in 1960), who has published two...
Ethiopia: students at Addis Ababa University go on strike
Ethio-Zagol writes about crisis at Addis Ababa University: “The student protest at Addis Ababa University is in its second day today after it was ignited yesterday by some students at Arat Kilo campus. The Students said they started chanting anti-university administration slogans when they learnt that the body of dead...
Zimbabwe: Don't come back to Zimbabwe
From Kubatana blog: “I’ve just received a reply to an email I sent to a friend informing them that I had been offered a fellowship to study at the prestigious Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC). All he said was good luck in your studies and don’t come back until there...
Sketches of Contradictions, Complexities, and Beauty of Life in Uganda
Here are some sketches that detail the contradictions, complexities and beauty of daily life in Uganda. In Apac, two women go in search of vegetarian food: Thus it began: the most epic search for food I have ever experienced. We didn’t ask for much: beans, rice, maybe chapatti — something...
The French Presidential Election: A View From Outside the Metropole
This weekend, more than 60 million French cast their ballots in the first round of the French presidential election, narrowing the list of candidates to two: conservative UMP candidate Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Party candidate Segolene Royal. Both face a run-off vote on May 6th. In the five years since...
Conference on France's Support of African Dictatorship
Le Pangolin has been posting video from a conference called “From ‘françafrique’ to ‘Mafiafrique'” which looks at France's post-colonial support of African dictators.
African Journalists on Franco-African Relations
African journalists working in France are calling on the two remaining French presidential candidates, Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal, to begin a new chapter in Franco-African relations (Fr), according to the blog of the Alliance for Democratic Progress. “We have to reconsider everything, make a fresh start, a sort of...
DRC: Opposition Ends Boycott of Parliament
The Congo's largest opposition party, allied to Jean-Pierre Bemba, President Kabila's main rival in the last presidential election, has ended its boycott of the Congolese parliament. UDPS Liege lays out the main issues that led to the boycott and their demands: security garanties, real freedom of expression, and a permanent...
Niger: Teacher Strike, Violent Student Protests
In Niger, violent protests by students (Fr) continued at the University of Niamey. The students are demanding (En) striking primary and secondary school teachers return to work. Nigerien civil society has meanwhile announced its support for the students‘ “fight for the improvement of their living and working conditions” (Fr)
Blogs and the Nigerian Elections: Will We Stop Talking About Our Cats And Shoes For One Day?
Nigeria has one of the most vibrant and dynamic blogospheres in Africa. It is no wonder that the Nigerian state and presidential elections were heavily blogged by Nigerians at home and abroad. New information and communication tools such as wikis, blogs, podcasts, and social networking sites have the potential to...
Tanzania: blog about Swahili film in the US
A blog about a Swahili film, Bongoland II: “This weekend we conducted screen tests for JUMA. The process went well and we were very impressed by the brave souls who dared to take on the challenge. We also want to thank those who made sacrifices to be at the event...
Kenya: first Kenyan video game?
Swamp Cottage asks if The Adventures of Nyangi is the first Kenyan video game.
Zimbabwe: police brutality against activists
Police brutality against members of Zimbwabean women's civic movement, WOZA: “By 7pm on Tuesday, all 56 members arrested on Monday at the Kuwadzana ZESA sit-in had been assualted in police custody and forced to pay admission of guilt fines to ‘buy’ their freedom. Lawyers served police with orders to allow...
Madagascar's E-Library
The Madagascar Electronic Library, now in its sixth month of existence, is home to over twenty free ebooks that have been downloaded over 6,000 times, writes (Fr) Actualité culturelle malgache.
South Africa: South African blogosphere exploiding into life
Rafiq posts a link to an article about South African bloggers in the Mail & Guardian, “An article in the business section of Mail & Guardian: SA Blogging Bonanza.”
Nigeria: stop criticizing the government from the Diaspora
Pause to Ponder defends his opinion about the state of Nigerian democracy: “The above topic was inspired by my last post, which has earned me bashing from 2 fellow bloggers, I bet a lot more are still coming. Their vituperations are long awaited though, because of my own perspectives of...
Namibia: memories of apartheid Namibia
iScatterlings’ It’s a Namibian Thing VII: “A lot has been said about apartheid but not too much was mentioned about the white on white apartheid. I suppose it was inevitable in a town like ours to have two distinct factions created. English and Afrikaans. Us kids pepetuated the divide and...
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