Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from February, 2008
Kenya: Msafara Initiative
Pastor M introduces Msafara Initiative in Kenya: “The Msafara initiative continues to gather momentum. Check out the new website www.msafara.co.ke to learn more about how you can be involved. Many churches across Kenya have signed on to Msafara and many more are signing on! Churches involved so far come from...
Kenya: Democracy as a spiritual battle
Wheels of Hope in Kenya takes a spiritual path to heal the nation: “The battle for Kenya is a spiritual battle: a battle waged by the forces of darkness against the nation and fought in the spiritual realms. Demonic spells were cast over different cities in the nation in the...
Is President Bingu Malawi's “Moses”?
Some artists read the times and strategise accordingly. A popular song titled Mose wa Lero by Joseph Nkasa makes many Malawians sing along even if they did not want to because of the way the artist has related the biblical Moses to Malawi's president Bingu wa Mutharika. In the song which is on Mutharika's blog, the artist Nkasa says Mutharika has led Malawians move out of Egypt where they had hunger and different problems.
Burkina Faso: teachable moments, missing bathrooms and road rage
Pity the school teachers of the Peace Corps. While their compatriots toiling in health clinics or with micro-credit programs pretty much work loose hours and come and go from social events in the capital city at their leisure, teachers are stuck at home with a inflexible schedule, classrooms full of hundreds of students and loads and loads of homework to correct each night.
Mozambique: Demanding un update on the children trafficking case
Luis David [pt] demands an update on the situation of the 40 children found in a truck intercepted by police in Inchope, reported back in January. The children were supposedly being taken to schools to study the Koran, with their parents consent. “And that casts doubt on whether it was...
Morocco: No Justice for Fouad Mourtada
Is creating a Facebook profile of a famous entity a crime? Although it's been done to nearly every major celebrity (a quick search for "George W. Bush" garners over 500 results), but when Fouad Mourtada chose to mimic Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, he was committing a serious crime.
Angola: Condolences message
“Angola lost today two of its most distinguished defenders of Angolanness: Gentil Ferreira Viana and Joaquim Pinto de Andrade. Two men from different backgrounds but alike in the highest defense of our homeland and Angolanness”, reports Eugénio Costa Almeida [pt], who has condolences messages for both nationalists who contributed to...
Nigeria/Kenya: Why is Odinga meeting Obasanjo?
Adeola wonders why Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, decided to meet Nigeria's former President, Olusegun Obasanjo: “Why is Odinga meeting Obasanjo? Obasanjo supervised the worst election in our history as Nigerians. He perpetrated crimes similar to what Kibaki did last december in Kenya. Obasanjo is an enemy of democratic processes...
Nigeria: Nigeria's youngest painter
Onarieta is Nigeria's youngest painter: “Carrying her lunch box and dressed in her signature look – tiny head scarf covering her beaded, braided hair, a contemporary top and a long african print skirt to match her scarf – it's hard not to notice how artsy this cute little girl is....
The groundswell of opposition to AFRICOM from African bloggers
At the tail-end of U.S. President George Bush’s six-day, five-country farewell tour of Africa came the announcement the Pentagon’s plans for a second U.S. military base on the continent of Africa is dead. Questions from the blogshpere flew: What exactly are U.S. interests in Africa?
Angola: Racism is unavoidable
(R)evolução em Angola [pt] publishes the first of a series of posts by Mukuolua Kinamatos about racism in Angola. “White or mixed races? Asked me the lady who was filling my identity card form. White, black and mixed races are the 3 races that can be provided on the Angolan...
Africa: The dust horror
“Between Conakry and Bamako there are 1000 km of motorways. First forests, then mountain, savannas after. It is a gift to the eyes and a way to ease the 15 hours’ drive. The trip ends in a bath of dust, by the entrance to Mali's capital”. On publishing an incredible...
Cape Verde: Journalist is jailed
A journalist has been jailed this week for taking photographs in Cape Verde, Nós Media [pt] reports. The blogger has learned the piece of news trough a newspaper's website. “Despite the ambiguity of the piece of news, that don't let us really understand the circumstances in which the journalist was...
Angola: A new web forum
Angola Haria [pt] has created a new discussion forum for Angolans, a place where the blog's readers may write a simple message, share memories or promote healthy discussions.
Africa: AfricaNews seeks reporters
AfricaNews seeks African reporters, writes Ore's Notes: “If there are journalists out there or budding journalists, you might be interested in writing for AfricaNews. Check out their site for more info on signing-up as a reporter.”
Cameroon: Mt. Cameroon Race for Hope
Rev. Tracy writes about Mt. Cameroon Race for Hope: “My race went well, I won my age group, and I was on television for the 3rd time! This race was much better funded and somewhat better organised than other races we've particpated in, but still quite a shambles by US...
Africa: Interrogating the blogosphere
Koluki interrogates the blogosphere by looking at the Globl Voices Online coverage of “Portuguese-speaking African countries”: “The most striking observation from this graph is that OC appears not only, as we have seen before, as the “undisputed champion” of GVO reporting about the “Angolan blogosphere”, but also as the “champion”...
Kenyan Bloggers Outline Political Solutions
From the high street cafes to the dark alleys in Nairobi's river road (down town), Kenyans can be heard discussing what former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan should prescribe as the compromise. There are voices of hope and optimism as well as prophets of doom who see the current exercise as mere puppetry. The role of the international community has also been discussed accross the divide. This situation is also reflected in the blogosphere.
Madagascar: After the storm Ivan, the aftermath
Tropical Cyclone Ivan has now left Madagascar leaving behind several regions in shambles and thousands of people without homes. The official account by the authorities reports 2 deaths and 15,000 people without homes. Considering that Ivan was classified as a very severe cyclonic storm with winds at up to 137 km/h, many people are wondering what might be the final count of actual casualties and damages.
French immigration minister: ‘France isn't racist’
Forum Realisance summarizes French immigration minister Brice Hortefeux's recent interview [Fr] with Jeune Afrique in which he discussed DNA testing for immigrants, immigration quotas, expulsion and other controversial issues, finally stating, “No, France is not racist.”
Burkina Faso: Comedy Festival in Ouagadougou
QuophyBlogeur writes about Burkina Faso's first comedy festival [Fr], and its “magic to break from the monotony of life and overcome life's most difficult situations.”
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