Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from October, 2011
South Africa: Motorcyclist in Amageza Rally Rescues Calf
The video captured on a helmet cam by South African Johan Gray is making him famous. While doing one of the qualifying rounds for the Amageza 2012 motorcycle endurance race he spotted a calf trying to stay afloat in a canal. He stopped to help the stranded animal and then...
Kenya: Online Reactions to Suspected Al Shabaab Grenade Attacks
Following the Kenyan military offensive against the Somali militant group Al Shabaab, the group responded by attacking Kenya's capital with two deadly grenade attacks: one at a popular entertainment club and the other at a crowded bus stop in downtown Nairobi. The two incidents have provoked a conversation online.
Africa: Africa's Challenge to Western Homosexuality
Critical Point discusses Africa's challenge to Western homosexuality: “I feel disappointment when African leaders immediately submit to a foreign concept in order to be assimilated into an “International Community” whose definition of international is decidedly limited! How is it that a relatively recent understanding of homosexuality has predominated over one...
Zambia: Presidential Immunity Must be Limited to the Term of Office
Gershom argues that presidential immunity in Zambia must be limited to the term of office: “With the revelations coming out regarding the conduct of Zambia’s immediate former president Rupiah Banda in his three short years in office, it is increasingly becoming necessary for people to demand that Mr Banda be...
Zambia: Netizens Divided Over Sata's Apology to Angola
Since he took over as Zambia’s president after the September 20 election, Michael Sata has committed several diplomatic blunders. The biggest talking point is his apology to the Angolan government for former Zambian ruling party MMD's support of the then Angolan rebel movement.
Cameroon: French Politician Denounces Irregularities in the Cameroonian Election
Eva Joly, the green party candidate for the French 2012 presidential election, denounced on her blog the re-election of Paul Biya, Cameroon incumbent president. She points out that even the usually prudent US State Department expressed strong reserves with the electoral process. She is surprised that the French Ministry of...
Mozambique: Uniting Small Farmers for a Better Tomorrow
Mr. Júlio dos Santos Pêssego is one of the principal leaders of the "peasant movement" in Niassa province in Mozambique. He helps organize community groups that work to defend land rights, increase food production and bring prosperity to farming families.
Cameroon : The First Lady Fake Twitter Account
Journalist Beaugas-Orain Djoyoum writes an article entitled ‘The Saucy Chantal Biya‘ [fr] in the Cameroonian IT news portal TIC Mag. He describes the typical updates that can be found on the popular fake Twitter account of the Cameroonian First Lady.
Cameroon Reacts to Presidential Election Results
Humour, outrage, allusions to Muammar Gaddafi's demise and calls for peace have dominated online reactions to the official results of the Cameroon presidential election, which won by the incumbent, Paul Biya.
Ethiopia: Netizens Shine Spotlight on Trial of Swedish Journalists
The trial of two Swedish journalists accused of terrorism in Ethiopia after being detained during a battle between government troops and rebels started on Tuesday. The story has become a hot topic of discussion in both traditional media and online communities worldwide.
Mozambique: Rare photo of President dancing
A photo of President Guebuza dancing has gone “viral” by Mozambican standards on Facebook, with over 500 likes and 440 comments. @ Verdade newspaper photographer Miguel Mangueze captured the rare moment.
Tanzania: Priorities for Open Government in Tanzania
Daraja discusses the decision by the Tanzanian government to joining the Open Government Partnership: “So, an open-data platform for Tanzanian government data is option 1. But with only around 2% of Tanzanians online, this option could be described as elitist. It would help researchers, academics, journalists, students and activists, but...
Cameroon: An Open Letter to the President
An open letter to the President of Cameroon from opposition presidential candidate Ayah Paul Abine: “Mr. President, You would have known by now that of the seven candidates who signed the Yaounde Declaration demanding the cancellation of the recent presidential election, four are Anglophones and three are from the West...
Uganda: LRA Survivor Bears Witness
Lord's Resistance Army survivor in Uganda bears witness: “Evelyn Apoko survived the Lords Resistance Army [LRA]. Here she responds to those who are stupidly misinformed and who have criticised President Obama’s decision to deploy 100 US troops to try to end the LRA’s war and capture Joseph Kony.”
Ghana: Blogger Assaulted
A female blogger was assaulted in Accra this morning: “This morning, at about 7.38 am, I was physically assaulted in my car, on the Mallam-Weija Highway by a man of about mid-thirties, about 5'11 tall, toughly built … dressed in balck office shirt and tucked into black denim trousers, black...
Cameroon: Election Irregularities Noted by US Ambassador in Yaoundé
Robert Jackson, the United States (US) Ambassador in Cameroon, stated in a declaration made public by AFP [fr] that US observers of the October 9, 2011, presidential election noted “irregularities at every level” of the electoral process, and “technical difficulties by Elecam [Cameroonian Electoral Commission] in its management of the...
Cameroon: Biya Tipped to Win After Temporary Results Are Leaked
Weekly newspaper Le Messager has published a leak of Cameroon's temporary presidential election results in an article, which tips current incumbent Paul Biya to win. Julie Owono reports on netizens' reactions and the fear of post-election violence.
Commemorating Mozambique's Founding Father, Samora Machel
Mozambique commemorates on October 19, 2011, the 25th anniversary of the loss of its founding father and President Samora Machel, who was killed in a plane crash in Mbuzini, South Africa on October 19, 1986. The government declared 2011 the "Year of Samora Machel".
Cameroon: Retrospective on the 2011 Presidential Election Candidates
So much has already been said about the recent presidential election in Cameroon: too many candidates, strange promises, unflattering political slogans, and so on. Philippe Menkoue provides a retrospective of the candidates prior to the results being announced.
France: Violence Erupts in French Overseas Departement Mayotte
Violence has erupted during demonstrations against the rising cost of living in Mamoudzou, the capital city of the French overseas departement Mayotte, where one man has died and another is reported wounded [fr]. Events can be followed on Twitter via the #mayotte hashtag. Rue89 has published testimonies [fr] from Mayotte citizens, while Politis...
Zimbabwe: Deportations of Zimbabweans a Political Move
“Mwana washe muranda kumwe” is an old Zimbabwean saying which means that when one is a foreigners they are a nobody in the eyes of the host country and this rings true today as thousands of Zimbabweans face deportation from South Africa back to Zimbabwe.
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