Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from February, 2013
Musicians Aim Fighting Words at the Gambia's Hardliner President
A popular music video featuring a group of artists taking aim at the president of the Gambia's tightening grip on the West African country has gone viral among Gambians home and abroad.
Hand-painted Ads in Guinea-Bissau
In Guinea-Bissau “there is a real market of experts on painting wall advertisements”, says landscape architect Manuel Bivar. In 2011, he shared a collection of photos featuring hand-painted ads from Guinean shops on the African contemporary culture website, Buala.
Video of Brutal Beating of Women Shocks Angola
On February 7, 2013, Angola awoke to the sounds of screams of pain and the sound of two women customers of a store being whipped. In just three days the 13 minute video that showed two women being brutally beaten had more than 25,000 views on Youtube, was aired on state television and shocked the Angolan community.
Is Senegal's Government Spokesman Selling Out?
The reputation of former investigative journalist turned government spokesman Abdou Latif Coulibaly as a champion of Senegal's citizen protest movements took a serious blow after he forcefully distanced himself from the movements during a political speech.
The Idleness of African Leadership in Mali
Ousmane Gueye on the site Mondoblog writes [fr] about the slow deployment of African troops in northern Mali : If we were to judge the impact of the intervention in Mali by the jubilant euphoria of liberated populations, then it should be obvious that by deploying so slowly, African countries failed Mali...
10 Best African Food Blogs
MyWeku compiles a list of 10 best African food blogs for 2013: “There are seemingly a million food blogs out there, but only a handful showcase African food. Even so it has still been a struggle to pick 10 of our favourites for this year (2013).”
Côte d'Ivoire's ‘Elephants’ Doomed?
What if the football history of Côte d'Ivoire was doomed in a particularly strange way? A story written in such a way that superstars cannot ever put their hands on the continental trophy ? What exactly do Didier Drogba and Laurent Poku lack to win a Africa Cup? They are...
Mali: Threats All Around
The Malian army has committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) during the ongoing conflict against armed groups, including extrajudicial executions of civilians, according to testimonies collected by Amnesty International during a ten days mission in Mali.
Creating Art to Kuti’s Legendary Beats
Mr. Jaeger has worked on several of Knitting Factory’s Fela efforts including Fela: Live In Detroit 1986, and the Ginger Baker compiled Fela: Vinyl Box Set 2. Wes Flexner speaks with the person behind the artwork for “Best of Black President Pt 2″, an extensive collection of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti’s music...
Her Zimbabwe: A Platform for Women to Share Views
Her Zimbabwe is an online platform for women to share their views, discuss issues and carry out open debate about the things that affect them.
Impact of Factory Jobs on Workers’ Wealth
Work for Chris Blattman in Ethiopia to assess the impact of low-skill, low-wage factory jobs on the worker’s wealth, health and politics (among other things).
Panic and Terror Walk Hand-in-Hand in Guinea-Bissau
As the world's attention is focused on another part of West Africa, the citizens of Guinea-Bissau struggle to bring a worsening human rights situation to regional and international attention. Guinean Human Rights League released a major report on the human rights situation today, a serious wake-up call for those who think everything is okay in the country.
When Bob Marley Went to Africa
The film opens on the Ghanaian coast at the remnants of a slave post, the camera then pans over the Atlantic, finally settling on the green hills of rural Jamaica (Marley’s birthplace Nine Mile) from where it picks up Bob Marley’s story, thus cementing a link between the continent and...
US Congressman Vows to Help Gambians
Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison and his Staff had a fruitful discussion on Gambia’s ailing democracy with the civil society group based in Minneapolis last Monday. Congressman Keith Ellison in the United States House of Representative has promised to help Gambians in their fight for democracy.
Every Weekend is a Long Weekend in Gambia
“Unlike in the rest of the world, employees in a tiny nation on Africa’s west coast can now enjoy an extended weekend of three days, beginning Friday. The reform introduced in the public-sector by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh came into force on February 1 ignoring Opposition protest” Blog SeyiSanchez reports.
Missing Colonial Map, Charged Border Dispute
Debate has flared up about maps allegedly taken by the British after Sudan became independent in 1956. While some believe the historic documents could ease ongoing border disputes, researchers doubt they exist at all. Joseph Edward discusses the issue of missing colonial-era maps of the South Sudan border.
Dancing to the Beat of History with Marrabenta in Mozambique
Every year around this time, Mozambicans start the year celebrating Marrabenta music. And in each rhythmic beat the country's identity and history resonates. Find out why.
“Christian” Zambia: Blessing or Curse?
Mr. Ndhlovu explains the purpose of his book in the last pages. He states that he was motivated to write this book because pastors and politicians who had been abusing the Christian faith to advance their personal agendas had disillusioned him. Munshya wa Munshya reviews Gershom Ndhlovu's new book titled...
African Union Panel of the “Not-So-Wise”
Collins Mbalo wonders whether the African Union Panel of the Wise and the COMESA/IGAD committee of elders was unwise in their assessment of whether Kenya is ready for peaceful elections #choice2013.
Digital Monitoring of Kenya Elections 2013
Uchaguzi is a Kenya’s citizen digital crowdsourcing monitoring/mapping effort:”The Kenyan 2013 Elections are just over a month away. If this past weekend’s political nominations are any indication, there will be a rise of people’s voices and stories to share. You may be asking: how can I contribute?”
Ghana: Alternative Medicine Practitioners Invest in New Technologies
Alternative medicine practitioners in Ghana have decided to invest in new technologies, Kofi Domfeh reports:”M.Y. Ventures, a natural healthcare center, has introduced a swap card technology that helps protect the privacy and data confidentiality of patients.”
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