Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from March, 2013
Zambia Readies Corruption Case Against Former President Rupiah Banda
The political and legal stage has been set for the prosecution of Zambia’s former president Rupiah Banda on corruption charges after his presidential immunity was lifted by parliament in a raucous sitting in which the Speaker was heckled and opposition members walked out.
“Tough Skin and Brains”: Nigeria's Apps4Africa Winner Talks Tech Innovation in Africa
Fresh off winning the competitive funding Apps4Africa award, Francis Onwumere, who co-founded the real-time collaboration tool Prowork, chatted with us about the project, tech innovation in Africa, and how to make the most of Nigeria's poor infrastructure.
Unstable State of Justice in São Tomé and Príncipe
The judicial system of Sao Tome and Principe has been in tumultuous tides. Elsa Pinto's appointment to Attorney General's Office raised objections about her judicial past and lasted no more than fifteen days [pt]. Humbah Aguiar analyzed the situation in a video [pt], Danilo Salvaterra shared on Facebook a reflection...
Global Voices Podcast Special: Habemus Podcast!
With two African cardinals considered at one point to be potential successors to Pope Benedict XVI, we spoke with Steve Sharra and Abdoulaye Bah from our Africa team about the possibility of an African pope.
Banned Music and Missing Voices in Angola
The Angolan National Police have confiscated, amongst other works, DVDs by rapper Brigadeiro 10 Pacotes in an act of censorship against voices that are unsettling the Angolan authorities. A protest was called for in response which ended in police violence and at least one arrest. On the web, citizens remember the activists that disappeared after demonstrations in 2012.
Grievance of a Young Indignant Santomean
Danilo Salvaterra published [pt] a video on Facebook that shows a young boy from São Tomé and Príncipe complaining about the general lack of basic infrastructures not only in Diogo Vaz (where the teenager lives and the video was recorded), but also in the rest of the country. He mentions...
São Tomé and Príncipe's Youth Skeptical of Government Promises
On March 6, 2013, the Minister of Youth and Sports of Sao Tome and Principe, Albertino Fernandes, presented the government's intention to train three thousand athletes, to create one thousand jobs and to build four hundred houses for young people until 2014. People present at the press conference, such as...
Rebels Attack in Central African Republic
RJDH -RCA reports that [fr]: According to multiple NGOs in the region, the cities of Mobaye and Bangassou are under attack by dissident rebels of the Sekela coalition in the Central African Republic. No confirmation has been given yet by the government. Bangassou's phone network is currently cut off.
British Security Firm Profits from Mali War
Ramzy Baroud writes [fr] about the conflict in Mali on Pambazuka: British security firm G4S will rake in enormous profits due to the crisis taking place in Mali, Libya and Algeria. Recognized as the biggest security firm in the world, the group was downgraded at the time of the Olympic Games in London last...
Niger: How Nomads Navigate the Desert
Adouma Alghoubas writes about the life of nomads in the desert of Niger [fr] : Nomadic people do not have the technological means at their disposal to get their bearings, but what they do have is knowledge of astronomy, inherited from their ancestors. They navigate their way as they travel...
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]: “A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to...
Business Over Politics For Africa's Chinese
Nan Chen, a Chinese American working in Nairobi, interviewed some Chinese expats and local Kenyans about China's business culture in Africa (via Tea Leaf Nation): For Chinese expats, business comes first and politics second. The upcoming Kenyan elections matter only to the extent that they impact business. While among my western...
A Zimbabwean Salute to Hugo Chavez
Zimbabwean blogger Takura Zhangazha salutes the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez: “In mourning Chavez from Zimbabwe and from Africa it is key that we remember him for his principled global leadership example and his people centered policies and politics.”
Hissene Habre Victims’ Long Road to Justice
Jacqueline Moudeina writes on Pambazuka.org about the inauguration of a special tribunal in Senegal, to bring Hissene Habre, former dictator of Chad, before the courts [fr]: “Being a victim, is a condition in which we languish without the ability to recover, as long as justice has not been served. The...
Benin Journalist Gets Three Months in Prison
Jolome News notes that the International Federation of Journalists has denounced the sentencing of Ms. Berthe Cakpossa to three months in prison and a fine of 500.000 francs CFA (the equivalent of $1,000 US) for insulting Boni Yayi, the Head of State. Ms. Cakpossa is the director of a private...
Nigerians Shake Up Twitter with Yoruba-Language Tweets
Twitter was abuzz with Yoruba, one of the three major indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria, on March 1, 2013 as speakers of the language lit up the microblogging site with tweets in Yoruba as part of a campaign to celebrate the language on social media and pressure Twitter to include it in its translation project.
Bloggers Duke it Out for Ghana's First Ever Social Media Awards
The best and brightest of the Ghanaian blogosphere will be recognized in Ghana's first ever social media awards, organized by the nonprofit BloggingGhana.
Malawi's President Banda Versus ‘Selfish’ Members of Parliament
Malawi's President Joyce Banda has caused chaos in parliament by insisting that members of parliament not get their fuel allowance arrears, saying her government has no money to pay. The MPs are demanding fuel allowances backdated to 2009.
Kenyans Flood Polls Despite Election Day Violence
Machete-wielding separatists left at least 13 dead in Kenya as millions of people turned out in historic numbers to cast their votes on March 4, 2013 in one of the most watched general elections in Africa since the country's elections in 2007 ended in ethnic bloodshed. Sporadic acts of violence marred the otherwise peaceful election.
The Conflict in Mali: Who is Fighting Whom, and Why?
Since the bloody conflict in Mali began one year ago, the crisis has evolved in fits and starts, all the while immersed in a historical framework that the mainstream media too often oversimplifies. Here we will try to unpack the complexities of the conflict by putting into context the violent fighting currently engulfing the northern African country.
Violence Holding Youth Hostage in Guinea
Diallo Thierno Sadou [fr] analyzes the political situation in Guinea where violence erupted between police forces and the opposition since February, 27. The fightings has led to multiple casualties and lootings in the capital city Conakry. The current governor of the city, officer Sékou Resco Camara [fr], was charged in...
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