Elia Varela Serra

Journalist and blogger with an African interest.

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Latest posts by Elia Varela Serra

Côte d'Ivoire: Presidential Election in Pictures

On this Sunday, October 31st, registered voters in Côte d'Ivoire cast their ballots in the first presidential election in 10 years, due to the Civil War that broke out in 2002 and the subsequent issues that arose from it. Despite some initial delays in some polling stations, voting has been reportedly peaceful and the turnout appears to have been good. Here is a selection of pictures of the voting day.

1 November 2010

Côte d'Ivoire: Journalists accused of document theft are freed

The three journalists of Le Nouveau Courrier d'Abidjan arrested for refusing to reveal their sources have been finally released [Fr] this evening after a two-week ordeal. The journalists were found not guilty of theft but the newspaper is fined and suspended for 15 days for publishing information under legal consideration.

26 July 2010

Light Up Nigeria: Enough Is Enough

Despite being a country rich in oil, Nigeria's electricity supply situation is insufficient. “In most parts of the country, darkness pervades and generators have taken over as the source of power”, says Adebayo's blog. Now Nigerians have started a massive online demonstration against this frustrating situation on social media sites, especially on Twitter with the hashtag #lightupnigeria.

17 July 2009

DRC: Goma's Makeover for Independence Day

June 30th marked the 49th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Congo's independence from Belgium. This year, the official festivities took place in Goma. Bloggers react to this historic anniversary, celebrated in a city that not long ago was a war zone.

3 July 2009

Gabon: On President Omar Bongo's death

Sunday night, French media announced the death of President Omar Bongo of Gabon, who had spent 41 of his 73 years in power. Bloggers write about Gabon after Bongo and what Bongo's death means for Francafrique.

8 June 2009

Rwanda: The unresolved FDLR issue

Last January the conflict in North Kivu shifted once again with the arrest of CNDP rebel group leader Laurent Nkunda in Rwanda and the entry of the Rwandan national army (RDF) into the DR Congo to root out the FDLR rebel group in joint operations with the national Congolese army (FARDC). As Rebecca Feeley of the Enough Said blog explains, the Congolese Minister of Defense, Charles Mwando Nsimba, even went so far as to say that the FDLR threat had been “neutralized.”

22 April 2009

Rwanda: Fifteen years after the genocide

Today marks the end of a week of national mourning in Rwanda to commemorate the 15 anniversary since the genocide which killed 800,000 people. On the 7th of April ceremonies were held in the capital Kigali, and in Nyanza, where more than 5,000 people were slaughtered. At a stadium in Kigali, thousands of candles spelt out the word "hope" in three languages.

14 April 2009

Senegal: Beach wrestling

George Esunge Fominyen writes about the popularity of traditional wrestlilng in Senegal's beaches, and posts a video shot in the touristic resort of Mbour. He writes: “wrestlers competing in the...

16 January 2009

Cameroon: Interview with Côté Minou

Dulce Camer interviews Maryanne E. Mokoko and Stephanie T. Mouapi, the designers behind the fashion label “Côté Minou” launched in 2006. The interview includes several photos of their designs.

16 January 2009

The beauty of Sudan in pictures

Memoirs of a Sudanese breath has been posting a series of pictures of Sudan under the title “Beauty of Sudan“: battling women, traveling by donkey or camel in rural areas,...

14 January 2009

Guinea: Civil society is key

Black Star Journal reviews and analyses the latest developments in Guinea. He concludes: “With the former opposition political parties impotent and incoherent, an organized and assertive civil society might be...

13 January 2009

DR Congo: A musical roundup

With so much bad news coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo lately, we decided to show a different perspective on the country and looking at a completely different type of blogs for a change - those highlighting Congolese music.

13 January 2009

DR Congo: ICC trial for Bemba?

Bana Congo [Fr] and Wronging Rights report that Jean-Pierre Bemba‘s confirmation of charges hearing began at the International Criminal Court on January 12. Bemba is alleged to be criminally responsible...

13 January 2009

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