Latest posts by Elia Varela Serra from July, 2008
Malawi: Reflections on lawyers
Mzati Nkolokosa reflects on Malawian lawyers after a meeting of the Malawi Law Society, in which the launch of the Malawi Law Journal was decided. “Law is for people, even the poor”, he concludes.
Nigeria: On the Sovereign Wealth Fund
Solomonsydelle of Nigerian Curiosity writes about the country's Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), which is “a state-owned investment fund composed of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, property or other financial instruments.” And she wonders: “Will the SWF be maintained and its funds used in a means that advances Nigeria's interests...
Gabon: On President Bongo's wealth
Jeremy Weate at Naijablog posted an article on Gabonese President Omar Bongo's taste for luxury.
Zimbabwe, Iran: Regime similarities
Plateu of Iran posts an article by Hassan Daioleslam comparing Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe with the Iranian regime, which he describes as an “eye-opener for the appeasers, apologists or just those unaware of the reality of the Islamic Republic of Iran regime”.
Indian investment in Africa, in the shadows of China
Benin Mwangi at the Cheetah Index writes about Indian investment in Africa, which “in the West we don't hear that much about […] because so much of this growth has taken place in the shadow of China's advances”.
Ghana: Advantage age to win elections
Ghana Web at African Path writes about Emmanuel Ansah Antwi, Ghanaian presidential candidate of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP). Reportedly, he said that “just as late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah used his youthful exuberance to win independence, he (Antwi) would also use his comparatively young age of 43 to...
Nigeria: Much ado about nudity
Fadekemi at ConnectAfrica comments on a recent bill proposal to prohibit and punish nudity in Nigeria, among other offences: “Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation […] faced with so many issues ranging from the Niger-Delta crisis to the high rate of infant mortality. According to Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette who...
Sudan: UN peacekeeper attacked, Iran opposes ICC action
John Boonstra at The UN Dispatch reports that a security officer working with the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has been assaulted by Sudanese Government military personnel. He also reports that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has vocally defended his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al-Bashir.
Zimbabwe: Fear and indifference
A beautiful gift shares his impressions on the situation Zimbabwe after his recent visit to see his family: “I have heard a lot say western media […] exaggerate about the situation in Zimbabwe. On the contrary I now am convinced that western media understate the gravity of the situation in...
Zimbabwe: Open letter from Tsvangirai on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
This is Zimbabwe posted an open letter from the President of the leader of the opposition Morgan Tsvangirai on yesterday's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.
Idols East Africa
Wanjiku Unlimited, who has been closely following the Idols East Africa competition, describes the last three contestants left on the show.
Kenya: Rioting in schools
Ory Okolloh at Kenyan Pundit analyzes the reports of increasing levels of violence and riots in Kenyan high schools.
Malawi: Introduction of female condoms
Stories on Malawi reports the introduction of female condoms in the Malawian market.
D.R. of Congo: Ceasefire violations
Accross the divide: Analysis and anecdote from Africa comments on the ceasfire violations of the Goma Peace Agreement, according to a Human Right Watch communique. He says: “civilians continue to die in far greater numbers than before the Goma Agreement was reached six months ago. A serious lack of political...
“La Chinafrique”: A book review
Théophile Kouamouo [Fr] reviews in his blog the book La Chinafrique: Pékin à la conquête du continent noir by Serge Michel and Michel Beuret, about the Chinese presence in Africa. He says: “The Chinese aren't angels sent by the God of South-South cooperation and they are as racist, if not...
Kenya: School fires
In Ritch's World is alarmed by the recent “spate of mysterious fires” in Kenyan schools. He says: “Most of these schools do not have warning systems that would help to deal with fires before the worst comes to the worst. Neither do they have fire fighting equipment”.
Malawi: Slow bureaucracy at the road traffic office
Victor Kaonga describes his two-day bureaucratic “adventure” at the road traffic office in Lilongwe, in Malawi.
Mali: Balafon museum for Sikasso
Sociolingo's Africa reports on a new museum to be created in Sikasso, Mali. It will be the first museum designed to preserve the heritage of the balafon, an African xylophene played in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote-d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Ghana. The post includes a video of two balafon musicians.
Blogger of the week: Elena Ignatova
Today's Blogger of the Week series is taking us to Macedonia, a small country in Europe that some people might not even have heard of but that has a thriving blogosphere. We talked to Elena Ignatova, editor of both Global Voices in Macedonian and in Albanian, about her involvement with Global Voices, the Macedonian blogosphere and her work as an internet activist, among other things.
Kenya: Protecting the Mau forest
Kenya Environmental & Political News writes about the conservation efforts to protect the Mau Complex, the largest forest ecosystem in the country.
Africa: Sustainable architecture
The face of Afrika writes about two sustainable architecture projects in Africa, one in Ghana and the other one in Zamiba, including images of both.