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The world is talking, are you listening?

In honor of Movember: President Omar al Bashir of Sudan and his moustache. Via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

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We are told that miners do everything to waterproof the soil and ensure that waste does not contaminate subterranean water. But it must be recognized that there is always a risk, as they can never be completely sure that they are not contaminating subterranean pools. Moreover, with the impact of climate change, people will increasingly rely on subterranean water to supply towns

Alain Tossounon, reporting comments [fr] from a meeting with Dam Mogbanté, Executive Secretary of the Global Water Patnership West Africa

Deborah Brautigam from China in Africa provided more background information about the importation of Chinese Weapons in African countries and explained the incentive of arms sale is from private sector:

As we saw in the notorious Libya case, it appears that Chinese companies with their own balance sheets are “going global” and making arms export decisions and deals.

Moez Alie explains why George Clooney's arrest outside Sudan Embassy in Washington, D.C. on 16 March, 2012 is both good and bad: “I will concede that George Clooney's arrest has shed some light on Sudan's issues, but it's shedding it wrong. Sudan's problems are far more complicated that Mr Clooney might think, and Sudan's situation is extremely volatile.”.

African Urbanism discusses the UK's Colonial Film Catalogue, a database of more than 6000 films, which provides a window into British colonial period: “…these videos find their value in providing a fantastic trip through time into life in these places — showing people as they were (or, rather, how the government/companies would like you to see them), and life at the time (again, likely how we're supposed to see them).”

African Arguments Online is “a multi-blogging site that covers both contemporary African events as they unfold, and develops debates on themes we believe are centrally important to an ever-changing continent.”

Read Nenad Marinkovic's field dispatch from Blue Nile, Sudan: “The fighting in Blue Nile has, from the start, followed the pattern of previous clashes in South Kordofan, using frequent aerial bombardments that have repeatedly fallen on the civilian population.”

Amanda Hsiao talks to Miriam, a Sudanese refugee in Ethiopia. The post is part of a series based on Enough interviews with Blue Nile refugees in Sherkole refugee camp and Kurmuk, Ethiopia. Details of these testimonies are impossible to verify, but accounts Enough heard have been generally consistent.

In an interview carried out by François Mauger with Mme Sophia Lakhdar [fr], Director of the Comité Contre l’Esclavage Moderne (Comittee Against Modern Slavery) published on the mondomix.com blog, she states: “Today human trafficking has taken over as the notion of modern slavery, which is a bit contrived.  However it helps raise awareness and mobilize public opinion in the 1990′s.  That does not mean that in certain countries slavery no longer exists.  I am thinking most notably of Mauritania, Sudan and Niger”

Concern grows about detained Sudanese writer and activist: “There’s been no word of Abdelmoniem Rahma, a poet and political activist, since he was arrested a month ago. Rahma was close to the ousted governor of Blue Nile State, Malik Agar, and involved in the arts.”

Flight Africa notes that Khartoum’s application to join the East African Community is causing a diplomatic headache the member states: “No longer having any direct borders with any of the East African Community, the regime in Khartoum is thought to have placed their membership application to not only spite the new Republic of South Sudan but also to cause maximum diplomatic discomfort and division between the 5 present members.”

Hassan Barakya explains why the issue of citizenship for the Ngok Dinka of Abyei is so complex: “Now that South Sudan is independent, the Ngok Dinka are in legal limbo. While their stated loyalty has always been with the south, the geographical region they inhabit along with migratory groups officially belongs to the north.”

Osman Shinger examines the uncertain future of media freedom in Sudan: “Journalists and rights activists have expressed concern about diminishing press freedom in Sudan. Reporters attribute their pessimism to what they call a “coup” against public liberties. Chief among their concerns is the press freedom that was stipulated in the 2005 peace agreement, whose duration concluded with South Sudan’s independence that took effect on 9 July.”

What is the future of Sudanese football following the decision not to grant citizenship to Southern Sudanese living in the north?: “A large number of southern players have a significant presence on Sudanese football teams, including al-Hilal and al-Merreikh. They have also formed the mainstay of Sudan’s national team, as in the case of Richard Justin Lado, who played in a number of clubs, starting with al-Sahafa, followed by a move to al-Hilal before he went professional with the Ismaili team.”

Following Sudan's military invasion of Abyei, Eric Reeves provides a schematic chronicle of events from 1905 to demonstrate, “(1) just how fully the National Islamic Front/National Congress Party regime calculated and prepared for its military invasion; (2) when de facto military control of Abyei was achieved; (3) what served as pretext for actual military invasion; (4) and the civilian consequences of the past week of violence, looting, and burning.”

Can a road accident cause a revolution? “Recent demonstrations in Sudan’s capital Khartoum over road conditions and traffic signals have led some observers in the West to speculate about the possibilities of a Egypt-style revolution there”

Lessons to be learned from the birth Africa's newest nation: “Failure to satisfy sub-national demands is inevitable. Not all grievances merit an institutional remedy. But the center of African politics risks unleashing a parade of secessionist demands — and stream of new nations — if the case for the superiority of national unity is not made through improvements in the lives of people. National unity is not a religious article of faith, but rather is an existential condition.”

Ken analyses the challenges of self-rule in Southern Sudan: “The spotlight is on the political elite in the South. Will they hammer out a power and resource sharing deal or will despotism yet again kill the independence dreams of an African nation? I can’t stop thinking that John Garang’ de Mabior died too soon.”

Dozens of people in Sudan, many of them university students, who were arrested after participating in the protests that started on 30th January are still under detention.

Anneryan looks at how Sudan Radio Service uses mobile technology into its work to both monitor the reach of its broadcasts and to solicit reader feedback.

Top 6 African models of 2010 from Haute Fashion Africa: “Without a Doubt, the 2010 fashion calendar was well saturated & influenced by African Fashion; from western designers designing collections that were African-Inspired to Trends that were African-inspired, The African Fashion Industry is definitely a budding one.”

Before Tunisia, Sudan had a popular uprising against Ja'afar Numeiry in 1985, reminds us Out of Hadhramout, from Yemen.

Lidwien reviews a new book by Jerome Tubiana, Chroniques du Darfour (Chronicles of Darfur): “This is a unique contribution to the growing field of Dar Fur studies, which brings to bear on the war in Dar Fur the unique strengths and achievements of its author.”

Hassan Farouk speaks with two advocates of secession in the North and the South: Nhial Bol Aken, owner of the English-speaking newspaper The Citizen, and retired Brigadier Dr. Sati Sorkati, a prominent leader in the Just Peace Forum Party, in the first face-to-face confrontation of its kind.

Peaceful referendum in Southern Sudan comes to a close: “On the closing day of the elections the lines had all but vanished, wind whipped up dust that blew past the signs at almost empty polling stations. Rare were the southern Sudanese who had left their electoral duties for the last minute.”

South Sudan's Rebecca Kadi Loburang Dinduch – thought to be the oldest voter who is expected to be between 100 -115 years according to her granddaughter, on Wednesday arrived at the polling station in a five-car convoy to cast her ballot for independence.

Sara Lukey-Smith blogs about life on the ground in Juba, Southern Sudan as voting as voting in the independence referendum continues.

Southern Sudan Independence referendum: Alun McDonald is sad to see his favourite African country, Sudan, about to split.

What would those who voted in Timor’s 1999 referendum for independence tell those voting in south Sudan?

Nobody cares about Sudan?: “How come #SudanRef is not trending? The biggist state in Africa is splitting and nobody cares or what? Silly! #SudanRef #Sudan”