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At the time of writing, June 2013, France is still fighting Islamists in Mali. Paris-based Anne Morin and Awa Traoré, her friend in Bamako decided to share a video journal of their conversations on Skype on YouTube. Anne wanted to stay up to date with the region's news, and also with her friends. She told Global Voices' Anna Gueye more about this journal as well as her links with Mali.
The arrests and the release of Chinese gold miners was the topic of the very first China Open Mic Google hangout organised by China Open Mic Sunday, June 16, 2013. China Open Mic (@ChinaOpenMic) is an open space that aims to inform and transform thinking on China in global development in the digital age.
At the time of writing, June 2013, official commemoration of victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide is continuing around the world. But few people still remember Captain Mbaye Diagne. However, this young officer from the Senegalese army showed bravery at a time when the rest of the world was demonstrating cowardice. Enrico Muratore has been fighting for years to ensure that the name of this hero is not forgotten.
New Facebook phenomenon Baba Jukwa has become a major talking point as Zimbabweans hungry for political intrigue visit “his” Facebook wall to get the latest on what is happening in President Robert Mugabe’s political party.
Ignoring protests from his coalition partners and Zimbabwean citizens, President Robert Mugabe has unilaterally declared 31 July, 2013 as the date the country will hold elections.
Senegal has a solid tradition of democracy and protection of freedom of expression and human rights. But recent months have seen the West African nation's reputation as a stronghold for democracy in Africa seriously damaged with the evictions of a Chadian journalist and Gambian dissident, both opponents of the governments in their home countries.
Political stalemate, financing issues, and logistical hurdles threaten to derail Madagascar's overdue upcoming presidential elections, the country's first since a coup in 2009 plunged the island into political crisis. The government has postponed elections again, moving the date a month later than scheduled to 23 August, 2013.
Meet Ahmed Jedou, a Mauritanian activist and blogger, GV contributor, and recent winner of the Deutsche Welle - Best of Blogs (BoBs) Award. We caught up with him a few days before the publication of the BoBs results, discussing his opinion on the state of freedom in Mauritania, his struggle for a civil state in his country, and more.
Mia Couto's three decades at the helm of Mozambican literature was acknowledged on the 27 May when he was awarded the 25th Camões Prize in literature, worth 100,000 euros, and widely considered the most prestigious prize for Portuguese-speaking writers. Mia's literature portrays Mozambicans and reflects on issues related to decolonization and identity.
Uganda has allowed two newspapers to reopen after an 11-day standoff between the government and the media houses over a controversial letter they had obtained that referred to a plot to groom the eldest son of President Yoweri Museveni to succeed the 27-year leader.
Ndesanjo Macha is the Sub-Saharan Africa editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
Lova Rakotomalala is the French editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
‘In the Congo’ is a song and video that shed light 20 year conflict over minerals used in mobile phones and electronics:
The video is produced and directed by Zavara Mponjika, the respected hip hop pioneer and filmmaker from Tanzania and features New York based female hip hop group Rhyme Like A Girl and Los Angeles based Kenyan Afro-Soul artist Nasambu.
Safia Dickersbach (@ArtsSafia) challenges a new programme dedicated to foster “German-African cultural relations”:
3. The Kulturstiftung claims to support the new African initiatives in the area of contemporary and innovative art. But on the other hand:
a. Africans are not allowed to apply for the funds directly.
b. The African partners are only allowed to apply together with an institutional partner in Germany. The funding guidelines reveal the reason to this: “The German partner, as the project coordinator, has to assume responsibility for ensuring that all funds are expended as contractually agreed upon with the Federal Cultural Foundation.” In other, simpler, words: The Africans are not trustworthy.
The #ChinainAfrica Open Mic Hangout on Chinese miners in Ghana and China-Africa relations is live online. Watch it on YouTube and follow it on Twitter using the hashtag #ChinaOpenMic.
The GSMA, the global association for the world’s mobile operators, opens an African office in Nairobi, White African reports:
Back in 2010 when the iHub first opened, we had some of their staff who were in Kenya working out of the iHub and using the space for different meetings. They loved the vibe and makeup of the Kenyan tech community and wanted to figure out how they could connect and be a part of this same energetic space, while at the same time fulfilling their obligation to Africa’s mobile operators.
Learn about Square Foot Gardening in South Africa:
Very simply put, Square Foot Gardening (SFG) is a whole new way of gardening, growing vegetables & fruits and contributing handsomely to the kitchen table even with the smallest of gardens at your disposal.
After striking for 27 days, Mozambique's medical professionals announced the end of their collective protest over inadequate compensation, without any concession from government. The strikers claimed they wanted to end the suffering of the nation's people. On @Verdade's Facebook page, readers expressed their frustration with the situation, speculating about how services will be affected by low morale. More »
For a lighter take: “How To Avoid NSA Surveillance”
death to all muslims starting with obama.....الموت لجميع المسلمين بدءا من أوباما!
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Protests in February swelled to over 100,000 demonstrators by February 17. So if the new...