Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from May, 2014
Rwanda: The Good, the Bad and the Hopeful
Although Rwanda has made great strides in recovering from the 1994 genocide, advocacy groups continue to report human rights violations.
Is Power Too Sweet for Ailing African Leaders to Step Down?
Gershom Ndhlovu looks at the reasons why ailing African leaders wont step down: There have been rumours, innuendoes and even insinuations regarding the health, or the lack of it, of Zambia’s President Michael Chilufya Sata, in office since September 2011. These have been spread by the largely unregulated online media...
The Legalisation of Political Repression in Ethiopia
Beza Tesfaye describes how the Ethiopian government legalises political repression in the country: It has been one month since the latest round of repression against government critics in Ethiopia began. Last weekend, the Zone9 bloggers and three journalists who were arrested in late April appeared in court. To date, very...
When Maya Angelou Lived in Egypt and Ghana
Sean Jacobs writes about American author and poet Maya Angelou, who died at age 86 yesterday May 28, 2014: In 1961, Maya Angelou, already a civil rights worker, and her then partner Vusumzi Make, an exiled activist from South Africa (he was a leading Pan Africanist Congress member), moved to...
“How are We Malagasy Supposed to Provide School Supplies and Medications for our Children ?”
Malagasy blogger Tojo Fehizoro posted a spreadsheet that summarized the minimum cost of basic supplies for a Malagasy family of 4 with 2 children, 10 and 7 years old respectively. The spreadsheet lists the cost and description of each item [mg] and the combined salary of both parents: Monthly Income Monthly...
What Happens When a Muslim, Jew, Christian, Atheist and Agnostic Travel the World Together?
Victor, Josselin, Samuel, Ilan and Ismael all belong to different religions (or none at all). Together, they created the InterFaith Tour.
“We Are Not Paying Enough Attention to Teenagers’ Health”
The latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the health of adolescents worldwide notes that : The top 3 causes of adolescent deaths globally are road traffic injuries, HIV/AIDS, and suicide. Worldwide, an estimated 1.3 million adolescents died in 2012. The report also adds that : Mortality rate...
Mauritania and the Presidential Elections
Presidential elections are planned for June 21 in Mauritania. Many opposition groups have already said they would boycott the elections, whose results are evident even before votes are cast.
Apocalyptic Scenes in Andranondambo, Madagascar as Villages Fight Over Land
L'Express Mada reports that the entire village of Andranondambo in the South of Madagascar was destroyed [fr] during an inter-village conflict that stems from a dispute over land rights. The civilian conflict, which lasted from May 20 to 22, left no residents of the village alive. One of the military police...
Deputy Minister Commits Suicide after Electoral Defeat in Malawi
City Press reports the suicide of Godfrey Kamanya, a Malawian deputy minister, apparently after losing his parliamentary seat during the general elections held on 20 May 2014 : The official results of Tuesday’s election are still to be announced. But preliminary election results aired on radio stations indicated that Kamanya was faring badly in the...
Intrigue and Drama as Malawians Await Election Results
After it became clear that she was losing, incumbent President Dr. Joyce Banda accused the opposition of tampering with the election. Meanwhile, a local politician who lost was found dead.
A Glimpse Into Life inside the Bamenda Central Prison in Cameroon
Blogger Salma Amadore narrates [fr] how her visit inside the central prison of Bamenda, the capital city of the north west region of Cameroon, made a lasting impression on her : J’arrive à la prison de Bamenda à 9 h 30. Mgr Cornélius Fontem Esua, archevêque de Bamenda y donne une messe pour...
Cameroon's President Blames Boko Haram for Attacking While Soldiers Are Asleep
On the eve of the Paris summit for security in Nigeria, the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram crossed over into Cameroon despite the heavy presence of security forces.
A Low-cost Solution to Heal Cataract in Sub Saharan Countries
One of the main causes of blindness in sub saharan countries are cataracts. A group of french physicians has developed a surgical kit called “Phacokit” to treat at low-cost individuals suffering from cataract and help them recover their eyesight [fr]: Pour vaincre la cataracte, principale cause de cécité, notamment dans les pays pauvres,...
An Open Letter to the President of Madagascar on Land Leases to Microsoft and the Zurich Zoo
In an open letter to the new President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina and other elected officials, the Association for the protection of Malagasy Lands asks that several aspects of the contracts regarding the recent land leases be clarified to the general public [fr] : nous demandons une clarification de la part des autorités...
Malawi Elections 2014
Malawi votes for presidential elections Tuesday May 20, 2014. Follow live updates on Twitter @Malawi2014 and @MEIC_2014.
AFKInsider Blogging Contest
AFKInsider is hosting a blogging competition where the best blogger every month will be asked to write a paid weekly story for AFKInsider the next month: AFKInsider bloggers contest seeks to discover creative African Business bloggers who write and are interested in technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship, real estate, entertainment, politics, mining...
Ethiopia: #FreeZone9Bloggers Trending on Tumblr
Global Voices Advocacy started a Tumblr in early May to rally support for nine bloggers and journalists — four of them Global Voices members — who are currently being detained in Ethiopia because of their work. Allies from across the globe have submitted photos, messages of solidarity, videos and artwork...
The Courageous Career of Slain French Photojournalist Camille Lepage
Camille Lepage was killed while covering the conflict in the Central African Republic. As a journalist, she was determined to cover stories in Africa often ignored by western media.
VIDEO: Mining Mogul Brags About the Unbelievable “Deal” He Scored for Zambia's Copper
A video of the owner of Vedanta Resources bragging about the unbelievable deal he cut with Zambia’s government for a copper mine 9 years ago, has appalled many Zambians.
Why Chadian Students Braved Arrest and Stormed Their Embassy in Algeria
Hisham Almiraat interviews blogger Makaila Nguebla about student leader Issa Kelei's arrest and the condition of Chadian students in Algeria.