Global Voices Online

Last weeks' torrential rains triggered disastrous floodings (Fr), killing 159 people and affecting over 600,000 in a dozen Western Africa countries, unprepared to face seasonal rains growing heavier and heavier. (See map). Afropages (Fr) describes the situation in Conakry, Guinea's capital.

Erik writes about the creation of a Mobile Money Transfer Directory in Africa.

The blog Hausa Online reports that a few days ago a proposal had been made in Wikipedia's discussion pages to delete the Wikipedia in Hausa language, an African Chadic language spoken by more than 24 million people. This comes a few months after the blog Beyond Niamey expressed his concern over another closure proposal, the one to close the Wikipedia in Xhosa.

Babilown announces the first Golden Pen writing competition for young writers [Fr] under 30, to be held this September in Cotonou, Benin.

Babilown [Fr] puts Benin's local election results in perspective: “[it's as if] the opposition won China, Russia, Brazil and Mexico, while the ruling party snatched up Belgium and even Canada, but also Crete, Malta, the Cayman Islands, the Vatican, Albania, Haiti, Barbados, Cap Verde, Estonia, Lithuania, Israel, Jordan, Rwandan, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Serbia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, all the members of the United Nations, and other more or less imaginary countries like the Kingdom of the Sahara and the Freedland Republic…or the Kingdom of Redonda.”

Jackie writes about tobacco smoking among the youth in Benin: “According to a recent global youth tobacco survey report, more than twenty percent of school children (aged 13 to 15 years) in Benin are cigarette smokers. The survey involved about 50 schools selected in four regions of Benin, namely Atlantique and Littoral (located in the South) as well as Bogue and Alibori (located in North).”

Kangi Alem announces an artists' residency [Fr] in Lome for young francophone African writers.

Afriksenatorium writes about two MPs in Benin stripped of their immunity [Fr] for embezzling funds from state-owned enterprises.

Babilown writes about Benin's steep drop (Fr) in Reporters Without Borders' annual country ranking of press freedom.