Global Voices Online

Kate Cronin-Furman of the blog Wronging Rights, comments on Equatorial Guinea's last week sentencing to 34 years in jail of Simon Mann for his role “in the World's Most Ill-Conceived Coup Attempt on Record. He, along with roughly 70 other foreign nationals, had been arrested in the Harare (Zimbabwe) airport on March 7, 2004 and accused of being mercenaries on their way to E.G. to overthrow Obiang's government”.

“The past, present and future of Africa will be debated for two days in Lisbon during the II International Congress of Lusophone Africa. Organized by the University of Lusophone Humanities and Technology, the event's theme is ‘Global Agenda for Lusophone Africa' and it will be attended by a range of social and political PALOP's representatives, and scholars who research these issues.” The event starts on May 28 and Orlando Castro [pt] has the full programme.

Africaninement writes about an African cartoonist who created the first ever e-cartoon magazine called Para-Jaka.

African journalists working in France are calling on the two remaining French presidential candidates, Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal, to begin a new chapter in Franco-African relations (Fr), according to the blog of the Alliance for Democratic Progress. “We have to reconsider everything, make a fresh start, a sort of “big bang,” so that France stops treating us like children. Africa must be a partner.” (Fr)

Says Le Pangolin [Fr]: “Marthe Moumié is the widow of Cameroonian nationalist Félix Moumié, assassinated in Geneva by the French Secret Service in 1960. Marthe writes a book prefaced by [Algerian President] Ahmed Ben Bella… In the book, Victime du Colonialisme Français [ i.e “Victim of French Colonialism”], Marthe explains how after her husband's death she was tortured in Equatorial Guinean jails for 5 years. “

China does not seek economic and political control of Africa: “IT’S ironic that some Western countries which are former colonial powers have accused China of pushing a “neo-colonialism” policy in its trade with Africa.
The accusations of “China’s neo-colonialism in Africa” simply lack basis in fact,” via Afroshangai blog.

Eliesmith writes about the 2006 African Development Indicator, “According to the report, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa have retained their dominant positions on the economies of sub-Saharan Africa. Both countries account for 55% of the GDP of the region.”

What has rice got to do with neo-colonialism in Africa? Mining Exploration has the answer:
“Africa is home to 8% of the world’s oil reserves, which has prompted Beijing to spend billions of dollars to secure drilling rights in Nigeria, Sudan and Angola and to negotiate exploration contracts with Chad, Gabon, Mauritania, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and the Republic of the Congo. The continent now accounts for 25% of China’s oil imports.
In addition, the Chinese are also key investors in the copper industry in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And they are buying timber in Mozambique, Liberia, Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.”