Global Voices » Sudan

Sudan/South Sudan: Voicing Hope for #newSUDANS

Maha El-Sanosi — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:24:48 +0000

In the wake of the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in July 2011 and the recent clashes between the two countries over the oil-rich region of Heglig, citizens of both Sudans found themselves in the middle of an ugly upheaval.

On April 29, 2012, the Twitterverse was filled with an atmosphere of union and solidarity between Twitter users from both countries. Inspired by late Dr. John Garang’s vision for a “New Sudan”, they initiated the hashtag #newSUDANS and voiced their opinions, perceptions and hopes for two new democratic Sudans.

Aguil Lual (@AguilB) called on Sudanese and South Sudanese on Twitter to revive the momentum of Garang’s “New Sudan” speech and join the dialogue, saying:

@AguilB: What are your dreams 4 peaceful co-existence of the Sudans? Thoughts on CPA? What our leaders should do? #join the conversation #newSUDANS

Former South Sudan leader John Garang. Photo source: usaid.gov.

Aguil also called for freedoms and pride:

@AguilB: Freedom to report on politics, politicians, corruption, & rights abuses w/out being detained/beaten/silenced, impoverished #newSUDANS

And added:

@AguilB: Pride in our Sudaness. One day the news reports & int'l com will showcase South Sudan & Sudan as a model 4 peaceful transition #newSUDANS

Ali (@kashiff111) noted his vision for #newSUDANS:

@kashiff111: #newSUDANS powerful with it's individualism, colorful with its diversity, tolerant with it's unity, peaceful with it's faith.

Raian Gibrel (@bro0ownsugar) envisioned women empowerment, recognition of freedoms and an end to corruption:

@bro0ownsugar: empower women in order to get the other half of the society active and productive #newSUDANS

@bro0ownsugar: freedom of speech, religion, political practice #newSUDANS

@bro0ownsugar: “Eliminate corruption and all its resources #newSudans”

Muhanad Rabie (@Neo0rabie) called on peaceful conflict resolution:

@Neo0rabie: #newSUDANS Every one Must put his gun down. lets talk it out. Money you spend in War can be better spend in development, Health & Education

Muhanad also voiced his hope for the return of Sudanese in the Diaspora:

@Neo0rabie: People in #Diaspora have got to come back one day. #newSudans

Asmara Adanis (@AsmaraAdanis) cited good healthcare:

@AsmaraAdanis: Human life is valued. Unjustified death of Sudanese citizens not simply labelled destiny. Existence of #HealthCare #newSUDANS

Omer Abdellatif (@OmerAbdellatif) called against using religion to manipulate people:

@OmerAbdellatif: Do NOT use religion as a tool to manipulate people & laws! Treat people fairly regardless of religious backgrounds! #newSUDANS

On the other hand, Ahmed K (@SkinyTestaverde) preached secularism in #newSUDANS:

@SkinyTestaverde: Were we take advantage of our incredible diversity, eliminate tribalism, and realize that secularism is GOOD for religion #newSUDANS

Moez Ali (@his_moezness) used #newSUDANS to express that Sudanese people from all tribes and ethnicities should be identified as one:

@his_moezness: I'm from Shendi, El Fasher, Juba, El Damazin. I'm a Northerner, a
Southerner, a Nuba, a Zaghawi, a Fur and a Hadandawi #newSUDANS

Muhammad Osman (@Meltilib) promoted the elimination of racism, economic equality and freedom from intellectual materialism:

@Meltilib: #NewSudans where diseases of racism, ethno-centersim & religious bigotry are no more.

@Meltilib: #NewSudans with less economic inequality

@Meltilib: #NewSudans should be free of all forms of intellectual materialism.

Ahmad Mohamed (@AhmadMohamed10) tweeted his aspirations for #newSUDANS:

@AhmadMohamed10: I dream of the day when the #newSUDANS form a EU style federation with all the freedoms & economic cooperation that entails.

@AhmadMohamed10: Sudan and South Sudan - living side by side in peace with close economic, cultural & social cooperation/exchange. #NewSUDANS

And finally, Osman Musa (@OsmanBMusa) hoped:

@OsmanBMusa: No more trouble #newSUDANS.

The hashtag #newSUDANS continues.

Africa: Calls for Transparency Over Marked Increase in Land Deals

Lova Rakotomalala — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:25:59 +0000

An international coalition of researchers and NGOs have released the world's largest public database of international land deals, reports the Global Development blog of The Guardian's (UK). This marks an important milestone in highlighting a developmental issue that has received little attention in the international news cycle.

The report states that almost 5% of Africa's agricultural land has been bought or leased by investors since 2000, and emphasizes the fact that this is not a new issue, yet points out that the number of such land deals has increased tremendously in the past five years.

Many observers are increasingly worried that these land deals usually take place in the world's poorest countries and that they impact its most vulnerable population, the farmers. The benefits seldom go to the general population, partially because of a lack of transparency in the proceedings of the transactions.

An additional report by Global Witness, entitled Dealing with Disclosure, emphasizes the dire need for transparency in the making of land deals.

World's poorest nations targeted

The Global Witness report lists that 754 land deals have been identified, involving the majority of African countries for about 56.2 million hectares.

Target countries of land deals from the Land Matrix Project

The nations targeted are usually some of the poorest in the world. The countries with the most deals in place are Mozambique (92 deals), Ethiopia (83), Tanzania (58) and Madagascar (39). Some of those deals have made headlines because they were conducted to ensure control over food imports, when the targeted regions faced major food crises.

The NGO GRAIN has already explained in detail the gist of their concerns in an extensive report released in 2008:

Today’s food and financial crises have, in tandem, triggered a new global land grab. On the one hand, “food insecure” governments that rely on imports to feed their people are snatching up vast areas of farmland abroad for their own offshore food production. On the other hand, food corporations and private investors, hungry for profits in the midst of the deepening financial crisis, see investment in foreign farmland as an important new source of revenue. As a result, fertile agricultural land is becoming increasingly privatised and concentrated. If left unchecked, this global land grab could spell the end of small-scale farming, and rural livelihoods, in numerous places around the world.

In Malawi, land deals have grown increasingly prevalent to the detriment of the local farmers. A report from Bangula explains the challenges faced by Malawian farmers, Dorothy Dyton and her family:

Like most smallholder farmers in Malawi, they did not have a title deed for the land Dyton was born on, and in 2009 she and about 2,000 other subsistence farmers from the area were informed by their local chief that the land had been sold and they could no longer cultivate there. […] Since that time, said Dyton, “life has been very hard on us.” With a game reserve on one side of the community and the Shire river and Mozambique border on the other, there is no other available land for them to farm and the family now ekes out a living selling firewood they gather from the nearby forest.

Land construction in Madagascar. Photo by Foko Madagascar, used with the author's authorization

Farmers in Madagascar share similar concerns because they do not own the rights to the land they farm and an effective land reform is yet to be implemented. The Malagasy association Terres Malgaches has been at the forefront of land protection for the local population. They report that [fr]:

Les familles malgaches ne possèdent pas de document foncier pour sécuriser leurs terres contre les accaparements de toutes sortes. En effet, depuis la colonisation, l’obtention de titres fonciers auprès de l’un des 33 services des domaines d’un pays de 589 000 km2 nécessite 24 étapes, 6 ans en moyenne et jusqu’à 500 dollars US. (..) . Face aux convoitises et accaparements dont les terres malgaches font l’objet actuellement, seule la possession d’un titre ou d’un certificat foncier, seuls documents juridiques reconnus, permet d’entreprendre des actions en justice en cas de conflit.

Malagasy families do not usually own an estate property document that enable them to secure their lands against land grab. In fact, since colonial times, one has needed about 24 steps, 6 years and up to 500 US dollars to get such documents. There are merely around 33 agencies in the country that deliver such documents for a country that is 589,000 kilometres square […] In the face of the increasing land grabs that Malagasy land is currently at risk of, this certificate is the only document that can trigger legal action in case of conflict.

The association also reports on the practices of a mining company Sheritt, in Ambatovy, which have created a buzz in the local blogosphere because of environmental concerns for the local population and business malpractices (via MiningWatch Canada):

Sherritt International’s Ambatovy project in eastern Madagascar – costing $5.5 billion to build and scheduled to begin full production this month – will comprise a number of open pit mines (..) it will close in 29 years. There are already many concerns about the mine from the thousands of local people near the facilities. They say that their fields are destroyed ; the water is dirty ; the fish in the river are dead and there have been landslides near their village. During testing of the new plant, there have been at least four separate leaks of sulphur dioxide from the hydro-metallurgical facility which villagers say have killed at least two adults and two babies and sickened at least 50 more people. In January, laid-off construction workers from Ambatovy began a wildcat strike, arguing that the jobs they were promised when construction ended have not materialized. The people in nearby cities like Moramanga say that their daughters are increasingly engaged in prostitution.

Video of a worker's testimony in Ambatovy.

Solutions for the local population?

The plight of Madagascar's farmers' plight may be slowly changing though. Land reform discussions are in progress, according to this report:

According to a paper presented at the 2011 International Conference on Global Land Grabbing, about 50 agribusiness projects were announced between 2005 and 2010, about 30 of which are still active, covering a total land area of about 150,000 ha. Projects include plantations to produce sugar cane, cassava and jatropha-based biofuel.
To prevent the negative impacts of land grabbing, (The NGO) EFA has set up social models for investors, with funding from the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The goal is to help investors negotiate with the people in the area where they want to implement projects, as a way to prevent future problems.

Joachim Von Braun, formerly of the International Food Policy Insitute (IFPRI), wrote the following regarding land deals:

It is in the long-run interest of investors, host governments, and the local people involved to ensure that these arrangements are properly negotiated, practices are sustainable, and benefits are shared. Because of the transnational nature of such arrangements, no single institutional mechanism will ensure this outcome. Rather, a combination of international law, government policies, and the involvement of civil society, the media, and local communities is needed to minimize the threats and realize the benefits.

The need for transparency in land deals is further emphasized by Megan MacInnes, Senior Land Campaigner at Global Witness:

Far too many people are being kept in the dark about massive land deals that could destroy their homes and livelihoods. That this needs to change is well understood, but how to change it is not. For the first time, this report (Dealing with Disclosure) sets out in detail what tools governments, companies and citizens can harness to remove the shroud of secrecy that surrounds land acquisition. It takes lessons from efforts to improve transparency in other sectors and looks at what is likely to work for land. Companies should have to prove they are doing no harm, rather than communities with little information or power having to prove that a land deal is negatively affecting them.

Sudan: Why Clooney's Arrest is Both Good and Bad

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:26:35 +0000

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.”.

Arab World: Hands Off Clooney!

Amira Al Hussaini — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:58:34 +0000

George Clooney handcuffed. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev, shared by ENOUGH project on Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND)

The United States has arrested actor George Clooney and his father Nick at a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington DC. Arab Twitter users register their protest on their arrest on Twitter.

The protest was organised to to draw attention to a looming humanitarian crisis in the Nuba mountains areas, on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir is accused of blocking food and aid from reaching the region.

The Big Pharaoh, from Egypt, tweets [Ar]:

اكتب على حيطة الزنزانه حبس كلونى عار وخيانة

@TheBigPharaoh: Write on the prison walls, arresting Clooney is shameful and treacherous

Syrian Save Our Syria reacts:

@freeppl: Actor Clooney arrested outside Sudanese Embassy..I am glad someone from hollywood now know how reality action feels like

#FreeClooney trending worldwide on Twitter

Tunisian Tounsia Hourra (Free Tunisian) jokes [Ar]:

أنادي بجبهة شعبية لتحرير جورج كلوني , يا نساء العالم اتحدن جورج مقبوض عليه في واشنطن ‎‬

@tonsiahourra: I call for a popular movement to free George Clooney. Women of the world unite. George Clooney has been arrested in Washington DC.

Malek, from Egypt, adds [Ar]:

كله الا كلوني يا ولاد الكلب … ماعندكم مايكل مور

@MaLek: Anyone other than Clooney, you sons of dogs! You have Michael Moore [whom you can arrest]

Egyptian Marwan Qoutb chimes in [Ar]:

جورج كلوني مش بلطجي , الحرية لجورج كلوني

@Qoutb: George Clooney is not a thug! Freedom for George Clooney

While Egyptian Alyaa Gad jokes:

@AlyaaGad: Don't #FreeClooney. Can't stand him. lol

And J Berry draws parallels to some of the atrocities committed against Arab protesters during the Arab revolutions saying [Ar}:

كلوني و قبضوا عليه .. ناقص ايه ؟ .. يخرموا عين توم كروز !! يسحلوا كيم كارديشيان !! يكشفوا عذرية باميلا انديرسون !

@moneloky: Clooney has been arrested… what's left for them to do? Pop Tom Cruise's eyes? Pull Kim Kardashian across the street? Or check Pamela Anderson for her virginity?

For other reactions on Clooney's arrest, check out the Twitter hash tag #FreeClooney, which is now trending worldwide

Africa: Colonial PR Films Provide a Window to Africa's More Recent Past

Ndesanjo Macha — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:30:43 +0000

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).”

Africa: Highs and Lows of the 2012 African Cup of Nations

Chellsy Alis Manning — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:56 +0000

Beyond their ethnic, political and regional divides, people unite together around their national football team. We saw the First Lady of Gabon dancing like an excited schoolgirl every time one of the eleven players of the ‘Azingo Nationale' scored a goal and became “the Panthers” for their country.

The people of Equatorial Guinea were ecstatic with the qualification of their national team, languishing in the midst of one of the most ferocious dictatorships. According to Human Rights Watch, journalists who have visited the country to report on the human rights situation have been detained, interrogated, censored and deported.

In the fervour surrounding the 2012 African Cup of Nations, there are two key points that attract attention. The first is the absence of some of the higher achieving teams in African football.

Michael Dodje's blog explains [fr] the unusual goings-on in this year's Cup of Nations:

Imagine a Euro competition without Germany, Spain, Holland and England. Impossible you say, even though Ukraine or Poland would not have to participate in the qualifying rounds as host nations. And yet, this is what happened in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Indeed, for the first time in ages we will not see Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria or even South Africa in this championship. How did this happen?

Remembering that the five teams mentioned above have won 15 out of 27 previous Cup of Nations tournaments. Nicholas Mc Anally on le229.com responded [fr]:

…If these teams do not qualify then there will be others to replace them. It's a breath of fresh air seeing teams like Botswana, Niger and Equatorial Guinea making their debuts in the Cup of Nations.

Another novelty in this year's Cup is the way that the thorny issue of bonuses has been resolved. A post on the blog plat du pied explained [fr] what happened on the 15 November, 2011:

After the cancellations of the matches against China, Gabon, Salvador and Mexico, Cameroon has again cancelled a friendly match at the last minute for the fifth time since the start of the season. The players went on strike, once again, in protest against the federation over their bonuses for the match.

On the same blog, a statement issued by the Cameroon players, known as the ‘Indomitable Lions', said:

Due to the absence of attendance bonuses, the players have decided not to travel to Algiers and to not play any part in the match against Algeria scheduled for the 15 November.

Different solutions to the problem have been found by building on past negative experiences. A post [fr] on the blog marocfootball.info, concerning the Moroccan national team, the ‘Atlas Lions' stated that:

The President of the highest court in Moroccan football announced that a deal has been made with the Atlas Lions in that they accept that they will not receive any form of attendance bonus if they fail to reach the quarter finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Côte d'Ivoire, not long out of a prolonged and disastrous civil war, will pay their national team the ‘Elephants' a bonus of 5 billion CFA francs (1 million US dollars) if they win the final. The blog afrik11.com states [fr]:

The 23 players in the side receive 5 million CFA francs (10,000 USD) in attendance bonuses. This amount will be paid if the team is eliminated in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the bonus of each player will rise to 8 million, rising further to 10 million in the semifinals and then to 20 million in the final (40,000 USD). The coach, Zahoui François will also enjoy his share of the pie, receiving double the bonuses of his players.

afrik11.com also comments [fr] on the bonuses paid to the Mali national team, the ‘Eagles of Mali' at the beginning of January:

Earlier this week the Malian football team received their bonuses for qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. Two hundred million CFA francs (40,000 USD) were given in cash to the players and coaching staff before the national team left Lomé (Togo) for the final stage in their preparations for the competition.

The Equatorial Guinea team in training by @FlorianK_Sport

Equatorial Guinea, co-hosts of the event, is a country unable to build a stadium capable of hosting a match due to the frequent rains. Yet abidjan.net posted a blog surrounding their first victory [fr] in the competition:

Teodorin Obiang, the Minister for Agriculture presented a cheque for 500 million CFA francs (760,000 euros) to Francisco Pascual Eyegue Obama Asué, the Minister for Sport, in the absence of the national team in Mbini (mainland Mali). He added a cheque for 20 million CFA francs (30,400 euros), 10 million that had been promised for each goal scored ; the team only won the match 1-0 but he explained that the goal disallowed by the referee deserved to be credited with a bonus.

This blog points out that the actions of Teodorin, tipped to succeed his father as president, are under scrutiny by the Americans.

The generosity of petrodollars being used for the bonuses for the Equatorial Guinea football team makes the Republic of Guinea look like a poor relation. In Conakry, the first problem was in trying to find the money to pay for the bonuses. As reported by lejourguinee.com, the country set up a National Committee for Support, led by General Mathurin Bangoura, Minister for Housing and Urban Development with the aim of raising funds for the bonuses. Notably, the first contributions came from the Indian community settled in the country.

The least well-spent money during the tournament, without doubt, has to be the bonuses awarded to the ‘Teranga Lions', the Senegalese national team, who had entered the competition as strong favourites and fell at the first hurdle. Yet, at the beginning of the competition the blog can.starafrica.com stated [fr] that:

There are some concerns surrounding the bonuses given to the Senegalese side. On Wednesday the Sports Ministry gave the squad bonuses amounting to 140, 650,000 francs in full for their qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Kicks Off!

Dan Horlor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:47:12 +0000

[All links to external content are in French]

The Africa Cup of Nations began in Bata, Equatorial Guinea this Saturday January 21, 2012, kicking off three weeks of fierce competition. The Cup of Nations, the most important international football competition in Africa, is taking place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea between January 21 and 12 February.

Supporters in Africa and around the world have been enjoying the build-up to the two opening matches; dancing, light and sound were all part of the spectacle:

GaGuie the Mascot! With GAGUIE : GA as in Gabon, GUI as in Guinea and E as in Equatorial! Image from fr.cafonline.com with permission

Here is a round up of the first three days of the tournament.

Matchday One

Libya took on Equatorial Guinea in the curtain raiser on 21 January, and it was co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, making their tournament debut, who took a surprise 1-0 win.

With just six minutes remaining, Balboa, the Equatorial Guinea number 11 finally opened the scoring after a one-on-one with the Libyan goalkeeper. The score stayed 1-0 until the final whistle, to the delight of the Equatorial Guinea fans who had packed the stadium.

The Senegalese fluffed their entry to the competition with a 2-1 defeat inflicted by Zambia on the same day. Senegal fans took to the web to place the blame on coach of the national team.

Touy wrote on Seneweb News [fr]:

le souci avec un entraîneur local c'est que même s'il se rend compte que le capitaine par exemple Niang n'est pas au niveau il aura la crainte la peur ou la pudeur de le faire sortir au détriment de la victoire bien sur!!

The problem with having a local coach is that even if he realises that the captain, let's say Niang, is not good enough he'll either be afraid or too modest to take him off, to the detriment of getting the win of course!

Amara Traoré [fr] on RFI sheds some light on the subject for us:

Tout le monde savait avant même le début de la CAN que les zambiens sont très vifs et utiliseraient cette vivacité pour gérer les sénégalais beaucoup plus costauds. Alors lui l’entraîneur et son staff devraient trouver un bon système pour les contenir avant de les attaquer.Donc je trouve kil n'a pas fais son boulot qui était de voir les choses venir et de jouer avec des joueurs rapides mais surtout de ne pas trop bourrer cette attaque ou personne ne se retrouve .

Everyone knew, even before the Cup of Nations began, that the Zambians are very energetic and would use that energy to combat the much bigger and stronger Sengalese. So the coach and his staff should find a system to contain thembefore going on the attack. He hasn't done his job which is to anticipate and play fast players but above all not to throw men forward who then can't find each other.

Matchday Two

The second matchday saw the entry of one of the competition favourites: the ‘Elephants' of Côte d'Ivoire. A magnificent strike by Didier Drogba in the 39th minute secured the victory for Côte d'Ivoire over Sudan. The win for the Elephants wasn't enough for every Ivorian fan on the net however. Many felt that they could have done better.

Phox Hermann [fr] said:

la vérité est bonne à dire heinnn. ELEPHANT ke moi jai vu là c N'IMPORTE KOI

Good to tell the truth, riiight. That was no ELEPHANT that I saw

Bi Tia Vincent Toh [fr] added:

la conservation d'un unique but nous a donné des sueurs froides.
Que Mr Gervino soit un peu plus réaliste devant les buts,
Que Mr Yaya Touré regagne sa place au milieu et joue effectivement comme à city
Que la defense cesse d etre trop permeable,

keeping hold of a one goal lead brought us out in a cold sweat.
If only Mr Gervino [sic] was more realistic in front of goal,
If only Mr Yaya Touré could get his place back in the middle and play as well as he does at city
If only the defence stopped leaking,

Angola also played their first game and overpowered Burkina Faso with a 2-1 victory.

Matchday Three

Gabon, the second co-host team of the 2012 Cup of Nations showed their strength with a 2-0 win over Niger, the opening Group C match of the tournament played in a fantastic atmosphere in the Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville.

Rodrigue Magaya [fr] commented on Aubameyang's goal on Facebook:

que dire?!!!merci aux gars, il fallait ça pour la beauté du spetacle et naturelement monter a tt nos adversaires que nous sommes la!!bien en place et on a pas peur!!!vive la can, et vive encore plus nos pantheres;que Dieu benisse le gabon!!!!!!

what can I say?!!!thanks to the lads, we needed that for the beauty of the contest and naturally to show all our opponents that we're here!!right on the spot and with no fear!!long live the cup of nations, and may our panthers live even longer;God bless Gabon!!!!!!

The 2012 Cup of Nations can be followed on TV5 Monde, Canal+ Afrique and on Twitter and Google+ via the hashtags #CAN2012 (in French) et #ACN2012 (in English).

Sudan: Sudanese Activist, Alim Boushi, Freed from Prison

SudaneseDrima — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:36:09 +0000

A case that Sudanese bloggers and tweeps have been highlighting in recent days, indicating the current repressive state of affairs in Sudan, is the arrest of the Sudanese political activist and engineer Mohamed Hassan Alim, nicknamed Boushi. Alim was released on January 17, 2011 after 24 days in jail. He was arrested after publicly and harshly criticizing Nafi Ali Nafi, a prominent Sudanese politician, for corruption.

Before his release, Sudanese blogger, Mimz wrote a passionate post expressing her anger and explaining what happened to Alim.

Over the past couple of years, the Sudanese government illegally detained many political activists, opposition party members, anti-NCP revolutionaries, students and journalists who spoke up against injustice. What happens to these detainees at national security prisons or “Ghost Houses” is incomprehensible and beyond any sane person’s mental capacity.

… In mid-December, Alim stood in front of a podium at the University of Khartoum and courageously confronted Nafie Ali Nafie for his crimes against the Sudanese people. He spoke up for you, me and the millions of Sudanese citizens who are struggling day to day to put bread on the table, find jobs and live a well-deserved respectful life. He voiced some of the frustrations we are facing because of the current government, and confronted Nafie and co for their corruption.

For three majestic minutes, Alim was the voice of every oppressed Sudanese person who ever endured a hardship in their life while watching the government privilege its own members and their families by generously offering them money, jobs, and perks earned with the blood and sweat of the average Sudanese people like they were theirs to give.

A few days after his speech, which was recorded and uploaded on YouTube, Alim was arrested from his home. The video now has over 240,000 views. Amnesty International took note of the events and released a statement about Alim's detention.

On 26 December 2011, Mohamed Hassan Alim was arrested from his house in Khartoum by seven men dressed in plain-clothes, believed to be NISS agents. He was beaten by the men in front of his mother and taken away in a car. He has been held incommunicado at an undisclosed location since his arrest. He faces serious risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Sudanese bloggers and tweeps worried about Alim's fate. Mimz was also concerned and railed against Alim's arrest:

Alim’s freedom is our demand, and his blood is not only in Nafie’s hands, it’s in ours as well if we don’t speak up and demand his protection and his immediate release.

In a world where chivalry is dead and cowardice is spread like a viral disease, Alim stands out and is labeled Sudan’s Bouazizi.

The issues Alim took up with Nafie relate to corruption and favoritism… does this earn him an abduction and justify why his mother has to suffer not knowing his whereabouts, what is being done to him and if he will ever be released?

On the other hand, Zol Sudani, shared his thoughts on the matter in a blog post in Arabic, with an excerpt translated below.

بوشي كشفنا كلنا، كشف السودانيين فرد فرد، كشفنا أمام أنفسنا.. .. كشف نافع علي نافع و أصحابه مدعي التدين، فأثبت أنهم أضعف من أن يردوا الحجة بالحجة.. كشف الأمن الوطني، فهم ليسوا جهاز لحفظ أمن البلاد و المواطنين كما أقسموا أمام الله و الشعب، فأثبت أنهم موجودون لحفظ النظام ولو على حساب مواطن أعزل

Boushi exposed us all. He exposed the Sudanese, one bye one. He exposed us to ourselves. He exposed Nafi Ali Nafi, and his companions who claim to be religious. He proved that they're weak and unable to respond to an argument with an argument. He exposed how the national security is not dedicated to protecting the country and its people as they swore in their oaths. He proved that they're there just to protect the regime, even if this is at the expense of a weak unarmed citizen.

Sudanese on Twitter, like @daloya, tweeted with the hashtag #FreeAlim asking where Alim was.

@daloya: Boshi's mother, “I was promised 2 see Boshi 2 weeks after his arrest, I still have not been allowed 2 see him”. #FreeBoshi #FreeAlim #Sudan

Upon his release, Alim himself, said to Bloomberg News, “I didn’t know if I was going to be killed, held in prison forever, or if was going to see my family again.”

On January 1, 2012 Sudanese celebrated their country's 56th Independence Day. But some like Sudanese blogger, D3a Bin Kar however questioned what has ultimately been gained through independence:

we thought with independence, we would gain true freedom, equality, human rights and a chance to realize all the dreams our forefathers dreamed for our beloved Sudan.

For 56 years ago, Sudan has gone through a civil war, turmoil, drought, famine and recently a secession.

Millions have died unnecessarily, millions displaced, millions go to bed hungry every night. These are just not numbers but there are millions of individuals who need not to have gone through all of this.

All could have been avoidable.

D3a Bin Kar continues his post with a round up of key events that happened in Sudan throughout 2011, and ends on a more optimistic note.

Perhaps, 2012, will mark our true independence.

Africa: African Arguments Online

Ndesanjo Macha — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:27:13 +0000

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.”

Sudan: A View From Blue Nile

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:51:13 +0000

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.”

South Sudan/Sudan: Refugee Narrates Her Emotional Story

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:01:51 +0000

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.

Sahel Region: Slavery still very much a Reality for Some

Vivienne Griffiths — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:30:45 +0000

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”

Sudan: Concern Grows About Detained Sudanese Writer

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:16:00 +0000

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.”

Sudan: Sudan's Desire to Join the East African Community a Headache

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:15:17 +0000

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.”

Sudan/South Sudan: Can the Issue of Ngok Dinka Citizenship be Resolved?

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:33:13 +0000

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.”