Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2008 February 24

24 February 2008

Daily archive · 5 posts

Stories from 24 February 2008

Iraq: F*** you Washington Post…

Written by Salam Adil · Middle East & North Africa

...so says Raed Jarrar. Today's post features voices from the edge. Sunshine is waiting for the war on her doorstep to end and writes of her hopes and aspirations; Last of Iraqis is turned back at the Jordanian border and writes of hopes lost; Layla waits in the immigration queue; Baghdad Dentist writes of a relaxed Baghdad and the blogger formerly know as Konfused Kid writes of a world that has changed.

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Morocco: No Justice for Fouad Mourtada

Written by Jillian C. York · Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

Is creating a Facebook profile of a famous entity a crime? Although it's been done to nearly every major celebrity (a quick search for "George W. Bush" garners over 500 results), but when Fouad Mourtada chose to mimic Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, he was committing a serious crime.

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The groundswell of opposition to AFRICOM from African bloggers

Written by John Liebhardt · Sub-Saharan Africa

At the tail-end of U.S. President George Bush’s six-day, five-country farewell tour of Africa came the announcement the Pentagon’s plans for a second U.S. military base on the continent of Africa is dead. Questions from the blogshpere flew: What exactly are U.S. interests in Africa?

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Cuba: More Reactions to Castro's Retirement

Written by Elia Varela Serra · Latin America

Four days after Fidel Castro announced that he would not accept another term as a president after almost half a century in power, the Cuban blogosphere continues to be abuzz with the news. Adding to Janine Mendes-Franco's roundup collecting the first reactions after the announcement, here are more reactions from Cuba and abroad.

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Blogger of the Week: Nicholas Laughlin

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Caribbean

Today's Blogger of the Week is Nicholas Laughlin - an author, editor, art enthusiast, activist and "occasional" blogger, who has dreams bigger than life for his hometown in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and writing projects and engagements which make him wish the day was longer than 24 hours.

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Updates from 24 February 2008

Armenia

Shooosh at Life in Armenia admits that she is still confused as to what really happened during last week's presidential election in Armenia and says that reliable information is hard to come by. Nevertheless, the Diaspora blogger concludes, life in the country continues on regardless.

• Onnik Krikorian

Armenia

The Armenian Observer details his displeasure with the final pronouncement from Armenia's Central Elections Commission (CEC) that the prime minister, Serge Sargsyan, won last week's presidential election amid opposition allegations of vote buying, ballot box stuffing and other voting irregularities and falsification.

• Onnik Krikorian

East Timor

FORUM HAKSESUK [pt] posted an analysis by António Ramos Naikoli on the chances of achieving an early election in East Timor, a possibility considered by the country's largest opposition party, FRETILIN, in the face of the assassination attempts on the two Timor leaders.

• Paula Góes

Brazil

Vera Mattos [pt] publishes a statement by various human right groups denouncing the work of extermination groups, protesting against the ineffective public security and demanding that the authorities investigate the execution of young, poor black people resident of the outskirts of Salvador, capital of Bahia, Brazil.

• Paula Góes

Mozambique

Luis David [pt] demands an update on the situation of the 40 children found in a truck intercepted by police in Inchope, reported back in January. The children were supposedly being taken to schools to study the Koran, with their parents consent. “And that casts doubt on whether it was children trafficking. Human trafficking. Nothing indicates it wasn't. Everything indicates that it was indeed. Everything points to the fact that we may be facing a situation where both children and parents have been manipulated. Where parents surrendered their children to the unknown. For a finality other than being nationalistic and upright Mozambicans. It is up to the Government, of course, to investigate and clarify how these children were recruited.”

• Paula Góes

Angola

“Angola lost today two of its most distinguished defenders of Angolanness: Gentil Ferreira Viana and Joaquim Pinto de Andrade. Two men from different backgrounds but alike in the highest defense of our homeland and Angolanness”, reports Eugénio Costa Almeida [pt], who has condolences messages for both nationalists who contributed to the fight for the emancipation and freedom of Angolans.

• Paula Góes