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Elia Varela Serra

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About Elia Varela Serra

256 posts · joined 2008-01-29

Spanish journalist currently living in the United States after having lived in a number of countries with long names. Interested in human rights activism, citizen media, development, writing, photography, film, Africa and the Balkans. I'm currently working on a blogging & communication platform designed for the specific needs of citizen journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa: Maneno (it means words in Swahili).

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Latest posts by Elia Varela Serra

Stories

July 17th, 2009

Light Up Nigeria: Enough Is Enough

Despite being a country rich in oil, Nigeria's electricity supply situation is insufficient. “In most parts of the country, darkness pervades and generators have taken over as the source of power”, says Adebayo's blog. Now Nigerians have started a massive online demonstration against this frustrating situation on social media sites, especially on Twitter with the hashtag #lightupnigeria.

July 13th, 2009

Congo Brazzaville: Disappointment at Presidential election

On Sunday July 12th, people in the Republic of the Congo voted in an election which opposition leaders boycotted over allegations it would be neither free nor fair. Denis Sassou N’Guesso, who has ruled the Congo for about 25 years as head of state, is seeking another seven year term ...

July 3rd, 2009

DRC: Goma's Makeover for Independence Day

June 30th marked the 49th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Congo's independence from Belgium. This year, the official festivities took place in Goma. Bloggers react to this historic anniversary, celebrated in a city that not long ago was a war zone.

June 8th, 2009

Gabon: On President Omar Bongo's death

Sunday night, French media announced the death of President Omar Bongo of Gabon, who had spent 41 of his 73 years in power. Bloggers write about Gabon after Bongo and what Bongo's death means for Francafrique.

April 22nd, 2009

Rwanda: The unresolved FDLR issue

Last January the conflict in North Kivu shifted once again with the arrest of CNDP rebel group leader Laurent Nkunda in Rwanda and the entry of the Rwandan national army (RDF) into the DR Congo to root out the FDLR rebel group in joint operations with the national Congolese army (FARDC). As Rebecca Feeley of the Enough Said blog explains, the Congolese Minister of Defense, Charles Mwando Nsimba, even went so far as to say that the FDLR threat had been “neutralized.”

April 14th, 2009

Rwanda: Fifteen years after the genocide

Today marks the end of a week of national mourning in Rwanda to commemorate the 15 anniversary since the genocide which killed 800,000 people. On the 7th of April ceremonies were held in the capital Kigali, and in Nyanza, where more than 5,000 people were slaughtered. At a stadium in Kigali, thousands of candles spelt out the word "hope" in three languages.