Stories from Quick Reads and Burkina Faso
After Citizen Uprising in Burkina Faso and Burundi, Are Niger and Togo Next?
20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi...
2015 Presents an Opportunity for Free and Fair Elections in Africa
Wekesa Sylvanus hopes that 2015 will be a year of free and fair elections in Africa: https://wekesasylvanus.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/will-2015-be-a-year-of-free-and-fair-elections-in-africa/ Since the advent of multi party democracy in Africa, electoral contests have become a do or die affair in majority of African countries. Elections in Africa are a high risk affair and in...
Humanitarian Associations in Burkina Faso Campaign for Revenue Sharing from the Mining Industry with “Just 1%” Hashtag
A new hashtag is trending in Burkina Faso online networks: #Justeunpourcent (Just 1 Percent in English). The hashtag refers to a campaign initiated by local NGOs to the Parliament that requests that 1 percent of the mining revenues be shared with humanitarian associations to fight poverty in Burkina Faso. Nadine...
Images of Air Algerie AH5017 Plane Wreckage in Mali Reveals Violent, Abrupt Crash
VERY FIRST images of #AH5017 #AirAlgerie trickling out, via @AirLiveNet http://t.co/4pKox7rgjn pic.twitter.com/rngGTv7Rbs — Jason Morrell (@CNNJason) July 25, 2014 The first footage of the plane crash are now available thanks to a Burkinabe soldier present on the site of the wreck near Gossi, in Northern Mali. There are no survivors...
A 80 Year-long Wait: Niger Gets its First Train Station
On April 7, Niger inaugurated in the capital Niamey its first train station ever [fr]. The authorities already projected the construction of the train station 80 years ago but the project never took off. The event will kick start the construction of railroads between Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire....
State Stops the Opening of Free Clitoral Repair Hospital for FGM Victims in Burkina Faso
The first hospital to offer free clitoral repair for victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) was open to the public its doors in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso on March 7 but the government refused to allow doctors to treat the 80 patients scheduled for surgery [fr] because of incompletion to fill in the...
One Third of Pregnancies Are Unintended in Burkina Faso
Social Researchers at L’Institut supérieur des sciences de la population (High Institute of Population Science) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso published a report entitled “Grossesses non désirées et avortements au Burkina : causes et conséquences” (The causes and consequences of Unintended Pregnancies and Abortions in Burkina Faso). The report highlights a few...
Sports as a Vector of Peace in Burkina Faso
The National Department of Sports and Entertainment in Burkina Faso published a report on the role of sports as a vector of peace and development in Burkina Faso [PDF in fr]: Les programmes sportifs bien conçus renforcent les capacités humaines de base, créent des relations interpersonnelles et inculquent des valeurs...
The Worrisome Job Market Projection in Burkina Faso
The AFDB published its country report for Burkina Faso in which it highlights the worrisome job market trend [fr] for the next decade : Sept burkinabè sur dix ont moins de 30 ans. Le nombre de jeunes (15-24 ans), primo demandeurs d’emplois, doublera entre 2010 et 2030, passant de trois à six millions...
Massive Street Protests against Constitutional Reform in Burkina Faso
On January 18, thousands of Burkinabe citizens took to the streets of Ouagadougou [fr] to protest against proposed changes of the constitution that would allow current president Campaoré to run for another mandate. The protests were relayed on many Burkinabe twitter feed. Alain Boh Bi posted images of the protest: Jan18th,...
Mass Resignations Within the Ruling Party of Burkina Faso
Morin Yamongba reports that 75 members (including former ministers) of the ruling party in Burkina Faso, Le Congrès pour la démocratie et le progrès (Congress for democracy and progress) have left the party to join the opposition [fr] because of alleged lack of plurality within the party. They also oppose...
Massive Railway Project between Niamey and Cotonou Underway
A 1,500 km-long railway project between Niamey, the capital city of Niger and Cotonou, the capital city of Benin has been green lighted by the authorities of the two countries and construction will begin on March 2014 [fr]. Francois Ndiaye in Niamey unpacks the set up of the financial agreement [fr] that includes...
Assassination Attempt Against Burkina Faso President
Romuald Tuina (also spelled Tuyna) an ex-deserted soldier was killed after he opened fire [fr] on the office of the president of Burkina Faso Blaise Campaoré, Mathieu Somda reports. Tuina was in uniform when he tried to enter the presidential palace. He then shot the light down in the palace by firing...
Tchip: The “Shaking My Head” Meme from Africa
Nadéra Bouazza explains what being “tchippée” [fr] means for french speaking black communities. Tchip is the sound one makes when he/she disapproves of the behavior/action of someone else (roughly similar to the “shaking my head” internet slang). The “Tchip” sound is used across most black communities and has become an internet meme:
African Cinema Honored at Film Festival
Boukari Ouédraogo wrote [fr] about the 23rd Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO, Festival Panafricain du Cinéma de Ouagadougou). The festival took place from February 23 to March 2, 2013: What I did notice is that African filmmakers are true messengers, real educators, historians, storytellers, etc. They speak directly to...
Coalition of African Nations Agrees to Send 3,300 Soldiers a year to Northern Mali
Seven African nations of ECOWAS namely Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo have agreed with Malian government [fr] to send 3,300 soldiers a year to Northern Mali to take back control of northern Mali from Islamist fighters. Other nations outside the ECOWAS might also send in troops.
Burkina Faso: Architect Innovates with Sustainable Primary School
Architect Diébédo Francis Kéré has designed a sustainable primary school in Gando, Burkina Faso, using mud bricks and corrugated iron. The innovative design allows much needed light and ventilation in a village where temperatures sometimes reach 104° F.
Africa: Controversy over the Presidency of the Confederation of African Football
Ouédraogo of Ouagadougou wrote the following on mondoblog.org : The Confederation of African football adopted a shameful regulation during its general meeting on Monday, September 3, 2012, stipulating that only members of the Executive Committee may run for President of the governing body of African football. A settlement which eliminates, in...
Burkina Faso, Niger: Cholera Kills 80 after Floods
Bark Biiga writes on Fasozine [fr] that following the floods that plagued Niger and Burkina Faso, 80 people have succumbed to Cholera in the Western Region of Niger. The disease also threatens to spread into neighboring Burkina Faso.
Africa: African Perspectives Online
African Perspectives is an online platform for Africans on the continent or in the Diaspora – that is People of African Descent – to showcase their very own perspective on a given situation, a cultural event in their region, talk and discuss approaches of investments in their country or how...