Africa News Update
Africa News Update offers news, background and feature articles from African sources twice weekly. The newsletter is free of charge and is edited by the Norwegian Council for Africa. Some of the articles may be shortened.
Africa: The natives are restless; our so-called elites had better watch out (opinion)
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) - If beggars were horses, the rich would ride them. And they are, and they do. Just think about it. Read >
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
The East African (Kenya), by Jenerali Ulimwengu*
Angola: Why President´s daughter is Africa´s first female billionaire (analysis)
Luanda (Angola) - Years ago, a high-ranking MPLA politburo member praised the business acumen of President José Eduardo's children. More recently, the state-owned and only daily newspaper Jornal de Angola awarded Isabel dos Santos the title of entrepreneur of the year for 2012. In both cases, the objective was to sell the notion that there is a genuine business talent, within the Dos Santos's family, to accumulate vast wealth. Read >
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Maka Angola, by Alfredo Muvuma
Nigeria: Boko Haram - last gasps of a killer group (opinion)
Abuja (Nigeria) - The terror group Boko Haram would have been history by now had its bandits been operating in Niger or Chad. This is for the simple reason that security agents in those countries are abreast with terror groups and their antics and could have easily routed them. Read >
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Pambazuka News, by Abdulrazaq Magaji*
Nigeria: Boko Haram agree to a cease fire
Maiduguri (Nigeria) — The Jama'atul Ahalis Sunna Lida'awati Wal Jihad, a.k.a Boko Haram Islamic sect which has been terrorizing some states in the North, particularly Borno, Monday agreed to cease fire/lay down their arms for peace to prevail. Read >
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
The Vanguard (Nigeria)
Mali: France´s just war - food for thought for Francophobes and opponents of the FrançAfrique?
I am admittedly a Francophobe. More than two days’ transit through Paris is the maximum I could ever stomach of the “Country of human rights”, just long enough to enjoy fresh croissants at Paul’s, a pint of pineapple juice at Monoprix and, on a good day, a trip down to the 1st arrondissement to eat delicious “crêpes au citron” at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Read >
Friday, 25 January 2013
Pambazuka News, by Afrooptimist
Africa: Leaders to discuss regional war crimes court
Ahead of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa this week, legal experts are urging caution over plans to expand the jurisdiction of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights to allow it to try individuals for mass crimes. The proposal is likely to be on the agenda for the African Union meeting taking place on January 21-28. Read >
Friday, 25 January 2013
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), by Walter Menya*
Sudan: Is the future one state or several?
Sudan’s President, General Ahmed Al-Bashir and South Sudan’s President Silva Kiir met in Addis Ababa on 4th January for talks aimed at resolving their on-going conflict. But this has all happened before, and is likely to happen again, until they come to address the underlying causes of the conflict. Sudan is a country of extreme ethno-cultural diversity with some 80 or more ethnic groups, mostly, territorially-based, whose interests have long been subordinated to those of Khartoum-based elites. Read >
Friday, 25 January 2013
African Arguments, by Seifulaziz Milas*
Nigeria: Collaboration needed to combat human trafficking
Orphaned at the age of 12, Grace was sent to work in a Nigerian household as a servant. Her duties were demanding. She was not paid, she could not attend school and was abused by her employer. After working for the family for a few years her employer told her that she was moving to London and that Grace would follow. Read >
Friday, 25 January 2013
ThinkAfricaPress, by Jenny Pennington
Egypt: Demonstrations on anniversary of uprising
Cairo (Egypt) - Amid fears and warnings of violence, Egypt is witnessing demonstrations on Friday on the second anniversary of the January 25 uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak's regime and forced him to step down after ruling the country for almost three decades. Read >
Friday, 25 January 2013
Aswat Masriya (Egypt)