The consequences of underdevelopment in Sudan
During my nearly two months in Sudan, leaving less than a week before the October 25, 2021, military coup, I reflected with fascination on how Sudan’s majority Muslim and majority Black, with Arab and Turkish mixture population, could live and in some cases thrive in such “underdevelopment,” as Walter Rodney coined it in his 1973 book: “How Europe Underdeveloped...
Egypt’s crisis and violence grows
(FinalCall.com) - In Cairo on August 14, the worst was realized as Egypt's security forces, backed by bulldozers, and using tear gas and live ammunition, moved in on two huge pro-Mohamed Morsi protest camps, launching into a long-threatened forced removal. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of the mostly peaceful demonstrators dead and thousands more wounded. The shooting and unrest continued...
Elections represent an opportunity for stability and unity in Libya
With just over 100 days until landmark elections in Libya, political leaders must join forces to ensure the vote is free, fair and inclusive, the UN envoy for the country told the Security Council on Sept.10. Ján Kubiš, special representative of the secretary-general and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) briefed ambassadors on developments ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections due...
The history David Livingston and Zanzibar’s slave trade
Petina Gappa’s 2019 novel “Out of Darkness, Shining Light” about the explorer David Livingston and the extraordinary group of Africans that carried his body, minus his heart, across Africa’s impossible terrain “illuminates the agonies of colonialism and blind loyalty.” Some wood from a tree in Zambia under which Livingston’s heart is buried, a testament to his last adventure after leaving...
Fifty years on the Nile dam that changed the face of Egypt
MANILA SULTAN, Egypt—Yassin Saeed remembers when the Nile’s annual flood drenched his village in the years before the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Now, former flood lands are green fields year-round. “Our lives were very hard,” said the 76-year-old Egyptian, recounting how his father, his brothers and other farmers had to use the traditional felucca sailboats to harvest the...
Challenging cultural norms and removing stigma is key to confronting Lesotho’s rape culture
Commentary THABA-TSEKA, Lesotho—The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and given rise to a new, deeply concerning wave of rape culture in Lesotho. Although the true extent is not known yet, we have noticed concerning reports that the onset of the pandemic has worsened sexual violence with more women and girls being confined to small living places whilst social tensions are exacerbated. According...
Coups in African countries described as ‘signs of failed democracies’
Africa’s coup belt is growing. The coup d’état in seven African countries has been described as a sign of failed democracies in the affected countries. According to a report in the Daily Maverick, censuring leaders for coups is only a first step. Businessday.ng, a Nigerian business and financial news website, describes the seven countries experiencing “military interregnum,” including Guinea, Burkina...
Zimbabwe land redistribution a sign for South Africa?
(FinalCall.com) - During a recent speech at the University of South Africa, former President Thabo Mbeki took Western nations to task for mounting an “offensive against Zimbabwe” that he called an indirect attack on the aspirations of all Africans. During his speech, after attending President Robert Mugabe's inauguration in Zimbabwe, he focused on criticisms about the outcome of the...
African leaders appeal for Darfur, Sudan peace deal
Ex-rebel women are peacemakers in Darfur talks (FCN, 01-10-2006)Sudan needs help, not sanctions - A report from Darfur (TWF, 09-23-2004)Sudan, Oil, and the Darfur Crisis (FCN, 07-07-2004) Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - African leaders attending the African Union's special summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Abuja on Thursday took turns to appeal to the parties at the Darfur peace...
African winner of Nobel book prize ignites debate in Zanzibar
(GIN)—Out of 118 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2021, only six have gone to African writers with only two to Black Africans. So, there was a measure of celebration, excitement, and pride when this year’s prize was awarded to Zanzibar-born writer Abdulrazak Gurnah. “The prize is an honor to you, our Tanzanian nation and Africa in general,” Tanzanian President Samia...