South Africa’s ruling party must regain support, says leader
JOHANNESBURG—South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling party, the African National Congress, must work to regain popular support after being embroiled in corruption scandals and divided by bitter factional rivalries. Marking the ANC’s 110th anniversary, Mr. Ramaphosa struck a somber note Jan. 7, emphasizing that the party of Nelson Mandela which helped South Africa to achieve democracy, has lost...
Blacks and Whites clash at South African school incident
JOHANNESBURG—South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has called for restraint Nov. 10 following clashes at an anti-racism protest outside a school in Cape Town. Members of the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters protested in front of the Brackenfell High School over allegations that a school graduation event was attended only by White pupils. The protest turned violent when the Black demonstrators...
Kenya marks 60 years of independence, and the president defends painful economic measures
NAIROBI, Kenya—Kenya’s president on December 12 defended the high taxes the government recently imposed, calling them a “necessary sacrifice” in helping the country deal with ballooning foreign debt which now stands at $70 billion. Speaking at celebrations marking 60 years since Kenya’s independence from Britain, President William Ruto said East Africa’s largest economy was no longer at risk of defaulting on...
What has Libyan war unleashed on Africa?
- WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - Even as Western European leaders boast of their roles in the overthrow of the Libyan government of Col. Muammar Gadhafi , African leaders who were at first silent about the plot have begun voicing their opposition to the campaign. The African Union (AU) has withheld its recognition of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC), and a...
U.S. Gov’t Destabilizing Africa through AFRICOM
(FinalCall.com) - Thanks to the U.S. and its proxy-led interventions, instability in North Africa and the Middle East has spread to the African continent. Violence, including the longstanding conflict (you might remember “Black Hawk Down”) in Somalia has spread to include Ethiopia, Uganda and most recent victim Kenya. While global concern focuses on poison gas attacks in Syria, Iran's alleged...
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...
Libya’s unclear future marred by internal, external conflict
Civil war is currently ratcheting up in Libya as internal saber-rattling escalates and foreign actors involved take sides and add to heightened threats of military action. Libya has been absent a cohesive government since a United States-led overthrow of Muammar Gadhafi and the Great Jamahiriya government in 2011. Since the U.S. and NATO (North Atlanta Treaty Organization) invasion, resulting in...
Libya: Political stalemate and lack of progress on elections
Leaders in Libya must take immediate steps to resolve their political impasse, which is spilling over into increasing violence, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council on Aug. 30. The North African country became divided between two rival administrations in the years after the overthrow of former leader Muammar Gadhafi a decade ago. The government of National...
Is South Africa prepared to embrace a coalition government?
As South Africans approach their upcoming national elections, scheduled for May 29—some with reservations—a plethora of critical issues loom large over the country’s political landscape. One that is getting a lot of attention is whether Africa’s most influential nation-state is possibly prepared to embrace coalition governance on a national scale. According to the South African news site Isolezwe, more...
Zimbabwe unveils statue honoring anti-colonialist heroine
HARARE, Zimbabwe—Zimbabwe’s president on May 25 unveiled a towering bronze statue in the center of Harare, the capital, honoring a 19th-century Black anti-colonialist heroine who was hanged for leading a rebellion against White occupation. President Emmerson Mnangagwa vowed to press for the return of her skull from Britain. Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, more widely known as Mbuya (grandmother in Shona) Nehanda, was hanged...