Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from March, 2013
Inside the 2013 Central African Republic Crisis
As rebel leader Michel Djotodia solidifies his control as the new Central African Republic President and the rebel coalition of Séléka announce their control of capital city Bangui, it is important to understand why the failure of the January 2013 Libreville peace deal between the rebels and then-President Francois Bozize, was predictable.
Angola: Arrested and Disappeared for “Thinking Differently”
Yet another protest in Luanda ended up with 18 detained. The protest action called for "dignity and the right to life for those who think differently", remembering silenced journalists and activists in Angola, among them Alves Cassule and Isaías Kamulingue disappeared since May 2012.
Tanzania: Building Collapses in Dar Es Salaam
Pernille shares photos of a building that collapsed in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on Friday, 29 March 20013: “Nearby is a football field used by children. Over 60 persona, including...
Senegal Releases Influential Religious Leader Charged in Disciples’ Murder
Accusations of injustice are flying after a Senegal court granted provisional release to Islamic leader Cheikh Bethio Thioune, a once privileged presidential ally in the predominantly Muslim country who was arrested in April 2012 on charges of ordering his followers to beat two men to death.
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:...
‘Thinking Big': Gambian IT Teacher Talks Moving the Classroom Online
Ousman Faal, a young computer instructor and IT professional from The Gambia, has traded the classroom for a blog. Global Voices recently caught up with Faal, the man behind Faal Academy, a website that offers video lectures, presentations, and tips on various computer programs.
Film Exposes Madagascar's Child Sex Trade
The journeyman.tv published on March 25 a detailed investigation using undercover filming to expose the booming child sex trade in Madagascar: One mother in the film testifies: My daughter was...
Exploring New Approaches For Poverty Reduction
The quest is on for solutions to poverty reduction with the approach of the 2015 deadline for the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDG). Many organizations are exploring new avenues for answers.
Nigeria's Chinua Achebe Remembered as ‘Trailblazer’ for African Literature
The world mourns the death of Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, whose internationally praised writing gave Africans a voice by destroying the mold cast by colonialism. He was 82. In a testament to the profound impact of his body of work, Achebe's death has been mourned around the world.
The Highest Money Transfer Fees in the World Are in Sub-Saharan Africa
Babylas Serge de Souza wrote [fr] on his blog: Sub-Saharan Africa is the most expensive destination in the world for money transfer: the average cost of transfer from abroad reached 12.4%...
Nine Street Kids Die in Senegal Quran School Fire
A raging fire that broke out in Dakar, Senegal in a crowded Islamic school room where students were sleeping killed at least nine children on the night of Sunday 3 March, 2013. The tragedy has highlighted just how tough living conditions for Quran school students, known as talibs, can be.
Central African Republic's Self-Declared President
Following the taking of the presidential palace in Bangui by the Sékéla rebellion, their leader Michel Djotodia has declared that he is now the new president [fr] of the Central African Republic: I...
Condom TV Spot Pulled in Kenya After Religious Outcry
A public service announcement promoting condom use to combat the spread of HIV in Kenya was recently pulled from the airwaves after the TV spot caused an uproar among the country's religious leaders.
Ethiopians Jailed for Protesting Italy's ‘Butcher of Ethiopia’ Memorial
A group of protesters were detained in Ethiopia after demonstrating against a small Italian village's publicly funded memorial to Rodolfo Graziani, a general under fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini whose war-time atrocities earned him the nickname "the Butcher of Ethiopia".
PHOTOS: Once Upon a Time in Madagascar
With the same desire to honor and archive Madagascar's history, two Facebook pages are archiving vintage pictures of the cities and the Malagasy people: Madagascar Hier (Yesterday's Madagascar) and Il était une fois Madagascar (Once upon a time in Madagascar). Here is a photo essay of Madagascar, once upon a time.
São Tomé and Príncipe: 12 Reasons to Return
Carmen Alvarez Vilas, founder of the NGO Cooperación Bierzo Sur, posted on her Facebook page an album titled “12 Reasons to go back to Sao Tome and Principe”. Each image selected...
African Presidents Active on Social Media
Dapa Arnaud gives a list of the 10 most active african presidents [fr] on social media. At the top of the list is president Paul Kagame in Rwanda: In place since...
Guinea-Bissau is Second Worst Democracy
The Democracy Index 2012 from The Economist Intelligence Unit, published on March 19, 2013, places Guinea-Bissau second to last in the ranking, just before North Korea. The same day a...
China's $20 Billion Pledge to Africa
Deborah Brautigam from China in Africa: The Real Story looks into the nature of China's pledge of $20 Billion to Africa at the fifth ministerial meeting of the Forum on...
Zimbabwe Police Arrest Top Human Rights Lawyer
One day after millions of Zimbabweans approved a new constitution that will bring about presidential and parliamentary elections later this year, prominent Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa was arrested after demanding a search warrant from police who were attempting to arrest her clients.
Tales of Love and Sex from Angola
Rosie Alves is a 21-year-old blogger in Luanda who writes short tales often about love and intimate encounters in her blog "Sweet Cliché". She shares with Global Voices her motivations and aspirations, telling us more about her generation and the growing Angolan blogosphere.
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