Portuguese, a Global Language?

A community page on Facebook, Língua Portuguesa: Uma Língua Global? (Portuguese Language: A Global Language?) [pt], provides a diversity of materials to promote the debate about the expansion of Portuguese...

Mali: Can Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Be Stopped?

The solution to the Mali crisis seems to be vanishing as time goes by. It has been five months now that the country has been divided into two parts. Julie Owono explores the current situation in the Sahel region.

Paralympic Games Kick Off in London

After hosting a most memorable Olympics, the British capital city of London welcomed the world's Paralympians for what is claimed to be the biggest Paralympics Games ever.

Angola: Before Polls, Serious Questions Arise

On the eve of Angola’s elections, leader of the country’s largest opposition party was loud and clear to the media, stating the electoral process was the worst ever. Citizens report on lack of transparency around the electoral rolls, problems with polling staff assignments and lack of accredited observers.

Central African Republic: Less than 3% have Access to Electricity

Louis Philippe Wallot writes in Journal de Bangui [fr]: According to the statistics of the ministry of energy, only  3% of the capital city Bangui  has access to electricity and it is even at...

Zambian National Football Team Coach Granted Permanent Residence

Zambia has had many expatriate national football team coaches, but Frenchman Herve Renard, who led the team in scooping the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012, enjoys special affection. In recognition of his success, the government has accorded him permanent residence but the decision has assumed political overtones.

Tracking Counterfeit Medicines in the Developing World

Some 700,000 people die annually from fake malaria and tuberculosis drugs alone. The WHO reports that the annual earnings from substandard or counterfeit drugs stand at about USD 200 billion. More important than its economic impact, counterfeit medicines pose a significant global public health problem.

Chinese Weapons Flooding Africa

Deborah Brautigam from China in Africa provided more background information about the importation of Chinese Weapons in African countries and explained the incentive of arms sale is from private sector:...

Greece: Anti-Nationalists Demand Diversity

Angola: Citizens Report Electoral Irregularities

The website EleicoesAngola2012.com [pt] receives and shares denouncements of irregularities concerned with the preparation for Angola's general elections that will take place on August 31. Any citizen can submit reports via...

Assessing Quality of Life in African Cities

One study on the quality of life in cities across the world reports that, of the ten least liveable cities, six are situated in Africa. However, another finds that the populations of certain African cities are happier than those of several European counterparts. So what exactly is the reality of quality of life in Africa's cities?

Are Ethiopians the Most Secretive People on Earth?

After weeks of rumors about the health and whereabouts of Ethiopia’s Prime Minster Meles Zenawi, the government finally announced his death from an "undisclosed illness" on August 21, 2012. There are many previous examples of such secrecy from Ethiopia, such as when Emperor Haile Selassie I tried to hide the 1973 famine, while Emperor Menelik II's death in 1913 was hidden from the public for years. Are Ethiopians the most secretive people in the world?

Sudan: Twitter Activist Released After Two Months in Detention

'I was threatened w/ sexual assault/abuse numerous times during that day. At one point, even by a top-rank #NISS officer.' In June, the Sudanese National Intelligence & Security Service arresting thousands including Twitter activist Usamah Mohamed Ali.

Angola: Pre-Election Media Coverage Undermines Political Process

At the end of this month, Angolans go to the polls. Expectations are high but the feeling on the streets is calm and festive. The party in power MPLA increases the number of openings of public works and promises to captivate voters. National bloggers, always attentive, report what is happening behind the scenes.

Cape Verde: “A Real Hell for Stray Animals”

Cape Verde: white beaches, beautiful sea and luxuriant vegetation: a paradise for humans but a real hell for stray animals. The alert (with photos) comes from the International Organization for...

Senegal: 18 Dead as Floods Paralyse the Country

Heavy rains led to catastrophic flooding in many regions of Senegal on August 26, 2012 with 18 dead and 42 injured so far. The Senegal government has launched a rescue plan with the help of French organisation Orsec to assist victims. Many locals on the ground feel rescue efforts have not been started quickly enough, leading to angry demonstrations on the streets of Dakar.

Guinea-Bissau: Women, Citizenship and “Mandjuandades”

Informal voluntary associations predominantly made up of women and sustained through solidarity and the sharing of individual and collective interests, may play an important role in strengthening participative democracy in Guinea Bissau: meet "mandjuandades".

Togo: Sex Strike to Push for Reforms

Icilome.com writes [fr] about the ongoing protests in Lomé, Togo : The lawyer Isabelle Améganvi of the ANC [National Alliance for Change] in Togo has officially stated that “the Togolese women had...

Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Meles Zenawi Death

Samuel Gebru, the founder of EGI (Ethiopian Global Initiative) writes on his personal blog: Ethiopia and Africa has lost a formidable leader who worked tirelessly for the transformation of his country...

Niger: Floods leave thousands Homeless in Niamey

Barmou Salifou in Niger posts the following request on twitter after floods devastated Niamey [fr] on August 19:

Angolan Tourists Spend Big Bucks in Portugal

'Little by little we see Angolan money starting to dominate businesses and the economic sectors in Portugal.' According to a netizen this is in stark contrast to 70% of Angola's population which 'is barefoot, have empty stomachs, (and) live in a slum.'