AfricaFocus Bulletins with Material on Politics and Human Rights
Jun 22, 2008 Africa: AfricaFocus Web Updates
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/web0806.php
In the almost five years of publication of AfricaFocus Bulletin,
the number of sources available to readers over the internet, by
web and e-mail, has continued to grow exponentially. I am pleased
that so many of you continue to find this occasional bulletin of
carefully selected analysis useful.
Jun 14, 2008 Zimbabwe: African Leaders Speak Out
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/zim0806.php
Two weeks before the presidential run-off elections in Zimbabwe,
over forty prominent African leaders have released an urgent call
for free, fair, peaceful, and transparent elections. The open
letter was published on June 13 and June 14 in full-page
advertisements in South Africa's Business Day, the Financial Times,
and the New York Times. The initial signatories included 18 former
presidents or prime ministers, two Nobel Laureates, musicians
Youssou N'Dour and Angelique Kidjo, and former United Nations
Secretaries General Kofi Annan and Boutros Boutros-Ghali. It was
sponsored by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, founded and directed by
African mobile phone magnate Mo Ibrahim.
May 26 , 2008 Zimbabwe: "Democracy is Not a Privilege"
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/zim0805b.php
"Africa waged a century-long struggle against colonialism and
apartheid precisely to establish the principle that governments
should derive legitimacy through the consent of the governed.
Democratic institutions are therefore not privileges that may be
extended or withheld at the discretion of those who wield power." -
Pallo Jordan
May 26, 2008 Zimbabwe: A Dream Deferred
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/zim0805a.php
This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains the text of "Zimbabwe: A Dream
Deferred," a summary report from TransAfrica Forum on the joint
observer mission sent by TransAfrica Forum and Africa Action to the
Zimbabwe election in March. The summary is written for a U.S.
audience, to provide a progressive alternative to misleading and
simplistic characterizations of the crisis in Zimbabwe, often
characterizing news coverage and debate in the United States.
May 20, 2008 South Africa: Migrants under Attack
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/xen0805.php
"Xenophobia is rife in South Africa. However, repression of
immigrants, refugees and undocumented people goes beyond naked
violence in poor communities. Earlier this year, police raided the
Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, beating up and arresting
immigrants, mainly from Zimbabwe. The state systematically abuses
the rights of immigrants: health workers deny treatment, home
affairs officials demand bribes and police assault immigrants
regularly." - Treatment Action Campaign
Apr 28, 2008 South Africa: Women, AIDS, and Violence, 2
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/ai0804b.php
"In the Southern African region the results of a large scale
household survey conducted in eight countries showed that nearly
a fifth of the women interviewed reported being a victim of
partner physical violence in the preceding year. ... South African
based-studies have found that women who experience intimate
partner violence are at long-term increased risk of HIV infection,
particularly where their partners were involved in multiple
concurrent, unprotected sexual relationships." - Amnesty
International
Apr 28, 2008 South Africa: Women, AIDS, and Violence, 1
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/ai0804a.php
"Despite gradual improvements in the government's response to the
HIV epidemic and the adoption of a widely-welcomed five-year plan,
five and a half million South Africans are HIV-infected - one of
the highest numbers in any country in the world. Fifty-five percent
of them are women. South African women under 25 are three to four
times more likely to be HIV-infected than men in the same age
group. ... the level of new HIV infections amongst women in South
Africa continues to increase, while overall incidence of the
disease has levelled off." - Amnesty International
Mar 31, 2008 Zimbabwe: Writing on the Wall
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/zim0803.php
"Mugabe: The Writing is on the Wall," headlined Daniel Howden in a
report from Bulawayo today in the UK Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk). He was perhaps making a risky
prediction, as official results continued to be delayed. But he was
also referring to the fact that a late change in the electoral law
had resulted in the public posting of results in constituencies
around the country, and that this had made it possible for
unofficial counts to speed around the country by text message, email,
and mobile phones.
Mar 20, 2008 Kenya: Post-Crisis Agendas
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/ken0803.php
"The Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation between the
political parties provides Kenya's leaders with a historic
opportunity to step back from the brink and to reform and
establish institutions that can help build long-term stability. ...
However, challenges remain in ensuring that the institutions
created actually deliver accountability for recent and previous
violence, correct injustices ignored by previous administrations,
and tackle the systemic failure of governance that gave rise to
the recent crisis." - Human Rights Watch
Feb 26, 2008 Nigeria: Prison System Report
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/nig0802.php
"Nigeria's prisons are filled with people whose human rights are
systematically violated. Approximately 65 per cent of the inmates
are awaiting trial most of whom have been waiting for their trial
for years. Most of the people in Nigeria's prisons are too poor to
be able to pay lawyers, and only one in seven of those awaiting
trial have private legal representation." - Amnesty International
Feb 21, 2008 USA/Africa: Images and Issues
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/usa0802.php
As President Bush winds up his 5-day trip to Africa, the initial
focus on his legacy in the fight against AIDS and malaria has been
enlivened with debate on the new and highly controversial AFRICOM
military command (See, for example,
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/world/africa/21prexy.html),
Commentators have also highlighted the contrast between Bush's
itinerary (Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia) and
unresolved crises in Kenya and Sudan. But from AIDS to AFRICOM,
coverage of the trip was also revealing for points hardly mentioned
by either Bush boosters or critics.
Feb 1, 2008 Kenya: More Pressure Needed to Stop Violence
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/ken0802.php
"The deep frustrations that are felt on all sides of the Kenyan
divide are understandable. There is no doubt that much more work
remains to be done for Kenya to become a more equitable and
democratic society. But Kenya has come too far to throw away
decades of progress in a storm of violence and political unrest. We
must not look back years from now and wonder how and why things
were permitted to go so horribly wrong.- Senator Barack Obama, on
Kenyan radio, January 29, 2008
Jan 8, 2008 Africa: Talking about "Tribe"
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/ethn0801.php
The Kenyan election, wrote Jeffrey Gettleman for the New York Times
in his December 31 dispatch from Nairobi, "seems to have tapped
into an atavistic vein of tribal tension that always lay beneath
the surface in Kenya but until now had not provoked widespread
mayhem." Gettleman was not exceptional among those covering the
post-election violence in his stress on "tribe." But his
terminology was unusually explicit in revealing the assumption that
such divisions are rooted in unchanging and presumably primitive
identities.
[Update January 17, 2008: Since this Bulletin was written last week,
Gettleman's coverage of Kenya in the New York Times has avoided the
indiscriminate use of the word tribe in favor of "ethnic group," and
has noted the historical origins and political character of the continued violence
in the country, as well as its links to ethnic divisions. Thanks to
those AfricaFocus readers and others who contacted the New York Times about
its coverage.]
Jan 8, 2008 Kenya: Causes and Solutions
http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/ken0801.php
"It is the Kenyan People Who Have Lost the Election," headlined
Pambazuka News in its special Kenya election edition on January 3.
"But the real tragedy of Kenya," the editorial continued, is that
the political conflict is not about alternative political
programmes that could address ... landlessness, low wages,
unemployment, lack of shelter, inadequate incomes, homelessness,
etc. ... [instead] it boils down to a fight over who has access to
the honey pot that is the state. ...[citizens] are reduced to being
just being fodder for the pigs fighting over the trough."
Oct 30, 2007 South Africa: RIP Lucky Dube
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/dube0710.php
"The tragic death [of Lucky Dube] shocked reggae adherents across
the continent. Since the news of his death was announced on
Friday, his legion of fans in The Gambia and abroad, jammed radio
stations and media houses, with calls expressing shock and dismay
at the violent killing of their hero. ... [he sang] many crime
related songs and has died by the crime that he helped to fight,
through music." - Daily Observer, Banjul
Oct 8, 2007 Africa: Ibrahim Governance Index
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/moib0710.php
"What we're trying to say is that at the end, governance is
reflected in what is delivered to people. .. We are not commenting
on the policies. ...Policies should reflect in goods delivered to
people. We're trying to capture it [this way] instead of going
through this endless discussion about policies - what is good, what
is bad - which becomes, at the end of the day, very subjective." -
Mo Ibrahim
Sep 23, 2007 Zimbabwe: Pan African Response
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/zim0709a.php
"For anybody genuinely concerned about the future of Africa there
can be no politics of convenience. To be sure, the Zimbabwean
crisis is not the only crisis in Africa ... [But it] is arguably
the only ongoing crisis in which one side (the incumbent
government) and its supporters have mobilised African support and
silenced many by asserting more or less that its critics are
sympathisers, supporters or agents of foreign interests and former
colonial masters. This has wrongly narrowed the framework of the
debate on the Zimbabwean crisis." - Rotimi Sankore
Sep 23, 2007 Zimbabwe: A Regional Solution?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/zim0709b.php
"Six months before scheduled elections, Zimbabwe is closer than
ever to complete collapse. ... An initiative launched by the
regional intergovernmental organisation, the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), to facilitate a negotiated political
solution offers the only realistic chance to escape a crisis that
increasingly threatens to destabilise the region. But SADC must
resolve internal differences about how hard to press into
retirement Robert Mugabe ... and the wider international community
needs to give it full support." - International Crisis Group
Aug 28, 2007 Asia/Africa: Ubuntu and Sangsaeng
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/wcc0708.php
"'Business as usual' is inappropriate, if humankind and creation
are to survive on planet Earth. The prevailing development
trajectory leads to destruction. ... But this is only one side of
the coin.... [Those] who have realized the life-threatening
consequences of the prevailing growth-oriented economic development
paradigm are re-discovering the wisdom and life-affirming values of
their own cultures and civilizations." World Council of Churches
general secretary Samuel Kobia
Aug 10, 2007 China/Africa: Civil Society Meeting
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/ch0708.php
"In China, attitudes toward Darfur are evolving rapidly - so that
instead of being part of the problem, it could play a significant
role in the solution. ... China does not want to be perceived
globally as a defender of authoritarian regimes that perpetrate
or are oblivious to human suffering." - Gareth Evans and Donald Steinberg
Jul 1, 2007 Zimbabwe: Call for SADC Action
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/zim0707.php
Over 100 human rights groups, mainly in Africa, have urged South
Africa's President Thabo Mbeki and other SADC leaders to put human
rights at the center of any mediation efforts on the Zimbabwe
crisis. The appeal was initiated by Amnesty International, the
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights,
May 14, 2007 Nigeria: Election Aftermath
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/nig0705a.php
Militant groups in the Niger Delta have stepped up attacks on oil
installations following last month's election. Since the beginning
of May, pipelines have been sabotaged and at least 29 foreign oil
workers have been kidnapped. A spokesman for the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) warned that attacks would
continued until the government opened a dialogue about restoring
the oil wealth to the people in the region.
May 14, 2007 Nigeria: Fair and Square?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/nig0705b.php
Local and most foreign observers are united that the elections
were "fundamentally flawed". ... The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, that
deployed 50,000 monitors across the country has not only
condemned the widespread irregularities variously reported about
the election it has gone further than any other group of monitors
by categorically calling for a cancellation of the results and a
rerun of the vote." - Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem (http://www.pambazuka.org)
Mar 31, 2007 Africa: Citizenship Rights
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/cit0703.php
"On March 6, 1957, the independence of Ghana promised for all
Africans and our communities a new era of citizenship in full
dignity and equality with the rest of humanity. 50 years later, ...
this promise remains unfulfilled. African governments remain unable
or unwilling to fully assure, respect and guarantee effective
citizenship in our continent." - Tajudeen Abdulraheem, Dismas
Nkunda, & Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
Mar 26, 2007 Zimbabwe: The End of "Quiet Diplomacy"?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/zim0703.php
"Southern Africa is 'finally' assuming leadership in trying to
resolve the burning Zimbabwean crisis on their doorstep, but it has
been a long time coming, said analysts ... The Southern African
Development Community (SADC), which has pushed for an approach of
'quiet diplomacy' to the Zimbabwean crisis, has increasingly come
under fire for failing to wield any influence." - IRIN, March 23,
2007
Feb 18, 2007 Guinea (Conakry): State of Siege
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/guin0702.php
Army violence against civilians has escalated after declaration of
a state of siege in Guinea (Conakry) on February 12, despite
condemnation of the move by leaders of the West African regional
organization ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as local and
international non-governmental organizations. Fears are mounting
that the violence may not only undermine hopes of change in Guinea
itself, but also fuel further conflict in Guinea's neighbors.
Jan 31, 2007 Guinea (Conakry): Status Quo Continued
http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/guin0701.php
"After a cloudy sky, the great social storm that broke over Guinea,
menacing the established regime, did not succeed in sweeping away
the General-President. ... A great disillusionment, at the end of
the day: the Conté page has not been turned and the recent popular
demonstrations riots have not sounded the sunset of the Conté era."
- Le Pays, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Dec 12, 2006 Zimbabwe: Symptoms of Decline
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/zim0612.php
"Zimbabwe was once the publishing capital of southern Africa.
It used to host the best book fair in Africa. But years of neglect,
as with Zimbabwe itself, [have revived the saying]: 'We cannot eat
books.' With few visitors and even fewer sales, neither can the
publishers."
Nov 12, 2006 Lesotho: Anti-Corruption Actions
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/les0611.php
Search the World Bank's website section on anti-corruption
(http://www.worldbank.org/anticorruption) for "Lesotho" and you
will get the following response: Your search - Lesotho - did not
match any documents. No pages were found containing "Lesotho".
But while the World Bank may not be paying attention, the small
Southern African country has taken the lead in attacking
corruption in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, a giant scheme
financed by the World Bank itself.
Oct 31, 2006 Congo (Kinshasa): From Votes to Security?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/conk0610.php
Voting went peacefully in presidential runoff elections in the
Democratic Republic of Congo on October 29. And both contenders
have promised not to resort to force to contest the results. But
there is still a significant threat of violence as the votes are
counted.
Oct 11, 2006 Africa: "New News"
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/news0610.php
"I am constantly confounded as to why American media don't find
Africa an exciting place to report from and about. I think there's
a perception that audience interest is limited. That's certainly
not been true in my experience. ... I don't have a problem with
reporting death, disease, disaster and despair, because all of the
above exist. But that is not all there is to Africa." - Charlayne
Hunter-Gault
Oct 6, 2006 Africa: Forced Evictions
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/evic0610.php
"Forced evictions are one of the most widespread and unrecognised
human rights violations in Africa," - Kolawole Olaniyan, Director
of Amnesty International's Africa Programme. According to research
by Amnesty International and the Geneva-based Centre on Housing
Rights and Evictions (COHRE), more than three million Africans have
been forcibly evicted from their homes since 2000.
Sep 16, 2006 Africa: Migration and Development
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/mig0609b.php
"[The] potential benefits [from international migration] are larger
than the potential gains from freer international trade,
particularly for developing countries," notes an extensive recent
United Nations report on migration. But while the liberalization of
the flow of goods and capital continues to increase, restrictions
on the movement of people are leading to thousands of deaths in
border areas such as the U.S. southwest desert and the sea routes
between Africa and Europe.
Sep 16, 2006 Africa: Migration and Rights
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/mig0609a.php
Chartered planes started flying illegal African immigrants back
from Spain to Senegal last week, resuming a repatriation program
aimed at stemming the flow of immigrants to this southern European
country. But judging by experience, the return is unlikely to stop
thousands of others from risking their lives in small boats to
reach the Canary Islands from the West African coast, or finding
other perilous ways of reaching the European continent.
Aug 13, 2006 Nigeria: Swamps of Insurgency
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/nig0608.php
"Over the past quarter century, unrest in the Niger Delta has
slowly graduated into a guerrilla-style conflict that leaves
hundreds dead each year. The battle lines are drawn over the
region's crude oil and gas that make Nigeria the number one oil
producer in Africa and the world's tenth largest crude oil
producer." - International Crisis Group
Aug 6, 2006 Zimbabwe: Displacement and Survival
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/zim0608b.php
One year after "Operation Murambatsvina" ("Clean-Up"), the damaging
effects of the government campaign aimed at the urban poor are
still visible, reports a recent delegation from South African
social movements. With Zimbabweans expressing little hope in a
divided opposition, internal efforts at resistance are
concentrating on survival.
Aug 6, 2006 Zimbabwe: Shadows and Lies
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/zim0608a.php
"There is no reason why Zimbabweans today should watch our country
go down the drain. Look at the time it took to build it up. That
one can just destroy it overnight is something very painful. It
was not about creating another dictatorship, creating another
oppressive system, where you cannot exercise your rights." -
Margaret Dongo
Jul 30, 2006 Congo (Kinshasa): A New Beginning?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/conk0607.php
In the best scenario, today's elections in the Democratic Republic
of Congo, with more than 25 million voters, will demonstrate the
will of the Congolese people for peace and the possibility of
increased stability. In the worst case, the elections themselves
may prove a stimulus for further violence. In any scenario, the
fundamental issues of building a government that works and fighting
poverty and corruption lie ahead.
Jun 27, 2006 Gambia: Defending Press Freedom
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/gamb0606.php
The Gambian government has blocked a non-governmental forum of
freedom of expression scheduled to take place in Banjul on June 19
and 30, prior to the African Union summit in the Gambian capital.
But media freedom groups will still be focusing on threats to free
expression in Gambia and demanding an investigation of the murder
of Gambian journalist Deyda Heydara, which took place 18 months
ago.
Jun 13, 2006 Africa: A Culture of Accountability
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/acct0606.php
"In truth serious debate about the manner in which Africa was
governed only became mainstream after the end of the Cold war.
Prior to this human rights, democracy, freedom of expression and
other basic freedoms of ordinary citizens often took a back seat to
the grand geopolitical struggles that were played out on African
soil. It was thus somewhat disconcerting for many of our leaders to
find themselves being lectured about good governance in the early
1990s by the very same Western patrons who had previously supported
some of the most corrupt and oppressive regimes on the continent."
- John Githongo
May 22, 2006 Egypt: Human Rights Protests
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/eg0605.php
Despite promises of liberalization, repression is continuing
against human rights reformers in Egypt, and U.S. annual aid to
Egypt of some $1.7 billion is expected to continue at the same
level in the next fiscal year. In addition to critiques from
international human rights organizations, Egyptian bloggers are
increasingly prominent in disseminating critique of the regime in
both English and Arabic.
May 4, 2006 Congo (Kinshasa): Elections and More
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/conk0605.php
The first round of presidential elections in the Democratic
Republic of Congo is now scheduled for July 30, after repeated
delays. South Africa is taking responsibility for producing the
ballot papers, while the European Union will send over 1,000 troops
to aid United Nations forces in maintaining security during the
elections. The elections, observers stress, are only one of the
essential steps for consolidating peace in the country.
Apr 14, 2006 Africa: Stolen Wealth
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/corr0604.php
"Corruption is bleeding Africa to death and the cost is borne by
the poor. ... Much of the money is banked in Britain or our
overseas territories and dependencies. ... We want our government
to get tough on corruption." - Hugh Bayley, MP, Chair of the Africa
All Party Parliamentary Group
Apr 9, 2006 Benin: Democratic Succession
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/ben0604.php
"The constitution favors the change of power and the change of
heads of state. These fundamental prescriptions of our constitution
of 11 December 1990 must resist all opportunistic revisionism,
short-term interests and subjectivism." - Outgoing Benin President
Mathieu Kerekou, who turned over the presidency on April 6 to his
elected successor Yayi Boni, a strong critic of Kerekou's record.
Mar 19, 2006 Liberia: Johnson Sirleaf in New York, Washington
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/lib0603.php
"Listening to the hopes and dreams of our people, I recall the
words of a Mozambican poet who said, 'Our dream has the size of
freedom.' My people, like your people, believe deeply in freedom -
and, in their dreams, they reach for the heavens. ... I ran for
president because I am determined to see good governance in Liberia
in my lifetime. But I also ran because I am the mother of four, and
I wanted to see our children smile again." - Liberian President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, speaking to the U.S. Congress, March 15,
2006
Feb 26, 2006 Kenya: Githongo Report
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/git0602.php
John Githongo, who resigned a year ago as Kenya's anti-corruption
chief, this month released a report on scandals he was
investigating that has already forced the resignation of Kenya's
finance minister and threatens to bring down other top officials.
The report is based on detailed records he kept during his
investigation, and spells out how officials used security contracts
worth as much as $1 billion to siphon off government funds into
non-existent companies.
Feb 6, 2006 Swaziland: No Democracy Allowed
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/swaz0602.php
"King Mswati's time is up," headlined South Africa's Sunday Times last month after arrests and reports of torture of banned opposition party members in Swaziland. But with inauguration of a new constitution entrenching the powers of the monarchy, the prospects for democracy in this small country neighboring South Africa do not seem promising.
Nov 17, 2005 Tunisia: Free Expression Protest
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/tun0511.php
Tunisia, which is currently hosting the World Summit on the
Information Society, is one of the most advanced African countries
in provision of information infrastructure. But it also
systematically represses internal dissent and blocks access to
websites critical of the government. As the summit opened this
week, Tunisian human rights activists were on hunger strike and
international activists were protesting the government's refusal to
allow freedom of expression.
Nov 13, 2005 Nigeria: Delta Oil & Human Rights
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/nig0511.php
Ten years after the execution of human rights campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his
colleagues by the Nigerian government, the issues of human rights
and environmental devastation in the oil-producing Niger Delta
remain unresolved. Despite the return to civilian rule in 1999 and
pledges by oil companies to implement voluntary corporate
responsibility standards, new reports by Environmental Rights
Action and Amnesty International document only limited action to
correct abuses and deliver benefits to the residents of the
oil-producing areas.
Oct 10, 2005 Liberia: Elections Necessary, Not Enough
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/lib0510.php
With frontrunners including soccer star George Weah and experienced
international official and banker Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberians
are set to choose among 22 candidates for president as well as new
legislators. "This country has to finish with war," a shopkeeper in
Monrovia told a New York Times reporter as the election approached.
Despite hopes for a new start, however, both Liberians and
international observers are well aware that much more is needed
beyond elections.
Jul 28, 2005 Zimbabwe: Housing Tsunami Continues
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/zim0507.php
Despite a devastatingly critical report by UN-HABITAT Director Anna
Tibaijuka, the government of Zimbabwe is continuing its drive to
destroy "illegal" housing and shops that is estimated to have made
at least 700,000 people homeless in the last two months.
Zimbabweans, rejecting the government's term Operation
Murambatsvina ("Clean Out Garbage") compare the assault on the
country's poor to a "tsunami."
Jul 13, 2005 Africa: G8 Reaction, Perspectives
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/glen0507.php
"Outside of British officialdom," writes Sanjay Suri of Inter Press
Service from the Gleneagles summit, "celebrations of increased G8
aid for Africa were confined mostly to a population of two - rock
stars Bob Geldof and Bono." Non-governmental groups in the Make
Poverty History campaign, in contrast, were generally skeptical.
Jun 18, 2005 Ethiopia: On the Edge
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/eth0506.php
Despite the announced release of 336 detainees in Ethiopia on June
17, and renewed agreement by opposition and government parties to
await the results of investigations of election fraud, tension
continues high both in the capital and in many other areas of the
country. Critics charge that the international community is
downplaying government repression because of the strategic
importance of the country.
May 30, 2005 Ethiopia: Election Reports, Commentary
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/eth0505.php
Provisional results from the national election board show a
majority for the ruling party in Ethiopia's May 15 parliamentary
election, but also significant gains for opposition groups,
particularly in the capital Addis Ababa. Initial reports from
observers had highlighted the high turnout (over 90%) and the
relative calm of election day. However, opposition parties are also
claiming victory, with many charges of fraud yet to be
investigated. Critics have charged the international community with
turning a blind eye to intimidation and fraud by the government.
Apr 30, 2005 Africa: Security Council Expansion
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/un0504.php
Debate is heating up on expansion of the United Nations Security
Council to 24 members. Under one of two options proposed by a highlevel
panel on UN reform in December and by Secretary General Kofi
Annan last month, there would be six new permanent seats, two for
Africa. The proposals are to be discussed this year, but disputes
over details mean that further delays are very likely.
Apr 18, 2005 Zimbabwe: Election Fraud Report
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/zim0504.php
A new report from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) in Zimbabwe, released on April 12, has presented detailed evidence
of bias and outright fraud in the March 31 elections. In
particular, the report details allegations of ballot-stuffing
sufficient to change election results in at least 20
constituencies. This would shift the balance of directly elected
seats from 78-41 in favor of the ruling ZANU-PF to 61-58 in favor
of the MDC.
Mar 2, 2005 Zimbabwe: Solidarity Newsletter
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/zim0503.php
"The Zimbabwean elections of 2000 and 2002 deepened the political
crisis, rather than contributing to a progressive resolution. Since
2002 democratic space has been further eroded. What Zimbabwe needs
now is not another gravely flawed election but a SADC-facilitated
negotiated transition towards democracy." - Zimbabwe Solidarity
Conference, South Africa, February 24-25, 2005
Feb 28, 2005 Togo: Peer Pressure Plus
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/togo0502.php
Less than a day after the African Union imposed sanctions demanding
a return to constitutional legality in Togo, Faure Gnassingbe
stepped down from the presidential post he had assumed after the
death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema three weeks ago. Virtually
unanimous condemnation was followed by sanctions from Togo's West
African neighbors and from the continent-wide organization. This
sent the unmistakable message, in the words of one commentator's
headline, that there would be "no business as usual for Baby
Eyadema."
Feb 11, 2005 Kenya: Corruption Fight Stalling
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/ken0502.php
The resignation of respected anti-corruption campaigner John
Githongo from the Kenyan government has touched off new political
furor that seems certain to escalate in coming weeks. In its two
years in office, President Mwai Kibabi's government has initiated
numerous anti-corruption investigations. But there is widespread
skepticism that it has the will to deal with high-level corruption
within its own ranks.
Jan 26, 2005 Nigeria: Human Rights Report Released
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/nig0501.php
The long-awaited report of the Human Rights Violations
Investigation Commission, completed in May 2002 after two years of
public hearings, has now been made public, not by the Nigerian
government but by civil society organizations. In December 2004,
given the Supreme Court rulingt that the panel's original mandate
was unconstitutional, the government said it was not planning to
publish the wide-ranging report, which is popularly known as the
Oputa report after the name of the panel's chairman, retired Chief
Justice Chukwudifu A. Oputa.
Jan 12, 2005 Africa: Beyond the Ballot
http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/gov0501.php
Whatever policies are needed to address Africa's crises, it is
increasingly clear to donors, civil society, and politicians alike
that capable states are essential for implementing those policies.
The current catch-phrase "good governance" has many possible
meanings in practice. How to achieve it is even more debatable. But
there is wide agreement that free and fair elections are just the
beginning.
Dec 19, 2004 Ghana: Election Commentary
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/gh0412.php
"What Ghanaians have managed to do with this election is prove that
election management is no rocket science. It requires adequate and
competent preparation, a high degree of transparency, a responsible
government, which respects its own citizens, and an alert citizenry
ready to protect their vote. ... the process that I witnessed was
without exaggeration better than what transpired in the last US
election." - Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Centre for Democracy and
Development
Dec 12, 2004 Liberia-Sierra Leone: Consolidating Peace?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/wa0412.php
"The [multilateral] interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone are
failing to produce states that will be stable and capable of
exercising the full range of sovereign responsibilities on behalf
of their long-suffering populations. This is essentially because
they treat peacebuilding as implementing an operational checklist,
involving [quick] fixes to various institutions and processes" -
International Crisis Group
Oct 26, 2004 USA/Africa: Fair Elections?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/elec0410.php
A team of African and other international observers monitoring the
U.S. presidential election issued their first pre-election report
last week. The report by Fair Election International (FEI),
entitled "Election Readiness: It Is Never Too Late for
Transparency," called attention to the need for reforms, including
nonpartisan administration of elections and reducing the
disproportionate disenfranchisement of minority and poor voters.
Oct 24, 2004 Sudan: Peacekeeping without Peace?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/sud0410.php
Last week's decision to expand the contingent of Africa Union
peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region to more than 3,000 is the
most substantial step yet towards an international presence that
could deter continuing violence against civilians by government-sponsored
militia. This measure is seen by almost all commentators
as a necessary if not sufficient response to the crisis. Like the
increased international humanitarian aid that has arrived in Darfur
in recent months, however, it is unlikely to have more than a
modest impact without simultaneous new advances on stalled peace
negotiations.
Oct 21, 2004 Angola: From War to Social Justice?
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/ang0410.php
"Negative peace (cessation of hostilities) is far preferable to no
peace at all but it ... leaves deficits and injustices in the
social, political and economic structures, institutions and
cultures largely unresolved. It fails to promote political
negotiation and democratic processes." - Conciliation Resources
briefing paper
Sep 22, 2004 Nigeria: Shari'a Manipulation
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/shar0409.php
A new report from Human Rights Watch on implementation of Shari'a
law in 12 northern Nigerian states stresses that "the application
of Shari'a in Nigeria has revealed patterns of fundamental human
rights violations which are not peculiar to Shari'a but typify the
human rights situation in Nigeria as a whole." The researchers
report widespread sentiment in the states concerned that the way
Shari'a has been implemented has been manipulated for political
purposes.
Sep 12, 2004 Sudan: Darfur and Beyond
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/sud0409.php
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement last week that the
Sudanese government and its proxy militias have indeed committed
genocide in Darfur caught media attention and incrementally
increased the pressure on the Khartoum regime to rein in the
violence. However, the Secretary of State also noted that the
determination in itself dictated no new action by Washington. The
political will of the international community to increase pressure
remains in doubt. How best to focus such pressure is also under
debate.
Aug 19 2004 South Africa: Apartheid Reparations Update
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/arep0408.php
Reparations for historical crimes against humanity, such as the
centuries-long slave trade, slavery itself, and the more recent
apartheid system in South Africa, are not currently on the agenda
for governments preoccupied with more immediate goals. But the
issues raised will not go away, as long as the deep inequalities
and injustices that these crimes produced continue to exist.
Whether in South Africa, the U.S., or globally, the past is in fact
not yet past.
Aug 14, 2004 Zimbabwe: Test for African Responsibility
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/zim0408.php
"The Zimbabwean situation of starvation and malnutrition, willful
political violence and intimidation, and the immoral use of food
aid by the Zimbabwean government demands stronger and transparent
intervention by African governments through the AU [African Union]"
- Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC)
Aug 5, 2004 Côte d'Ivoire: Peacekeeping Continued
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/ci0408.php
West African leaders and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a late
July summit in Accra, Ghana, won an unexpected new agreement from
Ivorian leaders for a timetable to implement the peace settlement
signed in January 2003. Some 3,500 UN peacekeeping troops, out of
an authorized strength of 6,240, are in the country, with the
largest contingents from Bangladesh, Benin, Ghana, Morocco, Niger,
Senegal, and Togo. But the country is still divided, and it is
clear that meeting the new timetable for disarmament and new
election procedures will depend on continuing pressure on Ivorian
leaders.
Jul 28, 2004 USA/Africa: Oil and Transparency
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/eq0407.php
Two recent U.S. Senate hearings have highlighted issues related to
oil and transparency in West and Central Africa. The Senate Foreign
Relations Committee has focused on the options for U.S. support for
transparency in strategic oil-rich countries in the Gulf of Guinea
region, including Nigeria, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. The
Committee on Governmental Affairs, on the other hand, has focused
on the less often discussed role of American banks and companies in
fostering lack of transparency, with a detailed expose of a
prominent Washington bank's role in managing suspect accounts for
the leaders of Equatorial Guinea.
Jul 22, 2004 Sudan: Questions of Responsibility
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/sud0407.php
"There has been a great deal of tough talk since the visits of Mr.
Powell, Mr. Annan and others, but the UN Security Council so far
has failed to act decisively [on Darfur]. It is time to move
directly against regime officials who are responsible for the
killing." - John Prendergast, New York Times, July 15, 2004
Jun 30, 2004 Africa: Women's Rights Petition
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/wom0406.php
The Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa was adopted at the
African Union summit held in Maputo in July 2003. However, only
29 of the AU's 53 member states have signed the protocol and only
one (Comoros) has ratified it. This international agreement has the
potential to provide a framework for comprehensive reform of
national legislation, but it will remain a dead letter unless it is
ratified. African groups have launched a petition to African
leaders as part of a continent-wide campaign to mobilize support
for the protocol.
Jun 18, 2004 Sudan: Justice Africa Analysis
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/just0406.php
As overwhelming evidence of atrocities in Sudan continues to
emerge, there are new calls for action to stop the genocide. This
issue of AfricaFocus Bulletin contains excerpts from a mid-May
briefing by Justice Africa focusing on key elements needed to
inform such action. These include identifying the political forces
within the Sudanese government responsible for directing the
violence.
May 27, 2004 Eritrea: Human Rights
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/er0405.php
Releasing its annual human rights report this week, Amnesty
International charged that the U.S.-led "war on terror" has
contributed to sacrificing human rights and turning a blind eye to
abuses, without enhancing security. Among the African governments
that has most enthusiastically embraced the anti-terror rationale
is Eritrea, the subject of a new Amnesty International report
released to coincide with the country's 13th anniversary of
independence on May 24.
May 18, 2004 Malawi: Election Context
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/mal0405.php
"We have the greatest policies around, the most liberal
constitution. We have a constitution that any liberal democracy
would be proud of, but the will to implement ...is not there." -
Rafiq Hajat, Institute for Policy Interaction, Malawi
May 10, 2004 Sudan: More Reports, Little Action
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/sud0405a.php
The United Nations Security Council met on Friday in private
session and heard a report from the UN Commissioner for Human
Rights documenting a "scorched earth policy" and "repeated crimes
against humanity" by Sudanese militia and troops in Darfur, western
Sudan. But they failed to take any collective action other than
pledging to "monitor developments."
Apr 30, 2004 Africa: Tragedy and Hope
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/book0404.php
"Africa eludes us; it is so clearly outlined on the map, and yet so
difficult to define. From afar, Westerners have long fancied it to
be divided into 'black' and 'white,' in the image of their own
societies, and yet observant visitors are more likely to be struck
by Africa's diversity, and by the absence of any sharp dividing
lines."
Apr 22, 2004 Swaziland: AIDS in Context
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/sw0404.php
"Swaziland now holds the dubious title of [having] the highest
[HIV] prevalence level in the world. ... [It] is a vivid microcosm
of all the similarly afflicted countries of Southern Africa. At the
grass roots, where it counts, there's a superhuman determination to
bring the pandemic to heel, and to overcome the tremendous assault
on the human condition." - Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for
HIV/AIDS in Africa
Apr 5, 2004 USA/Africa: Policy Prospects
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/usaf0404.php
A U.S. election campaign, it seems, has room for one foreign policy
issue at most. That space is fully occupied by Iraq. So it is no
surprise that no African issues - not even the unfulfilled Bush
administration promises on AIDS from January 2003 - have edged
their way into election debates. The difference that this year's
election could make for Africa policy is still largely a matter for
speculation.
Mar 31, 2004 Rwanda/USA: "The System Worked"
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/rw0403a.php
"In a sense, the system worked: Diplomats, intelligence agencies,
defense and military officials--even aid workers--provided timely
information up the chain to President Clinton and his top advisors.
That the Clinton Administration decided against intervention at any
level was not for lack of knowledge of what was happening in
Rwanda." - William Ferroggiaro, National Security Archive Fellow
Mar 31, 2004 Rwanda/UN: Acknowledging Failure
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/rw0403b.php
"Some 2,000 personnel from several countries, including France,
United Kingdom, United States and Italy, had come to evacuate their
expatriates and though they were stumbling on corpses, they
remained firm in totally ignoring the catastrophe." - retired
General Romeo Dallaire, former commander, UN mission in Rwanda.
Mar 28, 2004 Africa: Parliamentary Potential
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/pafp0403.php
The new Pan-African Parliament officially launched this month will
have only advisory and consultative rather than legislative powers
in its first five-year term. Its members are appointed by national
parliaments rather than directly elected. But its rapid creation is
already raising hopes that it may serve as a new public forum for
airing critical African issues, including equality for women.
Tanzania's Gertrude Mongella was elected by secret ballot as the
president of the new body.
Mar 3, 2004 Africa: Fair Globalization Report
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/glob0403.php
"No one likes to eat crumbs from a feast; everyone likes to sit
at the table." Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mkapa quoted
this African proverb in introducing the report of the World
Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization, released last
week. The Commission, initiated by Juan Somavia of the
International Labour Organization (ILO) and chaired by the
presidents of Tanzania and Finland, offers specific proposals to
move the world towards "fair globalization."
Feb 22, 2004 Tunisia: Democracy Deferred
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/tun0402.php
"This week, President Bush played host to President Zine el-Abidine
ben Ali of Tunisia, giving this ruthless autocrat a long-coveted
audience at the White House," writes exiled Tunisian journalist
Kamel Labidi in the New York Times. "To his credit, Mr. Bush
rebuked Mr. ben Ali for his violations of press freedom, but the
United States is sorely mistaken if it believes that democracy and
the rule of law can ever take hold under leaders like Mr. ben Ali.
... Tunisia today is one of the world's most efficient police
states."
Jan 22, 2004 Africa: Davos Report Card
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/dav0401.php
In his New Year's message for 2004, United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan, referring to HIV/AIDS, poverty, and other
global issues, concluded: "We don't need any more promises. We need
to start keeping the promises we already made." A report card
prepared for the World Economic Forum now meeting in Davos,
Switzerland has concluded that the international community is
putting in barely one-third of the effort needed to achieve
internationally agreed goals.
Jan 16, 2004 Africa: Oil and Transparency
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/oil0401.php
From Houston to Luanda, London to Lagos, Washington to Baghdad, or
wherever else oil is found or sold, the nexus of oil, cash, and
politics poses a fundamental challenge to democratic
accountability. Campaigns for greater openness, including the
global Publish What You Pay campaign, are making some headway.
Still, resistance to transparency is the most common note. In the
US, Vice President Dick Cheney continues to refuse to release even
the names of the industry executives who advised him on the Bush
Administration's energy plan.
Jan 16, 2004 Angola: Oil and Accountability
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/ang0401.php
A new report by Human Rights Watch on Angola is the most
detailed public examination to date of discrepancies in
accounting for revenue from oil, the product
that accounts for the lion's share of the country's exports
and government budget. Although Angolan government officials
complained about the unfair focus on their country, attributing
the problems primarily to insufficiencies
in financial systems, the issues raised go to
the heart of questions about political accountability not only
in Angola, but also around the world.
Jan 11, 2004 Congo (Kinshasa): Peace & Transition
http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/drc0401.php
"While significant progress has been achieved in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo ... the tangible benefits of peace have not
yet filtered down to the war-weary Congolese population.
Socioeconomic conditions remain dire throughout the country ... A
key condition for success in national reconciliation will be a true
partnership between the former belligerents in managing the
transition."
Dec 18, 2003 Nigeria: Oil and Violence
http://www.africafocus.org/docs03/nig0312.php
Delta State produces 40 percent of Nigeria's two million barrels a
day of crude oil and is supposed to receive 13 percent of the
revenue from production in the state, notes Human Rights Watch in
a new report. Conflict over oil revenue lies at the root of ongoing
violence, particularly in the key city of Warri. "Efforts to halt
the violence and end the civilian suffering that has accompanied it
must therefore include steps both to improve government
accountability and to end the theft of oil."
Dec 10, 2003 Zimbabwe: "We Are Still Here Ambuya"
http://www.africafocus.org/docs03/zim0312b.php
"We Are Still Here Ambuya," sings mbira player and activist
Machingura in his new CD released recently in Berkeley, California.
Linking struggles for social justice in Zimbabwe, the United
States, and around the world, Machingura's music-making in
California follows on his experience as vocalist in Harare's Luck
Street Blues band in the late 1990s. It has also led to his
selection as one of six "Artist Ambassadors" for the World
Social Forum in Mumbai, India in January. He follows in a rich
tradition of Zimbabwean musicians whose music has both reflected
and inspired their people's quest for justice.
Dec 7, 2003 Zimbabwe: Civil Society Voices
http://www.africafocus.org/docs03/zim0312a.php
A six-nation panel including Australia, Canada, India, Jamaica,
Mozambique, and South Africa today recommended continued suspension
of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth, until the government of Zimbabwe
meets minimal conditions indicating willingness to dialogue with
internal opponents. News coverage of this issue has
focused on the divergent views of governments, particularly the
reluctance of some African states to maintain the suspension of
Zimbabwe. The simplistic image of a split between Europe and
Africa, however, ignores the widespread consensus in civil society
in Zimbabwe and the region in favor of continued pressure.
Nov 28, 2003 Sudan: Oil and Rights Abuses
http://www.africafocus.org/docs03/sud0311.php
While diplomats say there are good chances of achieving a peace
settlement in Sudan by the end of the year, fighting nevertheless
continues in western Sudan, and the United Nations has appealed for
$450 million to support some 3.5 million displaced Sudanese. Human
Rights Watch has just released an extensive new report documenting
the complicity of oil companies with human rights abuses in Sudan,
and warning that disputes over oil revenue have the potential to
further prolong the conflict.
Nov 20, 2003 Africa: Humanitarian Double Standard
http://www.africafocus.org/docs03/un0311.php
"But let me be clear: the aid we give them is not charity, it is
their right. ... donors and citizens who can help have not only a
moral responsibility to provide emergency and life-sustaining
assistance, but an obligation to do so under international
humanitarian and human rights law." - UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan
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