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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Recolonizing Cameroon: The Message Of A Photo

Below is a photo recently taken in Cameroon. The Cameroonian is holding an umbrella to shade the speaker, apparently from the sun. This is what black Africans did to white Europeans in colonial times. It continues to this day.

The French "White Witches" Who Run Paul Biya's Campaigns

One of the reasons why Paul Biya appears to be so out of touch with his people in Cameroon is because his closest advisers are the French. This story shows how Paul Biya's campaigns have been run by French strategists who only care about polishing Biya's image and raking in their money than the well-being of Cameroonians. If the people who run Biya's campaigns are not even Cameroonians, why would they care about Cameroon. I wonder how many Cameroonians are running Sarkozy's campaigns in France! Paul Biya should be ashamed of himself for constantly selling Cameroonians to the French to satisfy his myopic interests.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Fear, Torture, Poverty, And Oil In Equatorial Guinea

An important report of the grinding plight of most people in Equatorial Guinea. Excerpts:

Infant mortality, for instance, has actually increased since the discovery of oil here in the 1990s, the World Bank said, adding that Mr. Obiang holds “absolute executive power.”

Despite the government’s oil wealth, little has trickled down to the impoverished population. “The interest of the Americans here is money,” said Marcial Abaga Barril, a member of an opposition party.

Go Home, President Zuma, Go Home!

At the time of writing this post President Jacob Zuma had just finished a meeting with Muarmar Gaddafi of Libya. He emerged from the meeting to declare that Gaddafi was ready for a ceasefire and that Libyans should be given the opportunity to solve their own problem. Both declarations are highly problematic given that, in the first place, the rebels have rightly declared that Gaddafi is not to be part of the future of Libya. As far as the rebels are concerned, Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy. Negotiating with him is therefore a nonstarter. I am surprised that President Zuma would embark on such a mission which was already doomed from the start. In the second place, saying that Libyans should be allowed to solve their own problem betrays a misunderstanding of what is already going on. Libyans are already dealing with their problems - many of them are asking Gaddafi to leave power. Period. Zuma's declaration is therefore a code that means Gaddafi should be allowed to stay in power.
Anyone familiar with African history of the last fifty years or so would understand why Zuma sees Gaddafi as a friend - Gaddafi helped the African National Congress (ANC) during the struggle against apartheir in South Africa. That help has endeared Gaddafi to many in the ANC. However, in the struggle against apartheid, Gaddafi was on the right side of history. In fact, Gaddafi was on the side of the rebels rather than on the side of the government in power. Gaddafi supported those who were rebeling against an unjust and oppressive apartheid regime. In the story that is unfolding in Libya, Gaddafi is the oppressor. This is what the ANC fails to decipher. Rather than supporting Gaddafi to the death, the ANC would be wise to align itself on the right side of history - the side of the rebels. If Libyans were left alone to solve their own problem - the ouster of Gaddafi - Gaddafi would have massacred most of his people. In fact, even during the struggle against apartheid, South Africans were not left alone to solve their problem. They received help from all over the world. The interpretation of history given here is of course very different from that espoused by President Zuma and the ANC. That is why they are now aligning themselves with the wrong side of history. When Gaddafi shall have been defeated (as he surely will), those who are now known as the rebels would see the ANC government as quite unfriendly. Left with those he once opposed, President Zuma and the ANC will be placed in the awkward position of working with people they had opposed. In order to avoid doing any further damage to the future relations between Libya and South Africa, President Zuma should simply go back to South Africa. He has no business being in Libya right now.

Fighting For Soul Of Anglican Church In Zimbabwe

Those who love making a distinction between religion and politics would be hard pressed to do so in this dramatic case from Zimbabwe where Mugabe's desire to undermine English influence in the country has embroiled him in a battle in control for the Anglican Church in the country. This report from the New York Times brings back memories of the days of struggle against white minory rule and how churches became embroiled in the struggle. Using the language of Africanization, a language much beloved in African cultural, political, and religious studies, Mugabe supporters want to win over the church, by all means necessary, for their man. I cannot say that I am neutral in this matter: I reject the hypocricy of Mugabe and his minions who, in the name of Africanization, are oppressing the majority of Zimbabweans. Attempts to align the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe with Mugabe's cause are heretical.

The Travesty Of China And India In Africa

Observers currently make much about the presence of China and India in Africa. The investments these countries are making in African countries are increasing astronomically and it is said that these two countries are becoming major influences in the continent. In fact, a mark of the rise of China and India in the current global economy is the extent to which they invest in Africa. However, the reverse is hardly said to be case. While African countries are being acted upon they are hardly seen as actors. They are merely seen as suppliers of the natural resources that China and India need in order to become serious contenders in the global political economy. While India and China increase their global prestige by exploiting African countries, African countries seem to be standing in the same place, without any significant global influence. One should not expect anything better given that China and India have just one head of state each to negotiate for them when they come to Africa; African countries have several selfish leaders who promote their own interest each time they meet with representatives of China or India. There is something seriously wrong with the picture that is usually painted of the relation between China, India, and African countries. Africa needs a united front if it is to deal with India and China on equal terms. Else, African countries will continue to remain the source of raw materials for the development of other countries, as has been since the days of colonialism.

Paul Biya's Personality Cult in Cameroon

Below is a video taken May 20, 2011, showing Paul Biya and the Cameroonian elite celebrating their conquest of the ordinary people. With the show of force from the military and the sycophantic touch from griotistic journalists Biya's royalty and magnanimity are projected. They even call him the "father of Cameroonian democracy." I am not sure if this "Cameroonian democracy" is a claim that there is democracy in Cameroon or that Cameroon has created its own thing called democracy but which is hardly recognized outside the country. I remember Paul Biya not as a supporter of democracy but as the  one who killed democracy in Cameroon. He is the one who sent soldiers to shoot and kill when we were marching for democracy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is strange to me that he now claims to be father of democracy in Cameroon. If the video below is intended to paint a postive picture of Biya, it ironically turns out to be a perfect example of the autocratic and military dictatorship which he runs. Biya must leave power this year. He is bad for the country.

Silent No More: Fight Against Rape In Cameroon

A timely intervention to fight against rape in Cameroon.

Friday, May 27, 2011

You Can Help Identify A Slave! Yes, You Can

A project run by researchers at Emory University makes hopes to identify the slaves who were brought the the Americas through their names. The project provides a database of African names of the slaves. Since African names are usually connected to certain regions of the continent, identifying a name may help identify the particular region of Africa where the slave came from. And this is where you come in: if you can identify an African name listed in the database, you are well on your way to identifying a slave. Go to the Web site and click on "African Data" for the names. Watch the video below for further demonstration.


Tahrir Square 2.0: The Revolution Is Not Over

Egyptians continue to gather in Tahrir Sqare and other regions in the country to demand speedy reforms. The army must go. Egypt is still a military dictatorship.

Gaddafi's Stolen Cash Stashed In the West

Gaddafi's wealth is stashed in Western financial insititutions. See the story in NYT.

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures: Migration Stories

Hardship in many African countries lead Africans to migrate to Europe under treacherous circumstances. No one has been more silent about the matter than the African governments concerned. In fact, Gaddafi even used the threat of unleashing migrants into Europe to call for tolerance of his repressive government. More treacherous migrations have happened especially following the uprisings in North Africa.


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Giving Vuvuzelas A Bad Name

Vuvuzelas, the horns that were made famous during the 2010 soccer world cup in South Africa, are now said to be capable of spreading diseases, according to a BBC report. It is interesting to note that the study that made this claim was carried out within the context of debate regarding whether vuvuzelas would be allowed or not in the 2012 Olympics in London. Further, many soccer clubs in the English Premier League had earlier banned the horns from their stadiums. This study, which was carried out in a lab in London, may very well be a pretext to ban vuvuzelas from the Olympics next year. A more credible way to study whether vuvuzelas spread diseases or not may be done by sampling people who actually attend games where the instrument is used rather than in a lab.

Are Francophone African Leaders Accountable To The French?

Francophone African leaders have a habit of showing their loyalty and accountability to the French rather than to their own people. President Ouattara of Ivory Coast is the current leader to demonstrate the knack for bowing to the French by giving one of the first interviews after he was inaugurated to French 24 news channel, thus confirming the suspicion that he is a French puppet. These leaders hardly give interviews to journalists in their own countries, especially to those journalists believed to be against the government in power. If my memory serves me well, during his 29 years in power, Paul Biya of Cameroon has not given a single interview to a Cameroonian journalist who is believed to be opposing his government. However, he has given several interviews to France 24 news channel. When are these leaders going to start explaining themselves to their own people rather than to France?

Sunday, May 22, 2011

How Saudi Arabian Elite Promotes Repression In North Africa and the Arab World

This is an interesting read from The North African Journal.

Have Some Members of Gaddafi's Family Fled To Poland?

It is being reported that some members of Gaddafi's family have fled to Poland.

The Preacher Lied

The word had gone out from an American preacher that the world would end May 21, 2011. I am writing on May 22, 2011. Many in Africa and around the world had bought the preacher's story. I am waiting for the story he has to tell next.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

President Obama's Speech Applied To Rest of Africa

The speech which President Barack Obama gave today could, mutatis mutandis, be applied to Africa. Although he was talking about North Africa and the Middle East and never once mentioned the rest of Africa, the speech also applies to Africa. All the talk about democracy being more than just elections but also about the building of democratic institutions, the cancer of corruption, the return of stolen money, the importance of strong economies to the development of democracy, etc. all applied to the rest of Africa. If you have time, watch the speech below and see how it applies to Africa.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Mandela's Pistol Could Sell For Three Million Dollars

There is a frenzied search for a pistol Mandela owned during his freedom fighting days. It is estimated that the pistol could sell for three million dollars today.

The French Man And The African Woman

The rape case which is being brought against the French head of the IMF is making the headlines in the mediascape. However, it was the wit of John Stewart that brought home the implication of the allege rape with which Mr. Strauss-Kahn is being charged. Stewart indicated that Strauss-Kahn (a French man) was trying to physically do to and African woman what France has been doing to the continent of Africa - have his way with her. France has been raping Africa for a very long time now - but that is a metaphorical way of expressing the exploitation which some African countries have been suffering at the hands of France. Now, a French man wanted to do or perhaps did the act literally. For France, Africa has always been a woman to be raped. Perhaps the arrest of Strauss-Kahn is a metaphor that France will soon answer for its exploitation of Africa.

Museveni Blasphemes Jesus

He used to be a responsbile African leader but he is so no more. His focus now, like that of all African dictators, is how he can stay in power at all costs. Having been in power for 26 years without any remarkable improvement in Uganda's economy, he now feigns interest in development and brands those who oppose his political chicanery as enemies. In a letter in which her quotes Jesus, he claims to be the victim in this fight, like African dictators do. He shifts the blame to others rather than first removing the log in his own eyes. If anyone is to be known by their fruits it should be Museveni whose fruits are so far clear for all to see - his government has already killed and injured many civilians for demonstrating against him. It is not only misleading for a killer to be quoting Jesus to defend his dictatorial rule; it is also a brazen display of callousness and hypocrisy.

Black South Africans Should Throw The African National Congress Out Of Power

The African National Congress (ANC) could perhaps be known as the political party for Black South Africans because it worked so hard to end apartheid in that country. Since 1994 the ANC has been in power and while some elements of the lives of Black South Africans have improved, there is still much left to be done. Rather than working diligently to address the plight of these people, however, the ANC is busy playing racial politics and making corruption popular in the country. South Africa, which seemed to be an African country to be emulated, is now descending into the rot characteristic of most postcolonial African countries. However, while in many African countries elections make little difference, in South Africa the people actually have the power to throw their government out of power. I hope many poor South Africans will take this opportunity to throw the ANC out of power. A party that once appeared to stand for the people is now serving its own interest rather than that of the people. The people must demonstrate that they must not be taken for granted by throwing the ANC out of power in this coming elections.

Monday, May 16, 2011

A Third Of Africans Now Live On At Least Two Dollars A Day

According to The Economist a third of Africans now live on at least two dollars a day. That is, just over 300 million of Africa's 1 billion people now live on at least two dollars a day. The remainder, over 600 million of them, still live on less than two dollars a day. This is the situation we face.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Cameroonians In The United States To Demonstrate Against Paul Biya On May 19, 2011

"Political change in Cameroon has become almost impossible because Mr. Paul Biya and his ruling party have resolved to remain in power against the will of our people." The aim of this demonstration is to put an end to this "disastrous dictatorship" in Cameroon. The demonstration takes place on May 19, 2011 in front of the United Nations in New York. Stay tuned for the videos.

Paul Biya Pays Fifteen French Journalists To Sing His Praise

Paul Biya, Cameroon's dictator for about 30 years now, has invited fifteen French journalists to Cameroon to help clean his sordid image abroad. He is reportedly footing the bills for these journalists to come to Cameroon on the occasion of the celebration of the national day of the country. Although he already has journalists who work for the national radio and television (CRTV) to sing his praise, this may probably not be taken seriously outside the country. So, in order to legitimate his regime in the eyes of the international community, he has now hired French journalists to participapte in the chicanery.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Yoweri Museveni Would Not Be Overthrown By Popular Protests

Those who have followed the political carreer of Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, have noticed his shifting stance on issues of good governance in Africa. When he came to power, he believed that Africa needed good leadership. In fact, he even published a book in which he pointed out that one of Africa's most troubling problems is that of bad leadersship. Now, he is intimidating his opponents and calling for the amendment of the constitution so that he may be able to send his opponents to prison for a longer period of time. It is reported that Museveni has vowed that he would not be overthrown even by popular protest as was the case in Egypt and Tunisia. He has learned from his mentor, Gaddafi.

      

Samburu Beading: Promoting Rape or Preventing Prostitution?

Does the practice of beading a young girl among the Samburu prevent prostitution or promote the rape of children? Athropologists would have a field day with this one.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Ugandan Demonstrators Painted Pink

Police sprayed Ugandan opposition party leaders with pink liquid in the capital KampalaSome may be wondering why Yoweri Museveni opted to spray demonstrators with a pink substance instead of simply using the usual fire hoses and tear gass canisters. I have a theory: he wants to know his enemies. Painting them with the liquid makes them more visible and so they can be identified even as they return home. It would then make it easy for him to send his secret police so that these demonstrators can be picked up even after the demonstrations. If he sprayed them only with water, they would not stand out in the crowed as much as they would be if sprayed in pink. Museveni has a strategy. We are have not heard the last of it.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Idi Amin Redivivus

In Uganda, Yoweri Museveni's crackdown on protesters bring back the depressing memory of Idi Amin, Uganda's illiterate and monstrous former president. Looking at Museveni now, one would not remember that he shot his way to power as a new breed of African leader. Plus ca change . . . . 

In Libya Black Africans Die At Sea And On Land

One of the untold tragedies of the war Gaddafi is waging against his people is that it has probably cost the lives of more black Africans than it has the lives of Libyans. In the wake of the uprising, most countries removed their citizens from Libya but countries in sub-Saharan Africa did remarkably little. Thus, migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa have been caught in the war, struggling to save their lives. Their repeated appeal to their countries and to the so-called international community has fallen on deaf ears. They sometimes resort to helping themselves by boarding boats to countries like Malta or Italy and some of these journeys have resulted in the death of hundreds. Thus, black Africans do not only die in the war but also as they struggle to run away from it. As usual, their various governments have been apathetic in their collective silence. Why are black African lives so cheap to the powers that be?

Friday, May 6, 2011

In Ghana, A Possible Madam President

An interesting story which is hardly heard elsewhere in Africa is developing in Ghana. The wife of Ghana's former president, Jerry Rawlings, is mounting a fierce challenge against the current president, John Atta Millis. Now, it is not new for a president to be challenged in Africa or anywhere else in the world. What is new about this story, especially in Africa, is that this challenge is coming from members of the ruling party. John Atta Mills and Jerry Rawling's wife belong to the ruling party. Atta Mills is being challenged because of a dislike of his leadership style. One can say that presidents of ruling parties have been challenged by members of the ruling parties in countries such as South Africa and Nigeria; however, it has hardly happened in most African countries. In fact, in most African countries, the runling party often gives complete support to its president and the president is seen as someone who can do no wrong. In fact, any member of the ruling party who calls the president's ruling style into question is seen as a covert supporter of the opposition. Thus, members of the ruling party hardly challenge the president in countries such as Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Chad, Benin, Uganda, Ethiopia, etc. Members of the ruling parties in these countries are only allowed to sing the praises of their leader. Ghana may be a good example to show that not everyone in a ruling party should automatically endorse the president of that party. That is an example that many other African countries would do well to emulate. It encourages dialogue both within and among parties. It is good for democracy. If Mrs. Rawlings succeeds in this challenge, she may one day be called "Madam President."

What Must Africa Do In Order To Grow?

Find an answer here.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Is South Africa Becoming Like Cameroon?

There is a recent report on how some South African workers who work for a gold mining company headed by relatives of former President Nelson Mandela and current President Jacob Zuma are going without pay. Some are starving and at least one person has committed suicide due to frustration. If such shabby treatment of workers were being done by a white owned farm, for example, the African National Congress (ANC), especially its Youth League leader, Julius Malema, would have cried racism. Now that it is being done by a company headed by relatives of top leaders of the ANC, one does not hear any protest. The very people the ANC had pledged to defend are now being marginalized as those who are politically connected make fat pay checks. The company is even said to have written a very fat check to the ANC so that the ANC may be quiet about this dismal situaton. The fact that those who are politically well connected get to make it big reminds me of Cameroon where only the politically connected get to enjoy a better life. Even more, like Cameroon, some ANC leaders are now bribing the workers of this mining company with food handouts so that they may vote for the ANC in the upcoming elections. In Cameroon, politicians aim to make their people poor so as to better control these people. Perhaps this is what the ANC government in South Africa also wants to do to its people. After having claimed that black people have a common purpose of overcoming apartheid and making a better life, the elite are now giving the lie to that claim by seeking their interest rather than that of the people they had claimed to be defending. This is a shameful state of affairs.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Osama Bin Laden's People: Dictators

You, yes, you, may be an agent of Osama bin Laden (OBL) but may not even know it. You may be wondering, as I know you are, whether you are an agent of OBL. How may one know if one is an agent of OBL? Let me count the ways: You are an agent of OBL if you cling to life but deny others the possibility of living. You are an agent of OBL if you live in luxury but deceive and even demand that others scratch a living on the edges of society. You are an agent of OBL if you want to be protected but you protect no one. You are an agent of OBL if you kill even those you pretend to defend. You are an agent of OBL if you accumulate wealth but deny others the possibility of making a decent living. You are an agent of OBL if you insist that you will rather die than cede power. You are an agent of OBL if you want your followers not to question your ways. You are an agent of OBL if you crave unanism rather than debate. You are an agent of OBL if you exploit ignorance and stupidity for your self promotion. These are some of the things OBL stood for and his agents are especially the dictators we have all over the world today, such as Syria's Assad, Yemen's Saleh, Libya's Gaddafi, Zimbabwe's Mugabe, Cameroon's Paul Biya, Equatorial Guinea's Obiang Nguema, etc. These, and all those who act like them, are agents of OBL.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Interesting Links

1. Lesbian killed in South Africa. Watch video.

2. Africa's stolen money in Swiss banks. See Libya's denial here.

3. Uganda riots.

4. What will be the population of the world by the end of this century? Find out here.

5. Death and a forgotten war in the Congo.

Dead Osama Bin Laden In A South African Cartoon


Taken from here

Monday, May 2, 2011

Cholera Epidemic in Cameroon

There is a cholera epidemic currently going on in Cameroon. As one who was born in Cameroon, I began hearing of cholera epidemic from the time I was still an infant. I lost relatives and friends to the disease when I was growing up. I am not familiar with how the disease is transmitted but we were told that it is a water-borne disease and people sometimes contracted the disease when they drink dirty water. The disease also seems to be contagious because anyone who dies of the disease is immediately buried by government officials. Relatives and friends are not allowed to touch the corpse for fear that the they may also contract the disease. During cholera outbreaks people are often advised to take care not to eat food that is not clean, such as eating a mango which one might have bought from a hawker. People are advised to boil water before drinking and wash their hands carefully, especially before meal. When I was growing up in Muyuka, Cameroon, in the early 1980s, the city did not have any running water. People mostly drank the same water in which they bathed. Before Muyuka had pipe-borne water sometimes in the late 1980s, there were frequent cholera outbreaks in the town. But since it had pipe-borne water, cholera outbreak has reduced.

I recount all this to say that cholera epidemics appear to be based on the general hygienic condition in which people live. It appears that the incidence of outbreaks can be reduced or even eliminated if the hygienic condition is improved. Thus, it is difficult to hear of cholera outbreaks in countries where the water systems have been improved and the general standards of hygiene have also been improved. These are things that can be done if people have responsible governments. Cholera epidemics have been happening in Cameroon continuously for at least the last year or two. But the government has surprisingly been doing remarkably little to improve the general condition of hygiene in the country. Improving hygiene is not only about telling people to wash their hands before they eat; it also has to do with the general level of economic development. That is to say, where economic development is poor, cholera outbreaks have a greater chance of happening. Where governments make no effort to improve the lives of the people, as is the case with Cameroon under Paul Biya, cholera outbreaks become the opportunity to get rid of unwanted people. Will Biya ever care to give Cameroonians a shot at living a good life or will they keep dying young, as they do now, so that Biya may live to old age?

Death Of Osama bin Laden And Africa

Osama bin Laden's terrorist activities did not only affect Americans and Europeans; many Africans, especially in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, and Tanzania, have died from the unholy activities of his al Qaeda network. Their terrorist activities are still going on especially around the Sahel and northern Africa. The death of bin Laden should therefore be of import to Africans. In fact, African leaders should be at the forefront of chasing those who threaten the lives of their people but it is rather unfortunate that many African countries do not even have the resources to do so. Although al Qaeda was behind the 1998 attacks in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2010 attack in Uganda, leaders of these countries could do nothing to track down the leaders of this group. Tracking down terrorists groups that injure Africans is always left to Western countries who seem to take these matters seriously. Thus it is that terrorists, ranging from the Lord's Resistance Army to al Shabab and al Qaeda, are allowed to roam free in many African countries. Nothing speaks so loudly about the profound weakness of many African states than the fact that terrorists who injure Africans are allowed to roam free in these countries.

Saying that African leaders should chase out terrorists from their countries seems to be putting the cart before the horse. Perhaps they should start by valuing the lives of their own people rather than regarding them as disposable objects. In many ways, many African leaders are themselves terrorists who have no regard for the lives of their own people. That is why it is so easy for them to kill their own people with reckless brutality. In fact, where they do not openly kill their own people, like Gaddafi is now doing, they kill them slowly by withdrawing all sources of sustenance so that these people die of want. Perhaps it would be more helpful to see African leaders such as Mugabe, Gaddafi, Paul Biya, Obiang Nguema, Iddris Derby, Yoweri Museveni, Blaise Compaore, and their fellow dictators as themselves terrorists.