The Deception of Paint

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) celebrates 50 years of independence today. Repainting crumbling structures is one of the tasks that have been undertaken to give the dilapidated capital a face lift. The rot is still beneath as lives keep getting wasted in a resource-rich country.

Obiang Nguema Wants a Face Lift

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the notorious dictator Obiang Nguema, President of the tiny country called Equatorial Guinea. He now wants a face lift, an extreme make over. He has hired an American lobbyist to sanitize his image abroad.

Africa Has Most Expensive Cities in the World

A recent survey shows that Luanda, the capital of Angola, is the most expensive city in the world, especially for expats. See the other cities that make it here.

DRC Turns 50: A Pictorial Story

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Also see this.

Is Blood Still in the Diamond?

The connection between the diamond we wear and the people being killed for it continues to be vital. Read this and this.

No Angels Here

A fabulous tale of betrayal. T'hami el-Glaouis of Morocco was the quintessential African leader, selling his people to amass wealth for himself. Some things just don't change.

The Shame that is Burundi and Rwanda

Burundi and Rwanda, countries that have recently known genocides in Africa, are taking African politics decades back. While the incidents of political leaders killing their rivals have generally declined in many African countries (compared to the immediate post-colonial periods), political leaders in Burundi and Rwanda are taking the continent back to that time when political leaders killed their opponents or sent them into exile. That is why the upcoming elections in Burundi and Rwanda should be called out for the farce that they are.

Instead of Government Transporting Football Fans

The Ghanaian government transported 1,000 fans to cheer the Black Stars at the group stage of the FIFA World Cup. Even though the team qualified for the second round, the fans are not allowed to stay on because the budget did not include the second round of the tournament. Perhaps the government of Ghana did not even believe that its team would qualify for the second round! That said, government should not be paying for fans to attend would cup. Government should instead engineer a strong economy so that those who want to attend the tournament would make their own money to sponsor themselves. That way, those who attend the event would stay they for as long as their budget allows them rather than being in the air flying home while their team is playing.

Somaliland Stands Up to Islamist Militants

The breakaway state of Somaliland is holding an election amid threats from Islamic militants who describe democracy as "the devil's principles." A good example that rule by fear would not be tolerated in Africa. It is sad that the international community does not recognize a strong and stable Somaliland while it recognizes a crumbled and crumbling Somalia.

In Defense of Witchcraft in Africa

The study of witchcraft in Africa is rooted in discourses of African difference. The post-modern stress on difference has heightened this endeavor as witchcraft has come to be interpreted as serving a useful function in Africa. Witchcraft has recently been interpreted as not only serving political and social functions but as an interpretive grid that displays an element of the malcontents of modernity. For this paper, however, witchcraft serves an emotional function and Africans would be deprived of this emotional support if the phenomenon is eradicated without any substitute. While in the West belief in witchcraft is largely seen by scholars as delusional, in Africa the same phenomenon becomes legitimate, an African way of thinking that helps people deal with the elusiveness of modernity. Rene Descartes was wrong, the West is wrong to stress rationality, witchcraft should still have been a dominant element of the imagination in New England and Europe. Thank God that Africans still believe in witchcraft. It fits them so well because they are different. They don't need science; well, if they need science, they can get it from the West. But the West and Western educated African scholars must tell Africans that witchcraft is good for Africa. It is not good for Europe or America. Hooray for people who need witchcraft for emotional support! Hooray for people who have shown that science is wrong! Hooray to Africa's different rationality. Hooray to Africa's different modernity. Hooray to Africa's traditional paradise.

Manute Bol, 7 Feet 6 Inches

Apart from his exploits in the NBA, this Sudanese who recently passed away, manifested enthusiastic concern for a flourishing Africa.

Is It Still Neo-Colonialism When the People Want It?

British journalists have recently been recounting the narrative of how Britain saved Sierra Leone from a protracted civil war a decade ago. Britain currently monitors the administration of Sierra Leone to make sure it does not repeat some of the bad habits that led the country into war. And the people of Sierra Leone apparently cherish the British presence. Accusations that this state of affairs is neo-colonialism is disputed by people in Sierra Leone. Some observers of post-conflict situations in Africa have suggested that some African countries basically need to be recolonized to ensure post-conflict peace. Britain has been doing that in Sierra Leone for the past ten years. It is only recently being publicized. Britain is recolonizing Sierra Leone and people in Sierra Leone are apparently loving it. What effect does this situation have on post-colonial discourses?

African Football and Foreign Coaches

A probing article on Africa's failure to develop its own football coaches.

My Best Music from the World Cup Opening Ceremony

Vusi Mahlasela and Angelique Kidjo.

Is Kagame Now Killing His Opponents?

African political elites are well known for jailing or killing their opponents. It may well be that Paul Kagame of Rwanda is different but the many recent stories about his ungodly activities is a cause for deep concern, to say the least. He raises the specter of a dreadful African political past.

The Poor and a Depleting Planet

The Oxford development economist and author of the popular The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier, is at it again. This time he is thinking about how resources could be better managed to ensure the well-being of the poor. Check out his The Plundered Planet (2010). Also check out his Wars, Guns, and Votes (2010).

Cameroon Sucks . . . Really Bad

I just did not know how bad Cameroon football team sucked until they had the dubious distinction of being the first team to fail to qualify for the next round in the current world cup in South Africa.

Female Genital Cutting: The Debate Rages On

The practice of female genital cutting in some African countries is once again in the news. In fact, both male and female circumcision as rights of passage have become problematic. Is this a culture that needs to be defended?

The Great Green Wall of Africa: Greening the Sahel

A hotly debated idea aimed at halting the advance of the Sahara desert is gaining attention. See more here, here, and here.

Vuvuzela Fun Facts

What is a vuvuzela and what are its origins? Find answers to these questions and more here.

International Community Must Derecognize Worst-Performing African States

A thought provoking piece.

And the Winner Is . . . None

The Sudan-born billionaire, Mo Ibrahim, established the Mo Ibrahim Prize in 2007 to reward former African leaders who led their country well and improved the lives of their peoples during their term in office. But for the second year running, the prize has been awarded to no former African leader. While the debate about the propriety of such a prize continues, the verdict is clear: no African leader who left office in at least the last two years did well enough to deserve such a prize.

The Royal Bafokeng Nation: An Example for Africa

The much hyped World Cup football match between England and the United States was played today at a stadium envisioned ten years ago by a king who wanted to use the wealth of his nation for the benefit of his people. See the inspiring story here. African ruling elites would do well to learn that lesson.

The Elders: Appropriating an African Traditional Idea

In spite of the ambiguity that may sometimes accompany the notion of being an elderly person in some African traditional societies, elders are usually respected because they are seen as people who are endowed with wisdom born of experience. Of course, not all elderly people are wise but elders are believed to be people who are supposed to be wise and people who seek the well being of their communities. It is this idea that the venerable Nelson Mandela of South Africa has appropriated to form a group of respected states-people around the world who may contribute in making the world a better place. For more on their activities, visit their website. Perhaps we need more elders in Africa.

You Are Not Invited

South Africa tells some African dictators not to come to the country for the football tournament. It could have, however, extended the list.

Mandela's World Cup Message

An old speech but still very relevant: "We feel a sense of . . . renewal. . . . The time for the healing of the wound has come. . . . we shall heal the society. God bless Africa." Find this and more here. Let the celebration begin. Let this mark a new beginning.

Islam, Tradition, and Modernity

The perspective of a famous African woman.

A Political History of Football in Africa

Did Mahatma Ghandi play football in South Africa? Find out about this and more in this important piece on the political history of football (soccer) in Africa.

Selling Africans

Harvard's Professor of African American Studies, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., recently wrote an interesting piece about the role of African elites in the slave trade. It seems doubtful to me that our contemporary rapacious African elites would not do the same thing today, if it were legal. Consider how many of them serve foregn interests in order to maintain power over their people! Gates' piece is applicable to many, if not most, contemporary African ruling elites.

Fasting for Soccer

When I saw this ridiculous story about South Africans fasting in order to improve their chances of winning the FIFA World Cup, I could not help commenting on it. Even though I am not a prophet, I can prophesy with 100% certainty that South Africa is not going to win the world cup. The reason for this is simple: winning the coveted trophy is not based on miracles; it is based on skill. And the South African football team does not have the skill. Period. They will do better than expected but there is no way they can win the world cup. Anyone who knows anything about soccer knows that. If South Africans want to be delusional, that is their business. Perhaps that is the purpose of the tournament - to promote fantasy.

Receiving Gift from a Thief: UNESCO and Obiang Nguema

Readers of this blog would remember the name of the dictator of the tiny central African country of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema. He is one of the most infamous leaders in the world and this blog described him in one of the posts as a "robber in paradise." Equatorial Guinea is a country of about 700,000 people where oil was recently discovered. In spite of this discovery, most of the inhabitants of the country live in dire poverty as the president siphons the wealth of the country to his personal bank accounts. The son of the president is known to have bought a home in Malibu, California. That is not the worst part, however.
Recently, Obiang Nguema has promised to provide three million dollars to UNESCO every year for the next five years as contribution toward prizes to be awarded by UNESCO and named after Mr. Nguema. From where would he get such an amount of money to give UNESCO? However, UNESCO accepted the money but is now having second thoughts due to widespread criticism. That UNESCO accepted the money in the first place says much about the kind of organization it is. The money should be rejected because Obiang Nguema is a thief. In fact, the money he is giving UNESCO is money he has stolen from his people. Obiang Nguema is one of the African leaders whose financial trail must be investigated. He is worse than Charles Taylor who is now languishing at the ICC in the Hague. It is shameful for UNESCO to accept money from him.

African Heritage and the Crime of Non-Entities

The African ruling elites learned a very bad habit from colonialism - despising the their own story. You see, the myth of African historical backwardness and why it needed colonial salvation was partly based on the claim that the continent had no history. The continent was therefore presented as a blank slate that needed to be inscribed with civilization. Such a perception of Africa was logical: a people who had no history needed one. That is why, for a long time, African history started with colonialism. It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that some scholars started unearthing elements of the noble history of the continent.

The endeavors of scholars to rehabilitate African heritage has, however, not caught on with the ruling elites. In fact, for most of the ruling elites, African history always begins with them, and ends with them. Nothing happened before them and nothing will happen after them. For them, both the past and the future are impostors on the present. That is why, in many African countries, people hardly honor their heroes. You see, honoring heroes remind people of an ideal type. Since much of our contemporary ruling elites are scavengers feeding on the carcasses of their depleting people, such a reminder is dangerous. Thus, people like Ben Bella in Algeria, Nyerere in Tanzania, Zik in Nigeria, Sankara in Burkina Faso, Ruben Um Nyobe in Cameroon, etc. are hardly remembered. Dangerous memory, this. Why should we remember them when the world begins and ends with the present?

The fear of celebrating heroes is not limited to political figures. Even national figures such as artists, athletes, etc. are hardly remembered. An example that comes to mind is the contempt with which African football stars are treated by this corrupt ruling elite. Cameroon, for example, was put on the world map by Roger Milla's footballing dexterity, but today he is a non-entity. While in places such as Brazil, Argentina, Germany, etc., former football stars such as Dunga, Maradona, Kinsman, etc., are made the managers of their national football team, in much of African football stars are, at best, mildly tolerated by the ruling elites. In fact, Ndaye Mulamba, who enabled the then Zaire (Now DRC) to participate in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, was shot in his country and is now a refugee in South Africa. Of all the African teams participating in the current world cup, only one, Algeria, has a coach who is a native of that country.

Since the ruling elites maintain power by posing as gods, celebrating heroes unnecessarily multiplies the gods and renders superfluous the magic of the few. It is better to create non-entities.

African Union, States, Civil Society, Chastise Israel

The African Union, individual member states, and civil society organizations in African countries have chastised Israel for the Gaza Flotilla attack.

The Pan-African University (PAU)

An excellent project with brilliant objectives.

A Tale of Two Oil Spills

Oil has been spilling in the Niger Delta in Nigeria for decades but neither the Nigerian government nor anyone else has cared. If just a very small fraction of the attention being paid by the international media to the current oil spill in the Gulf Coast were paid to the situation in the Niger Delta, the situation of the people in that region might have improved. However, since African lives and livelihood are disposable, it does not deserve the attention being paid to people elsewhere.

Why the West is Out of Touch with Africa

A fresh and important report details how the West fails to effectively engage Africa because of the West's historic lack of respect for the continent. Read.

Walking the Tight Rope: Public Order and Political Repression

In much of Africa, state power is so massive that the so-called civil society is rendered useless. South Africa seemed to be different but that country is also being challenged by recent events. While Rwanda and Egypt, for example, clearly manifest dictatorial tendencies, the case of South Africa is far more troubling. Is it possible to have a free society and order in Africa? How come that political opposition is mostly seen as a danger to the existence of most African states?

Africa's Subordination

It is an irony of African politics that Africa seeks a greater say in the world stage by being subjected to Western or Asian powers. If the so-called African leaders do not subject themselves to China, they genuflect to France or the United States.  That is why most African countries serve the needs of foreign powers rather than those of their peoples. It is a shame!

Dumping Toxic Waste in Africa

The long saga of one of the companies that dump toxic wastes in Africa continues.

Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa

This important paper documents the effects of increased use of mobile phones on Africa's economic development.