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Minister of Justice and Attorney General Ralph Kasambara has refuted reports that he issued a statement announcing the country's suspension of anti-homosexual law to pave way for public debate and parliamentary vote on the legislation. This comes on the back of international media being awash with reports that Kasambara has announced the suspension of the [...]
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In Brazil the economy, as well as electronic music, is booming. As one may expect, the scene there is vibrant and full of energy with numerous musicians and DJs making their presence felt on a local (and global) scale. One of the most famous clubs in Brazil is D-Edge, owned by business man and DJ Renato Ratier.
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The sharp and persistent rise in unemployment in advanced economies since the 2008-09 financial crisis is a hotly debated policy issue. Rightly so: High persistent unemployment has major human and economic costs, from loss of morale to loss of skills. More broadly, it seems to undermine the very fabric of society. An IMF conference explores how to revive labor markets.
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Ethiopia: Ethiopian Airlines to Increase Flights to Abidjan to Daily 07 November, 2012 Ethiopian, the fastest growing airline in Africa, is set to increase frequencies on its Abidjan route by offering daily flights, effective November 25, 2012. Et...
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JONATHAN ALPEYRIE / GETTY IMAGES An ONLF soldier rests inside the destoyed town school during a sweep in the area for government soldiers in Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2009. The Ogaden Problem: Will an Old Insurgency Tip the Balance in East Africa? By Wil...
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From the first time Barack Obama summoned the country's leading presidential historians to dinner, they saw that the type of discussion he wanted would be different from their talks with previous Oval Office occupants. There was almost no small talk, for this ... Continue reading →
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Radio France Internationale asked me to comment on 5 November 2012 on the formal reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Qatar.
I noted that Ethiopia broke relations with Qatar in 2008 following allegations that Qatar supported Eritrea and armed opposition groups in the Horn that opposed the government in Addis Ababa. On the sidelines of the London Conference on Somalia in February 2012, former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi met with Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani and agreed to reestablish relations. Prime Minister Hailemarim Desalegn implemented this policy and concluded a formal agreement with al-Thani in Addis Ababa on 5 November 2012. They also signed a series of bilateral agreements and agreed to open embassies in their respective ...
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Jim Lobe of the Inter Press Service asked me to comment on the U.S. response to conflict in northern Mali and relate it to tactics used in Somalia. His article titled "U.S. Impatient with African Response to Northern Mali Conflict" appeared on 2 November 2012. I emphasized that while the counterterrorism effort in Mali may try to follow the formula used in Somalia, it took years for it to achieve significant success in Somalia; the same could be true in Mali.
Click here to read the article.
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Think you know lots about Africa? Well, here is a chance to show off how much you really know about Africa. Take the 10 question quiz below. Answers to the questions will be posted here in due course. NO CHEATING, no use of Google (or other web search engines!), no checking Wikipedia! ;-) [...]
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Terje Ostebo, Assistant Professor at the Center for African Studies and the Department of Religion, University of Florida, wrote a piece titled "Islamic Militancy in Africa" in November 2012 for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington.
He argued that militant groups in the Horn and Sahel have been able to tap into and persuade marginalized communities, particularly youth, on the grounds that their grievances can be rectified by the establishment of a more pure Islamist culture. The groups tend to be homegrown phenomena, focused on local concerns. Ill-considered interventions, especially those involving Western forces, can reinforce the militants' narrative, thereby strengthening their credibility and recruitment.
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The costs of rebasing the Kwacha on businesses are becoming more clear. The benefits will always be less tangible.
Standard Chartered Bank Plc revealed early October that the rebasing will cost it K5 billion in terms of systems and infrastructure upgrade. Part of the money will also go towards staff training in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new kwacha. National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) revealed late October that it has so far spent K1 billion on the initial preparation of the rebasing of the Kwacha. The money has gone on reconfiguration of the IT platform and general implementation of the rebasing preparation in its 27 branches across the country. This is just for starters! A reasonable guess would be that the the proposal would lead to business costs over K1 ...
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Following the resolution of negotiations in Addis Ababa this September, the international community watches on as the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan continue to grapple with critical outstanding issues. In the coming days, the U.N. Security Council will have the opportunity to vote on a set of recommendations from the African Union Peace and Security Council, or A.U. PSC, on ways to address these issues, such as the final status of the disputed Abyei area, unfettered international humanitarian access to the Sudanese states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, the final definition of the North-South border, and the initiation of direct political negotiations between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, or SPLM-N.
The A.U. PSC's ...
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Egypt has announced [ar] today that access to all porn sites will be banned. Netizens discuss the move on Twitter, saying any kind of censorship will have dire consequences on free speech - as it opens the door to abuse by the authorities and the muzzling of voices online.
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