Meet Kelvin Doe. He’s the 16 year old inventor that has recently been a hit among Youtube viewers. Doe was featured on THINKR, a media based initiative aimed at bringing out stories of people who are committed to bringing change. Within two weeks, it reached over 3 million people. In the 10-minute clip, a heart-warming story of Doe’s desire to help his family through his inventions is told.

Doe is from Sierra Leone and resources are a scarcity in his village. Yet he works wonders with the little he has. He has invented a battery, a generator, and an FM radio transmitter (which is where DJ Focus struts his voice).

“They call me DJ Focus, because I believe that if you focus, you can do an invention perfectly,” said Kelvin Doe.

Kelvin Doe’s uncomplicated concept hits home for some.

In Doe’s village, there is a lack of electricity; lights are turned on only once a week. Some people would think of saving money to buy a portable generator or batteries, to help them out. Doe begs to differ. He has made both himself. He studied a store-bought battery, and reverse-engineered it to make his own battery out of soda, acid and metal. He uses it to power lights in his neighbors’ houses. Sometimes they give him a small stipend to buy more acid so he can make more batteries.

The idea for the radio transmitter emerged during a ‘Summer Innovation Camp’ in Sierra Leone. It was organized by David Sengeh, a homegrown Sierra Leonean, who is currently a PhD student at MIT. The young campers were challenged to think about issues faced by their community and to seek ways to solve them. Doe’s team’s answer was the radio transmitter, which they thought could be a platform for the villagers to discuss community issues. 

The core value that drives Doe is the communal spirit, the deep-felt yearning to help his family, to help his village. Urban rich kids struggle to understand the plight of people not as fortunate as them, let alone to solve problems in their own city. Since Doe was 13, he has understood the need to bring positive change in one’s own community.

The moving thing about Doe is his unselfish character. Through Sengeh’s help, Doe was invited to be a guest resident at MIT for 3 weeks. Doe made the trip to the US, stepping out of Sierra Leone for the first time. After learning so much from there, all he wanted to do was to share the experience and knowledge with his friends and family the moment he got home.

Some universities in the UK, Australia and New Zealand partner with ‘Engineers without Borders’ through the EWB Challenge. In this challenge, students are given a rural village from a third-world country to study and are tasked to choose a problem to solve. It is an excellent initiative for university students to think critically to solve third world matters. But even with these resources, many still don’t get it. It takes a person like Doe to remind everyone to be thankful for what they have, and to get out there and do something beneficial. And to remember to focus.

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The economic crisis is ongoing. South Africans, however, seem to be facing an economic crisis of a different sort. That is, a crisis in the economy of culture and its preservation. The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO), one of South Africa’s few professional orchestras, gave its last concert on Thursday, November 14. It is now under bankruptcy protection.

The JPO was founded in 2000, following the tragic downfall of the National Symphony Orchestra. They supplied Johannesburg (and South Africa, given the small number of professional orchestras in the country) with performances of a high standard, as well as opportunities for music education. Their dedication to the art, to educating less privileged youths through music education programs, and to exposing South Africa to music of an international standard, was of infinite value to a country in need of high quality and accessible cultural commodities.

The JPO has been in financial distress for months, if not years, regardless of financial support from large donors such as the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. Now they seem to have drawn their last breath. In October, Shadrack Bokaba, the orchestra’s Managing Director, announced that the board of the JPO has taken a “formal resolution to start business rescue proceedings.” He also expressed a belief in the situation turning around within the next three to six months.

The blame for the orchestra’s financial situation has been placed on various individuals, communities and institutions. Low attendance levels at concerts, lack of municipal funding, and the international financial crisis among them. The Citizen Online stated that the JPO has had financial troubles since the international recession hit in 2008, with private sector companies such as Sasol and Bidvest Group withdrawing their funding. The Star on November 16 reported that the JPO owed its musicians a total of R2.2 million (the equivalent of at least $300 000). The Times reported that the JPO musicians have not been paid for three months.

A business rescue practitioner has been appointed to assist the JPO with their financial woes. They have been granted a period of six months to get back on their feet. A Business Day article, however, noted that the orchestra will be unlikely to pay off its debts within the next six months, even if the business rescue plans were to succeed. This is alarming considering the funds already owed to its (now unemployed) musicians.

The death of the JPO spells the end of an era in South Africa. As one of South Africa’s only professional orchestras (the other two are the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra), the loss of cultural capital is immense and symbolic. If one considers the online public outcry against losing this valuable orchestra, the effect of its loss cannot be overlooked. Student musicians throughout the country are now, understandably, second-guessing the possibility of futures as professional musicians in South Africa.

The JPO’s demise is an incalculable loss to musicians, students and musical life in South Africa, and its long-term effects should not be underestimated. The cultural and educational future of a country once proud of its diverse cultural heritage and unique ‘rainbow nation’ status is at stake.

Image Courtesy : The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra

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Zambia, together with many African countries, has welcomed the second term for the US president Barack Obama. This time there was more of a focus on learning how elections are done than in the 2008 elections. Where before it was a thrill, in this election the excitement was kept more at an observation level in Zambia

Throughout the debates, Zambian people confessed that the way issues were discussed in view of winning elections would help more people to decide who should be the next president in any country. Just like in the past election in Zambia, many people have realized that money does not buy peoples votes. Zambians have been educated about this and seeing it happen again makes the people more comfortable about it. Everyone now knows that it’s not about what you are given, but choosing the right leader with great vision will help develop the nation and meet people’s needs, and most Zambians watched attentively to the elections to see which direction it would take.

Mr. Kasangula, a local businessman in Lusaka, supposed that Obama has been given a second term, and what Africa should know, and Zambia in particular, is that Obama is the American president and he needs to deal with problems that affect the Americans first. However, it is important for him to help the African nations, including Zambia, to build their democracy and good policies, and for the opposition to consider defeat was a very good lesson for many opposition leaders in Zambia. Mr. Romney’s action could help many African baby democracy to emulate how leaders should act when defeated, which has been a problem for African countries, killing the purpose of democracy.

Most Lusaka residents when asked about the elections said it was very interesting to watch and they saw how elections can be conducted without naming each other names and showering insults on each other. The opposition, Romney, conceded defeat in good time which again gave him respect from the Zambian perspective. He portrayed himself as a selfless leader who wants to see peace and love for each other as the wish of the people prevails in the country.

Speaking to Mr. Lombe of Lusaka on whether it is a good thing to get some of the good ideas from the opposition to be incorporated in the main streams of any present government, Mr. Lombe noted that considering adopting some ideas from opposition group is a good bargain than pushing all to be irrelevant, for by doing so will help bring development in the country. In fact, leaders should be more interested in developing the country and not only to achieve personal gain, and it should be clear that being in the opposition does not mean that you are enemies, but that you disagree with some of the things that are promoted with the other group. He believed that it is a lesson for Zambian leaders.

Speaking to Lusaka high school students, they said what Obama and Romney did is a great lesson for Zambia. They said that the way they conducted themselves during the campaign and after was a great lesson, and that the debate should be seriously considered in the future to allow people to make an informed choice for who their leader should be.

Joyce Twambo, a house wife of Chawama compound, said that the other problem that Zambia faces is having too many parties that compete with each other to the end. Therefore, it is important to eliminate some of the parties before the final selections happen, as this will also help the majority to choose a good candidate of their choice, and to see the results counted and announced the same day will help stop manipulation of the results.

To add on this, Catherine Nyirenda’s article posted on November 8 in the Times of Zambia newspaper, stated that Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson, Irene Mambilima, said: “Zambian politicians should avoid character assassination and instead learn from Americans who have embraced issue-based politics Justice Mambilima was impressed with how the American electoral process was handled and said Zambia had a lot to learn.”

However, President Obama visited Ghana in 2009 and the Zambian people would like to see more visits of the US President to many African countries, not because he is of African decent, but because he is the president of America, a great nation that is able to help build strong economies and promote democracy in Africa. Hopefully in his second term, president Obama can be an advocate to many issues faced by African countries in order to make a lasting impact on the continent.

Image Courtesy : U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Zachary Bell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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The banking and telecommunication sectors in North Africa have not utilized the power of social media yet, according to Amine Jabali, Managing Partner, Peppers & Rogers Group.

Social networking is becoming more and more relevant in today’s world, especially in the North Africa region. As evidenced by the impact that Social Media has had in fueling the Arab Spring, the companies should embrace this new trend and place increasing focus on Social Media activities. In fact, they need to enter the ‘Social’ era with a structured approach and best practices in their Social Media adoption.

“Telecommunication companies reacted but they have not used the full potential of social media; they have responded only by providing the gadgets, but the telcos are yet to leverage the use of social networking to generate revenues,” Jabali argues. The telecom companies, even the banking sector can leverage through building advocacy or affinity. “As an example, the telecom and banking sectors can create clubs for high school or university students using the power of social media. You can talk to this group of people and know their interest/needs and can bring them forward to be more loyal to you in the early stages of their professional lifecycle,” Jabali suggests.

Jabali notes that customers nowadays are not only intelligent, but also becoming more and more demanding. “It’s not about ‘I’ll take what you give’ anymore. It’s about ‘provide what I need’. It is a challenge for the firm, but we see that companies are adapting to new challenges,” he asserts. “We see more and more customers purchasing smart phones not only because they have cash, but because they know the value of what they are paying for,” he adds.

Many companies have already reaped significant benefits from incorporating Social Media as part of their strategy, by being able to effectively and efficiently build new and reinforce ongoing relationships with existing and potential customers. Marketing can use Social Media to drive brand awareness, deliver relevant information and generate new leads; Customer Support can leverage social channels to respond to enquiries and complaints, as well as solicit customer feedback; whereas Sales can utilize Social Media to support customer acquisition strategies.

“Social Media can also be instrumental in managing and protecting corporate reputation,” Jabali notes. Unhappy customers can reach out to thousands of online users through Facebook, Tweets and other Social Media channels and the adverse effect to company’s reputation through such outbursts can be staggering if the appropriate remediating actions are not taken.

Companies need to have a comprehensive Social Media presence to provide the customers with an ‘always on’ channel that is able to meet their sales and service needs. “Pioneers in Social Media in North Africa will find that investing in this new channel will create not only brand awareness and social engagement with their targeted segments, but also to generate consistent uplift of revenue year after year,” concludes Jabali.

Image Courtesy of  Studentersamfunnet i Bergen

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Police arrested protesters in Tahrir Square and the roads leading to the U.S. Embassy early Saturday morning after days of protests over a video depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed as ruthless and a womanizer. Eyewitnesses claim that people were beaten and detained during the crackdown.

Traffic is flowing normally through the square again. However, security forces remain around entrances to the square. The arrests come a day after worldwide protests sparked by anger over the controversial video allegedly made by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula under the pseudonym Sam Bacile.

Friday’s nationwide demonstration was canceled by the Muslim Brotherhood, but protesters said they were still holding a ‘symbolic’ protest in Tahrir. Protests in Tahrir were mostly peaceful. About 1,000-1,200 protesters moved around the square chanting slogans and waving flags. Vendors sold drinks, T-shirts, flags and souvenirs. Anyone could pick up a small pyramid or Sphinx along with a black flag (not to be confused with an Al-Qaida flag).

One protester said he was there because he was angry about the video and about the United State’s response to the film, asking, “Why hasn’t the man been arrested?”

Protests in front of the U.S. Embassy near the square sporadically clashed with security forces. According to reports, the protesters threw stones, while security responded with tear gas. According to CNN, the Interior Ministry issued a statement that a number of security officers were injured, some from bird shot. Bird shot was blamed for the death of one protester on Friday.

Friday’s protests mainly targeted U.S. embassies. However, the German and British embassies were attacked in Khartoum and a Hardee’s and KFC were attacked in Tripoli. Seven people were killed during protests on Friday.

Many analysts and journalists who have extensively covered the region say the protests were about more than the video. According to some analysts, the protests have to do with pent-up anger over western imperialism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, continued drone strikes, the sanctions on Iran and pro-Israel policies. Other analysts add that it is also about the frustration at domestic leaders who have been unable to effect change quickly.

“It’s domestic politics mixed with an attempt to make new nation states and political systems and institutions that are so vital,” Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, told The Christian Science Monitor.

Another reason, say analysts, is that there is a struggle going on between mainstream Islamic groups and the ultra-conservative Salafis. The Guardian’s Ghaith Abdul-Ahad writes that the Salafi agitation began long before the video was released. They attacked secularists and artists, worked along sectarian lines and launched confrontations with Coptic Christians.

Image Courtesy of   Hossam el-Hamalawy حسام الحملاوي

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New York, U.S.A. — An Ivoirian government security detail assaulted a journalist covering the eviction of a senior official’s family on Friday, seizing his equipment and leaving him bleeding and bruised, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack and calls on authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

A police officer, a military soldier, and agents in plainclothes attacked Anderson Diédri, a reporter for the private daily Le Nouveau Courrier, as he interviewed and photographed a woman and her five children as they were being evicted from their home in Abidjan, according to local journalists and news reports. The woman’s husband, Albert Toikeusse Mabri, the minister of planning and development, had sought the eviction after filing for divorce in June.

Mabri had sent the assailants to supervise the eviction, even though an appeals court had nullified an eviction order issued earlier by a lower court, news reports said.

Diédri said that he had identified himself as a journalist to his assailants, but the men continued to punch and kick him, leaving him with a bloody lip and bruises on his body, according to news reports. He said the men had also seized his camera and mobile phone, news reports said. One of Mabri’s aides later returned the camera to the journalist, but all of the photographs had been deleted, Stéphane Bahi, the editor of Le Nouveau Courrier, told CPJ.

No one has been arrested for the assault, according to local journalists. Bahi told CPJ that the newspaper planned to file an official complaint.

Edmond Doua, the director of communications to Mabri, told CPJ that the minister had not ordered the assault. Doua also said that the images had been deleted because the journalist had taken photographs of a private affair without any authorization. He said he had personally apologized to Le Nouveau Courrier and secured the release of the journalist’s equipment.

“We condemn the assault on Anderson Diédri in connection with his reporting on a public official,” said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita from New York. “If Ivoirian minister Albert Toikeusse Mabri did not order the attack, it is all the more imperative that he do everything in his power to identify Diédri’s assailants and bring them to justice.”

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, welcomes the successful completion of the presidential election in Somalia, which was held in a transparent and fair manner. He congratulates Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on his election as the new President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. He also commends the outgoing President, Sheikh Shariff Ahmed, for having gracefully conceded defeat and for his significant contribution to the peace and reconciliation process in his country.

The Chairperson of the Commission notes that yesterday’s election, following the adoption of a new interim Constitution and the selection of a new Parliament, marks the conclusion of the transition. It therefore ushered in a new chapter in the history of Somalia.

While commending all the Somali stakeholders and people for the maturity and commitment they have displayed over the past few weeks to complete the transition, in difficult circumstances, he urges them to remain steadfast and to continue to be driven by the higher interests of their country, in order to overcome the many challenges that lie ahead. He calls on them to build on the significant results thus achieved and the progress that continues to be made on the ground by the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali forces to further the peace and reconciliation process.

The Chairperson of the Commission wishes to assure the Somali stakeholders and people of the AU’s continued support in their efforts. In particular, the AU, through AMISOM, will continue to work towards the improvement of the security situation and the extension of State authority, the building of strong and effective Somali security forces and the reconstruction of the country. He acknowledges the critical role that the region, in particular IGAD and the East.

African Community, and the rest of the international community, notably the United Nations, the European Union, the League of Arab States, as well as the United States and other bilateral partners, have played in the results achieved so far. He calls on the AU member states and partners alike to remain actively engaged and to enhance their assistance to Somalia to enable it meet the even more demanding and complex tasks ahead.

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Tokyo, Japan — On August 27, for about two hours from 18:30, Mr. Koichiro Gemba, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting and a dinner at Iikura House with H.E. Mr. Djibril Yipènè Bassole, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation of Burkina Faso, who is visiting Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations, cooperation in international arena, and other issues. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

Minister Gemba stated in the opening that he would like to use the opportunity of Minister Bassolé’s visit to Japan to further strengthen bilateral relations. In response, Minister Bassolé paid his respect to Japan’s effort to keep implementing its international commitment even after the Great East Japan Earthquake which had hit Japan last year, expressed his gratitude to Japan’s assistance for Burkina Faso, and stated his appreciation for TICAD process led by Japan.

In reply, Minister Gemba expressed his gratitude to the Senior Officials Preparatory Meeting for TICAD V which will be held in Burkina Faso in November at Minister Bassolé’s suggestion, and showed its expectation for President Compaoré’s participation for TICAD V which will be held next June in Japan. Furthermore, both ministers exchanged their opinions on Japan’s economic cooperation with Burkina Faso, and potentiality of facilitating private investment from Japan to Burkina Faso.

Also, Minister Bassolé, who has been working for mediation for the stability of situation in Mali, explained the situation in Mali. Minister Bassolé further shared the manners to resolve the border conflicts and the vision for regional integration in West Africa where Burkina Faso is located. In response, Minister Gemba expressed his recognition for Burkina Faso’s effort for the stabilization of the situation in Mali, and expressed Japan’s intention to support Africa’s own efforts for peace and stability and for regional integration.

In this respect, Minister Bassolé, who had served as Joint African Union – United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur, expressed his appreciation for Japan’s support for Darfur. With respect to situation in Sudan and South Sudan, Minister Gemba explained that Japan has provided assistance for both Sudan and South Sudan in a balanced manner, and appealed to ministers of Sudan and South Sudan for the importance of peaceful coexistence of both countries.

Furthermore, two ministers exchanged their views on issues in international arena, including the early realization of the United Nations Security Council reform and the Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Image Courtesy of   U.S.-Japan Council

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Dr Jean Ping, welcomes the recent encouraging developments in Somalia. In particular, the Chairperson lauded the grassroots approach to participatory democracy leading to the ongoing selection of members of Parliament through the exemplary and coordinated efforts of the Traditional Elders, the Technical Selection Committee and the International Observers.

Twenty one years after the country fell into conflict, the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) chosen by 135 Traditional Leaders adopted, on 1 August, a new Constitution and on 20 August, a new Federal Parliament was inaugurated, thereby paving the way for ending the Transition, and for opening the first legislature to be formed inside Somalia since 1991. These developments constitute a significant milestone for the people of Somalia.

The security situation across south central Somalia has notably continued to improve, thanks to the multi‐pronged operations being carried out by the Somalia National Security Forces (NSF) and their allies, with the support of AMISOM and the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF).

As Somalia continues on this path of progress, further work needs to be done. The Traditional Elders and the Technical Selection Committee must complete the important and urgent task of vetting and appointing the remaining members of Parliament.

The Chairperson, noting the impending election of the Speaker of Parliament and the Deputies, scheduled for Sunday, 26th August 2012, encouraged Parliament to stand by the timetable and put in place all procedures and committees necessary for a speedy, fair and transparent election culminating in the election of the President of the country.

The African Union remains concerned that the process to end the Transition continues to be jeopardized by individuals determined to maintain Somalia in a state of chaos. As we approach the very last milestones of the roadmap, any attempt to derail this process will be unacceptable. Recalling the joint statements of 1 May 2012 and 9 August 2012 of the AU, IGAD and the UN, issuing a last warning to those undermining the process, the Chairperson underlined the readiness of the African Union, working closely with its partners, to take measures against spoilers.

The Chairperson takes this opportunity to reaffirm the African Union’s commitment to continue supporting the country’s peace and reconciliation process. To this end, the African Union will continue to work closely with IGAD, the UN and other international partners. Equally, the African Union will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Somali people in this last phase of ending the Transition and as they open a new chapter in their long struggle for greater stability.

Image Courtesy of  AslanMedia

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New York, U.S.A. — Ivorian authorities should halt censorship of critical news outlets and investigate an armed assault on the offices of a publishing group, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on August 27.

“We call on President Alassane Ouattara to demonstrate tolerance and a commitment to democratic principles,” said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita from New York. “As the country weathers a period of great tension, the president can set an important example by allowing the voices of opposition to air their concerns and opinions, as harsh as they may be.”

The state-run National Press Council suspended the daily Le Temps on August 3 for 20 editions in connection with a July 24 article that it said defamed Ouattara, Raphael Lakpé, the council’s chairman, said in an interview on U.N.-sponsored station ONUCI FM. Le Temps, which is loyal to the former leader Laurent Gbagbo, had published an opinion piece on violence between supporters of Ouattara and those of Gbagbo and called the president a “ghoulish vampire,” according to news reports. Opposition groups have accused Ouattara and his allies of targeting supporters of Gbagbo in the past.

Le Temps’ editor-in-chief, Simplice Allard, was also suspended from writing for the paper for one month, news reports said.

On Sunday morning, a group of unidentified armed men attacked the offices of the Cyclone Media Group, in Abidjan, which publishes Le Temps, according to news reports. The men assaulted a security guard, set a room on fire, ransacked the offices, and stole several computers, Agence France-Presse reported. No one was injured in the attack, which caused significant damage to the offices, AFP said. Police have not made any arrests yet, local journalists said, adding that they believe the attack on the media group was in reprisal for Le Temps’ critical coverage of Ouattara’s government.

In another case of official censorship, the National Press Council suspended Bôl’ Kotch, a private satirical newspaper, on August 8 for eight issues, over articles and cartoons critical of Ouattara that appeared in its July 27 edition, the state news agency AIP reported. The council singled out a caricature of an exchange between Ouattara and an army chief that suggested the president was using ethnic groups of traditional hunters to fight pro-Gbagbo supporters in the ongoing unrestin the country, according to news reports.

At least one journalist who has extensively covered the activities of former leader Gbagbo has told CPJ he fears for his life. Alain Tiéffi, photo editor of the state daily Fraternité Matin, said his neighbors had suggested to him that he leave their house in Yopougon, a suburb considered a Gbagbo stronghold. Security forces, in response to armed attacks against government positions, have in recent weeks conducted raids on houses in Yopougon and arrested people suspected of being linked to armed supporters of the ousted leader, according to news reports.

Tiéffi told CPJ that fighters loyal to Ouattara had ransacked his house in May 2011 and pointed a gun at his head. “I am the only journalist in the area I live. My wife, children, and in-laws are all living with me. Right now, I don’t know what to do. I am scared,” Tiéffi told CPJ.

Gérard Gnawa, a spokesman for the police in Abidjan, would not tell CPJ if they were investigating the case.

A group of six pro-opposition dailies have refused to publish their newspapers on August 24 and 25 to protest the attack on the Cyclone Media Group and the threats and assaults Ivorian journalists have faced in recent months, according to news reports. The group said the refusal to publish was to display “the risk of death that hangs over the lives of journalists.”

Image Courtesy of  bbcworldservice

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London, U.K. — The detention on August 26 of the editor of one of Ethiopia’s last independent publications is a worrying signal that the government intends to carry on targeting dissent, Amnesty International said on August 27.

Temesgen Desalegn, editor of Feteh newspaper, faces a number of criminal charges based on articles he has written or published criticizing the government and calling on Ethiopia’s youth to peacefully protest against government repression.

He is the first journalist to be detained since the announcement on Monday of the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, under whose leadership the government regularly targeted critical journalists.

“It’s business as usual in Ethiopia. Temesgen Desalegn has been charged for exercising his right to freedom of expression in advocating for peaceful protests to take place, among other criticisms of the government,” said Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia researcher.

“Meles’ leadership was characterized by cracking down heavily on any dissent and dismantling the independent media, and yesterday’s events show that nothing has changed.”

Four charges were filed against Temesgen and his publishing house, Mastewal Printing and Advertising, including ‘Provocation and Preparation’ to incite the youth to overthrow the constitutional order, ‘Inciting the public through false rumours’ and ‘Attacks against the state’ through defaming the government.

The charges relate to various articles published in Feteh between July 2011 and March 2012.

Articles cited in the charge sheet as evidence discuss subjects including how Ethiopians should be angry about the repressive practices of the government, the role of the youth as agents of change and their role in popular uprisings in Ethiopia and abroad and that lessons should be learnt from the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.

Temesgen first learnt that there were charges against him on state radio Fana FM.

He was later summoned by federal police in early August, who informed him of the charges. At a court appearance on 23 August, the judge denied bail and Temesgen was sent to Kaliti prison on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa.

Feteh and Temesgen have fallen foul of the authorities on multiple occasions, and the editor has had numerous complaints and some criminal charges filed against him in the past. These have resulted in several incidents of temporary detention, police questioning, bail costs, fines or the dropping of charges.

In June 2011 Feteh columnist Reyot Alemu was arrested after writing articles critical of the government and reporting on calls for peaceful protests to take place. She was subsequently charged with terrorism offences and, in January 2012, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. Her sentence was reduced to five years on appeal.

In late April 2012 Temesgen was fined 2,000 Ethiopian Birr (about US$115) after the Addis Ababa High Court ruled that he was guilty of contempt of court for “biased coverage” of the trial of journalist Eskinder Nega, opposition members and other government critics. The finding of “biased coverage” was based on Feteh’s publication of statements from some of the defendants in the trial.

On 20 July, Ethiopian authorities blocked Feteh’s distribution and impounded 30,000 copies of the paper stating that its front cover – featuring stories about Muslim protests and the Prime Minister’s health – posed a threat to national security.
“The nature of the latest charges against Temesgen Desalegn, and the content of the articles cited as evidence, exposes not only the continuing intolerance of dissent but also the government’s fear of peaceful protests,” said Beston.

“It is clear that the authorities are very concerned about the possibility of popular uprisings in the wake of last year’s events in the Middle East and North Africa.”

The Ethiopian authorities have repeatedly taken measures to silence any suggestion that protests should or could take place. Concern about popular uprising has been behind the recent arrests and prosecutions of journalists, opposition members and protestors including those from the Muslim community recently arrested.

“The government of Ethiopia should see the succession of Meles as an opportunity to break with the past and end the practice of arresting anyone and everyone who criticizes the government,” said Beston.

“Temesgen Desalegn should be released immediately and charges against him should be dropped. The post-Meles government must begin a new era of respect for freedom of expression.”

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London, U.K. — Amnesty International has received credible reports that nine persons were executed on the night of August 26 in Gambia, and that more persons are under threat of imminent executions in the coming days.

According to reliable sources nine persons, including one woman, were removed from their prison cells last night and executed. Two of those said to have been executed are supposed to have been Senegalese.

In Gambia, capital punishment can be imposed for murder and treason. Three of the reportedly executed have been sentenced for treason.

“The decision of the Gambian president Yahya Jammeh to execute nine prisoners after more than a quarter of a century without execution would be a giant leap backwards”, said Paule Rigaud, Amnesty International’s Africa deputy director.

“If confirmed the reported executions are a hugely retrograde step – they would bring The Gambia back into the minority of countries which are still executing, and we are urging the authorities to immediately halt any further possible executions” said Rigaud.

The last execution in the country took place in 1985, 27 years ago. Amnesty International had classified Gambia as abolitionist in practice, and therefore as one of the more than two thirds of states worldwide which have abolished the death penalty either in law or practice.

In Africa, 22 of the 54 member states of the African Union are abolitionist in practice, and 16 are abolitionist in law for all crimes.

On both 19 and 20 August, in a television address broadcast to mark the Muslim feast of Eid-al-Fitrt, President Jammeh had announced to the nation that by the middle of September all existing death sentences would be “carried out to the letter”.

According to The Gambian government, there were 42 men and two women on death row as of 31 December 2011, 13 of whom had been sentenced during that year. This year, three men have reportedly also received the death sentence, making a total of 47 people currently on death row.

“President Jammeh should establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, in line with resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” said Rigaud.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

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Colorado, U.S.A. — Paradigm Shift, a Colorado-based non-profit, recently launched an online shop. The Paradigm Shift Shop sells Fair Trade South African crafts handmade by microentrepreneurs who have participated in Paradigm Shift’s holistic entrepreneurship training program.

Around the globe millions work in sweatshop-like conditions, earning barely enough to feed their families. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware of the exploitation that is often involved in the process of making their goods. Former U.S. president Benjamin Harrison once said, “I pity the man who wants a coat so cheap that the man or woman who produces the cloth will starve in the process.”

To counter the exploitation of workers around the world, a social movement has evolved known as Fair Trade. The goal of Fair Trade is to ensure that workers receive fair wages and working conditions.

With unemployment rates nearing thirty percent in South Africa, the risk of exploitation is high as parents struggle to place food on the table. This has given rise to microentrepreneurship among South Africa’s urban poor. Some of these microentrepreneurs are gifted artisans who sell handcrafted products, which include traditional African wire and beaded keepsakes, recycled paper journals and jewelry.

These artisans exhibit a hard work ethic while continually designing and creating new products. Yet they often lack market exposure and the ability to sell their products in the quantity, and at a price, that would allow them to live above subsistence.

The Paradigm Shift Shop partners with these artisans by selling their products to U.S. customers and retailers. Consumers are now offered the opportunity to purchase with purpose. All Paradigm Shift Shop products are created by a South African artisan and are aligned with Fair Trade standards, which include fair wages and safe work conditions. Each product comes with a two-sided tag that features a picture and story of the artisan who made the product.

“I feel so proud to be working with Paradigm Shift. When I sew for Paradigm Shift, I sew with my heart,” says Francinah, one of the Paradigm Shift Shop artisans who hand-sews baby onesies. With the money that Francinah earns from sewing onesies she is able to provide for her and her son Leroy. In addition to allowing artisans to provide for their families as their businesses grow, they are also able to employ other South Africans who would otherwise be unemployed.

While the Paradigm Shift Shop sells retail products, a majority of sales come from wholesale retailers who sell Paradigm Shift Shop products in their stores.

To learn more about the Paradigm Shift Shop or to purchase a product, visit http://www.shiftingparadigms.org/shop.

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Some of the residents of northern Mali are rebelling against the Islamists who gained control of the region after a military coup ousted President Amadou Toumani Touré last March.

Some of the rebels are protesters who blocked the Islamists from praying in a local mosque, and some are machete and stick-welding youths in Timbuktu, while others are haphazard militias of men and a few women training in hand-to-hand combat near Mopti. All of them are armed with little more than the desire to rid their country of the Islamists who have terrorized them with public whippings, stonings, and amputations.

And it is these militias that have gained the support of the Malian army. According to the New York Times, the army is feeding, instructing and sheltering them on abandoned state lands.

The army itself seems unable or unwilling to engage the Islamists, preferring instead to deal with the issues plaguing its capitol, Bamako.

The military, angry at the government’s handling of the Taureg rebellion in the north, staged a coup in March, which overthrew President Touré and ended years of democratic rule. The Tauregs (the historical inhabitants of northern Mali) gained control of the north just after the coup.

Facing international pressure, the military handed control of the country back to a civilian government lead by interim president Dioncounda Traoré and interim prime minister Cheick Modibo Diarra. Analysts believe that the military is still in control of the government.

In May, protesters stormed the presidential palace and beat Traoré unconscious. He spent the next two months recovering in Paris and returned to Mali in July.

Since the coup, Bamako has become a city of repression. According to UN reports and the New York Times, there have been attacks on journalists and soldiers suspected of opposing the military. They have been tortured and some have been made to “disappear.”

And in the north, the Islamists have forced the Tauregs to retreat, taking control of a region the size of Texas, displacing 435,000 people.

While the military seems to be pulling the governmental strings, it also has had to contend with dissension in the general population and its own ranks, which has left it little energy to deal with the Islamists.

Regionally, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is willing to send 3,000 troops to help Mali take back their northern territory. They are awaiting approval from the UN and Bamako. However, part of those troops would be used to help stabilize the Malian government, something the Defense Minister, Yamoussa Camara, has refused to accept. Camara told Channel 4 News’s Lindsey Hilsum that international troops would only be welcome to “liberate the north of the country, not to secure the institutions in Bamako.”

In the meantime, according to the UN News Centre, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked the UN Security council to impose financial and travel restrictions “against individuals or groups in Mali engaged in terrorist, religious extremist or criminal activities.”

As for the militia leaders, many of whom are veterans of past guerilla wars, they say they cannot wait for regional and international intervention. “The enemy is implanting itself. We’re in a hurry, totally in a hurry,” Amadou Mallé, director of training for the Liberation Forces for the Northern Regions (FLN), told the New York Times.

So, who are the Islamists?

According to Michael Lambert, director of the African Studies Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Jason Warner, a Ph.D. student in African Studies and Government at Harvard University, there are four groups controlling northern Mali: Ansar Dine, MNLA (not Islamist), MUJAO and AQIM. Lambert and Warner summarized the history and goals of each group for CNN.

According to Lambert and Warner, Ansar Dine has control of three major northern cities: Kidal, Timbuktu and Gao. Ansar Dine is a homegrown, but still international, group lead by Iyad Ag Ghaly. It may be backed financially by Qatar and its members are said to come from Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Algeria. Their main goal is to spread Sharia throughout Mali. They can be hard to pin down because they have shifting allegiances with the other groups and the Malian Army. It is this group that is responsible for the destruction of World Heritage Sites within Mali.

The second Islamist group and ally to Ansar Dine AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb). AQIM also has ties to South American drug traffickers who use West Africa as a path to Europe.

MUJAO (Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa) is an ally to Ansar Dine and is an offshoot of AQIM. In their analysis, Lambert and Warner said the stated goal of MUJAO is to provide material and military support for those Muslims, especially the young, who wish to “raise the banner of Islam.” This group is said to be liked by the residents of the towns they occupy because they provide services that neither the MNLA nor the Malian government do. The group is condemned by others for recruiting children. Their membership is drawn from across West Africa.

The MNLA (the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) are primarily Tuaregs who want a secular statehood. According to reports, the MNLA ended their alliance with Ansar Dine when the group implemented Sharia.

Despite the grim outlook, the leaders of the militias are confident. “I’m going to use my very few means, to get out in front of the army,” said Ibrahim Issa Diallo, self-proclaimed military chief of Gando Iso, told the New York Times. “Our goal is to liberate the north, whatever the price.”

Image Courtesy of   Magharebia

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Malabo, Equatorial Guinea – Equatorial Guinea has hosted the first day of the 9th Biennial Leon H. Sullivan Foundation Summit, which is being held in Malabo’s Sipopo Conference Center from August 20-24, 2012.

This year’s Sullivan Summit is focused on the continent’s development objectives under the theme of “Africa Rising,” and will address critical human rights issues as they relate to food security, human security, freedom of the press, education, civil-society development, gender empowerment, innovation and youth development, and building economies of opportunity.

“The African Diaspora is almost like another continent, and it can contribute to the development of the African economy,” said President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. “The developed countries need resources and Africa needs development.”

President Obiang continued to say, “It’s true we have problems but it also needs to be recognized that we have reached significant progress in the areas of education, healthcare, technologies, infrastructure and others. Equatorial Guinea offers great business opportunities, good climate, and natural resources.”

Through financial investments and the transfer of knowledge, the African Diaspora is having a significant impact on African development.

Today’s Sullivan Summit Plenary Session has focused primarily on reuniting the African Diaspora in order to form key partnerships that will shape African growth.

Equatorial Guinea has been increasingly active in African affairs in recent years. It has used its oil resources to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to its African neighbors, and it has conducted a robust regional foreign policy featuring bilateral summits, citizen exchanges, technical assistance and investment promotion. It has also hosted a number of regional conferences in its new facilities in Sipopo.

At the 2011 Sullivan Honors Awards, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who received the Beacon for Africa award, discussed human rights programs in the context of African integration and development, stating, “The positive effects of these programs have resulted in an increased school ratio, life expectancy, malaria reductions, as well as the progressive increase of technical and professional staff.”

Image Courtesy of  US Army Africa

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London, U.K. — He may have finished 10th in the men’s 5000m at the London Summer Games Saturday night but former Sudan Lost Boy Lopez Lomong remains committed to helping children. Lomong, who led near the end of the race, is tentatively planning a trip early next year to Kenya and South Sudan to help children living in poverty.

The trip is part of a long-term partnership between 4South Sudan, Lomong’s non-profit, and Team World Vision, a program sponsored by international Christian humanitarian organization World Vision. Lomong’s group is hoping to raise $500,000 to provide impoverished people with access to clean water, health care, education and nutrition.

According to the latest estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are more than 660,000 displaced South Sudanese as fighting rages with Sudan. Malaria and diarrhea run rampant in the overcrowded refugee camps. Nearly three children die of preventable illnesses in the camps every day.

At the age of six, Lopez was kidnapped from his Southern Sudan village and held captive as he was prepped to be a child soldier. Too small to undergo training, his fate would most likely have been starvation. But after three weeks, he managed to escape with the help of three other captives. After running three days and nights, they were captured by Kenyan troops and brought to a refugee camp where Lopez lived for 10 years.

He was sponsored by a U.S. family and brought to America, where he soon discovered he was the fastest kid in school. At track meets he then discovered he was the fastest in the state. Soon he would become one of the fastest in the nation. In 2008, Lomong qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the men’s 1500m. He was voted by his teammates as the flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies.

World Vision’s child sponsorship programs establish sustainable, long-lasting programs in the world’s most impoverished regions. A $35/month commitment helps provide clean water, improve agricultural conditions and provides educational opportunities for children and their communities. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicate to working with children, families and their communities worldwide by tacking the causes of poverty and injustice.

Image Courtesy of  Sudan Envoy (Two Children) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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Doha, Qatar — A Qatari/Australian led consortium’s design for a FIFA/Olympic-standard stadium with a sunken arena has won an international architecture competition to create a national stadium and sports village in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Doha-based Australian firm, Designsport, and Australian LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture), in collaboration with local Ethiopian architects, JDAW, won the competition for their design which references Ethiopia’s world-famous excavated architecture and the ‘Mother womb’, the skeleton of one of the first humans, Lucy, who is about 3.2 million years old.

The stadium is shaped like a coffee bean, the main source of income in Ethiopia. The façade material that wraps around the stadium was similarly inspired by Ethiopian culture, modelled on the Massob, an Ethiopian communal serving basket made from woven grass. Completing the salute to nature, the roof of the stadium, which is an intelligent membrane, appears like a cloud on the horizon of the vast Ethiopian sky.

Work on the Addis Ababa stadium is scheduled to begin in 2014. The development is the largest sporting infrastructure project in Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa and its fastest growing economy. The new facility, set on a 60-hectare site, will consist of a 60,000-seat stadium, an athletics track, aquatic centre, residential village, sports halls and arenas, retail and commercial zones as well as the headquarters of the Federal Sport Commission.

Samantha Cotterell, CEO of Designsport, a consultancy specialising in sport architecture and event design, who led the bid says: “The brief was to design a centre that would revitalise sport in Ethiopia. The result is a sports venue which can be used by all. It is for community use at a grass roots level right through to providing a high performance training centre for elite athletes and a location for major international sporting events.”

Chris Bosse, who led the design team, and is a director of LAVA, an award winning international firm of architects says: “We have gone back to the very origin of stadium design with the sunken arena surrounded by grandstands formed from excavated material. The man-made crater is a clever remodelling of the existing terrain, integrating facilities within the landscape. It is an efficient use of space which optimises the site’s environmental performance while minimising construction costs.”

Cotterell has worked as a senior overlay design consultant on all of Qatar’s major sporting events including heading up overlay design for sporting venues for the Doha 2006 Asian Games Organising Committee

Designsport and LAVA designed the Doha tennis lounge and the Sodra Future Tennis Centre. They were also were finalists in the international architectural design competition for the Health and Wellness Centre at Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar. The project included a major sport centre, a FIFA stadium for Qatar 2022 World Cup and was designed to be integrated into the Qatar Foundation Complex – Qatar’s leading University complex.

Image Courtesy of   Clive Chilvers / Shutterstock.com

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Seattle, U.S.A. — As he prepares for his Olympic Summer Games qualifying heat on Wednesday, August 8 th in the men’s 5,000 meter, former Sudan Lost Boy Lopez Lomong is also focused on children living in poverty back home in South Sudan.

After London, whether he medals or not, the U.S. Olympian is hoping to return to Africa. The trip, tentatively scheduled for January, 2013, is part of long-term partnership between Lomong’s non-profit, 4South Sudan and Team World Vision, a program sponsored by international Christian charity World Vision. Lomong’s group is dedicated to helping raise $500,000 to provide access to clean water, health care, education and nutrition.

According to the latest United Nations (UNHCR) estimates, there are more than 660,000 displaced South Sudanese as fighting rages between Sudan and its neighbor, South Sudan. Malaria and diarrhea run rampant in the overcrowded refugee camps. Nearly three children die of preventable illnesses in the camps every day.

At the age of six, Lopez was kidnapped from his Southern Sudan village and held captive as he was being prepped as a child soldier. Too small to undergo training, his fate would most likely have been starvation. But he managed to escape with the help of three other captives. After running three days and nights, they were captured by Kenyan troops and brought to a refugee camp where Lopez lived for 10 years.

He was sponsored by a U.S. family and brought to this country where he soon discovered he was the fastest kid in school. At track meets he then discovered he was the fastest in the state. Soon he would become one of the fastest in the nation.

In 2008, Lomong qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the men’s 1,500 meters. He was voted by his teammates as the flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies.

Lomong has a new book entitled “Running For My Life” (Thomas Nelson Publisher) http://www.thomasnelson.com/running-for-my-life.html

Image Courtesy of  sidelife

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The fight for the screening and cure of cervical cancer continues with the first ladies in Africa. On July 25, 2012, a conference was held in Lusaka, Zambia to address issues of cervical cancer that have been challenging to women. The first ladies of six African countries took on the responsibility to help overcome this problem. Dr. Kaseba Sata, the first lady of Zambia, committed herself to work hard to see that women are informed about cervical cancer care, screening, and treatment. She said if it could be detected early, it would speed up the process of healing.

However, there are still a number of challenges to face before reaching this goal. One of the challenges is dispelling the myth that a person should not get screenings when they are seemingly healthy, as this may cause someone to get the sickness for which they are checking.

Understanding why women should get regular cervical cancer screenings is very important. During the beginning of HIV/AIDS outbreaks, most people never wanted to test for the diseases due to the stigma that is associated with them. According to Ronda from N’gombe Township, the matter of screening for cervical cancer may be just as difficult as that of AIDS, meaning that more sensitization may be required to reach the masses.

The first ladies pledged to provide resources to the people and to help with treatment for those found in the danger zone. However, the challenges are many, as most developing countries are faced with issues, such as sub-par technology to screen and treat cervical cancer and a lack of skilled workers. Other problems include the mobilization of resources due to bad roads to the remote parts of their countries that have bad health care. The few hospitals that can carry out such operations may not have the right equipment or enough skilled workers.

At the moment, sensitization programs are not yet in existence. This means that a well-planned program must be built from scratch. Dr. Kaseba has promised full support and will work with her partners to see that this disease is reduced in Zambia and Africa as a whole. Nevertheless, the sensitization program has not yet begun full swing in Zambia. During the conference, Dr. Kaseba urged women to make use of existing services and said she will do her best to advocate for the resources to eliminate cervical cancer.

However, the cancer hospital in Lusaka and other district hospitals that are fully functioning have a long wait for someone in need of service. This is another possible reason why women may be reluctant to receive treatment. There is a call on men to work hand in hand in sensitizing everyone to understand the need of screening before the problem is big; they are also being urged to be more involved, as this is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and they can choose to protect their partners.

Calls for more information on the disease and for both parties to take precaution and prevention measures is being considered among  women. Men should be sensitized to stop living a careless life style and concentrate on their families. In fact, men should help protect women from the diseases and to advance a motherly well-being. Africa requires men and women to work together in reducing the spread of cervical cancer.

Image Courtesy of  Embassy of Equatorial Guinea

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Sixteen are confirmed dead and thirty are in isolation in Kagadi hospital from the well-known and terrifying virus, Ebola.

Ebola is a viral infection related to HIV that is characterized by fever, body aches, rash, abdominal pain, and in most case violent hemorrhaging (bleeding from body openings). Similar to HIV, Ebola is spread only through contact with bodily fluids. Death rates from previous outbreaks range from 50-90% and there is no known cure or treatment except to treat the symptoms. Knowledge of the virus was made popular by the book The Hot Zone which was later the basis of the film ‘Outbreak.’

Ebola was originally discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is named after the Ebola River. Five strains, all named for regions, are known to exist: Zaire, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Bundibugyo, Reston. This latest outbreak is the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus.

This outbreak has been centered in the Western region of Uganda and began in the city of Kibaale, about 100 miles from the capital, Kampala. The origin of the virus is unknown although the Kibaale Forest has a high concentration of monkeys and birds that are known transmitters of the disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO), United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Doctors Without Borders, and the Ugandan government are all working tirelessly to contain this outbreak. So far only two cases have been found far away from the original outbreak zone, one infected person was 200 miles outside of Kampala and had traveled from the area.

The other suspected case was in Eldoret, a large town in the Rift Valley in Kenya. Health officials are working on tracking down all 232 people who have had contact with the thirty individuals in isolation at the hospital and the sixteen who died originally.

Olimpia de la Rosa, the emergency coordinator for Doctors without Borders stated, “Right now there is no treatment for Ebola, so the most effective measure we can take is to contain the spread of the disease. That is why we need to start working immediately. Other cases need to be rapidly identified because containment is what can stop it.”

The thirty in isolation are currently only suspected to have the Ebola virus, although according to Dr. Dan Kyamanywa, at least three have been officially confirmed as having the virus.

Five of the thirty are prisoners from Kibaale prison and are showing the signs of vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. The rest of the cases will be verified when the blood samples return from the CDC labs in the US or the lab in Kampala (the only lab in Uganda capable of performing the analysis). Those with the virus – or just suspected to have it – are put in isolation and the medical personnel must wear many layers of protective gear.

Dr. Kyamanywa stated, “We do expect the number of suspected cases to increase. It’s important to break transmission and reduce the number of contacts that suspected cases have.”

According to the Ugandan Health Minister, Dr. Christine Ondoa, the outbreak initially went undetected because the patients only exhibited signs of fever and vomiting but no hemorrhaging, the most obvious symptom of the disease. The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has asked Ugandans to refrain from handshaking, kissing, using public transport, having casual sex, and do-it-yourself burials.

The Ugandan government has also suffered from a lack of supplies. According to health official Stephen Mfashingabo, “There was no money from the Health Ministry to fund activities since this outbreak was confirmed and there was also no food.”

Many Ugandans are terrified about the outbreak. In 2000 another Ebola outbreak occurred, infecting 425 and killing more than half. Market day on Wednesday, August 1 was cancelled and many residents in Uganda are scared to go shopping, visit churches and mosques, or travel. Tumusiime Jamilo, a reporter for a local Ugandan station reported, “Fears of catching Ebola have twisted people’s lives. They can’t go to the markets to buy things, [others can’t] sell their products and that’s hitting their pockets.”

The thirty in the hospital twelve were admitted very recently. It is still unknown how effective the prevention methods have been.

Image Courtesy of  uusc4all

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The new Egyptian Prime Minister and cabinet have been sworn in under great controversy. It’s the first government since the election of President Mohamed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood, who became the first freely elected president of the country.

The new Prime Minister Hesham Kandil has pledged the Egyptian people to support the new government; he promised it would be a representative government that would not be under the Muslim Brotherhood domain. Most of the new figures are technocratic figures that have nothing to do with the Muslim Brotherhood, but still the Brotherhood has taken four ministries, including the Ministry of Information.

Many protesters in the past month made the new government taking office very difficult, the protesters camped in Tahrir Square for many days which resulted in a quicker trial for the former president Hosni Mubarak.

The new government will face heavy tasks; the country is facing a lot of troubles because of the tenuous security situation, sectarian violence has erupted in Egypt in the past weeks, tensions are usually between Egypt’s majority Muslims and minority Christians. Almost 10 percent of Egypt’s 82 million people are Christian; the majority of the Egyptians are Muslims. Mubarak’s regime maintained a tight control on Islamists.

Other serious problems the new government will have to face are: widespread power, water outage, and water shortage.

Prime Minister Kandil is aware of the country challenges, at a press conference he stated: “We are all Egyptians in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The coming period is not easy, to say the least, and we are all in the same boat.”

Kandil’s statement was made after a Muslim mob torched Christian homes and damaged the local church in a village south of Cairo. It also was following a police confrontation against protesters who went on a rampage against a luxury hotel in Cairo after the police tried to collect payments; in this chaos a person was killed.

The cabinet has 35 members and includes only two women, one of them Christian. The new Prime Minister is a devout Muslim, this has angered many liberals and leftists, but still Kandil maintains he has no formal link with any Muslim political party. But still Morsi has been criticized for not giving women and Christians more participation in the government.

But these are not all of Egypt problems, the country’s unstable situation has made that more than a half of foreign currency reserves have been taken out  in the last 18 months. Also tourism, one of the Egypt’s greatest incomes, is facing hard times.

Image Courtesy of   Hossam el-Hamalawy حسام الحملاوي

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Johannesburg, South Africa — With the ‘Great Africa Business Migration’ well under way, discussions around the realities of doing business on the continent are now at a critical point. Africa is far from being a homogeneous continent, with 55 countries all boasting different regulatory, tax and competitive environments. Transacting in Africa poses complexities that companies need to consider.

In light of this, KPMG convened a panel of experts for the sixth episode in its Africa Conversations Series, to discuss the most pertinent trends and challenges related to investing in Africa today. CNBC Africa broadcast the panel discussion, entitled Transacting in Africa, live across the continent while KPMG made the session available globally via live webcast.

John Geel, Head of Transactions & Restructuring at KPMG, noted that historically multi-nationals and larger listed South African companies have conducted investment into and across Africa. “However, we are now witnessing an increasing number of smaller companies undertaking investments due to improved growth opportunities and regulatory and tax regimes. This means that companies are now seeking out the right entity to transact with, negotiate details of collaboration and sign legal contracts.”

Coupled with this increased investment appetite, KPMG have also noticed that the banking sector on the continent has improved, and there continues to be consolidation and expansion appetite. In May 2012, KPMG Africa released the Africa Banking Survey to provide a better understanding of regulatory frameworks on the continent. The survey provides information in several areas including the commercial, legal and tax, and banking environments, as well as governance and reporting issues.

Fourteen countries were analysed covering all African regions. Alan Field, KPMG Head of Tax & Legal, said, “Much depends on the kind of investment you are making and what kind of legislative framework exists for the investment in a particular country. Of course, banks need to examine this since they want a stable environment to reap investment rewards – so while some countries in Africa offer attractive investment opportunities, some are still complex.”

Recent over-banking trends in Africa have led to regulatory challenges, but these are increasingly being addressed. For Heloise Smith, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Standard Bank, companies and banks still need to manage risks carefully while investing. “More banks and companies are gaining a better understanding of the continent. However, there is always a trade-off between risk and return on investment. Banks still need to find ways of mitigating the risks.”

Despite the financial crisis of 2008, there is now more private equity available in Africa. As KPMG’s Alan Field points out, “Private equity on the African continent is relatively new but has started to gain momentum and there are funders who are very excited about the opportunities. However, even with the increased awareness, capitalisation rules and regulations regarding extraction of funds are still missing. It is uncharted territory at this stage, but it is developing. Funders will compete about opportunities in Africa in the future.”

Substantive investment comes from China, now Africa’s biggest trading partner. The panelists agree that China’s engagement in Africa is increasingly to the benefit of Africans. China is an important partner in infrastructure development, which enables economic growth. Says Habil Olaka, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenyan Bankers Association, “Unlike the Chinese, many African companies have limited capacity to deliver on major infrastructure projects. In Kenya, we have seen increased side opportunities for local companies, and this helps people on the ground. African collaboration with the Chinese is a win-win scenario.”

Recently, regional blocks such as the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and East African Community (EAC) have become stronger economic groupings, but panellists believe that besides reducing trade barriers and enhancing informal economic exchange, little impact is visible regarding foreign direct investment. Potential investors prefer to follow country-specific opportunities, rather than engage with a regional block. Investors into Africa may take advantage of gateway countries to access a region, for example South Africa for the Southern African region.

Carel Smit, KPMG Africa Head of Energy & Natural Resources, also a panel participant, added: “Investors want to see predictability and Africa has to provide the necessary frameworks. Africa is so rich with natural resources. As long as the world comes after these resources, Africa will do economically well. The world’s population is growing rapidly and needs resources. A resource hungry world cannot ignore Africa.”

Image Courtesy of  World Bank Photo Collection

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In recent weeks, people in Kibaale, a western district of Uganda, have been troubled by a disease that has taken the lives of 14 out of the 20 reported cases and has many others leaving their homes in fear. Until now, the results of the tests have been inconclusive, with on-site analysts unable to identify the problem. It is confirmed that the deadly outbreak is the dreaded Ebola Virus.

World Health Organization (WHO) representative Joaquim Saweka told the Associated Press that “investigators were “not-so-sure” it was Ebola, and a Ugandan health official dismissed the possibility of Ebola as merely a rumor.” All of the evidence now points to this disease.

Common signs and symptoms of the disease are flu-like symptoms, including fever, nausea and vomiting, and a sore throat. This progresses to central nervous system problems like confusion, agitation, seizures, headaches, and occasionally a coma. A rare symptom (fewer than 10 percent of cases) is hemorrhaging of sites like the nose, gastrointestinal tract, or vagina, which gives Ebola the name Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF). It infects and kills the victim quickly.

The cause is still unknown, but some suspect the infection begins through contact with an infected animal. It is transferred between people through contact with infected secretions of the individual, such as blood or mucous. Relatives of a person who died from Ebola have often contracted the virus at bereaving ceremonies or coming into contact with the person’s belongings.

While there is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, officials are working now to isolate the individuals with it to stop the disease from spreading too far. Patients are being treated at the only major hospital in Kibaale. Stephen Byaruhanga, the districts health secretary, said “Being a strange disease, we were shocked to learn that it was Ebola. Our only hope is that in the past when Ebola broke out in other parts of Uganda it was controlled.”

The last outbreak, in 2000, left 224 dead in Uganda. Another outbreak left 37 dead in Bunibugyo, a district on the edge of the Congolese border. Officials in Kibaale hope to stop this strain before it reaches that point.

The only problem with their current isolation plan that Byaruhanga voices is that other people with diseases will not want to come to the hospital in fear of catching Ebola. Doctors and nurses on site are being asked to risk their lives in order to treat these patients. All remain hopeful that the virus will not spread.

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“It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the President of the Republic of Ghana- His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills,” reads the first paragraph of the press statement that announced the death of the 68-year-old president of Ghana.

President Mills studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and received a PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He also earned another PhD in Law from London University’s School of Oriental and Africa Studies (SOAS), for successfully completing a thesis about economic development.

President Mills had ruled the country since 2009. Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has taken his place. This sudden and sad death will not affect the December elections, and Ghana’s election commission assured citizens that elections would go as planned.

Mills ran three times for president before winning in the December 2008 elections, barely winning against the candidate from the governing party. He was also planning to run for reelection in the December elections.

The Chief of Staff of the country gave no details about the cause of his death, but it was well known that President Mills suffered from throat cancer. He had recently returned to Ghana after being in the United States for medical purposes.

Ghana in recent years has become one of Africa’s newest oil producers; President Mills won international praise as the leader of a stable democracy in Africa. President Obama even referred to President Mills and his country as a “good-news story” in Africa when Mills visited the White House in March.

During this visit, Obama also stated that ”Ghana has become a wonderful success story economically on the continent.” President Obama added it was “in part because of the initiatives of President Mills, you’ve seen high growth rates over the last several years. Food productivity and food security is up. There’s been strong foreign investment.”

Ghana’s officials have already have already sworn in the new president, who’s first order was that flags should be flown at half mast for a week.

The New Patriotic Party, the opposition party, has expressed its condolences for President Mills death in an official statement which states:  “We join the nation in mourning this sad loss to Ghana and extend to his wife and family, our deepest condolences.”

Alfred Sanniez, news editor from Ghana, who works at Toonari Post, referred to President Mills as a leader of peace. Sanniez added that John Atta Mills had great plans for the nation but his health condition didn’t allow him to fulfill all of them because he frequently went to medical check ups. Sanniez explained that although President Mills was frequently criticized by the opposition, today everyone is very sad, both supporters and critics have shown great concern for the tragic loss.

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On July 18 Nelson Mandela celebrated his 94th birthday with a ‘quiet’ family gathering in the village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Mandela, from the Madiba clan, is the former South African President, and the first black president of South Africa.

Mandela spent 27 years in jail for an armed anti-apartheid campaign. When he was released in 1990 he ran for election in 1994 and won with the African National Congress party. The year 1994 was the first year that black South Africans were allowed and able to vote. After one term he stepped down in 1999 to give the Presidency to Thabo Mbeki. Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize for the work he completed in his public life.

Every year in South Africa Mandela’s birthday is a large event. This year the day started off with a special song made for Mandela’s birthday. Twelve million school children sang the song across the country which included the lines “we love you father.”

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said that South Africans should be very grateful to “live in the same country, breathing the same air, under the same sun with Nelson Mandela.” Sexwale also coined the phrase “Mandela-ism: the spirit of selflessness, sacrifice…”

Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu claimed “Mr. Mandela taught us to love ourselves, to love one another and to love our country.”

Several famous US figures also celebrated Mandela’s birthday. On July 17 Mandela met with Bill and Chelsea Clinton and they helped him plant avocado and pear trees in his village. Barrack and Michelle Obama issued a statement praising Nelson Mandela’s “extraordinary life and steadfast commitment to the principles of democracy and reconciliation.”

Several schoolchildren also commented on Mandela and his service. Ten year old Thakgalo Ditabe stated, “Nelson Mandela set an example to show us that reconciliation is possible.” Twelve year old Ntando Ntuli said, “he is my hero because he fought for us. He is an icon, the king of Africa.

In South Africa Mandela’s birthday is a day of giving to the poor. Individuals are supposed to spend at least 67 minutes of time helping those less fortunate in celebration of Mandela’s 67 years of service. This UN-backed initiative has been criticized, according to the BBC, because it allows those at the top to not feel guilty instead of change things.

According to the Washington Post South Africa still has a lot of progressing to do. The education system is still terrible and the economy is still controlled by a minority white population.

Image Courtesy of  Archives de la Ville de Montréal

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Incorrect conceptions about Africa are common in the West. Some TV shows and media news communicate an erroneous image of Africa to their citizens despite a powerful tool of research, such as the Internet, which holds much accurate information. Western media typically only covers the negative aspects of Africa, and TV programs display the lack of knowledge about other cultures. Here are five typical fallacies about Africa.

Africa is a country. Many citizens around the globe mistakenly categorize Africa as a country. But Africa is a continent, which has 54 independent countries each with their own currency, flag, anthem, food, music, and history. Africa is home to 1 billion inhabitants, who belong to 3,000 different ethnic groups There are thousands of indigenous languages and dialects spoken. Africa’s size is three times bigger than the USA.

Africa is unsafe. It is true that there are conflicts, civil wars, and pirates who kidnap tourists in some countries. But if bigger cities like New York, Madrid, London were rated by their crime rates, not many tourists would visit them. Violent crime against visitors in most African countries is uncommon. In the last two years the Travel State Department in the US has issued countries which are considered risky to travel for American citizens. These are the African countries to avoid: Libya, Kenya, Chad, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Central African Republic, Cote D´Ivoire, Nigeria, Sudan, Republic of Sudan, Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Guinea and Niger.

Africa is extremely poor. Many visitors will be shocked with the poor conditions around them. The problem of the African continent is the distribution of wealth, where there is a lack of middle class (people are either very rich or very poor) in many countries. Many African countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa have many natural resources, good education systems and developed business areas.

Africa has many diseases. The lack of babyhood vaccination programs and basic health care take millions of African lives every year. But that is not the case for tourists, who are up to date with the vaccines recommended by their origin countries. The most common immunizations are Hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio. The way to avoid malaria is to take prophylactics and sleep under a mosquito net.

African politicians are corrupt and incompetent. There are some African countries that are not well governed, just like in Europe and the Americas; and there are many countries that are democratic and well-led which are experiencing economic progress. On the other hand, there are also democratic countries that are not growing, and non-democratic countries that are developing.

Many political crises in Africa can be blamed on colonial legacy, but most of it reveals political power and corruption on the part of incumbent presidents and political parties. To characterize all of Africa based on outliers like Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, would be like generalizing about Europe based on Berlusconi, the Former Prime Minister Italy.  Nelson Mandela showed the world that Africa is capable of producing an honest leader.

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Geneva, Switzerland — One year after South Sudan declared independence, many humanitarian needs remain unmet. Communities lack access to basic health-care services. The situation is particularly difficult in northern regions close to the border with Sudan. Recent fighting in this area has had a direct impact on the availability and price of food, contributing to an increase in child deaths from malnutrition.

“In Malakal Teaching Hospital, there has been a dramatic rise in child malnutrition admissions over the past three months, since fighting escalated,” said Melker Mabeck, the head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in South Sudan. “Children are also arriving in a much worse condition.”

People in South Sudan have very poor access to health care. There is a shortage of facilities and skilled health workers and a limited supply of drugs and equipment. According to the Ministry of Health, South Sudan has about 120 medical doctors and just over 100 registered nurses for an estimated population of nearly nine million people.

This falls far below the doctor-patient ratio in neighbouring Kenya, for instance, where there are 14 doctors per 100,000 people, 10 times the ratio of South Sudan, according to World Health Organization statistics from 2006. Vulnerable groups like women, children, and the wounded are particularly at risk. South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.

In addition, the country is prone to diseases, with meningitis, measles, yellow fever, and whooping cough endemic in many areas. Preventable diseases such as malaria and acute respiratory infections are the leading causes of ill health. River blindness, sleeping sickness, and cholera are also common.

Another issue is the estimated 50,000 people in the country with physical disabilities, which are often due to injuries sustained in connection with the armed conflict. Landmines, already common in the pre-independence armed conflict between the north and the south, are still used today.

Together with the South Sudanese government, the ICRC manages a physical rehabilitation centre in Juba, the only one of its kind in the country. “A significant proportion of amputees are victims of landmines or unexploded ordnance left behind after clashes,” said Gerd Van de Velde, an ICRC project manager at the centre. “The rehabilitation work we do here gives these people a chance to rebuild a productive life.”

The ICRC also provides support for health-care facilities, such as Malakal Teaching Hospital. As the only referral hospital for Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile states, the hospital has a vast catchment area of approximately three million inhabitants. Landmines are an issue in the area, much of which is almost entirely cut off during the rainy season that has just started. An ICRC medical team based in the hospital provides paediatric and physiotherapy along with trauma and emergency surgical care. It also delivers on-the-job training for hospital staff.

The ICRC’s operations in southern Sudan began in 1986. The organization set up a delegation in South Sudan’s biggest city, Juba, when the country became independent on 9 July 2011. The ICRC also has two sub-delegations in the new country, in Malakal and Wau. In South Sudan, the ICRC works to prevent violations of international humanitarian law and helps conflict-affected communities to survive and become self-sufficient.

A three-part series showing the struggle for health care in South Sudan released on Eurovision News Feeds and on www.icrcvideonewsroom.org:

South Sudan: facts and figures

Between July 2011 and June 2012:

● the ICRC surgical team in Malakal Teaching Hospital performed emergency surgery on more than 750 patients. Over half of the patients suffered from weapon-related injuries;

● 450 people wounded during clashes were treated using medical supplies and drugs donated by the ICRC to 10 hospitals and several first-aid posts;

● over 2,000 physically disabled people received treatment through ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation services. More than 400 artificial limbs were fitted for amputees, while hundreds of orthotic devices, wheelchairs, and crutches and sticks were also delivered. Just over 1,000 patients also benefited from physical therapy services. Approximately 30 per cent of the amputees to whom the ICRC has delivered artificial limbs since 2008 were victims of landmine accidents.

Image Courtesy of   United Nations Photo

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When many think of the continent of Africa, words such as famine, disease, poverty, short life spans and little to no healthcare and poor technological advancement come to mind. However, as of recently, Africa, and Uganda in particular has made great strides toward better living for its citizens as technology in Uganda is growing at a rapidly fast pace.

“Uganda has been ranked among the top three countries with advanced technological and innovation capabilities in Africa,” according to a study conducted by Martin Prosperity Institute of the U.S. And, as Uganda has been known for decades for its high infant and maternal mortality rates, an advanced ultrasound has finally made it’s way to the country in order to help pregnant women and their newborns survive in addition to a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.

An expanding project known as ‘Imagining the World’ (ITV), based at the Kamuli Mission Hospital, is helping to get ultrasound technology into the country’s health centers.

Andrew Green, a reporter for the ‘Voice of Africa,’ stated, “Until two years ago, health workers at Kamuli Mission Hospital could not even tell a woman if she was carrying twins because there were no ultrasound machines. As a result, women and their families would not know they needed to be near health facilities that can handle complicated pregnancies when it came time to give birth.”

The project is providing ultrasound equipment to the hospital at low costs, so even those who are below the poverty level can still receive basic image scans. “Then the images are compressed and distributed via text message or e-mail to district-level health workers, who examine the images and identify potential problems.

Specialists in the United States provide backup opinions. Health workers are informed early enough that a woman facing a difficult birth can be directed to a higher-level health facility,” according to Dr. Alphonsus Matovu, the medical director of the Kamuli hospital. But before the women can come to Kamuli to receive an ultrasound, they must be screened for a series of health tests, including, HIV, malaria, and anemia, which could affect the outcome of a woman’s pregnancy.

As of last week, ITV has set up new ultrasound equipment in eight more health care facilities, which is estimated to cost 10,000 dollars per facility. Prior to Uganda having access to ultrasound technology equipment, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that, “for every 1,000 live births, at least 63 infants die before their first birthday in Uganda.

Many of those deaths come from complications that could have been predicted by ultrasound technology. The situation also contributes to the country’s high infant mortality rate, with 310 out of every 100,000 women dying in childbirth.” Because of the great success of this project, ITV is looking into providing prenatal care in other impoverished areas of the world including South America and Asia.

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The past ten years has been a living nightmare for several Zanzibar refugees who have been stuck in the war-torn country of Somalia, living in fear in what is considered the most dangerous city in the world, Mogadishu. Fortunately for those refugees, there is a light at the end of the tunnel as many get to start their lives over by returning to their homeland this past week.

Thirty-eight refugees boarded a United Nations aircraft on Friday after escaping a political war a decade ago. “The returning families have been living in Mogadishu for over 10 years and have now decided that it is time for them to return, their bags are loaded, they are saying their farewells to Somalia, and we will be off soon to Zanzibar,” said Andreas Needham, spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Somalia.

Over 2,000 civilians of Zanzibar, the capital of Tanzania, fled the country in 2000 and went to Kenya, where they were then placed in the biggest refugee camp in the world, Dadaab. While some stayed in the refugee camp, others returned to Zanzibar and a few hundred migrated to Somalia and worked low paying jobs just to survive and feed their families. For those that went to Somalia, most lived in unsanitary and impoverished conditions, hiding out in abandoned, crumbling homes while others lived on the streets and sought shelter wherever they could find it.

In recent years, the United Nations Refugee Agency (known as the UNHCR) stepped in and gave aid to those living in Somalia. “Twelve of the original 23 families who approached UNHCR are being voluntarily repatriated,” the UNHCR added in a statement, noting that, “some of the men who remain have married Somali women.” The remainder of the refugees left in Somalia is staying there to see how the war-torn country of Tanzania finds peace before they decide to return to their home country.

According to the UNHCR, “the Zanzibaris’ journey was the opposite of almost a million Somalis who have fled to other countries in the region — the Horn of Africa nation generates the third highest number of refugees in the world after Afghanistan and Iraq.”

A total of approximately 1.36 million refugees from all over Africa have been forced to leave their homelands and are displaced in Somalia.

For the families that are returning home to Zanzibar, they are due to meet with government officials and are expected to receive help in rebuilding their lives. Many more are expected to return in the near future as positive results will be seen from the end of the political war and the election of a new president of Zanzibar.

Image Courtesy of   IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation/TURKEY

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With the proclamation of Mursi as the new Egyptian President, it seems that the revolution of the Egyptian Arab Spring has triumphed. For now it seems that everything is good. In fact, Mursi has promised to be the president for all Egyptians without an exception. His claims appear to be serious: a woman and a Christian man will be the vice-presidents of the newly formed government, something that was unthinkable few months ago. However, we will have to wait to see if this will become a real fact.

Even though not all Egyptians agree with the elections that have taken place in their country, Egypt is the quintessential example of the triumph of the revolution this Arab spring. There has also been some progress in countries like Tunisia, Libya and Yemen, where the authoritarian Presidents, Ben Ali’s, Gaddafi and Ali Abdullah Saleh fell respectively. On the other side of the coin, are countries such as Syria and Morocco that are still fighting to overthrow the established system, and have to fight against the silence that surrounds these revolutions.

An example of the revolutions that have recently started is the case of Northern Sudan, which has more press now that Egypt has achieved their first goal. It seems that what started off being a small movement, has crystallized into a bigger mobilization.

According to www.sudaneseonline.com, the trigger has been the cuts that the Sudanese government has executed after the former South Sudan achieved their independence. After this, the Sudanese Government has suspended the gasoline subsidies, taxes have increased and thousands of civil servants have been fired.

Therefore, the Sudanese have gone out to the streets to protest, under the slogan of “We want the regime out.” They are demanding the resignation of the National Congress Party, Al-Bashir’s party, to be replaced by a transitional government that should represent all geographical regions of Sudan.

In the meantime, the police remain loyal to Al-Bashir, and he has ordered all his forces to stop the anti-government protests. Therefore, police have responded with attacks and detentions, and three newspapers have been shut down. It seems that the Internet will be a blackout sooner or later. In the meantime, Saata Ahmed al Hajj, General Secretary of the Sudanese Commission for the Defense of Freedoms and Rights, has been arrested.

But the Sudanese case is not an easy one, since there are other open fronts, which actually are more important. First off, there is the genocide in the western zone of Darfur that has been plaguing them for the last two decades. Sudan president, Omar Al-Bashir, who has been in power for more than two decades, has been giving help to the Janjaweed, the Arab militians that are perpetrating these terrible acts, and the citizens from the other parts of Sudan are finally complaining about it with demonstrations.

Secondly, the armed conflict between Sudan and the new Republic of South Sudan for oil control is at risk of turning into an open war. In 2005, these two sides of the country signed a peace agreement that ended a civil war for 22 years, dividing the country into two: the south, where two thirds of oil reserves are, and the north, which is developed. Both sides agreed to split revenues from oil production by half, but not one of them are complying with what they agreed.

Will we have a new success story like this in Egypt? Time will tell, but we must not forget these more important issues in Sudan.

Image Courtesy of  Oxfam International

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