Twenty-five years ago Paul Simon released his album Graceland, an album that not only became a worldwide hit, but massively expanded the audience of his collaborators, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and simultaneously provided exposure to South African music to millions around the globe. A new documentary (which I have …
For more than two decades, Somalia’s sovereignty has been in limbo- or in an utterly defunct status. Though there are many causes, a particular one stands out exponentially: volatile security. For no nation can claim, or (like in Somalia’s case) reclaim its …
The current fighting between North Sudan and South Sudan in the disputed border oil town of Heglig provides a litmus test on the success of actor George Clooney’s, goal of “deterring a return to full-scale civil war” between the two sides. Clooney has even recently met with President Obama to …
Laura Seay has an important piece in Foreign Policy, “How Not to Write About Africa.” In addition to pointing out what not to do Seay also argues that coverage of Africa ought to derive from within Africa by and large by Africans. This is a useful prescription, but …
The recent BRICS summit at the end of March 2012 led to a substantial amount of controversy surrounding South Africa’s membership. Various political analysts were seen on television and in newspapers all answering a similar question to this one: Given its economic, military and population numbers, is South …
On April 20 there will be a global effort to make the world aware of Joseph Kony.
Kony is the leader of a central African rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). For more than 20 years his group has abducted children to fight on his behalf, made sexual …
What a pity that the people of Zimbabwe and the world made hoopla about your recent trip to Singapore, which turned out to be an ordinary trip for you to attend to your daughter’s post graduate studies in Hong Kong. But can you blame them for …
[Reuters/Philimon Bulawayo]
Last week there was a mini Twittersplosion. Rumors began to fly that Robert Mugabe, who had recently traveled to Singapore, was gravely ill. Some asserted that he was on the verge of death.
Te response was not exactly joy — most African observers are much like I am, they would …
If you are going to be anywhere near Athens, Ohio and the beautiful campus of Ohio University this weekend I strongly encourage you to attend this conference (I’m not certain if it is an enticement to say that I am on the program, but I am, in fact, …
[Mackie Sall, BBC Africa]
It has been a few days since the dust cleared in Senegal. The recent presidential election was quite remarkable. After a first ballot could not establish a majority candidate the two finalists, sitting President Abdoulaye Wade (who ran for another term despite constitutional prohibitions against doing so) …
These two short pieces are Frontline mini-documentaries about the situation in Cairo during the Arab Spring, where youth movements used social media to coordinate demonstrations against the government of then-President Hosni Mubarak. The April 6 Youth Movement started in 2008 when it fought for textile workers who were on strike. …
The following is a guest post by Leila Hanafi.
The profound unrest the world witnessed throughout the Middle East and North Africa over the past year has prompted some Arab governments to introduce a series of dynamic and responsive measures via reforms. At the very heart of the unrest, echoed from …
For a number of years, Nairobi (Kenya) has been the de facto capital of Somalia after the State has disintegrated into anarchy. It has been where Somalis sought refuge, re-started their lives, and networked with the rest of the world. By the same …
Few days after its release, amid controversies, the 30-minute documentary about Ugandan’s warlord Joseph Kony, viewed by over 80 million on Youtube, went viral online. The NBC Nightly News’ reality check section announced that it was sending a team to Kony’s village in remote Uganda east of Gulu …
Here is Peter Alegi’s most excellent YouTube promo for his online Global Soccer course at Michigan State University:
Meet Dr. Futbol
Alegi is the doyen of African football scholars. As you can tell, he also has mad skillz.
