The excessive violence with which Ugandan security forces have over the last month cracked down on initially peaceful opposition protests at soaring food and fuel prices, and which last weekovershadowed the inauguration of re-elected President Yoweri Museveni, is almost as puzzling as it is disturbing.
All Roads Lead Back to China
Ghanaian cocoa, Gabonese iron and Congolese oil have been swapped for construction of dams (Bui, Poubara, and River Dam), allowing Chinese corporations such as Sinohydro to capture the bulk of Africa’s hydropower market. The ‘barter system’ thus enables China to export goods and labour, facilitating for China the opportunity to ‘import’ their recycled project capital in addition to African resources. In the process, China has activated arguably the same ‘Western’ capitalist vehicles of engagement…
WikiLeaks: Mauritanian Child Brides Embody the Dark Side of Globalization
Young Mauritanian girls married off to wealthy Saudis are used briefly as sex slaves and then discarded.
Next Steps on Congo
For the past 14 years, more than six million Congolese have perished in the ongoing conflict triggered by U.S. allies Rwanda and Uganda when they invaded Congo in 1996. As the world focuses on the Western intervention in Libya under the guise of moral responsibility to protect the vulnerable, the global community must question the lack of action by the United States and the coalition on the millions dead in the Congo.
Are ‘African Lions’ Really Roaring?
Patrick Bond makes a stinging critique of the recent report of the African Development Bank that claims that ‘one in three Africans is middle class’ and as a result, Africa is ready for ‘take off’.
Microcredit on Trial: The Sacking of Muhammad Yunus
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has become the fall guy for microcredit’s abuses by major banks.
Mercenaries Once Again Operating at the “Tip of the Spear” in Africa
If private military and security companies are here to stay in Africa, their lack of accountability for criminal acts needs to be addressed.
The Future of South Sudan
On July 9, 2011 South Sudan is expected to become an independent state, Africa’s 54th. Prior to that date, much preparation must be done to establish a vigorous economy, stable government, and peaceful society. The name and capital of the country have yet to be officially declared. Issues of debt, oil, aid, and borders also remain undecided.
Beyond Gbagbo’s Last Stand
After the drama of Laurent Gbagbo’s capture in Abidjan, international attention has swung away from Cote d’Ivoire. At the precise moment when external voices for justice are most necessary, the cameras and critics seem to have moved on. Reducing Cote d’Ivoire’s political struggle to the recent presidential contest is a profound misunderstanding of the complexity of the Ivorian conflict and a sure way to miss the path toward peace.
African Solutions for Cote d’Ivoire: The Deception of ‘No Solution’
Despite Africa’s intention to empower its continental and regional organisations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States have failed to propose a determined solution for the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. Instead the prospect of a new civil war looms on the Ivoirian horizon.