http://www.africafiles.org/ AfricaFiles is a network of volunteers committed to promoting African perspectives and alternative analyses for human rights and economic justice in Africa. en-ca Copyright 2008 AfricaFiles. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00 EST 20 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18535 Subsistence agriculture by refugees in eastern Chad assists in feeding over 24,000 other refugees. But the recurrent skirmishes with local Chadian herders as a result of cattle destroying their crops are brewing problems. There's tension between communities and hunger. MUB Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18535 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18536 What do people do to earn the death penalty in Nigeria? Are criminals aware of the existence of capital punishment before they commit crimes that can invite such a penalty? Have rights groups that fight for the abolition of capital punishment consulted victims of those sentenced to death? Anyway, MPs in Nigeria say the death penalty must stay. JM Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18536 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18537 It is a contentious issue whether developing countries should continue to bear the cost of environmental conservation that benefits everyone, and not just the conserver. But can the government of Sierra Leone not forego money from industrial trawlers to serve thousands of jobless artisanal fishermen and promote sustainable fishing? JM Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18537 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18538 The International Criminal Court was created to prosecute those who commit war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. In this opinion piece the author asks, "In its effort to do justice, does the ICC obstruct the achievement of peace?" DN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18538 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18539 Operation Rudi Nyumbani intended to help about 350,000 IDPs in camps across Kenya to go back to their homes and farms. The plan, however, leaves out major categories of IDPs such as women, those who do not own land, those who did not register, and IDPs from previous conflicts or as a result of on-going conflicts not directly related to the 2007 elections. "The dispersal of the current lot of IDPs will raise poverty levels and create more urban slums." DN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18539 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18540 Following information received from Tanzania the Africa-Canada Forum decided to write to Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister to get clarification on a Canadian High Commission Delegation holding meetings with Tanzanian MPs and on the report of the findings of the Presidential Mining Sector Review Committee. The letter calls for Canada to implement recommendations made to the Canadian government 15 months ago on Canadian extractive activity by the multi-stakeholder Advisory Group to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industries in Developing Countries. JK Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18540 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18541 Web2.0 has changed the way we work and play. South African History Online promotes interest and consensus around key issues as well as ways to deal with them. Examples of web2.0 technology are blogs, podcasts, social networking platforms, and RSS feeds. South African History Online has 500,000 pages of history of actvists and activism. DN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18541 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18542 Here is hoping that the Memorandum of Understanding is not an end in itself but a break through that will restore democracy, peace, and development in Zimbabwe. FG Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18542 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18543 In spite of laws that prohibit jailing children there are 57 children in adult prisons in Ituri District as well as three babies who are jailed with their mothers. JDN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18543 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18544 In Zimbabwe there are numerous references to the ZAPU party of the late Joshua Nkomo, the leader of the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe. He was forced into talks with ZANU PF in the late 1980s after a gukurahundi by the Zimbabwean security forces that left up to 20,000 civilians dead. ZAPU was absorbed into ZANU PF, and its leaders were co-opted into ineffectual positions. MDC needs to play the game with its cards close to the chest. FG Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18544 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18545 After several generations of slavery, Iddar Ag Ogazide he decided to flee after his 3-year old son was taken from him to become a slave. The famlily now lives in Gao where he found a job and is paid for the first time in his life. JDN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18545 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18546 The gay community is extremely vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, and many men who have sex with men ignore all or nearly all prevention methods. This was highlighted during an AIDES initiated meeting in the south west of Cameroon that brought together many HIV/AIDS activists from francophone African countries. DN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18546 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18547 The chronic under-nutrition of one-third of sub-Saharan African children under 5 increases steadily and creates life-long problems for those children. Is enough being done to improve their health? JDN Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18547 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18529 The Zambia Land Alliance with forty other civil society organizations recently released a Land Policy Options Paper that provides government and the public with civil society’s model for a just land policy and a basis for moving forward to make a land policy which promotes poverty reduction and development. They are agitating for a revision of the country’s current, draft, land policy following hiccups affecting land administration and management. FJ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18529 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18530 A Bill that seeks to give the Botswana government greater control over the media and one which was secretely gazetted on June 27, has irked the media in the country. The Media Practitioners Bill gives government the power to determine who can and who cannot practice journalism and a person who contravenes any provision of the legislation may be fined up to R5 000 or imprisoned for up to three years or both. FJ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18530 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18531 Church leaders in Kenya have expressed sadness at the deaths and destruction of property that have followed escalating secondary school riots and urge students to consider other ways to express their grievances. “Destruction means there is disconnect between the teachers, the parents, the students, and the board of governors," said a teacher. In the end, the best discipline for future leaders is self discipline. B.T. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18531 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18534 It has been 16 years since Angola held any elections; yet, some are saying they have come around too soon. MPLA campaigns against UNITA as the party that caused the war. UNITA campaigns on the government’s poor record in social service and their failure to complete any major project during the 6 years since war ended. These are parliamentary elections; presidential ones will be held next year, probably between President Dos Santos and Isaias Samakuva, leader of UNITA. JK Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18534 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18532 This overview examines the history and implications of debt in Mozambique, in light of the decision by Portugal to cancel Mozambican debt. JP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18532 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18533 Two days after publicly vowing to die rather than resign, the finance minister announces he is resigning to allow an independent investigation of corruption charges against him. The Attorney General’s committee also recommended that the head of the Central Bank of Kenya and the chief of the National Security Intelligence Service step aside to ensure a free and impartial inquiry into the hotel sale that Kimunya claimed was sold to a Libyan investment company for $45 million. Because of civil society and media pressures the president has been forced to act. DN Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18533 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18519 The Kwanza provincial government is calling for an increase in food produced for marketing in the government-sponsored, commercial network, "Nosso Super” that is part of a chain of 31 supermarkets in PRESILD (Programme of Restructuring the Logistical System and Supply of Commodity Goods to the Population). According to the government it represents an opportunity to increase their offering of basic commodity goods to the people thus regulating market prices, decreasing the shortage of goods, fighting hunger, and reducing poverty. EP Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18519 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18520 ICG argues that the "application by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for a warrant of arrest for Sudanese President Omar Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in Darfur creates both big opportunities and big risks for peace in Sudan." Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18520 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18521 "The Western Sudanese region of Darfur was once an important contributor to the global economy. Cattle, gum arabic, tobacco and manufactured goods made their way into the markets of Khartoum, the Gulf States, and even Europe and North America...Since the Darfur conflict erupted 2003, many of these links have been broken...However, in the high-risk conditions of the region, where insecurity and banditry have largely destroyed the economy, there are remarkable signs of adaptability." Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18521 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18522 "Conflict and crisis in Darfur has continued unabated since 2003. Whilst there has been a growing body of knowledge about how this has impacted on livelihoods, there has been much less focus on understanding how trade and markets – the lifeblood of Darfur’s economy – have been affected...This report begins to address this gap." For the Executive Summary and Table of Contents see below. Follow the link to the full report. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18522 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18523 Is carbon trading a means by which wealthy polluters simply transfer their responsibility elsewhere? Trusha Reddy reflects on this question. AB Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18523 http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18524 Tanzania is to export maize to Kenya. Following the violence in Kenya earlier this year, harvests will not meet demand. President Kikwete is happy to assist but not sure Tanzania can meet all of Kenya’s demand. DH Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 EST http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18524