Obama Girl!

I knew before traveling that there’d be a great deal of Obamania on this side of the hemisphere considering how closely the elections were followed around the world and media images and stories I’ve seen from African news outlets. I expected lots of questions about the elections and what I thought Obama would do for Africa. However, I haven’t really gotten much of that, but since arriving in Cameroon, my colleague and I are being constantly referred to as “Obama girls”. Luckily it’s an endearing term because I love Obama. I couldn’t imagine if I was referred to as a “Bush girl”. YUCK! It has so many negative connotations.
But the funniest part about being an “Obama Girl” in Cameroon is that most people consider the two of us “Black American” because we are here representing a US based organization. It’s a bit odd for me to be referred as such because I consider myself Cameroonian American, but it is even odder for my colleague who was born and raised in Cameroon! And it gets even funnier when we meet expats who try to educate us on the ways of Cameroon.
However, I credit this to the diversity of Cameroon. For instance, there are certain countries in the world where their citizens are easily identifiable by their features. But Cameroonians throughout the country look completely different. Im sure it has a lot to do with its central location on the continent, but I also think it has a great deal to do with the open door system of the land and its people. During this trip, I’ve witnessed how easily people flow in and out of the country. I’m sure this is an issue of border control, but its also influenced by how welcoming the people are. Right now I am traveling throughout towns bordering the Central African Republic. You can see CAR from here and Central Africans are constantly crossing the border. Below are pictures of Central Africans crossing a small river into Cameroon.

The City is POPPIN

It feels so odd to be back in such a lively environment considering how relatively isolated I spent the last week and a half. CAR was completely desolate and the streets were usually empty by 9pm each night. But in Yaounde, I can barely sleep because people are outside my window singing, dancing, and talking loudly in the streets until all times of the night. There’s definitely a deejay on my block spinning hits from the last three decades. And it’s great (as long as I can fall asleep at a decent hour!).
Yaounde has definitely changed quite a bit since I was here. I don’t remember it being so New Yorkish, but it’s a great feeling. I can see myself living here if I’m given the right job with the right salary. I think it’s a great combination of the modernity Ive become accustomed to and the warm weather, great food, and sense of a familial community that I seek.
It’s also great to have options of food to eat. I hate to continue to compare the two, but my diet was quite static in CAR. I’ve already told you about our adventure trying to find dinner in the North, but even in Bangui there were very few choices. Choices were very limited because of security in the town. Though there is no fighting or rebel occupation like in other places, because the streets empty out by 9, its mostly people who are up to no good who are out during dinner hours. So during one of our first few nights, my colleague and I were harassed by a few street kids who were clearly high off drugs and it wasn’t a comfortable feeling. Also, everyone kept recommending to us the spots that expats frequent and they were usually not local restaurants. I did not come all the way to Central Africa to eat Chinese, but I was forced to on one night. Though I will say it’s the best Chinese food I’ve ever had! But Yaounde has been completely different, besides the plethora of street vendors, there’s a million restaurants on every block with absolutely delicious food and a varied selection. I’m definitely happy to be back in Cameroon.
Tomorrow I will be traveling to Bertoua, which is the capital of the Eastern region. The East is historically one of the poorest regions in the country and I am told that it is nothing like Yaounde or Douala. However, considering what I witnessed in CAR, I’m sure it will still be an upgrade!

Au Revoir Bangui

Today I’m on my way back to Douala and then I’ll head out to Yaounde the following morning. This leg of the mission has ended on a good note. We got a lot of new information about the humanitarian situation and I was glad to visit the Central African Republic. Unfortunately, I don’t have much good to share about the country. I really hoped that stories I’d heard were exaggerations, but they weren’t. This is a chronically underdeveloped failed state. The government concentrates itself on Bangui (the capital) and completely neglects the rest of the country. And I’m not even sure what they’ve done in Bangui because it’s the most bare and basic capital city I’ve ever visited.
The country is land locked, road locked, and as a result access locked. It is virtually impossible to travel freely throughout the country despite the security situation. The presence of rebels and bandits only further exacerbates the situation, but roads connecting major cities are not paved, there is virtually no policing, and there are no ports of entry. It’s a truly sad situation and there needs to be an overhaul in the regime in order to start addressing the needs of the people and the country.
On a more exciting note, when I thought traveling through rebel territory was frightening enough, my colleague and I decided to stop and talking to a group of rebels on our way back to Bangui. I was a nervous wreck because they all had rifles (old, but they still worked!) and they looked RUGGED! They called the commander of their unit out of his hiding place to speak with us and he was scary looking. He looked like he had been living in the bush for months, but I am almost positive he was simply living off the villagers. He had locked hair that was extremely dirty and was just scruffy. We spoke to him and second in command and though they wouldn’t go into details about their cause because they have an official spokesperson, one said he wanted peace while the other said he wanted power. Considering the fact that the peace dialogues between the government and rebel group begin on Monday, it may be a good idea for them to decide on an agenda…Unfortunately I did not take a picture of them. I was too scared to ask, but in the end it was a harmless encounter. A few of the rebels were peeking into our truck to see what we had, but it was more so curiosity because they didn’t touch anything or ask any questions. Even though I’m happy the rebels allowed us to travel through their occupied territory without disruption, its unfortunate that they often completely terrorize and loot the villages and communities they are supposedly fighting for.

What are two Cameroonians doing in CAR?

This was the silly question asked of me and my colleague today by an expat who has lived throughout Africa for over 10 years.
The question should be what are the French, Americans, Canadians, Germans, British, etc. doing in CAR? And more importantly, what have the French done to CAR in over a century of occupation because this country is still chronically underdeveloped!
I find it ridiculous, though unsurprisingly that many people we meet are surprised that two Cameroonian women are conducting an assessment of the situation in CAR. Besides the fact that we were sent here by our organization, I don’t see why anyone should be surprised that Cameroonians are concerned about the humanitarian situation in a neighboring country, considering the conflict has directly affected Cameroon! I think that is an issue that needs to be dressed on so many levels. Too often we expect and wait for Western powers to come to our aid and as neighbors are not as concerned as we should be for our welfare. In fairness, the countries of Central Africa, have come together and formed a peacekeeping force for the Central African Republic. And many countries, including Cameroon and Chad, have opened their doors to refugees from the Central African Republic. This being said, we need to be as proactive as possible in helping one another solve problems within the continent, so that foreigners are not shocked that neighboring countries are interested enough in the wellbeing of their nation that they would conduct assessment missions in order to deduce the necessary level of response and fill gaps in coordination. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “If we don’t save ourselves, who will?”

Traffic Takes on New Meaning

While riding down the roads in the northwestern part of CAR, I’ve felt like a celebrity. Children rush out of their homes when they hear the truck rumbling through the dusty, bumpy roads and drown you in a chorus of “Bonjours” and “Barraallahs”, the main greetings in CAR, while waving feverishly. It’s the cutest most joyous site ever and it never stops feeling good. Even four hours into the ride when it’s still happening.
As a person of African descent, I’m not used to this type of attention in rural settings. My white counterparts almost always get it because many times children in rural settings have seen very few and sometimes never seen a White person. But in a truck with two Blacks, two Central Africans and two Cameroonians (the neighboring) country, this type of rejoicing seems odd.
But then I thought about what these villages and children have been through. Consistently for the past two to three years, Central Africans in the Northwest have heard trucks roll through their villages only to be caught in the middle of government and rebel cross fighting and having their homes looted and burned in retaliation for “supporting” military factions that have taken control of their villages. For years the rumbling of trucks has been an ominous sign to gather your family and belongings as quickly as possible because trouble was coming.
But in the last year, the rumbling of trucks has taken on new meaning. As aid agencies have began to set up in CAR, their trucks brought assistance to these families in great need. What was once used as an alarm of intruders has now become a ring of hope for improving their living conditions.
So though it was apparent that in some villages, the citizens where still petrified of foreigners in trucks (especially those villages who were currently occupied by military factions), there were others that rejoiced at the site. It was especially powerful that the children recognized what the presence of aid agencies meant for them and sent their good blessings.

Week in Review

I can’t believe I’ve only been away for one week! It hasn’t been a bad week, but very long. The long days everyday have all seemed to run into each other and it doesn’t feel like a weekend at all. Besides the fact that I’ll still be working, CAR doesn’t have much to offer on the social front. In the northern region it has gotten very dark by 6pm each night and even if I felt safe venturing out to find the nightlife, there isn’t one to be found. Even on the UN Compound in Paoua, where I stayed my first night in the north, everyone was in their rooms by 9pm. Expats have never had a problem partying and drinking in the midst of development and humanitarian crisis, but I think it’s different in CAR because the security situation here is so insecure that no one wants to take a chance and getting caught in the crossfire.
In Bocaranga, where I am now, things definitely seem livelier because this community seems to be doing much better, but many expats are just recently arriving to the community and don’t seem to have their social networks set up yet. And I would prefer to socialize with locals, but again considering the security situation, my American accent and inability to speak French fluently would make me a prime target for mischief.
When I was in Bangui, we went to a few restaurants and tried to stay out a bit later to enjoy the warm nights, but even though we were staying in a seemingly secure apartment/hotel there were tons of street children outside relentlessly asking for money and at one point our apartment guard even misbehaved.
But I will admit that ending the nights earlier have given me enough energy to get through my extremely long days and also enough time to go through all of the things I’ve seen and heard throughout the day. And, I’ve been consistently updating this blog, so that’s always a good thing!

Entering Rebel Controlled Territory

Today was by far the most daring and dangerous day of my life! I remember a few years ago when I was shook over getting lost in the woods in Uganda, considering the civil war. Well in that case, I was no where near the area where the conflict had happened. But it was my first time in the country, in the woods, with no guide and a bunch of people who were as clueless as me about where to go. That hike has NOTHING on what I did today.
Right now there is a civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) that has compounded the already destitute situation in the country. The main factors of the conflict are the government soldiers and a rebel group who does not want the current president (Bozize) in power because they are supporters of the previous president (Patasse), who the Bozize ousted. After a series of clashes for the past two going on three years, the two groups have taken control of different territories in the north. The situation is much more complicated than I am describing, but for the sake of understanding the basics of what I did today, I’ll leave it at that.
I’m sure you may be wondering how a group takes control of a territory in almost 2009. Well as I explained in a previous post, CAR is a very large country that is governed from the capital, in the deep south of the country. Due to the government’s low capacity, neglect, and downright indifference to the northern part of the country, rebels groups have been able to oust appointed state authorities (ie. mayors and other representatives) and take over complete control of provinces- authorizing the rule of law and even levying taxes. The government has sent forces to battle these groups and reclaim the land, which has led to several clashes within villages and thus the displacement of people.
Because the purpose of my trip is to assess the patterns of forced displacement, I have to go into these controlled areas and speak to villagers. And because CAR is severely lacking in infrastructure villages and towns are connected by single roads. Meaning everyone, citizens, humanitarians, rebels, and government forces all travel on the same road. Meaning if the government forces or rebels decide to battle that day one the road (which is where almost all of their battles occur) there is no way to escape it, except by running into the bush (which most displacement in this region has occurred).
So today, in order to find people who have been affected by conflict I ventured out into rebel territory. As daring and dangerous as this move was, it went quite well. Unlike other conflicts I’ve discussed on this blog, the main targets of this conflict are not civilians. Though civilians are affected because they are displaced due to fighting and often have their homes looted and burned in the crossfire, the rebel groups actually seek and fight government soldiers. For this reason, we were unable to drive through rebel controlled areas with ease. We slowed down each time we entered a village where they were posted, we greeted them and told them where we were going and then we continued. It was quite surprising. Though, I will say I was definitely uncomfortable seeing plain clothed males, some clearly as young as 15, holding rifles. I wish that they’d wear uniforms so that they could be more identifiable, but they are a rogue force and it is very apparent. And it was also apparent that in some communities the villagers were absolutely traumatized by their presence because they weren’t sure what violence they may bring in the form of looting or attracting other military factions. I couldn’t imagine living in a community that was controlled by a faction other than the state. It influences other groups to begin to force their own method of authority as well (which is being seen, but I will discuss in other post). All in all, it’s definitely the closed I’ve ever been to rebel forces and I’m happy things went well and I was given the opportunity to tell this story!

Je suis arrive au Paoua

Today I flew to Paoua, in the Northwest part of CAR to conduct field visits of displaced people in the area. The trip here was much smoother than I thought it would be. I traveled on a small UN plane. I'm not sure what the capacity is, probably about 16 passengers, but there were only 8 of us. Considering how small the plane was, I slept the whole way. Could be because I havent been getting much sleep, but I didn't feel much turbulence at all and was knocked out before we even reached the highest level of elevation.

Once we entered the city, I was shocked that it was even considered a city or town... It is the most rural, country, and underdeveloped place I have visited in a loooong time. People still live in huts, the roads are not paved, there is no mobile phone service (which is unheard of for even the most underdeveloped communities!), and access to clean water, health care, and education are virtually non existent. It is quite disheartening that this region is referred to as an "urban center".

The people in this community have been through quite a lot. They've been displaced quite a few times due to political insecurity and through it all, have suffered from government neglect. Its a classic case of the failure of a centralized government, except Bangui, the capital of CAR, is in the deep south of such a massive and sparsely populated country, that the north doesn't seem to exist.

I'll have pics up in the coming days.

Je suis arrive au Bangui!

After encountering the rudest air hostess I have ever met in my life, I am in Bangui. The flight itself was fine, though 2 hours late, but I encountered the most confusion ever in securing a flight. In a nutshell, we reserved our tickets from Douala to Bangui weeks before we left DC. After assuring my colleague and I a million times that a simple phone reservation without payment since they only accepted cash would be okay, we arrived at the airport office to pay for our tickets only to hear that there was no such reservation and the flight was sold out…
Unfortunately, the airline office manager encountered the most aggressive people she would ever encounter in her life and had to find a way to get us on that plane because we weren’t leaving that office without a ticket. Let me preface the rest of this story by explaining that you can only fly in Bangui from Douala on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Therefore, if we did not get on this flight, it would throw off our whole itinerary and we’d be stuck in Douala with nothing substantial to do.
Somehow, the office manager found us a ticket on a completely booked flight, but suggested that even though the flight was scheduled to leave at 3:45pm and check in didn’t start until 1pm, we should be in line before noon… We had a host of other errands to run that morning, but arrived the airport by 12:30 and stood in line behind 10 other people, who had seemingly received the same advice.
After a series of other incidents which I will discuss in a later post, we both received our boarding passes, but there was no seat assignment. When we inquired further, we were told the plane had open seating. My colleague and I promptly changed into our sneakers! No, not really, but we knew that this was an indication that we just might have to summon our inner track stars.
But all in all we got on the plane and secured our seats. We watched the rudest air hostess I’ve ever seen blatantly curse out a passenger for about five minutes and threaten to kick him off the plane mid flight. I’m not sure what he said to her to deserve such a verbal tongue lashing, but you better believe I was all “please and thank yous” for the rest of the flight!
Once we arrived in Bangui airport, there was another long wait for baggage, but our fixer and driver were already there waiting for us, which made me feel very comfortable. Because once we left the airport, the city was a cloud of darkness. Pitch black to the point that I was forced to use my phone as a flashlight. In the following days I will tell you more about Bangui. I haven’t witnessed the extreme poverty that reports and my colleagues have described. Right now I am staying in a very nice apartment/hotel with wireless internet. And I have only visited places that are frequented by expats and high level officials and lucrative business men. But I am sure once I venture out into the North it will be quite a different story.

Je suis arrive au Doula!

Once I arrived, I was reminded of the Douala humidity. In Washington, DC we complain of the high level of humidity during the summertime, but it does not compare to Douala humidity. By the time I walked the long stretch to the baggage check, my hair has shriveled into an afro and I felt dehydrated. It didn’t help that the baggage claim area was crowded with people who had gotten off the plane as well as family and friends there to meet them, and porters soliciting baggage service. And did I mention that beyond the humidity and well above 80 degree weather there was no air conditioning in the airport…

Nonetheless, after an hour wait, both of my bags arrived in tact and I went out to meet my brother and his girlfriend. It was a great relief to see them there and I was happy to have completed this long leg of my journey.

That night we had a delicious dinner of roasted fish, plantains, fries, and meondo. It was the best way to start of my trip, especially since I had to leave on Thanksgiving morning.

The city has changed for the better since I was last here. For one, it is no longer as polluted as it once was. I remember in 2005, my skin broke out in a rash almost immediately when I washed my face with the water and I could barely breathe in the city because of the pollution from cars and burning trash. But so far is has been quite different. Besides the fact that the city is much cleaner than it used to be, the air and water seem to be as well.

Now, I’m off to Bangui, Central Africa Republic!

You Can Find Me in the "A"

It’s been over a year since I’ve been in the “A”, over 3 years since I’ve been back to Cameroon, and my first time in the Central African Republic. Needless to say, I’m a ball of excitement as well as anxious and nervous about what to expect.
This will be my first time in Cameroon without my mother. It will give me a chance to get closer with my brother, but because they’re as I’ve coined them “family strangers”, I don’t know what my interactions will be like with them, without my mother. But in due time I will see.
As for the Central African Republic, I’ve yet to read anything good about the country. They fall in the bottom 5th percentile in almost every category of the development index- education, infrastructure, health, etc. I’ve been told by those that have lived and visited there that I have nothing to look forward to. Thus, this will be a very interesting trip considering I’ve been encouraging foreigners and pessimists to discover the overlooked beauty and potential in Africa. But perhaps if I ignore the overwhelmingly negative outlook surrounding the country and approach it with positivity, I will still be able to discover the beauty in a country so large and filled with so many natural resources.

YES WE CAN!!!

On November 4, 2008 Barack Obama became the first African-American president of the United States.

It was a very emotionally charged accomplishment with celebrations taking place all over the world- most notably in Obama's father's hometown of Kogelo, Kenya.

However, beyond the historical implications of this feat the world has so much to learn. For centuries Africans have been underestimated as a people and we have admittedly underestimated ourselves. Obama has not only shown young Black people in America and the Western world what they can some day be, but he has proven to the whole diaspora what we can strive to one day become as leaders of ourselves and the free world.

An editorial in Kampala, Uganda's New Vision newspaper summed up my sentiments exactly. Africa should use this excitement as an impetus for democratic reform and realize not what Obama can do for Africa, but what Africa can do for itself in cooperation with the US due to an Obama administration (a sentiment encouragingly echoed by President Kagame).

Yes we can!

EDITORIAL
5 November 2008
Posted to the web 6 November 2008

Kampala

History was yesterday made when Senator Barack Obama swept the polls to become the first African American president since the birth of the USA more than two centuries ago.

Obama's victory sealed his catch phrase: "Yes, we can," and demonstrates how determination and high level of organisation can deliver effective results against all odds. The Developing World and Africa in particular, has a lot to learn from this.

First, they should stop blaming their woes on others, put their act together and come up with strategies to pull the continent from backwardness. Yes, we can.

Secondly, the economic and political systems in the Developing World should be geared towards empowering the masses to recognise and promote talents and ability rather than mere party loyalty.

Thirdly, John McCain's acceptance of defeat and promise to work with Obama demonstrates that race and intrigue has no place in the modern world and that losing an election should not result into sworn enmity.

Obama has become president of the most powerful country in the world at the time the US is experiencing the worst economic crisis in a century.

However, the big problems he has at home should not obscure his view of the rest of the world. In particular, positive policies towards the Developing World like the African Growth and Opportunities Act, the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief and the Millennium Challenge Corporation - whether put in place by the Republicans or not should continue.

As the world celebrates, the Developing World should not expect immediate windfalls from the Obama administration. Because the US is facing the worst economic down turn, it is very easy to forget the rest of the world, especially Africa.

The Developing World should therefore, continue pressing for fair trade policies. As President Yoweri Museveni has always said, it is trade and not aid that will pull Africa out of poverty. Yes, we can.

Neverending Ghosts of Colonialism

The Namibian government and specifically the Herero group want Germany to return over 40 skulls of indigenous Namibians, that they've held for about a century. Between 1904 and 1908 Germany, who was Namibia's colonial ruler at that time, launched a little-known genocide against the Hereros for launching an uprising against their colonial rule. The Germans defeated the Herero by driving them deeper and deeper into the desert and poisoning their water sources. It is estimated that between 24000-65000 Herero died.


Germany was recently forced to apologize for the genocide after a book was released exposing and documenting what had been kept under wraps for over a century. However, though Germany has been forced to face the now public historical accounts of the actually genocide, they are still keeping the skulls of Herero people they captured on display in German Universities. The Nambian government continues to demand there return, but the universities are arguing that they are part of their cultural heritage.

Immediately you wonder why the Germans even have the skulls in their possession in the first place. During the war, a German doctor, Eugen Fischer, requested the skulls of the dead in order to prove that African had a lower intellectual capacity than their European counterparts. So I beg to ask if Germany is keeping these skulls on display as proof of Fischer's claim or to remind themselves of their participation and support of one of the most exploitative historical periods.
For years the Herero have requested reparations for the abuse the ancestors suffered- this has gone on deaf ears. Germany's rejection of returning their ancestors remains is yet another slap in the face to a community that like others not only suffered centuries of colonial abuse, but almost had their whole community exterminated.


Does this not remind us of Saartjie"Sarah" Baartman, the Khoi woman who was paraded around Europe for years while her voluptous "beastly" body was put on display?



At the point of her death, Saartjie had been physically and sexually abused. Her brain, vulva, anus, and skeleton was put on display in a French museum and her remains were not repatriated back to South Africa for almost two hundred years!

Germany, please end the cycle of exploitation and dehumanization of African people and return the remains of the Herero people. Allow their souls to rest in peace.

Prevent Youth from Sacrificing Themselves to the Seas

It's no secret that high unemployment in many African countries has been a major factor in the massive migration of young people to Europe and the United States. Youth seek big jobs in big cities and many of those opportunities aren't available in their home countries. Unfortunately, this mass exodus has often resulted in very dangerous and often fatal trips through treacherous conditions in order to be smuggled across borders. In the last twenty years, more than 80,000 people have died trying to enter Europe by sea. Many migrants are lucky if they survive the journey and arrive at their destination, but there are still many who arrive only to face even harsher living conditions than they escaped in their home country, and still perish in vain.


In an attempt to curb the number of young Africans risking their lives to migrate abroad, the European Union has created an immigration center in Bamako, Mali. Its intention is not to be a recruitment center for Africans seeking employment, but rather a supportive and information center that will encourage migrants to move to Europe legally and educate them of the different types of vocational training that would be most useful in gaining them employment once they are able to migrate.

The establishment of the European immigration center is not the first effort to dissuade people from illegal and dangerous migration abroad. A Senegalese woman whose own son died while traveling by boat to the Canary Islands launched her own grassroots campaign a few years ago to educate those in her community about the dangers of small boat travel. She has seen her small fishing community transformed into a departure point for young West Africans traveling to Europe in small fishing boats.

The map below diagrams the path that travelers take throughout the various hubs and transfer points to make it to the northern and western shores of Africa and eventually Europe- usually by way of Spain or Italy.

One Spanish couple who was traumatized by the site of 37 dead Africans, killed by drowning while attempting to travel to Spain, decided to invest in Hansala, Morocco- the community that many of the dead migrants they found came from. They founded an NGO called Solidaridad Directa, that works to enable its citizens to build the capacity of Hansala and encouraged them to continue to develop their community rather than embarking on the often fatal migration to Spain.

Though the EU has sought an institutionalized solution to remedy this issue and many are launching grassroots campaigns to stop Africans from traversing the dangerous journey, it is impossible to ignore the disparities in this situation. Europe and Africa hold strong colonial ties that are still evident in European countries' (especially France) intervention during times political and economic strife on the continent. Europeans easily travel throughout Africa and often obtain their visas when they are entering the country. However, Africans are continually denied visas to Europe and thus their need to smuggle across borders in order to gain entry. Africans do not take boats because they are unable to pay airfare, many times these treacherous boat rides cost more than $1,000. They choose this method because that is their only hope of gaining entry into the country.

For centuries African nations have been exploited by Europe and continue to be. I believe that Africans need to set the same stipulations on entrance to their countries as Europe (and the US) has put on entering theirs. We can not continue to support such a lopsided relationship. We sadly even close our borders to our fellow Africans, but are quick to open them to foreign Europeans and Americans!

We need to work harder to create economic and social conditions within our countries that will dissuade young people from longing to fulfill their dreams abroad. Zebra Jobs, which I wrote about a few moths ago has launched their virtual job fair and I am impressed. It is now up to us to encourage our young people within the country and those that have migrated to to work in Africa and work towards building it rather than sacrificing their human potential to the seas.

Homophobia in Africa Harms Us in More Ways than We Realize

In an age where globalization often blurs the line between cultures- Africans are steadfast in maintaining their traditions as it relates to family values. In the US and other Western societies public figures routinely "out" themselves and openly engage in same sex relationships.

However, most African communities vehemently oppose and even criminalize any form of homosexuality and openness often results in persecution and sometimes even death. This forces homosexuals to engage in high risk sexual relationships for fear of being exposed within their community. Many African countries are already battling high HIV/AIDS infection rates, this coupled with the increased level of transmission between men who have sex with men only further exacerbates an already strained situation.

The criminalization of homosexuality also poses a health problem for those that are already infected with HIV/AIDS. Many who are aware of their HIV/AIDS status are afraid to seek treatment for fear of being outted. Others are incarcerated for their sexual preference and die due to AIDS related infections due to lack of care while in prison. And some who are brave enough to seek care despite the repercussions are turned away from some health facilities because of the stigma associated with their sexuality.

In Uganda, during a global HIV/AIDS conference, gay rights activists staged a protest against the discrimination of homosexuals. As a result, the activists were arrested, tortured, and humiliated- an incident which has publicized by Human Rights Watch and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). However, the situation has been largely ignored by authorities because the Ugandan government promotes homophobia and homosexuals can be imprisoned for life.

As a result, Western countries that due not institutionally discriminate against homosexuals have found themselves in a precarious situation as it relates to African immigrants. In the UK, a campaign has been launched to prevent a Ugandan asylum seeker from being deported back on the basis of his fear of sexual persecution. And in the US, a Senegalese man was successfully granted asylum on the basis of his sexuality.

I can't help but feel that on both fronts, political resources should be better spent- like the protection of civilians from violent crimes, as opposed to moral ones. I do not believe that individuals should abandon their values, but in a time where the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS is impeding human development, I find it more beneficial for a society to increase their number of health and educational professionals, even if it means they be homosexuals as well. Africa cannot afford to continue to lose young lives, whether it be to death from infection, persecution, or because they simply flee to escape these ills. We do not have to completely lose ourselves within Western culture, but killing ourselves for the sake of tradition doesn't seem to be working either...

African Bourgeois Hypocrites

An excerpt from Colonialism and the Two Publics in Africa: A Theoretical Statement by Peter P. Ekeh

A piece that was written in Jan 1975, but is still so relevant today!

African Bourgeois Ideologies of Legitimation

The colonial ideologies have had a major impact on Africans. The absence
of a strong traditional ethos, for instance in the form of a pan-African
religion, made Africans easy targets of these ideologies. But there was
considerable variation in the spread of their effects on Africans. The
Western educated African was a greater victim of their intensity than the
non-literate African. The acceptance of the colonial ideologies in many
ways led to the creation by the African bourgeois class of its own ideologies.
The purpose behind the colonial ideologies, wrought by colonial
administrators and missionaries, was to legitimate an alien domination
of Africans; African bourgeois ideologies were formed to achieve two
interrelated goals. First, they were intended to serve as weapons to be
used by the African bourgeois class for replacing the colonial rulers;
second, they were intended to serve as mechanisms for legitimating their
hold on their own people. Both types of ideologies were largely directed
at the African masses. However, in terms of timing, the first set was used
during colonialism and was an attack on alien rulers. I shall call this set
anti-colonial ideologies. The second set of ideologies is more directly
related to the issue of legitimation and is involved in post-colonial politics
in Africa. Its appearance coincided with the departure of the alien colonial
rulers. I shall call these post-colonial ideologies of legitimation.

(1) Anti-colonial Ideologies. What I call anti-colonial ideologies here
refer to the interest-begotten reasons and strategies of the Western
educated African bourgeoisie who sought to replace the colonial rulers.
Anti-colonialism did not in fact mean opposition to the perceived ideals and principles of Western institutions. On the contrary, a great deal of anti-colonialism was predicated on the manifest acceptance of these ideals and principles, accompanied by the insistence that conformity with them indicated a level of achievement that ought to earn the new educated
Africans the right to the leadership of their country. Ultimately, the source
of legitimacy for the new African leadership has become alien. Anticolonialism
was against alien colonial personnel but glaringly pro foreign
ideals and principles.

African high standards. In every post-colonial African nation, Western
educated Africans, that is the African bourgeoisie, have bent over backwards
to show that their standards of education and administration are
as good as those of their former colonizers. The point of reference in such
demonstrations is to prove that they are the 'equals', but never the
betters, of their former rulers. At least if they judge their standards of
education and administration not to be as high as those prevailing in the
capitals of the former colonizing nations, they rue the fact of their 'low'
standards and make attempts to raise them. Nowhere does one come across
the statement that the prevailing standards, say, in England are not high
enough or too high for the problems in, say, Nigeria. These 'high'
standards are invariably defined in terms of the prevailing, that is ordinary,
standards in the former colonizing nations.

This ideology of African high standards had its origin in the fight for
independence. Most African, leaders in the fight for independence boasted
to their followers that they were as qualified as the English or the French
colonizers; that their rule could be as 'democratic' as that in England or
France; that Africans could attain as high a degree of efficiency in
bureaucracy as that in Britain or France, etc. In his manner of speaking
the English language and of pronouncing English words, the Nigerian
'been-to',7 for instance, wants to demonstrate to the common man that
he is as good as an Englishman in the use of the English language.
There is logic to these over-zealous attempts by the African bourgeois
class to prove the equal, but never the better, of the former colonizers.
They are a message addressed to the masses that educated Africans have
attained the level of the colonizers and therefore can replace them permanently.
It is not required to prove oneself the better of the former
colonizers to do so, since their behaviors represented the very best in the
view of Africans.

Anyone who has studied in a leading university-at Berkeley, Harvard,
or Oxford-will have noticed that very little is ever said about high
standards. It is the less distinguished institutions that want to appear to
be as good as Berkeley, Stanford, or the Sorbonne. The same is true of
the African bourgeois class. In many ways they are at a considerable
disadvantage in attempting to do things as Englishmen in what Englishmen
do best: speaking the English language. To take the example of the
most successful non-Westerners in history, the Japanese do not strive to
speak English or French as well as an Englishman and an American or as
a Frenchman. They see themselves as different from them. The African
bourgeois, born out of the colonial experience, is very uncomfortable with
the idea of being different from his former colonizers in matters regarding
education, administration, or technology. One suspects that he is unconsciously
afraid that he may not be qualified to be an effective replacer
of the former colonizers. If he does reject an English model, he wants
to take an American model; but the point is still that he wants to validate
his replacement of the colonizers by accepting the standards of the
Americans who were after all potential colonizers in Africa.

The African Union Encourages the International Community to Focus on Neglected Crises

Today President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and AU Chairman, qualmed my fears about Mbeki's resignation affecting Zimbabwe's power sharing deal. During his speech at the UN General Assembly, he assured the international community that the AU is dedicated to the restabilization of Zimbabwe and would work towards that goal in addition to the challenges faced in other parts of Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also used his time as a platform to advocate for the complete deployment of UN peacekeepers in Sudan and that UN forces relieve the "overstretched" African forces in Somalia- a conflict that has been virtually ignored by the western community and admittedly this blog (this will soon change).

Will Mbeki's Forced Resignation Delegitimize Zimbabwe's Power Sharing Deal?

This weekend, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa was forced to resign amid charges that he interfered in rival, Jacob Zuma's corruption case. Besides the implications of this change in administration for South Africa, I can't help but wonder how this event will affect the Power Sharing Deal recently signed in Zimbabwe and brokered by Mbeki, an avid supporter of President Mugabe. The ANC has stated that Mbeki will be given the chance to continue operating as a mediator in Zimbabwe, but I can't help but wonder how Zimbabweans especially members of the opposition party will welcome his participation.


For the most part, criticism surrounding the deal has been largely pessimistic. And just days after the agreement was signed, there were reports that both parties were unsatisfied with the terms of the agreement and desired more substantial power. The MDC spokesperson even referred to the deal as a "false marriage". This is a clear indication of the need for more talks and resolutions, however with Mbeki facing his own slew of domestic issues, is he in the position to continue to mediate negotiations? And if so, will he have an even greater personal interest in the outcome of the negotiations on the brink of his demotion?

One cannot help but wonder how long this vision will last....

Malawi: A Champion Against HIV/AIDS!

In 2004, Malawi began offering free antiretroviral therapy to thousands of patients in order to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS. At the time, HIV/AIDS accounted for 58% of deaths of people aged 15-59. Today, of the 159,111 people receiving the drugs, 106,547 are still alive- representing a 67% survival rating and 75% national decrease of AIDS related deaths, overall.

A Girl's Best Friend

Hmmm, maybe I should move to Lesotho! Miners have discovered the largest polished diamond- weighing 478 carats! It could be worth tens of millions of dollars and was discovered in the Letseng mine. Unfortunately, Lesotho only owns 30% of the company that found it...

Operation Rudi Nyumbani Community Disdain is Brewing

I have been following the developments of Operation Rudi Nyumbani and have not been comfortable with the policy nor the way it has been implemented. Unfortunately, my worry was not in vain.
The closure of camps has been delayed because there is a great deal of confusion over who should receive compensation in order to return home and some citizens feel that conditions in their land of origin are not secure enough for them to return home and some even have no where to return. Though in the BBC report, the district commissioner of the Rift Valley has cast aside many of the complaints as false reports from opportunists, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that 60% of the families are returning home to severely damaged homes and villages, that need to be restored before citizens can live safe and comfortably.
There is a clear need for Kenyan community officials to objectively assess and remedy this situation lest they face disgruntled and slighted citizens.

Power Sharing Deal Reached in Zimbabwe

Today, the new leaders of Zimbabwe announced the details of the power sharing deal reached on Friday. President Mbeki mediated the negotiations which maintains Robert Mugabe's seat as President and establishes opposition leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister and Arthur Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC, Deputy Prime Minister
Though the full details of the deal have yet to be disclosed, President Mugabe will remain head of state, the cabinet, and the armed services. Prime Minister Tsvangirai will head the council of ministers and the police.



This is most definitely a step in the right direction and I can't wait to see how Zimbabweans as well as the international community will react. Mugabe largely criticized the UK for their interference in the political conflict by imposing sanctions and ZANU-PF and MDC supporters did not seem to mirror the reconciliatory spirit of Mugabe and Tsvangirai and clashed outside the conference center where the event took place. I hope that these are not signs that this showcase of cooperation is not truly genuine. Zimbabwe has a plethora of rebuilding to do and cannot achieve success without the strength of cooperation.

Let American Apparel Show You How to Dress Like an Afrikan

American Apparel has a line of clothing available in four "Afrikan print" styles.
I've never seen this in Africa or worn by Afrikaans (since they so tactfully used a "k" instead of "c").

Unsurprisingly, there's lots and lots of zebra prints... What a mess!

US Aid to Africa is Not Interest Free

This article by Andrew Natsios contends that soon to be former President George W. Bush's approval rating in Africa is so high because of humanitarian and economic aid he directed into the country. Despite the extreme political tension that pervades globally and especially in the Middle East and Central Asia, Bush has left a long lasting legacy in Africa that the author contends is due to his overwhelming generosity and the numerous campaigns he has launched to provide social services and spur economic growth on the continent.
However, upon news that the US plans to give $1 BILLION in aid to Georgia in the midst of a highly politicized and violent conflict with Russia, the allocation of $5 billion in aid to the whole continent of Africa, somehow dwarfs in comparison.
African countries have always viewed the US in a positive light. And President Bush has made it a point to publicly esteem African leaders who he had a vested interest in, in order to maintain positive and friendly diplomatic relations. President Mugabe and Bush have had a quite volatile relationship, but that was due to Mugabe's public outing of Bush as a dictator and exploiter in his own right.
I would argue that many citizens who "appreciate" Bush's efforts are unaware of the economic capacity of the US and would probably be insulted by the level of aid handouts from developed countries thus far, if they were aware of how much money was spent on the occupation of Iraq and what was just pledged to Georgia for their reconstruction over two years.
A country like Liberia, which was ravaged by civil war almost a decade ago is still lacking in basic infrastructure. Running water, consistent electricity, fully paved roads are still largely absent in the capital city of Monrovia. I use Liberia as an example, not because of the brutal civil war that the country suffered from, or even the fact that though their governance has dramatically strengthened- basic services are still not fully available, but because the US founded the country! The US can't even offer adequate support to a former colony, but within a heartbeat will pledge to aid in the complete restoration of a political ally.
So you see, the US hasnt done anything that it can't do or shouldnt have done- for that matter- for Africa, but the little it has done has made Africans grateful. So, unlike Mr. Natsios, I wouldn't confuse thanks with adoration for President Bush, but for all of America. Because as much and for how long foreigners have exploited and continue to exploit Africans, minimal acts of kind are a welcomed relief. And Im sure you'll find the same level of appreciation expressed towards Bush as it would be towards an everyday humanitarian aid worker. And I guarantee that regardless of the amount of humanitarian aid allocated by the next administration, there will be a mutual level of respect and gratitude for any assistance that is offered.
And more importantly, as much as America is now doing for Africa, let's not forget what Africa has and continues to do for America. Putting the obvious implications of slavery and colonization aside, today the US is faced with a serious shortage of oil and the favorability of Nigeria and other oil producing African nations have increasingly become more valuable. Also, the never ending war on terrorism has increased the number of US funded democracy initiatives, in an effort to prevent Al Queda from using Africa as a breeding ground and hub for global attacks.
Ultimately, though a great deal of the US' aid to Africa is genuine, we cannot ignore the increasing value that Africa has on US interest, nor the fact that US contributions are only a smidgen of its true capabilities.
But with all of this being said... I'm rebutting a claim from a man that doesnt even believe that Africans know how to tell time... so of course he would overlook the political and economic implications of US aid to Africa. As far as he's concerned, they'd be hopeless without it...

Transparency Is the Theme of the Week!

President Koroma of Sierra Leone has declared his assets to the country's Anti-Corruption Commission. I find this news encouraging not only because of my extended critic of King Mswati of Swaziland, but because President Koroma ran on an anti-corruption platform and this is his first effort to prove it wasn't all talk. Hopefully he can be a pivotal leader in the quest to rid African countries of such a pervasive level of corruption on a micro and macro level.

Obama Believes in Transparency and So Does Africa!

The other day I told you about a group who was exploiting Obama's campaign in order to raise unauthorized funds. Well, I'm happy to report that the anti-graft investigators in the country have seized the money and will return it to those who attended the event. They recovered $630,000 but would not press charges against the event organizers, because no national laws had been broken.

But in an effort to stay positive... Yes We Can!

US Halts Family Reunification of Refugees

The US State Department has halted the family reunification of African refugees due to their belief that the participants were creating fraud. The article by BBC did not say what prompted it, but DNA tests were issued on samples of applicants and showed that only about 20% had blood relation. The State Department and Homeland security thus deemed this a fraud and have halted the program.
It is clear that the implementors of this investigation are ignorant of African kinship networks. Family is regarded as anyone who comes from the same village, compound, or community as you and is very rarely genetically defined. Also, as the African diaspora expands, Africans define family even more loosely. I, myself, who was not brought up in Cameroon refer to my family members as fellow Cameroonians that I've known since childhood, those who come from the same village as my parents, and even those who share the same dialect as my parents. I often and easily refer to someone that I may have met that same day as my cousin, aunt, or uncle.
Likewise, I come from a very large family and have more cousins than I can count. My mother being the most successful of the family has financially supported almost all of my cousins. For this reason many of them view her as their mother and if they were to immigrate to the US, she would call them her daughter or son.
Ultimately, I understand why an African refugee would refer to an extended relative or someone that is not a blood relative as their child or daughter. There is a good chance that they raised them! Especially in communities ravaged by warfare, such as the ones tested, where a child may have been orphaned. But I think that the US should rethink its labeling of this frequency of occurrences as a fraud and instead realize that if the pattern was found in so many countries (Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia and Ivory Coast), perhaps there's a gap in intercultural communication. And more importantly, if the resources and opportunities already exist for these people to be resettled and removed from potentially violent situations- why prevent it on such an arbitrary basis?

Africans for Obama

I knew that with all the excitement in Africa surrounding Senator Barack Obama's presidential nomination, it was only a matter of time before profiteers would rear their ugly heads.

As I have said a million times and will continue to say, I am a staunch supporter of Barack Obama, however, many Africans abroad seem to care more about Obama's political campaign than they do the politics of their own nation! Perhaps it is their way of coping with the pervasive lack of democracy consuming the continent or perhaps they celebrate his achievement in hopes that other Black leaders will follow his example.

But what I don't understand and most definitely cannot accept is the exploitation of Obama's campaign abroad.

The BBC recently exposed a group calling itself Africans for Obama that was holding fundraisers under the premise of Barack Obama's campaign. The group was charging $21,000 a table for events in support of Obama's bid for presidency. However, US political parties cannot accept funds from groups outside of the US. When the BBC confronted the leader of the group with this minor, but critical detail, she stated that the purpose of the event was raise funds to spend on advertising to convince their relatives in the US to vote for Obama in the upcoming election.

Putting aside the ridiculousness of this justification for fraud, why couldnt such an event be launched to reach out to rural voters within their own country and educate them about their political process, or to raise funds to ensure that all children receive insecticide treated bed nets to reduce the level of fatalities due to malaria, or to ensure that all households had access to safe and clean water, or donated to a million other issues that have hampered development in Africa?!?!?

Tonight, Barack Obama will become the first Black man to accept a major party nomination for President of the United States. Let us come together as Africans in support of his accomplishment and draft US foreign policy objectives that will build on Obama's legacy and benefit Africans across the globe!

Long Live the King! But What About His Subjects...?

About a month ago I watched the documentary Without the King, which is a socioeconomic profile of Swaziland and the affects of monarchy. Knowing very little about Swaziland before watching this film, I was shocked by what it candidly exposed.



King Mswati, who took the throne when he was only 18, has been internationally criticized for his lavish lifestyle amidst Swaziland's immense poverty. The documentary stars Princess Sikhanyiso, who is often called "Pashu", as she prepares to begin college in California and explore the impact that she can soon have on the development of her homeland. She gives us a tour of the king's exquisite mansion while the viewer is simultaneously shown the conditions that most Swazi's live in- dilapidated one room shacks, lacking access to clean water. The film also depicts citizens' desire to eliminate the country's autocratic royal rule and transition into a democracy. Many believe that it is the country's system of governance that has led to the king's exploitation of country resources and citizens' extreme poverty, dependency on international aid, and the highest aids rate in the world.

I was hoping that perhaps the producers of the documentary already had preconceived notions about the method of governance in Swaziland and were using the film as a political platform for change. However, as I have browsed news of the past ten years reporting on Swaziland, I am quite saddened by the lack of international attention this country has received, considering the seriousness of the humanitarian situation and blatant misappropriation of national resources by the king.

As far back as 2000, large scale demonstrations were staged protesting the lack of political parties and the abuse of royal power, which had even led to the forced removal of people from their homes because a prince wanted the land.

In order to help halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, the King instituted a sex ban in September of 2001, that was to last for five years. Unmarried girls under the age of 18 were instructed to wear tassels, warning men not to touch them. If they did, the men would be fined one cow or $152.



However, within one month, the King himself violated the ban by becoming engaged to a 17 year old girl. In a gesture of compliance with tradition, he donated one cow to a local village.
The King's disobeyal of the traditional was just another step in his abuse of power. In 2005, King Mswati ended the sex ban a year early and chose his new 17 year old wife shortly thereafter.

Aaaaah, but the joys of being a Queen. Though the women at times publicly battle for King Mswati's affection, he ensures that they enjoy the same level of luxury that he does by buying them luxury cars to match his own. But all this does not compare to his private jet, that was featured in the film and flew the Princess to school in California.

The most recent blatant misuse of the government's funds took place last week when the King's wives chartered a plane to go shopping in Europe and the Middle East.




Swaziland is a landlocked country, thus its opportunity to enter the global economy severely hampered. It is so unfortunate that a country that prides itself in its ability to maintain its culture and tradition has been forced to seek modernity for the sake of their own livelihoods! I do not have a solution to the crisis that pervades Swaziland, but I know that at the very least, King Mswati should not continue to use his royalty as justification for leading a life of shameless extravagance, while his people live in abject poverty and perish at an alarming rate.

Bakassi: A Conflict for Land and Identity - But What Does This Reveal About Governance?

The situation in Bakassi Peninsula goes beyond that of land allocation, conflict over resources, or even development. It is clearly an issue of the effects that governance has on national identity.
The people of Bakassi have inhabitated an area that has been contested by Cameroon as theirs but claimed by Nigeria for decades. However, in 2002, after 15 years of political debate, the International Court of Justice awarded the land to Cameroon, much to the dismay of Nigeria and most of the inhabitants of Bakassi. On August 14, over 5 years after the court decision, the land was finally handed over to Cameroon.



The region was home to about 300,000 but in the months leading to the handover, over 100,000 people fled due to a desire to maintain their Nigerian citizenship as well as fear that during the hand over there would be violent clashes between Nigerian and Cameroonian factions in dispute over the handover. Though this fear was warranted due to a few skirmishes during the past year, on the actual day of the handover, things were relatively peaceful and the international community has congratulated both parties for the successful and most importantly peaceful implementation of the agreement.
But still, many residents of Bakassi are adamant about retaining their Nigerian citizenship. To the point that many of them have moved to overcrowded transit camps in Nigeria, abandoning their homes and businesses in Bakassi. In attempts to appease them, Nigeria began constructing a "New Bakassi", but this plan has been largely unsuccessful and even resulted in the displacement and destruction of homes and property of the original inhabitants of the land in an effort to make space for migrants from Bakassi.
This massive move of the inhabitants of Bakassi to Nigeria is a clear indication that their grievance with the handing over of the land is not rooted in their desire to occupy the assumingly oil rich peninsula and lucrative fishing economy, but rather feelings that they were betrayed by the Nigerian government (specifically former President Obasanjo) due to the ease in which they handed the land and thus the citizens over to Cameroon. The battle for land was in principle to those in Bakassi, a battle for the people who identified themselves as Nigerian.
Many Nigerian politicians as well as former community members of Bakassi have vowed to continue to contest the decision of the court even though the land has been handed over. However, the Cameroonian government and media has remained largely silent on the topic and assert that peace should be maintained in the region and Cameroonians and Nigerians should continue to coexist as they do along much of the border that they share.
I can't help but feel that the Cameroonian government is slightly embarrassed by how adamant the residents of Bakassi are about maintaining Nigerian citizenship. Perhaps this will give the government of Cameroon and impetus to investigate its treatment of its own citizens and why inhabitants of a neighboring village would rather become refugees than secure claim to their land. Sam Nuvala Fonkem compares the plight of Bakassi residents to that of Southern Cameroonians and the social division that developed after Cameroon's 1961 plebiscite, resulting in a longstanding political and economical marginalization of the group. Inhabitants of Bakassi have also expressed their fear of treatment they will receive from the Cameroonian government as well as the treatment they have witnessed of those living in parts of Bakassi, which had been previously ceded to Cameroon.
Ultimately, it is amazing how the creation of the nation state has developed identities- though officially controlled by its current inhabitors for less than 50 years- that are powerful enough to trump individuals' loyalty to land and history. During colonialism borders were so fluid and often changed without notice to the actual inhabitants. But today, we see country after country battling to rewrite borders that didnt exist during their initial inhabitance and were drawn by foreigners who no longer (and maybe never) inhabited it!

Cameroon Brings Home the Gold!

On Monday, Francoise Mbango Etone brought home the gold for Cameroon in the Triple Jump at the Beijing Olympics and set a new world record of 15.39. She also won the gold in 2004 at Athens. Congrats Francoise!!!

Africa is Not a Dumping Ground

The Agbobloshie dump site in Accra, Ghana is being consumed by old and broken computers shipped from abroad under the guise of second hand donations. The dumping ground is littered with broken glass, plastic, metal, and other dangerous and toxin computer parts that have been sent here for disposal. People are forced to tip toe around the area for fear of injuring themselves and the air is constantly covered in a thick black smoke as the computer parts burn.

The export of computer waste is banned internationally, but people are circumventing the law by labeling the junk as donations. However, 90% of the machines sent end up at the dump site where they contaminate the water and environment.

As the demand for the newest and savviest form of technology increases, more of the old is discarded and shipped to places that the rest of the world considers worthy of their junk. Greenpeace International has been exposing sites of what they call the "shady e-waste trade" and are calling for electronic companies to be responsible for recycling their used products. When we throw products out, materials should be returned back to the companies and maybe it will force them to come up with ways to recycle them rather than polluting communities overseas.

Kalibrados and Other Musicians Stand Up Against Xenophobia

Last Sunday there was a concert in Johannesburg, South Africa called, "Not In Our Lifetime", where Kalibrados an Angolan rap group and other musical acts performed to raise awareness of the negative impact of xenophobia. The proceeds from the concert will be used to support refugees and others victimized due to the xenophobic attacks that took place in May.

Here is a peak of Kalibrados' music.

Operation Return Home- If You Can Prove You Had One

A few months ago, I wrote about Operation Rudi Nyumbani, a government project aimed at returning IDPs to their homes. This project incorporated an element of compensation for those who had been displaced due to election violence. Upon hearing about this plan, my immediate concern was how the government would ensure that all citizens received their due compensation and those that were not displaced did not unduly benefit.
It seems as though Kenya has applied some very strict and seemingly unfair land laws in order to remedy this situation.
IDPs have been categorized as landowners, leaving those who can't prove land ownership with nowhere to go. However those that have been truly displaced including sharecroppers, squatters, and migrant workers are left in the camps to fend for themselves and are ineligible to benefit from government assistance.
Besides the fact that modern land policies should not be applied to traditional societies, all citizens affected by the political and economic conditions in Kenya, should be provided government assistance. They should not be forced to negotiate inane policies that only further exacerbate their current conditions. Kenya needs to immediately reassess the implementation of their return plan and ensure that citizens aren't once again left out in the cold, perpetuating a cycle of not only poverty, but aggressive and violent disdain for the government.

Enough of ENOUGH

I usually don't like to criticize other NGOs for the work the do because I try to believe that everyone approaches their work with good intentions. And if we all shared the same vision then there would not be a needed for hundreds of different organizations. However, recently NGOs have been casually throwing around political terms that are extremely destructive and disrupting the humanitarian communities capability to reach our goals and truly generate positive change in the world.
Currently, I am thoroughly annoyed with ENOUGH. Besides the fact that I immediately recognized them as one of many bandwagon jumpers claiming to work towards the end of genocide in Darfur (ie. Save Darfur, 24 Hours for Darfur, Genocide Intervention Network, Stop Genocide Now, Our Pledge, and more that I could ever find the time to name), their latest "campaign" has really got me pissed off.
ENOUGH claims to be a "project to end genocide and crimes against humanity". However, their latest report is focused on Robert Mugabe and his dictatorship in Zimbabwe. Now, anyone who has been following this blog knows that I am not a fan of Mugabe and his most recent stunt thoroughly pissed me off. However, you also know that I am not a fan of any dictator and have compared him to other current leaders, who have been welcomed and befriended by the same leaders and countries that criticize Mugabe. I'm all about calling a spade a spade, but I can't stand double standards or public figures who exploit their power and influence for the sake of personal interests.
ENOUGH, however, seems to be unaware of leaders throughout the world who mirror Mugabe's style of leadership and took the time to write a 28 paged report suggesting that he should be held accountable and prosecuted for international CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. I'm not even sure if they know what that means. They then go on to say that the African Union should support the effort, though they will be reluctant to do this. Ummm...yeah...considering most of the members are his cronies!
Though I never held them in a high regard to begin with, I've completely lost respect for ENOUGH because in an effort to yet again jump on another humanitarian/political bandwagon, they have simplified the meaning of international statues and are abusing external actors role in protecting citizens. America and the Western world in general need to recognize that they are not world police. It has led them to act like the backward law enforcers citizens despise, who accept payoffs from billionaire drug lords and arrest 14year old corner boys.
Why hasn't ENOUGH written a report demanding that George W. Bush be indicted for international war crimes - considering he has illegally invaded and occupied a country for five years, destroying their infrastructure and invalidating the established method of governance, resulting in millions of refugees and displaced people. All to the political and financial benefit of he and his cohorts. But I won't get into that...
Ultimately, I've had ENOUGH with ENOUGH and they need to seriously reassess their mission and purpose.

Palestians Relocating to Sudan- A Violent Game of Hopscotch

In the US, instability in Iraq has focused around government spending, the loss of American lives, and stark political division. However, in the midst of the chaos are roughly 34,000 stateless Palestinians who have lived in Iraq and faced persecution since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. About 3,000 of them fled to the Iraq/Syrian border, where they have been denied entry into Syria and live on extremely limited resources.
UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) has been in seek of a country willing to host this group. Chile and Sweden have been the most welcoming, as most countries have placed a huge stigma on the Palestinian population.
In a sad, but seemingly only, solution to this dilemma the UN will be relocating them to Sudan, the only country willing to accept them.
This decision is compounded with irony. Sudan is in the midst of a multi-actor and enduring civil war that continues to result in the murder and displacement of millions of its own citizens. On Monday, the ICC put out an arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir that many believe will only heighten the level of insecurity in the region. The relocation of thousands of Palestinians to this region is not only a disservice to Palestinians who have had their lives disrupted for decades, but also for the people of Sudan who are in the midst of an internal battle for resources and many of whom have been marginalized and persecuted by their government as well.