Many people from all over the world have expressed their indignation when they saw or heard that African leaders meeting in Egypt had taken no strong position against their peer Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. What could they have said actually? In other words, who could have said what? Museveni? Kagame? Kabila? Biya? Bongo? Mubarak? Kibaki? El Bashir? Sassou Nguesso? Khadaffi? Ben Ali? - The list can go on and on. They all have internal political struggle to fight and its not time to divert all the cameras to their own home situations that are not always clean. Who among the AU leaders came to power in a democratic way? Many were first rebel leaders who turned democratic and who are now counting…

- There is no doubt that Hilary Clinton and her team are now shooting their last bullets in the campaign for presidency. They lost by using conventional ways and they have opted for non-conventional ones, including exhuming ‘private’ pictures that could influence the views of Americans on Barack Obama. In my view, Obama could turn the pictures in his advantage and his communications advisors should work on that. He has never denied having Kenya blood. He is even proud of it. Wearing a Muslim turban only 5 years after 11 September is not perhaps the best inspiration an American statesman with presidential ambition should have. But so what? Obama’s team would use this…

- The only thing I can say about Bush and his administration’s perception of Africa is that they have been totally indifferent to African issues. Contrary to Clinton who visited the continent on many occasions and still goes there, Bush saw Africa as another market. While defining his diplomatic ties with Africa he said that they would be guided by the “No aid but trade” principle. Coming to Africa now brings nothing at all. Anyway, he will be away next January and his trips and eventual promises will belong to the past.

- The end of last week and the beginning of this one have opened a new chapter in the Kenyan crisis. Another scene of people burnt alive and the assassination of a political figure are putting Kenya of the footprints of Rwanda, especially when political leaders found it normal. I was reading that the army have gone out their barracks to support police. The military are not trained to deal with civilians but rather with enemies, and all could happen, since they too belong to tribes and have families to protect and avenge. In 1994 Africa and the world watched Rwanda going down into the abyss. They hypocritically apologized later and promised to be more vigilant later and to avoid a simil…

- I have been reading statements by the Kenyan government spokesman and I was wondering if he had learnt anything from the Mugabe experience. At least Mugabe has a heroic past and is facing a divided opposition and is responsible of no large-scale massacre. One of his most shocking declarations was that the opposition should go to the ICC if it was not happy with the situation. That is irresponsible! Charles Taylor is there and is not happy about it. He would have preferred a better retirement place. The ICC does not play! It warrants or arrests create panic in many governments. Is it time to be arrogant? Veteran politician Kibaki too seems to be walking on Mugabe’s footprints w…

- I have just read that Kibaki has appointed Musyoka, one of the losers of the presidential election, as vice president and named a cabinet. I find this attitude irresponsible for someone who is supposed to shortly meet Odinga to find an amicable and peaceful solution. Kibaki’s nominations is like a provocation, like kerosene that he is pouring on the Kenyan fire. He is adding a crisis to another. He is closing some doors that were still open for peace and negotiation. I heard some analysts were suggesting to have Odinga as vice president and his supporters in the government for a sort of transitional period. One reason Kibaki is appointing Musyoka as VP is that he is anticipatin…

- Now that the principle of discussion and negotiation is being put forward as the only way out of the Kenyan crisis, it is time to suggest to the future mediation team some solutions that could illuminate them. I am strongly convinced that Kibaki hurriedly took his oath to put everybody, including Odinda and the international community, in front of an accomplished fact, which automatically puts him in the position of control. This means that the mediation team will not have to suggest his stepping down, because it would not work at all. On the other hand, Odinga is strong-headedly convinced that he is the winner, and perhaps he is right, given the fact that the last vote-counting hour…

- In my previous posting in this ‘Issues & Solutions’ series, I discussed good governance and democracy and their application in Africa. Among other conclusions, I suggested that it was much more a matter of individuals on power than the system underlying that power. In this second article, I would like to explore the education issue and how African states are handling. After the home up-bringing, education is said to be the most effective socialising activity for each individual and the basis for lasting development. In my sense, good education simply means and leads to development and good governance. Good learner-good leader I strongly believe that a kid who reg…

- The visit of the Libya leader to Europe has shown the diverging sentiments that the citizens of this world are having vis-à-vis Khaddafi. While most Africans consider him as the father and promoter of the new form of panafricanism, most westerners still perceive him as a godfather of terrorism. While in France earlier this month, French politicians from both the opposition and the ruling party showed open hostility to Khaddafi. He was supposed to address them in the prestigious Pantheon palace, but when he came, none of the MPs was there, which reduced his visit to a few-minute meeting with the parliament’s speaker in the latter’s office. This is not only a diplomatic sc…

- For many observers and western media, the election of the ANC chairman appeared like a presidential election, simply because the winner stands the greatest chance to win the 2009 presidential poll. Thus, the stakes were really high, but the question is to know why Mbeki is willing to lead the party after 10 years on power. Like many analysts, I am of those who think that he should retire and let somebody else take over, just like Mandela. He spent 4 years as Mandela’s vice president, which means he was actually the one in charge as Mandela was too old for everyday presidential tasks. On top of that, we should add 10 years as president, which makes a total of 14 years. That is more…

- In an era when the female beauty competition is becoming common in Africa, the male handsomeness contest is making its first steps into African cultures. Last Monday 17 December, 23 year-old Didier Kubwimana from Rwanda won the first ever organised Mister Africa contest , an event that gathered 12 competitors in the French capital Paris on Monday. “I agreed to take part in the competition because the concept appeared interesting in that it was something new”, Didier said. Competitors included candidates from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, the DRCongo among others. Didier is a second year student in France. This is a sign that things are really changi…

- The attitude of Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is really astonishing. A scandal does not help end another scandal. I wonder why he is not so preoccupied by the DRC situation, where millions have died and thousands others are exposed. He should cut up his collar and say he would not wear a new one until peace return to Congo. For him, even if the Kadhafi metamorphosis should occur, he will no longuer put on his mark of archibishop. I call this a confusion of functions and suspect that there is a conflict between the two. I would have applauded if he had started a hunger strike Please watch this video report.

- In my opinion, the map of African football has not changed iun comparison with the last years. The eternal favourites of the tournament are still the same. However, as Orwell wrote, some are more favourite than others. I thus put them in two categories. The top favourites are: cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt. I hope they will not clash before the semis. The second category comprises Senegal, Tunesia, Ivory Cost, and Ghana. I wish to see them all in the quarter finals. A word about South Africa. Since their victory in 1996, the Bafaba Bafana embarked on a disappointing way down. They have reached the level of any ordinary African team. They now have the status of list-filler, which very un…

- Much is currently being written and said about the African continent. Some comments and reports depict that continent as the fastest growing continent, where business opportunities are unequalled on any other continent. Other portrays Africa as the continent heading to chaos due to HIV/AIDS, wars, famine, etc. Both views, though opposed to each other are correct, and there are facts and figures to back them. The most interesting is to know, despite the above-mentioned optimism, Africa is not getting closer to other continents in terms of development, technology, while it has all natural resources and qualified elites tom make good use of them? This will be my key preoccupation is the c…

- While the whole western block and certain African states are accusing China of fuelling the conflict in Darfur, the first military contingent from that country has arrived in Sudan for a peace keeping mission. Not surprisingly, rebel groups immediately announced that they would target them as their government has already chosen its side. I am saying that Chinese are smart because, like western powers, they have learned how to preserve their overseas strategic interests. The US is diplomatically and militarily omnipresent in the Gulf while the French have strongly established military bases in Gabon, and Chad. Sudan, with its oil reserves and strategic position between the Middle…

- Africa has reached a stage of looking at the world and decide what her place on the global market should be. Though organisations like the Commonwealth and the Francophonie are still perpetuating the colonialistic traces, Africa is, at last, managing to say ‘NO’ to Europe, namely with regards to the EPAs. You cannot build strong business and economic partnerships without looking back to the past. From past errors, you learn and build a better future. In one of my previous postings, I praised president Sarkozy for denouncing and condemning his predecessor’s colonialistic behaviour that emptied Africa of her economic potentialities. If the predecessors wrong, should…

- About 4 centuries ago, the slave trade started in Africa with Eropeans stroming the continent to buy human beings from Africa to the News World. Last Friday 26 October, the a child trade story was brought out by media. I am comparing this to the slave trade not only because the buyer is coming from the north and the “ item” from the south, but also because of the complicity of Africans themselves. In one report, a child told a reporter that people gave money to his father and promised him [the kid] that they will buy a car for him over there in the New World. This reminds of those Africans who sold their own brothers during the slave trade just for some grams of salt o…

- French president Nicolas Sarkozy is confirming his belonging to another generation of statesmen. His rhetoric, frankness and outspokenness which people thought were going to result into multiple diplomatic scandals and crises, are rather becoming his strongest features. Let us take his view of his country’s colonial past. I had never heard any president, except perhaps for Germany and Japan (two countries with unfortunate war experience), so negatively criticizing his country’ s past! All would diplomatically and artificially admit mistakes and emphasize the “ civilizing mission” that the colonizer conducted despite some abuses. That is not Sarkozy’s style, and I really appreciate thi…

- I am impressed and even frustrated by the biased reaction of western media to the election of Libya for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council. The most chocking one comes from CNN, described by many as the ‘sixth permanent member of UNSC’. I watched the news and realised that instead of talking of the election itself, they talked of ‘history’ showing the world that Libya’s history prevented it from seating – even as a non-permanent member – in the UNSC. In this CNN article, just one sentence is dedicated to the election. The rest is a long, biased story wherein Libya is depicted as a criminal state, with a terrorist back ground. I won…

- President Robert Mugabe would have acquired the honourable status of Africa’s hero if he had stepped down in the early 80s. He, an way, liberated Zimbabwe from colonization after a pitiless war against British colonizers. Mugabe’s struggle – and Joshua Nkomo’s – were noble, and there is no doubt about that. That struggle was part of a regional move to get a freer Africa. Zambia, Namibia and South Africa were suffering the same difficulties and a regional solidarity was more than logical at that time. Where were ANC’s ‘military’ bases? Who helped ANC fighters for their travels and other freedom-related transactions? The answer is Mugabe. Who condemned Mandela and other ANCers calling…

- There is something going wrong among African political leaders in 2007. Africa is supposed to have acquired some democratic experiences, but now some practices are reminding us of the era of dictatorships. I strongly agree with Nobel Prize winner Wangari Mathai when she says: “I believe in the freedom of the press that cannot be separated from democracy, my conviction is that journalists should be left to regulate themselves and not be pushed to the wall” (Kenya civil society joins Bill protestors). It is very sad to realise that only northern Africa is having a better score as the following analysis shows: Central Africa This part of Africa is breaking all the records. In the Dem…

- This is marvellous!!! This website is totally different from the previous one! Well done