Monthly Archives: July 2011

Harrowing tales from those fleeing the Libyan conflict

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

By Simba Russeau As African Union and NATO leaders push for a political solution to the Libyan crisis, many of the thousands of refugees and migrants stranded on the Libyan- Tunisian border say their plight continues to fall on deaf ears. Sitting outside her makeshift tent with her daughter and grandson, 63-year-old Somali refugee Hawiyeh Awal tries to find a bit of shelter from the scorching sun on the Tunisian desert. “I’m so scared that I’m going to die in this hot desert,” she says. “I have diabetes and I’ve lost more than eight kilos since coming here because of the hot weather.” Before arriving in Tunisia by bus several … Continue reading →

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The bedrock of British liability in Zimbabwe explained

Posted on July 27, 2011 by

Researched by Robert Asketill With today’s interference by foreign powers in who should rule Libya, without sufficient attention to the future consequences, it might be of interest to look at the past case of Zimbabwe, (Southern Rhodesia) and Cecil Rhodes who originated the racist “land grabs” to which Zimbabwe’s current miseries can ultimately be traced. How can a sovereign state impose liability on another sovereign state? How can Zimbabwe “impose” land reform liability on Britain? This astonishing question is often asked. However, if we look at past history we make an odd discovery — that, Britain actually acquired liability without duress and in its normal and sober senses. When Cecil John … Continue reading →

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South Sudan and the meaning of independence – The ICC should go after the killers of Garang

Posted on July 19, 2011 by

In the last part of his article on the new South Sudan, Prof Horace Campbelldecries the failure of the International Criminal Court to go after those who killed Dr John Garang in the same way they have gone after President Omar al-Bashir. He chastises Garang’s killers and says they failed in their attempt to ‘kill a dream’. Please read on. Many South Sudanese have lived in Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and north Sudan. They have relations with trade unionists, cooperatives, schools, churches, mosques, nongovernmental organisations and other sections of what is called civil society. In South Africa, trade union centres such as COSATU can assist and the people of South Sudan should … Continue reading →

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Revamping the African Union – Last Part: Gumede calls on Africa to scrap all repressive and insulting laws

Posted on July 19, 2011 by

In the last part of his article calling for a revamped African Union, Prof William Gumede is calling on Africa to scrap all repressive laws, laws that he calls ‘insulting’, like the one that outlaws criticism of presidents. He argues that the debate on the future of Africa must not be limited to leaders or the elite. Read on. The sub-regional African institutions, SADC, COMESA and the EAC (East Africa Community) must all be collapsed to make way for a revamped AU, a continental-wide common market and Africa free trade area. Africa can escape the high tariffs in industrial countries by instead of exporting products to these industrial countries exporting … Continue reading →

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Revamping the African Union – Part Two: Call for a test of acceptance

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

  African political unity must be selective. The basis of a revamped African Union must start with a small group of countries that should club together who can pass a double ‘stress’ test based on quality of a democracy and the prudence of their economic governance. When the final decision was made on the structure of the AU in 2001, there were two options on the table to determine membership criteria. One option argued for selective membership based on meeting certain democratic and development criteria. The second option argued for all African countries to be members, regardless of whether they are led by dictators. This latter option was pushed by … Continue reading →

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South Sudan and the meaning of Independence – Part Two: A look at five areas of wealth that South Sudan possesses

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

In part two of his series on the meaning of Independence to the South Sudanese, Prof Horace Campbell highlights five main areas of wealth that the new South Sudan nation is proud and lucky to have. These are: the people, water, land, oil and linguistic diversity. Now read on. The Republic of South Sudan is entering independence as one of the richest and most resource endowed countries in Africa. There are many areas of wealth that are already outstanding among the vast wealth of this new member of the international community. I will highlight five. The first is the wealth in the more than eight million people of the country. Some … Continue reading →

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Call for a new ‘revamped’ African Union

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

Political unity across much of Africa has proven to be a question of ‘glorified clubs of leadership chums’ protecting one another through regional institutions, writes William Gumede. With the rise of new emerging powers in the world, Africa needs a new ‘revamped’ African Union, involving member countries who meet appropriate standards around democracy and economic governance. Read on. There cannot be any clearer illustration of the impotence of Africa’s continental and regional institutions to find local solutions to the continent’s problems than their numbing inaction in the face of the wave of popular rebellions against dictators in North Africa sweeping across the continent. African continental and regional institutions were conspicuously … Continue reading →

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South Sudan and the meaning of Independence – Part One

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

By Horace Campbell On 9 July 2011, the people of the Republic of South Sudan raised their flag in Juba to symbolize the declaration of political independence. This ascension to independence was one more step in the peace process that is supposed to bring the peoples of the Sudan from war to peace. This peace came after the second civil war. The first civil war which began a year before the independence of Sudan lasted from 1955 to1972. In 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed after 23 years of war (1982-2005). This agreement stipulated that after six years there should be a referendum where the people of South Sudan … Continue reading →

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How the British gathered naval intelligence on Buganda – second episode

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

By Robert Asketill To the west of Kampala is the small Saza of Busunju. It contains the greater part of Lake Wamala and a certain number of saddle backed hills, where there is good grazing. Bulemeezi, Buruli and Singo, constitute together the northern part of Buganda. Bulemeezi to the north of Kampala and west of the Ssezibwa River, is the most thickly populated district in Buganda, and has excellent short grass pasture, the best grazing in the country. Buruli lies to the north of Bulemeezi, between Lake Kioga on the north-east and the lower reaches of the Kafu on the north-west. It is covered for the most part with thick … Continue reading →

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Why South Sudan needs more support in developing its infrastructure

Posted on July 16, 2011 by

Following the break-up of Africa’s largest country, the International Crisis Group (ICG) assesses the nead for the world’s newest member state and concludes that President Salva Kiir will need all the support he urgently needs to build the countr’s future. below is the ICG’s assement of the problems President Kiir has taken on. On 9 July 2011, Africa’s largest country split in two, formalizing the long-awaited independence of South Sudan following decades of war and acrimony between North and South. While the January 2011 referendum on Southern self-determination passed relatively peacefully, under close international scrutiny, tensions mounted in months leading up to the South’s independence. Much remains to be done to … Continue reading →

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