Sokari Ekine

‘All evils including Gaddafi have vanished from our beloved country!’ – Mahmoud Jibril, Prime Minister of Libya.

In the short space of just two weeks, Africa lost Nobel Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, who transitioned on 25 September, and gained two more, Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, both of Liberia.

In ‘Welcome Mourning’, Keguro Macharia (Gukira) writes on the collectivising power of mourning in bringing together a nation and a sense of belonging.

On Friday 9 September a group of Egyptian protestors stormed the Israeli embassy, raised the Egyptian flag and entered the building. At least 130 protestors were arrested, 1,000 injured and three shot dead by the Egyptian army.

Four months on, Egypt’s euphoria of 11 February has turned to anger and frustration against the military rulers who are proving to be as ruthless as the former regime.

This week I am taking a break from covering social justice and political blogs and instead introducing a different political perspective through some of the many art and literary blogs across the continent.

On 5 March Senegalese blogger Basile announced on his blog (I blog, therefore I am) and on Twitter (@basileniane #19mars) that a ‘We are fed up’ demonstration would take place on 19 March 2011 which made a direct reference to Egypt and Tahrir Square (

Jean-Bertrand Aristide described the process of revolution as an endless one. In many ways the first two stages – planning and overthrow of the state – are the easiest, the most clear-cut. It is in these times that solidarity and revolutionary love are able to flourish.

The government of Goodluck Jonathan is facing internal conflict on two fronts – from the Niger Delta in the south east, and from Boko Haram which emerged in 2004 and whose base is in the Borno State in the north east.

On 17 January 2011, a 41-year-old Mauritanian businessman, Yacoub Ould Dahoud, burned himself in front of the presidential palace in Nouakchott. He later died in Morocco where he was sent for medical treatment.