African democracy institute Idasa is to hold a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from 8-10 November, on "Governance and Small-scale Agriculture in West Africa". It will examine governance and public investment processes and how these are shaping small-scale agriculture in the region.

Across some of South Africa’s most impoverished neighbourhoods, a youth photography programme is helping students document their lives – while also raising wider awareness of their communities’ struggles. The Umuzi Photo Club is run entirely by a volunteer staff of dedicated teachers and organizers. The innovative organization integrates technical and creative skills with organic community development, helping young people see their communities – and find solutions to problems – in new ways.

In appreciation of the tremendous progress made by the authorities in Niger to return the country to constitutional order, ECOWAS leaders decided here Friday that the country can once again attend the meetings of the regional bloc, albeit as an observer. Niger's suspension could be totally lifted if the ongoing political transition programme in the country culminates in the restoration of democracy by March 2011, as contained in the transition time-table rolled out by the ruling junta.

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai should pull out of the government of national unity to prevent his Movement for Democratic Change from becoming irrelevant, the head of Zimbabwe's National Constitutional Alliance said. Lovemore Madhuku told delegates to a conference held by rights group Zimbabwe Democracy Now at the University of the Witwatersrand yesterday that the MDC could lose credibility and support if it did not act soon.

A debt relief programme worth $12.3bn (£8.1bn) has been agreed for the Democratic Republic of Congo, it has been announced. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank said the country had made good efforts to reform its economy and governance in recent years.

What is the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support processes of democratisation and empowerment in developing countries? This report, prepared for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, outlines the theoretical background to discussions on ICTs and democracy, and presents case studies from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has reiterated that country's long-held view and called for international financial institutions to be overhauled to give developing economies a greater say. Addressing a session of the Group of 20 (G-20) in Toronto at the weekend, Mr Zuma said it was time for the group’s leaders to take the initiative with regard to the reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The International Federation of the Journalists (IFJ) has strongly condemned the bomb attack against eight journalists on Tuesday, 29th June 2010, the injury of another journalist on July 1st and the arrest of two journalists in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia. “We condemn these senseless attacks which had caused lot of injuries, to innocent civilians including those of our colleagues” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa office. “It is a stark reminder of the dangers the Somali media are exposed to in their daily work. We demand an urgent reaction from the Transitional Government to ensure their protection.”

It has been revealed that between 10 to 15 percent of Cameroonians suffer from Hepatitis B, C and D. This gives a total population of over two million Cameroonians. This revelation was made recently during celebrations marking the World Day of Viral-Hepatitis in Yaounde under the auspices of the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda.

Participants to the just concluded West and Central Africa Com (WECA) conference in Dakar, Senegal, are hopeful that Africa, like other developed continents of the world, would soon experience full broadband revolution. Majority of speakers, who were concerned about the poor state of infrastructure in Africa, called on telecom operators from various countries in Africa, especially those from West and Central Africa, to intensify efforts in building networks that would accommodate the expected broadband revolution.

The Western Sahara conflict, notes analyst Yahia Zoubir, is now in the 35th year, with no sign of resolution. While the United Nations is ostensibly responsible for its resolution, France and the United States provide implicit support for Moroccan occupation of the territory, failing to support a referendum which might include the option of independence. The issue continues to poison relations between Algeria and Morocco, blocking hopes of regional economic integration in the Maghrib.

Tunisia plans to lease over 9,641 hectares of farmland to foreign investors this year to help increase agricultural production and exports, a government official said on Friday. The official from the Agency of Agricultural Investment said the government would invite foreign investors to bid for the leases on July 30 and would pick the winners later this year.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday that his country would never be able to repay the 'historical debts' it owes Africa, and proposed a relations hip between Brazil and Africa that transcends trade and commerce. President Lula, who spoke as the first Brazil-ECOWAS summit got underway on the Island of Sal in Cape Verde, said conditions must be built to ensure the transfer of technology to Africa ''so that they can produce what we are producing''.

Somaliland's opposition leader Ahmed Silanyo, has been declared winner of the presidential elections held in the self-declared Republic last weekend, the electoral body said. Silanyo, who stood on the platform of the Kulmiye Party, secured nearly 50 per cent of the vote, defeating incumbent President Dahir Riyale Kahin, who garnered more than 33 per cent of the votes.

On June 17th, the third panafrican conference on best practices in ICT in francophone Africa opened in Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso [fr]. While the conference focused on strategies to curb cyber-criminality, the Togolese blogosphere is embracing the potential of information technology for development, especially women and young people.

The Egyptian authorities have charged two plain-clothed police officers in connection with the death of a 28-year-old man in Alexandria a month ago. Witnesses say Khaled Said died after he was dragged out of an internet cafe and beaten up. The government says he swallowed a packet of drugs and choked.

The FIFA headquarters are nestled into a secluded spot on the hill overlooking Zurich, one of the richest cities in the world. Here a glass of coke will cost you R60 at a restaurant. The city, set around a lake with snow capped mountains in the background, is picture perfect in a chocolate boxy kind of way. But it’s not just a twee live-in European theme park pretending to be a city. Zurich is also home to squats, innovative housing and artists’ collectives, large immigrant communities, a thriving music scene and political dissidents from around the world.

At an energy consultation on June 29 for which it took weeks to finalize a date, 25 Egyptians from various segments of society, including NGOs, academic institutions, and private firms, all had one clear message for the World Bank to think about when designing its new energy strategy: "focus on renewable energy projects."

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed deep concern over the arrest on Saturday, 26th June ,2010 of Hadis Mohemed Hadis, editor of the online paper Baadiyenews.com, an independent website published in Somaliland. Hadis is charged with “serious crimes”. “The criminal charges slammed on our colleague are fabricated with the intention to intimidate and muzzle the independent media. Hadis is charged with a “criminal offence” for simply doing his duty in a professional way” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office.

Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa was detained for almost three hours at Germany’s Munich airport on Thursday, when he was on his way to attend the European Union-Zimbabwe talks in Brussels, Belgium. Chinamasa was part of a three-member ministerial delegation that flew to Brussels via Germany. The other two are head of delegation Energy Minister, Elton Mangoma and International Cooperation Minister, Priscilla Mishairabwi-Mushonga.