Southern Sudan's move towards secession develops further. Controversy erupted surrounding what many consider to be an undemocratic election in Sudan, which was marred by allegations of corruption and intimidation both in the North and the South, as Khalid al Nur writes. Failure to conduct free and democratic elections undermines one of the fundamental aims of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005. Al Nur seeks to demonstrate that both northern and southern parties share this failure, and a lack of understanding between the two regions persists.

Following the 9th anniversary of the April 2001 African Heads of State commitment to allocate at least 15% of annual domestic budgets to health, Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, honorary chair and patron of the Africa Public Health Alliance and 15% Plus Campaign, has called on African heads of state, and ministers of health and finance to work urgently towards a 10th year anniversary High Level Progressive Review of the landmark African commitment on health financing.

Contrary to the expectation of voter apathy in Kenya’s constitutional referendum in August 2010, province-wide voter registration surpassed target numbers. Yet the unexpected participation could have a dark side, writes L. Muthoni Wanyeki. The apparent truism that those in opposition are easier moved into action could help to explain the high number of registered voters. This is troubling because misinformation abounds about the proposed constitutional clauses.

From a colonial-era upbringing to coming of age in a time when newly independent Kenya was moving quickly to establish itself as a liberated nation, Sitawa Namwalie remembers an elusive vision of her identity. Central to her cultural misplacement was the submission of her maternal language to the imported and dominant English language. Namwalie discovers herself again through the work of fellow writer and cultural figure Ngugi wa Thiong’o. This Kenyan author’s choice to write in Gikuyu inspired Namwalie to reflect on the importance of carving a cultural niche with language, and on the role of choice in deciding to do it.

The role of human rights defenders as witnesses in the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into Kenya’s post-election violence of 2007-08 is critical to any hope of ultimate prosecution, but protection of those witnesses has not been treated with corresponding gravity, writes Tennille Duffy. Recent violence against human rights defenders combined with the expected political fallout of the ICC prosecutor’s allegations underscore the serious need for an effective witness protection plan. Such a plan has not been realised, despite reforms to the Witness Protection Act. Government failure to act threatens to undermine the ICC investigation because witness risk could deter testimony.

Earlier this year, Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of the former president of South Africa, was invited to speak to staff at AFRICOM, the US Africa Command, about the institution’s role in security and development issues on the continent. Riaz Tayob provides an overview of the key points in Mbeki’s speech and offers an assessment of his arguments.

While China frequently comes under fire as the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, its per capita emissions – at five tonnes per person – are far lower than those of South Africa. Khadija Sharife takes a closer look at support for Eskom’s plans to build new coal-fired power plant Medupi, asking who the project’s real beneficiaries are and what it will cost.

The massive oil spill triggered by the explosion of Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, is raising awareness among US citizens of the lethal side-effects of the petroleum industry, the negative impacts of which have largely been felt in ecosystems and communities abroad, writes Horace Campbell. Moreover, following on the Copenhagen and Cochabamba conferences on climate change, it has ‘created another base for cooperation and coordination among environmental activists in all parts of the world’ to campaign for oil to be left ‘in the ground and beneath the ocean floor’.

Asha Elkarib is a Sudanese social justice activist and member of Tamam – a network for Sudanese civil society groups and NGOs working for equality, justice and democracy in Sudan. Through her involvement in Tamam, she acted as an election monitor in the recent Sudanese general elections – a colossal political event, as they were the first in 24 years. She shares her thoughts and experience on the electoral process, the role of civil society and the future of Sudan with Pambazuka News.

As a huge cloud-whitening experiment goes public, with funding from the Gates Foundation, a global coalition of civil society groups and individuals is urging an immediate halt to geoengineering, at the first UN talks on the issue in 30 years, which are taking place in Nairobi from 10–21 May.

Nancy Muigei’s ‘very touching poem’ drew record numbers of comments from readers of last week’s issue of Pambazuka News. We share a selection of their responses.

With the Merowe dam project in northern Sudan having caused the displacement of many thousands of people, Peter Bosshard writes on efforts to bring German company Lahmeyer International to justice.

For all its rhetoric on atrocities and democracy in Africa, the US government's support for authoritarian regimes on the continent paints a different picture, write Kevin Funk and Steven Fake.

In the wake of disturbing homophobic statements from certain US Christian groups in support of anti-gay legislation in Uganda and beyond, the Pocono Record comments on the work of faith leaders in the US to counter the animosity.

With Mother's Day celebrated in May in Ethiopia, Alemayehu G. Mariam honours the contribution and sacrifices of one of the country's much lauded mothers, human rights defender Birtukan Midekssa.

I should not speak nor shout;

I’m a woman

I should not talk nor ask;

I’m a woman

I should obey and not question;

I’m a woman

I should accept the little wage my master pays;

I’m a woman

I should not speak about the molestation and abuses;

I’m a woman

I should suffer the oppression and humiliation of culture;

I’m a woman

I shouldn’t own land,

I’m a woman

And so are the tears and woes;

Embattled;

Oppressed

The tribe less; colorless; cries

Of;

Woman!

Adolphe E. Rakotomanga

Alex Free

Martí Olivella

Amady Aly Dieng

A public disagreement between Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and Finance Minister Tendai Biti over pay increases in public servants' salaries is being seen as evidence of greater divisions between two of the most senior leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Government indifference threatens to put an end to the Uganda Millennium Science Initiative (MSI) project, says former executive director of the Africa Academy of Sciences, Tom Egwang. The US$30 million MSI programme, financed by the World Bank and launched in 2006, has made great progress in many areas including malaria vaccines, fisheries, climate change and agri-biotechnology, says Egwan.

Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's acting president, has been sworn in as the country's new leader following the death of Umaru Yar'Adua. Jonathan took the oath of office at a ceremony in the capital, Abuja, on Thursday, just hours after officials announced the death of Yar'Adua following a long illness.