Activists lobbying for democratic reform in Swaziland have vowed to push ahead with their campaign, even though several of them were temporarily detained this week for blocking the five border posts between South Africa and Swaziland. "We'll meet with our counterparts in Swaziland to chart a way forward. We are right now consulting with each other and we will agree on a date for mass action as soon as we can," Bongani Masuku, secretary general of the Johannesburg-based Swaziland Solidarity Network, a non-governmental organisation, told IPS.

In a renewed campaign, African trade ministers have urged the United States to remove agricultural subsidies that are hurting African farmers. "We need to maintain pressure on the U.S. to remove agriculture subsidies because this is an impediment to our development," said Kenya's Vice President. "The removal of these subsidies will be a clear demonstration of the ability of the multilateral trading system to respond positively to the genuine cry of the many poor African farmers who live on less than one dollar a day," he said. The 20 trade ministers, who met under the auspices of the 53-member African Union (AU), called on the United States to indicate when it would stop subsidising its farmers, as the Doha round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations get close to conclusion in 2006.

Large-scale projects such as dams and nuclear power plants, more funding for renewable energy and greater market liberalisation by poor nations are all solutions to climate change, poverty and fossil fuel dependence, according to an internal World Bank document leaked by a non-governmental organisation. The document, "Investment Framework for Clean Energy and Development", obtained by IPS, will be discussed at the upcoming joint spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It offers the first public glimpse of the potential features of a plan proposed by rich nations last summer to combat global warming and help secure future energy supplies. The strategy could affect billions of dollars in energy investments, and impact the environment and ecosystems around the world.

King Mohammed's pledge to grant autonomy to Western Sahara is a breakthrough and should ease concerns on all sides over the territory's fate, said a Sahrawi leader and chairman of the council working on the proposal. "It is the first time in the kingdom's history that a Moroccan king promises autonomy for the Sahrawis," Khali Henna Ould Errachid, chairman of the Royal Consultative Council for Sahara Affairs, told Reuters. "The autonomy satisfies the aspirations of all Sahrawis. It will end the conflict. I have no doubt on that," he added.

The Supreme Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to examine a petition against President Joseph Kabila's candidature in general elections set for later this year. Andre-Alain Atundu Liongo, the president of the Holy Alliance, a group opposed to Kabila, filed the suit on Wednesday (April 13) claiming that Kabila was ineligible to contest the country's presidency as he was still a member of the army. According to Congolese law, passed after a referendum in December 2005, no member of the army, police or the civil service is eligible to contest public office. Those wishing to do so must produce a letter showing they have left government service.

South African police shot and injured at least one person with rubber bullets on Wednesday when they tried to disperse a crowd trying to blockade a border crossing with Swaziland in a political protest, police said. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), which joined Swazi pro-democracy groups in organising Wednesday's protests, said eight people were wounded in the shooting incident and protested strongly to the government.

FEATURED: Twelve years after Rwanda, Gerald Caplan warns of many more genocides
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS:
- Fifty-four women from 21 African countries stand up for Kwezi, the complainant in the Zuma rape trial
- World Health Day 2006: New research shows massive outflow of Africa's wealth behind underdevelopment
- Four Pambazuka News readers comment on the Charles Taylor trial
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender activists (LGBT) meet on discriminatory Nigerian legislation and persecution of homosexuals in Cameroon
LETTERS
- Is homosexuality really “unafrican”?; Falling down in Zimbabwe; Happy 250th birthday for Pambazuka News
PAN-AFRICAN POSTCARD: Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem asks 'who can be trusted with nuclear weapons?'
BLOGGING AFRICA: Blog columnist Sokari Ekine wraps up the blogosphere
BOOKS AND ARTS:
- Warning: “Site-specific gallery installation by up-and-coming artist. Visitors may find certain works in this exhibition challenging.” Shailja Patel introduces Wangechi Mutu
- Gangsters and Democracy: A review of Jonny Steinberg’s The Number
CONFLICT AND EMERGENCIES: Unease in N’Djamena as rebels move closer
HUMAN RIGHTS: Transparency campaigners arrested in Congo
WOMEN AND GENDER: What challenges does UN reform present for women?
REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION: UK judges order Zim refugees back home
ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE: Worries over passing of Ugandan NGO legislation
DEVELOPMENT: NGOs call for fast-tracked trade negotiations
CORRUPTION: World Bank corruption back in the news
HEALTH AND HIV/AIDS: World Health Report 2006
EDUCATION: Child labour blocks Education for All
ENVIRONMENT: Shell told to stop gas flaring in Nigeria
MEDIA AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Journalist on hunger strike in Tunisia
INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY: New bookmarking tool for Internet café users
PLUS: Courses, Seminars and Workshops, Fundraising and Useful Resources, Jobs

* French speaking? French friends?

Read the Pambazuka News French edition by visiting Subscribe online at http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/subscribe.php or send an email to [email][email protected] with 'subscribe French edition' in the subject line. Please forward widely!

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PAMBAZUKA NEWS - 250 ISSUES
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This is the 250th issue of Pambazuka News.

Thank you to all of you who have continued to support, subscribe, promote and sustain us with articles and information that we publish each week. Thanks also to those who sent us good wishes on our 250th 'birthday'. We are older (and if you realised what it takes to produce Pambazuka News, we feel much older than that). From its early days of being generated in a dark basement in Oxford, Pambazuka News today is almost entirely produced in Africa by Fahamu's staff in South Africa, Kenya and Senegal, and by volunteers in so many other places. Pambazuka is now produced in two languages - English and French. We feel proud to have been able to make a contribution to the struggles for rights and social justice across the continent, including support for the ratification and implementation of the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, campaigns around media and freedaom of expression, remembering the anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, making critical analyses of issues such as debt, aid and trade, the WTO, the World Bank, EPAs, to name but a few.

Pambazuka News depends on your support. Encourage others to subscribe, forward copies of the newsletter to others, send us information about the struggles that you are engaged in, and - if you can afford it - reach deep into your pockets and make a donation. Every little helps to make Pambazuka News an authentic voice for building a different world, one that is free from oppression and exploitation, one where everyone recognises their social responsibilities, respects each other’s differences, and where each of us can realise our full potential.

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The 23rd International Gay & Lesbian Association (ILGA) meeting was concluded in Geneva on Monday 4th April after a week of discussions and workshops around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues (LGBT). Africa was represented by LGBT activists from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tunisia and Senegal.

The two issues that most concerned the Africa group were the homosexuality trial in Cameroon and the proposed same sex marriage law in Nigeria.

Among other issues tackled were: the case of Ugandan LGBT activist, Victor Julie Mukasa. An outline of her case and her proposed course of action was presented in a plenary session alongside with a description of The All Africa Rights Initiative (AARI) and The Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL).

On the arrest and detention of 35 men on homosexuality charges in Cameroon (11 are still in prison), Alice Nkom, the lawyer for the defendants, was present and was able to provide us with details on the background to the case and the present situation. The trial is due to start on the 21st of this month. The prisoners have been refused bail and are housed in overcrowded cells with the most violent criminals, where they are sure to be sexually assaulted. Nkom reported that there was one positive element in that the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, has asked that people put their religious and personal beliefs aside and judge the matter on the basis of human rights. She is approaching the case from the point of view that like the Jim Crow laws of southern US which led to the Civil Rights movement and the apartheid laws of South Africa, the law being applied in the Republic of Cameroon is a violation of human rights.
Just last week, 11 female students were dismissed from their college "after confessing" to the Disciplinary Council of the school of belonging to a network of lesbians.

In the case of Nigeria, the proposed legislation which will ban any advocacy around LGBT issues – the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, 2006 - has already been presented to the House of Representatives. President Obasanjo is calling for the bill to be fast tracked.

President Obasanjo urges the National Assembly to give expeditious consideration and passage to the bill. “This is because the problem has become topical and embarrassing in recent times.”The House Leader added that "the problem of homosexuality has become very disturbing in view of the increasing number of gays and lesbians in the country".

Nigerian delegates said the bill would create a climate of fear amongst the community at large and would impact on HIV counseling and testing; drive the issue of sexual identity underground; and further reduce the number of reported rape cases both for men and women. Women and girls would be even more reluctant to report rape for fear of being labelled lesbian and therefore the bill would put women at even more risk of being raped. As advocacy and support by any organisation around sexual identity will become illegal, organisations such as Alliance Rights Nigeria and SPIN will be at risk of being criminalised.

The Nigerian contingent met with a lawyer from the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (HRC) to discuss possible strategies. It was decided that the first step would be to present a document outlining the issue of LGBT in Nigeria in relation to the proposed legislation to the HRC. Another possible course of action was to take the matter to the constitutional court. The lawyer pointed out that the process would take anything from 5-10 years with no guarantee of a positive outcome. There were three considerations:

1) Innovation (no legal precedent);

2) Hostile judges and a hostile system leading to an unfavourable judgement;

3) Social perception leads to legal change and in this case the overwhelming social perception is that homosexuals are social misfits and or mental cases.

In the North, gay men are seen as being paedophiles and or pimps whilst ironically in the south many lesbians are quite open about their sexuality.

Two Africans - one transgender and one lesbian - were chosen as ILGA representatives for the continent.

On Friday night we learned that the proposed bill had been presented to the House. The following day two meetings were held to discuss how to respond. It was decided that Human Rights Watch would take the lead by contacting various international organisations and possibly the UK government to take the matter up with the Nigerian Government and President.

It was also decided to contact Bishop Desmond Tutu and possibily Nelson Mandela in the hope that they could speak directly with the President and other members of government and the Senate.

Also on Monday 4th April, representatives from some African LGBT groups accompanied by ILGA officials presented a letter protesting the current anti gay bill in Nigeria to the Nigerian Embassy in Geneva.

African organisations that participated in the conference were:

Freedom and Roam Uganda
Alliance Rights Nigeria
SPIN
Changing Attitude
The Rainbow Project
Engender
GALZ
FEW
ARC En Ciel D'Afrique

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks,

* Please send comments to [email protected]

Charles Taylor, the President of Liberia between 1997 and 2003, is in jail, awaiting trial on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict in Sierra Leone. A decision to move his trial, taking place through the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), to The Hague in the Netherlands, because of fears over whether he can be kept securely in Sierra Leone has not been finalized because there is no agreement over which country will hold him once he is convicted.

Taylor’s incarceration follows three years of obscurity. The former warlord was being held in Nigeria under an asylum deal, but this changed dramatically on March 28, when the Nigerian government announced Taylor’s disappearance from his residence in Calabar, Nigeria. On March 29, however, Taylor was arrested in Gamboru, along Nigeria's northeastern border with Cameroon. He was subsequently transferred to Liberia and handed over to the UN in Sierra Leone. On March 30, the Special Court requested permission for the International Criminal Court in The Hague to carry out the trial.

Having presided over a brutal civil war that cost the lives of up to 200,000 people and displaced an estimated one million, Taylor’s reign of terror over West Africa has not been forgotten, and he maintains a grip on the region, leading to fears that if his trial is not handled carefully it could lead to further conflict. Pambazuka News readers were quick to comment on the arrest of Charles Taylor. We have reproduced these commentaries below in summary form, with the full commentaries available through the website link provided. Send your comments on Charles Taylor to

1. Bringing African dictators and warlords to justice

Ndung’u Wainaina notes that bringing Charles Taylor and other dictators to justice, other than its importance in establishing the rule of law and deterring future human rights violations, gives victims an opportunity to know the truth about the past and seek reparations for these violations.

2. The many lives of Charles Taylor

Kintu Nyago points out that it was largely US pressure that led to Taylor’s arrest. This, he argues, has enormous implications for Africa and its emerging governance institutions such as the African Union.

3. The Trial of Charles Taylor and the Fate of Africa

Stan Chu Ilo says that the fate and future of Africa will be determined by the extent that leaders are held accountable for their actions by Africans and the international community.

4. Charles Taylor, The Escape Artist

Prof. Vivian Seton says that every morning, Taylor should take care of the crippled by bathing them, feeding them, combing their hair and taking care of their personal hygiene as this is the only way he will experience what it is like to be maimed and crippled.

Fifty-four women from 21 African countries, meeting in Johannesburg to discuss women's rights and HIV/AIDS, have issued a statement expressing concern about the Jacob Zuma rape trial. Zuma, the former deputy president of South Africa, has been charged with rape following allegations by a 31-year-old HIV-positive woman. The trial has been characterized by ugly scenes outside the court building, with Khwezi, as the complainant has been nicknamed by her supporters, being abused and insulted by supporters of Zuma.

We, 54 women from 21 African countries representing 41 national, regional and international women's organizations in Africa; comprising of HIV and AIDS organizations, feminist associations and human rights institutions, meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa between April 6 and 7, 2006 to formulate advocacy positions on women's rights in the context of HIV and AIDS are outraged at the direction that the rape trial of the deputy President of the African National Congress, ANC, Jacob Zuma is taking. We find the conduct of the defence lawyers, the media, the courts and the police dishonorable.

1. We have been and continue to be affected by the twin epidemics of Violence Against Women and HIV and AIDS in various ways. Many of us are living with HIV, provide care and support to members of our families and communities who are infected with HIV and living with AIDS. We have either as young girls, or in our adult life, survived violent crimes committed against us by men in powerful positions within our families and in our communities. Some of us remember those women who have been senselessly murdered through acts of violence committed at home, at work and at school. We know that women are often raped by men who are known to them.

2. We take this opportunity to publicly state that we stand in solidarity with Khwezi. We applaud her brave stance in reporting her experience to the police and in standing before the courts to name her violation. Khwezi has shown respect for the mechanisms that exist in South Africa to report and resolve crimes. Confronting powerful men in powerful positions is a difficult and courageous task. We wish her, all of South Africa and the world to know that she has our love and our support.

3. We are outraged by the horrific and unethical victimization Khwezi has received in and through the mainstream broadcast and print media. She has been vilified by a form of reporting that is biased and blatantly sexist. We are noting those sectors of the media that continue to serve as judge and jury through the lens of the mass media, conferring guilt on Khwezi through inappropriate coverage of her HIV status, her dress, and her sexual past based on violations committed during her childhood.

4. We are angered by the inaction of the police, who, rather than provide a safe environment for Khwezi, have left thousands of Zuma's supporters to burn underwear and images of Khwezi outside the courts in ghastly acts of hatred and intimidation. We believe that the Commissioner of Police has continued to permit what amounts to public violence to unfold in the vicinity of the courts. Where he could have ensured a peaceful atmosphere prevailed, he has let Khwezi suffer dramatically brutal acts of bullying in her journey to and from the courts.

5. We are offended by the manner in which Jacob Zuma has manipulated traditional Zulu practice and custom. We are also outraged by Zuma's admitted attempts to abuse Zulu culture by seeking to buy off Khwezi and her mother with a few fattened cows. It makes women seem like a bag of meat that can be humped and the issue settled by trading a few cattle as marriage negotiation. This tactic of invoking customary options is a manipulative affront to a continent that daily struggles with notions of barbarism and primitivism in a global world that is built on racist and unequal frames and that believes that Africans cannot respect human rights.

6. Given the irresponsible and inaccurate remarks made by Jacob Zuma with respect to risk of HIV transmission and the infamous shower, we call for the dismantling of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) as it is evidently a vehicle of misinformation and miseducation that permits the abuse of political power rather than meeting its statutory mandate with respect to HIV prevention, treatment and care.

7. Opening up the sexual violations Khewzi experienced as a five year old or thirteen year old child to the scrutiny of the courts is improper. These are incidents that happened when she was a minor who needed protection. It is unfair to present them as part of the present case history.

8. South Africa prides itself as a democracy whose Constitution promotes and protects women's human rights and freedoms from sexual violations. It prides itself on promoting and protecting the rights of women and people living with HIV and AIDS. South Africa claims to have a sophisticated judiciary that is free of political and other powerful influence. We want these bold claims to hold true.

Given South Africa's pivotal role in regional and international politics, how the Zuma Rape Case is treated by the media, the courts, the police, the ruling African National Congress, the Office of the President, by Parliament, by the Human Rights Commission, by the Gender Equality Commission, by every single arm of government, will send strong signals about the Human Rights of Women in Africa in the 21st century. A century where South Africa and the other 52 nations of the African continent have adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa and the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa under the auspices of the African Union. And also where the SADC region has a Gender and Development Declaration and its Addendum on Violence against Women that has been signed by all its members including South Africa.

The women of the African continent deserve better than this. Women's rights are human rights and should not be violated under any circumstances; religious, political or cultural. Will South Africa walk its talk by upholding its Constitution and its Commitments at regional and international levels on women's rights?

Signed: Ama Kpetigo, Women in Law & Development (WILDAF), Amie Bojang-Sissoho, GAMCOTRAP, Amie Joof-cole, FAMEDEV,Beatrice Were, Uganda, Bernice Heloo, SWAA International, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, AWDF, Buyiswa Mhambi, Empinsweni Aids Centre, Caroline Sande, Kenya, Dawn Cavanagh, Gender AIDS Forum, Diakhoumba Gassama, Dorothy Namutamba, ICW, Ednah Bhala, Ellen Chitiyo, The Women's Trust, Ennie Chipembere, South Africa, Everjoice Win, South Africa, Faith Kasiva, COVAW – Kenya, Faiza Mohamed, Somalia, Flora Cole, WOLDDOF –GHANA, Funmi Doherty, SWAA – Nigeria, Gcebile Ndlovu, ICW, Harriet Akullu, Uganda, Helene Yinda, Switzerland, Isabella Matambanadzo, OSISA, Isatta Wuire, SWAA - Sierre Leone, Izeduwa Derex-Briggs, Nigeria, Jane Quaye, FIDA – Ghana, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, Women's Aids Collective (WACOL), Ludfine Anyango, Kenya, Marion Stevens, South Africa, Mary Sandasi, WASN, Mary Wandia, Kenya, Matrine Chuulu, WLSA, Neelanjana Mukhia, South Africa, Sandasi Daughters, Zimbabwe, Olasunbo Odebode, Prudence Mabele, Positive Women's Network, Rouzeh Eghtessadi, Sarah Mukasa, Akina mama Wa Afrika, Shamillah Wilson, AWID, Sindi Blose, Siphiwe Hlophe, SWAPOL, Sisonke Msimang, OSISA, Tabitha Mageto, Africa, Taziona Sitamulaho, South Africa, Theo Sowa, Therese Niyondiko, Thoko Matshe, Vera Doku, AWDF, Oti Anukpe Ovrawah, National Human Rights Commission - Abuja

* Please send comments to

I do not see the reason why "gays and lesbians" should cry foul and seek special protection of the law when other sexual orientations are not specially protected.

One of the major problems that we have in Africa is with these young generations and even some old who just join the Western ship without much ado. The author refers to a book by Stephen Murray and Will Roscoe. Are these African scholars? Why should Africans wait for Western scholars to, not only tell, but also interpret their history? What rational basis is there to conclude that because Nzinga was a female "king" with male "wives" in the 1640s in one kingdom, then homosexuality is African? A thorough study of those cultural ancient settings will tell you that that tradition and many things discussed in that book are far removed from homosexuality which, in my personal opinion, is rightly treated along with bestiality as unnatural sexual behaviour. Why allow these Western scholars to inculcate into us their depraved culture and emasculate our cultural traditions in broad daylight? For once I agree with Mugabe.

When same gender loving (SGL) and ''bisexual'' Africans stop writing about ''African homosexual liberation'' in blatantly colonial-minded ways, and have more of an African liberatory/affirmation agenda parallel to their desire for safe acknowledgement in their country - they **might** have more effective results.

This article by Jacob Rukweza sounds like the voice of a colonized African homosexual who is using Europe - an abuser, disrupter and exploiter of ''Zimbabwe'' - as a frame of reference in terms of identity as he critiques his own people. I do not mean to imply that Rukweza's complaints are not justified, but he is confronting people, his people, who are still deep in the difficult throws of resurrecting themselves from being disrupted by White/European brutality. Just like in Black America, the group is still trying to reconstruct its manhood, its independence, its self-determination - which is still threatened by colonial/racist forces.

Also missing from Rukweza's story – as is typical among most gay identity advocates in Black American and African communities – is acknowledgement of the sexual exploitation of African males and boys by White Europeans taking place all over the Diaspora (This contributes to hatred for homosexuals throughout the Caribbean). How this also contributes to African discomfort (and humiliation) with ''gay'' is frequently left out.

An approach to homosexual rights in Africa that is framed in colonial constructs i.e. gay/lesbian identity/politics, that does not explicitly acknowledge African post colonial struggle, will never work. As it has not worked, similarly, in America's Black communities. The so-called Black gay movement was/is mired in anti-Black behavior and often headed up by gay identified Black men who exclusively had White partners. This was an assault even on many of the Black homosexuals who desperately relied on it for sexual empowerment. Anti-Black and bourgeoisie tendencies in this ''movement' today still compromises its credibility and effectiveness.

If we really are or were a part of African history, culture and experience, we need to act like we have respect for and honor that. We need to stop attempting to force feed homosexuality in European/colonial drag (politics) down the throats of our ambivalent communities who justifiably wonder if this ''gay stuff'' is just another symptom of or a weapon to compromise African people.

A carbon "tax" will raise £100,000 across government departments in the UK to compensate for the 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide caused by extra air travel associated with Britain's presidency of the G8 and the summit at Gleneagles last year, The UK-based The Independent newspaper reports. The money will go towards environment projects in the developing world over the next three years to offset the harmful effects of the air travel by G8 leaders, but that is seen as a small sum to pay for global warming.

Whistleblowers under the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA) are not being safeguarded enough against reprisals from their employers. Alison Tilley, of the Open Democracy Advice Centre, says that even though corruption is widespread in South Africa, not enough employees are coming forward to disclose what they know about wrongdoing in the workplace. Recently, Randgold & Exploration released a forensic audit showing R2bn was stolen while Brett Kebble was CEO, and JCI indicates R500 million was misappropriated.

Africa’s anti-graft watchdogs have called on various governments to expedite action on tracing, recovery and repatriation of wealth stolen from African countries. This decision was contained in a joint statement issued at the end of a two-day regional meeting in Nairobi by representatives of Transparency International (TI) from seven African countries.

Chippla (http://chippla.blogspot.com/2006/04/price-of-disloyalty.html) writes on the ongoing “3rd term” battle between Obasanjo and his supporters and the growing opposition in Nigeria to the idea. In particular he focuses on the disagreement on the issue between the President and Vice President, Atiku Abubakar:

“A few days ago, the Vice President, Mr. Abubakar, attended a meeting in which he publicly accused his boss of trying to manipulate the Nigerian constitution by perpetuating his stay in office.”

The President’s spokesperson then called on Abubakar to resign and so it goes on back and forth between the President’s men and the opposition including pro supporters trying to prevent the VP from entering the Presidential wing of Lagos airport. Chippla concludes:

“A few things become very clear from this incident: in today's Nigeria, demonstrations are allowed PROVIDED they are in support of the president or his ruling party. All other demonstrations are nothing short of treachery. The killing of innocent Nigerians who were demonstrating in the Northern State of Katsina against an amendment to the constitution goes to show that Mr. Obasanjo's government will go to any length to silence opposition.”

Ethiopundit (http://ethiopundit.blogspot.com/2006/04/battle-of-adwa-110th-anniversar…) remembers the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Adwa which was a defining moment in Ethiopia’s struggle against colonialism. He reviews a book “The Battle of Adwa: Reflections on Ethiopia’s Historic Victory Against European Colonialism” and comments:

“Nine scholars analyze the unique Ethiopian victory at Adwa, pondering the factors that brought success, the putative missed opportunities for securing the future integrity of the Ethiopian territory, and the lessons to be learned…”

“The event and its implications have much to say about Ethiopia’s subsequent development, the secession of Eritrea, and relations with external powers. It also reveals much about the machinations of global powers and the dangers they pose to weaker nations, and most specifically international influence in Africa.”

Gukira (http://gukira.blogspot.com/2006/04/where-my-mouth-is.html) responds to an article in the Kenyan newspaper, “The Sunday Nation” which questions whether this is the right time to discuss issues such as sexuality when Kenyans should be focusing on “violent sexual offences”.

Keguro responds that “growing up means having to choose” and in this instance precedence should be given to legislation that will provide recourse to victims of “gender based violence” over the issue of gay rights. If one has too choose, as in this case, I completely agree with Keguro. Once this legislation has been passed then the focus can move on to gay rights, abortion rights and so on.

Diary of a Mad Kenyan Women (http://madkenyanwoman.blogspot.com/2006/04/violent-writing-and-gangsta-…) writes on the ongoing “Violent writing and Gangsta Writers” in the blogosphere. Whilst supporting freedom of speech she points out that there are ways of saying things and one can express a point of view without being rude and insulting. On those who choose rudeness but hide their identity she writes:

“After all, it is not much more revealing to call oneself, for example, ‘blitzwriter’ than it is to call oneself ‘anonymous.’ Thus, this latter impulse to anonymity suggests to me that the writers are in fact cloaking themselves from themselves no less than from us. They are, consciously or not, divesting their rude anonymous alter egos of the responsibility that being a citizen of the blog world imposes. They are in short, making of themselves a mob - in both gangster and crowd senses. Mobs, in either sense, allow themselves the detestable vices of non-thought, hidden identities, and most of all incomprehensible, unnecessary, unthinkable, and unforgivable violence. Mobs - both the gangster kind and the crowd kind - allow themselves furtive recourse to petty parochialisms, to ugly little hatreds, to bigotry, to witch-hunts, to meaningless contests for a power that only they covet, to brutality, but mostly, to irresponsibility. Then the crowd disperses, the gangsters flee, and they all melt back into the sheltering disguises of normality, reason and identity. Until the next time.”

Black Looks (http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks/2006/04/last_week_i_was.html) posts an interview with South African lesbian activist, Rose Masuku, who speaks on being a lesbian in South Africa, the culture of “butch lesbians” and lesbians playing soccer as well as her work as a counsellor to lesbians, many of whom are thrown out of school and out of their homes.

The Moor Next Door (http://wahdah.blogspot.com/2006/04/christians-dont-respect-algerian-law…) asks: “Why is it illegal to convert Muslims from Islam to other religions in Algeria?” He believes this is because evangelists are using Christianity as a “tool to destabilize” Algeria and calls for a review of religious policy in Algeria.

“First of all, if Islam and religion are the causes of so many troubles in Algeria, why not stop the use of religion in politics entirely? We can start by abolishing the state religion, or by making it illegal to call for the use of religion for violent ends (or using anything for that end). The problem cannot be fixed by simply attacking the Christians, you have to attack Islam too. Religion is a problem that must be dealt with totally.”

The Skeptic (http://elijahzarwan.net/blog/?p=86) comments on the lack of reporting in the blogosphere on the killing of 17 Palestinians by the Israeli Defense Forces since last Friday. He contrasts this with the response to an op/ed in the Washington Post on an academic article discussing the Israeli lobby and American foreign policy. Here thousands of words were written on the topic yet nothing on the murder of Palestinians.

“Pardon me if I take a preachy tone for a minute. I understand that civilian casualties in the OPT are nothing new and that in Amrika these deaths more often than not appear on page A-13 as brief items written by AP. Still, if you got exercised about the Walt-Mearsheimer article, ask yourself why you are less exercised about the death of 17 people, including a little girl and a little boy. Which is more important to you: an academic paper or the end of 17 human lives?”

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks,

* Please send comments to [email protected]

Activists have accused the state of fabricating evidence to support criminal charges against members of the political opposition. In spite of their relative infrequency, these operations “have wide and long term effects in spreading fear among ordinary citizens and amongst some activists who fear their turn will come,” read a recent report issued by the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRInfo).

The possible revision of a law that forbids Malawi's members of parliament from crossing the floor could help strengthen President Bingu wa Mutharika, who has been locked in a gruelling battle with his opposition. Changing Section 65 of the constitution was proposed by Mutharika, who argued that it contradicted freedom of association, which is also guaranteed. "The review of the constitution should assess the rights of individuals to belong to an association of their choice, and not to be forced to belong to a political party," he remarked at a recently concluded conference to examine the issue.

The government of Kenya plans to trim its fiscal deficit to 2.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the 2008/09 financial year, a senior finance ministry official has said. According to the country's finance minister, taxpayers contributed 96 per cent of the money that went to the budget in the current financial year. He revealed that the Government had broken the dependence on donors as only four per cent of the total budget was funded using donor funds.

For too long, public figures within and outside Africa have been timid about discussing Guinea’s deep-rooted problems, says the International Crisis Group. "Its strong anti-imperialist stance in the 1960s and beyond earned it respect among pan-Africanists, but the hands-off attitude that grew out of that respect has long since degraded into indifference and cynicism. The probability is now high that President Conté’s term will end in a military takeover, which some seem prepared to accept before the fact, as if it were a means of preserving Guinea’s sovereignty."