Six of Benin’s seven trade union confederations on Tuesday (January 24) began a two-day stoppage to demand that the government hand over funds needed for presidential elections next March. Schools and government offices ground to a halt and state television and radio broadcasts were cut back due to the strike call, but many businesses remained open as usual due to the refusal by the country’s biggest trade union, the CSTB, to sign on to the stoppage.

As Sierra Leone works to overcome a decade of civil war and unrest, a former rebel spokesman was accused of treason on Monday for alleged involvement in a recent bid to overthrow the government and assassinate the vice-president. Lawyer Omrie Michael Golley, former spokesman for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel movement, was arrested on 12 January along with two other men in a luxury hotel in the country’s seafront capital, Freetown.

Cape Verde's governing party, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), has won Sunday's parliamentary elections. With almost all votes counted, the PAICV had gained 52% of the vote, while the main opposition party, the Movement for Democracy, had 42%. Voter turnout was as low as 58%. The new parliament will hold office for a five-year term. The PAICV has ruled the Atlantic archipelago continuously since 2001. The PAICV first came to power under a one-party system upon independence from Portugal in 1975. The Movement for Democracy won the first multi-party elections in 1990 but the PAICV regained office in 2001.

For a country like Uganda, the debt relief initiative championed by rock stars, activists and politicians could have a wide-reaching impact, saving the nation tens of millions of dollars a year and helping thousands to go to school. However, in contrast to other development assistance, the unconditional nature of the debt relief plan places the onus on governments to ensure the savings genuinely assist the poor. Even some debt relief activists voice concerns about how the cash will be spent.

Tambe Tike, a Cameroon human rights advocate argues that the World Bank’s continued support of Cameroon is a tacit support of human rights abuses and rampant corruption. He argues that the WB should not provide financial support to an authoritarian and corrupt government and that it often leads to the further strengthening of the repressive apparatus of its regime, worsening the country's human rights situation. He says that the Bank has continued to raise the government’s hope for an eventual qualification under the HIPC initiative, but that it would be a big error for Cameroon to qualify under present circumstances.

thinks about his love for anthropology and considers contemporary Nigeria a great subject for an anthropologist.

“How for instance do the same people who profess a rigid and unbending religious fundamentalism square it with their illicit sexual escapades, stealing government money, bending the rules, flamboyance and conspicuous consumption in the face of grinding poverty”.

He also recommends reading the Granta Africa edition with “stories and articles by Chimamanda Adichie (an excerpt from her forthcoming novel, Half of A Yellow Sun), Helon Habila, BinyavangaWainaina with his searing, witty How to Write About Africa”.

AfroHomo comments on the proposed Nigerian law which will ban same sex marriage and also criminalise campaigning around the issue. He decides to “air some dirty laundry”.

“In a country whose agricultural and petroleum treasures have birthed horrendous poverty and inequality; where babies sleep under rat-infested bridges with gigantic garbage dumps serving as their chief protection from the elements; where an entire ecosystem of lush mangrove in the Delta region have turned into dark wells of liquid poison because of unchecked environmental pollution; where roads are so bad, people install metal cages beneath their cars to prevent accelerated damage; where the tax-collection system is so broken, only corporations pay taxes and when they do, they only pay a fraction of what's required by law; where it's normal to have electricity for just 2 hours a day; where 1% of neighbourhoods have running water for a couple of hours each month and others don't know what running water is; in this country, a ban on gay marriage reflects more than just misplaced priorities - it reflects the government's appalling disconnection with reality and basic common sense.”

He goes on to criticise Archbishop Akinola, the head of the Nigerian Anglican church, who thinks: “homosexuality is ‘Unnatural and Unafrican’”.

“How would he know? Christianity only became a mainstream religion a few decades ago. Does he find universities, electricity, monogamy and his fancy Archbishop costume "Unafrican" too? What about its sister religion, Islam? African or Unafrican? I'll let the history books judge. Be assured that he'll hate the verdict too.”

Black Looks also covers the banning of same sex marriages. The post provokes considerable discussion on the subject with comments like:

“I totally support the new law banning same sex marriage. We must uphold our traditions and culture and not continue to take up every decadent new fad from the morally bankrupt west.”

“I would refer the last commentator (Ben) to the book Boy Wives and Female Husbands to explore whether it is really true that no African society tolerated homosexuality
If we want to proscribe certain things we should be clear about why we are doing it, and not hide under the convenient triteness that it is against our culture.”

“Never! Never!! Never!!! I support, like the majority of Nigerians do, the recent ban on Sodomy, Gay or whatever you call it. It is against our culture. It is against our God. It is against nature. It is despicable. It is an abomination. Homophobic or no homophobic, it will never be permitted in Nigeria, at least not in my life time.”

“So sad
Both the law and its idiotic bible-quoting supporters. Should the very concept that other people might have private rights be so foreign to our society? No mistake about it: this is a symptom of Nigeria's intellectual and social stagnation.”

A number of Nigerian bloggers comment on the recent hostage taking in the Niger Delta.

Chippla’s Weblog believes that the “growth of militant groups in the Niger Delta directly correlates with endemic poverty in the oil producing region”. However the long-term solution is not a military one but one that engages in a discussion with the militants.

Nigerian Times echoes Chippla when he states:

“The ignorance of these facts and mercantile conspiracy by the multinational oil companies and corrupt governments in underdeveloped oil producing countries have only aggravated the critical conflicts of interests over the years and the abuse and misuse of power and control of natural resources have been most pronounced in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.”

He goes on to hold the Nigerian government responsible for the hostage taking by their detention of Asara Dokubu. The government has underestimated both Dokubu and his supporters. Nigerian Times quotes an article by Ike Okonta on Asara Dokubu titled “Dokubu and the December Amnesty” published on Black Looks.

“But it is an exercise in foolhardiness to expect Asari Dokubo to give up his guns when Nigerian soldiers and riot police are still firmly in place in the delta, working with the oil companies to enforce the regime of depredation that has reduced the Ijo, Ikwerre, Itsekiri, and all the other oil-bearing communities to a state of near-animal existence. No self-respecting patriot will stand by while aggressors are delivering the death-blow on his people.”

Ethiopundit publishes a letter from Ms Bertukan Mideksa, vice-chairperson of the Coalition for Unity & Democracy Party who is presently in jail. The letter is a powerful act of defiance and courage by the writer which will give hope to those on the outside who are struggling for an Ethiopia of liberty and peace.

“Reports are seeping through the prison walls into my cell that cities and towns all over the country are exploding, furiously burning with the quest for freedom. In schools and colleges people of tender ages are articulating and demanding their liberties with an extraordinary air of confidence and dedication. Priests are dumbstruck when young men approach and ask them to tell and live the truth as God requires. The tormentors couldn't muster up enough courage to face and address these heroic men.”

The Big Pharaoh comments on the release of Ayman Noor, Independent MP in opposition to President Hosni Mubarak. Big Pharaoh attributes his release to two factors.

“First, the Egyptian elite who are not connected to the government were clearly sympathetic towards Noor. They just didn't understand why the government would arrest Noor in particular. They know why Islamists get arrested, but they just cannot comprehend the jailing of someone like Noor. It is worth mentioning that independent newspapers who are not tied to the government or have something against Noor were sympathetic towards him as well.”

“The second factor is the US factor. Imagine if President Mubarak made his annual trip to Washington while Noor was still in jail. It would have been a huge embarrassment to President Bush. In addition, Mubarak would have probably faced an angry US media that reserved considerable space to Noor when he was arrested.”

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, [email protected]

The Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre (ARSRC) calls for applications the Sexuality Leadership Development Fellowship (SLDF) Programme. The Fellowship is scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria from July 10 to 28,2006. The fellowship is designed to catalyse development in the field of sexuality by incorporating rigorous intellectual work and strategic field trips that bring participants in close engagement with sexuality leaders and leadership organizations, the fellowship is structured to promote sharing of ideas, team building and collaborative work amongst participants in order to nurture relationships that last beyond the fellowship period. The course also provides an academically stimulating environment that promotes cross-cultural sharing of experiences as well as individual study.

Democracy's recent proliferation has given millions a political voice, while revealing the difficulties of holding elected governments accountable. This book analyzes the worldwide wave of experimentation with new means of holding powerful actors - public and private, national and transnational - accountable. It traces the multiple deprivations faced by poor people in developing countries back to failures in conventional accountability institutions. The authors argue that a 'new accountability agenda' is in the making and consider whether the reinvention of accountability can make democracy work for the poor.

The job requires leadership and vision combined with strong management and team-working skills. Successful candidates will need a strong background in library and information management, including working at a senior level in strategy and service development. Experience in building partnerships across organisations will be important. Specific knowledge of the development sector is desirable but not essential, provided candidates have other relevant international experience.

Opposition leaders have urged Kenya's President, Mwai Kibaki, to dissolve his government and call an election after the publication of a dossier implicating key ministers in corruption. The government, weakened after losing a referendum in November, faces a crisis after allegations by the former anti-corruption tsar John Githongo that the vice-president and three ministers plotted to siphon off public funds. He also alleges that Kibaki knew about the deals.

It is time for change because the African National Congress government has failed to deliver, African Christian Democratic Party president Kenneth Meshoe said on Monday. Speaking at a public meeting in Mitchells Plain, Meshoe said the ACDP is committed to a clean government because dirty streets reflect the morals of those in charge. On the running of cities, Meshoe said: "We often hear that we do not have the capacity, which means that there are people in charge who do not know what they are doing." He added that a lack of resources means that money is being wasted and/or pocketed.

Two opposition parties have given a cautious thumbs-up to the public broadcaster's coverage of their March 1 municipal election campaigns so far, but the official opposition has cried foul. The Independent Democrats believe the party has been treated "very fairly" by the SABC so far. The Freedom Front Plus said the jury was still out on the SABC's commitment to equitable coverage. However, the Democratic Alliance protested on Tuesday that no mention was made on SABC 3's 7pm bulletin on Monday of a press conference held by its leader Tony Leon in Cape Town earlier in the day.

Zimbabwe has paid an extra $15 million towards its debt arrears to the IMF as the fund sends in a review team before a March deadline for the country to clear its debt.The International Monetary Fund executive board in September gave Zimbabwe a six-month reprieve to settle its arrears or risk being expelled. Zimbabwe's payments to the IMF have left observers wondering where it had secured the money, but central bank governor Gideon Gono has insisted the funds came from export earnings, inflows from expatriate Zimbabweans and locals working for foreign-owned organisations who are paid in foreign currency.

African leaders rightly rejected Sudan's bid for the African Union's presidency this year, but should not reward Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with Africa's leadership next year as long as the human rights disaster continues in Darfur, Human Rights Watch said today. The African Union announced today that Congo-Brazzaville would assume the A.U. leadership this year, but would be followed by Sudan in 2007.

Five African leaders have asked Sudan to withdraw a bid to head the African Union that has prompted worries it could sink the Darfur peace talks and dent the group’s credibility, an AU official said on Monday. Sudan has nominated itself to chair the 53-member AU, based on a tradition that the host becomes the next head. However, Khartoum’s bid has provoked criticism from rights groups which say a Sudanese presidency would damage AU efforts to improve the continent’s record on democracy and human rights, and is opposed by several African regional blocs.

I just wanted to send kudos to a true child of Africa, Doctor TJ Abdul-Raheem, the General-Secretary of the Pan African Movement, Kampala (Uganda) and Co-Director of Justice Africa. He is one of the very few clear-headed thinkers of our time. I agree with him Africa will rise again.

West Africa’s oil-rich giant is convulsed over the president’s plans to run for a third term in office. Ron Singer maps the debates among political and civil-society activists who are asking if Nigerians can escape from the legacy of “one-man democracy”. As citizens prepare to return to the polls in 2007, Nigeria’s future hangs in the balance. A current initiative to change the constitution so that President Olusegun Obasanjo could run for a third term threatens to turn the nation into another of those familiar African one-man “democracies”, such as Uganda, ruled for twenty years now by Yoweri Museveni. Alternately, the initiative could plunge Nigeria into chaos.

Romain Murenzi, Rwanda's science minister, highlights the contributions that physics can make to economic development. The importance of physics for the economic development of all countries is clear. Physics is the most basic of sciences, and its concepts and techniques underpin the progress of all other branches of science. It is also a cross-cutting discipline that has applications in many sectors of economic development, including health, agriculture, water, energy and information technology. And the application of science through technology is crucial for providing the infrastructure that all modern countries need, according to SciDev.

Paul Wolfowitz, president of the World Bank, has triggered a bitter conflict with the bank's senior career staff by empowering a group of close political advisers to pursue aggressively what he sees as widespread corruption surrounding bank projects. The dispute has come to a head with the recent appointment of Suzanne Rich Folsom, a counsellor to Mr Wolfowitz with close ties to the Republican party, as the new director of the Department of Institutional Integrity, the internal watchdog that investigates suspected fraud and staff misconduct.

Chad's National Assembly has asked the government to close an offshore oil account the World Bank had ordered frozen in a dispute, and said it should consider breaking ties with the global lender "if necessary". The request, contained in a resolution passed by the Chadian parliament, signalled a hardening of Chad's position in its continuing row with the World Bank over changes made by President Idriss Deby's government to an oil revenue law. The dispute is linked to the bank's biggest investment on the continent, a $3.7 billion oil pipeline built and operated by a consortium led by US oil major Exxon Mobil Corp.