The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information has condemned the denial of the right to travel and movement inflicted upon former prisoner of conscience, lawyer Mohamed Abbu by the Tunisian authorities. He was prohibited from travelling to Cairo to attend the trial of Ibrahim Essa, editor in chief of the independent "Aldostur". The trial is set to take place on 24 October 2007.

The Maghrib region wich is considered the richest part of the African continent is experiencing a slow uptake of ICTs. Figures released by the United Nations Development Programme in Algiers show a timid evolution of ICTs in the Maghreb region with only 2,5% of Internet penetration.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Sanaa is to create and manage a database that will register migrants and asylum seekers from Africa who have arrived in Yemen by sea after crossing the Gulf of Aden, according to Stefano Tamagnini, head of office. Tamagnini, who said his office was still seeking funding for the project, told IRIN the database would be crucial since it will contain all information about African migrants coming to Yemen. However, he said his office would not be in a position to manage the database for new arrivals without donor support.

Reporters Without Borders has condemned information, press and communication minister Toussaint Tshilombo Send’s announcement of a ban on around 40 TV and radio stations five days ago. It has had the effect of silencing four community radio stations based in Kinshasa, while around 200 other community radio stations throughout the country are also threatened.

The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the assassination on Friday of a leading radio journalist in Somalia where a wave of brutal and targeted attacks has claimed eight media victims this year. On the same day a number of incidents across the country suggested independent media face a new wave of intimidation.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the persistent threats to the life of Yaya Dampha, a reporter with the Foroyaa newspaper in The Gambia, after him and two Amnesty International staff were arrested, detained and released for alleged ‘spying’. According to reliable sources from Banjul, plain clothes officers, believed to be agents of the National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), on Sunday, October 14, stormed Dampha’s house in Latrikunda Sabiji, about 20 kilometres from the Capital Banjul.

When it comes to computing power, the gap between Africa and the broadband world is still a Grand Canyon. Only 4% of Africans have access to the internet. They pay the most in the world, around $250-300 a month, for the slowest connection speeds. E-commerce barely exists. Nigeria's 140m-odd people have but a few hundred decently trafficked websites in their domain. Blogging is a vibrant but peripheral activity.

As the main agency within the UN system working on human settlements issues, UN-HABITAT is committed to the goals of enhancing tenure security and ending forced evictions. To this end HABITAT is involved in a number of initiatives to influence actors at international, national and local levels. The Global Campaign for Secure Tenure focuses on achieving slum upgrading through negotiation, not eviction; and monitoring forced evictions and advancing tenure rights.

In its bid to catch up with the world in embracing and in using information and communication technologies (ICTs), the Botswana government has sent a delegation of high-ranking officials to harness more knowledge at an ICT forum in Califronia. And as explained by a government official who is part of the delegation, their brief is simple. It is to go and identify suitable partners to assist Botswana to become ICT compliant; quicken her pace in entering the information highway.

Eritrea has ranked last in an index measuring the level of press freedom in 169 countries throughout the world. This is contained in the worldwide press freedom index 2007 report published by the Paris-based media rights watchdog, Reporters sans frontières (RSF).

Good journalism can shape public opinion and act as a lever for policy change. Based on findings from six countries in Africa and South Asia, Making poverty the story analyses the serious political, commercial and professional obstacles to stronger media coverage, highlights where the media have played a part in raising debate, and identifies what civil society and other policy actors could do to support more effective reporting.

The Swazi media faces a new threat following a call by Parliament for government to pilot the contentious Media Council Bill within eight weeks. A Parliament Select Committee recently constituted to probe Times Sunday editor, Mbongeni Mbingo, on charges of contempt of Parliament, whilst clearing Mbingo on the charges, called on government to pilot the Media Council Bill within eight weeks of the adoption of its report by Parliament.

There is now growing evidence of the role that ICT can play in enhancing development. In spite of this enabling potential and role, ICT is yet to be widely mainstreamed to assist developing countries in addressing traditional development problems with innovative solutions and approaches that are both effective and more easily scalable and replicable.

Reporters Without Borders has published a list of the first 68 people to sign the petition, which will remain open until Moussa Kaka is freed. Send a message of support to this address to sign : [email][email protected] The manager of Radio Saraouniya and Niger correspondent of Radio France Internationale and Reporters Without Borders, Kaka was arrested on 20 September and charged with “complicity in a conspiracy against state authority” because he had been in frequent contact with the Tuareg rebels of the Niger People’s Movement for Justice (MNJ), including one of its leaders.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the kidnapping of Moussa Gueye, the editor of the privately-owned daily L’Exclusif, who was arrested, beaten and taken off to an unknown location by plain-clothes police on 8 October after being lured into a trap. His abduction came just hours after he published a story headlined “President’s nighttime escapade.”

Zimbabwe will not allow foreigners to own broadcasting stations but could relax rules and licence locals who have been battling to meet stringent requirements, the information minister said on Monday. "On the issue of ownership we cannot compromise," Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told a committee of lawmakers.

The Algerian government plans to reopen debate of the country's law on journalists, Minister of Communications Abderrachid Boukerzaza announced on October 3rd. Despite the appearance of private-sector media and numerous promises of a new law, there has been a legal vacuum in the industry since a 1990 information code failed to regulate the profession.

City councils had a moral duty to spend money rolling out broadband networks to cover all their citizens, in the same way that they had a duty to provide water, sewerage and electricity, speakers at a technology conference have said. The right to broadband Internet access and affordable phone calls was just as great as the right to other municipal services. Any government that did not fulfill that need was doing its citizens disservice, speakers said.

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/broadcasts/Madame-Auguste.jpgVoudou Priestess Madame Evonne Auguste spoke to Sokari Ekine last August, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Madame Auguste is a member of Famm Voudou pou Ayiti (Voudou Women for Ayiti). In the interview she explains that Voudou is both a religion and a philosophy and speaks about the relationship between voudou and liberation theology. She also discusses some of the reasons behind the demonetisation of the religion and why Famm Voudou pou Ayiti want to establish their own school.

Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by .

DATA is looking for a media officer to join our busy European team. Excellent writing skills are essential – a degree in development, African studies or international relations is an advantage. The job involves media monitoring, drafting press releases and managing media records. We’re also looking for good IT skills, some media experience and a second language, preferably French. It’s a small team with great opportunities to learn. The pace is fast so you also need to be flexible, friendly and good at meeting deadlines. Closing date: 9 November 2007.