Finding Togo

A couple of months ago, I told my students to pick an African country they didn't know much about and to do a simple google search on that country. One student picked Togo. Most of you have probably not heard of Togo. Unless you read my post about the sex strike there there, and even then, you've probably forgotten.

Obligatory reminder of the location of Togo

And part of the reason that Togo is so little known, other than that it's tiny, might be because, when you type Togo into google, as my student did, and start to look at the top hits, as I had instructed, you might soon find some unusual hits.

"Ms. K, why is skype my third hit?"

... (crud)

"Um, I'm not sure. Let me look at your computer."

I look at her computer, and this is what I see:

Oh goodness.

So I explain to the class that google does not know the difference between Togo and To Go,  recommend that she ignore it and leave the students to their work.

But that's not the end.

"Ms. K, what is Togo's?"

"Sorry?"

"Come look at my computer again please."

Back to the computer screen I go, and this is the final straw:

Yep. Togo's Sandwiches, a West Coast Original. Good luck explaining THAT to a student.

Random Kate Thoughts: As much as I love a good tuna on wheat, it seems that a little country in West Africa has a bit of a PR problem. When a third of the searches for your country aren't even your country and instead are video chatting programs and sandwich shops, and the rest are all CIA/BBC/USGOV sites, there isn't a lot out there by Togolese people themselves. And that's certainly not helping them get their own stories told. So the next time you google Togo (try it now, why not), go and find the government's website, and click on it. Help a little guy out. Everyone needs more hits these days.

Swashbuckling Coup in the Seychelles!

This past Sunday was the 21-year anniversary of a failed military coup in the Seychelles by a man nicknamed "Mad Mike." The Seychelles? Huh? Where's that?

Well I'm glad you asked, as the Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean consisting of about 115 islands. In total, it has the smallest population of any African state.

The Seychelles

But on to the coup! Mike "Mad Mike" Hoare, the ringleader of the coup, was an Irish mercenary who had gained a reputation for himself in the Congo in the 1960s. With dubious involvement of South Africa and the US, on that day in 1981, he gathered a group of white middle-class mercenaries and dubbed them "Ye Ancient Order of Froth-Blowers," a beer-drinking rugby-playing group of gentlemen on vacation in the Seychelles. Little did the Seychellois (the demonyn for people from the Seychelles) know, but the bulky bags full of rugby balls intended for donation to children that the men carried had fake bottoms and were full of AK-47s.

"Mad Mike"

The men got on the plane that day intending to use those AKs to overthrow the government of socialist President France-Albert Rene, as overthrowing the socialists was pretty cool in the west back in those days.

Unfortunately for them, the last guy going through customs as they entered the Seychelles stuffed up and got his gun discovered. The customs agent ran away to sound the alarm and, in a burst of action movie fame, another man grabbed his disassembled AK-47, assembled it, loaded it, and shot the guy in the back before he could get away. Damn.

The mercenaries then found themselves in an extensive gun battle, so it became quickly clear that the mission had failed. So what did they do? An Air India jet full of passengers in the air above the airport had been told about the fighting but didn't have enough fuel to turn around, so landed in the Seychelles airport anyway. Mad Mike and his men negotiated a ceasefire and then hijacked the plane back to Durban. 

The following July, Mad Mike was sentenced to ten years in prison. His other colleagues got between six months and five years.

Random Kate Thoughts: Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. It would be really interesting to see a movie made about this some day. I love little stories like this, from places most people have never heard of, that are so exciting and full of intrigue! Every country has something interesting about it, even the tiny ones. :)

RIP: Bryce Courtenay

Last Friday, South African-born author Bryce Courtenay died after suffering from stomach cancer. Courtenay was an Australian national and died at his home in Canberra at the age of 79.

Bryce Courtenay

He only started writing in his 50s and it was his first book, The Power of One, that attracted him so much attention. The account of a young boy growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, it is a tale of blood, sweat, and tears, following the boy, Peekay, as he becomes a boxer and learns about life.

Random Kate Thoughts: The Power of One is one of my favorite works of fiction. It's an easy read with the backdrop of a lot of really fascinating South African history. I would recommend that everyone read it, as it is a fun way to learn some of the culture and history of this rainbow nation. RIP, Bryce Courtenay. Thank you for your writing.

Guest Post: Zimbabwe: The War at Home

Guest Post by Lionel, Student from Zimbabwe
There is a lot of tension looming as Zimbabwe approaches its Presidential elections set for 2013. 

what used to be the "breadbasket of Africa"

The two main parties in the elections are the Zimbabwe African National Union-Political Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). ZANU-PF has been the ruling party since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980 until 2008 when they signed a power sharing deal in which a coalition government was formed between ZANU led by President Mugabe, MDC led by Prime Minister Tsvangirai and another faction of the MDC led by Vice Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. Over the past four years, there has been a lot of conflict within the coalition government. In a more recent controversy, ZANU-PF Politburo and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said in an interview that the military would not accept an MDC victory in the coming elections. Members of Zimbabwe’s security sector have also previously issued similar statements saying that they will not salute Tsvangirai if he wins elections because he has no liberation war credentials. 

President Robert Mugage "Uncle Bob" (left) and PM Morgan Tsvangirai (right)

The tension between the two parties has been made worse by their conflict in reforming the Zimbabwean constitution. The MDC has threatened to boycott the 2013 Presidential elections if a solid constitution hasn’t been delivered by then. Another source of tension is the recent imprisonment of Tsvangirai’s supporters. The fear is that Mugabe will have his way and the 2013 elections will be characterised by violence by ZANU-PF supporters, just like in the 2008 elections.

Random Lionel Thoughts: I think that coalition governments never work as long as the people involved think in terms of divisions rather than the good of the people. The situation of the Zimbabwean government right now reminds me of the Kenyan government- only that the Kenyan government is divided in terms of tribalism whereas Zimbabwe is divided according to the two main political parties. The failure of the government to agree on significant issues has resulted in inefficiency to an even greater extent.

Guest Post: Marrakesh Voted Best African Destination

Guest Post by Khaoula, student from Morocco:

Obligatory reminder of the location of Morocco

The “red city" of Morocco, so called because of its red clay, Marrakesh was voted Best African Destination of the Year 2012 by the 19^th World Travel Awards, an award chosen by travel agents around the world. 

www.moroccansightseeing.com

Marrakesh is the first Moroccan city to win this title that several other attractive African cities and regions competed for, such as Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg in South Africa, Luxor in Egypt, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and Victoria Falls in Zambia. Marrakesh was also selected as the sixth best destination in the world in 2012 by Trip Advisor, a leading review website used by travellers from around the world.

http://broadband.usamuslimworld.com/files/2011/08/marrakech2.jpg

Marrakesh, oasis city of Morocco, attracts tourists from Morocco and around the world with its charm. Historically, it has been the capital of Morocco twice and has many monuments that speak of the achievements of Yusuf Ibn Tachafin, its founder in 1062, such as Koutoubia Mosque, Djemaa El Fna Square and Menara Gardens.

Holding such a title is a great honor of Marrakshi and Moroccans in general, but a lot of work has to be done to accommodate more tourists and to develop the infrastructure of the city and its surroundings.

Marrakesh tour bus, http://usamuslimworld.com

Random Khaoula Thoughts: As a Marrakshi, I felt proud to hear such news, but I wondered what the future holds. The Moroccan government and especially the Ministry of Tourism are probably celebrating this and expecting more tourists to visit Morocco, but are they really aware of the implications this will create? Or rather: Are they ready to take action to solve the many internal problems before inviting outsiders to join?  When our leaders talk about shortage of water, they forget that most of the consumption goes to the hotels and their golf courses. When they complain about social moral values dropping, they ignore the growth of sexual tourism and its economic and social impacts. 

I have always wondered how the money coming from tourism in my city disappears, and why I should respect a foreigner more than my fellow Moroccan. Aren’t we all human? Why should I accept being given less priority, being treated like a sheep that has to follow without question, while foreign tourists are treated like kings and queens? The Moroccan authorities aim to develop the nation using the wrong means. Moroccans won't have the dignity they deserve without using the revenues of tourism to improve public service and provide basic needs, starting with health care, roads, and transportation. There is no valid reason for a normal citizen to encourage tourism and commend the strategies put in place by the tourism ministry. 

I am not saying that I don’t want tourists or that I must see immediate change from the Moroccan authorities.  I, like most Marrakshis, welcome thousands of tourists every day. I feel happy to share my culture, to see people from all over the world coming to visit my country, eat my food and learn a few Arabic words. It makes my day to hear that people enjoy being around Marrakesh, going sightseeing or traveling to its suburbs. I am just raising questions and asking that the Moroccan government use this new boom in tourism for the betterment of its people.

Ivory Coast Dissolves Govt Over Women's Rights Law

The Ivory Coast, or Cote d'Ivoire for you French-speakers out there, has had a rough past couple of years. The November 2010 elections resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 people, as incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept his loss to now-President Alassane Outtara. Outtara was barricaded in a hotel in the capital city well into 2011, but eventually peace was reached and his victory confirmed by the international community. (side note: former President Gbagbo was known as "Le Boulanger," meaning "the baker," for his tendency to roll his opponents in flour, aka screw them over)

Outtara's blockaded hotel, note the UN tents outside, Feb 2011

Last week, President Outtara dissolved his 36-person cabinet, citing conflict in the ranks of his coalition government. Back during the blockade, the 3rd place winning party in the elections agreed to back Outtara in the run-off in exchange for a high position in the new government. It is that party, the PDCI, that disagreed with Outtara's bill in Parliament, causing Outtara to throw them out of his cabinet, essentially.

Alassane Outtara, President of Cote d'Ivoire

The bill would make women equal heads of the household in Cote d'Ivoire. Like a lot of places on the continent, men are legally in charge of the family and responsible for all major decisions. Women don't have many rights once married, and President Outtara is trying to change that law.

In case you forgot where Cote d'Ivoire is, it's in west Africa

Random Kate Thoughts: I remember speaking with an Ivorian student two years ago during all of the craziness in the election. While the international media had been extremely pro-Outtara, my student was on the side of Gbagbo, which I found interesting. Was it her nation's propaganda that convinced her of that position, or was the west being one-sided again? While I still haven't completed decided, I'm pretty glad that Outtara is trying to do such good for women in Cote d'Ivoire by making them joint heads of household. Dissolving your cabinet might not be the best way to get people on your side, but who knows. This stand of Outtara will certainly keep him the darling of the west for a bit longer.

Egyptian Train Kills 50 Children

In a similar story to the pick-up truck hit by a train in South Africa a couple of months ago, over the weekend a school bus in Egypt was hit by a train, killing around 50 children ages four to six and injuring several others.

a crowd around the wreck of the train

The "train crossing minder" was asleep on the job and hadn't lowered the crossing bars, so the bus crossed the train tracks only to be T-boned by the oncoming train. The train then pushed the bus for about a kilometer (about half a mile), dragging the bloody limbs of the children along with it.

looking into the rubble

Random Kate Thoughts: This is a horrible tragedy for Egypt. I've taken a night train in Egypt before, south from Cairo to Luxor (this crash was actually south of Cairo, I do wonder if it was the same train...), and it was an extremely sketchy experience. The transit system in general is pretty terrible and needs vast improvement. The change of regime after Arab Spring didn't make a ton of concrete domestic changes. Various transportation ministers have resigned over this crash, but that won't bring back the children who were lost, or stop the future loss of innocents. President Mosni had spent the week before touting Egypt as the main ally to Palestine in the region among his international friends, but it does seem like his focus on foreign policy has left some rather large holes domestically. I admit that it has to be a balance between foreign and domestic focus for any government, but perhaps the lever needs to swing the other way now for Egypt.

Sierra Leone Election Finishes

In the wake of the US election, many forgot that sometimes, other people go to the polls too. And just that happened today, in Sierra Leone.

You found it!

Sierra Leone has had a horrible history of violence, with a civil war raging from 1991-2002, killing over 50,000 people. Too many children of Sierra Leone were child soldiers, so the nation as a whole has a lot of healing to do. You might remember Sierra Leone from the movie "Blood Diamond," which was supposed to be about Sierra Leone (never mind that it was filmed in South Africa).

The election results will be announced in the next ten days. Incumbent president Ernest Koroma and his All People's Party are running for re-election, with eight other challengers for president and two other main political parties giving them a run for their money. 

Any students reading this? Write me a paragraph analyzing this for extra credit.

Random Kate Thoughts: It is very exciting to hear about peaceful elections in a country that for so long understood only the barrel of a gun with regard to power. Even though democracy is often (too often) cited as an imposition of the west, I truly believe that letting everyone have their voice heard is universal. And as flawed as voting can be, it's a sure way to let your voice be heard.

Oh and a couple last things: although the elections were peaceful, one polling place had to be moved because of a "swarm of bees." And the counters didn't have electricity, so used handheld cell phones for light. Did I mention that Sierra Leone is an extremely poor and under-developed country? There is a lot on the plate of whomever wins this election.

Man Swallows 220 Diamonds

The South African police are not the absolute best in terms of customs control and I know this from personal experience (you can buy lighters full of lighter fluid after security in both major international airports and my friend was handed his full bottle of sunscreen back to him to take on the plane once). Please watch Trevor Noah's "any weapons?" skit for hilarity around this topic.

But they finally caught someone! A diamond-smuggler swallowed 220 diamonds and tried to leave South Africa with them. Didn't work so well for him, as a body scan at OR Tambo airport (the Joburg international airport) revealed them in his stomach.

How much is 220 diamonds worth? A cool 2.3 million USD. No big deal.

don't they look fake? too beautiful to be real

Random Kate Thoughts: South Africa is famous for its diamonds, as is neighbor-to-the-north Botswana. The minerals are so incredibly valuable but again it's usually the company that makes the profit and not the workers themselves. Hopefully many of you have seen the movie "Blood Diamond," which I actually loved, though it does perpetuate the "white savior" model of African story-telling. Many people have died over diamonds, as well as over the other vast resources that the continent has, (see yesterday's post about rubber). It's sad, but I'm glad the smuggler was caught. Back to this specific story, try to not think about how "the diamonds...were recovered." (thx NYT)

November 15 in African History

Today is my birthday, so in order to celebrate I will keep this post short.

Today in African History! Sometime in the 80s, I was born! (my students read this ;) )


In 1902, Gennaro Rubino, Italian anarchist, attempts to assasinate King Leopold II of Belgium.

What does this have to do with Africa?

Just that King Leopold II of Belgium OWNED THE CONGO. He never visited his personal colony, but he made a ton of money out of the blood of the natives. Rubber was booming and rubber trees were harvested by the slaves of the state. Most famously, the soldiers of the Force Publique were given boxes of bullets and required to bring back as many right hands as they had bullets. No wasting bullets on anything but the natives. Estimates say as many as 10 million Africans died during his reign of terror.

one of the most iconic pictures of the time

Random Kate Thoughts: Someday, I will write a book about Leopold II. His reign in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo boggles my mind in so many ways, it's hard to express. It is an untold horror of Africa and the story must be told. Hopefully, I can do it. Watch this space.

p.s. for more info, watch "White King, Red Rubber, Black Death." (here)

Guest Post: Electronic Passports for Lesotho

Guest Post: Thato from Lesotho

The Prime Minister of Lesotho mentioned in a conference in Johannesburg last week that his government, through the department of Home Affairs, is working on steps to produce electronic passports for all of its citizens. This new system is a response to the high number of people who fraudulently acquired Basotho (citizens of Lesotho) passports during the previous government’s tenure, and are committing crimes in other countries, thus tainting the image of Lesotho in international eyes.

Mr. Thabane, on left, SA President Zuma on right

Mr Thabane hopes that the electronic system will reduce the number of fake passports produced, and to therefore restore Lesotho’s name in the international world.

The number one victim of these crimes has been South Africa, as it surrounds Lesotho, and many convicted criminals escape and disappear into South Africa.

The principal secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tebello Metsing said countries such as Britain, Ireland, India and Malaysia had convicted numerous criminals who claimed to be Lesotho citizens. “Many of those criminals were Nigerians,” he said. (side note from Kate: southern Africans tend to blame Nigerians for their problems.)

Random Thato Thoughts: Lesotho is a small and landlocked country in southern Africa, and its economy heavily relies on South Africa because everything that is going in or out of Lesotho has to pass through South Africa. Relationships with other countries as well are very important since Lesotho imports most of its commodities. This was a very clever move by the Prime Minister, not only to secure peace but also to re-assure Lesotho that the government is being proactive about this issue.

CAR President Detains His Son

The President of the Central African Republic, Francois Bozize, detained his son Kevin this past weekend for running up a huge hotel bill in the capital, Bangui. The bill? About $15,000 USD.

Day-um! How many mini-bars did his room HAVE?

Central African Republic (CAR)... it's pretty central!

Turns out he's not the only one, as several other high officials have run up bills of a similar nature at the same hotel.

Lucky for them, its not THEIR Dad who dragged them in front of the hotel manager and demanded they own up. But that's just what President Bozize (boh-zee-zeh) did--drag Kevin in front of the hotel manager, make him admit that the charges were his, and then detain him by the country's security force.

President Bozize, father of Kevin Bozize, derelict hotel-goer

 Random Kate Thoughts: First off, I'll put it out there, no one knows anything about CAR. BBC says it's a "failed state in permanent crisis." Pretty epic rainforests and diamonds, but other than that, illegal weapons trade and unrest. Kevin Bozize is a Captain in the nation's army, but clearly hasn't grown up yet. I'm glad that the President has decided to take action and make a point of not letting his family get away with murder. Although the country is a mess, he can go to the local five-star hotel, pay up, and send his own son to jail. Baby steps.

Guest Post: Nigerian Unemployment is Crazy

Guest Post: Jeffrey from Nigeria

Dangote Group Receives Applications From 6 P.H.D, 704 Masters and Over 8460 Bachelor Degree Holders for The Position of Truck Driver in Nigeria

The rate of unemployment in Nigeria was recently highlighted when chairman of the Dangote group, Mr. Aliko Dangote, revealed that over 13,000 people had applied for the post of Truck driver in his company.

Mr. Aliko Dangote revealed at a mentorship meeting of the World Bank Youth Summit that over 13,000 graduates, comprising of 6 PhD-holders, 704 Masters-holders and over 8460 Bachelor Degree Holders from reputable universities in Nigeria had applied for only 100 vacancies.

Aliko Dangote

The Group introduced a scheme that would pay the drivers additional trip allowances over their salaries and would have them own the trucks at no extra fees or interest after they covered 300,000 kilometers, hence making them self-dependent.

Initially, there had been a lot of complaints regarding the qualification requirement, which was termed unfair by the unemployed masses, as it required a minimum of a Bachelor’s certificate to apply. There were speculations that the job would pay a 3,200 USD salary, and for a country where over 60% of the population live under a dollar per day, this was mouthwatering.

Jeffrey’s Random Thoughts: Today in my Entrepreneurial Leadership class, I was made to assess my methods of earning and spending money. I and the other Nigerians ranked highest in the Status quota, meaning we often earn and spend our money in ways that tend to provide us with some higher level of social ranking. Upon hearing this news I wondered: has the poverty level back home become so unbearable that a fairly high salary would erase the lack of reputation in being a truck driver in the mind of a P.H.D holder?

The lack of jobs and the poor standard of living in Nigeria provides very little incentive for education in the country. The government has since spent millions of dollars in an attempt to combat terrorism and insecurity in the country but they neglect the underlying cause: UNEMPLOYMENT. It has been overly reiterated to me at my school that addressing a problem is not complete without addressing the underlying cause and I wish my government officials could sit in on my entrepreneurial leadership class.

While I question; ‘Would I become a truck driver too?’ I do hope this serves as a wakeup call to the various policy makers in the country who need to go back to the drawing board and devise a means of solving this problem.

Mall Collapses in Ghana

On Wednesday, a multistory shopping mall collapsed in the capital of Ghana, killing and injuring many people. The building was being rented by an Indian mall franchise-owner and was apparently built without city approval, suggesting why the structure was so poor. At least nine bodies have been found and over 70 survivors dragged from the wreckage, thanks to the work of rescue teams including an Israeli rescue unit. Initial reports of those inside only took into account mall employees, not shoppers, so the numbers could be even higher than predicted.

Accra, Ghana

Random Kate Thoughts: This is clearly a national tragedy for Ghana. Poor building standards are rampart throughout Africa. When people in America talk about government regulation in a negative way, I like to remember how safe we feel in buildings in the states, knowing the government has ensured that they will not crumble to the ground in seconds with no external cause.

On a somewhat tangential note and not to belittle the losses, I usually like allafrica.com for news, but I tend to not trust them when they cannot make up their own mind about how many stories this building had. Check out the picture below:

Make up your minds, guys

BLOG NOTE: Apologies for missing Wednesday and Thursday's posts. I've been really sick, culminating with a trip to the hospital last night, so I'm hopefully on the up-swing now. I'll be back to you with daily posts again asap.

Malawi Suspends Laws Against Homosexuals

The Malawian Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ralph Kasambara, announced yesterday that police have been ordered to not arrest or prosecute gay or lesbian people until Parliament has debated the issue. Currently on the books, someone found perpetrating homosexual acts can be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail. Traditional and religious leaders (Malawi is 80% Christian) support the laws condemning homosexuality.

Oh look! Malawi!

In 2010, two Malawian men were arrested for claiming to be married to each other. International supporters condemned the action and some donor funding was pulled. While the president at the time ultimately pardoned them (Malawi is poor and highly dependent on western donors), he went on record to say they had "committed a crime against our culture, against our religion, and against our laws." Current President Joyce Banda, who I've raved about in this blog before (having cut her salary 30%), made it clear early on in her presidency that she intended to have the anti-homosexual laws overturned.

President Joyce Banda

Random Kate Thoughts: A student of mine brought up in class today how Obama coming out in favor of gay marriage has affected the thinking of many African leaders. While I don't have any proof of direct influence, I would like to think that Obama, as a highly respected African-American man and president of one of the most powerful nations in the world, might have influence as far-reaching as little Malawi in the middle of Africa. The elections happening in America today aside, I am glad that the Malawian Parliament is opening itself up for discussion around such an important human rights issue, regardless of who holds the purse strings.

Proverb for the Day

I've been sick all day, so today I leave you with a West African proverb:

"The river is wide, but it can be crossed."

The Zambezi River, where it becomes Victoria Falls. I took this pic in April 2012.

The Tanzanian Divorce

3rd Student GUEST POST: Syakaa from Tanzania:

Tanzania is the child born from the union of main land Tanzania formerly known as Tanganyika and Zanzibar. These two countries had different paths until they met on April 26^th 1964. Tanganyika mainly had European influences from colonialism under the Germans, missionaries and traders to being a protectorate under the British as such he adopted Christianity. Zanzibar on the other hand was an exotic island which attracted more eastern attention from trade with the Arabs to the Omani Sultanate as such she became Islam. But on the day they wed the differences did not matter as they tied their fates together for as long as they lived.

Tanganyika and Zanzibar both made compromises to make it work. They would have a rotating President and vice president system. If the president was from Tanzania mainland then the Vice president was from Zanzibar and vice versa. Zanzibar would have its own President and government which would deal with internal affairs and they would work on union affairs together. They have had conflicts throughout the years but none as serious as the ones that have happened this week after the defilement of the Quran by a 14-year-old (Christian) boy, who was trying to disprove his Muslim friend who claimed defiling the Quran would turn him into a snake. Logically, the Christian boy then urinated on the holy book to prove his point. Although the boy was not turned into a snake, angry Muslim mobs have subsequently threatened to behead him.

Muslims assembling outside a mosque ready for protests

Massive protests have raged throughout Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam which has led to the use of military force by the government to curb the violence. There have been attacks on Christians, burning of churches and a lot of hate in the air. There have been calls from the leaders of both religions for tolerance and an end to the violence. With the discovery of oil causing conflict in terms of who gets the benefits and the denial of the request by the Muslim community to install the Islamic Court “Kadhi” in Tanzania, religious conflict is higher than ever.

Military ready to maintain peace in Dar es Salaam

Random Tanzanian Thoughts: Tanzania is such a peaceful country that no one could expect to see such a thing happening here. We cannot judge a group of people from the actions of a minority. And if Tanzanians don’t solve this as a nation we are heading into a pit filled with hate that does not end well for anyone. There is a need for these two partners to talk this out in a friendly atmosphere or else Tanzania might just be forced to hire a very expensive divorce lawyer.

A police officer arresting a protester without a warrant

Nigerian Islamist Group Lists Conditions for Surrender

Guest Post by my Nigerian student, Alheri:

A much-dreaded Islamist sect in Nigeria, Boko Haram (which means "western education is sin") has listed their terms for a surrender of arms to the Nigerian government. For background, the sect has been responsible for dozens of bombing in the North of the country, calling for Nigeria to become an Islamist state with shariah law (yes, ignorant Americans who think that all Muslims want that, these are the bad guys you're thinking of).

Pretty secret-looking, aren't they? Masks and all...

One of their conditions is the arrest of the former governor of Borno State, a state in Northern Nigeria, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. They also asked for compensation for all family members who were killed fighting since 2009, including their leader Mohammed Yusuf. Finally, they asked for the reconstruction of their place of worship, Markas Ibn Taimiyyah in Maiduguri, Borno State, plus the freedom to practice Islam as they used to. 

These demands were made at a press conference where the sect also stated that they would give the state government and the Federal government a period of time to act upon these demands. During this time, they promised that they would not be directly or indirectly involved in attacks, and any attack that occurs should not be linked to them, because the leadership of the sect would not give any such orders. That said, this is just a temporary armistice and that they would not surrender them.
  

Not-so-Random Alheri Thoughts:

Okay, let us get this straight, the sect is asking for compensation and the rebuilding of their place of worship?! Really? Do they ever reflect upon the thousands of lives and property that have been lost in all their attacks in the country from the bombing of the UN building in Abuja in August last year to the suicide bomb attack on a Church in Kaduna just last Sunday? The sect has caused such havoc in Nigeria that cannot be compensated. Yet, they ask for compensation from the Federal Government?

How do you compensate terrorists? That I do not understand. Perhaps, there are some government officials sponsoring the sect and all of these actions may very well be political tactics. I can only hope that things go well and that the government wins this war against Boko Haram. The sooner the sect realises that their mission to turn Nigeria, a country with half the population Christians, and the other half Muslims, into an Islamic state will NEVER be met, the better for us all.

By the way, where is Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in all of this? He needs to take drastic action SOON.

PIC: Trombonists in Kenya!

Today has been a crazy day, so instead of a post I'm going to give you some visual music. Last Saturday was Hero's Day in Kenya, where they celebrated those who struggled against colonial rule. Below is a wonderful picture, courtesy of BBC (Don't Hurt Me Copyright, Here is the link) of a Scout band playing in the celebration.

Luckily for this band, they are eschewing colonialism with their wonderful headdresses in true "native" style.

Random Kate Thoughts: Trombones and baritones! I find it truly fascinating how African "national" bands so often use western instruments. This brass band is very much in the style of marching and uniform like those in Britain, their former colonial rulers. You see this also with African national anthems, which more often than not sound like something John Phillips Sousa, American march-writer most famous for "Stars & Stripes Forever", wrote in his sleep, with some exceptions (Botswana has a great national anthem that is much more "African" for instance).

Africa has such great music! Why don't its national anthems take advantage of the diverse and un-European choral styles, percussive rhythms, and instruments of this fascinating and extremely musical continent?