New African articles from January 2007

New African archives from January 2007

What ignorance!(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I was amazed at the ignorance and gall of the former Northern Ireland first minister, David Trimble, (now Lord Trimble) during a recent Question Time programme on BBC1. According to Lord Trimble, Tony Blair need not apologise for the slave...

And still he goes on.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Reading your articles, reading the letters, reading the truth coming out on the pages, is very terrible for me. I cannot describe the awesome gravity of the emotion, the crushing weight of an oppressor that still reigns, that still rules over...

South Africa and Social Darwinism.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... The racist theories of inequality that were documented during the 19th century can be traced to John Calvin (1509-1564). The modern industrial nationalism in Europe that occurred during the latter part of the 19th century coincided with the...

Stealing a nation.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Thank you for your excellent article in November's New African (Stealing a nation). The way the Chagossians have been treated over the years has been both inhumane and illegal. If your readers would like to help in any way, they can visit...

Pilger's documentaries.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... After your recent stories on Stealing a nation, perhaps your readers would want to see it in film format. John Pilger's "Documentaries that Changed the World" is available at stores including Virgin, HMV and online at amazon.co.uk, play.com and...

Re-training our leaders.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... In the 21st century, stories abound of other continents making giant strides along Development Avenue. This vital move is spearheaded by selfless leaders dedicated to the call of duty. Sadly, Africa has remained static. As we grumble and...

Kofi Annan: all states need to play by the rules.
January 1, 2007... The UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, leaves office on 31 December and hands over his mantle to the new secretary-general, the South Korean Ban Ki-moon. On 11 December, Annan delivered his final speech as secretary general at the Truman...

How IMF, World Bank failed Africa.(International Monetary Fund)
January 1, 2007... Welcome to how the IMF and World Bank run the show in Africa and, thus, lead our countries down the garden path. This report was put together by the London-based World Development Movement (WDM) as its contribution to the ongoing debate on what...

Kenya: gunning for Leakey; In June 1993, a horrific plane crash almost ended the brilliant career of Dr Richard Leakey, one of Africa's most high-profile conservationists and world-acclaimed anthropologist. Nick Hordern sifts the evidence and asks: was it engine failure or the work of would-be assassins?
January 1, 2007... Daniel arap Moi, president of Kenya in 1993, personally made Dr Richard Leakey an Elder of the Burning Spear, Kenya's highest honour, for his contribution to conservation including his successful attempts at halting the massacre of the world's...

Nigeria: the agenda for growth; Peter Odili: my mission.
January 1, 2007... Governor Odili: My mission "My mission is to steward the building of a truly united Nigerian nation through providing the requisite leadership by action, example and sacrifice. Our policy focus shall be the welfare and the wellbeing of the...

Ghana: new currency in July 2007; After suffering a catastrophic decline on foreign exchanges since its devaluation in 1983 at the behest of the IMF, Ghana's suffering currency, the cedi, is to be retired in July 2007 and replaced by a rebranded and stronger GH cedi. Osei Boateng reports.
January 1, 2007... When Zimbabwe demonitised in mid-2006 and introduced a new currency that cut a whole lot of zeros from the then collapsing Zimbabwe dollar, there was such hue and cry and mocking abroad, especially in the Western media. No such mocking or...

Tussle for Obasanjo's seat: Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, governor of Katsina State, is likely to become the next president of Nigeria after winning the ruling People's Democratic Party's presidential ticket on 16 December. Lindsay Barrett and Tom Mbakwe report.
January 1, 2007... Until late November, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was not even a factor in the presidential race. His sudden rise to the top of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) has President Olusegun Obasanjo's hands written all over it. Umaru Yar'Adua,...

Ecobank: we are very positive on Africa.(Interview)
January 1, 2007... The Ecobank Group has become today one of Africa's biggest success stories. It is now operating in 16 countries and intends to expand in five other ones next year as it pursues its panAfrican strategy. The group has total assets of over $3bn...

When the sun shines on America; And I wondered: "what in hell's name are these American politicians doing turning such a glorious land into the hate-figure of the world?".
January 1, 2007... It must be particularly nice to be an American right now. I first chanced upon the beauty of the American "fall" (autumn) in the countryside near Bloomington, Indiana. If you have lived in Africa's evergreen forest before, just imagine that the...

The sex trade in colonial West Africa (Part 2): in the second of her three-part series, Carina Ray continues to uncover the racial politics that underpinned the Gold Coast colony's unusually lenient laws on prostitution.(Tales from the Archives)
January 1, 2007... In the first installment, we explored the deeply racist assumptions about the sexuality of Africans that underpinned the long-standing refusal, on the part of colonial administrators, to introduce stricter anti-prostitution measures in the Gold...

Yobe state: Nigeria's success story.(special report )
January 1, 2007... Too good to be true Yobe State is a model for development. Monique Butt went to see how the state has transformed itself over a decade and a half. Under the stewardship of Alhaji Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Yobe State has undergone extensive...

African media: how life was 40 years ago (Part 2).
January 1, 2007... "Truly, the revolution that has occurred in communications over the past 40 years is totally staggering," writes Cameron Duodu. "I feel blessed to have lived through the years to see the new capabilities of ICT... My advice to the young...

A great African: returns to the ancestors; It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sad death of our columnist, Antonio de Figueiredo, who passed away on 30 November after three years of battling with cancer of the oesophagus. He was 77. This tribute is by our editor, Baffour Ankomah.(Tribute)(Editorial)
January 1, 2007... In the long history of Africa's fractious relationship with Europe, there have always been people like Thomas Clarkson (the English arch-abolitionist who worked his socks off for decades to see transatlantic slavery abolished) and Sir Gordon...

'Impressively made and impressively executed': a South African artistic director and the dance company she created in Britain are getting rave reviews. Beverly Andrews went to meet her.(The Arts)(Union Dance)(Interview)
January 1, 2007... Since its inception in 1986, Union Dance has been one of Britain's most acclaimed and innovative contemporary dance companies. Its eclectic blend of contemporary dance, martial arts and urban street moves has made the company a major draw on...

Ancient and modern Toumani is a hit: this summer, a sell-out audience at London's South Bank Queen Elizabeth Hall had the privilege of listening in on a musical vision whose roots stretch back 700 years, to the West African Mande Empire. Simon Lee was there and profiles Toumani Diabate, one of Mali's great artists.(The Arts)
January 1, 2007... Toumani Diabate, the Grammy-winning Malian kora virtuoso, brought his 12-piece Symmetric Orchestra to town, realising a personal project which has been 15 years in the making. When he last performed in London with his compatriot, the late Ali...

Ethiopia: Africa's holy land; The only country in Africa that was never colonised, the first in Africa to adopt the Christian faith, and containing more World Heritage Sites than any other, Ethiopia has one of the richest historical heritages on the continent. Stephen Williams was a recent visitor and provides this special report for New African.(Travelogue)
January 1, 2007... Although I had made previous visits to Ethiopia, they had always been confined to the capital, Addis Ababa--arguably the most important diplomatic centre in Africa with both the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for...

The Allotey formalism: the man who formulated the technique used to determine matter in outer space, Professor Francis K.A. Allotey, receives the 2006 Black S/heroes Award. Kwaku reports.(Diaspora)(Beyond the Will Smith Challenge)
January 1, 2007... The Ghanaian scientist and mathematician, Professor Francis Kofi Ampenyin Allotey, was the recipient of the BTWSC Black S/Heroes Award (BSA) 2006. As part of the award, the Professor Allotey Science Prize has been launched in his honour. The...