Africa

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Despite Mugabe, Democracy Is Gaining in Zimbabwe

Number of 'free' sub-Saharan nations up; grass-roots efforts continue

(Newser) - Undemocratic though the situation might seem, the fact that the opposition has forced a presidential run-off in Zimbabwe is a sign of democracy's spread in sub-Saharan Africa, the Wall Street Journal reports, where the number of "free" countries has reached 11 of 48, up from 3 in 1977. "...

Mugabe's Horrors Transcend Race
Mugabe's Horrors Transcend Race
Opinion
Jun 14, 2008 4:22 PM CDT

Mugabe's Horrors Transcend Race

Yes, he's a black leader of an African nation; he's also a tyrant

(Newser) - Once, Westerners cared about southern Africa. In the late 20th century, outraged Americans of all stripes spoke out against apartheid, an outpouring that ultimately helped liberate both South Africa and Zimbabwe. Now, Zimbabwe is under the thumb of another murderous tyrant—this time a black one—and the West remains...

Zimbabwe Jails Opposition Leaders
Zimbabwe Jails Opposition Leaders
Jun 12, 2008 2:57 PM CDT

Zimbabwe Jails Opposition Leaders

No. 2 faces treason charges; Tsvangirai detained, released

(Newser) - President Robert Mugabe's regime struck at the opposition leadership today, just two weeks before Zimbabwe's presidential runoff election, twice detaining his challenger and jailing the opposition party's No. 2 official on treason charges, which carry the death penalty. Presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai was stopped at a roadblock and held at...

Mugabe Detains His Challenger
 Mugabe Detains His Challenger 
Jun 4, 2008 11:58 AM CDT

Mugabe Detains His Challenger

Tsvangirai's party blasts 'illegal detention' during campaign

(Newser) - The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition was detained today while campaigning, MSNBC reports. Morgan Tsvangirai, back in the country to challenge Robert Mugabe in a June 27 presidential run-off, is being held by police along with 14 other Movement for Democratic Change officials, the party said.

$10 Mosquito Nets Move Young Donors to Save Lives

Malaria solution is hands-on way to help

(Newser) - Mosquito nets, at $10 a pop, are a low-cost, effective way to prevent malaria—and they've become a cause célèbre for young people across the country, who've raised millions in donation drives, the New York Times reports. “You can say $10 saves a life,” says one...

Thousands Protest South African Violence

Largest newspaper calls for president to step down for failure to stop killing

(Newser) - Thousands of South Africans marched through Johannesburg yesterday to protest anti-immigrant rampages that have claimed at least 50 lives. Carrying placards comparing the violence to apartheid, marchers brought traffic to a standstill, Reuters reports. The action was organized by labor unions and churches. The nation's largest newspaper today called for...

Kenya Mob Torches 11 for Witchcraft
Kenya Mob Torches 11
for Witchcraft
May 22, 2008 8:15 AM CDT

Kenya Mob Torches 11 for Witchcraft

'Sorcerers' accused of casting spells on villagers

(Newser) - A mob in western Kenya hunted down and killed 11 people they accused of being witches and wizards, AP reports. The gang went from house to house with a list of suspected sorcerers and the spells they had cast. The eight men and three women, most over 70, were lynched...

S. Africa Deploys Troops as Immigrant Killings Spike

Anti-foreigner attacks spread across South Africa

(Newser) - South African president Thabo Mbeki has summoned troops to help counter a wave of anti-immigrant violence in the country, AFP reports. Mbeki called on soldiers after police requested help quelling mob violence that has claimed 42 lives, officials said. As many as 16,000 people have been displaced by the...

Tutu Pleads for End to Immigrant Attacks

Archbishop issues impassioned call for South Africans to end rampage

(Newser) - Archbishop Desmond Tutu pleaded yesterday with his South African countrymen to end a vicious surge of anti-immigrant violence that has killed at least 22 people, AP reports. Extra police were sent to squatter camps as roaming mobs continued to stab, beat and burn immigrant workers in some of the worst...

12 Immigrants Killed in Johannesburg Riots

Foreigners blamed for poverty

(Newser) - At least 12 foreigners were shot, stabbed, beaten or burned to death over the weekend in anti-immigrant protests in and around Johannesburg. Thousands of terrified immigrants, many of them Zimbabweans fleeing problems in their own country, are now seeking refuge in churches or police stations, reports the New York Times....

Sudanese Rebels Fight for Control of Capital

Sudan says claims victory in rare Khartoum battle

(Newser) - Darfur rebels battled Sudanese soldiers today in a rare bid for control of Sudan's capital, Reuters reports. The military later claimed victory and said just a few militants had reached Khartoum. "Thank God this attempt has been completely defeated," a government spokesman said.

US Airstrike Kills al-Qaeda Boss in Somalia

Ayro led Iraq-style insurgency; at least 12 others dead

(Newser) - American war planes killed more than a dozen people in a town in the west of Somalia today, including one said to be the leader of that country's branch of al-Qaeda. Reuters reports that the airstrike on a band of Somali insurgents killed Aden Hashi Ayro, whose militants are blamed...

End Malaria Deaths by 2010: UN
 End Malaria Deaths by 2010: UN 
Apr 25, 2008 12:43 PM CDT

End Malaria Deaths by 2010: UN

Providing Africa with nets, spray could save 1M lives a year

(Newser) - The world must take action now to end malaria deaths—currently at 1 million per year—by 2010, UN chief Ban Ki Moon said today. "We have the resources and the know-how, but we have less than 1,000 days" to meet the goal, said Ban on the first...

IPO Fever Shows Kenya is Recovering
IPO Fever Shows Kenya is Recovering
Apr 15, 2008 1:24 PM CDT

IPO Fever Shows Kenya is Recovering

Thousands line up to buy into delayed Safaricom offering

(Newser) - When Safaricom, Kenyan’s partially state-owned cellular giant, went public, Kenyans lined up by the thousands to buy in—a generally good sign for a country recently wracked by paralyzing ethnic violence, the Wall Street Journal reports. Safaricom’s IPO itself had been delayed by post-election clashes, but now the...

Court Rejects Zimbabwe Poll Petition

Won't force Mugabe to release election results; recount stands

(Newser) - A Zimbabwean high court today rejected a petition to force President Robert Mugabe’s government to release its long-delayed election results, the BBC reports. Instead, the ruling party will be allowed to go through with its recounts, which the opposition believes are a ploy to rig the parliamentary election.

Riots Flare as Kenya Talks Stall

Government and opposition deal falters

(Newser) - Riots erupted again in Kenya yesterday as opposition leaders suspended talks with the government over a stalled power-sharing pact, reports the New York Times. Dozens of men in a Nairobi slum lit bonfires and hurled rocks at police, chanting, "No cabinet, no peace!" The violence marked the first...

Zimbabwe 'Hit List' Sparks Unease
Zimbabwe
'Hit List'
Sparks Unease
Apr 6, 2008 7:00 AM CDT

Zimbabwe 'Hit List' Sparks Unease

Both sides claim 'memo' is part of dangerous power play

(Newser) - The Zimbabwe opposition denied responsibility yesterday for a "hit list" that is circulating in Harare, saying President Robert Mugabe created it to incite panic. The memo, which lists officials to be purged, cropped up as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was assuring military and intelligence leaders that his transition into...

Heart Disease Is Killing Caged Gorillas

Experts try to treat mystery ailment in US zoos

(Newser) - Gorillas in US zoos are dying from heart disease, and no one knows why, the AP reports. Zookeepers and scientists started a nationwide “Gorilla Health Project” 2 years ago to probe the causes of fibrosing cardiomyopathy, a condition that turns heart muscle into useless fibers and has left scores...

65 Feared Dead in Tanzania Mine
65 Feared Dead in Tanzania Mine
Mar 30, 2008 11:15 AM CDT

65 Feared Dead in Tanzania Mine

Six recovered, 59 missing as flash floods combine with downed power lines

(Newser) - Rescuers now fear that 65 miners trapped in a northern Tanzanian mine shaft have drowned, reports Reuters, with six bodies recovered and 59 workers missing. Volunteers raced to the remote gemstone mine near Mount Kilimanjaro yesterday when flash floods swept through the area, but the torrential weather also brought down...

Mugabe Foes Vow Massive Protests
Mugabe Foes Vow Massive Protests
Mar 27, 2008 5:22 PM CDT

Mugabe Foes Vow Massive Protests

Threaten Kenya-like uprising if Zimbabwe's election is rigged

(Newser) - The opposition to Zimbabwe’s ruling party threatened to incite Kenya-style protests if Saturday’s election is rigged as expected, the Guardian reports. President Mugabe has told Zimbabweans not to waste their votes by supporting the other candidates, who “will never be allowed to rule this country.” Mugabe...

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