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Semhar Araia is Founder and Executive Director of the Diaspora African Women’s Network (DAWN) and she recently tweeted: ‘By 2050,Africa’s population will reach 2 billion. By 2040, its workforce is expected to reach 1.1billion. Whos pushing govts to create jobs?‘. That’s a very good question and hopefully, there are already many talented and creative entrepreneurs in Africa, just like Congolese inventor Verone Mankou. Last year I read several articles about him and I thought it was perfectly illustrating how many countries in Africa are undergoing a profound transformation. In this article on Kumatoo.com we can read: ‘Verone Mankou, a young Congolese inventor aged 25, is the designer of a touchpad called “Way-C” for which the entire design and architecture have been conceived in Congo-Brazzaville.’ On a side note to some people I know who still don’t know the difference:  do not confuse the Republic of the Congo, commonly referred to as Congo-Brazzaville, with the Democratic Republic…⇒ READ MORE

French TV reporter Gilles Jacquier has been killed in the Syrian city of Homs; he is the first Western journalist to die since anti-regime protests erupted 10 months ago. Jacquier was an experienced war correspondent who had previously reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo, Israel and Kosovo and he was not working undercover, he had been authorised by the Syrian authorities to work in Homs… Jacquier was with other journalists reporting on the situation in the city, a centre of opposition to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The question is: what happened in Homs? Who did kill the journalist and injured several others? French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned the attack and demanded the authorities carry out an immediate investigation. Reporters Without Borders also demanded an inquiry. Gilles Jacquier was a great reporter and I watched his work as a correspondent for the program Envoyé Spécial on France 2. The deadly attack in Homs…⇒ READ MORE

A quick round-up of the recent tweets I consider interesting sharing with you. Follow the links, articles are all must-read.   @NickKristof (Nicholas Kristof) Best recent books on North Korea are Barbara Demick’s Nothing to Envy, and also the Inpector O mysteries set inside N.K. @sudanreeves (Eric Reeves) Obstructions of humanitarian relief in Sudan should be legally recognized as crimes against humanity: http://goo.gl/Z31zJ @KenRoth (Kenneth Roth) In surprise decision, #ICC rules that crimes against humanity by #Congo rebel group FDLR have not been proved. bit.ly/vswLsx @bechamilton (bechamilton) Smart of @enoughproject to distinguish #conflictminerals legislation they support from the failed #blooddiamond regs : http://bit.ly/sGcyG1 @Jake_Bernstein (Jake Bernstein) @joestiglitz explores parallels between Great Depression and today. Both involved shifts in the “real” economy. vnty.fr/tyTBMx

On November 28th, both the Presidential and Legislative elections took place. Millions of Congolese went to the polls amid violence and confusion, to vote in the presidential and parliamentary polls nationwide. Thousands of international peacekeepers and monitors were sent in the country to oversee the election but observers say they were beset by fraud, vote rigging; some polling stations have been attacked and burned… This is the nation’s second postwar election since the end of the civil war in 2001; ten years have passed and nothing has really changed for the population. The Congo is now ranked as the least developed country on earth, and South Kivu is one of the worst conflict-affected areas in eastern Congo where the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) are more active than ever. Despite all this, the courageous and determined Congolese people went to the polls. They want a change,…⇒ READ MORE

U.N. probes absences amid Sudan clashes. Since Northern Sudanese forces seized Abyei, many rightfully think northern and southern fighting over Abyei could reignite a full blown war in #Sudan. And we thought U.N. peacekeepers in Sudan would protect the people of Abyei from the attacks; apparently we were wrong. According to Reuters: ‘U.N. peacekeepers in Sudan stayed holed up in their barracks for two days during violent clashes between northern and southern forces that sparked the flight of tens of thousands of civilians, diplomats told Reuters‘. We can also read: ‘Diplomats described the peacekeepers’ failure to maintain a visible presence in Abyei during a period of heightened conflict — which they said is crucial for deterring attacks — in disparaging terms. One senior diplomat described their performance as “pathetic.” Another said it was “terrible” [...] “The Americans and Europeans don’t want to send their troops into the field, and yet…⇒ READ MORE