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I’ve always had a keen interest in photography, and I first wanted to be a photo journalist. I did not become a photo journalist but I still like photography and I’ve samazed the French city of Trouville-Sur-Mer, a seaside resort and port on the English Channel (Calvados). New photos will be published soon. A few months ago I saw the exhibition dedicated to French artist, photographer and writer, Claude Cahun and I will write about this amazing artist later. More recently, I’ve seen the beautiful photographs of Rashid Mahdi and the captivating ones of French photograph Claude Iverné. My Sama-friends at the Sama Gazette already posted about this exhibition: ‘A few days ago, we went to see a collective exhibition in Paris: “Photographies soudanaises” (Sudanese photographs). The gallery Clémentine de la Féronnière brought together, thanks to the Elnour collective founded by Claude Iverné in 2003, photographs by Rashid Mahdi but also by Richard…⇒ READ MORE

South Sudan has gained its independence from Sudan. Eventually. I just got off the phone with a (now officially) southern Sudanese friend who fled his country twenty years ago. For him, the independence is something he is proud of, it is some sort of freedom and for the first time in years, he will go visit his family who stayed near Juba, the capital of the new Republic of South Sudan. Of course this is a great news and it deserves to be celebrated. Unfortunately, with the recent events in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, there is, more than ever, a real weariness with war. Not to mention that South Sudan will have to face many challenges: the country is oil-rich but it is also one of the poorest country in the world with nearly 40 percent of the population needing food aid to survive. But I know people of…⇒ READ MORE

When will international community take action? This is the question asked on Twitter by Susan Morgan, co-founder and the Director of Communications for Investors Against Genocide (I mention them here). Many people are asking the same question right now. I wrote many times about #Sudan and #Darfur and I’m glad I could, for over two decades now (since the bloodless coup d’état by Omar al-Bashir in 1989) bring my humble contribution to raising awareness about the situation in the country. But as the years pass, the question remains: When will international community take action? Rebecca Hamilton, author of the book ‘Fighting for Darfur: Public Action and the Struggle to Stop Genocide‘ (I organized a reading group, I will post about it soon) said on Twitter: ‘Perhaps more depressed on #Sudan than I have felt since 2005‘. First time I heard about Sudan I was a teenager; now I’m not anymore…⇒ READ MORE

The Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead. Many concerned people such as #Nicholas Kristof and Kenneth Roth tweeted this week about the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix expected to take place next October in Bahrain. In a post published on Foreign Policy we can read: ‘On Friday, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body for the world of motor sports, announced its decision to return the Bahrain Grand Prix to the island Gulf nation, which has been rocked by unrest, brutal human rights abuses, and a deepening sectarian divide since protests broke out on Feb. 14‘. Then on CNN: ‘The Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead after organizers said Friday that they had abandoned plans to re-schedule the race later this year [...] Bahrain were to host the opening race of the 2011 Formula One season on March 13, but it was postponed on February 21 after…⇒ READ MORE

Northern Sudanese forces seized Abyei, why should we be surprised? It looks like what I wrote almost 4 years ago: Darfur: when History is a never ending story… is still up to date. Since I first wrote about #Sudan in the late 80s (yes, it has been a while), every new event taking place in the country confirms the more we wait, the worse it gets. Twenty years have past and nothing appears to have changed. Baby steps, that is. But they have saved lives so it’s far better than nothing, we can’t deny it. But are baby steps the most efficient response to what has been happening in South Sudan and is still happening in #Darfur? And now that Sudan’s northern army seized control of the disputed, oil- producing Abyei region, many rightfully think northern and southern fighting over Abyei could reignite a full blown war in Sudan. Here…⇒ READ MORE