South Sudan: how we all fell for the ‘big lie’

The title paraphrases an article by Daniel Howden published on The Guardian: How Hollywood cloaked South Sudan in celebrity and fell for the ‘big lie’. Since the  crisis in South Sudan started two weeks ago, I’ve read a lot of things on the whys and hows of the situation. And, unsurprisingly, I’ve read a lot of ineptness, ... More

Abyei Referendum: Sudan wants is oil, South Sudan wants its people

These are the words of Taban Abel Aguek, a Member of State Parliament in Rumbek, Lakes State published on SouthSudanNation.com yesterday. “It is clear what Sudan wants in Abyei is oil, but South Sudan wants its people“. Very clear indeed but the situation can be more complicated than it appears. Abyei is a one million square miles region, it has ... More

Darfur in 2013 Sounds Awfully Familiar

Asiya Tahir, 20, had her 4-month-old baby, Mariam, on her back in April when three armed men in Sudanese military uniforms seized her and her sister at a well in Darfur.  The soldiers beat Asiya and then — according to both sisters who were interviewed separately — pulled Mariam off her back and laughingly checked to see if she was a boy or a girl. ... More

Nick Kristof, Sheryl Sandberg about Women

I like when things look simple. When you can sum it up in one sentence. But in reality, things look quite different and may need a more balanced approach and not a somewhat oversimplified vision with on one side (quoting Sheryl Sandberg in Nick Kristof‘s article: She’s (Rarely) the Boss) ‘women who don’t aggressively pursue ... More

The Inconvenient Truth Behind the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands

I read a lot about the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute but it’s hard to fully understand what this dispute really is about. Hopefully, Nick Kristof published on his blog On The Ground, an article written by Han-Yi Shaw is a Research Fellow at the Research Center for International Legal Studies, National Chengchi University, in Taipei, Taiwan. ... More

In Sudan, Seeing Echoes of Darfur. And still waiting for diplomacy…

Sudan’s ongoing military campaign in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states is a reality but not one you can see. One you guess from satellite imagery, one you read from witnesses’ stories. Now we have something more, a report by Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The New York Times and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Kristof has just reported ... More

Quick Tweets: North Korea, Sudan, Congo, Stiglitz…

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 ... More

Sunday Roundup on Sudan and South Kordofan

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 ... More

Sunday Roundup: Bahrain, Sudan, Physics…

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 ... More

Sunday Roundup: Abyei, WOZA, Rwanda, DSK, Cannes

Today is International Day for Biological Diversity. The UN General Assembly expressed ‘its deep concern about the continuing loss of the world’s biological diversity, and reaffirmed the commitment to the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the ... More