Africa News Headlines for 30 April 2014

Chinese premier to visit Africa in May
Source: Xinhua

Ethiopia's Investments in Family Planning
Source: U.S. Department of State

Nigeria’s quest for new markets for crude oil yielding result
Source: Business Day

Assmang to buy Gabon iron ore stake
Source: BDLive

2014 Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship
Source: The African Executive

A “Soft Approach” to Nigeria’s Boko Haram
Source: Africa in Transition

Stop Muzzling the Press in East Africa
Source: Huffington Post Canada

East African states adopt common anti-terrorism strategy
Source: Standard Digital

Famine fears in S. Sudan; but leaders unconcerned
Source: Washington Post/AP

Gabon regulator to raid markets for illicit phones
Source: Telecompaper

New Africa Book of the Day - 29 April 2014

Combating Corruption: Legal Approaches to Supporting Good Governance and Integrity in Africa by John Hatchard

Release Date: April 28, 2014
Publisher: Edward Elgar

Drawing on numerous recent examples of good and bad practice from around the continent, this insightful volume explores the legal issues involved in developing and enhancing good governance and accountability within African states, as well as addressing the need for other states worldwide to demonstrate the 'transnational political will' to support these efforts.

John Hatchard considers the need for good governance, accountability and integrity in both the public and private sector. He studies how these issues are reflected in both the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. The book demonstrates that despite the vast majority of African states being party to these conventions, in practice, many of them continue to experience problems of bad governance, corporate bribery and the looting of state assets. It explores how the 'art of persuasion' can help develop the necessary political will through which to address these challenges at both the national and transnational levels.

This unique and influential book will be of worldwide interest to those studying law, politics or business, as well as legal practitioners, policymakers, senior public officials, parliamentarians, law reformers, civil society organizations and the corporate sector.

John Hatchard is co-author (with Tunde I. Ogowewo) of Tackling the Unconstitutional Overthrow of Democracies: Emerging Trends in the Commonwealth (2003) and (with Colin Nicholls, Timothy Daniel, and Alan Bacarese) of Corruption and Misuse of Public Office (2011).

Africa News Headlines for 29 April 2014

Differences over future of Tanzania's union government cloud jubilee anniversary
Source: Sabahi

DRC is Afreximbank’s newest member
Source: Star Africa

Dos Santos on European charm offensive
Source: SAPA

Rwanda: RwandAir Express starts flight to Cameroon
Source: African Manager

Erykah Badu under fire for singing to Swazi King
Source: Mail & Guardian

Cameroon Signs Deal To Build First Tramway
Source: Ventures Africa

South Africa: The ANC monolith cracks
Source: Socialist Worker

Hydro-rich Guinea seeks firms to operate state-owned utility
Source: HydroWorld

Africa cheated of billions annually
Source: New Vision

SOMALIA: Defense Minister tours Sudanese military facilities, asks military support
Source: RBC Radio

UW Lab School Plans Africa Event Thursday
Source: UW News

Why the dangerous new turn for piracy matters
Source: CNN

Electrification in Africa, a question of credit to pay for it
Source: Oman Daily Observer

Climate change to intensify important African weather systems, Stanford scientists say
Source: Stanford News

Uganda says planning tougher law limiting gay sex, foreign NGOs
Source: Reuters

Giant South African 3D printer prints another printer
Source: htxt.africa

Editorial: Is Africa’s Luxury Market As Promising As it Seems?
Source: AFK Insider

President Uhuru Kenyatta signs Kenya polygamy law
Source: BBC News

South Sudan’s Kiir warns against imported solutions for African problems
Source: Sudan Tribune

ASMEA Sets April 30 Deadline for Papers and Panels

The Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) has set Wednesday, April 30, as the deadline for submission of papers and panel ideas for its seventh annual conference, scheduled to take place October 30 and November 1, 2014, in Arlington, Virginia.

In an email to members, conference planners said:

ASMEA is currently seeking proposals for paper and panel presentations for the Seventh Annual Conference. Members from any discipline, tenured or untenured faculty, or those otherwise affiliated with a recognized research institution, may submit proposals to present at the Conference. Unique proposals from senior graduate students (ABD) will also be considered. Proposals on topics related to the Middle East and Africa should consist of a one-page outline of new and unpublished research. A recent C.V. with all contact data also must be included with name, e-mail, phone number, and affiliation.

The email noted separate links for panel proposals and a call for papers.

In addition to sponsoring its annual conference, ASMEA publishes the Journal of the Middle East and Africa and books, such as Political Islam from Muhammad to Ahmadinejad: Defenders, Detractors, and Definitions by Joseph Morrison Skelly.

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

New Africa Book of the Day - 28 April 2014

Modernization as Spectacle in Africa, edited by Peter J. Bloom, Stephan F. Miescher, and Takyiwaa Manuh

Release Date: May 1, 2014
Publisher: Indiana University Press

For postcolonial Africa, modernization was seen as a necessary outcome of the struggle for independence and as crucial to the success of its newly established states. Since then, the rhetoric of modernization has pervaded policy, culture, and development, lending a kind of political theatricality to nationalist framings of modernization and Africans’ perceptions of their place in the global economy. These 15 essays address governance, production, and social life; the role of media; and the discourse surrounding large-scale development projects, revealing modernization's deep effects on the expressive culture of Africa.

Peter J. Bloom is author of French Colonial Documentary: Mythologies of Humanitarianism
(2008). Stephan F. Miescher is author of Making Men in Ghana (2005). Takyiwaa Manuh is author of At Home in the World? International Migration and Development in Contemporary Ghana and West Africa (2005).

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa News Headlines for 28 April 2014

Columbus Zoo to open new Africa exhibit in May
Source: Sandusky Register

Africa on the way to realising 4.4pc growth in agriculture
Source: KBC

President unveils bronze bust of Nelson Mandela as South Africa marks 20 years of democracy
Source: Fox News

Mauritius leads Africa in using ICT for development – WEF
Source: Human IPO

Seychelles is Africa’s second best ICT nation
Source: Star Africa

Single visa for African countries in the works
Source: TTG Asia

Japan aims to help address African food crisis by training farmers in the region
Source: Japan Daily Press

Sub-Saharan Africans underemployed: IMF
Source: News Day

China set to play bigger role in Africa trade
Source: Shanghai Daily

AU accused of failing to act over S.Sudan violence
Source: Capital FM

Website traffic explosion in South Africa
Source: mybroadband

Developing a regional trade market in East Africa is vital to U.S. political and economic security
Source: U.S. News & World Report

Africa needs investment not aid, says Equity boss
Source: Capital FM

EU increases funding for Ebola in West Africa
Source: Business Day

Military Decline Calls South Africa's Regional Leadership into Question
Source: World Politics Review

South Africa keen to host BRICS Development Bank
Source: Odisha Sun Times

‘Little Africa’ in India
Source: Bangkok Post

"Is there any hope for Africa?"
Source: Somaliland Press

New Africa Book of the Day - 27 April 2014

The Rise and Fall of Philanthropy in East Africa: The Asian Contribution by Robert G. Gregory

Release Date: April 30, 2014
Publisher: Transaction Publishers

Robert G. Gregory challenges the apparent assumption that non-Western peoples lack a significant indigenous philanthropic culture. Focusing on the large South Asian community in East Africa, he relates how, over a century, they built a philanthropic culture of great magnitude, and how it finally collapsed under the ascendency of increasing state regulation and policies directed against non-African communities.

Compelled by poverty to seek better oppurtunities overseas, most Asians arrived in East Africa as peasant farmers. Denied access to productive land and sensing economic opportunity, they turned to business. Despite severe forms of racial discrimination in the colonial society, they suffered few restrictions on their business enterprises and some became very wealthy. Gregory’s historical analysis shows philanthropy as an important contribution, one that stemmed from deep roots in Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist culture. The sense of nonracial social responsibility cultivated social, medical, and educational facilities designed for all.

This age of philanthropy terminated with the Asian exodus. The socialist and racial policies adopted by East African governments over the past few decades have virtually destroyed the foundation necessary for philanthropy as well as the distinct Asian cultural identity. Gregory’s account of the East Asian’s role in philanthropy deserves great attention and sober reflection.

Robert G. Gregory, professor of history emeritus at Syracuse University, has also written India and East Africa: History of Race Relations within the British Empire, 1890-1939 (1972), South Asians in East Africa: An Economic and Social History, 1890-1980 (1993), and A guide to daily correspondence of the Coast, Rift Valley, Central, and Northeastern Provinces: Kenya National Archives microfilm (1984).

Africa News Headlines for 27 April 2014

Desmond Tutu: I'm glad Nelson Mandela is dead
Source: The New Zealand Herald

Ernest Bai Koroma led Govt. receives $25M grant from World Bank
Source: Sierra Express Media

Arusha prepares for presidents
Source: East African Business Week

Zimbabwe opposition in disarray
Source: Financial Times

South Africa celebrates 20 years since apartheid
Source: Oman Daily Observer

Election violence flares in South Africa's platinum mining belt
Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Delivering for the born-free generation
Source: Financial Times

Scottish charity donates to Tanzania floating hospital
Source: East African Business Week

Survivors of Ebola face second 'disease': stigma
Source: Hutchinson News

Manhunt! Kenya Poaching Patrol Seeks Killers of Six Elephants
Source: TakePart

Tanzania marks 50th anniversary of Union Day
Source: ENCA

Indian exports to W Africa post 22% growth
Source: Gulf Times

Young African Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets to Success
Source: Atlanta Black Star

Economists Fear Impact Of China’s Slow Growth For Africa
Source: Investing.com

East Africa To Access Facebook On Tigo Free Of Charge
Source: SpyGhana

John XXIII, John Paul II, and the Quest for Peace in Africa
Source: The Catholic World Report

Somalia-bound airlines complain of undercutting by rivals
Source: Mareeg Media

ASA Announces April 30 Deadline for Award and Prize Nominations

The African Studies Association has sent out a note about approaching deadlines for various prizes and awards to be presented at the ASA's annual meeting in Indianapolis, November 20-23, 2014. These four awards have a nomination deadline of Wednesday, April 30:

The Melville J. Herskovits Award -- awarded to the author of the most important scholarly work in African studies published in English during the preceding year.

The Bethwell A. Ogot Book Prize -- awarded to the author of the best book on East African studies published in the preceding year.

The Distinguished Africanist Award recognizes a lifetime of distinguished contributions to African studies.

The Graduate Student Paper Prize -- awarded to the best paper presented by a graduate student at the previous year's Annual Meeting.

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Today's African Holidays - 27 April 2014

Today three African countries celebrate national holidays. It is Independence Day in Sierra Leone and Togo. It is Freedom Day in South Africa.

As the BBC reported on April 27, 1961:

Sierra Leone has become the latest West African state to win independence, after more than 150 years of British colonial rule.

The new nation was born at the stroke of midnight, when its green, white and blue flag was unfurled. A huge crowd, gathered at Brookfields Playground in Freetown to watch the historic moment, broke into tumultuous cheering.

Independence Day formally began as the Duke of Kent handed over royal instruments recognising Sierra Leone as an independent nation.

In a press statement dated April 25, 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry said, in part:

We are all profoundly aware that Sierra Leone is becoming one of Africa’s greatest success stories. When I was Senator from Massachusetts, the suffering of Sierra Leone was not just an issue on the Foreign Relations Committee; it became personal because my state became a haven to so many Sierra Leoneans fleeing violence and grievous wounds. I came to know children who had lost parents and parents who had carried on after losing their children. They dreamed of a day when their home would be peaceful again.

Today, that is much more than a dream. Sierra Leone is a model post-conflict country. Although so many lost so much during the civil war, we have proudly witnessed how Sierra Leoneans summoned the will to pick themselves up and rebuild their country.

Togo was one of 17 African countries that gained independence in 1960. Most of those countries had been French colonies, and Togo was one of those.

Secretary also sent wishes to Togo on April 25, saying:

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of Togo as you celebrate your independence on April 27.

Our two countries enjoy a strong partnership. The United States appreciates Togo’s efforts to promote regional peace, expand economic opportunity, and fight transnational crime.

We look forward to continuing to work together in the years to come

Freedom Day in South Africa commemorates the first fully democratic elections held in the country in 1994, after the end of apartheid. It was that year that Nelson Mandela was elected president.

Secretary Kerry's message of congratulations (dated April 25) makes special mention of Mandela's legacy:

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I extend warmest wishes to the people of the Republic of South Africa on your Freedom Day on April 27.

This year’s celebration is especially poignant: it marks the 20th anniversary of your nation’s first democratic elections and follows the recent passing of the Rainbow Nation’s beloved son, Nelson Mandela.

Madiba was a stranger to hate. He rejected recrimination in favor of reconciliation. On this 20th anniversary, we reflect on South Africa’s transformation in these two decades as a testament to the power of reconciliation, forgiveness, and hope.

This year also marks an important milestone for the United States as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which expanded voting rights to racial minorities. Our own commemoration is yet another reminder of the work ahead in our shared struggle for democracy and human rights.

As you prepare to hold general elections next month – your fifth in the post-apartheid era – we remember the spirit of that historic election in 1994, one filled with tremendous hope, goodwill, and promise for a better future.

For further reference, David Harris's Sierra Leone: A Political History is scheduled to be published May 1. Samuel Decalo has compiled a Historical Dictionary of Togo (1996), which may be due for an update. Books about South Africa are numerous; one recent publication is The South Africa Reader: History, Culture, Politics edited by Clifton Crais and Thomas V. McClendon (2013).

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa News Headlines for 26 April 2014

Professor to discuss Kenya and International Court
Source: The Southern (Southern Illinois University)

Mauritius Leads Africa On WEF Networked Readiness Index
Source: Ventures Africa

AU ministers meet on fish farming
Source: StarAfrica

UN set to lift Ivory Coast diamond embargo
Source: News24

IMF cites Zambia, Ghana for unsustainable spending
Source: Saturday Post

Great expectations for SA Music Awards
Source: Saturday Star

Operational Excellence is the Key to Enrich African Banking Structure
Source: Fleming Gulf

“We can not let Senegal deteriorate,” says Wade
Source: StarAfrica

Top US diplomat to lead peace mission to Africa
Source: New Vision

Envoy: Ivory Coast Keen to Boost Tourism Ties with Iran
Source: Tasnim News Agency

ANC faces dishonest wealth accumulation challenge, says Motlanthe
Source: BDlive

Nigeria bogged down in fight against Boko Haram
Source: Los Angeles Times

Queen congratulates SA for Freedom Day
Source: News24

BBC reports: Opposition MDC suspends Morgan Tsvangirai
Source: SW Radio Africa

Focused effort to fight Gulf of Guinea piracy, oil theft
Source: Business Day

Endangered Species of the Week: São Tomé giant treefrog
Source: ARKive

Tanzania Marks 50th Anniversary
Source: Voice of America

Cameroon Travel Warning
Source: U.S. Department of State

Piracy Drill Off Africa Larger Than Ever
Source: Stratsis Incite

Growth in Angola’s oil industry picks up pace
Source: Business Day

New Africa Book of the Day - 26 April 2014

Biotechnology in Africa: Emergence, Initiatives and Future by Florence Wambugu and Daniel Kamanga

Release Date: April 30, 2014
Publisher: Springer

In this book, Florence Wambugu and Daniel Kamanga of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International bring together expert African authorities to critique various biotechnology initiatives and project future developments in the field in Africa. For the first time, African voices from multidisciplinary fields as diverse as economics, agriculture, biotechnology, law, politics and academia, demand to be allowed to set the continent’s biotech development agenda. This book argues that there is a great future for biotechnology in Africa which sidesteps western interests that do not match those of the local populace. In these diverse chapters, Africa’s political and scientific leaders demand a greater say in how research and development funds are allocated and spent. They argue that Africa’s political leaders must see both clear benefits and have elbow-room to drive the change required. This is the way that African governments can employ workable policies, suitable biosafety legislation and regulation and respond effectively to public-private partnerships. Wambugu and Kamanga show that biotechnology has the potential to improve food security and standard of living as well as mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change on the African continent.

Florence Wambugu is the CEO of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (AHBFI). She has also written Modifying Africa: How biotechnology can benefit the poor and hungry, a case study from Kenya and The benefits of biotechnology for small-scale banana producers in Kenya (both 2001).

Daniel Kamanga is director of the communications program at AHBFI.

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Today's African Holidays - 26 April 2014

Today the people of Tanzania celebrate Union Day.

This holiday marks the day in 1964 when Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form what was eventually called (six months later) the United Republic of Tanzania.

Last year, the Tanzania Daily News in Dar es Salaam reported with regard to the holiday:

World leaders including US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis have saluted Tanzanians for maintaining the 49-year-old Union between the then Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

In their separate congratulatory messages to President Jakaya Kikwete, the leaders wished Tanzania a prosperous Union and vowed to cement current co-operation with the country in all spheres of life.

President Obama said that the US would continue with the existing friendly relations with Tanzania, as the two countries have common vision on various issues such as democracy, economic prosperity and peace among nations.

"As your country continues to forge a more perfect Union to preserve and strengthen achievements of a modern and peaceful Tanzania, you will continue to have a steadfast friend and partner in the United States," President Obama was quoted as saying in the statement.

In his message sent through the Holy See in Dar es Salaam, Pope Francis said: "I send cordial greetings to you (President Kikwete) and your fellow citizens on the happy occasion of the Union Day.

"At the beginning of my pontificate, I gladly commend the Republic to the Providence of Almighty God and pray that its citizens may enjoy peace and well-being."

This year's Union Day falls on the fiftieth anniversary of the uniting of Zanzibar and Tanganyika.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued this statement of congratulations on Friday, April 25, 2014:

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the citizens of Tanzania as you commemorate 50 years since the unification of Tanganyika and Zanzibar into the United Republic of Tanzania.

The United States remains committed to working with the people of Tanzania and building on the strong history of friendship between our nations.

We continue to work together in the fight against malaria and HIV/AIDS, and we celebrate our shared achievements in agriculture, education, and the environment. These accomplishments lay the foundation for a more secure and prosperous future.

As you celebrate in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar, the American people wish you a joyous and peaceful Union Day.

Hongera na Kila la kheri!

For more information about the country, check out Tanzania: A Peace Corps Publication and the State Department's "country notes."

Africa News Headlines for 25 April 2014

Burundi shows how African countries can reduce their dependence on aid
Source: The Economist

South Africa State Broadcaster Accused of ‘Bias’
Source: Voice of America

Government’s Voice of Zimbabwe faces closure
Source: SW Radio Africa

Brown University to host colloquium on Africa
Source: Providence Journal

Pivot to Africa, Too
Source: U.S. News & World Report

Tsetse Fly Genome Decoded, May Hold Clues To Fighting African Sleeping Sickness
Source: Huffington Post

De Klerk hails 20 years of S.Africa democracy but scolds ANC
Source: Ahram Online

Violence in South Sudan at a Savage Turning Point
Source: Inter Press Service

South African police arrest cannibalism suspect
Source: Business Standard

Draft Internet Gaming Bill Published In South Africa
Source: Mondaq

Qatar to support establishment of a financial centre in Kenya
Source: The Star

U.N. Security Council asks for inquiry into South Sudan massacre
Source: Reuters

Value-addition: Africa’s growth tonic
Source: Southern Times

SSA Returns To The ‘Original Sin’: A Case Against African Sovereign Bonds
Source: AFK Insider

With World Watching Ukraine, Russia Makes Energy Moves in Africa
Source: U.S. News & World Report

South Sudan's President Shakes Up Army Leadership
Source: Wall Street Journal

A shocking new report highlights depth of poaching crisis
Source: Wildlife Extra

Indian mining, steel heavyweight opens up shop in SA
Source: Creamer Media's Mining Weekly

Tsvangirai appoints chief political strategist
Source: SW Radio Africa

Nigerian leaders unite against Boko Haram
Source: Reuters

United Nations: Harsh Realities and Hard Lessons
Source: Africa in Transition

New Africa Book of the Day - 25 April 2014

Statecraft and Nation Building in Africa: A Post-colonial Study by Godfrey Mwakikagile

Release Date: April 22, 2014
Publisher: New Africa Press

This is a study of statecraft and nation building in Africa in the post-colonial era. Subjects covered include early years of independence, state legitimacy, constitutional primacy, institutional transformation, autocracy, quest for democracy, national integration, consolidation of the state, and others. It focuses on case studies whose relevance is continental in scope.

Tanzanian journalist and scholar Godfrey Mwakikagile is a prolific writer whose books include Uganda: A Nation in Transition: Post-colonial Analysis (2012), Burundi: The Hutu and The Tutsi: Cauldron of Conflict and Quest for Dynamic Compromise (2012), Relations Between Africans and African Americans: Misconceptions, Myths and Realities (2007), Tanzania Under Mwalimu Nyerere: Reflections on an African Statesman (2006), Life in Tanganyika in the Fifties (2009), and Economic Development in Africa (1999).

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

New Africa Book of the Day - 24 April 2014

Advancing the Ugandan Economy: A Personal Account by Ezra Sabiti Suruma

Release Date: April 30, 2014
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Internal conflicts, dictatorship, and economic disintegration characterized the first twenty-five years of Uganda's independence from British colonial rule, which culminated in the reign of Idi Amin and a violent civil war. The country has since achieved an astounding turnaround of stability and growth. Advancing the Ugandan Economy is a first-hand look at the remarkable policy changes that took place from 1986 to 2012 and their effect in contrast with the turbulent events after independence.

Ezra Suruma held several key positions in the Ugandan government during the nation's transition period, including minister of finance. His insightful recounting of those times demonstrates that African countries can achieve economic stability and sustain rapid growth when they meet at least two interdependent conditions: establishing a stable and secure political framework and unleashing entrepreneurialism. Suruma also highlights the strategic areas that still require fundamental reform if Uganda is to become a modern state and shares his vision for the future of his country.

Rarely in African history has so much positive political and economic transformation of a country been achieved in such a short time. Suruma's account of the commitment, determination, vision, and dexterity of the Ugandan government holds invaluable lessons in managing the still complex policy challenges facing the African continent.

A former Ugandan minister of finance (2005-2009), Ezra Sabiti Suruma has also been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and serves as am advisor on finance and planning to President Yoweri Museveni.

Africa News Headlines for 24 April 2014

Explosion targets journalist’s car in Cameroon
Source: Washington Post

Ethiopia thwarts Egypt by paying for Nile dam itself
Source: Al Arabiya

China's African Adventure
Source: Foreign Policy

U.N. Security Council members mulling South Sudan sanctions
Source: Reuters

GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa to reach 5.5 pct in 2014: IMF
Source: Shanghai Daily

AU pushes efforts to end conflicts on African continent
Source: Xinhua

Sub-Saharan Africa faces heightened risk of capital outflows: IMF
Source: Reuters

Africa's Richest Woman Plans To Increase Stake in Unitel
Source: Forbes

Africa’s Path to Prosperity
Source: New York Times

Handheld lab could diagnose malaria in 15 minutes
Source: mHealth News

Born Free USA publishes Africa's poaching list of shame
Source: eTurboNews

World Bank Approves $150m Grant For Education In Africa
Source: Ventures Africa

Uganda to deploy Suprema Live Scanners for 2016 Voter Registration
Source: PC Tech Magazine

A.N.C.’s Stature Wanes as Disenchantment Grows in South Africa
Source: New York Times

IGD appoints Africa expert as new president and CEO
Source: Devex

Africa World Documentary Film Festival screens at Missouri History Museum
Source: St. Louis American

Fighting rages in South Sudan, days after discovery of hundreds of bodies
Source: Washington Post

Oil and Gas: Ophir energy's exciting African campaign
Source: The Africa Report

Exclusive: Russia, China block Central African Republic blacklist at U.N.
Source: Reuters

NASA Catches Deforestation in the Act
Source: The Weather Channel

IMF: Sluggish South Africa Economy Slowing Region's Growth
Source: Wall Street Journal

‘Technology exists to lower Kenya’s money transfer costs'
Source: IT Web Africa

South Africa's Central Bank Warns of Capital Flight Risk
Source: Wall Street Journal

New Africa Book of the Day for 23 April 2014

Evocative Africa: Ventures of Discovery by Gerald Cubitt

Release Date: April 25, 2014
Publisher: John Beaufoy Publishing

Come on a journey with Africa's finest nature photographer to lands of time-honoured cultural traditions and unspoilt natural wilderness. Here is the 'real Africa' - astonishing in its diversity of wildlife, breathtaking in its natural beauty and unforgettable in its bursting floral kingdom. Evocative Africa is a visual journey taking the reader through Gerald Cubitt's selection of the 'unmissable' in sub-Saharan Africa. This extensive collection of images juxtaposes the scale and grandeur of the continent with an intimate attention to smaller, less obvious wonders. The informative commentary reveals the social, ecological and geographical context of the images. The book bursts with a multitude of images. The reader will be immersed in South Africa, will visit Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and Namibia. Just offshore, no lifetime's safari on the east coast of Africa can ignore Madagascar, perhaps the most compelling hotspot of biodiversity in the world. Four and a half years have gone into the design and preparation of this book and the endeavour of the photographer and publisher is to make Evocative Africa the best of its kind ever produced in South Africa: a book that captures the magic and character of the 'real Africa' - its timeless wildlife and wilderness, its colourful and proud ethnic heritage and, of course, its stunning diversity of landscape. It represents the culmination of many years of photographing Africa, her people, her places and her wildlife. It celebrates destinations we can all enjoy, showing them in a new light, giving us many moments of delight from places we already know to be astonishing.

Photographer Gerald Cubitt's other books include This Is Namibia (1999, with Peter Joyce), This Is Kenya (2000, with Jean Hartley, Peter Joyce, Daryl Balfour, and Sharna Balfour), Portraits of the African Wild (1993, with Mike Nicol and Anton Rupert), and Kruger National Park (1994, with David Rogers, Nigel Dennis, Daryl Balfour, and Peter Pickford).

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa News Headlines for 23 April 2014

Rwandan President Paul Kagame visits MIT
Source: MIT News

Building Science and Technology Capacity in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
Source: The African Executive


Gabon: Strong Government Support for Developing Telecom Sector Through 'Digital Gabon' Plan
Source: Digital Journal

250 Million-Year-Old Piece Of Africa Found In Southeastern US, Larger Portions May Still Be Discovered
Source: International Business Times

Mobile West Africa 2014 Lures World’s Most Influencial Mobile Expert To Nigeria
Source: Ventures Africa

Ex-Senegalese president's trip home in limbo
Source: Appeal-Democrat

Swazi opposition leaders, activists detained
Source: Independent Online

Do Africans Want Democracy? Answers May Surprise You
Source: AFK Insider

Kenyan Author’s Missing Chapter: Being Openly Gay
Source: WBUR Here & Now

Newspapers Still Relevant in Africa: The Star CEO
Source: The African Executive

Work set to start on Gabon-Congo fibre link
Source: Biztech Africa

One in Five African Adults Work on Farms
Source: Gallup

Can mobile phones help the world's unbanked? Some experts think so
Source: CNBC

When President Uhuru Kenyatta's advisor vanished into thin air
Source: Standard Digital

UO model for others to follow
Source: Around the O (University of Oregon)

Diversify tourism products, President Uhuru Kenyatta urges investors
Source: Daily Nation

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa News Headlines for 22 April 2014

Gabon seeks to learn from Moroccan experience in management of expats’ affairs, Gabonese Minister
Source: Morocco World News

In Capturing Nature's Majesty, Film Makes Case for Its Survival
Source: Voice of America

Stowaway Teen May Have Been Trying to Get to Africa, Family: Report
Source: NBC News

Oil is treasure as African piracy shifts west
Source: Horseed Media

Portuguese frigate joins Gulf of Guinea naval anti-piracy exercise
Source: The Portugal News Online

Kenya to seek natural gas from Qatar for 700 MW power plant
Source: Reuters

Cracking down on Nairobi's Somalis
Source: Aljazeera

Airtel Gabon launches 3G+ service
Source: Telecompaper

Nigeria Receives $23m To Implement Environmental Projects – Official
Source: Leadership

The iron lady of booze stirs up a flat beer market
Source: Standard Digital

Rhino Horns Worth $16 Million Stolen in S. Africa
Source: WebProNews

Orlando Bloom found family history in South Africa
Source: New! Magazine

Bloomberg invests $5M in solar-powered lamp for sub-Saharan Africa
Source: Metro News Canada

An African City Creator: 'Lupita Nyong'o Is the Modern African Woman'
Source: BET

French troops in Central African Republic escort Muslims to safety
Source: Reuters

Islamists kill second Somali lawmaker, threaten more attacks
Source: Reuters

Africa News Headlines for 21 April 2014

The science of why most marathon winners are from east Africa
Source: Vox

How Uganda Helped Me Mark Passover
Source: The Jewish Daily Forward

Aid To Sub-Sahara Expected To Decline – Analysis
Source: Eurasia Review

Nairobi, Addis Ababa nearing global city status
Source: Standard Digital

Africa's Elephant Havens Threatened by Political, Military Moves
Source: Auto World News

Africa gets new fund for climate change projects
Source: Standard Digital

Nigeria’s Boko Haram: “We Are in Abuja!”
Source: Africa in Transition

Humans May Have Left Africa Earlier Than Thought
Source: Discovery.com

Robert Mugabe is the lowest paid President in Africa
Source: ZimDaily

What Jews Can Learn From Rwandans
Source: The Jewish Daily Forward

International aid can’t arrive soon enough for the Central African Republic
Source: Washington Post

Tanzania set to relax its rules on capital controls
Source: Daily News

African Currency Unit: An Urgent Question in the Midst of the Capitalist Crisis
Source: Toward Freedom

Senegal's ex-president Wade to return home
Source: AFP

New Report Commissioned by Born Free USA Confirms Organized Crime, Government Corruption, and Militia Links to Elephant Poaching and the Ivory Trade
Source: Gnomes National News Service

Lawmakers push for expedited Congolese adoptions
Source: The Hill

South Africa's ANC set for two-thirds majority: poll
Source: Reuters

New Africa Book of the Day - 21 April 2014

The Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa: Second Edition by Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, Warwick Tarboton, and Peter Ryan

Release Date: April 25, 2014
Publisher: Random House Struik

This new larger edition is based on the recently updated fourth edition of the standard-format Sasol Birds of Southern Africa.

The region’s best-selling, most comprehensively illustrated and trusted field guide, it offers: Rewritten species accounts, now with group introductions; Newly designed plates for ease of use and comparison; More than 380 new improved illustrations; Illustrations with simplified labels, pinpointing key differentiating features; Updated distribution maps showing relative abundance and indicating resident or migrant status; Calendar bars showing species’ occurrence and breeding periods, and sonograms depicting the calls of difficult-to-distinguish birds that have distinctive calls.

The larger format allows for better appreciation and easier use of the plates.

Ian Sinclair is author of Birds of Southern Africa Pocket Guide (2011). Phil Hockey wrote the 2001 book, African Penguin: A Natural History. Warwick Tarboton is author of Roberts Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds (2011). Peter Ryan wrote Wild South: Hunting and fly-fishing the southern hemisphere (Kindle edition, 2013).

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa Book of the Day - 20 April 2014

Easter in Abuja (This Is Africa - Lessons I learned from Dr. Stephen Covey) by John Irving and Christine Irving

Release Date: February 25, 2013
Publisher: Aurochs Press [Kindle Edition]

When I was struggling with the challenges of middle age I discovered the man I consider one of the greatest American teachers, mentors and philosophers of our generation, Dr. Stephen Covey. While Martin Luther King was my guide as a teenager and young adult, Dr. Covey was the man who guided me through my forties and fifties. His 7 Habits have helped and healed so many. This story is about Habit 1: Be Proactive.

This Is Africa is a series of stories garnered from more than ten years flying and travelling throughout Africa as a jumbo-jet captain and avid adventurer. During my wanderings I was often joined by my indomitable companion-for-life Christine Irving, my soul-mate of five decades. She is a writer, poet, priestess and my own personal Goddess. While I haven’t travelled in every country in Africa, I have been in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. During my travels I have had some interesting times which I will share with you in my series This Is Africa.

In Easter In Ajuba I describe a Nigerian airport that was not expecting my Boeing 747-400 freighter, just after midnight on Easter morning.

Authors Christine and John Irving have also written Magdalene A.D: Part II - Gospel of a Mary (2012), Motorcycle Dreaming - Riding the 'Beauty Way' Back in Time Across America (2009), Mystery of the Black Madonna (2012), and Be a Teller of Tales (2009).

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa News Headlines for 20 April 2014

Chinese, Gabonese presidents exchange congratulations on anniversary of ties
Source: Xinhua

Benin: Africa urged to follow the example of China in development programme
Source: African Manager

Skytrax: Kigali Airport Best in East Africa
Source: This Day Live

Zuriel Meets Assistant Secretary of State for Africa in Washington DC
Source: Business Day

Nigeria introduces novel recycling incentives
Source: Aljazeera

Pope Francis makes Easter plea for peace in Ukraine, Syria and Africa
Source: Calgary Sun

Omidyar Network's Karol Boudreaux offers optimistic view of African economies
Source: Examiner.com

Private-equity investors look deeper into Africa
Source: Business Day

'The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa,' by Dayo Olopade
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Carlyle launches sub-Saharan Africa fund
Source: Gulf News

Conservationist Shot In Africa's Oldest Nature Preserve
Source: NPR

SOMALIA: Al-Shabaab woos Coast youth as noose tightens
Source: Midnimo

Chilling ghost of Rwanda genocide lives on two decades later
Source: Standard Digital

Africa land grabs endanger elephants
Source: Fox News

Silesian student spends 15 months in Central Africa to investigate ivory trade
Source: Prague Post

President Uhuru Kenyatta to lead five cabinet secretaries for a state visit to Qatar
Source: Standard Digital

Turkey's increasing trade with Africa hoped to combat CAD
Source: Sunday's Zaman

New Africa Book of the Day - 19 April 2014

Class, Race and Sport in South Africa's Political Economy by Grant Jarvie

Release Date: April 16, 2014
Publisher: Routledge

In recent years the interest in the patterns and policies of South African sport has grown. This book examines the increasingly complex issue of race, class and sport in the context of South African social relations. The author disputes evaluations made purely on the question of race, maintaining that it is important to examine the complex interaction between racial and class dynamics as a background for understanding the South African way of life. The book demonstrates that sport must be understood in the context of the ensemble of social relations characterizing the South African social formation.

Grant Jarvie is Chair of Sport at the University of Edinburgh. He has taught at the University of Illinois, Warsaw University, and the University of Toronto and has advised a number of governments, including Scotland, United Kingdom, Montenegro, Romania, Portugal, Monaco, Malaysia, and Kenya on policy matters. He is co-author (with Joseph Maguire) of Sport and Leisure in Social Thought (1994) and author of Sport, Culture and Society: An Introduction (2012), among other works.

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

Africa News Headlines for 19 April 2014

Nearly third of Africa implementing climate “smart” schemes
Source: Energy Live News

Strife-weary CAR nostalgic for bloody 'emperor'
Source: Mail & Guardian

Lesotho’s law rejects women chiefs
Source: IOL News

Can South Africa lead Africa?
Source: Aljazeera

Polio Threatens To Spread Through Central Africa
Source: NPR

In Central African Republic, a town embodies the nation's conflict
Source: Christian Science Monitor

In Shift to Africa, US Troops Find Complicated Relationships
Source: Army Times

For rapid growth, Africa is the new China
Source: The Globe and Mail

Interview: UN official draws attention to Africa's economic potential
Source: Xinhua

ANC faces election backlash by disillusioned South Africans
Source: The Irish Times

Mugabe slams Europe's 'homosexual nonsense'
Source: Mail & Guardian

Coke Creates Giant Rainbows To Help South Africa Celebrate 20 Years Of Democracy
Source: Marketing Land

World Economic Forum On Africa: Experts Seek To Involve SMEs
Source: AFK Insider

Addis Ababa to host U.S.-Africa energy summit
Source: Turkish Press

Africa's financial services sector presents opportunities
Source: Authint Mail

Navy Partners US, Others to Fight Oil Theft in Gulf of Guinea
Source: This Day Live

Rail provides foundation to economic take-off
Source: Standard Digital