By Jeffrey Moyo HARARE | ADDIS ABABA (IDN) — Held in Addis Ababa the Ethiopian capital, the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union early February seems long gone, with loud calls from African leaders for reform of the United Nations system. The loudest calls came from the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy […]
In The Age of Fake News, Radio Aims for Trust and Accountability
By Arlene Mukoko, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Radio, it is generally agreed, is the most useful medium of social communication for humanity. Radio waves go beyond borders, reaching everybody everywhere, and being a very affordable receiver compared to other forms of media. We remember the pioneers who contributed to the great invention […]
African Billionaire Targeted by Union Seeking Decent Working Conditions
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Africa’s richest man is in the sights of a labour union in Zambia where his cement plant has been outsourcing labour that pays low wages for its 1,300-workforce. After a wildcat strike last month, unionized workers at the Dangote Industries Zambia Limited cement plant outside […]
Famed Ugandan Novelist Claims Torture in Detention
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — A human rights watchdog group is calling on the government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to investigate claims by internationally acclaimed writer, Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, that he was severely tortured while in detention for his social media postings. Human Rights Watch called the arrest of the […]
Combat Troops March in The DRC After Attempted Coup d’état
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — The Democratic Republic of Congo is the latest African nation to face an attempt to overthrow the government, allegedly by a government official. In the first official comment since reports of the failed coup plot emerged five days ago, a spokesman for President Felix Tshisekedi […]
Chadian Filmmaker Takes a Strong Stand for Women’s Rights
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Mahamat-Saleh Haroun was seven years old when he first heard that a newborn baby was found dead in the trash. A few weeks later, another baby was similarly found. Tragically, this was nothing out of the ordinary in a repressive society that denied women the […]
New Round of Cultural Festivals Planned in West Africa Despite Sanctions
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Festival season is around the corner in West Africa despite ongoing insurgencies that have hurt tourism. The region has long been known for its music, dance and cultural shows, among them the Amani festival in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which opened on Febuary […]
African Troops Heading for Guinea Bissau After Failed Coup Linked to Narcos
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — ECOWAS, a West African trade union, has voted to send troops to the coastal nation of Guinea Bissau after unidentified coup plotters brazenly threatened the lives of government leaders. While the identity of the coup plotters is still unknown, the nation’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, […]
Burkina Faso Coup Leader Promises Return to Constitutional Order
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — In his first speech to the nation since the overthrow of President Roch Kabore, the new military leader of Burkina Faso promised a return to the normal constitutional order “when the conditions are right”. Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, who led the ouster of President Kaboré, […]
Exploited Kenyan Tealeaf Pickers to Get Their Day in Court
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — After years of seeing their complaints stalled, postponed, and thrown out of court, some 700 Kenyan plantation workers have finally won their bid to sue a British-based tea company for imposing work conditions that they say caused crippling physical harm while getting paid poverty wages […]